The nine signs that show your relationship could be headed for the rocks

   Relationships never crumble in a day, it's a slow fade process and the signs are always clear to the discerning. Often times we choose to ignore the warning lights and clutch at straws in the hope of salvaging what we once had. Psychologist and behavioral expert Honey Langcaster James shares her advice on how to identify if you’re involved in an unhealthy relationship dynamic.

1. Your partner treats you much better in public.
Behind closed doors your partner is either rude, grumpy, always busy, emotionally unavailable or even overtly critical and hostile towards you, yet in front of others or outside the home they treat you much better.
This suggests that their image matters more to them than you do, and they know their behavior towards you is wrong. They're treating you with disrespect when they think they can get away with it.

2. You are preoccupied by thoughts of whether your partner loves you and whether you can trust them
Whilst some people are naturally a little more insecure than others, if you find yourself preoccupied and concerned about your relationship and whether your partner cares for you enough it suggests you are not getting enough emotional nourishment from your partner to help you feel safe and secure.

With or without you, we will march - Nigerians react as 2face cancels February 6 protest

   Just 24hours before the much anticipated peaceful protest led by 2face Idibia and scheduled to hold on Monday February 6, the singer announced it's cancellation and Nigerians are not happy. 2face shared a video on social media explaining that the protest had been cancelled due to security reasons, but plenty Nigerians weren't happy about it. 

As Chelsea get stronger under Conte, Arsenal malaise continues with Wenger

  The problem with sequels is that they usually run out of steam by the time you reach the third or fourth instalment. At Arsenal, they are into double figures and the story never changes, especially when they come up against Chelsea.

The Gunners' 3-0 September's victory over Antonio Conte's team not only now seems a distant memory, but it also looks increasingly like an aberration. Arsenal rarely come out on top against Chelsea and, after being outplayed and outmuscled in a 3-1 defeat at Stamford Bridge, normal service has been resumed.

This was Chelsea's eighth home league win against their London rivals in the past 11 games, with the visitors having won just two of those fixtures. And it is a damning indictment of Wenger's philosophy that Chelsea are pretty much everything that the Frenchman does not want his team to be.

Conte's side is powerful, imposing and, when necessary, direct. Chelsea are also showing themselves to be winners. By contrast, though that is something Wenger desperately wants his team to be, it is impossible to envisage Arsenal's current crop as anything but nearly men as long as they are compromised by the recurring failings that their manager has been unable -- or unwilling -- to eradicate.

Moses eyes redemption in Arsenal rematch

   If, as widely expected, Chelsea go on to lift the Premier League trophy, one game in their title-winning campaign will surely be remembered as the most significant for manager Antonio Conte.

Forget the 4-0 rout of Manchester United in October when returning manager Jose Mourinho was humiliated. Or the 5-0 victory over Everton in November when everything went right and Eden Hazard briefly resembled Lionel Messi. Or even the come-from-behind win at Manchester City the following month that firmly installed the team as title favorite.

The defining 90 minutes of Chelsea’s season will likely be a loss that led to some serious soul-searching and, critically, a change in formation.

Former Chelsea FC and England Midfielder Frank Lampard takes a Bow

   Former Chelsea FC and England midfielder Frank Lampard on Thursday announced his retirement after more than two decades in football.

Lampard, 38, made his debut in 1996 at West Ham and spent most of his playing career at Chelsea, 2001-2014, finishing as their record goalscorer with 211 goals.

In his time at Stamford Bridge, Lampard won the 2012 Champions League, 2013 Europa League, three Premier Leagues and four FA Cups with the Blues. He earned 106 England caps between 1999 and 2014.

The midfielder last played at New York City in Major League Soccer where his contract expired after the 2016 season, having also featured for Manchester City in the last chapter of his career.

“After 21 incredible years, I have decided that now is the right time to finish my career as a professional footballer,” Lampard said on Facebook.

44 year old Essam El Hadary’s save sends Egypt to #AFCON2017 Final

  Egypt’s goalkeeper and captain Essam El Hadary on Wednesday emerged the shooting range hero to send the Pharaohs through to the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) final match.

Egypt went through to the AFCON final in Gabon after beating Burkina Faso 4-3 on penalty kicks in the semi-finals.

El Hadary, who turned 44 this month, is already the oldest footballer to play at a Nations Cup and he showed he was not just there for the record.

The match itself was an epic, with neither team having tasted defeat in Gabon, and seven-time champions Egypt were yet to concede a goal.

The match in Libreville ended 1-1 after 90 minutes and extra time, with Mohamed Salah’s 66th minute opener for Egypt cancelled out by Aristide Bance seven minutes later.

“2Baba, I stand with you and Nigerians on this protest…. I will be part of it” – Gov. Ayo Fayose

   Ekiti State governor and chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)‘s Governors’ Forum, Ayo Fayose has declared his support for the planned February 6th protest led by superstar musician 2Baba.

Fayose made this known in a series of tweets on Tuesday night.


2Baba announced the protest last week, saying that it is aimed at demanding answers from the government over several issues, including the economic recession.

After the announcement, rumours followed that it is politically motivated. One university professor openly called the musician an illiterate.

2Baba has refused to back down and has said that the protest will take place on February 6th from the National Stadium in Surulere, Lagos to the National Theatre in the Iganmu area of Lagos state.

“I don’t want people to see my films and just laugh, I want them to see my film and discuss it” – Kunle Afolayan

  Known for his outstanding work in the film industry, Kunle Afolayan stands out as one of the most important film directors of our time. His resume includes directing as well as acting in the films October 1st, Phone Swap, CEO and The Figurine, which won five major Africa Movie Academy Awards.

The movie producer covers Guardian Life magazine and he talks passionately about his love for culture, which is evident in most of his work, particularly October 1st.



Guardian Life had a few words with Kunle Afolayan on his journey to fame. See excerpts below.

Trump and Putin agree to Mend U.S. – Russia ties

   Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump agreed to try to rebuild U.S-Russia ties and to cooperate in Syria, the Kremlin said, after the two men spoke for the first time since Trump’s inauguration.

U.S.-Russia relations hit a post-Cold War low under the Barack Obama administration and Trump has made clear he wants a rapprochement with Moscow if he can get along with Putin, who says he is also keen to mend ties.

“Both sides demonstrated a mood for active, joint work on stabilising and developing Russian-American cooperation,” the Kremlin said in a statement, adding that Putin and Trump had agreed to work on setting up their first meeting.

“The chat took place in a positive and business-like tone.”

Trump’s stance on Russia has been under intense scrutiny from critics who say he was elected with help from Russian intelligence agencies, a charge he denies. His detractors have also accused him of being too eager to make an ally of Putin.

For Putin, who faces possible re-election next year, an easing of U.S. sanctions imposed on Moscow over its role in the Ukraine crisis would be a major coup.

Oscar Nominee Asghar Farhadi Won’t be Able to Attend the Award Ceremony Due to the ‘Muslim Ban’

Asghar Farhadi, the Oscar-nominated director of the movie The Salesman, reportedly won’t be able to attend the 2017 Academy Awards happening next month due to President Donald Trump’s “Muslim ban.”

The United States President, is refusing access to the United States for people from seven Muslim countries. There is an indefinite ban for everyone from Syria and there is a 90-day ban on visas for people from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen.

Farhadi, who hails from Iran, is already an Oscar winner after his movie A Separation won the award for Best Foreign Language Film in 2012. He’s nominated again this year in the same category for The Salesman

“Nobody’s got you like I’ve got you” – Read Simi’s Sweet Birthday Message to Adekunle Gold

   Happy birthday Adekunle Gold!

Today is the YBNL star’s birthday and his girlfriend, Simi, shared a sweet message on Instagram alongside a cute photo of them together at a shoot.

She wrote:

“You’re amazing Adekunle. So amazing, it blows me away. There are so many things that I wish and pray for you, but words will never be enough. But know that nobody got u like I got u. Live long, kick ass, shine and prosper like the king you will always be.

Happy birthdayCham

234Finance: Building Entrepreneurial Ecosystems for Recession Recovery

 Creating a sound entrepreneurial ecosystem is imperative to the growth of any economy. It is also important to sustain that healthy entrepreneurial habitat by ensuring that the basic components of an entrepreneurial ecosystem including ambition, skill and capital exist in equal proportions. This would ensure the success for the entrepreneurs  and eventually lead to development.

Ambition is the dogged mindset to see a business advance from being a startup to a full growth stage organization, and ultimately create more jobs.  Skill comprises of all expertise required for the successful execution of business operations; while capital is the funding and other resources such as fixed or current assets, required for business operations.

Here are three economic scenarios out of seven possible scenarios, where ambition, skill-set and capital play significant roles in an entrepreneurial ecosystem:

Senate accuses Fashola, BPP of contract inflation

  The Senate may probe the Ministry of Power, Works and Housing, headed by Mr. Babatunde Fashola and the Bureau of Public Procurement over alleged inflation of the costs of some contracts awarded by his ministry.

The lawmaker representing Kogi West Senatorial District, Senator Dino Melaye, who raised a point of order during the plenary on Wednesday, alleged that the BPP conspicuously changed the contractors and costs of some projects applied for by the ministry.

Melaye said, “The BPP got a letter from the Federal Ministry of Works, Power and Housing for the award of two batches of contracts. The first is the award of the construction and rehabilitation of 10 roads and bridges under the 2016 budget in November, 2016. The second batch is the award of the construction of bridges and roads – 13 of them – in the 2016 budget.

He made Mama so Proud! This Young Man’s Convocation Photo with his Mother is Everything

 Jibola Jegede graduated from UNILAG and he shared a photo of himself and his mother celebrating his convocation and the photo has since gone viral for the right reasons.

In the photo shared, Jibola is being sprayed with water by his friends and his mum holds him tightly, all smiles. She didn’t even mind getting wet.

His caption for the photo is also perfect.

He wrote:

A mother is the truest friend we have, when trials heavy and sudden fall upon us when adversity takes the place of prosperity when friends desert us when trouble thickens around us, still will she cling to us, and endeavor by her kind precepts and counsels to dissipate the clouds of darkness, and cause peace to return to our hearts.
Thank you so much mama for the unfailing and undying love you showed me on my day. we turn up together like kilode, love you plenty

MY MAMA IS THE BEST MAMA IN THE WHOLE WORLD WIDE WORLD

#MamaOfLife #SweetMother#LastestGraduate #BscEconomics#UnilagConvocation #CreditToMr_Kena

For the first time in 3 years, Rafa Nadal has reached a grand slam semifinal

  Rafa Nadall overcame third-seed Milos Raonic in straight sets 6-4, 7-6 (9-7) 6-4 to reach a first grand slam semifinal since winning his ninth French Open crown in 2014. With his victory, a first grand slam final in six years between Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer draws closer.

He'll now face Grigor Dimitrov in the men's semifinals at Melbourne Park on Friday.

Bovi declares himself the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (Online)

He wrote:

“I hereby declare myself the president of the federal republic of Nigeria (online) . There are two Nigerias: one in reality, the other in virtual reality. (Social media) i will be running a unitary system of government but at the same time allow for a confederal state. This means you are welcome to declare yourself governor of your state or minister of any ministry you are passionate about. But I remain the only president until I declare elections online very soon. This is a government of the people so feel free to let us know ur problems (online) and we will solve them online. In this govt, tribe, religion, region or creed doesn’t count. As long as you’re Nigerian, u are qualified. Worship your god as u like but don’t use it to disturb another. We run a simple life here in Nigeria (online). If ur street is untarred for example, report ur local govt chairman or commissioner for works or Gov or minister to me. This is a govt of accountability. Long live the federal republic of Nigeria (online)”

LAUTECH reopens on Friday

  Authorities of the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, have said that the institution will reopen on Friday.

Registrar of the school, Mr. Jacob Agboola said this in a statement sent to the students and members of staff of the institution on Monday.

“All staff and students are hereby informed that the University will reopen for normal activities on Friday, January 27, 2017. All students who have yet to complete their registration are to ensure that they do so and pay their tuition fees during the revision week. On behalf of the Governing Council, Senate and Management, headed by the Vice Chancellor, Prof. A. S. Gbadegesin, we wish you all the best,’’ the statement read.

Chelsea's all-time XI of the Roman Abramovich era, from the 2003/04 season to present

 1. Petr Cech (goalkeeper) –
There’s absolutely no doubt over who takes the honour in between the posts. Among the finest goalkeepers to take to the Premier League stage, Cech is a Stamford Bridge icon, despite his move to Arsenal. After joining Chelsea in early 2004, he went on to keep 162 clean sheets in England’s top flight. Such is the respect the club hold for the 34-year-old, only a few refused to give their blessing for his switch across London two years ago

FG releases N72bn for Lagos-Ibadan rail line

The Minister of Transportation, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, on Monday disclosed that the Federal Government has released its counterpart fund for the construction of the Lagos-Ibadan mordernisation railway project.

He put the figure at N72bn.

The minister said this at the Second Presidential Business Forum which was presided over by Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo at the old Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

He said the counterpart funding was released in full so that there will be no delay in the project implementation.

He also used the opportunity to appeal to the National Assembly to approve the $30bn foreign loan request.

Chelsea to pip Man United to £35 million-rated right-back Semedo

  Chelsea set to rival United for Semedo?  Toward the end of last year, Manchester United were strongly linked with a January move for Benfica defender Nelson Semedo.

The attack-minded right-back was reported to have been scouted by United when his club took on Napoli in the Champions League last month.

But Portuguese outlet A Bola reported that the 23-year-old, rated at almost £35 million, is now interesting Chelsea as well.

Meanwhile, after he was linked with both United and Paris Saint-Germain, news that Benfica's Goncalo Guedes was dropped to the bench at the weekend can mean only one thing, according to the Sun. It means a £26 million move for the attacker is imminent and suggests Old Trafford is the likelier of the two potential destinations.

Manchester City Challenge Leicester For Former Manchester United Player

  Things nearly went well for Pep Guardiola and Manchester City. They outplayed Spurs for most of the match, Claudio Bravo made no errors and there was no huge errors in their defence. Unfortunately they still dropped points.

After an easy start to life in the Premier League for Guardiola, where it looked like his team was going to stroll away with the title as easy as he had done at Bayern Munich, things have gone a little tits up.



Problems at the back is where City have suffered the most and even when they missed a lot of chances against Spurs it was their defending that let them down in the end.

According to the Sun, Guardiola is hoping to dip into the transfer window to sure up his defence. The paper reports that City will make a £20 million bid for Burnley's Michael Keane.

Mavrodians ask MMM administrators to freeze bonuses of guiders

 Participants in Ponzi scheme, MMM, have urged the administrators of the scheme to freeze the bonuses of guiders.

The participants, frustrated over their inability to get their money out of the scheme after waiting for more than a month due to the freezing of accounts in December, have accused the guiders of being responsible for the liquidity crisis in the scheme.

Flooded by demands for payment and with questions from increasingly wary participants, the scheme put up a poll on its support handle asking participant to decide which of the bonuses to stop in view of the challenges.

Over 60 per cent of the respondents wanted the guiders’ bonuses stopped. A distant twenty-four per cent wanted all bonuses stopped. Seven per cent of them wanted referral bonuses stopped and six per cent chose registration bonus.

Donald Trump Inaugural concert

   Donald Trump and all his family members including his ex-wives, Ivana Trump (Don Jr., Ivanka and Eric Trump's mum) and Marla Maples (Tiffany Trump's mum) flew into Washington Thursday on the eve of his presidential inauguration and pledged to unify a nation sorely divided and clamoring for change.

Trump's four oldest children, Donald Trump Jr. Ivanka Trump, Eric Trump and Tiffany Trump and his three oldest grandchildren attended the Trump Inaugural concert. His son Barron did not attend.
The festivities started with a speech from Oscar-winning actor Jon Voight (Angelina Jolie's father), and was followed by performances from Toby Keith, 3 Doors Down, Lee Greenwood and YouTube sensation The Piano Guys, who opened with their rendition of One Direction's 'What Makes You Beautiful'.

Trump dating site booms with membership

  A dating site that matches singles who support US President-elect Donald Trump, is currently enjoying a spike in membership ahead of his inauguration tomorrow (Friday).

According to Fox News, TrumpSingles.com has garnered about 24,000 members since its official launch June 2016.

The site’s founder, David Goss, said membership jumped by about 5,000 after Donald Trump’s shock election victory in November, and a record new members have just signed up.

“We have had an even bigger response now, in the last few days,” he said. “We have had five to six thousand in the last two-and-a-half days.”

“You Have To Provide Help Before You Can Get Paid” – MMM to Participants

MMM participants who wanted to get help earlier met this message in their PO.  It seems the fear and wait is almost over. Congrats to MMM participants

Obama holds farewell press conference

  US President Barack Obama will give his final presidential press conference Wednesday, a traditionally mild-mannered ritual given fresh political weight by the rocky handover to Donald Trump.

Obama has given over 150 news conferences since becoming head of state eight years ago. His last takes place two days before he turns over the Oval Office.

The outgoing Democratic leader had vowed a smooth transition of power to the Republican Trump, but the reality has been a little more tricky.

The 44th and 45th presidents have traded barbs in public and the incoming administration has faced a momentous challenge to staff-in in time for Friday’s first day at work.

Trump spokesman Sean Spicer sought to play down any troubles, praising Obama and his staff and saying this transition may come to be seen as a “gold standard.”

Still, Obama’s words will be carefully scrutinized, no more so than by the 70-year-old president-elect, who has proven quick to retaliate at any slight.

MMM: The bigger the money, the longer the waiting period

Some residents of the Federal Capital Territory on Tuesday expressed happiness with the return of MMM, but say its new system of payment has dampened their morale.

Participants of the scheme have continued to celebrate the return of the controversial money-doubling scheme, Mavrodi Mundial Moneybox, which resumed activities on January 13.

The new system of payment prioritises participants with smaller sums of money in the system, therefore causing participants with larger sums to wait for payment, coupled with a new payout limit.

A number of participants who spoke to the News Agency of Nigeria in Abuja confirmed that they had been matched for payment on Monday, January 23.

Serena fiance gets Venus seal of approval

   Venus Williams has given her seal of approval to younger sister Serena’s fiance, calling Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian a “super nice guy”, AFP reports.

Serena, 35, broke news of her impending nuptials with a poem in late December on her verified Reddit account, revealing the 33-year-old went down on one knee during a trip to Rome.

“He’s a super nice guy,” Venus, 36, said of Ohanian. “You never know how the things are going to end. In this case, it’s not gonna end, so it’s great.”

Restoring an Atmosphere, if Not Yet an Aura, in Manchester

Manchester United’s Zlatan Ibrahimovic, right, headed in a goal during a match against Liverpool in Manchester on Sunday

 MANCHESTER, England — In the last five minutes of a nerve-shredding 1-1 draw on Sunday, as his team swarmed forward and Liverpool seemed to tilt and teeter, Manchester United Manager José Mourinho got what he wanted.

He had asked his club’s fans — so frequently accused of sitting on their hands, waiting to be entertained — to create a “special atmosphere” for the visit of Liverpool.

“My invitation is not to come to the theater,” he said a few days before the arrival of Liverpool, United’s fiercest, bitterest rival. “Come to play with us.”

MMM: Students must pay N2bn debt, says UNIOSUN VC

 The Vice Chancellor of Osun State University, Prof. Labode Popoola, said on Saturday that the institution would collect the over N2bn debt students owe it whether they are able to recoup their money invested in the  Mavrodi Mondial Moneybox or not.

Popoola said, “Some of them (students) used their school fees to invest in MMM. But whether MMM comes back or not, it is their headache. I have told them that we are not going to open the portal. If I see that a critical mass of the students pay, then we will decide to open the portal just for about 48 hours. But they must pay first.

Wilfred Ndidi makes Premier League debut as Chelsea pummel Leicester

   Wilfred Ndidi has made his English Premier League debut for champions Leicester City in a 3-0 defeat to Chelsea on Saturday.
Ndidi and compatriot Ahmed Musa were given starting shirt for Leicester, as well as Victor Moses who was in the line-up for Chelsea.
Marcos Alonso scored twice as Chelsea beat Leicester on Saturday to move seven points clear at the top of the English Premier League in spite of Diego Costa’s absence.
The Blues were without their top scorer after a training ground dispute over his fitness, amid reports he has been offered a lucrative move to China.
That saga did not affect them at the King Power Stadium however, with Eden Hazard setting up Alonso to fire home after only six minutes.
The Spanish wing-back added his second early in the second half when his shot from the edge of the area was deflected in.
Pedro made sure of the points with a deft header from Willian’s cross.
Leicester, lining up in a new-look 3-5-2 formation, struggled to find a way back into the game.

Chelsea coach Antonio Conte breaks record, wins 3rd consecutive EPL manager Of the month award

 Antonio Conte, Chelsea's coach has been
rewarded for his team's excellent run in the last
month after he was given the EPL Manager of
the month award for December. With this
award, Conte is officially the first manager to
win the ward three months in a row, following
his award wins in October, November and
December.
The Italian, beat off competition from
Tottenham’s Mauricio Pochettino and
Liverpool’s Jurgen Klopp, to pick up the award.
After receiving the award, Conte said:
"I’m very proud," he tells Chelsea's
official website.

Real Madrid eclipses Barcelona to set new unbeaten Spanish record

  As the clocked ticked into the 93rd minute, it
looked as though Real Madrid's unbeaten run
was coming to an end.
Zinedine Zidane's team, without the rested
Cristiano Ronaldo and injured Gareth Bale, had
already equaled Barcelona's Spanish record of
39 games undefeated, but looked to be falling
just short of eclipsing its great rival.
Trailing 3-1 to Sevilla going into the final seven
minutes of the Copa del Rey round of 16 second
leg, Sergio Ramos' impudent Panenka penalty
halved the deficit and gave his side hope.
The Real captain, a former Sevilla player and a
product of its youth system, celebrated against a
backdrop of boos and middle fingers.
It wasn't until the final minute of injury time,
however, that Real got the equalizer.
Marcelo's deft back-heel found Karim Benzema
outside the penalty area, before the Frenchman
surged into the box and slotted the ball into the
bottom corner -- via a fortuitous deflection.
Cue rapturous scenes on the Real bench, as the
club set a new Spanish record of 40 games
unbeaten and qualified for the quarterfinal in the
process.

Mikel makes losing debut for Tianjin Teda

    Super Eagles captain Mikel Obi debuted for his new Chinese team Tianjin Teda on Wednesday when he starred in a friendly game against Borussia Monchengladbach II.

Tianjin Teda lost 2-1 to the visiting team.

Mikel, who was Chelsea player for ten-and-a-half years, joined the  Chinese  team  on  a three-year deal and will reportedly earn 140,000 pounds a week.

The Nigerian retained his shirt number at Chelsea, number 12 although he played in a different role from the usual role he use to play for the Blues during his time at the club.

‘Guardiola has no faith in Iheanacho

  Despite proving himself worthy of a place in Manchester City squad, Kelechi Iheanacho will not be enjoying the support of coach Pep Guardiola.

Former Manchester City striker Shaun Goater said it will be difficult for Iheanacho to get a first team place as Guardiola does not trust him.

Last season the Nigeria-born youngster ended the season with 14 goals, a tally only bettered by Sergio Aguero and Kevin de Bruyne.


However, Guardiola ‘s arrival has seen the 20-year-old struggle to hold down a place in the team, with time on the pitch often reduced to substitute appearances.

Iheanacho even scored twice at Hull on Boxing Day taking his tally to 12 goals in 38 Premier League games.

The double also meant his ratio of a goal every 96 minutes made him the most prolific striker to have scored at least 10 goals in Premier League history.

Despite a phenomenal goals ratio for City Guardiola is reluctant to start him.

However, Goater, who played for City for five years believes that privately City’s boss does not rate him as highly as he says publicly.

He told sports.bwin.com : “I’m a massive believer in what a manager does rather than what he says and I’m sure he thinks and says that Kelechi is a great young talent but Guardiola’s actions make it clear that he doesn’t believe he’s good enough. You can’t bring him on with very little time to go to score a goal.

Juan Mata, Marouane Fellaini give Manchester United edge over Hull City

  Manchester: Juan Mata and Marouane Fellaini struck to give Manchester United a 2-0 victory over injury-ravaged Hull City in Tuesday's League Cup semi-final first leg at Old Trafford.

All eyes were on United captain Wayne Rooney, who is chasing a record 250th goal for the club, but it was Mata who broke the deadlock in the 56th minute before substitute Fellaini added a late second.

Cristiano Ronaldo wins FIFA best player award for 4th time

   Ronaldo's fourth career FIFA award closed the
gap on five-time winner Messi, who has been
the runner-up to each Ronaldo victory.
ZURICH: Capping what he called the best year
of his career, Cristiano Ronaldo won his fourth
FIFA best player award on Monday.
The double European champion with Portugal
and Real Madrid beat great rival Lionel Messi
and Antoine Griezmann to complete a sweep of
top individual awards.

FG aims to attack church leaders with FRC law —Fayose

  The Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, on Sunday cautioned the Federal Government against the continuous implementation of the Financial Regulation Council Act, which, he said, had tampered with the administration of churches in Nigeria.

Based on the new law, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, on Saturday stepped down as the  General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God in Nigeria.

Tottenham 2-0 Aston Villa: Ben Davies scores his first goal for Spurs to help secure Mauricio Pochettino's men an FA Cup fourth round spot

 Tottenham advanced to the fourth round of the FA Cup with a 2-0 victory over Aston Villa on Sunday
Mauricio Pochettino made nine changes to side that beat Chelsea 2-0 in the Premier League on January 4
Spurs struggled to break down their Championship opponents throughout a disappointing first half
Dele Alli replaced Vincent Janssen on the hour mark and Tottenham immediately improved in attack
Ben Davies glanced in a header to score his first goal for the club before Son Heung-min wrapped up the win
Tottenham's initial nine changes were not the problem for Steve Bruce. It was the sight of Dele Alli climbing from the bench which delivered a piercing reminder that these two famous clubs are circling in different orbits.

Trump election: US presidency is not a family business, says Obama

  US President Barack Obama says he has advised his successor Donald Trump not to attempt to run the White House "the way you would manage a family business".
In an interview with ABC News, Mr Obama said that Mr Trump must "respect" US institutions.
"After you have been sworn in," he said, "you are now in charge of the largest organisation on Earth".
He warned that there was a difference between governing and campaigning.

FA Cup: Arsenal leave it late, Man United cruise, Leicester comeback

  Olivier Giroud's late goal helped Arsenal recover from an early setback to beat Preston North End 2-1 at Deepdale and book their place in the fourth round of the FA Cup.

The hosts made a dream start when they went ahead through Callum Robinson in the seventh minute. And they could have extended their lead against a lacklustre Gunners side that failed to get going. Preston's Tom Clarke, Jordan Hugill and Paul Gallagher all drawing saves from David Ospina or missing good chances.

Nigerians spend 193 minutes on their smartphones daily

   Findings have showed that Nigerians spend 193 minutes on their smartphones daily, and businesses must understand this to stay atop.

Experts have also said that leveraging the digital revolution by tapping into the power of ‘Big Data’ will help businesses stay close and understand their market better, especially in 2017.

They have equally cautioned that due to the present economic recession, companies choosing cost-cutting measures may be negatively impacted with declining value proposition.

Mikel Obi joins Chinese club Tianjin TEDA after 11 years with Chelsea

   Super Eagles captain, John Mikel Obi has become the latest ex- Premier League star to make a big-money move to Chinese Super League after completing his medicals with Tianjin TEDA yesterday. The midfielder, who had been frozen out of first-team football by coach Antonio Conte this season, will reportedly earn £140,000 a week.

The 29-year-old who arrived Stamford Bridge in 2006, is understood to have signed a three-year deal, after a successful spell in England, winning the Champions League, two Premier League titles and four FA Cups.

No knee-jerk tactics change for Conte after winning run ends

    Even after Chelsea's 13-match winning run ended, Antonio Conte found something to laugh about.  In the three months since Chelsea adopted the 3-4-3 formation Cont favored in Italy, the team has powered to the top of the Premier League.

So Conte was bemused by the suggestion he might consider abandoning the three-man defense that was penetrated so easily by Tottenham in Wednesday's 2-0 loss but had previously been serving Chelsea so well.

Peace Corps will employ 800, 000 youths – Akor

   The Commandant-General, Peace Corps of Nigeria, Dickson Akor, has said that the organisation will generate 800,000 jobs for youths in the country.

Akor, who made this known at a news briefing at his residence in Ogoli-Ugboju, Oturkpo Local Government Area on Wednesday, said the Corp was one of the best channels to engage Nigerian youths.

He, however, said that this would be made possible when the bill establishing the PCN was assented to by President Muhammadu Buhari.

FG begins N5,000 payment to one million poor Nigerians

  President Muhammadu Buhari has started the payment of N5,000 each to one million poor Nigerians under its Conditional Cash Transfer programme, which is one of his cardinal campaign promises.

Under the programme, President Buhari had promised to empower one million poor and most vulnerable Nigerians with a monthly stipend of N5,000 each.

Uber acqui-hires Geometric Intelligence to launch its own inhouse AI lab

  Uber has paid an undisclosed some to purchase a mysterious New York-based company that it will use to launch a new research unit.
Dubbed, “Uber’s A.I. Labs,” the group will include all 15 employees of Geometric Intelligence, with two employees, Gary Marcus and Zoubin Ghahraman, leading the new group, according to The New York Times.

Manchester City’s 10 men sink Burnley thanks to Gaël Clichy and Sergio Agüero

   This hard-fought win left lingering uncertainty over just how good are Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City. There was little of the pass-and-move play the manager yearns for and though victory is the bottom line no hard evidence exists to show City will secure a Champions League place, never mind the title. With Ilkay Gündogan out for the season Guardiola could ill-afford to lose another midfielder. Yet off went Fernandinho in the first half for a second Premier League red card (and third in all) to rule him out for four games, this taking City’s tally to seven dismissals.

City were gifted the ideal moment to blow away the defeat at Liverpool during the first exchanges. A poor pass from Ben Mee ceded possession and suddenly Kelechi Iheanacho was in on Tom Heaton’s goal. The goalkeeper smothered the Nigerian’s shot and when the ball travelled to Yaya Touré he might have taken aim. Instead, he passed to Raheem Sterling and when the forward let fly Heaton once more saved Burnley.

Hello 2017: Fireworks and tight security as world celebrates new year

 New Year’s celebrations across the world
have ushered in 2017 with dazzling
fireworks displays and crowded streets
amid tightened security measures for the
festivities.
There was a huge police presence on the
streets of London as spectators from
nearly 100 countries flocked to the
Thames to watch the night sky light up as
Big Ben struck midnight.
With memories of the lethal Berlin lorry
truck attack still fresh, London mayor
Sadiq Khan assured crowds the capital
was “as safe as it possibly can be”.
After the event passed successfully, he
hailed it as demonstrating to the world
that London “is open to all”.

Happy New Year 2017!!

  Happy New Year 2017! It will be an extraordinarily beautiful year. Believe that!