BREAKING NEWS

  Miss USA 2019, Cheslie Kryst has died at the age of 30 after she jumped from the 60-storey Orion apartment in New York City on Sunday, January 30. According to the New  York Post , Kryst, who lived on the ninth floor of the building, was alone when she jumped and was last seen on a 29th-floor terrace. Just hours before she jumped, Kryst wrote on her Instagram page, “May this day bring you rest and peace.” The former beauty queen’s family confirmed the sad news in a statement that reads: “In devastation and great sorrow, we share the passing of our beloved Cheslie. “Her great light was one that inspired others around the world with her beauty and strength. She cared, she loved, she laughed and she shined. “Cheslie embodied love and served others, whether through her work as an attorney fighting for social justice, as Miss USA and as a host on EXTRA. “But most importantly as a daughter, sister, friend, mentor and colleague — we know her impact will live on.”

  Former Super Eagles coach, Gernot Rohr has been linked with the vacant coaching job of Ghana’s senior national team ahead of World Cup playoffs with Nigeria.    The 68-year-old German coach has been out of a job since he parted ways with the Nigeria Football Federation last December before the 2021 AFCON in Cameroon.  Gernot is currently one of the favourites to replace Milovan Rajevac, who was recently sacked by the Ghana Football Association following the Black Stars suffered a disastrous outing at the ongoing 2021 Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon.    Ghana crashed out of the tournament in the group stage after they finished bottom of Group F with just one point.    Rohr, who qualified the Eagles for the AFCON and the World Cup play-offs, says he is ready to return to management but hasn't made a decision yet on which offer to consider.  The Franco-German told PUNCH Sports Extra: “I haven’t taken any decision yet...

  England footballer, Mason Greenwood is still being questioned by police after being arrested over allegations of rape and assault.   The Manchester United forward, 20, remained in custody early today having been detained yesterday after disturbing pictures and audio went viral on social media alleging he attacked his 18-year-old girlfriend. The disturbing images appeared to show the woman bloodied and bruised. In the voice recording, the footballer was heard forcing his girl to have sex with him.   Shortly after the messages emerged online, his club put out a statement saying it was aware of them and they were making inquiries 'to establish the full circumstances'.   It added: 'Manchester United does not condone violence of any kind.'   The woman was interviewed by plain clothes officers at her family home yesterday afternoon. A spokesman for Greater Manchester police said they had launched an investigation after being made 'aware of online social me...

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited has announced it spent a whopping N270.83 billion on subsidy payment in the month of December 2021. This is a 967.35 percent increase when compared to N25.37 billion committed for the same payment in February. The December figure was the highest paid by NNPC in a single month and the exact amount it submitted to the Federal Executive council. You will recall the NNPC submitted a N3 trillion subsidy payments budget to FEC, for which state governors and legislators demanded explanation. Oil price has been on the rise and this has become a huge burden for NNPC and pain to states which depend on FAAC remittance. From  NNPC  FAAC report the total subsidy payment for the 12 months of 2021 was put at N1.43 billion. No payments were made in January 2021, while NNPC reported N25.3 billion in February. The subsidy payment increased to N60.3 billion in March, and N61.9 billion 126.2 billion were paid in April and May respectively. The payme...

  South-South political chieftain Chief Edwin Kiagbodo Clark has spoken about the presidential aspiration of Dr Abubakar Bukola Saraki describing him as “The Best for Nigeria.” Chief Clark made the statement in Abuja when the Abubakar Bukola Saraki Contact and Advocacy Council, headed by its National Chairman, Prof Iyorwuese Hagher, paid him a courtesy call to inform him about the plan of the former Senate President to contest the 2023 presidential election. South-South political chieftain Chief Edwin Kiagbodo Clark has spoken about the presidential aspiration of Dr Abubakar Bukola Saraki describing him as “The Best for Nigeria.” Chief Clark made the statement in Abuja when the Abubakar Bukola Saraki Contact and Advocacy Council, headed by its National Chairman, Prof Iyorwuese Hagher, paid him a courtesy call to inform him about the plan of the former Senate President to contest the 2023 presidential election. Clark also noted the sterling performance of Saraki in the 8th Senate, w...

  Cristiano Ronaldo has picked up the Globe Soccer's Top Scorer of All Time award at Dubai Expo 2020.   Ronaldo has scored a total of 801 goals during his career so far,  having played for  Sporting Lisbon, Manchester United, Real Madrid, Juventus, and Portugal. On Friday January 28, the Manchester United superstar was handed the gong while on holiday in Dubai at the Al Wasl Plaza having reached the landmark following his fairytale return to Old Trafford. The 36-year-old was greeted by hundreds of supporters who had turned out to catch a glimpse of the superstar at the ceremony.    Ronaldo is spending the international break in Dubai with his family and was seen celebrating Georgina Rodriguez’s birthday at the World’s tallest building Burj Khalifa.   

  Airtel Africa is now the most capitalised company in the Nigerian stock market, overtaking Dangote Cement, after its share jumped 9.9 percent to hit its highest price in 52-weeks. The Bharti Airtel subsidiary crossed the N5 trillion mark, the first Nigerian company to attain the height, following a surge in stock value which settled at N1,398.00, against Thursday’s N1271 per share. With total shareholder investment in  Airtel Africa  now valued at N5.4 trillion, Dangote Cement – which has held the number one position for years [losing it to MTN Nigeria on few occasions] – takes the second seat, with its market value sitting at N4.44 trillion. MTN Nigeria is third on the stocks with N3.86 trillion, BUA Cement occupies the fourth spot with N2.36 trillion, while its sister-company, BUA Foods comes next with N1.15 trillion. What you need to know Appreciation in Airtel Africa’s stock had trailed the buyback exercise of the company last year, as the scheme saw the network pro...

  World richest person, Elon Musk, lost the total wealth of Aliko Dangote and more on Thursday, as his fortune dwindled by 10.7 percent after trading hours in the United States. Musk , who is the founder of car manufacturer, Tesla and satellite company, SpaceX, saw his wealth decline following a dip in Tesla’s share value yesterday, which fell by 11.17 percent to end trading at $829.10, against its opening of $933.36. This dip caused Musk to lose $24.5 billion from his wealth, according to Forbes Billionaire Index, which now estimated the tech boss’ fortune to be $218.3 billion as of Thursday. He, however, retained his position on the wealthiest persons ranking, sitting comfortably above Bernard Arnault & family, owner of LVMH, whose fortune was put at $193.6 billion, making him the second richest. Musk’s $24.5 billion is almost double of what Forbes estimated Dangote to be worth, after the African richest man also lost substantial amount to the tune of $856 million from his we...

  The Economic community of West African States (ECOWAS) has suspended Burkina Faso in the aftermath of a military coup, making it the third member nation to be punished for a military takeover in only 18 months.   The West Africa's main regional bloc made the announcement on Friday January 28, days after mutinous soldiers forced democratically elected President Roch Marc Christian Kabore to resign. The soldiers also went on state television to announce a military takeover of the country, which they said was under siege from armed groups.   The military rulers said Kabore failed to stem the violence that has killed thousands during his time in power.   A delegation of ECOWAS defence chiefs will travel to Burkina Faso's capital Ouagadougou on Saturday January 29, followed by a ministerial mission a few days later, the statement said. Heads of ECOWAS member states will reconvene for another summit in Ghana's capital Accra on Feb. 3 to discuss t...

  Former Real Madrid and Manchester City striker,  Robinho has been sentenced to nine years in prison for rape in 2013.   Robinho, who was playing for AC Milan at the time, was part of a group that gang-raped a 23-year-old Albanian woman at the Sio Cafe nightclub and was originally sentenced in 2017, but his appeal process with the Italian courts have been ongoing ever since.   The Court of Cassation in Rome rejected an appeal from the former Brazil international and Ricardo Falco, a friend of the former player, relating to the incident, which occurred in 2013.   The latest decision from the court in Rome is a final sentence with no room for further appeals with the sentence to begin immediately. With the conviction, the Italian justice system can request the extradition of both Robinho and Falco, although the Brazilian constitution vetoes the extradition of Brazilians.   Due to this situation, Italy will be able to request tha...

  Super Eagles interim coach, Augustine Eguavoen will be entitled to only win bonuses as the Super Eagles progress to knock out stage at the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations tournament in Cameroon.   Eguavoen was appointed on a short-term deal after the Nigeria Football Federation sacked Gernot Rohr in December. Rohr was Nigeria’s longest-serving manager after taking charge in August 2016 but had his contract terminated after leading the Eagles to the 2022 World Cup qualifying play-offs and sealing a spot at the Nations Cup in Cameroon.   The Franco-German also led Nigeria to the 2018 World Cup and guided the team to third-place at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt. Eguavoen was appointed on a short-term deal after the Nigeria Football Federation sacked Gernot Rohr in December.   “Eguavoen is on the payroll of the NFF and he won’t be entitled to salary for the role he is playing as an interim coach of the team,” President of the NFF Amaju Pinnick stated recen...

  Super Eagles of Nigeria stars will receive $10,000 each for the victories over Egypt and Sudan at the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon.   This comes after the Nigeria Football Federation and the Eagles reached an agreement over the mode of payment for wins and draw at the tournament. According to PUNCH, the meeting between the players and the NFF officials was held before the start of the tournament in Garuoa.   The Eagles are expected to receive the sum of $5000 for a win and $2,500 for a draw following the meeting.   “There is an agreement that the players will receive  $5000 for a win and half of that for a draw, while they won’t get a dime for losing,” an Eagles official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said. The players and officials of the team would be paid their bonuses in full after they qualified from the group stage of the competition,   The three-time African champions will also receive outstanding bonuses for two previ...

  North Korean hackers reportedly stole nearly $400 million worth of cryptocurrency in 2021, making it one of the most lucrative years for cybercriminals in the impoverished and severely isolated country.   According to a new report by Chainalysis, a firm that tracks cryptocurrency, hackers launched at least seven different attacks in 2021, targeting investment firms and centralized exchanges with a variety of tactics, including phishing, malware and social engineering. The cybercriminals worked to gain access to organizations' "hot" wallets — digital wallets that are connected to the internet — and then move funds into North Korea controlled accounts.   The report is the latest indication that North Korea which is heavily sanctioned by the US and UN continues to rely on a network of hackers to help fund its domestic nuclear program.  A confidential United Nations report last year accused the regime of North Korea's leader, Kim Jong Un, of conducting "operations ...

  Nigerian currency fell at the Investors and Exporters (I&E) segment of the foreign exchange (forex) on Wednesday despite a significant decrease in dollar demand. Data obtained from FMDQ securities showed that local currency weakened to the US dollars by 50 kobo or 0.12 per cent to close at N416.50/$1 compared with the preceding day’s N416/$1. The drop in  Naira  value occurred despite a 26 per cent or $27.31 million decline in the demand for FX at the market window on Wednesday. During the trading day, the value of transactions at the I&E stood at $77.61 million compared with the turnover of $104.92 million recorded on Tuesday.  At the interbank market window, Nigerian currency suffered a bad day also dropping in value by 17 kobo to sell for N414.61/$1 in contrast to N414.44/$1 of the previous day. Also against the British Pound Sterling, Naira dropped by N2.25 as it sold at N565.57/£1 versus Tuesday’s closing rate of N563.02/£1. Against the Euro, the indig...

  Stanbic IBTC Holdings is set to enter the tech market in Nigeria as the creditor is establishing a Financial Technology subsidiary, and in the process of receiving approval. The technology company would be called Stanbic IBTC Financial Services Limited, and will be operating as a Payment Solution Service Provider (PSSP), a statement seen by Ripples Nigeria said. As a PSSP company,  Stanbic IBTC  Financial Services Limited – which will have a N100 million minimum capital – will be providing payment processing gateway as part of its e-payment infrastructures for the Nigerian market. Other permissible activities authorised by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) includes merchant service aggregation, portals, and payment solution/application development. The statement sent to the Nigerian Exchange Group (NGX) and investing public disclosed, that “Subject to receiving all required regulatory approvals, including licensing by the Central Bank of Nigeria, the new subsidiary will...

  The social media space on Thursday is abuzz with reactions from Nigerians who have accused the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration of lifting its ban on Twitter for the sole purpose of campaigning with it ahead of the 2023 presidential election. The Federal Government had on June 4, 2021 suspended Twitter operations in Nigeria over the alleged use of the platform to undermine Nigeria’s corporate existence. This came after Twitter deleted a controversial tweet by Buhari against separatist protesters after Nigerians massively reported the tweet. “Many of those misbehaving today are too young to be aware of the destruction and loss of lives that occured during the Nigerian civil war. Those of us in the field for 30 months, who went through the war will treat them in the language they understand,” Buhari had tweeted. Many alleged that the deleting of the tweet got the Federal government enraged, hence, the ban. Today, many Nigerians have described the lift as nothing to cel...

  Tunisia have made an appeal to CAF to replay their Africa Cup of Nations Group F match against Mali after the ended in a controversial 1-0 defeat.    Mali were 1-0 up after Ibrahima Kone scored a spot-kick when referee Janny Sikazwe blew the final whistle early. The Zambian official first blew the final whistle after just 85 minutes before restarting play for four minutes, but blew again with just 89 minutes and 43 seconds of the clash gone before 90 minutes.    According to DailyMail, Mali coach Mohamed Magassouba's post-match press conference was later interrupted as it was announced the final three minutes of the game would be played. About 40 minutes later the Mali players and officials returned to the pitch but the Tunisian players refused as they had reportedly already had their ice baths. Tunisia's refusal to return to play the remainder of the game led to Sikazwe blowing his whistle once again to call off the match, meaning the 1-0 ...

  Super Eagles and Genk striker,  Paul Onuachu has been named the winner of the 2021 Belgian Golden Shoe award, becoming the first-ever Nigerian and the fourth African to claim the prestigious honour.   The 27-year-old claimed the award on Wednesday night after scoring an incredible 29 league goals over the entire 2020-21 season and adding another 12 in the first half of the current campaign.  Onuachu gathered 333 votes to beat the Club Brugge duo of Noa Lang (272 votes) and Charles De Ketelaere (271 votes) to second and third, respectively.  Three Africans, Ivory Coast’s Aruna Dindane in 2003, Morocco’s Mbark Boussoufa twice in 2006 and 2010, and Democratic Republic of Congo’s Dieumerci Mbokani in 2012, had previously won the award.   Last year, Onuachu finished in third place in the running for the Golden Shoe, coming behind winner Israeli star Lior Refaelov and second-placed Raphael Holzhauser. The win on Wednesday night, also sa...

  LEADER of the pan-Yoruba sociopolitical group, Afenifere, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, yesterday, said the organization will not support any presidential candidate in 2023 until the 1999 constitution is changed. Adebanjo also faulted former President Olusegun Obasanjo that oil in the Niger Delta belongs to Nigeria, saying rather, the resources belong to the people of the region. Obasanjo had said in a newspaper report that oil in the Niger Delta belonged to Nigeria and attempts by Chief Edwin Clark to put the record straight were rebuffed by a statement by Areas Consultative Forum, ACF, supporting the position of the former president. He spoke at a press conference held in Lagos and attended by Afenifere leaders including Senator Femi Okurounmu, Chief Supo Shonibare, Professor Ebun Sonaya, Chief Tunde Onakoya, Chief Lanre Anjolaiya, Alhaji Abdullahi Adebayo Inaolaji, Ms Nike Olujemibola and the Afenifere spokesperson, Jare Ajayi. The Afenifere leader, who insisted that his group will not ...