Gabon, Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana and Algeria named top seeds for 2017 AFCON

  Host Gabon, holders Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana and Algeria have emerged top seeds for the draw of the final tournament of the Total Africa Cup of Nations Gabon 2017.

The quartet will make up Pot 1 for the draw to be held on Wednesday, 19 October 2016 in Libreville at 19H00 local time (16H00 GMT).

The seedings approved by the Organising Committee of the Africa Cup of Nations at its meeting on Monday, 26 September 2016 at the CAF headquarters in Cairo, Egypt, was determined taking into account the performance of the qualified teams during the following competitions:

MTN lays off over 1000 contract staff, reduces salaries of some to N40k from N120k

  MTN has reportedly laid off some of its contract staff, particularly those that work at the telecommunications call centers. According to inside sources, many of them were given their disengagement letters yesterday, September 28th. Some of them that worked in their branch in Apapa, Lagos state, had their salaries reduced from N120,000 to N40,000 a month and were asked to continue working at their Ibadan office if they were still interested in the job. Sad news!

After Hoboken Train Crash, Heroes Act Before Politicians Talk

   Freight train engineer William Blaine was just looking up at the menu in the Dunkin Donuts at the Hoboken train station when he heard a loud noise such as brings to mind one word in these days of terror.
“Bomb,” he later said. “The first thing you’re going to think is terrorist—somebody blew it up.”
Blaine turned back into the station and looked to his right. The scene he beheld at 8:35 am Thursday was just what he might have imagined after an explosion. Debris. Blood. People fleeing.
He then looked to the left and saw something he would have never expected. New Jersey Transit train 1614 had plowed on past the bumper at the end of a track and crashed into the station’s wall.
“I knew it wasn’t a bomb,” he said.

What is Google Home and Assistant? Google Home UK release date

  Google Home, an Amazon Echo rival, was announced on 18 May 2016 at Google's I/O 2016 keynote event, and we're expecting to hear more details at another Google event on 4 October. It's a speaker which lets you have a conversation with the Google Assistant - another new feature announced at the launch. Here's everything we know about it so far.
Google Home was announced on 18 May 2016 and Google didn't give a specific date of release. However, the plan is to release it later this year, probably in time for Christmas, but potentially earlier. Nothing was mentioned about which countries would get it. We're obviously hoping the UK is one of them.
We've now heard that Google will be holding a special event on 4 October. We're expecting to hear more details about Google Home at this event, and potentially learn a release date. Continued...

32 People Missing in China Landslides Following Typhoon

  Beijing (AP) -- At least 32 people were reported missing Thursday after rain-saturated hillsides collapsed onto villages in southeastern China following a typhoon.
A rescue operation was underway in Sucun village in China's Zhejiang province, south of the financial hub of Shanghai, after it was hit by a landslide on Wednesday evening, leaving 26 missing, the state-run Xinhua News Agency reported.
Another six people are missing in Baofeng village, also in Zhejiang, after a landslide destroyed their homes.

Manchester City held by Celtic in six-goal thriller at Celtic Park

  Manchester City came from behind three times to draw 3-3 with Celtic in a breathtaking Champions League encounter at Parkhead.

In a whirlwind start to the match Hoops striker Moussa Dembele gave the home side the lead in the third minute before Fernandinho equalised eight minutes later.

Left-back Kieran Tierney's 20th-minute shot deflected in off City winger Raheem Sterling, who then levelled again for the visitors with a well-taken goal.

Mom subject of Amber Alert charged with killing her kids

    A mom was charged Tuesday with murder in connection with the deaths of her two elementary-school-aged children, and a man whom police were seeking for questioning also is believed to have been found dead.
Amber Pasztor, 29, of Kendallville, Ind., was arrested Monday night after a statewide Amber Alert was issued after the abduction of Liliana Hernandez, 7, and Rene Pasztor, 6, at about 6:15 a.m. ET Monday in Fort Wayne. She did not have custody of the children, and police declined to say with whom the children were living or why they were taken.
Elkhart, Ind., police found Liliana and Rene dead at about 5:25 p.m. in the backseat of a vehicle behind police headquarters after Pasztor flagged down an officer leaving the building to tell him that two boduies were in her car, The Elkhart Truth reported.

Facing Messi, Suarez, Neymar not a nightmare - Bravo

 Claudio Bravo is adamant he does not fear the prospect of facing former team-mates Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar when his new side Manchester City face Barcelona in the Champions League next month.

Pep Guardiola's men face Celtic on matchday two before a double-header against Barcelona and Bravo is relishing the opportunity to take on the Catalans' highly rated attacking trio.

"I don't think facing Messi, Suarez and Neymar is a nightmare," Bravo told the official UEFA website.

"I've never viewed an opposition striker as a nightmare, quite the opposite. You see it as a challenge and you want to be involved in those games, they're the high-profile games with some great players on the pitch.

Federal University Abeokuta re-opens after unrest; orders students to pay for damages

 The Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, has announced the resumption of academic activities on October 3, weeks after the school closed indefinitely following students’ unrest which resulted in the destruction of properties.
The head, Directorate of Public Relations of the University, Emi Alawode, said in a statement on Saturday that the senate ordered the resumption.
The Senate also directed that all students must pay N5, 000.00 as fine for the damage done during the unrest. The school called it reparation fee.

“Senate, at the end of its emergency meeting held recently, has approved Monday, October 3, 2016, as the resumption date for normal academic activities. The students, who have been on mid-semester break, are now to resume after the consideration of the report submitted by the committee that was set up to look into the students’ unrest,” the statement said.

Can Manchester City cope without Kevin De Bruyne in injury absence?

   Manchester City are able to cope with the loss of key players better now than at other time in their recent history, but losing influential midfielder Kevin De Bruyne for around four weeks after he picked up a hamstring injury in the 3-1 victory over Swansea City on Saturday is still a painful blow for Pep Guardiola.

City have been without Sergio Aguero (banned for three games), David Silva (missing for three successive matches with a minor injury) and captain Vincent Kompany (available for just one game this season), without it impacting City's perfect 10 out of 10 victories to the start of the season.

Clinton puts Trump on defense at first debate

   Trump: I was against Iraq War, ask Sean Hannity
Trump speaks out on taxes, birther movement
Clinton: Trump called women pigs, slobs and dogs
Donald Trump: We have to bring back law and order
Trump: Clinton doesn't have the stamina to be president
Clinton surrogate slams Trump's 'absurd' birther claims
Hillary Clinton: Donald Trump says crazy things
Trump and Clinton battle over presidential temperament
Trump: I'm 'smart' for paying no taxes
Trump: Emails weren't a mistake, you did it purposely
Donald Trump defends tax cuts for the wealthy
Trump: I'll release taxes if Clinton releases emails
Clinton slams 'trumped up, trickle down' economics
Hillary Clinton: Donald Trump lives in his own reality
Trump, Clinton spar over jobs
Lester Holt in spotlight as moderator of first debate

Obama opens African American museum

Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture

 President Barack Obama said Saturday that the new Smithsonian museum devoted to African-American history elevates the often-overlooked impact of black Americans and will help others better understand the breadth of the American story.

"This national museum helps to tell a richer and fuller story of who we are," Obama, the first African-American president, said at the National Museum of African-American History and Culture.
"By knowing this other story we better understand ourselves and each other. It binds us together. It reaffirms that all of us are America, that African-American history is not somehow separate from our larger American story," he added. "It is central to the American story."

Ghana: 23 Jostle for Presidency

 Twenty-three persons have picked nomination forms to contest in Ghana's presidential elections, scheduled to hold later this year, the Electoral Commission has said.

The figure consists of 16 political party presidential aspirants while seven are independent candidates.

The chair of the Electoral Commission, Mrs. Charlotte Osei disclosed this during the launch of an electoral guide produced by the Commission.

Parties that have picked presidential nomination forms are the ruling National Democratic Convention,(NDC),New Patriotic Party, (NPP), Progressive People's Party, (PPP), National Democratic Party, (NDP), People's National Convention, (PNC), Democratic People's Party, (DPP), United Progressive Party, (UPP) and Independent People's Party (IPP).

Why Ikoyi apartments are unoccupied —Developer

 AMID increasing glut in the Nigeria’s property market as a result of the economic recession currently facing the country, the Chief Executive Officer of Sujimoto Construction Limited, a Lagos-based real estate development company, Mr. Sijibomi Ogundele, has revealed that the surge in the number of empty apartments in Ikoyi, Lagos, is due to over pricing.

Ogundele added that this disturbing phenomenon must have prompted the well-informed and educative research publication of economy watch, Financial Derivatives Company Limited recently, which informed that “The number of vacant properties in the upper class real estate neighbourhoods of Lekki, Victoria Island and Ikoyi has risen by 72 percent over the last 18 months”.

Ogundele who is fondly called Sujimoto, said the cost of construction is usually padded, warning prospective property investors to beware.

Proceeds from sale of national assets to fund 2016 budget — FG

   The Federal Government, on Saturday, said the proceeds from the sale of some of the country’s national assets would be used to fund the expenditure of government as contained in the 2016 budget.

It said while the government had mapped out key infrastructural projects that would support its economic diversification agenda, the shortfall in revenue had made it difficult for these projects to be executed.                                         The Minister of Budget and National Planning, Senator Udo Udoma who stated this in a statement issued by his Media Adviser, Mr. Akpandem James, explained that the government had lost almost half of its expected revenue this year.

FG prepared to pay for the release of Chibok girls

  President Buhari has said that the federal government is ready to pay for the release of the abducted Chibok school girls if the need arises.

This statement was made in a chat between the special adviser to the President on media and publicity, Femi Adesina and the BBC this Friday.

“Even the president said if it needed paying, Nigeria was ready to pay. He has said that in the public domain before that if they wanted money, Nigeria could even give money,” Adesina said.

Winnie Mandela joins calls for South Africa's Jacob Zuma to resign

  Winnie Madikizela-Mandela has joined calls for South African president Jacob Zuma to step down following a series of corruption scandals.

Nelson Mandela’s former wife said the ruling African National Congress needed new leaders.

"We cannot pretend we do not have problems, we cannot pretend things are not wrong in our country," she said.

Mr Zuma still has three years to serve as president, but the party may decide to replace him ahead of an ANC conference in December 2017.

Other party stalwarts who have called for a change of leadership include former intelligence minister Ronnie Kasrils, Mandela's prison cellmate Ahmed Kathrada and former finance minister Trevor Manuel.


Mrs Madikizela-Mandela, who is a member of the 100-strong National Executive Committee, said that action must be taken to salvage “what’s left of the ANC”.


Nelson Mandela and Winnie walking hand in hand upon Mandela's release from prison in 1990 CREDIT: AP

Senate probes $12bn capital flight involving MTN, minister

  The Senate is to probe an allegation of $12bn capital flight involving MTN and a serving minister.  A motion to that effect will be moved on Tuesday by the chairman of the Senate Committee on FCT, Senator Dino Melaye (APC, Kogi West). 

Melaye had during yesterday’s plenary raised a point of order where he made the allegation.  Raising the point of order, Melaye said MTN Nigeria paid $284.9 million February 6, 2001 to purchase their license for operations in Nigeria.

Chan Zuckerberg Initiative announces $3 billion investment to cure disease

 The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative just announced a new program informally called Chan Zuckerberg Science to invest $3 billion over the next decade to help cure, prevent, or manage all disease. The money comes from the $45 billion organization Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan started last year to advance human potential and equality. The project will bring together teams of scientists and engineers “to build new tools for the scientific community” Priscilla Chan said on stage at an event in San Francisco.

You can watch the announcement here:

Part of the $3 billion will go to a $600 million investment in Biohub, a new physical location that will unite researchers from Stanford, Berkeley, and UCSF with elite engineers to find new ways to treat disease.

“We’ll be investing in basic science research with the goal of curing disease”, Chan explained. “As a pediatrician I’ve worked with families at the most difficult moments of their lives” Chan said, shedding tears on stage as she recounted people hearing a loved one had cancer. Chan Zuckerberg Science will seek to eliminate those moments.

Mark Zuckerberg came out on stage to identify the core health problems facing the world, and how the new program will address them.

Donald Trump’s campaign manager has no clue what a press conference is

   ERIN BURNETT, CNN ANCHOR:  And out front now, Donald Trump's campaign manager Kellyanne Conway.   Kellyanne, thank you so much for being with me.  I want to give you a chance to react to this news that Jamie just was breaking, former President George H.W. Bush says he will vote for Hillary Clinton.

That, of course, is not just not voting for Donald Trump, it is voting for Hillary Clinton.  What is your response to that?

KELLYANNE CONWAY, TRUMP CAMPAIGN MANAGER:  Well, I respect the 92-year-old former president very much and his decision.  And I think that Americans are very grateful to the Bush family for their public service.  That is his right.

Saudi plane isolated at Manila airport after false hijack alarm, incident over

   A Saudi Arabian Airlines plane was temporarily isolated after landing at Manila's Ninoy Aquino International Airport on Tuesday following a false hijack alarm, airline and airport officials said.

Passengers were taken off the aircraft and transported to the airport's main terminal while Philippines security personnel carried out checks of the plane.

Earlier, the airport's control tower received a warning that flight 872 from the Saudi city of Jeddah to Manila was "under threat", apparently triggered by someone pressing an alarm button in the cockpit.

"We instructed (the) aircraft to proceed to (the) isolated area," the airport's general manager Edmund Monreal told reporters.

Neymar defended as late-game antics make fools of foes in big Barcelona win

   Football superstar Neymar has come under criticism for some late-game antics in La Liga after supposedly making lesser opponents look foolish.

The Brazilian forward used ball trickery skills in Barcelona's 5-1 win over Leganes at the weekend, prompting a wave of criticism from Spanish football fans who accused him of showing off and trying to provoke opponents.

Neymar appeared to have ignored the un-written convention that top players should not make lesser opponents look foolish.

Michelle Obama hosts a Broadway event to help educate girls

   Michelle Obama tapped some big voices to help deliver her push to get girls educated across the world.

The U.S. first lady went to Broadway on Monday to host a concert for the spouses of global heads of state that included performances from the female-centric shows “The Color Purple,” ”Waitress,” ”Wicked” and “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical.”

“More than 62 million girls around the world are counting on us to be their voice,” Obama said. “And I intend to continue speaking out on their behalf — not just for the rest of my time as first lady but for the rest of my life. And I hope that you all will join me.”

“I want to be a Mom, That’s What I Dream about These Days” Linda Ikeji Covers Today’s Woman

  You may think you know her from her LIB blog but we soon learnt that there is a lot we don’t know about the woman who has become one of the most talked about personalities in Nigeria.

“If Oprah Winfrey and Tyler Perry can post pictures of themselves on their private islands and we are ‘oohing ‘and ‘ahhing’, why not me?”



In this edition, which incidentally is being released on her 36th birthday, Linda Ikeji gives Today’s Woman the exclusive never before heard scoop.

Man sues Samsung, saying Note 7 exploded in his pants

  It was going to blow up this way sooner or later.

After news emerged that Samsung had received 92 reports in the US about the battery in its Galaxy Note 7 phone overheating -- including 26 cases involving burns -- it seemed only time before someone would contact a lawyer.

Now, Reuters reports, 28-year-old Jonathan Strobel of Boca Raton, Florida, has filed what may be the first lawsuit in the US involving the Note 7's combustible battery.

President Buhari congratulates Paralympic team for outstanding performance in Rio

   President Muhammadu Buhari has warmly congratulated Nigeria’s team for an outstanding performance at the Paralympic games in Rio, Brazil. Reas the ppress statement from Garba Shehu below...

'People v. O.J. Simpson' leads Emmy Awards with five wins

   The 68th annual Emmy Awards proved a huge night for young thespians, shows with dragons and politicians, and the infamous O.J. Simpson murder case.
FX's The People v. O.J. Simpson: An American Crime Story led the way Sunday with five wins in the miniseries categories, including lead acting for Sarah Paulson and Courtney B. Vance. HBO also had a productive night: Veep won for outstanding comedy series and lead actress (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), and Game of Thrones took three honors, including top drama. But the major surprises came for two first-time winners: Orphan Black's Tatiana Maslany received the Emmy for outstanding actress in a drama, while Mr. Robot star Rami Malek was named best lead actor in a drama.

Michelle Obama Glitters in Gold at Congressional Black Caucus Awards Dinner

  Michelle Obama's latest look has earned her a gold star.

The Princeton- and Harvard-educated attorney attended the Congressional Black Caucus Awards dinner with President Barack Obama Saturday night. The fashionable First Lady stood out in a strapless Naeem Khan ball gown, which featured hand-painted gold leaf on black tulle. Twitter users described Michelle's ensemble as "gorgeous," "perfect," "stunning" and "unreal."

The event was hosted at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C. During the banquet, Barack gave Michelle a shout-out from the stage. "I've been so blessed to have a wife and a partner on this journey who makes it look so easy," he told the attendees, adding that Michelle has always been "so strong and so honest and so beautiful and so smart."

Latest English Premier League table

Manchester City's Belgian midfielder Kevin De Bruyne (R) back-heals the ball past Bournemouth's English midfielder Jack Wilshere during the English Premier League football match between Manchester City and Bournemouth at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester, north west England, on September 17, 2016. / AFP PHOTO

  English Premier League table after Sunday’s two matches (played, won, drawn, lost, goals for, goals against, points):

Man City        5  5  0  0 15  4 15

Everton         5  4  1  0 10  3 13

Arsenal         5  3  1  1 12  7 10

Chelsea         5  3  1  1 10  6 10

Liverpool       5  3  1  1 11  8 10

Man Utd         4  3  0  2  8  6  9

Tottenham       4  2  2  0  7  2  8

Road transporters to effect 40% fare increase

   Passengers traveling by road to various cities in the country have been told to brace up for an increase in fares effective September 19, 2016. The transporters under the aegis of Association of Private Transport Company Owners of Nigeria (APTCON) made the announcement in a recent notice to its members.

The group said that it was constrained to mark up transport fares by 40 per cent because of the prevailing harsh operating business environment which has seen cost of operations rise by more than 80 per cent.

The association’s secretariat noted that it was compelled to implement the increase as the local economy was showing no signs of stability while international transactions were becoming increasingly difficult to close.

Doctors beg Oyo govt over half salary

   Members of the Association of Resident Doctors, Ladoke Akintola University Teaching Hospital, Ogbomoso, have called on the Oyo State Governor, Abiola Ajimobi, to  pay them full salary like other health workers in the state instead of the half salary they have been receiving.

The plea was contained in a statement signed by President of the association, Dr. Sebastine Oiwoh, and its General Secretary, Dr. Ayobami Alabi, which was issued on Saturday.

The association decried the singling out of its members for the treatment by the state government, saying that it added to the poor financial situation of members who were being owed arrears or salaries.

Obama urges African-American voters to protect his legacy

   President Barack Obama said Saturday night he will take it as a “personal insult” if the African-American community fails to turn out for the presidential election and encouraged black voters to support Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton.

Obama delivered his final keynote address to the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, symbolically passing the torch to the person he hopes will succeed him next year. Clinton, his former secretary of state, was honored for becoming the first female presidential nominee of a major party.

Obama said his name may not be on the ballot, but issues of importance to the black community were, including justice, good schools and ending mass incarceration.

“I will consider it a personal insult, an insult to my legacy if this community lets down its guard and fails to activate itself in this election,” Obama said with a stern look and booming passion. “You want to give me a good send-off, go vote.”

Obama’s speech plagiarism: Presidency to punish speechwriter

  President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday said the speechwriter responsible for plagiarising the United States President Barack Obama’s 2008 victory speech will face disciplinary action.

The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, in a statement said that the similarities between certain paragraphs in Buhari and Obama’s speeches were too similar to be coincidental.

The statement read in part, “President Muhammadu Buhari has ordered that prompt and appropriate disciplinary action be taken against those responsible for a wrongful insertion in his speech delivered on September 8, 2016 at the launch of the ‘Change Begins with Me’ campaign.

MTN is giving up on mobile money in South Africa

  African telecoms giant MTN has canned its mobile money service in South Africa, the second mobile company to do so this year. MTN South Africa announced Sept. 15 that it was decommissioning the product “due to a lack of commercial viability.”
The announcement illustrates the difficulty of cracking the financial services market in South Africa via mobile payments services. Unlike most of Africa, South Africa has a well-established and competitive banking sector. Across the entire continent, MTN’s Mobile Money subscribers grew by 23.3% to seven million last year, according to the company’s interim results (pdf). The MTN Group has allotted more funds to marketing the product in countries like Cameroon and the Ivory Coast.
In South Africa, however, “the operating costs of providing a mobile money platform have become prohibitive,” Larry Annetts, MTN South Africa’s Chief Consumer Officer, said in a statement. “The decision by MTN SA to shelve its mobile money service does not signify a complete exit from financial services.”

Here's why Samsung Note 7 phones are catching fire

Don't leave a Galaxy Note 7 on the charger. Return it for a refund now.

  How could this have happened? Simple: your phone is a Samsung Galaxy Note 7 -- and it's one of over a hundred that have spontaneously burst into flames.     After 35 reported incidents of overheating smartphones worldwide, Samsung made the unprecedented decision to recall every single one of the Galaxy Note 7 smartphones sold. That's said to be 1 million of the 2.5 million that were manufactured. (Since the recall was first announced, the number of explosive Note 7s has nearly quadrupled.) The company says it's stopped all sales and shipments of the Note 7 and is working with government agencies and cellular carriers around the world to provide refunds and exchanges for the phone.

In every country, the message is the same: return your Samsung Galaxy Note 7 now, just in case something bad might happen to you. (Read our full recall FAQ.)


Don't leave a Galaxy Note 7 on the charger. Return it for a refund now.

I did not say rice is expensive because Nigerians eat too much rice - Min of Agriculture. Audu Ogbeh

                                          Minister of Agriculture and Rural development, Audu Ogbeh has dismissed media reports quoting him as saying 'Nigerians eat too much rice, that’s why it is expensive'. Some media platforms quoted him as saying this yesterday. The minister dismissed the report in a statement signed by his media aide, Aishat Ayijimoh Onusi. The statement reads;

Russia 'hacks WADA files, releases Serena and Venus records'

    The rogue nation was warned the leak of secret data by a cyber-espionage group accused of operating out of the country had harmed its hopes of being reintegrated into the sporting community following bans imposed on it from Rio.

Russia reacted with typical defiance yesterday to the claims that the publication of confidential records, including those of the Williams sisters and gymnast Simone Biles, had been orchestrated from within its borders.


Russia is accused of releasing the World Anti-Doping Agency record of Serena Williams. Pic: Getty Images

Google Attacks EU Plans to Make It YouTube Copyright Cop

 Google attacked a European Union overhaul designed to ensure copyright owners get a fairer share of income, saying the measures would force it to vet text, video and images before they can be shared on its YouTube service.
"This would effectively turn the internet into a place where everything uploaded to the web must be cleared by lawyers before it can find an audience," the search-engine giant said in a blog post after the European Commission unveiled draft rules that would also allow newspapers to demand payment when services such as Google News run their articles.
Google, owned by Alphabet Inc., is already fighting three EU antitrust probes into search, phone software and advertising. If Wednesday’s proposals become law, the company may have a weaker hand when dealing with copyright holders, boosted by more powers to withdraw content or demand compensation.

Will it be Africa's 55th country?

   Somaliland President Ahmed Mohamed Silanyo recently claimed that more than one million citizens, out of the country's population of 3.4 million, had signed a petition calling for the international community to recognise Somaliland.

Since 1991, and the collapse of the Siad Barre regime in Somalia, the region has declared itself independent. But should it? The examples of the secession of South Sudan and Eritrea raise serious questions and doubts about the outcomes of breakaway states.
The general approach to calls for secession in Africa, as set out by the African Union (AU) and its predecessor the Organisation of African Unity, is that they should be opposed. The most frequently heard argument against secession is that granting the right to one country invites others to take the same step.
This, the argument goes, would put at risk the internationally recognised system of post-colonial states in Africa.
The issue of secession first arose in the 1960s with the wave of decolonisation and questions over the viability of the newly independent states across the continent. Two cases stood out: the Congo, where Katanga's self-proclaimed breakaway was defeated by United Nations forces; and Nigeria, where the Biafran secession was ended by the Nigerian federal forces.

Real Madrid get late win, Leicester and Manchester City win in UCL

    Champions League holders Real Madrid earned a last-gasp 2-1 victory over Sporting Lisbon in their opening Group F match at the Bernabeu thanks to late goals from Cristiano Ronaldo and Alvaro Morata.

Bruno Cesar's goal in the 47th minute gave the visitors the lead over the defending champions, but an 89th minute free kick from Ronaldo and a stoppage time header from Morata secured the late win.

Rampant Leicester City marked their Champions League debut in stunning style as they thrashed Club Brugge 3-0.

Boss Claudio Ranieri had warned against expecting another fairytale but it was dream night in Belgium after Leicester scored twice inside the first half an hour.

The sexism of Pastor Chris Oyakhilome

   Some weeks ago, an online lynch mob went for the head of the General Overseer of The Redeemed Christian Church of God, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, after he had shared his opinions on marriage at a ministers’ conference in his church. Adeboye, in reality, did not say anything dissimilar to what most parental figures of his generation would have if asked to comment in a similar situation. The triviality of his suggestions, however, did not stem the flow of outrage against him. For one, Adeboye is a public figure and a rather influential one whose opinion on every issue matters because they are not confined to the precinct of his church.

While I do not see much value in the manner the man was virulently castigated for holding on to his traditional cultural values, I however think the cleric needs to be told by those around him that the times are changing and his sermons need to be updated to reflect the reality of the real world people now live in. An insistence on rigid gender roles even as the ground beneath our feet is shifting is one of the ways the society holds back everyone, male and female. No gender was born to perform domesticity and none is inherently enterprising either, these are values taught by the society.

Comedian Basketmouth turns a year older today

 The ace comedian who recently experienced a robbery attack at his home has a lot to be thankful for as he turns a year older today September 14th. Happy birthday to him!

ASUU to begin a one-week warning strike on October 2nd

  The Academic Staff Union of Universities ASUU will begin a warning strike from October 2nd. The union disclosed this in a statement signed by the Chairman, University of Abuja chapter of ASUU.
“We have tried to dialogue with the Federal Government but they have been playing games with us; we will start with a warning strike to show them we are not jokers. ASUU has being trying to get the attention of the Federal Government to intervene in the academic system of universities across Nigeria but it has all been abortive.

Malia Obama surrounded by cups and bottles of alcohol at a party

  US President Obama's oldest child, 18 year old Malia Obama was seen in new photos playing what seems like beer pong with a group of young people at a party in Maryland last month in a photo obtained exclusively by Dailymail.com. This photo of her surrounded by alcohol was later uploaded to the social app Snapchat.
There are also cans of Natural Light, Bud Light and Miller Lite on the table, which is decorated with red, white and blue confetti.

However, Malia was not seen with alcohol or drinking in the photo.

Everyone else in the photo had their faces blurred except Malia's. Her friends are snitches.

Nigeria needs technical skills to be industrialised – ITF

   The Acting Director-General, Industrial Training Fund, Mr Dickson Onuoha has said the country’s quest to become one of the most industrialised nation by 2020 may not be achieved without the development of technical and vocational skills.

He said this in Abuja during the inspection of the ITF Model Skills Training Centre by the National Board for Technical Education.

He said given the Federal Government’s desire for rapid industrialisation and development, the role of technical and vocational skills training was vital in the achievement of this objective.

Apple Pay coming to Japan with iPhone 7

   Apple today announced that iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus and Apple Watch Series 2 will bring customers in Japan the ability to use Apple Pay, an easy, fast and secure way to pay for everything in their daily routines, beginning in October. Users can commute and pay for everyday items with Suica from JR East, and make convenient and private credit and prepaid card purchases in stores, apps and on the web with a single touch. Apple is also introducing support for transit in Japan with Maps in iOS 10, so commuters can easily find ride details, including fare breakdowns that automatically show Suica pricing right on their device, making their commute more seamless and simpler than ever.

Apple Pay is accepted anywhere Suica is available, so users can make quick everyday purchases and buy or reload a Suica card or commuter pass, all with their iPhone. Japan’s major financial brands will also support Apple Pay, so shoppers can make purchases in many of the country's largest stores, at neighborhood shops and restaurants, and from their favorite online merchants.

“We are incredibly excited to bring iPhone 7 to customers in Japan so they can experience the magic of Apple Pay,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO. “Apple Pay will transform your daily routine, from making your commute easier and more convenient than ever with Suica right on your iPhone 7 and Apple Watch Series 2, to using your favorite cards to make secure and private purchases with a single touch.”

NOA, NCC to tackle cybercrimes, hate messages on social media

   Concerned about the volume of hate messages in the social media and the level of crime in the Nigerian cyberspace, the National Orientation Agency (NOA) is synergizing with the National Communications Commission (NCC) to discourage the trend.


This was the fall-out of a working visit by the NOA Director General, Garba Abari to the NCC Executive Vice Chairman, Prof. Umar Danbata where Abari canvassed a more systematic deployment of social media for character molding and youth guidance.

• Describing communication media as character molders, Abari said Nigeria was paying a costly prize for the erosion of its values over the years, largely by the irresponsible use of communication media and the infiltration of wrong values into the new media. He said the role of social media in an information-driven age was very critical to the values reorientation drive of Nigeria, calling for a change to positive use of social media.

Office 365 now lets you invite guests to your projects

   Online tools like Office 365 have changed the way we work and collaborate with our colleagues, but often projects involve people outside of your organization, whether partners, consultants or vendors. Microsoft acknowledged that reality today when it announced the ability to invite guests to view or edit Office 365 content.

It’s not going to all happen at once, but over time Office 365 users will be able to include outside parties in their project. For starters, they are rolling out guest access in Outlook on the web with the idea that you need to be able invite these folks to the party.

A welcome email will be the guest’s entree to the project, so it’s a logical starting point. You simply click the Add Guest link and enter the person’s email to get started. The guest receives a welcome email and will be sent emails and calendar invites and can even access file attachments.

Twitter launches an Alexa app

  Too lazy to read your tweets? Now, Amazon Alexa can just read them to you instead. Yes, that’s right: Twitter has launched an app for Amazon’s voice platform Alexa, which means you can listen to the latest from Twitter right on your Echo speaker or other Alexa-powered device. The new app can give you general information on trends, or deliver information from your own account, says Twitter.

According to the app’s description (or its “Skill’s description, in Amazon parlance), you’ll need to authenticate with your Twitter account in order to get started.

Afterwards, you can launch the app by saying “Alexa, open Twitter.”

The virtual assistant can then read your home Timeline to you, as well as your Mentions, Retweets, and Likes. As with other Alexa Skills, you’ll have to learn how to ask for these items, by saying things like “Alexa, ask Twitter for my own tweets,” “Alexa, ask Twitter has anyone retweeted me?,” “Alexa, ask Twitter for my Mentions,” “Alexa, ask Twitter what is happening?” and so on.

Angelique Kerber Solidifies Her No. 1 Status by Winning the U.S. Open

    The line can be so fine, even with all the work Angelique Kerber has done on herself and her game.

And as she hoisted her second Grand Slam singles trophy of the year (and of her career) on Saturday at the United States Open, it seemed appropriate to wind back the tape eight months to the Australian Open.

In the first round there, she faced a match point in the second-set tiebreaker against the unseeded Misaki Doi of Japan and escaped only when Doi’s shot hit the tape and fell back on Doi’s side of the net.

“What would happen had she not won that match point?” Mary Joe Fernandez, the United States Fed Cup captain, asked on Saturday, shortly before Kerber went out and played her latest remarkable match under major pressure to defeat the 10th-seeded Karolina Pliskova, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4, in the Open final.