GistMASTERS

When Agbani Darego was crowned Miss World 2001, she became the first Black African to win the contest. She has gone on to build a career for herself as a model following her win. After Miss World Darego launched a successful modelling career, signing to Next Model Management, she then moved to Ford Models in New York.  In May last year Darego graduated with a degree in psychology from New York University. Her degree came a decade after she abandoned her studies in Computer Science and Mathematics at Port Harcourt after winning Miss World. She was born in Lagos and raised in Port Harcourt, Rivers State along with her seven siblings. She developed an early interest in fashion through her mother a rice trader who stocked her second business - a boutique - on frequent trading trips. Her mother passed away from breast cancer when Darego was only 10 and she went to boarding school. Following the competition she moved to London where she spent two years. Thereafter she moved...

When Agbani Darego was crowned Miss World 2001, she became the first Black African to win the contest. She has gone on to build a career for herself as a model following her win. After Miss World Darego launched a successful modelling career, signing to Next Model Management, she then moved to Ford Models in New York.  In May last year Darego graduated with a degree in psychology from New York University. Her degree came a decade after she abandoned her studies in Computer Science and Mathematics at Port Harcourt after winning Miss World. She was born in Lagos and raised in Port Harcourt, Rivers State along with her seven siblings. She developed an early interest in fashion through her mother a rice trader who stocked her second business - a boutique - on frequent trading trips. Her mother passed away from breast cancer when Darego was only 10 and she went to boarding school. Following the competition she moved to London where she spent two years. Thereafter she moved...

Forbes has announced that Isabel Dos Santos is Africa’s richest woman and the first to be worth more than a billion dollars. But her riches appear to have little to do with hard work or doing smart business. Here are 6 facts about Isabel and her suspicious wealth... She’s The Daughter of Angola’s President Dos Santos, age 40, is the oldest daughter of Angolan President José Eduardo dos Santos, a noted autocrat and perhaps even a despot. She was born to his first wife, Tatiana Kukanova, who her father met while studying in Azerbaijan. They divorced before he became president of Angola in 1979 and Isabel lived with her mother in London, where she studied electrical engineering and business management. The president is known to indulge his children: Isabel is often called ‘The Princess’ by sneering Angolans for the opulence bestowed on her. José Eduardo recently handed control of Angola’s $5 billion sovereign wealth fund to his son José Filomeno dos Santos. Business In...

Forbes has announced that Isabel Dos Santos is Africa’s richest woman and the first to be worth more than a billion dollars. But her riches appear to have little to do with hard work or doing smart business. Here are 6 facts about Isabel and her suspicious wealth... She’s The Daughter of Angola’s President Dos Santos, age 40, is the oldest daughter of Angolan President José Eduardo dos Santos, a noted autocrat and perhaps even a despot. She was born to his first wife, Tatiana Kukanova, who her father met while studying in Azerbaijan. They divorced before he became president of Angola in 1979 and Isabel lived with her mother in London, where she studied electrical engineering and business management. The president is known to indulge his children: Isabel is often called ‘The Princess’ by sneering Angolans for the opulence bestowed on her. José Eduardo recently handed control of Angola’s $5 billion sovereign wealth fund to his son José Filomeno dos Santos. Business In...

2Face Once upon a time, a Nigerian music group by name Plantashun Boyz existed. The trio consisted of Innocent Idibia (2Face), Ahmedu Augustine Obiabo, also known as Blackface and Chibuzor Orji (Faze). The group triggered a music movement that went on to prove inspirational to thousands of other young hopefuls. They inspired many. Plantashun Boyz enjoyed relative success until the group’s members started having thoughts of going their separate ways. 2Face was first to leave the group, in pursuit of what he felt was a dream that needed to be chased single handedly. His exit came as a huge shock to the other two, as they struggled with the daily thought of not having one of their strongest pillars intact. He insisted going solo was a good decision, and that they were better off pursuing individual projects than stay together as a three-piece unit. In no time 2Face blew up, achieving local and international success with the hit song African Queen . The Plantashun Boyz tag was...

2Face Once upon a time, a Nigerian music group by name Plantashun Boyz existed. The trio consisted of Innocent Idibia (2Face), Ahmedu Augustine Obiabo, also known as Blackface and Chibuzor Orji (Faze). The group triggered a music movement that went on to prove inspirational to thousands of other young hopefuls. They inspired many. Plantashun Boyz enjoyed relative success until the group’s members started having thoughts of going their separate ways. 2Face was first to leave the group, in pursuit of what he felt was a dream that needed to be chased single handedly. His exit came as a huge shock to the other two, as they struggled with the daily thought of not having one of their strongest pillars intact. He insisted going solo was a good decision, and that they were better off pursuing individual projects than stay together as a three-piece unit. In no time 2Face blew up, achieving local and international success with the hit song African Queen . The Plantashun Boyz tag was...

Nigeria cautiously welcomes claimed Islamist ceasefire MAIDUGURI, Nigeria | Tue Jan 29, 2013 8:37am EST (Reuters) - - Security forces in Nigeria's volatile northeast welcomed on Tuesday a ceasefire declaration by a commander of the Islamist sect Boko Haram, but said they would not lower their guard. Sheik Abu Mohammed Ibn Abdulazeez, a man local security sources say is a Boko Haram commander, called on sect members to halt attacks that have left many hundreds dead since it launched an uprising to carve out an Islamic state in Nigeria in 2009. But it was not immediately clear if Abdulazeez was speaking on behalf of Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau who has neither publicly backed, nor denounced the commander who also called for dialogue in November last year. In a statement to journalists in Maiduguri, the sect's headquarters, Abdulazeez urged security forces to reciprocate. "Conflicts are resolved through di...

Nigeria cautiously welcomes claimed Islamist ceasefire MAIDUGURI, Nigeria | Tue Jan 29, 2013 8:37am EST (Reuters) - - Security forces in Nigeria's volatile northeast welcomed on Tuesday a ceasefire declaration by a commander of the Islamist sect Boko Haram, but said they would not lower their guard. Sheik Abu Mohammed Ibn Abdulazeez, a man local security sources say is a Boko Haram commander, called on sect members to halt attacks that have left many hundreds dead since it launched an uprising to carve out an Islamic state in Nigeria in 2009. But it was not immediately clear if Abdulazeez was speaking on behalf of Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau who has neither publicly backed, nor denounced the commander who also called for dialogue in November last year. In a statement to journalists in Maiduguri, the sect's headquarters, Abdulazeez urged security forces to reciprocate. "Conflicts are resolved through di...

(Reuters) - Gunmen killed eight people in a town in remote northeastern Nigeria over the weekend, witnesses said, in an area plagued by an Islamist insurgency and armed banditry. A spokesman for joint military and police forces in Borno state, the epicenter of a campaign of violence by Islamist sect Boko Haram, Lieutenant Colonel Sagir Musa, confirmed the attack on Gajigana town but did not have any further details. Modu Bukar, a trader in the town, saw the bodies after the attack, which sent panicked residents fleeing, adding that he had heard gunshots during the attack. "I saw eight bodies afterwards - three of young men, and another five who were heads of households," he said, adding that he did not know who was behind it. "The burial is today." Remote northeastern Borno state, which shares porous borders with Cameroon, Niger and Chad, on the threshold of the Sahara, has suffered increasing lawlessness since Islamist sect Boko Haram launched an up...

(Reuters) - Gunmen killed eight people in a town in remote northeastern Nigeria over the weekend, witnesses said, in an area plagued by an Islamist insurgency and armed banditry. A spokesman for joint military and police forces in Borno state, the epicenter of a campaign of violence by Islamist sect Boko Haram, Lieutenant Colonel Sagir Musa, confirmed the attack on Gajigana town but did not have any further details. Modu Bukar, a trader in the town, saw the bodies after the attack, which sent panicked residents fleeing, adding that he had heard gunshots during the attack. "I saw eight bodies afterwards - three of young men, and another five who were heads of households," he said, adding that he did not know who was behind it. "The burial is today." Remote northeastern Borno state, which shares porous borders with Cameroon, Niger and Chad, on the threshold of the Sahara, has suffered increasing lawlessness since Islamist sect Boko Haram launched an up...

Adding to athlete Lance Armstrong’s troubles, two readers are suing him and the publishers of his books, Penguin Group and Random House. The readers are pursuing a class action lawsuit because they say the athlete, Penguin, and Random House all committed fraud and false representation by touting Armstrong’s memoirs as fact. The plaintiffs are Rob Stutzman, a public affairs adviser who worked with Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Jonathan Wheeler, a chef. The complaint was filed on Jan. 22 in federal court in California, reading in part, “Throughout the book, Defendant Armstrong repeatedly denies that he ever used banned substances before or during his professional cycling career… [The books were bought] based upon the false belief that they were true and honest works of nonfiction when, in fact, Defendants knew or should have known that these books were works of fiction.” Stutzman and Wheeler are represented in court by California and New Jersey-based law firms. Representation fo...

Adding to athlete Lance Armstrong’s troubles, two readers are suing him and the publishers of his books, Penguin Group and Random House. The readers are pursuing a class action lawsuit because they say the athlete, Penguin, and Random House all committed fraud and false representation by touting Armstrong’s memoirs as fact. The plaintiffs are Rob Stutzman, a public affairs adviser who worked with Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Jonathan Wheeler, a chef. The complaint was filed on Jan. 22 in federal court in California, reading in part, “Throughout the book, Defendant Armstrong repeatedly denies that he ever used banned substances before or during his professional cycling career… [The books were bought] based upon the false belief that they were true and honest works of nonfiction when, in fact, Defendants knew or should have known that these books were works of fiction.” Stutzman and Wheeler are represented in court by California and New Jersey-based law firms. Representation fo...

Frank Ocean And Chris Brown Reportedly Involved In Studio Brawl Chris Brown (photo: WireImage) Grammy nominees Chris Brown and Frank Ocean were reportedly involved in a brawl at a Los Angeles recording studio Sunday night. The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department confirmed receiving a call about six men fighting over a parking space, the Associated Press reported. The fight scene had dispersed by the time police arrived. Though police did not name Ocean in the statement, Brown was listed as a suspect. "The altercation allegedly led to Chris Brown punching the victim," the police said in a statement. In a Sunday night post on Twitter , Ocean accused Brown of assault. “got jumped by chris and a couple guys. lol. I only wish everest was there,” he said. Everest is Ocean's Bernese Mountain dog. Ocean added that injuries sustained in the altercation will affect his upcoming Grammy performance. “cut my finger now I can’t play w two hands at the grammys,” he added...

Frank Ocean And Chris Brown Reportedly Involved In Studio Brawl Chris Brown (photo: WireImage) Grammy nominees Chris Brown and Frank Ocean were reportedly involved in a brawl at a Los Angeles recording studio Sunday night. The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department confirmed receiving a call about six men fighting over a parking space, the Associated Press reported. The fight scene had dispersed by the time police arrived. Though police did not name Ocean in the statement, Brown was listed as a suspect. "The altercation allegedly led to Chris Brown punching the victim," the police said in a statement. In a Sunday night post on Twitter , Ocean accused Brown of assault. “got jumped by chris and a couple guys. lol. I only wish everest was there,” he said. Everest is Ocean's Bernese Mountain dog. Ocean added that injuries sustained in the altercation will affect his upcoming Grammy performance. “cut my finger now I can’t play w two hands at the grammys,” he added...

An alleged questionable recommendation on a contract under the $13.35 billion offshore Egina project by the Group Executive Committee (GEC) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) is creating tension in the oil corporation, Sunday Vanguard can reveal. Highly dependable sources claimed the recommendation is characterized by claims to justify the imposition of particular contractors The NNPC GEC noted  that there was the need to re-align the faulty Floating Production, Storage and Offloading,  FPSO, bid evaluation process and award of the contract to the actual lowest, most competitive bidder in line with the original contracting strategy and due process requirement. The NNPC GEC also touts Samsung’s $3.3 billion bid for the Egina FPSO as the lowest bid, whereas the bid submitted by Hyundai and duly recommended by both NAPIMS, Total and endorsed by the NCDMB is for $3.1 billion. The NNPC GEC claims that it arrived at the $3.3 billion at a neg...

An alleged questionable recommendation on a contract under the $13.35 billion offshore Egina project by the Group Executive Committee (GEC) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) is creating tension in the oil corporation, Sunday Vanguard can reveal. Highly dependable sources claimed the recommendation is characterized by claims to justify the imposition of particular contractors The NNPC GEC noted  that there was the need to re-align the faulty Floating Production, Storage and Offloading,  FPSO, bid evaluation process and award of the contract to the actual lowest, most competitive bidder in line with the original contracting strategy and due process requirement. The NNPC GEC also touts Samsung’s $3.3 billion bid for the Egina FPSO as the lowest bid, whereas the bid submitted by Hyundai and duly recommended by both NAPIMS, Total and endorsed by the NCDMB is for $3.1 billion. The NNPC GEC claims that it arrived at the $3.3 billion at a neg...

CAF fires ref who officiated Nigeria-Zambia match Ghead Grisha confronted Nigerian goalie Vicent Enyeama The Egyptian match official who refereed Nigeria’s Group C game against Zambia last Friday at the Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit, Gehad Grisha will take no further part at the 2013 Afcon in South Africa. Grisha awarded a highly controversial penalty to Zambia late on in the game leading to an angry reaction from the Nigerian camp. The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) subsequently dispatched a strongly-warded protest to the Confederation of African Football (CAF). CAF has ostensibly ruled in favour of the NFF and Grisha has been sent home from the Afcon. An official of CAF confirmed the news on Sunday. ‘ He (Grsha) has been sent home. He will have no further action at this Nations Cup. His decisions did not tally with best practices of the refereeing profession and we would not allow anyone to start re-writing the rules of the game here ‘, said the official.  Nigeria...

CAF fires ref who officiated Nigeria-Zambia match Ghead Grisha confronted Nigerian goalie Vicent Enyeama The Egyptian match official who refereed Nigeria’s Group C game against Zambia last Friday at the Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit, Gehad Grisha will take no further part at the 2013 Afcon in South Africa. Grisha awarded a highly controversial penalty to Zambia late on in the game leading to an angry reaction from the Nigerian camp. The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) subsequently dispatched a strongly-warded protest to the Confederation of African Football (CAF). CAF has ostensibly ruled in favour of the NFF and Grisha has been sent home from the Afcon. An official of CAF confirmed the news on Sunday. ‘ He (Grsha) has been sent home. He will have no further action at this Nations Cup. His decisions did not tally with best practices of the refereeing profession and we would not allow anyone to start re-writing the rules of the game here ‘, said the official.  Nigeria...

SÃO PAULO—A blaze apparently accidentally ignited by performers swept through a crowded nightclub in the small town of Santa Maria in southern Brazil early Sunday, killing at least 232, mainly college students. A fire swept through a crowded nightclub in Santa Maria, a small town in southern Brazil, claiming at least 232 lives and plunging the nation into mourning. The WSJ's Brazil bureau chief tells us more about Brazil's deadliest fire in decades. On Saturday night, hundreds of mostly students of agronomy and other subjects at the nearby Federal University of Santa Maria had packed into a nightclub called Kiss to hear a popular group called Gurizada Fandangueira play a raucous version of Brazilian country music that features the accordion. The students were heading back to class at the end of their school break. Around 2 a.m. Sunday, according to several witnesses who spoke on local radio programs, at least one performer lit what they descri...

SÃO PAULO—A blaze apparently accidentally ignited by performers swept through a crowded nightclub in the small town of Santa Maria in southern Brazil early Sunday, killing at least 232, mainly college students. A fire swept through a crowded nightclub in Santa Maria, a small town in southern Brazil, claiming at least 232 lives and plunging the nation into mourning. The WSJ's Brazil bureau chief tells us more about Brazil's deadliest fire in decades. On Saturday night, hundreds of mostly students of agronomy and other subjects at the nearby Federal University of Santa Maria had packed into a nightclub called Kiss to hear a popular group called Gurizada Fandangueira play a raucous version of Brazilian country music that features the accordion. The students were heading back to class at the end of their school break. Around 2 a.m. Sunday, according to several witnesses who spoke on local radio programs, at least one performer lit what they descri...

1. If you are struck by lightning, your skin will be heated to 28,000 degrees Centigrade, hotter than the surface of the Sun. 1.2. Honey is the only food that does not spoil. Honey found in the tombs of Egyptian pharaohs has been tasted by archaeologists and found edible. 2. If you trace your family tree back 25 generations, you will have 33,554,432 direct ancestors – assuming no incest was involved.  3. The average distance between the stars in the sky is 20 million miles.  4. It would take a modern spaceship 70,000 years to get to the nearest star to earth.  5. An asteroid wiped out every single dinosaur in the world, but not a single species of toad or salamander was affected. No one knows why, nor why the crocodiles and tortoises survived.  6. If you dug a well to the centre of the Earth, and dropped a brick in it, it would take 45 minutes to get to the bottom – 4,000 miles down.  7. Your body sheds 10 billion flakes of skin every day.  8. The E...