NEWS BUZZ 101

"Chris is angry, hurt and kind of heartbroken after hearing Rihanna was looking pregnant at the Grammys. They were each other’s first real love and he still misses her. Chris always had high hopes for their future together and even though there are only rumors that she could be pregnant with some other guy’s baby, he is still pretty upset and sad to hear about it. He feels like that should be his baby. He always hoped it would be him having a family with Rihanna and he regrets how things ended between them," a source close to Chris spilled. Who'd have thought Chris Brown, 28, was still so hung up on Rihanna, 29. But sometimes it takes a huge milestone like a potential pregnancy for feelings to resurface again. Obviously, Rihanna has not yet confirmed or denied the rumors, but fans went into a tizzy, following her sexy performance of “Wild Thoughts” with DJ Khaled and Bryson Tiller during the 60th annual Grammy Awards on Jan. 28. Fans thought Rihanna was dancing mor...

Spain Coach Concerned Over Isco & Asensio's Lack of Minutes. Spain coach Julen Lopetegui is worried Isco and Marco Asensio will not play enough for Real Madrid as he steps up his preparation for the World Cup. Isco has started 14 La Liga games for Zinedine Zidane's side this season but was absent for Saturday's 4-1 win at Valencia due to a hip injury. Asensio may also be pushed down the pecking order with teh return of the famed 'BBC' upfront even though he has scored four La Liga goals - double Benzema's haul despite starting three league matches fewer. "I'm sure they will play again, but I'm worried that Marco and Isco play little," Lopetegui said. "Diego Costa has not surprised me and he can be in the next squad." Lopetegui is set to sign a new Spain contract. Athletic Bilbao Replace Laporte With Inigo Martinez Athletic Bilbao have completed the sensational signing of defender Inigo Martinez from Basque riv...

 Oscars 2018🕴🏻- Who Will Win Best Actress in Leading Role👩🏻? Frances McDormand won the SAG Award for her portrayal an enraged mother trying to get to the bottom of her daughter’s brutal murder🗡; she even took home the Golden Globe for best actress in a drama. Will it be a hat-trick for her with an Oscar too? who will win the Oscar for Best Actress👩🏻 in Leading Role. The nominees👬 are... Sally Hawkins, The Shape of Water Frances McDormand, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri Margot Robbie, I, Tonya Saoirse Ronan, Lady Bird Meryl Streep, The Post

Taylor Swift and Ed Sheeran are about to put on a major show! The 28-year-old "Look What You Made Me Do" singer-songwriter and the 26-year-old "Shape Of You" crooner have been announced as headliners for the BBC's 2018 The Biggest Weekend, the BBC's largest live music event. The event takes place between May 25-28 across four different United Kingdom locations, including England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland. Snow Patrol, Beck and Courtney Barnett are among the show's other performers. Tickets will go on-sale to the public on February 12.

Mark Salling committed suicide by hanging, according to law enforcement ... TMZ has learned. We're told his body was found near a riverbed in Sunland ... the area where he lived. Law enforcement tells us Salling was hanging from a tree. The former "Glee" star was awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty to possession of child pornography involving prepubescent minors. Sentencing in the case was set for March. He was expected to get 4 to 7 years in prison as part of a plea deal. Sailing was 35.

CSKA Moscow have re-signed Super Eagles winger, Ahmed Musa, from Leicester City until the end of the season. The Nigerian striker, who is not in the plans of Claude Puel since the beginning of the season, returns to a club where he is worshipped in order to get playing time for the 2018 FIFA World Cup with Nigeria The 25-year-old joined the former Premier League champions, Leicester, for £16m in 2016 and scored five goals in 33 games for the club. Musa has made just one appearance this season. He had been linked with other Premier League sides this month, including West Brom, But he will now return to Russia, where he scored 42 league goals in his first stint for CSKA.

“Are there bookshops in Nigeria?” The question posed by a French journalist last week incensed acclaimed Nigerian novelist Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. At an event held in a ritzy Paris government building under crystal chandeliers, Adichie launched a blistering assault on perceived French arrogance. “I think it reflects very poorly on French people that you have to ask me that question,” said Adichie. “My books are read in Nigeria. They are studied in schools. Not just Nigeria, across the continent in Africa.” The subsequent outrage on social media was perhaps predictable: insults hurled at the French journalist amid accusations of racism and colonial prejudices. Adichie wasn’t done yet. The novelist, who was born in Nigeria but now lives in the United States, followed up with a Facebook post the next day arguing that the bookstore question was “giving legitimacy to a deliberate, entitled, tiresome, sweeping base ignorance about Africa”. But not everyone wholeheartedly agrees. “Y...

[1:49 AM, 1/27/2018] Naija: Following the Copa del Rey tie between the rival clubs at the Camp Nou, Espanyol have called on the anti-violence committee to investigate Gerard Pique's comments. There have been additional complaints made about remarks Sergio Busquets made as well as chants heard from the Camp Nou crowd. Espanyol want these three incidents analysed as they believe they are statements which incite violence, racism, xenophobia and intolerance within the confines of the sport. Their complaint will be transferred to the RFEF and the Competitions Department of LaLiga. Pique is in hot water after he labelled the club 'Espanyol de Cornella'. "They are from there, right?" he joked. Espanyol were unhappy with the Spanish defender making such comments and made their feelings clear in a statement. "We consider that any demonstration in a clearly derogatory tone towards these cities, such as those uttered by Mr Pique towards the city of Cornella...

Jose Mourinho has hinted Manchester City pulled out of trying to sign Alexis Sanchez as they thought he would opt for Manchester United instead. City had made Sanchez a top target in the August transfer window, missing out on a £60million deal for the forward when Arsenal failed to bring in Monaco's Thomas Lemar as a replacement. Although City looked in pole position to sign Sanchez when the window reopened in January, they pulled out, reportedly citing financial concerns over the proposed cost of the transfer, with the Chilean in the last six months of his Arsenal contract and set to become a free agent at the end of the season. But Mourinho - who extended his United deal to 2020 on Thursday - indicated he does not believe City's insistence that money was the major factor in them pulling out of the race for Sanchez's signature. "Alexis reminds me a little bit of the metaphor - when you see the tree with amazing oranges at the top of the tree but cannot get ...

 The draft to determine the rosters for the N.B.A.’s 67th All-Star Game, with LeBron James and Stephen Curry picking the squads as captains, shouldn’t merely be televised. It should happen at midcourt on live television just a few minutes before tipoff. Just like they do it on the playground. In the true spirit of the modern N.B.A., and the transactional frenzies it routinely spawns, LeBron and Steph should even be allowed to swing a trade or two after making their selections. Sadly, though, you’re not about to witness any such deliciousness. Instead, the East’s and West’s leading vote-getters are scheduled to hop on a conference call Thursday afternoon, joined by a limited number of league personnel who are all sworn to silence, so James and Curry can make their picks in secret. The results will be revealed Thursday night, but league officials are determined to take every step they can conjure to ensure that the pick-by-pick decisions made by both superstars are never u...

The 20-year-old Keeping Up With The Kardashians reality star, who is reportedly pregnant with Travis Scott‘s baby and due to give birth in February, has the support of her whole family. “Her sisters have tried to give as much advice as possible. The family is still worried because Kylie is so young, but they will all support and help her once the baby arrives,” an insider tells People. A source previously told People that “it definitely took some getting used to, but Kylie has always been very headstrong — she’s always wanted to do her own thing despite what Kris [Jenner] says. Of course Kris just wants the best for her daughter and loves and supports her no matter what.”

Arsene Wenger admits a deal to bring Borussia Dortmund striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to Arsenal remains “far from close” as a lengthy saga drags on. The Gunners identified the Gabon international as a top target once it became clear that Alexis Sanchez would be heading out of Emirates Stadium. He has departed for Manchester United, with Henrikh Mkhitaryan moving in the opposite direction, but no progress has been made in the pursuit of Aubameyang. Wenger has now confirmed that no agreement is in the pipeline, although the Frenchman claims there could be movement before the January deadline passes, telling reporters on Friday: “I cannot tell you more. We have nothing to announce. At the moment, we stay where we are.

Arsene Wenger has confirmed Alexis Sanchez missed a drugs test on the day he moved to Manchester United, and that the responsibility lies with Arsenal. Arsenal have not yet been contacted by UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) or the FA over any subsequent sanctions, said Wenger. The Frenchman defended Sanchez and Arsenal over their co-operation with anti-doping procedures, but admitted the error lies with his club. Sanchez's whereabouts were unknown to anti-doping authorities as he finalised his transfer to Manchester United on Monday, and Wenger insisted his absence from his test was down to special circumstances. "It's a special event for him to miss a drugs test because he will certainly be somewhere else with his agent," said Wenger. "He has been tested so many times here it is no worry he has any doping problem, just a bad day for him to be tested."

US President Donald Trump is delivering a keynote address at the close of the week-long World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. The US President has been meeting business executives and other world leaders during his two-day stay in the Swiss Alps. Here are the highlights of Donald Trump's address at World Economic Forum in Davos: I am privileged to be in a forum where we have gathered to discuss security and peace America hopes for a world where everyone can prosper and every child can grow up without fear I'm here today to represent the interests of the American people and to affirm America's friendship and partnership in building a better world. Over the past year, we have made extraordinary strides in the US Donald Trump on economy After years of stagnation, the United States is once again experiencing strong economic growth Since my election, we've created 2.4 million jobs, and that number is going up very, very substantial...

Back in 2005, journalist Askia Muhammad snapped a photo of Obama smiling alongside Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan during a Congressional Black Caucus meeting. But he was forced to give it up at the time and not mention a word of it in case it damaged Obama’s political future. Muhammed, who revealed the photo on Thursday, told the Truce Edney News Wire that he ‘basically swore secrecy’ for the photo. At the time, Obama was Illinois Senator and the photo was kept a secret until he secured the Democratic nomination to run for president. Muhammed said it was then kept that way ‘all the way up until the inauguration. Then for eight years after he was president, it was kept under cover. ‘It absolutely would have made a difference.’ He said a CBC employee had called him ‘in a panic’ after he took the photo and immediately realised what was going on. He gave up the picture to Leonard Farrakhan, the minister’s son-in-law and chief of staff, but not before copying the photograph that...

Trump sought to mend relations Friday with a key African leader in the aftermath of his controversial comments about African nations, praising the U.S. partnership with Rwanda along the sidelines of the annual World Economic Forum. This was after Trump drew widespread condemnation for allegedly referring to African nations as “shithole countries”. The president has denied using that language. Others present insist he did. Trump described having “tremendous discussions” with Kagame, who is beginning a one-year term as head of the African Union, a 55-member continental body that criticized the U.S. president’s remarks. Neither Trump nor Kagame made any mention of the row during brief comments to reporters. “It really truly is a great honour,” Trump told Kagame, noting his role with the African Union. “So please give my regards, I know you’re going to your first meeting very shortly. Please give my warmest regards. But it’s an honour to have you as a friend.” Kagame said they had “...

Henrikh Mkhitaryan “had a problem” with Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho and is better off at Arsenal, says Armenia coach Artur Petrosyan. The 29-year-old has traded Old Trafford for Emirates Stadium after being used in a swap deal which took Alexis Sanchez in the opposite direction. "Yes, he [Arsene Wenger] likes them to play better football. I think Wenger is better for Henrikh," Petrosyan said. “We are very happy with this transfer from Manchester United. His style of play will be better suited at Arsenal. “I only spoke with Miki and I cannot tell you about my talks with Miki because it was between us, but I told you about my impression that I was not happy with Mourinho. “I think Henrikh can do very well in the Premier League. He can continue in a good mood, in a good way. He is always one of the best players in the Premier League but under this manager – Wenger – he will become even stronger.” Petrosyan added on a testing period for Mkhitaryan at Ol...

Samsung Electronics has said that one of the reasons for not establishing a manufacturing plant in Nigeria is because its market share in the country is not big enough. Mr Sung Yoon, the Chief Executive Officer of Samsung Electronics Africa, made this known during an interactive session with newsmen on Thursday in Lagos. The Samsung CEO said that manufacturing a mobile phone required about 400 different components, none of which is available in Nigeria. Yoon said that though Samsung was the leading consumer electronics company in Nigeria, its share of the Nigerian market is smaller to South Africa’s. He said that the company’s smartphones market size in South Africa is 80 per cent, but is lower in Nigeria. According to him, other issues that affect the building of manufacturing plant in the country are infrastructure, Return On Investment (ROI) and grey market. “We are trying to be a local company here. Building factory depends on the return on investment and efficiency of the econ...

Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James and Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry led All-Star voting in their respective conferences and will serve as the captains for the All-Star Game next month. Milwaukee's Giannis Antetokounmpo, Philadelphia's Joel Embiid, Boston's Kyrie Irving and Toronto's DeMar DeRozan were also selected as starters from the Eastern Conference. Houston's James Harden, Golden State's Kevin Durant and New Orleans teammates Anthony Davis and DeMarcus Cousins were also selected as starters from the Western Conference.

The Chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mahmood Yakubu, says the commission had 74 million voters in its register by the second week of January. The INEC Director of Voter Education and Publicity, Oluwole Osaze-Uzzi, made the fact known in a statement in Abuja on Friday. Mr. Osaze-Uzzi quoted Mr. Yakubu as making the fact known at the 15th edition of the Daily Trust Dialogue, where he was represented by INEC National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee (IVEC), Solomon Soyebi. The chairman said the figure was expected to reach between 80 and 85 million by 2019 because of the on-going nationwide Continuous Voter Registration (CVR). He assured Nigerians that only their votes would determine the 2019 general elections and beyond. Mr. Yakubu noted that there had been a lot of improvement in the electoral process since the current commission came on board. He said the commission was not unmindful of the enormous responsibil...

Earth's long-term warming trend continued in 2017, government scientists reported on Thursday, with average surface temperatures only slightly below the record heat of the previous year. But unlike 2016, last year's warmth was not aided by El Nino, the Pacific weather pattern that is usually linked to record-setting heat. Nasa ranked 2017 the second-warmest year, after 2016. Scientists at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, who use a different analytical method, ranked it third, behind 2016 and 2015. Though 2015 was not technically an El Nino year, the phenomenon contributed to heat records that year and in 2016. By both analyses, 17 of the 18 warmest years since modern record keeping began in 1880 have occurred since 2001. Overall, fueled by emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases, temperatures have increased more than 1 degree Celsius (1.8 degrees Fahrenheit) since the late 19th century. In order to avoid the worst consequences of climate ...

Michael Carrick will return to first-team duty at Manchester United but is set to retire from playing and become a coach at the end of the season, Jose Mourinho has confirmed. Carrick has yet to feature in the Premier League this season, with the former England international having undergone a procedure to resolve an irregular heart rhythm discovered in his only appearance of the campaign, against Burton Albion in the Carabao Cup in September. But the United captain took part in the club's recent warm-weather training camp in Dubai and Mourinho believes Carrick has a part to play on the pitch before accepting a coaching role at Old Trafford. "I think to take the decision to stop playing football at the end of the season and not last week because of being injured with some problem is a good decision for the team and a good decision for him," Mourinho told reporters Friday. "So we are all happy and in the end of the season I expect him to join [the coaching ...

Cristiano Ronaldo looks “sad” amid Real Madrid’s La Liga struggles, says Pedrag Mijatovic, with a summer resolution required as exit talk lingers. The Portuguese has seen his high standards slip in the Spanish top-flight this season, along with a number of his team-mates. Real appear to have already surrendered their domestic crown, with their talismanic forward contributing just four goals to the cause. Former Blancos striker Mijatovic told Marca on claims the 32-year-old has been left frustrated by Real’s reluctance to offer him salary parity with Barcelona rival Lionel Messi: "The situation needs to be well evaluated at the end of this season. "These things must be talked about and if he [Ronaldo] is not happy then he has to say so. "I don't see Ronaldo as being sad in the Champions League, but I do see it in La Liga. "That has nothing to do with his wages. "Maybe he's just more motivated by the Champions League."

Far from the familiar waters of an Olympic pool, swimmer Michael Phelps shared the story of his personal encounter with depression at a mental health conference in Chicago this week. "You do contemplate suicide," the winner of 28 Olympic medals told a hushed audience at the fourth annual conference of the Kennedy Forum, a behavioral health advocacy group. "I was always hungry, hungry, and I wanted more," said Phelps. "I wanted to push myself really to see what my max was." Intensity has a price. "Really, after every Olympics I think I fell into a major state of depression," said Phelps when asked to pinpoint when his trouble began. He noticed a pattern of emotion "that just wasn't right" at "a certain time during every year," around the beginning of October or November, he said. "I would say '04 was probably the first depression spell I went through." That was the same year that Phelps was charg...

A masterclass from two-goal hero Eden Hazard helped Chelsea stylishly return to winning ways with an entertaining 4-0 Premier League triumph at Brighton and Hove Albion. Antonio Conte's men had been held to five consecutive draws – three games ending goalless – in all competitions, needing a penalty shootout to get past Norwich City in the FA Cup on Wednesday. Progress to the fourth round came at a price, with forwards Alvaro Morata and Pedro receiving red cards, but Hazard and Willian made light of their absence with goals inside the first six minutes – the Brazilian's eighth of the campaign certainly one to trouble the end-of-season lists. To their credit, Brighton did not buckle. Ezequiel Schelotto was unfortunate to have penalty claims rejected and Davy Propper hit the post after half-time. Willian came similarly close to his second before turning provider on his 50th consecutive Premier League appearance for Hazard. Victor Moses added gloss to the scoreline in ...

A Nigerian in the United States, Osa Alohaneke, faces the prospect of spending the rest of his life in jail, after he was convicted by a court in Fort Bend County, Houston for the 2015 stabbing to death of his fiancée, a Cameroonian. After deliberating for some 13 hours, a jury late Friday afternoon convicted 59-year-old Osa Alohaneke in the slaying of Evelyne Ebane Epiepang, 52. Alohaneke looked down and showed no emotion when the verdict was read in court. Prosecutors alleged that Alohaneke used a kitchen knife to attack Epiepang, his fiancée, and her friend, Veronica Taku. Alohaneke, who was living at the time in a section of southwest Houston that lies in Fort Bend County, was charged with first-degree murder and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Jurors acquitted Alohaneke of the assault charges. Epiepang was stabbed more than 30 times and died as she called 911 operators for help. Screams echoed in the courtroom for more than four minutes when prosecutors played the 911...

The four Americans and Canadians that were abducted by on Tuesday by gunmen suspected to be kidnappers have been released. Confirming the development to journalists on Saturday, State Commissioner of Police, Mr Agyole Abeh said the two foreigners were rescued by the police at Jere area in Kagarko Local Government Area the state. The police boss also added that one suspect has been arrested in connection with the abduction of the four expatriates. Giving a narrative on how the rescue mission was initiated, CP Abeh explained that the kidnapped foreign businessmen were freed inside a Bush at about 6 am on Saturday morning. He also gave the assurance that the police were on the trail of the remaining suspects with a view to arresting them and bring them to justice.

Thirty-eight-year-old Wuche Ajuru, is always depressed each time she remembers how her 23-year-old son, who was arrested by the police on September 28, 2016, “for being in possession of N49,000”, suddenly disappeared from Rumuji police cell in Emohua, Rivers State. She explained that she was initially optimistic that her innocent son, Happiness Ajuru, would be released when a member of the community, she identified as Okechukwu Eleonu, collected the sum of N60,000 from her, which was paid on her behalf for her son’s bail. Eleonu is the same man who reported her son to the police before his arrest. It was gathered that the said DPO had since been transferred to Edo State allegedly because of the disappearance of the young Ajuru from the Rumuji police cell. The woman has on her own visited many prisons in Rivers and Bayelsa states to look for his son but they were to no avail. Unfortunately, the police have offered her no explanation on what happened to her son.

Borussia Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke has confirmed that Arsenal have tabled a formal bid for striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. The Gabon international, who has scored 21 goals in 23 appearances thus far this season, has been heavily linked with a move away this month. After Dortmund were forced to deny reports that a deal had been agreed over a summer switch to a Chinese club, Arsenal soon emerged as the frontrunners to sign him, with Arsene Wenger keen to compensate for the impending loss of Alexis Sanchez. Watzke has now confirmed that a formal offer has been lodged by the Premier League club, with reports suggesting that Dortmund value Aubameyang at £53 million. "I can confirm that there has been a first request from Arsenal for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and we are not commenting on the sums that have been called from England since noon today," he said, per Ruhr Nachrichten. Watzke’s admission comes just a day after BVB transfer chief Michael Zorc dismis...

Basketball star LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers said on Monday President Donald Trump has emboldened racists in the United States and urged the country not to allow itself to be divided along racial lines. “The guy in control has given people and racism ... an opportunity to be out and outspoken without fear,” James, a frequent Trump critic, told reporters prior to the Cavaliers’ game against the Golden State Warriors on the U.S. holiday honoring civil rights activist Martin Luther King. “And that’s the fearful thing for us because it’s with you and it’s around every day but he’s allowed people to come out and just feel confident about doing negative things.” Trump has come under fire for reportedly calling some African nations “sh**hole countries” during a White House meeting with lawmakers discussing U.S. immigration policy. Trump has denied using such derogatory language, which has led him to be widely condemned by many African leaders and international ...

Cardi B might break her next record at the box office because she just inked her first movie deal ... TMZ has learned. We're told the "Bartier Cardi" singer begins filming in March, so seeing her on the silver screen might happen sooner than you think. One source told us ... because of filming, Cardi's had to turn down other gigs in March that would've made her between $100k-$200k. Cardi B recently became the first woman with five top 10 hits on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart in a single week ever, ousting Beyonce's previous record of 4.

A 41-year-old Nigerian banker identified as Toyin Ogundipe, aboard an Air France flight, was delivered of a baby boy mid-air about 35,000 feet above sea level and four hours away from the destination. The mother of two who lives in the UK had gone into labour a week earlier than her delivery date, and was in childbirth pains and having contractions about 10 minutes apart. The baby, who was named Jake, was delivered after a 30-minute labour, Mailonline states. A second-year urology resident, Dr. Sij Hemal, who was also a passenger in the plane, helped with the delivery of the baby half-way through an eight-hour flight from Paris to New York. Dr. Hemal, who spoke to Mailonline, said he was just glad everything went smoothly — and was relieved it all happened before he’d had any champagne. While talking about his fear, he mentioned that his biggest fear was that the mother could die from bleeding or shock after birth. But looking back, he insists it all went as well as it...

Stephen Curry 🏀 on His Dunk: “It Was Like a 😍 Dream”- 📹 Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant run the play almost every day in practice. But as Curry dutifully noted, “99.9 percent of the time, it doesn’t end with me dunking the ball.” And in the .01 percent of the time? Curry offered the biggest highlight of the Warriors’ 118-108 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday by throwing down a two-handed dunk during a fast break. “It was like a dream that I thought I was going to wake up and be back on my bed in the hotel,” Curry said. “But it actually happened. Somebody said it was like a unicorn sighting. But it was pretty cool for me to get a dunk in that kind of situation.” The situation played out this way: Warriors forward Draymond Green threw a cross-court pass to Warriors forward Kevin Durant. Cavaliers forward J.R. Smith immediately rotated toward Durant. So did Cleveland guard Isaiah Thomas. So Durant thread the needle in between Thomas and ...

Arsenal winger Theo Walcott is on the verge of signing for Everton for a fee around £20m, according to sources. The Gunners' longest-serving player has scored 108 goals for the club but has found game time difficult to come by this season in a year when he is desperate to be included in Gareth Southgate's England squad for the World Cup in Russia. Everton offered the most attractive financial package to Walcott amid interest from fellow Premier League side West Ham, and is due to undergo a medical on Tuesday afternoon and could be included in Sam Allardyce's squad for Saturday's Premier League game at home to West Brom.   The proceeds from the 28-year-old's sale, which could rise to £25m with add-ons, will go towards Arsenal's efforts to sign Brazilian winger Malcom from Bordeaux and West Brom centre-back Jonny Evans. Meanwhile, Arsenal will not sanction the sale of Alexis Sanchez to Manchester United until they have agreed to sign Henrikh Mk...

The los Blanco’s side are in need of a formidable striker since they lack fire power upfront this season Inter Milan front man has been linked with the move to the Spanish giants Real Madrid's lack of goals and especially by Karim Benzema, who has just five from 20 matches, has seen them linked with Mauro Icardi by Corriere dello Sport for next summer. The most attractive element about the Inter forward is his price, with the buy-out clause dropping to 110 million euros next summer, and that is not so high considering recent transfers, sparked by Neymar's record-breaking move. In Italy they are speculating that a strong World Cup by Icardi could increase his value.

Lionel Messi has broken Gerd Muller's long-standing record for the most league goals scored for the same club in Europe's top five divisions. The Barcelona superstar, who equalled the tally while making his 400th LaLiga appearance for the Calatan giants against Levante last weekend, netted his 366th goal in Spain's top flight during the 4-2 win over Real Sociedad on Sunday. Messi's left-footed free-kick from 25 yards saw him overtake Muller's haul of 365 Bundesliga strikes for Bayern Munich. Germany great Muller set the previous record while representing Bayern between 1964 and 1979, scoring his 365 goals in 427 Bundesliga matches. Messi has been in irresistible form for Barca this season, scoring 16 goals and providing eight assists in LaLiga as the club have surged to the top of the table. Barca's win over Sociedad took them nine points clear of second-placed Atletico Madrid, and 19 clear of eternal rivals Real.

The United Nations has appointed Nigeria’s Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, into the Investments Committee of the United Nations Joint Staff Pension Fund (UNJSPF). UN’s Under-Secretary-General, Ms. Jan Beagle, who confirmed Adeosun’s appointment, disclosed that the Adeosun would serve a one-year term of office effective from January 1, 2018. A statement on Sunday from the Special Adviser, Media & Communications to the Honourable Minister of Finance, Oluyinka Akintunde, quoted the UN’s chief as saying. “On behalf of the Secretary-General, I have the honour to inform you that at the 55th plenary meeting of the seventy-second session of the General Assembly, the General Assembly decided to appoint you as an ad-hoc member of the Investments Committee for a one-year term of office, beginning from 1st January 2018,” Beagle said. Upon the announcement of the appointment, congratulatory messages have been pouring in favour of the minister.

Barcelona have confirmed that France international winger Ousmane Dembele will miss around a month of action due to hamstring trouble. The former Borussia Dortmund winger, who was signed for a fee of €105 million in the summer, missed much of the first half of the season with a similar issue, though Barca have stressed that this problem is with a different part of the muscle. Dembele, playing in just his fourth league outing for the Catalans, came off the bench to replace Paulinho with 25 minutes remaining, and while he finished the match, succeeded in picking up another issue. In a statement, the Liga leaders said: "Dembele had a problem with his left thigh and tests have confirmed that the player has suffered a hamstring injury of the semitendinosus muscle that does not affect the area operated on earlier in the season." With January signing Philippe Coutinho, bought for a club record €120m, also on the sidelines for around three weeks, the news comes as a blow to B...

Manchester United striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic understands he is entering the final years of playing at the highest level, manager Jose Mourinho said. Ibrahimovic, 36, made his return from a serious knee injury earlier this season and has featured seven times in all competitions. However, the veteran has started just twice and scored one goal, with the 2017-18 campaign appearing set to be Ibrahimovic's last at United. Mourinho believes Ibrahimovic can still perform at the top level, although he said the striker was nearing the end. "I was his manager when he was 29 at Inter Milan. We can’t stop time, and for players time means a lot," he said. "Zlatan knows that. He knows that at the highest level he's in the last part of his career, but his dream, his desire, his fight was always to end his career at the highest level at Manchester United."

Former NBA star Dennis Rodman has been arrested for DUI. Rodman was driving in Newport Beach Saturday at around 11 PM when cops pulled him over for a traffic violation. Cops administered a field sobriety test, which he flunked. He was handcuffed, put in a patrol car and taken to the police station. Rodman was cooperative and submitted to a breathalyzer test, and he blew over the .08 legal limit. Rodman remained in jail for 7 hours, and when police determined he was sober enough to care for himself he was released. Rodman's rep shares, "Alcoholism has been a struggle on and off for Dennis the past 15 years," adding he's been going through some "tough personal issues." The rep says he's going to talk to Dennis about going back to rehab.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has asked a Federal High Court Sitting in Lagos to grant an order of interim forfeiture of the sum of $3,645,013.73 (Three Million, Six Hundred and Forty Five Thousand, Thirteen United States Dollar, Seventy Three Cent) domiciled with First Bank of Nigeria Ltd and traced to Mrs Patience Jonathan, wife of the former President. In documents put before the court, the EFCC says the sum is reasonably suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activities diverted from the Federal Government. A Court of Appeal in Lagos on Friday, January 12 upheld the order of interim forfeiture of the sum of $5, 842, 316.66 and N2, 421, 953, 522.78 traced to the accounts of the wife of former President.

Tom Cruise Mission Impossibe Star! The 55-year-old actor was spotted filming the newest Mission Impossible high in the sky on top of Blackfriars Station on Sunday (January 14) in London, England. Tom‘s filming actually led to some traffic jams on the streets below in London. Still, he thrilled the fans waiting down below with a smile and a wave! M:I 6 – Mission Impossible – the sixth film in the franchise – is set to land in theaters in July.

The pop songstress flew to Byron Bay on the New South Wales Coast in Australia to celebrate New Years with her hunky movie-star fella. And afterwards, they got married in secret, according to the upcoming issue of NW Magazine, via the Daily Mail. And since, photos have surfaced of the pair dining out together in the coastal community — and sporting some bands on THOSE fingers. “It’s such a special place for them [in Byron Bay]. It felt right,” their source shared. “It’s where they realized that they couldn’t live without each other and decided to really give their relationship another go.” Awww! That’s pretty romantic, but is it remotely true?! Last year, this same Australian publication made a similar claim, which we eventually debunked!

If there’s a lesson to be learned by the Philadelphia public after this video has surfaced, it’s to not get in the way of Joel Embiid while drunk. After playing for the Philadelphia 76ers for a little over a full season now, Embiid has taken on the task of surrounding himself with the sports-crazed fans of other Philly sports teams, including the NFL’s Philadelphia Eagles, who recently defeated the Atlanta Falcons in their Divisional round of the NFL playoffs. Philadelphia sports fans are known for being some of the most hardcore fans of their teams in the entire USA, so it comes as no surprise that the tailgate party Embiid attended to watch the matchup between the Eagles and Falcons resulted in some sort of confrontation. especially when you consider alcohol was involved. One fan, spotting Embiid’s 7’0 head above everyone else’s in the sea of fans, decided to throw a football in his direction. A drunk fan — being drunk — decided it’d be a good idea to physically push Embiid...

Chelsea are making a late play for Alexis Sanchez, and have made the player and his representatives aware of their interest. While those close to the deal still believe Manchester United are likely to complete the signing, negotiations with Arsenal have been "complicated" and negotiations are considered only 75% complete. One issue is whether United pay the full £35m or Henrikh Mkhitaryan goes the other way, but he would prefer a return to Borussia Dortmund and there is still some distance in wage positions between the Armenian and the Emirates hierarchy. Manchester City have now pulled out of any negotiations. It is understood that Arsenal initially asked for Anthony Martial plus cash, but that was a non-starter for United. They now want £30m plus Mkhitaryan.

One of Davido’s crew members who was accused of causing havoc at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport yesterday might be spending the weekends in prison as his bail conditions were not perfected until the close of work on Friday. The police arraigned 22-year-old Umarudeen Kayode on a 5 count charge at the Ikeja Magistrate court, before Mrs. E. Kubanje. He was granted bail conditions to the tune of N50, 000 and two sureties in like sum. The sureties must have variable addresses within the jurisdiction of the court. However, as at 4 pm on Friday when SaharaReporters was in the premises of the magistrate court, the bail conditions had not been perfected. The magistrate had also left the court as Mr. Umarudeen’s relatives were trying to perfect the bail conditions.

The Publisher of Ovation magazine, Dele Momodu, speaks about the push by some people for President Muhammadu Buhari’s re-election, how he made up with Nigerian pop star, David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido, and other issues.

Man City and Man Utd not in Alexis Sanchez bidding war, Wenger claims Arsene Wenger was unable to offer an update on the future of Alexis Sanchez on Friday but the Arsenal manager did not deny suggestions Manchester United and Manchester City are both chasing the Chile international. Sanchez is believed to remain a prime target for City after a switch to Etihad Stadium fell through late in the previous transfer window. United have reportedly emerged as rival bidders in recent days and are said to be attempting to hijack the proposed move to Pep Guardiola's Premier League leaders. "Look, honestly, I cannot tell you much more at the moment because nothing is really concrete," he said.   Pressed on whether that meant United had also now expressed their interest, Wenger responded: "You conclude that. You could say at the moment – it's not that I don't want to inform you, I don't want to give you wrong information. Nothing...