Nigerian Times

I am a fan of Scarlett Johansson , because she is a good actress. Of course, Scarlett is pretty and sexy and I think her breasts are the best boobs in Hollywood. And I am entitled to my personal opinion. Tweet

29 Feb 2012 19:27 Africa/Lagos The Radisson Blu Hotel, Amsterdam Wins "Global Hotel of the Year 2011" BRUSSELS, February 29, 2012/PRNewswire/ -- The Radisson Blu Hotel, Amsterdam has been awarded the title of "Global Hotel of the Year 2011" by the Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group. The property, located in the heart of Amsterdam, has been named the best of more than 420 Radisson hotels worldwide, and the leading player within the Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group with regards to guest satisfaction, employee engagement, business performance, and market positioning. "The Radisson Blu Hotel, Amsterdam has delivered an outstanding result - not only in 2011, but over the last three years. It has truly raised the bar in achieving operations and service excellence within our group", said Kurt Ritter, president & CEO of Rezidor at the Award Ceremony during Carlson Rezidor's Global Business Conference in Nassau, Bahamas. At the forefront of the Global Business Conferen...

29 Feb 2012 15:07 Africa/Lagos Los Angeles Turkish Film Festival Kicks Off Thursday, March 1 LATFF Features Prestigious Line-up of Judges Presiding Over Shorts Competition LOS ANGELES, Feb. 29, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Radio host and film critic, Elvis Mitchell; Barbara Boyle, Head of the University of Southern California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Film and TV Department and Kathy Evelyn Smith, Head of the University of Southern California (USC) Film School's Animation and Digital Arts Department will select the winner of the short film competition at the First Los Angeles Turkish Film Festival. The festival will run March 1st to 4th at the Egyptian Theater and features award-winning films, Q&As and panel discussions, and a red carpet and awards ceremony. Completing the jury are Alin Tasciyan, film critic and vice president of the International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI) and Dervis Zaim, one of Turkey's most acclaimed new directors, whose film, "Shadows and Faces...

2012 Toyota Prius V Love the idea of 50 mpg but need room for your family and fixings? You might be suffering from Prius envy. But now there's a bigger Prius Toyota called Prius V. Its combined fuel economy of 42 mpg doesn't quite match its little brother's, but it's way more fuel efficient than any compact SUV and roomier than many. 2012 Ford Flex One of the most appealing boxes in the world, the 2012 Ford Flex comes with three rows of family seating and plenty of opt-up possibilities, including all-wheel drive, an EcoBoost V6 (high power, high fuel economy) and a center-console fridge. Best of all, the Flex is just rare enough a beast to let you maintain a degree of exclusivity in neighborhoods glutted with minivans and crossover SUVs. 2012 Honda CR-V The 2012 Honda CR-V was named one of the 10 Best Family Cars of 2012 by Kelley Blue Book’s kbb.com. Fully redesigned for 2012, the fourth-generation Honda CR-V offers a m...

29 Feb 2012 05:23 Africa/Lagos Execution-style murder / Radio Somaliweyn manager gunned down outside Mogadishu home PARIS, February 29, 2012/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- Reporters Without Borders is stunned to learn that Abukar Hassan Mohamoud, the manager of Mogadishu-based radio Somaliweyn, was shot dead today outside his home in the capital's Aargada district by two men armed with pistols. The press freedom organization condemns his cold-blooded murder, which joins a long list of crimes of violence against journalists in Somalia, and reiterates its call to the international community to do everything possible to ensure that these killings do not go unpunished. “We offer our most since condolences to Mohamoud's family, colleagues and friends,” Reporters Without Borders said. “This murder is the latest example of the extraordinary violence to which journalists are exposed in Somalia. Indifference to the fate of Somali journalists must stop. We reiterate our call for ...

Nomadic children in northern Nigeria. 29 Feb 2012 10:02 Africa/Lagos IOM Assessment Team Finds Unaccompanied Child Returnees on Chad-Nigeria Border GENEVA, February 29, 2012/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- A joint IOM Chadian assessment team that travelled to a remote area on the Chad-Nigeria border has discovered a group of over 800 destitute Chadian returnees from Nigeria, including a large number of unaccompanied children aged between 6 and 14. The assessment by IOM and the CNAR (National Agency for Refugees and IDPs), was undertaken at the request of the Chadian government following reports of Chadian nationals fleeing violence in Nigeria. It found that many of the migrants in the village of Ngouboua, 30 km from the Nigerian border were children sent by their parents to Nigeria to study in Koranic schools. They were only accompanied by their Marabout religious teachers. Others in the group, who were all in urgent need of food, water, medical care and transport to their homes...

Hallmark Celebrates Justin Bieber's Birthday With Greeting Cards For His Fans First-of-its-kind collection of Justin Bieber greeting cards from Hallmark to hit stores this spring KANSAS CITY, Mo., Feb. 29, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- In honor of Justin Bieber's 18th birthday tomorrow, Hallmark, in partnership with Bravado, announces a gift to his fans — first-of-its-kind Justin Bieber greeting cards. Debuting in April, the collection of more than 48 everyday Hallmark cards will provide "Beliebers" a fun new way to share "Bieber Fever" with friends and family. No matter what the occasion — to celebrate a birthday, say "way to go girl," or just say "hello" — Justin Bieber greeting cards will have the perfect message to make any recipient say "Baby, Baby, Baby, Oh!" (Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120229/CG61588) (Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20111129/CG13329LOGO-b) The variety of Justin Bieber Hallmark cards will...

String Ensemble "The Hipster Orchestra" Plays Film World's Greatest Hits NEW YORK, Feb. 27, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Music Company Jingle Punks is at it again with their in-house string ensemble, "The Hipster Orchestra." Jingle Punks CEO Jared Gutstadt explains, "This is the time of year when film is on everyone's mind. The Hipster Orchestra wanted to get in on the action, so we put together a medley of our favorite songs from the world of film." The medley not only quotes some of cinema's most magnificent scores, but also spotlights some of the greatest pop songs to grace the silver screen. With the passing of Whitney Houston recently it was only fitting that the final number of medley is a tribute to her. The Hipster Orchestra is becoming a bona fide cultural phenomenon lately with live performances slated for SXSW, The Greek Theatre in LA and dozens of other special events over the next few months. Up next for the Orchestra is more live TV app...

Hollywood Gives Standing Ovation to the Troupe’s Movie Tribute BEVERLY HILLS, CA — February 27, 2012 /PRNewswire/ — Cirque du Soleil presented a wholly unique and exclusive performance for the 84th Academy Awards on Oscar Sunday, February 26. The one-time-only event featured the largest Cirque cast ever assembled for a single act. CIRQUE DU SOLEIL® PRESENTS EXCLUSIVE PERFORMANCE AT THE 84TH ACADEMY AWARDS® (Photo credit: ©A.M.P.A.S.) More than 50 international artists from Cirque du Soleil productions around the world converged in Los Angeles to bring the dynamic showcase to life. The act featured aerialists, Icarian acrobats, hand balancers, dancers and characters from IRIS, A Journey through the World of Cinema™ along with the 15-member Banquine team from Viva ELVIS™ in Las Vegas and a hand balancer from Zarkana™, direct from Moscow’s Kremlin State Palace Theatre. The act was accompanied by music from Academy Award®-nominated composer Danny Elfman, who scored the music for Cirque du ...

PARIS, 28 February /PRNewswire/The planet is quantitatively capable of feeding its 7 billion inhabitants, though one billion people suffer from hunger and another 1.4 billion are overweight. This disequilibrium could even be greater by 2050, when we are expected to hit 9 billion people. Will the Earth be able to feed all these men and women when resources become scarce and climate change strongly threatens global food systems? This month, Marion Guillou, President of the French National Institute for Agricultural Research (INRA), and Gérard Matheron, President of the International Cooperative Centre for Agronomical Research for Development (CIRAD), have published The World’s Challenge, Feeding 9 Billion People. Faced with this challenge, the book offers an optimistic response: Yes, it is possible to provide quality food to the 9 billion people who will be living on our planet in less than 40 years. However, in order to achieve this goal all stakeholders – farmers, politicians or ordina...

28 Feb 2012 06:06 Africa/Lagos Applications invited for United Nations journalism fellowships NEW YORK, February 28, 2012/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- The Dag Hammarskjöld Fund for Journalists is now accepting applications from professional journalists from developing countries for its 2012 fellowship program. The application deadline is Wednesday, March 30, 2012. The fellowships are available to radio, television, print and web journalists, age 25 to 35, from developing countries who are interested in coming to New York to report on international affairs during the 67th session of the United Nations General Assembly. The fellowships will begin in early September and extend to late November and will include the cost of travel and accommodations in New York, as well as a per diem allowance. The fellowship program is open to journalists who are native to one of the developing countries in Africa, Asia, South America and the Caribbean, and are currently working full-time for a ...

Governor Adams Oshiomhole Adams Oshiomhole, Charles Airhiavbere: Gubernatorial Questions for Televised Debates ~ By John Egbeazien Oshodi, Ph.D Now that the governorship primaries are settled, let the first set of major debates begin between Governor Adams Oshiomhole, the former President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, and retired Major General Charles Airhiavbere, the former Director, Nigerian Army Finance Corps. Major-General Charles Airhiavbere (Rtd) The Edo people are known for their great traditional leaders, power traditional institutions and a cycle of traditional knowledge marked with wisdom, knowledge, and teachings of collective advancement. So we will expect much more from our two great Edo sons and leaders. The future moderators should begin to prepare their questions, and in addition to the moderators’ questions, the public should be invited to submit questions during the debate with competing responses from the gubernatorial candidates. The moderators in the expected two...

84th Academy Awards - 2012 THE 84TH ACADEMY AWARDS (r) - BACKSTAGE - Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2011 presented on Sunday, February 26 (8:30 p.m., ET/5:30 p.m., PT), from the Hollywood & Highland Center(r) and televised live by the ABC Television Network. (A.M.P.A.S.(r) Jean Dujardin (born 19 June 1972) is a French actor and comedian. He has worked notably with director Michel Hazanavicius, starring in his OSS 117 spy parodies. His starring role in Hazanavicius' silent movie The Artist, playing actor George Valentin, received widespread acclaim. The role won him the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy, the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role, the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role, the Cannes Film Festival Best Actor Award, and the Academy Award for Best Actor. He is the first French actor to win the Academy Award for Best Actor. Tweet

Handsome Oscar nominee George Clooney and Stacy Keibler look like a beautiful couple at the 84th Academy Awards . And they have won Nigerian Times Perfect Picture Award. Tweet

Jean Dujardin wins Best Actor for THE ARTIST . The night of the Oscars belonged to The Artist as the French Black and White film won the most coveted Oscars at the 84th Academy Awards, for Best Picture, Best Director, Actor in a Leading Role, Original Score and for Costume Design as well. As the era of silent films draws to a close, two actors find their careers and their relationship influenced by the coming of talking pictures. While popular screen star George Valentin resists the transition to sound, young Peppy Miller embodies a modern age that is leaving Valentin behind. The Iranian film A Separation by Asghar Farhadi won the Oscar for the best Foreign Language Film. When an Iranian couple separate prior to their divorce, a chain of events is set in motion that will affect the future of two families. After his wife’s departure, Nadar hires a woman named Razieh to care for his elderly father, but complications in Razieh’s own life give rise to an escalating series of problems. ...

Here comes another Night of the Oscars and there will be surprises tonight as the winners will be making headlines tomorrow, while the losers will wait for their own Oscar moments in the future. Nominees for the 84th Academy Awards® Actor in a Leading Role Demián Bichir in "A Better Life" George Clooney in "The Descendants" Jean Dujardin in "The Artist" Gary Oldman in "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" Brad Pitt in "Moneyball" Actor in a Supporting Role Kenneth Branagh in "My Week with Marilyn" Jonah Hill in "Moneyball" Nick Nolte in "Warrior" Christopher Plummer in "Beginners" Max von Sydow in "Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close" Actress in a Leading Role Glenn Close in "Albert Nobbs" Viola Davis in "The Help" Rooney Mara in "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo...

"The film is inspiring, uplifting and is a call to action for all of us" -Desmond Tutu, Winner 1984 Nobel Peace Prize. Pray the Devil Back to Hell is the astonishing story of the Liberian women who took on the warlords and regime of dictator Charles Taylor in the midst of a brutal civil war, and won a once unimaginable peace for their shattered country in 2003. As the rebel noose tightened around the capital city of Monrovia, thousands of women – ordinary mothers, grandmothers, aunts and daughters, both Christian and Muslim – formed a thin but unshakeable line between the opposing forces. Armed only with white T-shirts and the courage of their convictions, they literally faced down the killers who had turned Liberia into hell on earth. In one memorable scene, the women barricaded the site of stalled peace talks in Ghana and refused to move until a deal was done. Their demonstrations culminated in Taylor’s exile and the rise of Africa’s first female head of state, Ellen Johns...