Ronaldo wins Best FIFA Men’s Player award

Cristiano Ronaldo was named FIFA’s Best Men’s Player for 2016 on Monday, beating Lionel Messi and Antoine Griezmann on the three-man shortlist to claim the prize in Zurich.

Ronaldo, who picked up his fourth Ballon d’Or in December, also landed the first separate FIFA prize since world football’s governing body and France Football announced in September that they would be presenting two separate awards.

The best (and worst) ways to beat mosquito bites

First one, then another. Bite! Slap! Bite! Before you know it, mosquitoes are descending from the skies to disrupt your backyard summer soiree.

How can such a tiny, fragile insect cause so much pain, suffering and annoyance?

Notwithstanding the death and disease that mosquito-borne pathogens cause around the world, the annoyance caused by mosquito bites can be seriously disruptive (and yes, they might bite you more than your friends). The reactions to bites can be severe, and when swarms of mosquitoes swell in the suburbs, the impacts can be substantial.

Conte Salutes Mikel’s Impact In Chelsea

Chelsea boss Antonio Conte has praised Mikel Obi’s contribution to ‘The Blues’ in the 10 years he was at the club.

Mikel has left for Chinese club Tianjin Teda after he lost his first-team place on arrival of Conte at Stamford Bridge.

Electricity tariff hike: Court faults NERC, DISCOs

The application instituted by the Nigerian Electricity Regulation Commission (NERC) for stay of action on the landmark judgment against electricity tariff hike has suffered a serious setback as the court has overruled the application.

In the ruling delivered by the Federal High Court Judge, Justice M.B Idris recently, the judge described the application to stay the judgment of the court as unreasonable, lacking in merit and therefore dismissed.

Buhari okays arms for airport security

                               

Airports security personnel will now bear arms, Minister of State (Aviation) Senator Hadi Sirika said yesterday.

He told reporters at the end of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting – the first in the year – that President Muhammadu Buhari had approved the use of arms and ammunition by airport security personnel.

With Sirika were Minister of Interior Abdulrahman Dambazau and Special Adviser on Media and Publicity Femi Adesina.

Abuja airport to be closed on March 8

The Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja will be closed on March 8 for repairs, the Ministry of Transportation said yesterday.

The nation’s capital’s airport’s runway is to be reactivated after closure. It will last for six weeks

The announcement of the date, which was previously fixed for next month, was after a meeting between Minister of State (Aviation) Hadi Sirika and stakeholders in the sector. No reason was given for the date change.

35 killed in Istanbul nightclub attack

  
An official statement just released today on the Istanbul nightclub attack records at least 35 people were killed and 40 wounded when an attacker opened fire on New Year's revelers at a nightclub in Istanbul on Sunday, Istanbul Governor Vasip Sahin told reporters.

Jibrin to Dogara: Return $600,000 you took from Ibori

•You’re wrong, Speaker tells sacked committee chair

Sacked Chairman House of Representatives Committee on Appropriation, Abdulmumin Jibrin (APC, Kano), claimed yesterday that his fight against corruption in the Green Chamber has the backing of two international organisations.

He did not name the two organisations but challenged House of Representatives Speaker Yakubu Dogara to publicly acknowledge the funding of his emergence as Speaker by former governor of Delta State, James Ibori.

'Heavy Cold' Forces Queen Elizabeth II To Miss Christmas Church Service

                          

Britain’s Queen Elizabeth, 90, missed a traditional Christmas church service on Sunday for the first time in decades due to a heavy cold, a Buckingham Palace spokesman said.

Elizabeth, the world’s longest-reigning living monarch, and her husband Prince Philip, 95, suffering what the Palace described as heavy colds this week, delayed by a day the journey to their Sandringham country residence in eastern England. They traveled instead by helicopter on Thursday.

Let us talk, Buhari tells N’Delta militants

President Muhammadu Buhari on Sunday appealed to the militants vandalizing oil installations in the Niger Delta to come to the negotiation table in order to end their arms campaign in the oil-rich Niger Delta.

Buhari said this would afford both the government and the militants the opportunity to decide how the nation’s resources could be managed instead of agitators picking up arms against their fatherland.

In 2017 Nigeria will thrive says Jonathan

Former President of Nigeria, Goodluck Jonathan, has said the country will thrive in 2017.

He said this in his goodwill message to celebrate Christmas, where he urged all Nigerians to “treasure our common brotherhood”.


“The essential message of Christmas is that Christ came to earth to live and die for the purpose of reconciling us to God,” part of the message read.

Couple married 64yrs hold each other's hands before dying minutes apart

 

A couple married for 64 years spent their final few moments together clutching each other's hands tightly before dying minutes apart in neighbouring hospital beds.

Dolores Winstead, 83, and husband Trent Winstead, 88, from Tennessee died in Nashville's Saint Thomas West Hospital - five weeks short of their 64th wedding anniversary.Only days earlier Dolores had been completely healthy when Trent was admitted over his failing kidneys.

Adeboye commends Fayose’s boldness, prays for him

The General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, has prayed for Ekiti State Governor, Ayo Fayose, to succeed in standing up for the masses.

According to a statement issued on Saturday by Fayose’s Chief Press Secretary, Idowu Adelusi, the cleric said the prayer during a visit to the state as part of his nationwide tour for the RCCG’s annual ‘Let’s go a-fishing’ programme.

I did not snub South-East Summit – Buhari

                       

The presidency says President Muhammadu Buhari did not snub organisers of the recent South-East Economic and Security Summit held in Enugu.

In a statement, Malam Garba Shehu, the President’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, said in Abuja on Friday that the President did not, and he absolutely had no reason to snub anyone.

No night journey for petrol drivers-FRSC

The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) on Sunday reiterated its total ban of petroleum tanker drivers from embarking on night journeys across the country from Monday, Dec.19.
Mr Boboye Oyeyemi, the FRSC Corps Marshal, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that efforts had been put in place to impound any truck found contravening the order.

Buhari to launch N10 billion agric fund for women

President Muhammadu Buhari will, on Wednesday, launch a N10 billion agriculture environmental impact fund to support women farmers to increase access to food production.

These include women, whose farmlands were affected by environment degradation and terrorism.

A statement yesterday in Abuja by Dean, Agric Faculty, University of Abuja Prof. A.A. Adeniyi said the event by the Women Association for National Agriculture Environment Impact Fund (WAEIF), would focus on food increase to reduce impact of recession.

Muslims should abolish Shariah if they don’t like Christian courts — CAN Secretary

The General Secretary of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Rev. Musa Asake, tells BAYO AKINLOYE that Muslims have no right to complain about a proposed bill to establish Christian courts across Nigeria

The Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs was reported to have described the Bill for Ecclesiastical (Christian) Courts in Nigeria as an invitation to chaos. What do you think?

Nigeria’s Foreign Exchange Reserves Is Back At The $25 Billion Mark, For The First Time In Five Months.

The reserves, which shows the state of the country’s financial funds in other currencies, had fallen to an 11-year-low of $24.76 billion, earlier in 2016, recording its lowest point since June 2005.

According to data from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the reserves rose to $25,043,149,161 as at Friday, December 16, 2016.

Nobody asked me to concede defeat, says Jonathan

                            
                         •Jonathan


Former President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday said nobody outside or within the country asked him to concede defeat in the 2015 general elections to President Muhammadu Buhari.

He spoke at the second combined convocation ceremony of Bingham University, Nasarawa State.

The former president and an ex- military head of state, Gen. Yakubu Gowon were honoured with a Doctor of Letters (Honaris Causa) by the university.

PHOTOS: British Woman Punished After Defrauding Osaze Odemwingie & Others of Over N60m

Nigerian footballer, Osaze Odemwingie

A fraudster who stole over £130,000 (N55million) from Osaze Odemwingie, Premier League footballers, a top manager, and two millionaire businessmen has been jailed for three years and eight months.

The woman identified as Claire Liddle, 41, conned wealthy clients including Stoke City striker Peter Odemwingie, Liverpool defender Andre Wisdom, and former Celtic boss Tony Mowbray by offering to organise their luxury holidays.

Why Every Man Should Be in Labour Room with His Wife - Life Coach, Lanre Olusola Dishes Words to Men

In an exclusive interview with Punch Newspaper, popular Lagos-based motivational speaker and life coach, Lanre Olusola, popularly called The Catalyst, has dished out his experience what he learnt as a father, and as usual, he had some words for fathers and prospective fathers.

Interested in the story, read the full interview below;

God fights for Christians, other religions fight for their gods – Apostle Johnson Suleman

Fiery preacher and founder of Omega Fire Ministry, Apostle Johnson Suleman, has lamented the hardship in the country as a result of the current economic recession.

God’s Oracle, as the Auchi-based preacher is fondly called, said things are going from bad to worse under the current dispensation, adding that only those who are close to God will enjoy despite the untold hardship in the nation.

Man, 45, docked over alleged impersonation of Osinbajo on Facebook

•Osinbajo

A 44-year-old man, Eseosasere Gift Osifo, yesterday appeared before an Osogbo Magistrates’ Court for alleged impersonation and fraud.

Osifo was in court for creating a Facebook account using details of Vice President Yemi Osunbajo to defraud unsuspected victims.

The Prosecutor, Mr Onoche Ekwom, Principal Legal Officer, Department of State Services (DSS), told the court that the accused committed the offence between January and August before he was arrested and brought to the court.

10 Reasons Why It's Often Hard for Guys and Girls to Be Just Good Friends and Nothing More

Can men and women be friends? Any sensible, modern thinking person would say that, of course, men and women can be close friends and nothing more.

But is it really that simple? Like it or not, both men and women are made, by nature, to seek out a mate in members of the opposite gender, and that natural urge can’t always be put completely to one side.

Guys and girls should be able to be just friends, and we want to be, but here are ten reasons why it’s not quite as easy as you might think:

Obama hails exchange rate flexibility at talks with Buhari

•GOOD TO SEE YOU: President Muhammadu Buhari with his United States counterpart Barack Obama at their meeting in New York...yesterday. PHOTO: STATE HOUSE


United States President Barack Obama yesterday praised President Muhammadu Buhari for allowing flexibility in exchange rates.
He spoke during a meeting of the two leaders on the sideline of the 71 United Nations’ General Assembly in New York.

Woman kills herself after sex tape she sent to ex-boyfriend goes viral

       

A raven-haired Italian beauty has committed suicide after a sex tape she made with her new boyfriend went viral after she sent it to her former boyfriend to make him jealous.

Tiziana Cantone, 31, who lived in Naples, Italy, killed herself while alone in a cellar after the embarrassing video of her performing a sex act surfaced on the worldwide web.

I Have an Invisible Husband Who Won't Let Any Other Man Come Close to Me - Woman Makes Shocking Claim

A woman has told a really stunning story of how an invisible husband has disturbed her life for several years.

The woman identified as Lerato Bawela, a South African, has made a revelation that has left people stunned.

She revealed that she can’t get a man to love her or find a job and she believes this is because of an invisible man she married when she was 17, who chases all her lovers away because he’s jealous.

Nigerian trader killed in South Africa

                        

The Nigeria Union in South Africa said on Thursday that a Nigerian petty trader, Monday Okorie, was killed in Potchefstroom, North West Province of that country, on Tuesday.
Mr Ikechukwu Anyene, the President of the Union, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on phone from Pretoria, South Africa, that the victim was an indigene of Agwu in Enugu State.

Great Sex Linked To Heart Disease For Older Men But Not Women

If you’re an older man in a relationship and you have sex once a week or more, you may be twice as likely to have a heart attack, stroke or other cardiovascular event than a less sexually active man, according to a study released this week in the Journal of Health and Social Behavior. Especially if you enjoy it.
“Older men who found sex with their partner extremely pleasurable, or satisfying, had higher risk of cardiovascular events than men who did not feel so,” said study author Hui Liu, associate professor of sociology at Michigan State University.

Agbakoba writes Buhari, Saraki, Dogara on way out

EX-Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) President Dr Olisa Agbakoba (SAN) has written to President Muhammadu Buhari, with suggestions on how Nigeria can get out of recession.

In the September 15 letter, which he also sent to Senate President Bukola Saraki, and House of Representatives Speaker Yakubu Dogara, Agbakoba said Nigeria was suffering from “malignant metabolic economic syndrome, complicated by inflation, high interest rates, unemployment, weak infrastructure and results of the global fall in the price of oil.”

Meet the world's tiniest surviving baby

    

Dr Bahman Gharavi, head of children and youth clinic at St Mary's hospital in Germany, said Emilia's survival was miraculous. He said

'Even children with a birth weight of 14 ounces rarely survive. We have to thank Emilia as well for her own survival,' 'She is a little fighter.'For more than six months, it was unclear whether she would survive. Only in recent weeks she is getting more robust.'

Presidency denies poisonous rice importation

The Federal Government on Wednesday described attempts by some individuals on social media to link the government and Dangote group with a plan to ‘flood’ the country with genetically modified rice (GMO) as extremely uncharitable.

A statement by the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, said that the Federal Government in 2014 signed a $1billion Memorandum of Understanding, (MoU) for investment in integrated rice project with Dangote Industries Ltd.

Woman who stabbed husband to near death after sex in Ogun arrested

A woman who allegedly stabbed her husband in Ogun State on Saturday has been arrested by the State Police Command.

The state Police Command’s spokesperson, ASP Abimbola Oyeyemi, confirmed the arrest, saying investigations were ongoing and the suspect will be made to face the wrath of the law.

PHOTO: Footballer With No Legs Wants to Play Professionally

                   
                                             Footballer, Mohammad Abdullah

A Bangladeshi football fan who lost both legs in a horror train accident has dreams of competing professionally like his idol Cristiano Ronaldo.

Mohammad Abdullah, 22, lost his legs on a speeding train ten years ago. But now the young man, who also works as a luggage porter at a ferry station is making a name for himself with his football skills.

Mass wedding: Kano Government screens 1,000 prospective couples

The Kano State Hisbah Board said it had commenced medical screening of 1,000 prospective couples for the next Mass Wedding Programme in the state.

NAN reports that no fewer than 4, 395 prospective couples were registered by the state government to participate in the programme.

The Director General of the board, Dr Abba Sufi, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kano on Friday that the screening which started last week was aimed at ensuring the health status of the couples before the marriage.

Mikel gets free attacking role

The Chelsea holding midfielder rolled back the years when he was given a free attacking role in midfield by coach Samson Siasia as Nigeria won a bronze medal at last month’s Rio Olympics.

The Eagles skipper will score a goal and prompt several attacking forays at Rio 2016.

Revealed: This is the Age Women Are Likely to Have More S*x and High S*x Libido

It has often been claimed that women become more sexually confident in later life.

But a new survey has found that they enjoy the best years of their sex life in their twenties, while the forties and fifties aren’t that fabulous after all.

The poll discovered that women often become plagued by insecurity in the bedroom as they get older.

Man dies trying to fix faulty generator in Umuahia

Mr Ogbonnaya Nta, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in Abia, has confirmed the death of Mr Chinweoda Ndubuisi, a pastor with Foursquare Gospel Church in Umuahia, the Abia capital.
Nta told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Umuahia on Thursday that Ndubuisi, who was in his early 40s, died in an explosion from a faulty generator in his residence.

Confession Of A Frustrated Lagos Based Housewife-“I Did This Since He Could Not Sexually Satisfy Me”

I am Evelyn, a lagos Based housewife and I have a very special issue that needs to be dealt with urgently, it is about to ruin my marriage of over 8 years.

I and my husband had a very beautiful life together, but that was until two years into our marriage, just after we had our first and only child.`

Danny as I fondly call him had lost his job then and would not have me work, he said it was his duty to provide for his family and believed that our child would need all my attention.

Finance minister: this is our worst possible time

                                         Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun

The full picture of Nigeria’s economic gloom was laid bare yesterday.

The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) released its indices which showed that the economy had contracted for the second consecutive quarter.

Finance Minister Kemi Adeosun, speaking after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting in Abuja, described the country as being in its “worst possible time”, but stressed there is a silver lining.

We Won't Probe Sanusi, Soludo Over Their Tenures As CBN Governors - Presidency

              

The Presidency on Monday refuted social media reports that the tenures of Lamido Sanusi and Charles Soludo, as Central Bank Governors, would soon be probed by the Federal Government.

The social media reports, published on Sunday and Monday, alleged that the Federal Government had concluded arrangements to probe the tenures of the two former CBN governors over their views on the state of the nation’s economy.

Truck Kills Robber While Attacking Passengers In Lagos

                 

A suspected robber has been crushed to death by a truck at the Ojo Lowo bus stop in the Ijanikin area of Lagos State, while allegedly raiding some bus passengers.

Punch Metro learnt that the suspect, whose name had yet to be ascertained, along with other hoodlums, had at about 10.30pm on Friday stood at the bus stop to waylay bus passengers.

Scientist says research have confirmed new medicine to treat arthritis

Arthritis is condition in which the joints become inflamed leading to redness, warmth, swelling and pain. Individuals typically experience this type of inflammation in their hands, wrists or knees; but occasionally it may affect the skin, eyes, lungs, heart, blood or nerves.
A person suffering from arthritis tends to experience the following symptoms:

Photo: Business associate kills, buries colleague in shallow grave in Delta

Lawrence Okoh, a father of twins, was reportedly murdered by his associate businessman, identified only as Ogbaire.On August 2, the deceased had left his Port Harcourt business outfit to supply generator spare parts to a customer in Warri.The deceased had, earlier that day, sent a text message to his wife that he would not make it back to Port Harcourt and that he would pass the night with his customer in Warri.

I hired robbers to attack my employer – Sales boy confesses

                       

The police in Lagos state has arrested three men – Ubajide Ebuka, Ifeanyi Okoye, and Ilebunam Emeka, who specialize in breaking into shops at the Mushin and Ladipo Auto Spare parts market in the state.

The suspects were arrested by operatives of the Federal Special Anti-robbery Squad, FSARS, following a tip off that they were allegedly breaking into a building material store to cart away valuables.

Locally-made Rice Flood Aba Market with Expected Crash in Price

                              
Kebbi State which has been described as the frontliner in the production of rice has flooded the Aba market in Abia State, South-eastern part of Nigeria with locally-produced rice as targeted by the economic policy of the All Progressives Congress-led government which placed a limited ban on the importation of rice in the country to encourage local production.

14-Year Old Boy Shoots Grandma Dead Because He Didn't Want To Go To School

                               

A 14-year-old Pennsylvania boy has been accused of fatally shooting his grandmother because he didn't want to go to school.

Hunter R. Reeser, of Harborcreek Township, is being charged as an adult with first-degree murder.

Authorities say he shot 60-year-old Sandra Orton with a .22-caliber rifle on Tuesday. He then called her husband and claimed he found her wounded.

Magnitude 6.1 quake hits central Italy,entire town of Amatrice feared buried

 

A magnitude 6.1 earthquake struck central Italy early Wednesday, with reports of damaged buildings and blackouts near the epicenter Rieti and residents fleeing their homes and running into the streets.

The quake struck just after 3:30 a.m. and was felt across a broad section of central Italy, including the capital Rome where people in homes in the historic center felt a long swaying followed by aftershocks.

ICT tools fish out economic saboteurs, says Fed Govt

• China’s investment in Nigeria hits $12b

Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir David Lawal yesterday said the deployment of Information Communication Technology (ICT) has helped to fish out economic saboteurs in the government of President Muhammadu Buhari.

He added that it has also helped in tackling the issue of insecurity, insurgency.

He spoke in Abuja while signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on behalf of the government with Hauwei Technologies of China.