Gareth Bale bails out Madrid at FIFA Club World Cup

Gareth Bale scored the winner for Real Madrid in the second semi-final of the FIFA Club World Cup in the United Emirates, as they slugged it out with home favourites Al-Jazira. The vital goal in the 81st minute, moments after replacing Karim Benzema propelled Madrid into the final billed for Saturday, giving them an opportunity to win the cup for the third time and match the tournament record of their Spanish rival, Barcelona. Madrid will face the Brazilian team Gremio,  the Copa Libertadores champions, who beat Pachuka, the Mexican team, …

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NFF set up committee to probe into error leading to FIFA punishment

Nigeria Football Federation First Vice-President, Seyi Akinwunmi, a lawyer, has been named the head of a four-man panel to investigate the error that led to Nigeria forfeiting the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying match against Algeria in Constantine on 10th November 2017, the NFF announced in a press release on Wednesday. The final African qualifying Group B fixture for the Russia 2018 World Cup ended in a 1-1 draw, but FIFA on Tuesday awarded all three points to Algeria following Nigeria’s use of ineligible defender Abdullahi Shehu in the encounter.…

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Netherlands joins Austria in suing Germany over motorway toll scheme

The Netherlands will join Austria in a European Court suit against Germany’s plans for a motorway toll which will discriminate against foreigners, the Transportation Ministry announced on Wednesday. The Netherlands had already telegraphed its intention when Austria filed the lawsuit in October. It argued that the German plan violated European guidelines. “The cabinet finds, just like Austria, that the German motorway toll plan is discriminatory and violates the principles of free traffic flow,’’ a statement said. The ministry estimated that the toll would cost Dutch car drivers between 60 million…

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Police sergeant killed as gunmen break into EFCC chief Ibrahim Magu’s house

A police sergeant attached to Ibrahim Magu, acting chairman of the Economic and financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), was reportedly killed on Tuesday after some gunmen broke into the house of the anti-graft czar in Abuja. According to the Nation, the tragic incident occurred around 10pm. The attackers were said to have stormed the house located in the Karshi area of the federal capital territory (FCT), opening fire on the policemen there. The police also returned with fire but it is not clear if some of the gunmen were killed or…

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Ex-Facebook executive bans his kids from using it, says app is ripping society apart

A former Facebook executive has admitted that he bans his children from using the site – saying he feels ‘tremendous guilt’ for his part in creating the service now used by billions of people. Chamath Palihapitiya, former vice president for user growth, said, “We have created tools that are ripping apart the social fabric of how society works.” He had particularly harsh words for tools such as Facebook’s ‘Like’ button, saying that social media was leaving users “vacant and empty.” He was speaking at a Stanford Graduate School of Business…

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Liberia fixes run-off election on Dec. 26

Former soccer star George Weah faces Vice-President Joseph Boakai as Liberia holds a delayed presidential run-off vote on Dec. 26, the electoral commission chief Jerome Korkoya, says. The poll was held up for several weeks by a court challenge by Charles Brumskine, who came third in round one. The winner replaces Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf as president in what will be, if it goes smoothly, Liberia’s first peaceful handover of power in 70 years. The Supreme Court on Dec. 7, dismissed a complaint from third-place finisher Brumskine’s Liberty Party, which had said…

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Toyin Saraki named Universal Health Global Champion

The Founder and President of Wellbeing Foundation Africa (WBFA), Mrs Toyin Saraki has been named Global Champion of Universal Health Coverage. Mrs Saraki, whose husband is the President of the Nigerian Senate was given the recognition at the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) Forum which convened in Tokyo. The Forum which brings together over 300 high-level policymakers, including heads of state and ministers of health and finance, recognised Saraki for her roles in advancing health services in Nigeria, especially for women and children. UHC is defined as people and communities being…

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Tailor bags 6 months imprisonment for stabbing man

A main market Magistrates’ court, at Lugard road, Jos on Wednesday sentenced one Zubairu Dauda, a tailor, to six months imprisonment for stabbing one Usman Mohammed. The Presiding Magistrate, Jovita Binjin, sentenced Dauda after he pleaded guilty to a one-count charge of causing grievous hurt. Binjin, however, gave the convict, who resides at Nassarawa Gwong, Jos, an option of N10, 000 fine. Earlier, the prosecutor, Cpl. Ezra Ishaya, told the court that, one Mohammed Ubale, a resident of Rikkos in Jos, reported the case at Nassarawa Gwong Police Station on…

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PDP convention: The aftermath

The elective Convention of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that took place at the Eagle Square in Abuja on Saturday, December 9, was a charade and an anti-climax. Everyone who had been a witness to the travails of the once-upon-a-time ruling party which lost power to the All Progressives Congress in 2015 – viz, the humiliation, the victimization of the party and its agents by the successor-government, the catastrophic seizure of the party by a certain Ali Modu Sheriff, the desertion of the party by opportunists seeking fresh foothold, protection,…

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Tekno and Drake collaboration seems to be in the works

2017 is about to come to an end, and Tekno’s highly-anticipated debut album is still as elusive as ever. It’s hard to complain though, the “Pana” singer still managed to give us some of the year’s best songs — both as a producer and an artist. Well, Tekno seems set to carry his endless winning streak into the new year by collaborating with none other than Drake. Although there have been no official announcements from either party, Drake recently shared a rather suggestive picture of the singer at work in his studio. While…

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