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FG repatriates 242 Nigerians from Libya Following several ‘save our soul’ messages from Nigerian migrants stranded in Libya, the Federal Government has responded to the maltreatment of its citizen in the country. Nigerians numbering 242 from Libya were returned to the country on Tuesday evening. The returnees arrived at the Murtala Muhammed Airport Lagos on Libyan Airline plane. A recording artist, Nikki Laoye, was at the airport along with officials of National Emergency Management Agency, International Organization of Migration and National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons to receive the Libyan returnees. The Federal Government had on Monday, promised to intervene and rescue Nigerian migrants in the North African country. In a statement, the Foreign Affairs Ministry said it was liaising with the Libyan officials on repatriating Nigerians from the country. The ministry said that the mission in Libya had addressed kidnapping of Nigerians for

Senator awards 20 students scholarships to study in Sudan The Senator representing Kaduna Central Senatorial District (APC), Sen. Shehu Sani, has offered scholarships to 20 students from his constituency to study various courses at the University of Khartoum, Sudan. He disclosed this while addressing journalists at the Malam Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano, on Wednesday shortly before their departure to Sudan. Sani said the students were selected from the local governments that made up the Kaduna Central Senatorial district. He said, “Education is key to social and economic development, hence our decision to sponsor the students to further their studies. More so, student sponsorship is part of my campaign promises. “We have about 40 students to benefit from similar gesture; as soon as the processes are completed, they will also go.” The lawmaker said he had also secured admission for five candidates from his constituency to study various courses at a university in China

Wizkid, Andela boss, others nominated for Young Persons of the Year Award Ayo “Wizkid’’ Balogun, Mary Njoku, Amaka Osakwe and Iyin Aboyeji are nominees for The Future Awards Africa’s Young Person of the Year Award, the organisers announced on Wednesday. The award for this year is themed “Nigeria’s New Tribe’’ and will hold on December 9 at the Federal Palace Hotel, Lagos. Bukunyi Olateru-Olagbegi, Chairman, Central Working Committee, The Future Awards Africa, said it was to celebrate and accelerate innovation among Nigerians aged 18 to 31. She said that the TFAA acknowledges inspiring young people making a difference through social enterprise, social good and creativity. Olateru-Olagbegi noted that the award is organised in conjunction with The Future Project which has the mandate to build and empower citizens across Africa, through inclusive enterprise and active citizenship. MORE

Workers won’t vote for governors who owe salary – Labour leader The General Secretary, Textile Union Workers, Mr Isa Aremu, on Wednesday, said the 2019 election would be determined by the dignity of labour and commitment in payment of workers’ salary. Aremu said this in an interview in response to government’s plan to raise workers’ salary after negotiation by the newly inaugurated 30-member committee on new minimum wage. According to him, governors who refuse to pay the salary of workers as and when due and those who criminalise workers on account of deficiency in skill will not get workers’ votes. He added that labour would be partisan and political in its interest, based on those who paid salary. “Dignity of labour will not be ensured if workers are not paid when due. Workers have the right to employment,” he added. The general secretary said labour would conduct competence test for governors with a view to judging them based on their indices. MORE

Robert Mugabe Quick Facts About Robert Mugabe Also Known As: Robert Gabriel Mugabe Famous As: Former PM & President Of Zimbabwe Nationality: Zimbabwean Political Ideology: National Democratic Party (1960–1961), Zimbabwe African People's Union (1961–1963), Zimbabwe African National Union (1963–1987), Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front (1987–Present) Birth Date: February 21, 1924 Age: 93 Years Sun Sign: Pisces Height: 1.8 M Born In: Harare, Zimbabwe Father: Gabriel Matibili Mother: Bona Siblings: Michael, Donato Spouses/Partners: Grace Mugabe (M. 1996), Sally Hayfron (M. 1987–1992) Children: Tinashé, Bona Mugabe, Bellarmine Chatunga Mugabe, Robert Peter Mugabe, Michael Nhamodzenyika Mugabe Religion: Roman Catholicism Net Worth: $10 Million As Of Jun 20, 2017 Robert Mugabe is a former revolutionary and Zimbabwean politician best known for his struggles against the British, when Zimbabwe was known as Rhodesia. He was greatly inspi

A new FIFA Club World Cup in the planning FIFA remains committed to revolutionising football and is planning a 'Super Club World Cup' by 2021. This competition will end the Confederations Cup so Germany will be the last champion of that particular tournament. There is still a lot of work to do, but many of the characteristics of the new tournament, that will seek to crown the best club on the planet every four years, have already been sorted. Twenty four teams and the five continents will be represented. Europe will have 12 clubs and the requirements to qualify will be the following: The last four winners of the Champions League, the last four finalists and the other four with the best coefficient. The chosen date will be the summer of 2021, taking advantage of an empty summer without a European Championship or Copa America. MORE

Maina Begs Buhari for Chance to Prove Innocence Embattled former chairman of the Presidential Task Force on Pension Reforms, Mr Abdulrasheed Maina, has finally broken silence on the allegations of corruption levelled against him. Speaking in an exclusive interview with Channels Television which aired during News At 10 on Monday, Mr Maina insisted that he was innocent of the allegations preferred against him. He, however, appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to give him an opportunity to prove his innocence, claiming that the President was being deceived by the people who surround him. MORE Watch the video here

Stop mocking fight against corruption – FG The Federal Government has called on the media to stop mocking it over its declaration of war against corruption in Nigeria. It said rather than mocking it, the media should join hands with it in its determination to stamp out corruption in the country. Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, stated this in Abuja on Monday at the ongoing 68th General Assembly of the Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria. MORE

Buhari inaugurates committee on new minimum wage President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday inaugurated the National Minimum Wage Committee. The tripartite committee chaired by Ms. Ama People is saddled with the responsibility of negotiating a new National Minimum Wage for the Nigerian workers. Buhari inaugurated the 30-member committee inside the Council Chambers of the Presidential Villa, Abuja. MORE

Gotze suffers another injury blow: Dortmund star out until 2018 Borussia Dortmund's Mario Gotze will be out for six weeks after suffering an ankle injury in Saturday's 4-4 Ruhr derby draw against Schalke. Gotze scored Dortmund's third goal as they raced into 4-0 lead after just 25 minutes of the Bundesliga clash at Signal Iduna Park. But the Germany international had to be replaced by Gonzalo Castro in the 78th minute as Schalke came roaring back to earn a point away to their bitter local rivals. Dortmund announced on Twitter that Gotze will be sidelined "due to a ligament tear in the upper and lower right ankle for six weeks". Gotze, who scored the winning goal in extra time against Argentina in the 2014 World Cup final, has struggled for form and fitness since returning to Dortmund from Bayern Munich in 2016. MORE

Zimbabwe Officially Declares Mugabe National Holiday Zimbabwe has officially declared 21 February to be Robert Gabriel Mugabe National Youth Day, thereby making the former president's birthday a public holiday, the Herald newspaper reports. New President Emmerson Mnangagwa is expected to form a cabinet this week. Mr Mugabe resigned last week after a military intervention and days of mass protests. Calls for the former president's birthday to be made a national holiday were adopted by the government in August, following intense lobbying by the Zanu-PF Youth League, the Herald reports. The decision was officially recorded on Friday, it adds. MORE

Ronaldo Looks So Hot In Future of Denim Campaign When you see how fit Cristiano Ronaldo looks in these new campaign photos, you might regret eating all the food you devoured on Thanksgiving! The 32-year-old soccer star, who is now the father of four children, has a successful clothing line with CR7 Denim and he always looks so hot in the campaign pics. These photos were released earlier in the fall, but we figured we’d heat up your holiday with the super sexy shots. MORE WATCH THE VIDEO HERE

Mnangagwa The 'Crocodile' Sworn-In As Zimbabwe president Emmerson Mnangagwa was sworn in on Friday as President of Zimbabwe in front of thousands of cheering supporters at Harare's national stadium, bringing the final curtain down on the 37-year rule of Robert Mugabe. Emmerson Mnangagwa at his inauguration ceremony on Friday paid tribute to veteran leader Robert Mugabe as his "father" and "mentor." Taking his oath of office, the 75-year-old former security chief known as 'The Crocodile' vowed to uphold the constitution of the former British colony and protect the rights of all Zimbabwe's 16 million citizens. "He led us in our struggle for national independence. He assumed responsibility for leadership at a formative and very challenging time," Mnangagwa said, adding later that the nation should "let bygones be bygones." Even though most Zimbabweans celebrated the exit of 93-year-old Mugabe, who presided over the

Buhari approves 30-member committee for new minimum wage President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the appointment of a thirty-member tripartite National Minimum Wage committee in commencement of negotiations for a new wage for Nigerian workers. The Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, in a statement by its Deputy Director (Press), Samuel Olowookere, on Thursday, said the members of the committee will be inaugurated on Monday, November 27, 2017 at the Presidential Villa in Abuja. MORE

Toll gates are coming, FG tells Nigerians The Federal Government has announced that it had concluded plans to re-introduce tolls on major highways across the country. Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN), while appearing before the Senate Committee on Federal Roads Maintenance Agency on Thursday, said 38 points had been identified in the first phase of the re-introduction. “Clearly, tolling is coming,” the minister told the lawmakers. While saying that the new toll gates would be situated at the old spots, Fashola stated that tolls would be collected after the roads had been made motorable. He said, “We are not going to ask road users to pay toll on a road that is not good. While the construction (of gates) is going on, we are working on the design. We want to standardise the design so that people when we ask people to come and bid for the construction, we can control what they are going to construct." MORE

Search ends for 3 US sailors missing in Navy aircraft crash The U.S. Navy says the search has ended for three sailors missing in the Philippine Sea since a U.S. Navy aircraft crashed on Wednesday. The C-2A “Greyhound” transport aircraft was travelling to the USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier when it crashed. Eight people were rescued quickly and are in good condition, but Japanese and U.S. ships and aircraft had continued searching for the others. The Navy’s 7th Fleet said details of the three missing sailors were being withheld pending completion of notification of next of kin procedures. The Navy is investigating the crash. The twin-propeller plane crashed while bringing passengers and cargo from Japan to the aircraft carrier. The Reagan was participating in a joint exercise with Japan’s navy when the plane crashed. MORE

Brazil Star Robinho Sentenced to 9 Yrs in Prison A court in Milan has sentenced Brazil international Robinho to nine years in prison for a group sexual assault, according to Italian state news agency ANSA. The former AC Milan and Manchester City forward has been convicted of being one of six people involved in the assault of a 22-year-old woman at a Milanese nightclub on January 22, 2013. Robinho played for Milan between 2010 and 2015. He is currently with Atletico Mineiro and made his last appearance for the national team against Colombia in January. As Robinho is a Brazilian national currently residing in his home country, however, he is highly unlikely to face jail time for his offences. According to local legislation no Brazilian citizen can be extradited to another country under request to face criminal charges, although that will not apply should he leave his home nation and is detained elsewhere. MORE

I take responsibility for PDP’s defeat in 2015 – Jonathan Former President Goodluck Jonathan has taken responsibility for the Peoples Democratic Party’s defeat in the 2015 presidential election. He, therefore, said his priority now “is how to ensure that the Peoples Democratic Party regains the Presidency in 2019.” Jonathan said this when Chief Olabode George and his campaign team paid him a courtesy visit in his country home in Otuoke, Bayelsa State on Tuesday. A statement by Bode George Media Office after the meeting quoted the ex-President as saying it was his responsibility to ensure that the PDP rose again as a strong political platform to win the next elections. Jonathan said, “Whether I like it or not, I must take responsibility for the defeat because I led the party to the election. The only thing that will make me sleep well is to ensure that the PDP comes back to power.” MORE

Yakubu Aiyegbeni Retires From Football At 35 Former Super Eagles forward Yakubu Aiyegbeni has officially announced his retirement from playing football. Yakubu, popularly known as ‘The Yak’, declared his retirement from professional football on Wednesday at the age of 35. He had been a free agent after being released by Coventry City earlier this year and decided to end his playing career having failed to secure a new deal elsewhere. The former Nigerian striker spent most of his career in England, turning out for Portsmouth, Middlesbrough, Everton, Leicester City, Blackburn Rovers, and Reading. He scored 21 goals in 57 appearances for the Super Eagles, making him Nigeria’s third all-time top scorer. MORE

Billionaire Russian Lawmaker Under Investigation in France A billionaire Russian lawmaker is under formal investigation in France, reportedly on suspicion of money laundering and tax evasion. Suleiman Kerimov, one of Russia's richest men, was arrested late on Monday night in Nice. Russia summoned a French diplomat in Moscow to protest about his detention and call for his immediate release. "We will apply all efforts, maximum of efforts, to defend his legal interests," a Kremlin spokesman said. The spokesman argued that Mr Kerimov had diplomatic immunity, which puts officials from overseas above the law of the country in which they live. "It is especially important here that Suleiman Kerimov has a diplomatic passport which he used to enter France," the spokesman said. Russian state news channel Rossiya 24 reported that Mr Kerimov denied any wrongdoing. MORE

Army orders all soldiers to learn Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo The Nigerian Army has ordered all its officers and men to be proficient in Nigeria’s three major languages before 2019. The Army, in a statement by its spokesperson, Brigadier General Sani Usman, on Wednesday directed the soldiers to immediately commence the learning of Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba as part of the force’s new language policy. The statement reads, “The Nigerian Army has introduced a new Language Policy. The study of foreign and local languages is worldwide practice among armies, in which officers and soldiers are encouraged to be multi-lingual. The Policy will foster esprit-de-corps and better communication with the populace to enhance information gathering, civil-military relations, increase understanding between militaries when operating abroad and assist officers and soldiers to perform their duties professionally." MORE

Buhari inaugurates audit committee for recovered loot President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday inaugurated the Audit Committee on recoveries of assets by government agencies. The committee has three members and is to submit its report in four weeks. Members include Mr. Olufemi Lijadu, Mrs. Gloria Chinyere Bibigha and Mr. Mohammed Nami. The committee is to audit all recovered accounts upto April 10, 2017. MORE

Mnangagwa to Be Sworn in as Zimbabwe President on Friday Zimbabwe’s ousted vice president Emmerson Mnangagwa will be sworn in as successor to Robert Mugabe at a ceremony on Friday, state media said Wednesday, a day after the 93-year-old’s shock resignation. “The former vice president, who had been out of the country after he was sacked from both party and government, will replace comrade Robert Mugabe who resigned,” the state-run ZBC news site said on Wednesday. MORE

Google Search adds detailed product cards, other shopping tools ahead of Black Friday In time for Black Friday, a number of product and shopping-related features are rolling out to Google. Google's comparison tool began rolling out earlier this month and allows users to compare prices, reviews, and specs between two products. Knowledge panels for products are adding descriptions with links to the manufacturer's website and various carousels of product photos, "Editorial reviews," and videos. There is also a carousel of different retailers selling the product under "Shop on Google" with both shipping and in-store pickup options listed. Ahead of Black Friday, Google interestingly notes that searches for "best" on that day have "more than doubled over the past two years on mobile." MORE

Mature white crocodile spotted in Australian river An uncommon sighting of a mature white crocodile has excited tourism operators in Australia's Northern Territory. The reptile, nicknamed Pearl, was spotted on the Adelaide River near Darwin on Sunday. One witness, a local conservation enthusiast, estimated the crocodile was about 3m (10ft) long. The reptile's pale appearance is caused by hypomelanism - having a low amount of the pigment melanin, according to a zoological expert. Locals believe the animal may be related to a well-known hypomelanistic crocodile that was put down after killing a fisherman in 2014. Such crocodiles are "not uncommon" at a young age, particularly in crocodile farms, according to Mr Britton. However, it is difficult for a pale juvenile to steer clear of predators. MORE

US scientists find new possibility to cure leukemia A group of American scientists has found a new possibility to cure leukemia, a deadly disease that strikes patients as young as seven. In a study published in the Journal Nature Medicine, the group from Stanford University and National Institute of Health (NIH) found that a molecule, called CD22, can serve as a potent target for the killer cells of acute lymphoblastic leukemia, reports Xinhua news agency.       The development comes after the US Food and Drug Administration last year approved a cell-based gene therapy, namely the CAR T-cell treatment. It works by genetically modifying a patient's own immune cells to seek out and attack leukemia cells that have a molecule called CD19 on their surface. Such a therapy relies on the patient's own T cells -- a type of immune cell that can become a powerful killing machine.       Scientists treated 21 patients with treatment-resistant B-cell leukemia who are aged se

Flows of 'water' on Mars may actually be sand, new study reveals Since the discovery of dark streaks on the slopes of Mars in 2011, astronomers have been excited about potential evidence of water beneath the surface of the red planet. If there are subsurface water flows on Mars, they could allow life -- even on a microbial level -- to exist as well. But further study of these recurring slope lineae, known as RSL, is revealing something else. Those dark streaks may be the result of granular flows like sand and dust, according to a study published Monday in the journal Nature Geoscience. The study is the product of a research team made up of representatives from the US Geological Survey, the Planetary Science Institute, the University of Arizona and Durham University in England. The study is based on observations made with the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment camera on the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. The RSL have been perplexing scientists since their discove

North Korea : US imposes fresh sanctions over nuclear programme The US has unveiled fresh sanctions against North Korea which it says are designed to stop its funding of nuclear and ballistic missile programmes. The US has been imposing sanctions on Pyongyang since 2008, freezing the assets of individuals and companies linked to its nuclear programme and banning the exports of goods and services to the country. "As North Korea continues to threaten international peace and security, we are steadfast in our determination to maximise economic pressure to isolate it from outside sources of trade and revenue while exposing its evasive tactics," said Treasury Secretary Steven T Mnuchin on Tuesday. Also targeted is the Korea South-South Co-operation Corporation which is alleged to have created revenue for the North by sending workers to countries including Russia, Poland, Cambodia and China. In September, the US proposed a range of United Nations sanctions against North

NUC budgets N8m for research, N85m to purchase vehicles The National Universities Commission has budgeted N8m for research and development in 2018, while N85m is also earmarked for the purchase of motor vehicles at the commission’s secretariat in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory. These figures were obtained by our correspondent from the 2018 budget proposal totalling N8.6tn, which was presented by President Muhammadu Buhari about two weeks ago. The total expenditure for the NUC in 2018 is N4,122,549,530, out of which the salary bill is N1,434,223,306. Under the maintenance services, the commission proposed to spend N3,357,885 on the maintenance of office furniture, while the maintenance of office buildings and residential quarters would gulp N60,075,664. It was gathered from the budget proposal breakdown that the commission plans to spend N9,739,246 on the maintenance of generators at the secretariat. Under the capital expenditure section, the commission allocated N85,351,

Spit test may diagnose, predict duration of concussion in kids A saliva test may someday be able to diagnose a concussion and predict how long symptoms last, according to a study published Monday in the JAMA Pediatrics. A concussion is one type of traumatic brain injury caused by a bump, blow or jolt to either the head or the body. Though not life-threatening, these injuries to the brain can be serious and cause symptoms of headache (or "pressure" in the head), nausea, vomiting, dizziness, balance problems, double or blurry vision, sluggishness, confusion, memory problems and difficulty concentrating. In their study, Penn State College of Medicine researchers found five small molecules called microRNAs in saliva with real potential for identifying concussive symptoms in children, teens and young adults. MicroRNAs influence protein activities throughout the body, and they are easily measured in biofluids, including blood, cerebrospinal fluid and saliva, according to the

Zlatan's Run As Sweden's Footballer Of The Year Ends Sweden captain Andreas Granqvist has ended Zlatan Ibrahimovic's decade-long streak of being named the country's footballer of the year. Granqvist was awarded the Swedish football federation's Golden Ball on Monday night after helping the national team reach the World Cup by beating Italy in a playoff. The award had gone to Ibrahimovic for the last 10 years in a row, but he lost out after missing the last six months with a serious knee injury. "This is a great honour. I'm incredibly proud," Granqvist said. "It's the nicest award you can receive." Ibrahimovic was still named forward of the year, and sent a video message from Manchester after his recent comeback with United. "This means a lot," he said. "Individual awards come thanks to your teammates. It's the collective that makes things go well." MORE

Lampard: English Clubs Set For Golden Era In UCL Frank Lampard is hopeful Premier League clubs are on the cusp of another golden period in the Champions League. This season, Manchester City and Tottenham have booked their spots in the knockout stages with two group games to spare. Manchester United are virtually certain to join them in matchweek five, when Liverpool and Chelsea can also qualify. "What's exciting for English football is that we have five teams that are performing very well in the groups," said Lampard. "Sometimes in football you have cycles. The last three years haven't been good for the English teams and I think now you're going to see the emergence of the strength of the English teams, so it's hard to say which team has got the best chance." MORE

TIME names iPhone X 2nd best gadget of 2017, Apple Watch Series 3 makes top ten TIME magazine has shared its list of the top 10 gadgets of 2017 today and two of Apple's newest products have made the cut. Last week, TIME named the iPhone X one of the top 25 inventions of 2017 and also sat down with Jony Ive and Dan Riccio, VP of hardware engineering to talk more about the revolutionary device, including some of the unique challenges. Even though Samsung's Galaxy S8 also made the list at number 5 (and had features like facial scanning first), here's why TIME ranked iPhone X higher. "The iPhone X’s edge-to-edge screen and facial recognition system will undoubtedly set a new standard for phones to come. For one, Apple’s Face ID system, even despite the security concerns, is already being used in more creative ways than Samsung’s facial identification tech. Third-party apps like Snapchat and Warby Parker are taking advantage of the iPhone X’s face-mapping technol

CR7 Set to Break Another UCL Record Cristiano Ronaldo just needs one more goal to better his own previous best tally of 16 goals in a single calendar year. The 32-year-old netted 16 times in the Champions League in 2015, and has equalled that number already in the past 11 months, but can become the first player to net 17 goals if he can score in either of Madrid's final two group games. Zinedine Zidane's side face APOEL on Tuesday, November 21 and finish their Group H campaign at home to Dortmund on December 6. MORE

Nigerians deserve to know why Nigeria Airways failed –Buhari President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday said he was under tremendous pressure from some prominent Nigerians desirous of establishing another national carrier for Nigeria. He, however, said his position remained that Nigerians need to know how the nation lost the former national carrier, Nigeria Airways. According to a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, Buhari spoke while receiving the president of the International Civil Aviation Organisation, Dr Muyiwa Aliu, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. “I also support a national airline for both patriotic and economic reasons. We have enough trained citizens, including pilots and engineers. But Nigerians need to know how we lost the one we had,” Buhari was quoted to have said. The President restated his administration’s determination to speed up the improvement of aviation infrastructure in the country to aid economic development. MORE

FG demands explanation from Italy over burial of 26 girls The Federal Government has expressed dismay over the hasty burial of the 26 girls who were found dead on the Mediterranean Sea by Italian authorities nine days ahead of the slated date. The bodies of the girls were found on a sinking vessel in the Mediterranean about two weeks ago and there where reports that they may have been sexually abused before they were murdered. The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Foreign Affairs and Diaspora, Abike Dabiri-Erewa told journalists in Abuja on Monday that the Italian Embassy had earlier indicated to the Director-General, National Agency for Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons that the burial would take place in Salerno, Italy on November 26, 2017. But the Italian authorities, she said, went ahead with the burial last Friday without informing the Nigerian government, adding that the NAPTIP director is currently in Italy to engage with the Italian authorities ahead of

U.S. Announces Additional $45.5m Support For North East The United States government has announced $45.5 million as an additional aid to support Nigeria’s stabilisation and early recovery efforts to help those affected by the Boko Haram insurgency in the North East. U.S. Deputy Secretary of State, Mr John Sullivan, announced this on Monday during the meeting of the US-Nigeria Bi-National Commission (BNC) which held in Abuja. The meeting, which was co-chaired by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Geoffrey Onyeama, and Mr Sullivan who said the United States remains committed to helping Nigeria fight Boko Haram terrorists. He, however, said its leaders must work together to create a durable social, economic, and political infrastructure to support lasting peace and development. Sullivan said his country would continue to collaborate with the African nation to harness the power of agriculture to jumpstart the economy and provide more opportunity for Nigerians. He also promised th

Peter Crouch Sets All-Time EPL Record Peter Crouch has set a Premier League record for the most career substitute appearances.   The Stoke City striker entered in the 73th minute of Monday night's match against Brighton & Hove Albion, replacing Xherdan Shaqiri for his 143rd career Premier League appearance off the bench. The appearance meant the 36-year-old went one better than previous record-holder Shola Ameobi, who amassed 142 substitute appearances, mostly during his time with Newcastle.     Crouch has scored 15 goals off the bench during his Premier League career, the fourth-best total of all time. MORE

FRSC procures equipment to detect liquor from breath of motorists The Federal Road Safety Corps, Bayelsa command, has threatened to apprehend and prosecute drunk drivers especially, during the yuletide. Mr Ikechukwu Igwe, the state FRSC Sector Commander, who made the threat in an interview with the _News Agency of Nigeria_ in Yenagoa on Monday, said the command had procured equipment to detect liquor from the breath of motorists. “We have gotten the machine that we will be used to detect drunk drivers in order to safeguard lives and property of road users. When we arrest you, you will be prosecuted according to the law; so, avoid driving under the influence of alcohol. Speed limit and over-loading violation are some of the major causes of fatal accidents on the highways,” he said. Igwe however, disclosed that the command recorded only eight road crashes between September and October. He explained that out of the eight crashes, three were fatal while five were serious. MORE

Teachers who failed competency test are irredeemable — Govt Shehu Sani-Othman, Permanent Member II of the State Universal Basic Education Board and member of the committee that conducted the controversial competency test for primary school teachers in Kaduna State, tells GODWIN ISENYO why 21,780 teachers, who failed the test, must be sacked. On the teachers he said: In fact, sacking them (teachers) is the last option. You need to see the rigours of the training we gave these people. We did all we could. We employed the best lecturers from colleges of education, Gidan-waya and Zaria to assist us in training them. But the training has been going on and there is no impact. You can see that they could not even pass a Primary Four test. What kind of training do you expect us to give them again that would make any difference? I don’t think there is any training that we can give them. Training them is like wasting time, money and other resources. They are irredeemable!

Lagos to get 24/7 power supply in 2018 – Ambode The Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, has said plans are at advanced stages to generate constant electricity for residents of the state in 2018. He noted that the state government had already devised strategies to short-circuit power generation, transmission and distribution to ensure there was “24/7 power supply to residents.” Ambode spoke at a recent interactive session with members of the business community and informal sector, a statement by the governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Habib Haruna, said on Sunday. Ambode noted that the state government was also talking with electricity distribution companies operating in the state to supply 24/7 power to residents at a higher tariff, subject to an agreement of all stakeholders, while the government would be the guarantor of the people. MORE

Lagos bus conductors to wear uniforms from Jan 1 The Bus Conductors Association of Nigeria says that its members in Lagos State will start wearing uniforms from Jan. 1, 2018 for security and effective service delivery. The National President of the association, Mr Isreal Adeshola, disclosed this in an interview with the _News Agency of Nigeria_ in Lagos on Sunday. Adeshola said the operational uniform would bring sanity to the service in the state and the country as a whole. According to him, the association has started training its members in Lagos State and educating them on the job procedures and attitudinal change while on duty. The president explained that part of the reasons for training its members was to ensure adequate security of passengers and good customer relationship with the people they relate to. MORE

Zlatan Ibrahimovic says 'lions don't recover like humans' after Man Utd return Zlatan Ibrahimovic says he was "honoured" to make his first appearance for Manchester United in seven months - and that his return proves he is a "lion". The 36-year-old Swede has been sidelined since April after injuring his ACL in the Europa League match against Anderlecht. But he came on to a rousing reception as a 77th-minute substitute for Anthony Martial in the 4-1 win over Newcastle at Old Trafford. Speaking to MUTV, the striker claimed his injury had been worse than people might have realised, but told of his pride at finally pulling on United colours again. He said: "I told you, lions don't recover like humans. That I have now proved, rather than just saying it. "But if people knew what kind of injury I had, they would not believe this. People believe I only had an ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) injury, but I had more stuff in my k

Pogba: I'd leave my boots and stop playing if Man Utd couldn’t win the league Paul Pogba says he would stop playing if he thought Manchester United’s title chances for the 2017-18 season were already gone. The French midfielder returned to the Red Devils after a two-month injury lay-off, having not seen action since leaving a Champions League match against Basel with a hamstring problem in September. United have not been at their best in Pogba’s absence, but his return helped spark a 4-1 rout over Newcastle on Saturday, as he scored a goal and added an assist. “The season is very long, of course,” Pogba told BBC Sport when asked if Man United still had a chance to win the league this year. "If I don’t believe that, I’d stop playing. “If I don’t believe we can still win the league, I better stop. I’ll leave my boots and stop playing football cause I’m a believer we keep fighting.” Pogba’s successful return wasn’t the only good news for the Red Devils in the victo

Mourinho: Man United lacked balance with attacking line-up Jose Mourinho felt his decision to start both Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial left Manchester United open defensively against Newcastle United, even if it ultimately paid off in Saturday's big victory. The Red Devils ran out comfortable 4-1 winners at Old Trafford despite an early scare when Dwight Gayle scored, with Martial nodding the equaliser before Chris Smalling, Paul Pogba and Romelu Lukaku secured victory. Mourinho selected an exciting, attacking line-up, playing a front three of Rashford, Martial and Lukaku, with the fit-again Zlatan Ibrahimovic on the bench, but he acknowledged that it was this system that allowed Newcastle to enjoy a bright start. "[Rashford and Martial] both like to play in the same position and that is difficult," Mourinho said. "They both prefer to play on the left than the right, both playing with another striker through the middle; we lose a point of contact w