Watch Kelly Rowland shut down Beyoncé questions like a boss

 Kelly Rowland is here for the Boys & Girls Clubs of America and Claritin, okay? Yes, in addition to helping you fight allergies, the med is also instrumental in fending off questions about Beyoncé'sLemonade. During a satellite appearance on Chicago's WGN Morning News, Rowland talked about a number of topics, like her BET show, Chasing Destiny, and her current music project. Have you had an opportunity to get some thoughts on the whole thing?" entertainment reporter Dean Richards asked around the 2:10 mark.

Nigel Lythgoe Remembers Prince’s Surprise ‘American Idol’ Performance

(photo: Reuters/Chris Pizzello)

One of the most thrilling guest performances in American Idol history was when the late, great Prince showed up out of nowhere – almost as if in a genie cloud of purple smoke – on the Season 5 finale in 2006. It wasn’t a typical Idol finale cameo. Prince didn’t perform alongside any of the contestants; his appearance was a complete shock (even to the finalists and employees of the show); and he vanished almost as quickly as he had appeared, immediately after tearing through the 3121 tracks “Lolita” and “Satisfied.”

Speaking to Yahoo Music’s Reality Rocks at BritWeek’s Annual Business Innovation Awards honoring Idol creator Simon Fuller, Idol producer Nigel Lythgoe recalls the surreal scene.

“When I first met Prince, I told him exactly what was going to happen [on the show], how Ryan Seacrest would introduce him,“ Lythgoe remembers. "And he said, ‘No, Nigel. I don’t want any introduction.’ And I said, ‘To be honest with you, sir, we’re going to need to do that.’ He said, ‘No, Nigel. I’m going to come on that stage as a complete surprise.’ So he went out there with the two girls, was sensational, and left the stage before Ryan could even say, ‘Ladies and gentlemen, Prince!’ He was gone. The funny thing about that was, Prince had [a driver] in the theater area, on a telephone in his car, going around the block. So the driver knew exactly when Prince was going onstage, and when he was done. The car drove up, Prince jumped out of the car, ran onto the stage, ran off the stage back into the car, and drove off. Gone.”
Photos: Prince’s Most Memorable Onscreen Moments
While Prince was unwilling to take direction from Lythgoe (“He was very ‘this is the way it’s going to be’”), Lythgoe stresses that Prince was “very gentle with that, not rude in any way. He was very congratulatory about the program and how well he thought it had been done, and I believe he was very, very happy to be appearing on American Idol. But it was literally those conversations: ‘No, Nigel. We’re not going to do it that way.’ Which I’m unaccustomed to!”
As for how Prince’s finale appearance remained such a secret, Lythgoe laughs, “I just kept my mouth shut! Yeah, I know – it’s not like me! But when I need to keep quiet, I can, you know.”
Related: The Voice Coaches Pay Tribute to Prince
Lythgoe produced American Idol during its first seven seasons as well as Seasons 10-12, and he returned this month to oversee the nostalgic series finale. He reveals: “I thought about asking Prince to play again for the Season 15 finale. But then once I went down the route of thinking there shouldn’t be anyone on the finale apart from the judges and contestants, I dropped that idea. But it’s quite interesting that the two people that came into my head [when planning the finale months ago] were David Bowie and Prince. I suppose thank God I didn’t think about anybody else, right?”

Lythgoe ended up including a Bowie medley on the Season 15 finale, starring past winners David Cook, Kris Allen, Lee DeWyze, Phillip Phillips, and Nick Fradiani. When asked which contestants he would have picked for a Prince tribute, he ponders for a moment and says, “That’s a good question. It’s really difficult to recreate Prince. I suppose Adam Lambert would have been great for that. I’d have to think about it, because there was nobody for me ever that was like Prince – apart from [Fox’s former President of Alternative Entertainment] Mike Darnell,” he jokes. “I always used to make fun of Mike’s height [Darnell is 5’2”], so he actually walked up behind Prince [to compare height]. And he was smaller than Prince! But then again, Prince was in stilettos.”

DPR, NSCDC storm petrol stations, enforce N86.50 pump price

Simon Utebor, Yenagoa

Officials of the Department of Petroleum Resources and operatives of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps on Monday compelled filling stations in Bayelsa State to revert to the Federal Government approved price of N86.50.

The operation led by DPR’s State Operations Controller, Mr. Asuquo Antai, and NSCDC’s State Commandant, Mr. Desmond Agu, saw the two federal agencies storming several stations, particularly in Yenagoa metropolis, to enforce the regulated price.

Before the operation, filling stations in the state were dispensing a litre of Premium Motor Spirit (petrol) at between N150 and N200.

Beside the astronomical rise in prices of fuel, some filling stations in the state, with the exception of the NNPC mega filling stations and their affiliates, were discovered to be shortchanging customers through under-dispensing and product hoarding.

Addressing journalists after the operation, Antai said fuel supply to the state had improved in the last few days.

He wondered why why operators of filling stations still chose to sabotage the government and inflict pains on consumers.

The Operations Controller said, “The government has emphasised times without number that all retail outlets should sell at N86.50. We have embarked on this operation to enforce government directive.

“Most of the filling stations have not been selling at the appropriate price. We had a meeting with independent marketers on the issue. We have told them that henceforth, they should sell at the regulated price or face severe sanction. “

He, however, appealed to Pipelines and Products Marketing Company to increase supply to Bayelsa, saying the state had yet to meet its daily consumption figure 837,000 litres.

He warned marketers against hoarding products, under dispensing and diversion of products, saying that recently,  the Department sanctioned 16 filling stations for sharp practices.

In his comment, the NSCDC state Commandant, Desmond Agu, warned against product diversion, saying that errant marketers would be arrested and dealt with according to the law.

Agu said, “Let me sound it loud and clear that diversion of petrol is prohibited. Anyone caught diverting products meant for Bayelsa to another places will be decisively dealt with. My men will be on 24 hour surveillance and patrol.

“And those people involved in black marketeering are warned in  their own interest to stop. From tomorrow, anyone caught selling with jerry cans would be meant to forfeit the fuel and will be detained.

“We are aware that some filling stations sell only at night to rip customers off. We have mandated our operatives to henceforth patrol in the midnight to fish out errant marketers. We are poised to ensure that fuel consumers do not suffer in Bayelsa.”

However, a customer, Chief Nengi James, urged the DPR and the NSCDC to see that such operation was done regularly to sanitise the situation.

James, the Chairman of Civil Liberties Organisation in Bayelsa said,  “It is not a one-off operation. If the relevant enforcement agencies carry out such operation continuously,  all the sharp practices going on at filling stations will be reduced to the barest minimum.

“The PPMC should also ensure that the right quantities are brought into the state. By so doing,  enforcement will be easier and erring filling stations will have themselves to blame.”

Saudi Arabia agrees plans to move away from oil profits

The Saudi cabinet has approved sweeping economic reforms aimed at moving the country away from its dependence on oil profits.

Just over 70% of revenues came from oil last year but it has been hit by falling prices.
One part of the plan will see shares sold in state-owned oil giant Aramco to create a sovereign wealth fund.
Announcing the reforms, Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman described his country as being addicted to oil.
Saudis react on social media
The Vision 2030 plan, he told the Saudi-owned Al-Arabiya news channel, would ensure "we can live without oil by 2020".
Among the reforms he announced in his interview were:

• Shares worth less than 5% of Aramco, a company he valued at up to $2.5tn (£1.7tn), will be sold
• Some of the proceeds will go towards a sovereign wealth fund worth $2tn
• A new visa system will allow expatriate Muslims and Arabs to work long term in Saudi Arabia
• Steps will be taken to diversify the economy, including investment in mineral mining and expanding military production
• Participation of women in the workforce to increase

Even just selling 1% of Aramco would create the biggest initial public offering in history, the prince said, outstripping blockbuster sales like Facebook and Alibaba.
The IMF called the Saudi plan an "ambitious, far-reaching effort" but warned implementation would be a challenge.

Oil has made Saudi Arabia a major economic force. But it comes at a cost. The short-term problem is the volatile price of crude oil, which is now less than half what it was in mid-2014. Saudi Arabia has deep pockets.
It will not go running to the International Monetary Fund for financial help, something another oil exporter, Angola, has done. But the Saudi reserves are eroding and with almost three quarters of government revenue coming from oil, the price fall is making itself felt.
For the long term, international efforts to combat climate change create huge uncertainty about demand for oil in the future. Oil will not lose its dominance of the market for transport fuel in the next few years, but further ahead the outlook is unknown.
So Saudi Arabia needs to become less dependent on oil for government revenue and for the jobs and incomes of Saudi nationals.

---

Oil prices are still less than half the peak of $115 a barrel seen in June 2014. But the prince said the reforms would go ahead regardless of prices.
"The vision has nothing to do with crude prices," he said.
"If the oil price goes back up it would greatly support the vision but it does not need high prices. We can deal with the lowest prices possible."
 

Prince songs set to dominate charts

By Mark Savage Music reporter

• 6 hours ago
  
   
• From the section Entertainment & Arts

Image copyright Reuters

Image caption Prince's back catalogue is only available to stream on Tidal, possibly boosting sales of CDs and vinyl

Sales of Prince's music have skyrocketed since his death last Thursday, at the age of 57.

The Very Best of Prince and Purple Rain hold the number one and two spot respectively in the US Billboard chart.
The chart is compiled on a Friday, meaning Prince outsold the rest of the market in just 24 hours.
In the UK, two of his albums also entered the Top 40 on Friday. Some of the sales were spurred by the lack of Prince material on streaming services.
The star's catalogue was only available to stream on Tidal, while he relentlessly pursued people who illegally uploaded his material to sites like SoundCloud, Daily Motion and YouTube.
"I have a team of female black lawyers who keep an eye on such transgressions," Prince once said. "And you know they're sharp."
The Official Charts Company in the UK said that, based on early figures, Prince could have the number one single and album in the UK this coming Friday.
 

• Prince was 'one of a kind'
• Obituary: Prince
• Five strange stories about Prince
• Sixteen pivotal songs

Image copyright Reuters

Image caption Several of Prince's classic performances - including the 2004 SuperBowl half-time show - have been uploaded to YouTube since his death

Prince died at his Paisley Park home near Minneapolis last week, after reports he was suffering with flu.
He was found in an unresponsive state in a lift on the first floor of his home. Emergency service personnel performed CPR, but were unable to revive him.
"Yes, it's Prince," an unidentified male caller told emergency services, according to a transcript of the 911 call.
The star was pronounced dead at the scene. Details of the post-mortem examination have yet to be released, but his body was released to his family on Friday afternoon and he was cremated on Saturday.
Thousands of fans have flocked to Paisley Park, the First Avenue nightclub, and other sites made famous by Prince since his death, while tributes have come from Lady Gaga, Bruce Springsteen, Stevie Wonder, Justin Timberlake and President Obama, amongst others.
Eric Clapton said Prince had helped him battle depression and drug addiction in the 1980s, calling him "a light in the darkness".
"I was out on the road in a massive downward spiral with drink and drugs," he wrote on Facebook. "I saw Purple Rain in a cinema in Canada, I had no idea who he was, it was like a bolt of lightning! In the middle of my depression, and the dreadful state of the music culture at that time it gave me hope."

Image copyright AFP

Image caption Flowers and tributes have been left around the perimeter of the Paisley Park estate

 

Morrissey wrote: "Prince has influenced the world more than is suspected, and somehow the life of his music is just beginning."
He also said the star was "far more 'royal' than [Queen] Elizabeth II," whose birthday celebrations fell on the same day as Prince's death.
Justin Timberlake added: "He's somewhere within every song I've ever written."
Meanwhile, US comedy show Saturday Night Live dedicated this weekend's edition to the star, playing back his musical appearances and footage of an invitation-only concert he played for the programme's 40th Anniversary.
The NFL also uploaded the star's memorable, rain-drenched SuperBowl concert to YouTube for the first time since it aired in 2004.

Memorial and museum

A senator in Prince's home state of Minnesota has called for purple to be adopted as its official colour, reported the St Paul Pioneer Press; while Prince's brother-in-law said plans were "in the works" for a large-scale public musical memorial.
A private memorial service was held for the rock star on Saturday, attended by about 20 of his closest friends and family.
Among them was Sly and the Family Stone bassist Larry Graham, who toured with Prince and converted him to the Jehovah's Witness faith.
Also present was drummer Sheila E, one of Prince's most frequent collaborators on records including Lovesexy, Erotic City and The Glamorous Life.

Image copyright Getty Images

Image caption Sheila E said she would act as musical director for the planned tribute concert 

 

Speaking to EW after the service, she said the congregation was still struck by disbelief.
"What was challenging yesterday was listening to his music at a very low, soft volume and the room very low in lights and everyone just taking a moment, just sitting there, kind of going, 'Wow,'" she said.
The musician also confirmed plans to turn Prince's home and recording studio into a museum, akin to Elvis's Graceland.

Forthcoming tribute

"We're hoping to make Paisley what [Prince wanted] it to be. [He] was working on it being a museum," she said. "He's been gathering memorabilia and stuff from all the tours, like my drums and his motorcycle."
"There's a hallway of his awards and things, which he really didn't care about too much, but he displayed it for the fans because he knows that they would want to see it," she continued.
"There's pictures of him all down the halls, some you've seen before and some never [seen]… There's a mural on the wall with his hands out and on one side is all the people he was influenced by and the other side is all of us who have played with him... It's beautiful."
The percussionist added that she would be the musical director of the forthcoming tribute, which is expected to take place in Minneapolis.
And she said the star never truly appreciated the impact he had.
"When you're in a place of musically creating and writing, you just do your thing, and you don't realise how many people you touch," she explained.
"I don't know that he really knew how he touched almost everyone in this world."

 

 Radja Nainggolan scored a brilliant late goal as Roma beat Champions League rivals Napoli - handing Juventus the Serie A title in the process.

Napoli needed to win to keep the title race going but Roma proved too difficult an opponent to overcome.
The hosts are now within two points of second-placed Napoli, who occupy the final automatic Champions League place.
Nainggolan's 89th-minute winner was a fine, curling effort from outside the box from Mohamed Salah's lay-off.
Roma legend Francesco Totti, whose future is uncertain, was a late substitute and was involved in the build-up to the goal on his 598th Serie A appearance.

Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure is unlikely to face Real Madrid in Tuesday's Champions League semi-final first leg because of a thigh injury.

Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure is unlikely to face Real Madrid in Tuesday's Champions League semi-final first leg because of a thigh injury.

Toure was hurt late on in Saturday's 4-0 win over Stoke but stayed on as they had used their three substitutes.
Captain Vincent Kompany, who has only played 20 times this season for the club, says he is "100% fit" after repeated calf injuries.
Real are bringing all their players to Manchester despite injury concerns.
They are hopeful Cristiano Ronaldo will be fit despite missing Saturday's 3-2 win over Rayo Vallecano with a thigh injury.
But fellow forward Karim Benzema is a doubt after limping out of the match in the first half.
Toure, 32, has featured in all but one of City's Champions League matches during a campaign that has seen them reach the last four for the first time.
City boss Manuel Pellegrini has not ruled the player out of next week's second leg in Spain, saying the club will assess his fitness over the coming nine days.

Juventus win fifth straight Serie A title as Napoli lose to Roma

Juventus have been crowned Serie A champions for a fifth season in a row after Napoli's 1-0 defeat at Roma.

Sunday's 2-1 win at Fiorentina put them on the brink of glory, and Napoli's failure to win on Monday meant Juve can no longer be caught.
It completes a stunning rise for the Turin side, who were in 12th place and 11 points off the top on 28 October.
However, they have won 24 of their 25 league games since then, drawing the other, to take them clear.
Napoli's defeat actually denies Juventus the chance to win the title at their own ground. They host Carpi on Sunday at 11:30 BST.

Sharon Osbourne discusses her bisexuality: ‘I am extremely interested in what I missed out on’

SHARON Osbourne has said she is bisexual but feels she has missed the opportunity to explore this side of herself.
The X Factor judge made the revelations while saying that “everybody is a little bit gay”.




 Sharon feels that everybody is a 'little bit gay' [Getty]
“I always think everybody is gay — so am I. I am not a little bit gay,” she said on US chat show The Talk..
“I am extremely interested in the fact of what I missed out on.
 




 Sharon has openly discussed her sexuality on US chat show The Talk [Getty]
“But it is too late now.”
The wife of rocker Ozzy Osbourne said there was “nothing wrong” with same-sex relations, but added she had never been intimately involved with another woman.
The revelations come as Sharon was confirmed to be in talks with X Factors bosses earlier this month about making a return to the ITV talent show.
It has been rumoured producers have been keen to reunite Sharon with Louis Walsh and Simon Cowell.
 

She shoots, she doesn't score: Messi blocks Miss BumBum on Instagram

Messi's little BumBum Latino.jpg
Suzy Cortez, the 2015 Miss BumBum contest winner, and Lionel Messi. (Photos: Cortez, Instagram; Messi, Getty Images)
Lionel Messi’s wife keeps a tight leash on the Argentine soccer star. There’s no if, ands or buts about it.
But there is at least one butt involved.
Messi’s missus, Antonella Roccuzzo, forced the soccer star to block the Brazilian beauty and Miss BumBum contest winner, Suzy Cortez, on Instagram after the model barraged the FC Barcelona forward with a slew of sexy photos.
In one of the more risqué ones (actually they’re all risqué, but this one might take the cake), Cortez is shown from behind in a Barcelona jersey and shorts that have been painted on. A frontal shot shows features Cortez in her body-painted jersey discretely covering just one of her breasts.
While Roccuzzo has blocked Cortez from her and her husband’s online accounts, the move has apparently not stopped the bottom-heavy Brazilian from showing her support for the Barça striker.
Cortez was recently caught cavorting on a Portuguese beach in nothing more than a white thong and a Messi jersey, which she would cast aside at opportune times.
According to the New York Post, Cortez said she was shocked to hear that she had been blockedm.
“I was completely shocked when I spotted it. If I could, I would tell her not to be worried about me – I’m just a fan. I’m surprised that she isn’t more sure of herself,” she said. “I guess it can only be because she is jealous. It’s very silly because I’m just a football fan and a huge fan of Barcelona. This is such an overreaction”
Cortez added, “I only follow about 10 people, and he was one of them. So when I saw that I was blocked I thought it could only be jealousy. Why would he block me if he has 40 million followers? Then I checked her profile and confirmed she had also blocked me.”
Last November, the booty-ful Brazilian beat out 14 of her fellow curvaceous countrywomen to earn the crown of 2015 Miss BumBum.
And just like a professional athlete, Cortez, from the capital city of Brasilia, said before her victory that she had followed a strict diet and exercise regimen to make sure she was in top bottom form.
"I've been preparing myself for the past four months. I've always wanted to win this contest," she said at the time. "I dedicated myself completely. I dieted and did rigorous training."
 

Here's What Kim Kardashian Looks Like in a Full Body Stocking

From Cosmopolitan

Kim Kardashian is traipsing around Iceland with her crew right now in celebration of Kourtney Kardashian's 37th birthday, and yesterday, she repped husband Kanye West by wearing a whole lot of Yeezy.

She was photographed walking through Reykjavik, Iceland's capital city, in what appears to be a sheer beige body stocking over a beige body suit, both of which seem to be items from a Yeezy collection. She also sported cream-colored boots from Yeezy Season











  Fans in Reykjavik screamed as she and BFF Jonathan Cheban walked by, but Kim kept her cool as always.

 
 Kim even stood on top of a glacier in this getup. That's the mark of a woman who truly stands with Yeezy.

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For years, the Jeep faithful have begged the company to build a pickup truck variant of its perennial strong-seller, the Jeep Wrangler, and come 2018 it appears they’ll finally get one. We won’t string you along—this isn’t it, however some Jeepers will surely wish it was. 

It’s giant, it’s supercharged, and it was a star of the 2015 SEMA Show and 2016 Easter Jeep Safari. It’s the Jeep Wrangler ‘Bandit’ pickup, the latest “mega-build” hailing from Texas dealership Starwood Motors.

To start, Starwood began the formidable project with a garden variety 2012 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited. If its now-commanding stature and claimed 700 horsepower weren’t enough to convince you otherwise… it’s far from “garden variety” anymore.

First, the obvious modifications. It’s a pickup truck! Starwood says they added a full 48 inches to the Wrangler’s body and frame in order to accommodate its new slab-sided long bed pickup box. Inside it there’s enough room for all the trail gear you’ll ever need, or of course groceries for a month if you fancy a dash to the shops.

It’s also a bit taller than it used to be, and meaner. The Bandit rides atop a new TeraFlex long-arm adjustable suspension and features a mix of Fox Racing and Synergy Suspension shocks, which allow the fitment of the Jeep’s massive 40-inch Nitto tires. Its off-road presence is further emphasized by its pumped-up fender flares at each corner, Fab Four bumpers, Warn winch, and enough LED lights to make midnight in the desert look like a beating midday sun.

Its paint? That’s actually a DuPont Kevlar blend in “Military Tan,” which should be able to stand up to the elements… and just about everything else too.

5 talking points: Super Rugby Week 4

 




Cape Town - Sport24’s Herman Mostert highlights FIVE talking points after Round 4 of the 2016 Super Rugby competition:
1. High drama at Loftus
Friday night’s clash between the Bulls and Sharks at Loftus Versfeld ended in bizarre circumstances.
Bulls replacement flyhalf Tian Schoeman kicked a long-range penalty to level matters at 16-16 with less than a minute to play, only for Sharks flank Marcell Coetzee to win a last-gasp penalty on the ground in what should have won the game for the visitors.
However, Joe Pietersen missed an absolute sitter in front of the posts to see the game end in a stalemate.
The Sharks though learned a hard lesson that one should not overzealously celebrate before a game is actually won.
They celebrated wildly as the referee awarded the penalty, only to be left stunned when Pietersen botched his attempt.
In my view, the Bulls did enough to deserve a draw after many had written them off beforehand and a draw was perhaps a fair result.
2. Fleck outfoxes Larkham
It may not have been the case often during their playing days, but Stormers coach Robbie Fleck outfoxed his Brumbies counterpart Stephen Larkham in Saturday night’s clash at Newlands.
Fleck has expressed his desire to play running rugby and in the build-up to Saturday’s clash, more of the same was expected.
However, the Stormers kicked often in this game and in doing so turned the Brumbies’ big forwards and backs around.
It prevented the Brumbies from building momentum, forced them to play from deep and reduced the influence of their dangerous fetchers.
It was a masterstroke by Fleck.
3. Defensive Cheetahs frailties
Before their clash against the Lions in Johannesburg, Cheetahs coach Franco Smith insisted that they had worked hard on their defence.
He also insisted that they had the right defensive structures in place and that it was rather individuals slipping tackles at crucial times.
Whatever the reasons, the fact is that the Cheetahs are not showing enough commitment on defence. They have already slipped more than 100 tackles in the competition and missing 20 in the first half cost them the game against the Lions.
It simply has to be sorted out if the Cheetahs are to win games going forward in the competition.
The same can be said for the hapless Kings, who again conceded a half-century against the Crusaders in Christchurch on Saturday.
This week, they face Hurricanes in Wellington and I fear more of the same for the men from Port Elizabeth.
4. Lions rue lost bonus point
The Lions were the latest team in this year’s competition to learn a harsh lesson about the new try-scoring bonus point rule.
According to the new rules, a team must score three more tries than their opponents in order to gain a try-scoring bonus point.
When the Lions scored their fourth in the 41st minute for a 31-3 lead, five points appeared a certainty.
However, the Cheetahs came back roaring with three tries of their own to deny the Lions a try-scoring bonus-point.
In the end, the Lions scored five tries - but only two more than their opponents - so had to settle for four points from the game.
I’m still not sure I like the new rule though. Surely the Lions deserved a bonus point for scoring five tries…?
5. Marius Jonker in the spotlight AGAIN!
Television Match Official Marius Jonker was again in the spotlight during the Stormers v Brumbies game at Newlands. The previous week, he had handed the Sharks a controversial penalty try and this weekend he was again involved in a contentious call.
He was right to instruct the referee to give Brumbies replacement hooker Josh Mann-Rea a red card for throwing several punches at Stormers reserve prop Oli Kebble, but the jury still appears to be out on whether Dillyn Leyds’s try in the corner should have been awarded.
Leyds appeared to lose control of the ball, but the try was awarded as on replays it appeared that Leyds’s hand was still on the ball when it touched the ground.
Retired referee Jonathan Kaplan said on his Twitter account that the try should not have been awarded, while Nick Mallett afterwards said he felt the right call was made.
“The try Dillyn Leyds scored did look like a knock-on and in the old days it would’ve been a knock-on. But I do think it was a try, as you don't have to control the ball (while grounding it), just maintain contact with it. I don't think there was daylight between the ball and his hand. The Stormers didn’t get the rub of the green last week with that Siya Kolisi (penalty try) call, but they got it this week,” Mallett said in the SuperSport studio after the game.

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Zuma warns against racists who use art

Durban – President Jacob Zuma on Monday warned against racists, such as cartoonists, who used art as a form of expression.
“We should thus be alert to subtle and disguised racism perpetuated through the stereotyping of individuals or groups of people in the media, through cartoons and satire,” he told thousands of people at a Human Rights Day celebration at Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban.
Human Rights Day commemorates the shooting of 69 people during a protest against the apartheid regime's pass laws at the Sharpeville police station on March 21, 1960.
United against racism
This year’s event was being held under the theme “South Africans United Against Racism”, a decision prompted by several racist comments and outbursts on social media earlier this year. Zuma said everyone had a responsibility to fight this.
“Earlier this year, our country experienced explosions of anger due to racist utterances and writings which reminded South Africans that the vestiges of white supremacy and racism still exist in some sections of society.”
It was clear some people still yearned for the past, when blacks were treated like second-class citizens. However, most South Africans abhorred racism and racial discrimination, he said.
The apartheid regime systematically divided South Africans and caused untold damage to the country, which he said would take decades to reverse.
“The best land was taken away while black people were shuffled into reserves and had to seek permission to live and work in urban areas. This gave rise to the pass laws and the Sharpeville massacre.”
Fight against discrimination
Zuma paid tribute to those leaders who had dedicated their lives to fighting racism and discrimination, including Nelson Mandela, Albert Luthuli, Oliver Tambo, Helen Joseph, and Ahmed Kathrada. They fought for the kind of society envisaged in the Constitution.
This year would mark the 20th anniversary of the Constitution being signed into law, in Sharpeville in December 1996.
He called on South Africans to remember those who had sacrificed their lives for a non-racial society, and who suffered gross human rights violations, and who were tortured or imprisoned.
Zuma said South Africans should remember those protesters apartheid police killed on the same in KwaLanga, Cape Town.

LUTH Tackles Glaucoma among Lagosians

Determined to save more Nigerians from losing their sights in line with World Glaucoma Day, the Lagos University Teaching Hospital in partnership with Pfizer gave free eye screeneing to over 300 Nigerians on World Glaucoma day, as 30 glaucoma suspects were discovered.

The two-day screening to mark World Glaucoma week from March 8 to 12, held at the Guinness Eye Centre, LUTH, where over 30 glaucoma suspects were diagnosed and given appointments for treatment. According to the Post Fellowship Senior Registrar, GEC, Dr. Idowu Oluwatobi glaucoma is known as an eye condition that affects the optic nerve in which the pressure can be high, normal or low.

And it is the cause of irreversible blindness. He further emphasised that the optic nerve – which helps one see – is like an electric wire that connects the eye to the brain. And once this nerve is damaged it cannot be repaired. “Alhough some people say it is a disease of high pressure, we have seen people with glaucoma who have normal blood pressure. So, high pressure is not synonymous with glaucoma.”

Sadly, Oluwatobi decried that the number of glaucoma patients is, unfortunately, rising. “As every year goes by, we see a number of people with this disease. But the alarming thing about it is that we always find most of them at the very advanced or late stages that we might not be able to prevent blindness in them again.” But now, he told disclosed to THISDAY Guinness Eye Centre is better equipped to screen people. So, that can extrapolate to the increased number of the disease that exists now in our midst.

Although Ophthalmologists alongside research have concluded that there is no known cause of the disease for now, the eye specialist says there are a lot of risk factors. “We have a lot of things that can predispose an individual.” He listed: “All blacks are prone to it; persons from age 40 and above; people who have someone in their family that has glaucoma, has got 50 per cent chance of developing the disease, too. Meanwhile, the Chief Nurse, Guinness Eye Centre, Enwuwa Juliana – while ensuring everyone is attended to – told THISDAY they were fulfilled over the large turn-up of Lagosians this year at screening exercise. “This year, the turn-up is very impressive. As an ophthalmic-trained Nurse with over 10 years experience in GECentre, we decided to create awareness today. And luckilly, we found pver 30 suspects. We have given them appointments to come back for further treatment.” Therefore, in creating awareness to Nigerians to care more for their eyes, LUTH urges everyone to visit his ophthalmologist at least twice every year. “Our target this year is to pick these set of people out and help them prevent blindness because glaucoma is a silent blinder.”

Boko Haram: IOM Relocates 189 Families to Bakasi Camp

 

 

As part of its overall support to families displaced by violence in the North, the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) has relocated 189 families from a school to Bakasi camp in Maiduguri. Each family was provided with a newly built shelter by IOM along with a non-food item (NFI) package.

This voluntary relocation is part of a government-led drive to vacate schools where internally displaced persons (IDPs) were initially settled in order to be able to reopen them for classes in April.

Richard Danziger, the IOM Regional Director for West and Central Africa (WCA) reassured the IDPs of IOM’s commitment to providing shelter and NFIs to alleviate their plight. He stated that “providing assistance to internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the North-eastern part of Nigeria is imperative as a first step toward long-term stability in Northern Nigeria and the entire Lake Chad sub region.”

Justus Zare, Permanent Secretary to Borno State Ministry of Education who is also the secretary to the Relocation Committee explained that efforts are being made to improve the situation of the camp. He said “shelters are being provided, drilling for water is completed, solar panels are installed and we are happy with IOM and other partners for assisting us.”

IOM is also conducting baseline assessments and registration for IDPs living in camps and host communities under the Displacement Tracking Matrix project. In addition, psychosocial services are provided to the IDPs and referrals are made for appropriate treatment where applicable.

Two years ago, many displaced people were housed and shielded in school facilities when schools were shut down due to Boko Haram offensive. Surviving family members were scattered across various schools used as temporary camps in the state.

The humanitarian crisis in Northern Nigeria continues and yet the aid community is facing significant funding gaps to sustain interventions. IOM is appealing for USD 15 million for continued shelter support, displacement tracking and biometric registration, camp management and camp coordination (CCCM) and psycho-social support.

With $24.547m, Zenith Records Highest Forex Allocation from CBN

For the second time since banks started publishing their returns on foreign exchange (forex) utilisation purchased from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Zenith Bank Plc got the highest allocation garnering a total of $24,547,235.36 million. Zenith Bank was in fourth place in last week’s review of forex returns by THISDAY.

Guaranty Trust Bank Plc, which occupied the number one slot in the last two weeks, did not publish its returns.

Zenith Bank was followed by Stanbic IBTC which got $22,718,300.47 to come in second, while Standard Chartered Bank Nigeria with $20,913,963.04 held the third slot.
Diamond Bank Plc, which published returns of $16,872,037.80, came in fourth place, while Access Bank reported $16,184,742.36 to place fifth.

Also, while FirstBank Nigeria Limited reported returns of $13,086,352 to occupy the sixth place, First City Monument Bank Limited with $9,757,979.93, came in seventh; United Bank for Africa Plc (UBA) with $9,677,854.93, occupied the eight position, while Citibank Nigeria with $8,689,014, was ninth.

Citibank was followed by Fidelity Bank, which, just like the preceding week, remained in 10th place; it was followed by Sterling Bank with returns of $2,690,021.41, Skye Bank Plc – $2,056,427.78, Keystone Bank Limited – $1,725,726.91 and Wema Bank Plc – $1,052,219.39.

Zenith Bank sold forex to a total of 472 customers – individuals and corporate. The bank’s forex sales also showed that a significant number of customers on its list applied to pay school fees abroad and for personal travel allowances.

Just like other weeks, returns by Stanbic IBTC revealed the huge volume of outflow by foreign portfolio investors exiting the country. 57 of its customers out of a total of 153 who bought dollars from Stanbic IBTC exited the markets. These included equities, FGN Bonds, money market instruments and treasury bills.

Also, 51 customers published by Stanbic bought dollars for PTA, while the rest imported industrial raw materials and other visible items.

In all, Standard Bank also sold dollars to 184 customers to import industrial raw materials, school fees, repay loans and repatriate capital.
Like its peers, Diamond Bank sold dollars for invisibles comprising school fees and PTA and also for the importation of essential industrial raw materials. It had 330 customers on its list for last week.

Access Bank had 184 customers on its list, of which 91 bought forex to pay school fees abroad, 50 for PTA, while the rest procured dollars to import industrial raw materials.
Overall, returns published by all the banks showed that demand for forex, especially for education overseas was still high.

Commenting on the trend, the chief executive officer, Financial Derivatives Company Limited, Mr. Bismarck Rewane, said the recent pronouncement on the funding of school fees from the official market by President Muhammadu Buhari was responsible for the huge demand for forex to pay tuition fees abroad.

“If you look at the list of foreign exchange allocation, it is quite interesting that apart from one or two manufacturers, the bulk is going to school fees.
“This is because people heard somebody say school fees should not be on the list. So even school bills for 2017, people are already applying for them, thus exaggerating the demand by such pronouncements,” he added.

Meanwhile, as members of the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) commence their two-day meeting today, the double-digit inflation recorded in February would top the agenda as the MPC weighs options to stimulate economic activities.
The Consumer Price Index (CPI), which measures inflation, rose sharply to 11.4 per cent in February, compared to 9.6 per cent the previous month, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). The latest figure saw inflation breach the CBN’s target band of between 6 – 9 per cent.

The last time inflation hit double-digit in the country was in December 2012 at 12 per cent.
But more worrying this time round is the seeming absence of fiscal policies as well as an economic team to chart the direction of the federal government’s policies.
Most analysts have expressed concerns over lack of coordination among the various ministries, departments and agencies, as even the budget, an essential fiscal policy tool, has remained the subject of controversy.

At the end of its January meeting, the MPC had maintained the benchmark MNonetary Policy Rate (MPR), the Cash Reserve Requirement (CRR), and the liquidity ratio at 11 per cent, 20 per cent, and 30 per cent respectively.

The MPC also maintained the asymmetric corridor at +200 basis points and -700basis points respectively. Nigeria’s external reserves stood at $27.864 billion as of last Thursday.
However, the most positive developments in the domestic economic environment since the last MPC meeting was the slight rise in oil prices which touched a year high of $41.38 per barrel penultimate Friday, above the 2016 budget benchmark of $38 per barrel.

The premium between the parallel market rate and the official market rate at the forex market, nonetheless, remained wide at an unacceptable margin, as the exchange rate at the official market stood at US$1/N197 as at March 16 and at US$1/N325 at the parallel market, representing a premium of N128.

In the fourth quarter of 2015, the economy grew by 2.11 per cent (year-on-year), compared with 5.94 per cent in the corresponding period of 2014. The issues surrounding the currency curbs introduced by the CBN and weak purchasing power were responsible for the sluggish growth recorded in the fourth quarter of 2015.

In a chat with THISDAY, Rewane, said there might still be some indecision at the meeting.
“I think there will still be some indecision. And the longer you hold back the decision(s), the more difficult things will get. The rational thing to do is to come out with a policy, especially an exchange rate.

“It is very clear that something has to be done, but I don’t think anything would be done.
“There would be an attempt to rationalise the spike in the CPI, but I don’t think they (the MPC members) would do something. If you had made up your mind before that you are not going to do something, you may decide not to do anything.

“But if they take us by surprise and come up with a clear policy, which would allow the currency to adjust in both directions, fine. Now that oil is about $41 per barrel, the naira should be appreciating. So we should have a flexible exchange rate. Without that, we are not going to solve any problem,” Rewane added.

FSDH Merchant Bank Limited, in a report at the weekend, noted that the MPC members were faced with difficult monetary policy choices going by the current economic developments in Nigeria and the short-to-medium term outlook.

“There are arguments in favour of currency adjustment, interest rate hike, and a reduction in interest rate. Notwithstanding the conflicting signals, the MPC needs to act quickly to boost investors’ confidence in the Nigerian economy.

“The fundamentals of the oil market still tend towards lower oil prices in the short-term. Therefore, the revenue of the federal government and the value of the naira still face significant external shocks. While the MPC does not have any control over oil price, an increase in rates and adjustment in the exchange rate may reduce speculative demand for foreign exchange.

“Looking at the conflicting macroeconomic developments in the Nigerian economy, a combination of an adjustment in the exchange rate and an upward movement in yields are required.

“We maintain our exchange rate range of $/N230-$/N240 while we expect the CBN to implement inflation adjusted yields to produce positive yields in the region of 200 basis points,” FSDH Merchant Bank stated.

Ranking	Bank	Amount ($)$)
01	Zenith	24,547,235.36
02	Stanbic IBTC	22,718,300.47
03	Standard Chartered	20,913,963.04
04	Diamond Bank	16,872,037.80
05	Access Bank	16,184,742.36
06	FirstBank	13,086,352
07	FCMB	9,757,979.93
08	UBA	9,677,854.93
09	Citibank	8,689,014
10	Fidelity Bank	7,938,944.69
11	Sterling Bank	2,690,021.41
12	Skye Bank	2,056,427.78
13	Keystone Bank	1,725,726.91
14	Wema Bank	1,502,219.29