Three renowned Nigerian artists—Prof. Bruce Onobrakpeya, Chief Jimoh Buraimoh, and Chief Nike Davies-Okundaye—have been honored with the U.S. Exchange Alumni Lifetime Achievement Award as part of celebrations honoring 50 years of artistic collaborations between Nigeria and the United States of America (USA).  In honor of the three, who participated in the Department of State's International Visitor Leadership Programme (IVLP) more than 50 years ago, US Ambassador to Nigeria Richard Mills presented the award to the awardees.

Each of the legends received a commemorative certificate yesterday, according to a statement from the US Mission, in recognition of their extraordinary dedication to their craft, their unwavering mentoring of up-and-coming artists, and their priceless contributions that have deepened the ties between the people of the two nations. The U.S. government is dedicated to funding programs and initiatives that foster cultural exchange, encourage artistic expression, protect cultural heritage, and build the skills of Nigerian artists and professionals in the creative industries, Ambassador Mills said in his remarks.

He emphasized how alumni of U.S. government exchange programs contribute to their communities in a variety of ways, including the creative economy.

For this reason, we have funded these programs for fifty years, and we will continue to do so for many years to come," Mills stated. Chief Davies-Okundaye, who has taught students all over the world the ancient arts of batik and adire, stated that taking part in the exchange program had a big influence on her life and gave her access to fresh viewpoints and experiences that influenced both her professional and personal development.

Chief Jimoh Buraimoh, a renowned bead painter and awardee, expressed his happiness at the recognition.  "It was life-changing for me to travel to the United States on an exchange program fifty years ago in 1974. It allowed me to mentor the upcoming generation of artists and share my work with a wider audience."  In addition to teaching at esteemed establishments like the Haystack Mountain School of Crafts in Maine and universities in New York, Boston, and Los Angeles, Chief Buraimoh's artwork has been shown all over the world.

Professor Bruce Onobrakpeya, who is 92 years old, is still a prominent presence in Nigeria's visual arts landscape, producing sculpture, printmaking, painting, and installation. He pointed out that emerging artists find it difficult to stay committed to their craft as a result of the prize recognition.  "I feel so inspired and thrilled. By fostering upcoming talent in the field, I will keep giving back," he continued. Professor Onobrakpeya is well-known for being the illustrator of Chinua Achebe's No Longer at Ease. He has had exhibitions all over the world, including this one.

"The Mask and the Sword" at the Smithsonian in Washington, DC, and is still regarded as one of the most renowned artists of the 20th century from West Africa.  Political and corporate executives, diplomats, academics, art curators and collectors, and alumni of various U.S. government exchange programs were among the notable attendees of the ceremony.

It emphasized the 50-year Sister Cities relationship between Lagos and Atlanta, as well as the historical people-to-people linkages in the visual arts between the two nations.

Mohammed Umaru Bago, the governor of Niger State, is shown on camera urging churchgoers to yell "hallelujah" during a ceremony. Onochie brought attention to the governor's comments on Monday by posting the video on her official X account.

After taking the pulpit, Governor Bago greeted the crowd with enthusiasm, exclaiming, "Glory to God! Can someone sing Hallelujah from this side? Can we make a loud shout? His plea appeared to enliven the audience, demonstrating the public fusion of spirituality and administration.

Kemi Badenoch, a former British Business Secretary, defeated Robert Jenrick in the last round of voting to become the new leader of the Conservative Party. Badenoch, who is in charge of a Conservative Party suffering after its worst-ever election loss, is the first black woman to manage a major political party in the United Kingdom. After the party revealed the results on Saturday morning, she received 53,806 votes to Jenrick's 41,388 and took over as opposition leader from Rishi Sunak. To create a new policy platform, Badenoch promised throughout her campaign to bring the Conservatives back to "first principles" and begin several reviews in the upcoming months.

In addition to being the sixth Tory leader in less than eight and a half years, the North West Essex MP must work to unite the party.

At the final count of the leadership campaign, which concluded on Saturday, Badenoch told supporters, "The time has come to tell the truth." "It is time to renew and get down to business." Despite the difficulties, Badenoch enjoys a devoted following among Conservatives thanks to her straightforward style.

She appeals to a segment of the party that feels a sharp rightward shift is required to win back disenchanted voters because of her vocal views on identity politics and her wish to lessen the state's power.

During her tenure as commerce minister, she had a history of tense encounters with celebrities, media figures, and even certain government officials; yet, this has only strengthened her favor among members who are cautious of media and institutional pressures.

"The task that stands before us is tough but simple," she said, discussing the significance of her victory and her goals for the party. As His Majesty's faithful opposition, our first duty is to hold this Labour government accountable. Our second goal, which is to get ready for governance over the coming years, is equally crucial.

Sixty well-known guests attended an extravagant celebration of Arsenal player Bukayo Saka's 23rd birthday.

Bukayo Saka threw a lavish party at a Mayfair restaurant to commemorate his belated 23rd birthday, telling his teammates at Arsenal that this year—20 years after the team's last championship—is the year they will finally win the Premier League. Saka went directly to Stork, his favorite pan-African restaurant in Mayfair, for a celebratory night after scoring in Arsenal's 3-1 victory over Southampton at the Emirates Stadium.

The extravagant setup, which included balloon displays in gold and black, and the invitation-only guest list, which included his teammates at Arsenal as well as close friends and family, were the highlights of the Saturday night event. The Arsenal winger greeted 60 guests to the celebration while sporting a light grey blazer, pants, and a white T-shirt. Jerk chicken wings, jollof rice, and an unending supply of cocktails were on the menu, setting the stage for a night to remember.

Saka, who celebrated his formal 23rd birthday on September 5th, was spotted dancing with his girlfriend Tolami Benson, who was dressed in an exquisite off-the-shoulder white gown. A saxophonist performed to enhance the atmosphere of the evening while the couple reveled in the festivities.

One of the night's highlights was a live performance by Saka's close friend and British rapper Dave, who gave a private set that included his hit song Location. Wizkid, a famous Nigerian and fellow Arsenal supporter, was present and added his voice to the celebrations that evening. Saka's close buddy Wizkid joined the Gunners and England star in celebrating.

When the celebration was at its height, a three-tiered cake with black frosting and decorations was presented to the birthday boy. Saka gave a moving speech in which he thanked his friends, family, and teammates for making the evening memorable and gave Arsenal supporters something to cheer about.

Saka continued his thank you speech by saying, "You guys are even more special," to the wives, girlfriends, friends, and family there. Everybody enters smiling, and I can't express how thankful I am for every one of you. My brothers, cousins, and other family members mean the world to me. I want to thank everyone for helping to make tonight unique. Football players Jorginho, Thomas Partey, and Saka's brother Yomi were present, along with Saka from Arsenal. The event took place at Stork, a restaurant that Saka has frequented for a very long time. Rapper Stormzy also has a soft spot for the eatery; in 2023, he recorded the music video for his song "Longevity Flow" there.

For a cool 1.5 million dollars, a Coca-Cola employee offered Pepsi corporate secrets. Coca-Cola was notified by Pepsi in response. Joya Williams and her accomplice Ibrahim Dimson were high-ranking Coca-Cola employees who had access to several documents concerning the company's products and upcoming initiatives. Williams and Dimson then approached Pepsi, putting up a $1.5 million deal to sell all of the executive secrets. Regretfully, Pepsi executives informed Coca-Cola and the FBI about Williams and Dimson. Then undercover officers from the FBI dressed as Pepsi executives were sent. These undercover FBI operatives used a portion of the $1.5 million required to entice Williams and Dimson, who were then coerced into turning over the documents and the chemical vial. Dimson and Williams were apprehended with crimson hands.

The FBI proved their case in court by presenting the secrets and the proof of payment. Williams received an eight-year jail sentence in 2007 and Dimson received a five-year sentence. A Pepsi representative stated, "We acted in a way that any ethical business would.  "While competition can be intense, it must also be just and lawful. Joya Williams, the former employee of Coca-Cola, was sentenced to eight years in prison, while Ibrahim Dimson, his accomplice, was given five years. Joya Williams had attempted to sell the famous drink's secret formula to Pepsi, but Ibrahim Dimson had failed to consider that the law also protects business secrets in addition to patents.

In a gloomy assessment of Nigeria's economy released, the World Bank predicted that a significant transformation of the country would take ten to fifteen years.

The disclosure highlights the significant obstacles that lay ahead and demands swift and decisive measures to guide the economy back toward resilience and recovery. Speaking at the 30th Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG #30), Senior Vice President of the World Bank Group Indermit Gill stressed that the government must exert all of its efforts to shield the most vulnerable citizens from hardship because both their lives and the lives of Nigeria's 110 million children depend on it.

"To transform its economy, Nigeria will need to stay the course for at least another 10 to 15 years," he stated. That being said, I'm not sure if you agree or disagree with me. If it does so, its economy will change and it will start to grow faster than other countries in sub-Saharan Africa, contributing to the transformation of the continent. While completing these tasks is extremely challenging, the benefits are enormous. This is the lesson learned during the past forty years, as well as from the experiences of nations like Norway, Korea, Poland, India, and others. So once more, I could say something controversial. However, Nigeria's 2003–2007 reforms were exactly what the country needed.

However, they did not last. Everyone is harmed by the current exchange rate, and monetary, and fiscal reforms, but poor Nigerians are particularly badly hit because of the country's exorbitant food and transportation costs. "The lives of Nigeria's 110 million children and its most vulnerable residents depend on the government doing everything within its power to shield them from misery. The long-term survival of Nigeria and the future of these 110 million children depend on it continuing with the reforms. Now that the year is almost over, there are three things that Nigerian policymakers need to accomplish.

The first is to prioritize non-oil growth. This requires a competitive exchange rate, which Nigeria now has. Nigeria’s real exchange rate is at its most competitive in at least 20 years,” he said. “This is a great opportunity for the private sector. To protect the poor and maintain competitiveness, the central bank must stay focused on inflation. It should resist the lure of short-term capital inflows that might push up the Naira’s value too quickly and curb non-oil growth

Rather, it should replenish its foreign exchange reserves to act as a buffer against fluctuations in oil prices. Once more, I believe that Governor Cardoso of the Central Bank of Nigeria is doing many of these things, and we should support him. He continued, saying that the government is implementing a large-scale targeted temporary cash distribution program that has already reached between 4 and 5 million people. "The second thing is to help every vulnerable household cope with high inflation," he stated. This should be swiftly expanded to 10 million families, and if needed, possibly even more.

The World Bank added that the government needs to use the money saved by eliminating fuel subsidies to safeguard its most vulnerable populations. According to Gill, the government ought to implement an economic safety net for the most susceptible residents in the coming years, funding it with the proceeds from the withdrawal of fuel subsidies and changes in exchange rates.

The economy must become more ready for business. Furthermore, I believe that the NESG Chairman has outlined a very clear agenda for what needs to be done in this area. Over 12 million young Nigerians, including men and women, will join the workforce in the next ten years. Their ability to find work will be largely dependent on the private sector and significant private investment, both domestically and internationally, in the non-oil economy. To attract investment of this kind, the national power system must be strengthened, transportation must be improved, security must be increased, and laws controlling private enterprise must be strengthened. Failing in these areas would destroy the future of yet another generation and impede reform initiatives throughout the continent.

The elites of Nigeria—all of us in this room are elites—must band together to back these reforms. They will be granting possibly the most significant wish for their children and grandchildren—a broadly prosperous and stable Nigeria. The World Bank team in Nigeria right now is among the greatest. Here we have a first-rate country director. Your team of economists, energy experts, and operations personnel is excellent. They possess the necessary knowledge. Above all, though, particularly during trying times, they possess the experience that the situation calls for. Numerous professionals in our Abuja office have experience with comparable adjustments that have taken place in Indonesia and numerous other locations.

You ought to utilize that to its fullest. But as I got ready for this visit, the most significant thing I discovered about our team is that they have a deep love and respect for regular Nigerians. That's the one thing that stood out to me about them. The people and government of Nigeria can always rely on their backing, and this team will receive all the help they require from the World Bank Group, he said.

The release of Changpeng Zhao, a prominent role in the global cryptocurrency business and the creator of Binance, has occurred. He served a four-month sentence for violating anti-money laundering procedures on his exchange before being released from a California correctional institution. The 47-year-old, also known as "CZ," came back to the US from Dubai earlier this year to serve time on charges related to regulatory violations at Binance, the biggest cryptocurrency exchange in the world based on trading volume.

Due to customary procedures when release dates fall on weekends, he was released two days earlier than expected. Held in Long Beach, California, Zhao is credited for making Binance the biggest cryptocurrency exchange in the world since its 2017 Shanghai launch.

In June, he reported to the institution following his consent to a larger settlement with US authorities that included a $50 million personal fine. In a different agreement, Binance settled claims related to violations of anti-money laundering and sanctions laws by paying $4.3 billion in fines. Zhao leaves detention with a personal fortune estimated at $60 billion (Forbes), placing him among the wealthiest people in the world despite the commotion surrounding his legal troubles.

Although his lawyer stated that he would not be doing interviews after his release, his plans are still unknown. However, Zhao has already hinted at a stronger focus on family and philanthropy. His mother Yi He, a senior executive at Binance and a co-founder of the firm, splits their time between Paris and Dubai.

Before Binance, Zhao had revealed ideas for Giggle Academy, an online learning community that would provide impoverished kids with free educational materials. Although the program is still in its early phases and not much information is accessible at this time, it indicates his intention to use his fortune to support worldwide charitable endeavors. Zhao is formally leaving his job as CEO of Binance, but his status as the platform's top shareholder guarantees he will continue to have a big say in how it develops. Yi He, a co-founder and the mother of three of Zhao's children continues to play a crucial role in Binance, which is currently led by Richard Teng, a former top regulator at Abu Dhabi Global Market.

The business, which announced the appointment of its first board of directors in April, has not yet established a global headquarters, upholding its reputation as a decentralized, virtual organization. A Binance representative voiced optimism in a statement soon after Zhao left the company, saying, "We are thrilled that CZ will be home with his family. Binance has undergone a sea change since Zhao's release, but the exchange is still under close observation as regulators around the globe step up their efforts to tighten regulation over the mostly unregulated cryptocurrency market.

After Palmer netted all four of Chelsea's goals in the Blues' 4-2 victory over Brighton on Saturday, some fans have criticized him for being avaricious. In the Premier League, Chelsea defeated the Seagulls 4-2 at Stamford Bridge, with Palmer playing at his peak. Georginio Rutter gave the visitors the lead in the seventh minute, but Palmer quickly reversed the score with a hat-trick. Palmer equalized in the twenty-first minute, converted a penalty kick in the twenty-eighth to give Chelsea the lead, and finished with a magnificent free kick to complete his hat trick in the thirty-first.

Three minutes later, Carlos Baleba gave Brighton a one-goal lead again, but three minutes later, Palmer scored his fourth goal off a feed from Sancho to give Chelsea a two-goal advantage again. He made Premier League history by becoming the first player to score four goals in the first half of the game.

DNigerian musician Wizkid, whose real name is Ayodeji Balogun, has disclosed that he is married. During a recent event, the award-winning singer revealed this while on stage. Wizkid was heard warning a woman not to go too near to him since he is married in one of the widely shared videos from the occasion.

I'm a married man, baby; stay away from me. My spouse and I are wed. I have my kids at home," he remarked. Whether the singer was making a joke or not is unknown. Currently, Wizkid is seeing his baby mama, Jada Pollock, who is also his manager.

Following the birth of their first child, Zion, in 2017, Wizkid and Pollock's relationship was first made public. A few years later, the couple welcomed another son, AJ. Recently, when Jada showed off what appeared to be a baby bump on social media, there have been rumors that they are expecting their third child.

Dried dates are a great source of fiber, vitamins, and minerals. One thing that sets them apart from other fruits is their nutritional value. Dates are grown mostly in tropical climates and might be wrinkled or smooth. They are chewy, tiny, and highly flavored.

1.         High in protective agents among the fruits with the most antioxidants are dates. It can relieve stress and guard against diabetes and heart disease. This fruit also contains high concentrations of flavonoids, carotenoids, and phenolics, which shield cells from oxidative damage.

2.         Due to their high content of phenolics, carotenoids, and other antioxidants that shield cells and lower inflammation, dates may help prevent several cancers, including those of the prostate, colon, lung, and breast.

3.         The phytosterols, carotenoids, and polyphenols found in dates reduce inflammation and neurological illnesses. Additionally, it can prevent cognitive issues and promote the development of new brain cells.

4.         Dates can lessen oxidative stress and shield your kidney from nephrotoxicity, improving its health. Furthermore, there is little possibility that you will develop kidney stones.

5.         Eating dates also helps to build your bones by providing minerals including manganese, copper, and magnesium. Additionally, it keeps the bones from developing inadequacies such as fractures, deformities, and osteoporosis. Because dates contain antioxidants that shield bone cells from harm, as you age, your bones get stronger.

6.         Dates can help treat male impotence and erectile dysfunction. These fruits have the potential to improve sperm counts as well as hormone levels, specifically sterols and estrogen, which support the male reproductive system.

7.         The potassium in dates helps you by maintaining the proper amount of fluid in your body. It can also lessen neuroinflammation and enhance the neurodegeneration that comes with aging. The B vitamins found in dates—folate, niacin, and pyridoxine—can also improve brain function.

8.         Eating dates can help diabetic patients manage their blood sugar levels and enhance the metabolism and absorption of glucose. Dates, on the other hand, add sweetness without raising blood sugar levels.

9.         Bacteria that cause illnesses, infections, and foodborne disorders can be inhibited by dates. Their vitamin C content and antioxidant qualities support healthy white blood cell production and the immune system.

10.       Rich in soluble fiber, dates facilitate regular bowel motions and digestion. Additionally, it facilitates simple defecation, relieves constipation, and aids in detoxification.