PINK REPUBLIC/ MY BLOG IS A STORY MARATHON.

       At least 207 people are dead in an Easter Sunday terrorist attack targeting Christians in Sri Lanka after six explosions ripped through high-end hotels and churches as suspected suicide bombers blew themselves up. The explosions injured more than 500 people across the country, and 35 foreigners are among the dead reports from Colombo indicate. Two of the blasts were suspected to have been carried out by suicide bombers, according to one security official, who spoke on condition of anonymity as he was not authorised to speak with reporters. The official said at least 45 people had been killed in Colombo, where three hotels and a church were hit, along with another 67 in the church attack in Negombo, north of the capital, with another 25 dead at a church in the town of Batticaloa, in the east of the country.More photos below.

       The General Public is hereby informed that the expansion joint shown in a Facebook video clip, is one of those slated for change during repairs to the Third Mainland Bridge which will commence soon. It is still functioning and our engineers and consultants have advised that it does not pose any structural danger to the bridge and it is safe to use. Commuters and Lagos residents will recall that the Third Mainland Bridge was shut down for a 3-day Investigative Maintenance in August 2018. Tests done on the expansion joints then - called static and dynamic load tests - were to check functionality. A number of expansion joints were identified for replacement then. More recently, in March this year, underwater confirmatory tests (video attached) preceding the repair works to be done on the Bridge, were carried out on the piles to determine if there is further deterioration or not on the piles from that done in 2013. However, all the tests done preparatory t...

       The Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, has hosted officers, airmen and airwomen of the Air Task Force (ATF), Operation DIRAN MIKIYA, to a luncheon to mark the 2019 Easter Celebration. The occasion, which held at the ATF Headquarters in Katsina, provided an opportunity for the CAS to interact with the troops who have been working tirelessly to restore peace and   stability in the Northwest of Nigeria. Addressing the troops, the Air Officer Commanding, Special Operations Command, Air Vice Marshal (AVM) Napoleon Bali, who represented the CAS at the event, expressed satisfaction with the performance of the ATF. He extended the good wishes of the CAS and encouraged the personnel to remain resolute while sustaining their efforts towards eliminating the activities of armed bandits in Zamfara and surrounding States with a view to ensuring peace in the Country. AVM Bali lauded the magnanimity of the CAS in ensuring that the personnel h...

       The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, on Friday, 19 April 2019 wrapped up his visits to the United States and the United Kingdom, which he undertook to meet with the international media and Think Tanks in both countries, in the aftermath of the recent 2019 general elections in Nigeria. During the visits, the Minister was interviewed by the BBC, VOA, SKY TV, Al-Jazeera, Washington Post, Reuters, The Economist, Financial Times and the Africa Report, among others. He also met with influential Think Tanks like the Atlantic Council, the Council on Foreign Relations and the Centre for Strategic Studies, all in Washington, DC, as well as the international not-for-profit corporation FINCA, also based in the US capital In London, the highlight of his visit was his meeting with investors, lawyers, the business community and diplomats with ties to Nigeria at a Breakfast setting to convince them to invest in Nigeria. ''Not only is our admi...

         The Nigerian Army has set up a modern rehabilitation centre for soldiers injured in combat and non-combat operations in the country. The centre, located at the 44 Army Reference Hospital, Kaduna, was established with support from the German Government under an agreement signed in December 2017, through the instrumentality of the German Technical Assistance Group (GTAG). The minister of defence, Munsur Dan-Ali, who inaugurated the centre on Wednesday, said the GTAG had also reflected positively in a key sphere of capacity development and expansion in the armed forces. The minister, represented by Mohammed Garba, chief of logistics, defence headquarters, said the centre was remarkable and fully equipped with state of the art facilities. “It is yet another major milestone in the efforts to provide optimal healthcare intervention to our troops and indeed highly commendable. “It will facilitate the provision of highly needed rehabilitation servi...

     According to a source who sent in this report from South Africa .He sent in these two photos with the caption ''  Thirteen people were killed when part of a Pentecostal Church building collapsed on Thursday night in Dlangubo in KwaZulu-Natal, authorities have confirmed. This is thought to have been as a result of perpetual rainfall in the northern part of the province, KwaZulu-Natal Emergency Medical Services spokesperson Robert McKenzie said. Tragedy struck while a Passover service was underway, also resulting in six people sustaining serious injuries and 10 minor injuries, he said. Provincial police spokesperson Colonel Thembeka Mbele said the area experienced a storm and heavy winds which are believed to have resulted in the incident. Police were still at the scene and a total of 29 people have been transported to hospital. According to police source , people had been sleeping in the church when the walls collapsed. Provincial Disaster Manageme...

      As part of measures to ensure a peaceful and incident- free Easter Celebration, the Inspector General of Police, Ag IGP M.A Adamu, NPM, mni has directed Assistant Inspector Generals of Police and Commissioners of Police in Zonal and State Commands across the country to deploy adequate intelligence, human and operational assets of the Force to ensure intensified routine patrols and protection of vulnerable points within their jurisdictions, including major highways, places of worship, residential areas, recreation centres, motor parks, financial institutions, Government/Private Infrastructures and all places of public resort. They are also directed to ensure that their officers and men conduct themselves in most professional manner in line with extant laws and standard best practices before, during and after the festival. Meanwhile, the IGP has tasked Christians nationwide to emulate and adopt the selfless lifestyle of Christ as they join other Christians around t...