Nigerians are UK's 4th biggest foreign spenders

Nigerian shoppers are reported to be the fourth biggest foreign spenders in the United Kingdom. A report by the UK’s Guardian has revealed.

More than 2,000 students face deportation after Government revokes university's right to admit foreigners

London Metropolitan University has been banned from teaching overseas students, leaving more than 2,000 undergraduates potentially facing deportation.

VIDEO: Psquare Performs at The Love Afrobeats Festival UK

Psquare performing at the HMV

Pop duo Psquare on Sunday, August 26, 2012 thrilled fans at the Love Afrobeats Festival held at the HMV APollo Hammersmith in London.

6 Most Romantic Places In London (PHOTOS)

www.yourtango.com:

In honor of the summer Olympics, YourTango is taking you on a tour London's best hotspots for love.

Track Review: Joules, 'Aunty Dupe'

Kayode (Joules) Oguntayo recently released a new single titled ‘Aunty Dupe’, he is signed to the Born Kings crew that includes the likes of Ajebutter22 (“Senrenre” and “Omo Pastor”). Joules is an upcoming rapper who has been on the up and up from his mixtape “JoulesDaKid-LazyGNius: The Mixtape Vol1” which was released about a year ago.

DRC Missing Athlete is on “holiday”

With only four athletes for the 2012 Olympic games in London, the Democratic Republic of Congo had nothing much to show to the world. But right after the closing ceremony last Sunday, the country became the subject of headlines in mainstream media all over the world. What happened? Cedric Mandembo, a judoka who competed in the +100kg category, boxing Coach Blaise Bekwa, national athletics technical director Guy Nkita and judo coach Ibula Masengo could not be traced by both the head of the country's National Olympic Committee, Amos Mbayo Kitenge and London organizing committee officials.

Olympics: Closing ceremony review

The Spice Girls perform during the closing ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games at the Olympic stadium August 12, 2012.

LONDON -- With a little British pomp and a lot of British pop, London brought the curtain down on a glorious Olympic Games on Sunday in a spectacular, technicolour pageant of landmarks, lightshows and lots of fun.

The closing ceremony offered a sensory blast including rock 'n' roll rickshaws, dustbin percussionists, an exploding yellow car and a marching band in red tunics and bearskin hats. It was all delivered in a psychedelic mashup that had 80,000 fans at Olympic Stadium stomping, cheering and singing along. Organizers estimated 300 million or more were watching around the world.

London 2012 football: Canada beats France to win bronze

Team Canada celebrates their 1-0 victory over France in the bronze medal soccer match at the London 2012 games.

It will be remembered as the greatest moment in Canadian women’s soccer history, an improbable goal in extra time that has given the country an Olympic bronze medal.

Diana Matheson scored in extra time to give Canada a 1-0 win over France here Thursday afternoon to set off a raucous celebration of a team a nation has grown to love.

After fighting off the physical and mental fatigue during a difficult week under intense pressure — to say nothing of a second half entirely dominated by the French — the women won Canada’s first medal in a traditional team sport since 1936.

Against the run of play, Canada launched a full-out attack into the French box in the 92nd minute. Sophie Schmidt’s shot hit a French leg and bounced back to Matheson who made no mistake on the shot.

It was an incredible end to an incredible week for the women, who lost a heart-breaking semi-final to the United States, 4-3 in extra time, marked by dubious officiating.

And then it was the French, who had soundly beaten Canada 4-0 at last year’s World Cup, who took over a listless game in the second half and had several chances to break through.

They had taken one shot off the post, one off the bar and one off, it appeared, the face of Canadian goalkeeper Erin McLeod in a desperate attempt to score.

But with extra time looming, and Canada obviously exhausted, Matheson and Schmidt combined for the historic goal.

“I feel amazing,” Matheson told CTV moments after her winning goal.

“We thought as a group we’d earn this medal and we did. Our goal coming in was to be on the podium and that’s what we were focusing on (not the U.S. result).”

Matheson also felt the bronze medal will boost interest in women’s soccer across Canada, and set up Canada’s role as host of the 2015 World Cup.

“We came in (to Olympics) wanting to leave a legacy for Canadian soccer and we did that.”

The New York Times profiles Nigeria’s brave basketball Olympics team

Bruised and Beaten, but Nigerians Are Unbowed

By Greg Bishop

LONDON — The buzzer sounded the end of the fairy tale, and the Nigerian team limped off the court in slow motion, unwilling, unable to let go. As they filed into the tunnel, the crowd stood in unison and cheered the team they call D’Tigers.

Tony Skinn, the Nigerian point guard who went to George Mason University, wound up in a hospital, having surgery for a torn quadriceps Monday.

D’Tigers lost against on Monday, this time to France, standing ovation notwithstanding. To their list of firsts — first Olympics appearance, first Olympics victory — they had added something less historic: their first Olympic exit.

London 2012: Seven Cameroon athletes go missing

YAOUNDE—Seven Cameroon athletes have disappeared while in Britain for the London Olympics, the 

Ministry of Sports and Physical Education said on Monday evening.

The seven—five boxers, a swimmer and a soccer player—are suspected of having left to stay in Europe for economic reasons.

“What began as rumour has finally turned out to be true. Seven Cameroonian athletes who participated at the 2012 London Olympic Games have disappeared from the Olympic Village,” David Ojong, the mission head said in a message sent to the ministry.

Lithuanian who gave Nazi salute against Nigeria fined

Nigeria’s basketball team D’Tigers lost the match against Lithuania but there is something to cheer up their fans outside the court. In another type of court it was full points for the pride of the country.

A Lithuanian man who gave a Nazi salute during the match between both countries has become the first person to be convicted of a racially aggravated offence at the Games and fined £2,500. He was told that his behaviour and that of other Lithuanian fans was “despicable”.

Team USA Basketball Vs. Nigeria: Preview.

The Team USA Men's Basketball team look to continue their unbeaten run in the 2012 Olympics this afternoon when they face Nigeria at 5:15pm eastern time on NBC Sports Network. The US are overwhelming 42 point favorites in the game.

The Nigerians are the 21st ranked team in the world according to FIBA while the US is #1, but that doesn't even fully illustrate the gap between the two. The US has complied 852 points in the FIBA ranking system while Nigeria has just 67.6. The Americans are coming off a game against Tunisia in which they won by 47, yet failed to cover the spread. In fact, Tunisia even took the lead on 3 separate occasions.

OFFICIAL VIDEO - E.M.E feat. WizKid, Banky W. & Skales - Get Down Tonight

The highly anticipated video for "Get Down Tonight"; another scorching single off the Empire Mates State of Mind Album. The song was produced by Sarz, the video was directed by Mr Moe Musa, and shot in London, England. 

The album is available worldwide on iTunes, Spinlet,http://www.cdbaby.com/empirematesentertainment and all other platforms.

150,000 Condoms Handed Out To Olympic Athletes

Ready for some exercise: 15, 000 condoms have been made available to the athletes during the games

You'd think they might want to save their energy but it seems that Olympic athletes will be working up more of a sweat off the field than they will on it this Summer. In a sign of what the world's fittest sportsmen and women get up to in the Olympic village, a record 150,000 free condoms - 15 for each competitor - have been made available to them.

Pictures of Nigeria's delegation and other Pan-African teams Majesty and Regalia at 2012 London Olympics

BEHOLD THE MAJESTY AND REGALIA OF PAN-AFRICAN TEAMS AT THE 2012 LONDON OLYMPICS!

 

 

Algeria's flag bearer Abdelhafid Benchabla

 

Angola

 

Nigerian basketball team win first Olympic game

The Nigerian basketball team this morning won their first game at the 2012 London Olympics, making the basketball team the first in Nigerian sporting history to win a match at the Olympics. They beat Tunisia 60-56 and need just one more win to get through to the next round. With this win, D’Tigers has become the first basketball team in Nigeria’s sporting history to win a match at the Olympics. 

The team needs just one more win to get through to the next round. Go team Nigeria!

Meet the Nigerian Team at the 2012 London Olympics

Team Nigeria has a total of 116 members: 55 athletes, 12 coaches, 29 administrators officers, 9 medical officials, 5 contingent officials and 6 secretariat officials.

Nigeria will be featuring in 8 games: basketball, table tennis, athletics, weightlifting, canoe slalom, boxing, wrestling and taekwondo. List of all the members of the Nigerian Team at the 2012 Olympics when you continue...

London 2012 Olympic opening ceremony (Review)

Forget oohs and ahhs, think wows and wide eyed excitement. A £27m budget, a cast of 15,000 plus some very familiar faces ensured the audience remained gripped for the duration of last night's opening ceremony in London.

The opening ceremony carried viewers on a musical and literary journey through Britain’s heritage, from feudal to future. The show featured a recreation of the British countryside, including live farmyard animals, and covers key events including the industrial revolution and the creation of the NHS (National Health Service).

That narrative was wrapped around the story of two girls defying their parents for a night on the town aided by social media, their foray takes them through nightclubs playing music from the great decades of British pop starting in the 60s to the noughties. The show was a riot of color, noise, lasers and pyrotechnics but despite a near three hour running time, it still managed to surprise and entertain at most turns as musical sequences, light shows, audience interaction and video interludes ensured continuity between the scenes but the sheer scale of the production, the actors, the sets, the machinery, makes this a stunning spectacle.

The proud heritage of Britain and London was exposed on center stage and didn't fail rouse me into a patriotic stupor, and where Beijing dazzled with the detailed synchronization of what seemed an endless army of actors, London’s show cleverly emulated that Beijing effect with clever use of technology. Boyle's opening ceremony was the equal of Beijing and more.

He had the spectacle, non for important than an inspired vision of the five Olympic rings being forged by the workers of the industrial revolution. Boyle also had jokes and laughs; he had narrative, of a cheerfully loopy kind, with some anarchic fun, and cheeky comic turns from Daniel Craig, Rowan Atkinson and the Queen. 

The final half hour in which the semi-forgotten Arctic Monkeys played a genuinely incendiary two song set, Doreen Lawrence carried the Olympic flag and Steve Redgrave used the Olympic flame to light a giant cauldron made of torches did actively threaten to be perfect. But then good old Paul McCartney came along to play a faintly horrific but reasonably endearing version of ‘Hey Jude’ – Britishness restored.

In his wild, wacky and often hilarious Games kickoff, Boyle kept his promise, delivering something unique that acknowledged the nation’s people and its innovative creative spirit more than its leaders or its past as a grand empire. The director’s stock got a major boost when he won an Oscar for Slumdog Millionaire, but this audacious show should bump it even higher.

All eyes on London

A global audience of up to 4 billion people is expected to watch the opening ceremony of the Olympics

The eyes of the world will be on Britain today, for the opening of the 30th Olympic Games. The 2012 Olympic Opening Ceremony will have an extremely difficult task to outdo the stellar and absolutely breathtaking performance put on in Beijing four years ago, but as usual, it'll make for must-see television. The Olympics celebrates both the pinnacle of human physical achievement and the coming together of nations, rich and poor however, the success of the event depends on the efforts of volunteers as much as anyone.

I of course, will be rooting for both the Canadian and Nigerian athletes and wish them every success. The success of London 2012 will be judged on the smooth running of the event itself, and the mark it leaves behind it. I believe London Olympics is already a triumph in at least one way as for the first time, every competing nation including the repressive Saudi Arabia is represented by at least one female athlete.

The opening ceremony of the 2012 Olympics begins at 4pm ET and ends more that three hours later, the three hour showcase created by Oscar-winning "Slumdog Millionaire" director Danny Boyle and will be watched by a projected crowd of 60,000 in the main stadium built in the run-down area of London's East End and a global audience of more than one billion.

Spectators will be urged to join in sing-a-longs and help create spectacular visual scenes at an event set for the sporting extravaganza when the 16,000 athletes form the 204 countries share the thrill of victory and despair of defeat with about 11 million visitors.

So it's that time of the year for everyone to to sit back, relax and get into the Olympic spirit. LET THE GAMES BEGIN.

Banned Greek triple jumper ‘bitter and upset’ after racist tweet gets her kicked out of Olympics

The Greek triple jumper expelled from the Olympics for sending a racist tweet about African immigrants and the West Nile virus is speaking out against the decision to ban her from competition in London.

Voula Papachristou was left in Athens by the Hellenic Olympic Committee after sending a tweet that read, "with so many Africans in Greece at least the West Nile mosquitos will eat homemade food." Her comment generated a minor uproar in Greece, then became an international story when Greek officials decided to kick her off the Olympic team.

[ Photos: Greek athlete Voula Papachristou ]

The triple jumper issued a wide-ranging apology after the ruling was announced. Her tone turned defiant on Thursday when she spoke with Reuters about the decision:

"I have not slept at all and to be honest I am still trying to come to terms with what has happened. I am trying to stay calm otherwise I would lose control.

"I am thankful to my coach and family and so many other people who have stuck by me.... After so many years of hurt and sacrifices to try and get to my first Olympics I am very bitter and upset. But what has upset me the most is the excessive reaction and speed of the disciplinary decision."

Though it's probably not best to talk about how you may "lose control" -- I don't think that's taught in Crisis Management 101 -- Papachristou has a point. The reaction was excessive and the speed with which it was made suggests undue haste. It's strange; Greek officials are usually so prudent and judicious in their decision making.

[ Related: Greek athlete expelled for racist tweet ]

She should be angry. There have been no reports of Greek Twitter guidelines or rules of conduct for athletes. Officials appeared to make an arbitrary decision based on political pressure. They said they banned Papachristou because they didn't want to "place Greece in a very negative light." The thing is, nobody would have known about this had they not banned her. It was an isolated story with no legs. Now it's in its third news cycle.

Papachristou can be angry, but she can't be surprised. When you make a statement that touches on race or religion or gender in a controversial way, the hammer can be dropped quickly. Even if her tweet wasn't racist, it was perceived that way and that may as well be the same thing.

Culled from Yahoo Sports