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Showing posts from December, 2017

Liberia and challenges of a Weah presidency

Former World Footballer of the Year, George Weah, completed a stunning transformation from an extraordinarily talented sportsman to an accomplished politician after he was declared winner of Liberia’s presidential election late on Thursday. With 98.1 per cent of the votes counted and Weah leading by 61.5 per cent, the Liberia National Elections Commission declared him the winner of the run-off. He takes over from Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, the first elected female president of an African country. Campaigning on the platform of economic empowerment for a people still scarred by two bitterly-fought civil wars that lasted for 14 years, and the devastating outbreak of Ebola virus disease that threatened to wipe out entire communities, Weah was able to defeat the incumbent Vice-President, 73-year-old Joseph Boakai, who thought he could continue from where his boss, Sirleaf, ended.  It is a triumph for courage and doggedness that has seen the former ace footballer claw his way back after a pre

Wenger party spoiled by late West Brom leveller

Arsene Wenger’s record-breaking day as Arsenal manager ended in frustration as his disjointed side were held to a controversial 1-1 draw at West Bromwich Albion on Sunday. The Frenchman took charge of his 811th Gunners league game, taking him past Alex Ferguson’s Premier League record of 810. But his side were denied victory by Jay Rodriguez’s 89th-minute penalty, awarded for handball against Calum Chambers to the fury of Wenger and his players. Arsenal had taken the lead six minutes earlier after a deflected Alexis Sanchez free-kick found its way into the West Brom net via a deflection off James McClean. The Gunners had been frustrated for much of the game by a resolute Albion. Arsenal made the brighter start but might have found themselves trailing to the first chance of the game on six minutes. A weaving run down the right flank by Matt Phillips ended with a cross for Rodriguez, who leapt highest but headed too close to Petr Cech and the Arsenal goalkeeper made a solid save, d

Wenger breaks EPL record

Arsenal manger Arsene Wenger took charge of his 811th Premier League game on Sunday to set a new record, overtaking Alex Ferguson. The 68-year-old Frenchman achieved the new mark as the Gunners kicked off against West Bromwich Albion at The Hawthorns in the final Premier League match of 2017. Wenger joined Arsenal in 1996 and in his first 10 years at Arsenal amassed three league titles and four FA Cups, putting him on course to rival the trophy hauls of the most successful managers to have worked in English football. But the trophies have dried up and Wenger stands third when judging post-war managers by trophies won, behind Ferguson and Liverpool’s Bob Paisley. He had equalled Ferguson’s record in the 3-2 win at Crystal Palace on Thursday.

Your sacrifices will pay off in 2018, Kogi gov tells civil servants

Gov. Yahaya Bello of Kogi has lauded the sacrifices of civil servants who endured financial constraints during the recently concluded state’s civil service reforms. Bello gave the commendation in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Petra Onyegbule, in Lokoja on Sunday to mark the New Year celebration. Bello noted that 2017 had been a challenging year for the state as they all tried to put the effects of the civil service reforms behind and consolidate on the gains that were recorded. “I assure you all that in 2018, you shall begin to enjoy some of the immediate benefits of the verification. “As a father and provider, I know the pains and disappointments of not being able to meet the needs of dependants in due season. “An efficient civil service is the engine room of any government and I am delighted that the Kogi civil service is being repositioned for efficiency, effectiveness and productivity,” Bello said. The governor praised the people of the state for their cooperatio

The world is more divided, UN chief laments

  UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Sunday issued a year-end “red alert” to a world he said faces the perils of inequality, nationalism, xenophobia and possibly even nuclear war unless it works to resolve its differences. “When I took office one year ago, I appealed for 2017 to be a year for peace,” he said in his New Year’s message. “Unfortunately, in fundamental ways, the world has gone in reverse. “Conflicts have deepened and new dangers have emerged. Global anxieties about nuclear weapons are the highest since the Cold War,” an allusion to the crisis over North Korea’s nuclear tests and missile firings. “Climate change is moving faster than we are. Inequalities are growing. We see horrific violations of human rights,” said the former Portuguese prime minister, expressing concern as well over a rise in nationalism and xenophobia. He suggested that the international community “can settle conflicts, overcome hatred and defend shared values, but we can only do that together

Too ill for organ transplant, woman carries her heart in backpack

A British mother has had a life-changing operation so radical, she now effectively carries her heart in a backpack. Selwa Hussain, 39, has become the second-ever person in Britain to be given an artificial heart after a six-hour operation. A battery-powered pump and electric motor inside the 6.8kg bag pushes air through tubes to feed plastic chambers in Selwa’s chest.This pushes blood around her body. The mum-of-two, from Ilford, east London, was taken to Harefield Hospital, west London, in July after suffering heart failure. She was too ill for a heart transplant and her husband, Al, agreed she be given an artificial organ. Selwa’s diseased natural heart was removed by surgeons and replaced with an artificial implant and the specialist unit on her back at the hospital, famous across the world for its heart and lung centres. It cost £86,000 ($116,000) to make in the US. “I was so ill before and after the surgery that it has taken me all this time to get fit enough to come home,

Leading English Premier League scorers

Leading English Premiership scorers after Sunday’s matches: 18: Kane (Tottenham) 17: Salah (Liverpool) 13: Sterling (Manchester City) 12: Aguero (Manchester City) 10: Alvaro Morata (Chelsea), Lukaku (Manchester United), Rooney (Everton) 9: Roberto Firmino (Liverpool), Vardy (Leicester) 8: Gabriel Jesus (Manchester City), Lacazette (Arsenal) 7: Coutinho (Liverpool), Sanchez (Arsenal)

Buhari’s Son Remain In Coma As Doctors Discover Additional Injuries

Yusuf Buhari, the son of Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari who was hospitalized in Abuja after a ghastly motorbike crash has not regained his ability to speak but doctors handling his treatment said he is gradually showing sign of recovery. Yesterday, the younger Buhari who sustained a head injury and a broken limb indicated to doctors repeatedly about his hand. A check on the hand showed it was fractured, leading doctors to embark on immediate treatment. A presidency source said that Yusuf has not regained his speech due to traumatic brain injury. Yusuf was drag racing with a friend, Bashir Gwandu when they both crashed in Gwanripa neighborhood in Nigeria's federal capital, Abuja.

Apple may face criminal charges in France over iPhone slowdowns

Earlier this month, Apple admitted to slowing older iPhone models in order to prevent phones with older batteries from suddenly shutting down. Now, Reuters reports that the company may face a legal battle in France over the practice. A French organization called HOP, which in French stands for Stop Planned Obsolescence, filed legal complaints against Apple in Paris this week. It also filed complaints against Epson for similar reasons. Apple also faces lawsuits in the US, two of which were filed by Chicago's Atlas Consumer Law group and individuals in California just days after reports of Apple's practices surfaced. At least eight lawsuits have now been filed in the US seeking class-action while a suit was also filed earlier this week in Israel. Under French law, planned obsolescence is not allowed and companies found to practicing it can be fined up to five percent of their annual sales.

PDP seeking power to resume stealing –Fayemi

A former governor of Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, has said the Peoples Democratic Party is only seeking to return to power in 2019 so as to resume looting the treasury as done in the past. Fayemi, currently the Minister of Mines and Steel Development, also urged Nigerians not to use the current fuel scarcity to rate President Muhammadu Buhari’s performance. He stated this while addressing some journalists in his home town of Isan Ekiti in the Oye Local Government Area of Ekiti State on Wednesday. He said, “What (fuel scarcity) we are witnessing is just a normal curve in the life of any administration. We will get over it and move on, but largely the President has not disappointed Nigerians. “What the PDP wants to come back to do is stealing. The option for Nigerians in 2019 is not to return to the old age of criminalisation and brigandage by not voting for the PDP, because there is nothing to convince Nigerians that they have changed with the shenanigans that characterised their

English Premier League results – collated

English Premier League results on Saturday: Chelsea 5 (Rudiger 3, Drinkwater 9, Pedro 23, Willian 73-pen, Zappacosta 88) Stoke 0 Liverpool 2 (Salah 52, 76) Leicester 1 (Vardy 3) Bournemouth 2 (Fraser 33, 89) Everton 1 (Gueye 57) Huddersfield 0 Burnley 0 Newcastle 0 Brighton 0 Watford 1 (Carrillo 11) Swansea 2 (Ayew 86, Narsingh 90) Manchester United 0 Southampton 0 Playing Sunday (kick-offs GMT) Crystal Palace v Manchester City (1200), West Bromwich Albion v Arsenal (1630)

Ibrahimovic ruled out for a month – Mourinho

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has revealed Zlatan Ibrahimovic will be out of action for a month, but he hopes to have Romelu Lukaku back soon following his head injury. Ibrahimovic went off at half-time in United’s Boxing Day draw against Burnley, but Mourinho did not divulge the nature of the injury that will keep the former Paris Saint-Germain star sidelined throughout January. “Zlatan one month out,” Mourinho told BT Sport following Saturday’s 0-0 draw against Southampton. Ibrahimovic had only recently got back into the United team after missing the first half of the season while he recovered from a serious knee injury suffered in April. With Ibrahimovic out for a prolonged period, Mourinho could have done without Belgian forward Lukaku being stretchered off in the first half against Southampton after a clash of heads with Wesley Hoedt. He lay prone on the pitch barely moving while he was treated by medical staff for five minutes. Lukaku remained conscious and was e

Board appointments: List prepared two years ago – Presidency

The Presidency on Saturday said there was nothing “scandalous or extraordinary” in the inclusion of the names of some dead persons in the list of appointments into boards of some agencies released by the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation on Friday. It said the list had been prepared over two years ago and nobody could stop some of those included on the list from dying between then and now. READ ALSO – Board appointments: FG, APC, grossly incompetent – PDP The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, gave the clarification in an interview with journalists in Abuja. Shehu recalled that the process of compiling the list started in 2015 while a reviewed list was presented to President Muhammadu Buhari in 2017 shortly before his health challenges. The presidential spokesman said having recovered fully, Buhari only instructed the new SGF, Mr. Boss Mustapha, to release the list. He assured Nigerians that nominees who are d

Google’s Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL see near 40% boost in sales over Christmas weekend

Smartphones were probably one of the tops gifts this week at Christmas, and it's been a good year to gift a phone with tons of great options available. Between the Note 8, Pixel 2, and Apple's latest crop of iPhones, there are a ton of good phones on the market. Looking at Christmas weekend, 2017, the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL topped the list when it comes to a lift in activations compared to general sales according to Localytics. This is undoubtedly thanks to the various promotions that were available on the market over the past few weeks, including credits up to $300 from Verizon and various other promotions from Google, Best Buy, Project Fi, and more. It's likely this strong performance by the Pixel 2 can be attributed to great promotions offered by carriers like Verizon and retailers like Best Buy, who both offered the purchase of a new Pixel 2 for under $15 per month.

Mourinho highlights Klopp inconsistency over Van Dijk

Jose Mourinho has mischievously highlighted the changing view of Jurgen Klopp after his Liverpool counterpart spent £75 million to sign Southampton’s Dutch defender Virgil van Dijk this week. The Manchester United manager cheekily suggested on Friday that if he were a member of the media, he would ask Klopp about his comments, 18 months ago, when the German claimed he would not want to spend huge amounts of money even if it were available to him. At that time, Klopp was responding to a summer in which United were on the verge of breaking the world record by paying £89 million for Paul Pogba – a figure “only” £14 million more than Liverpool spent this week to land van Dijk. “You know, I think the one that speaks about it in a specific way has to be Jurgen,” said Mourinho ahead of Southampton’s trip to Old Trafford on Saturday. “And if I was one of you I would ask him about his comments about one year ago. “But I’m not speaking specifically about that case because in Liverpool they

Carvalhal confident over Sanches revival

New Swansea manager Carlos Carvalhal is confident his fellow Portuguese Renato Sanches can resurrect his career after failing to impress since his loan-move from Bayern Munich. The 20-year-old midfielder who was named best young player at Euro 2016 has failed to score or provide an assist in 11 Swansea appearances. Sanches has not started a game since November 29, when he was ridiculed for passing a ball into an advertising hoarding at Chelsea with no Swansea player in close attendance. But Carvalhal believes Sanches, who cost Bayern 35 million euros when he joined them from Benfica after Portugal won Euro 2016, will prove himself at Swansea under his management. “I think he (Sanches) needs confidence,” Carvalhal said, ahead of his Swansea bow at Watford on Saturday. “It is easy to forget because he has played for Benfica and the Portuguese national team that he is still only a kid. “He is still learning and I think he needs a role in the team. “With time he will understand all

We’ve tamed the monster of fuel scarcity, NNPC boss boasts

The Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Dr. Maikanti Baru, on Friday boasted that the Federal Government has successfully tamed “the monster” of fuel scarcity that marred Christmas holidays across the country. Baru said this in an interview with State House correspondents after joining fellow Muslims for Jumat service in a mosque at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. He said information available to him showed that normalcy had returned to Abuja, Lagos and many other parts of the country as far as fuel distribution was concerned. He attributed the scarcity to the activities of “some greedy marketers” who he accused of hoarding and diverting products because of a rumoured price increase. The NNPC boss said, “I’m happy to report that we have tamed the monster that reared its head as a result of the rumoured price increase about three weeks ago. “Unfortunately, that rumour instigated a lot of marketers to be very greedy and they decided that their fel

No other state can match Osun public schools’ infrastructure — Aregbesola

Governor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun State has said that no other state in the country can compete with Osun in terms of infrastructural development in primary and secondary schools. According to a statement made available to our correspondent in Osogbo on Wednesday by his media adviser, Mr. Sola Fasure, the governor said this while featuring on an NTA network programme, ‘Good Morning Nigeria.’ Aregbesola, the statement noted, described the provision of free meals to pupils in all government-owned primary schools in the state as exceptional. He said that Osun had received many awards, particularly from international organisations, based on its school-feeding programme which, he claimed, had drastically increased pupil enrolment in primary schools in the state. The statement read, “Osun Elementary School Feeding and Health Programme is one of our programmes. Thousands of pupils are fed on every school day, while the state recruited thousands of young women as food vendors discharging th

Why you need detoxification after the holidays

If you have overdone the partying and eating these past days, you may require detoxification. If you are also experiencing two or more of the following signs and symptoms, you certainly do need a detox: headaches, backaches, runny nose, fatigue, joint pains, itchy nose, nervousness, skin rashes, cough, frequent colds, sleepiness, hives, wheezing, irritated eyes, insomnia, nausea, sore throat, immune weakness, dizziness, indigestion, tight or stiff neck, environmental sensitivity, mood changes, sinus congestion, anxiety, bad breath, body odour, circulatory deficits, fever, depression, constipation and high blood fats. Detoxification is a necessary process to promote full body health. This is true, especially if you are not a healthy eater. The process removes harmful or toxic substances from your body, leading to a better health and a great starting place for a new healthy lifestyle. If you experience any of the following, then it is about time you had a detox. If you chronically fee

UPDATED: Swansea hire Carvalhal as boss until end of season

Premier League strugglers Swansea City appointed Carlos Carvalhal as their manager until the end of the season on Thursday. Carvalhal was sacked by second-tier Sheffield Wednesday on Christmas Eve, but Swansea surprisingly chose the Portuguese coach to replace Paul Clement, who lost his job on December 20 with the club languishing at the bottom of the Premier League. The Welsh club said Carvalhal’s contract included the option of an extension at the end of the season. “We felt we needed to get the managerial situation resolved as soon as possible and while the timing is not always perfect, we can look forward to the second half of the campaign with renewed optimism,” Swanseachairman Huw Jenkins said. To convince Swansea to keep him beyond this season, Carvalhal might have to save his new club from relegation. They sit five points from safety and bottom of the table with no wins in their last four matches after a 5-0 thrashing at Liverpool on Tuesday. Carvalhal is Swansea’s fifth

BREAKING: George Weah is Liberia’s president-elect

Ex-football superstar George Weah was announced the winner on Thursday of Liberia’s presidential run-off, beating Vice President Joseph Boakai in the first democratic transfer of power in decades following two devastating civil wars. Weah is set to replace incumbent Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, who took over at the helm of Africa’s oldest republic in 2006. The National Election Commission (NEC) said Weah had won an insurmountable 61.5 percent of Tuesday’s vote, which was delayed several weeks after a legal challenge from Boakai. The NEC said that with 98.1 percent of all votes counted, Boakai had only secured 38.5 percent support. Ahead of Thursday’s results, armed and helmeted police deployed outside the poll body’s headquarters and some of Weah’s supporters were already rejoicing. “The Liberian people clearly made their choice… and all together we are very confident in the result of the electoral process,” tweeted Weah before the official results were announced. Weah topped the firs

Bike Accident: Presidency denies flying Buhari’s son, Yusuf, to Germany

The Presidency has dismissed as ‘fake news’ an online story that the President’s son, Yusuf Buhari was flown out of the country early Thursday morning following his severe head injury in a bike accident. An online media outfit, TheCable, on Thursday reported that Buhari had been flown to Germany over the head injury he sustained following a bike accident on Tuesday night. “As previously reported by TheCable, he is being flown to Germany for specialist care. “The family is said to have decided on Germany. “He was driven to the Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport, Abuja, in an ambulance with oxygen support. “An orthopaedic consultant with specialisation in head injuries was also on the flight to monitor his progress,” TheCable reported However, Malam Garba Shehu, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity in a text message on Thursday in Abuja, said Yusuf was still being treated at a private hospital in Abuja.

Private Jet With Wizkid And Tiwa Savage On Board Robbed While Taxiing On Lagos Airport’s Runway

A private jet carrying two top Nigerian musical artists, Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun aka “Wizkid” and Tiwa Savage from Uyo, the capital of Akwa Ibom state was attacked and robbed last night while taxiing on Lagos airport’s runway 18L. The Bombardier Challenger 605 jet with registration number T7-A00 arrived Lagos from Uyo about 8:33 pm and was slowly taxiing to the arrival hangar when the cargo compartment was burgled. The jet slowed to allow an Ethiopian Airline cargo plane with registration number ET-ARH to push back for take off. The pilot, Captain Cloud Cote noticed the cargo door had been opened by burglars and promptly notified Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) security, but the burglars had disappeared before FAAN officials could make it to the point where the attack took place.

World’s top 10 football transfers

Liverpool signed Southampton defender Virgil van Dijk for a reported £75 million ($100 million, 84 million euros) on Wednesday. It is a world record fee for a defender and puts the Dutchman in the top 10 of the world’s most expensive transfers: 1. Neymar, Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain, 2017, £200.6 million 2. Ousmane Dembele, Borussia Dortmund to Barcelona, 2017, £96.8m 3. Paul Pogba, Juventus to Manchester United, 2016, £89m 4. Gareth Bale, Tottenham to Real Madrid, 2013, £85.3m 5. Cristiano Ronaldo, Manchester United to Real Madrid, 2009, £80m 6. Gonzalo Higuain, Napoli to Juventus, 2016, £75.3m 7. Romelu Lukaku, Everton to Manchester United, 2017, £75m 8. Virgil van Dijk, Southampton to Liverpool, 2018, £75m 9. Luis Suarez, Liverpool to Barcelona, 2014, £65m 10. James Rodriguez, Monaco to Real Madrid, 2014, £63m Notes: Kylian Mbappe, £160 million move from Monaco to PSG to be completed in June, after current loan spell Neymar, 2013 transfer from Santos to Barcelona

UPDATED: Liverpool reportedly sign Southampton’s Virgil van Dijk for £75m

Liverpool signed Southampton’s Virgil van Dijk on Wednesday for a reported £75 million ($100 million, 84 million euros) in a deal that makes him the world’s most expensive defender. Van Dijk has been linked with a move to Liverpool for several months and the Anfield club were forced to issue an apology after an alleged illegal approach for the Netherlands international earlier this year. Reds boss Jurgen Klopp has remained determined to sign Van Dijk as he tries to shore up a leaky defence that has fatally damaged Liverpool’s Premier League title ambitions. “Delighted and honoured to have agreed to become a Liverpool FC player,” Van Dijk wrote on Twitter, alongside a photo of him with a Liverpool shirt. “Today is a proud day for me and my family as I join one of the biggest clubs in world football. “I can’t wait to pull on the famous red shirt for the first time in front of the Kop and will give everything I have to try and help this great club achieve something special in the ye

Buhari’s son, Yusuf, sustains head injury in bike accident

…undergoes surgery in private hospital Son of President Muhammadu Buhari, Yusuf, was on Tuesday night involved in bike accident in Abuja. He was said to have sustained head injury and had one of his limbs broken. The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, confirmed the accident in a statement made available to journalists on Wednesday . Shehu said Yusuf had undergone a successful surgery and was in a stable condition. The statement read, “Yusuf Buhari had a bike accident last night around Gwarimpa in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. “He broke a limb and had an injury to the head as a result. He has undergone surgery at a clinic in Abuja. He is in a stable condition. “The President and his wife, Mrs. Aisha Muhammadu Buhari, are thankful to Nigerians for the good wishes and prayers for their son. “May God reward you all.”

Xiaomi Mi A1 picks up Android Oreo beta on Android One, adds fast charging

It came as a bit of a surprise earlier this year when Xiaomi announced that it would be joining Google's Android One program with the Mi A1. Now, a few months later, that device is picking up an Android Oreo beta, and it's finally adding support for fast charging. On paper and in person, the Xiaomi Mi A1 is a pretty stellar device for its price point. Now, Android Oreo is in beta testing on the Mi A1, and early testers report that it does in fact add support for fast charging (via XDA Developers). Early testers claim that the device charges its 3,080 mAh battery from 0% to 100% in just over 90 minutes, a nice increase from the previously required 2 or more hours.

iMac Pro includes a stormy new macOS desktop wallpaper

iMac Pro - Apple's most powerful Mac yet - is hitting stores and arriving for customers today, and a special black Lightning cable isn't the only surprise in the box. iMac Pro includes a new macOS desktop wallpaper as seen on the box. iMac Pro is the first desktop Mac to sport the darker space gray aluminum finish and the only way to acquire the black and space gray Magic Mouse 2, Magic Keyboard with Numeric Keypad, and Magic Trackpad 2 (without spending $2500 on eBay). $5000 and up also lands you a set of special black Apple stickers (12-inch MacBook includes space gray and gold stickers but all other stickers are white) and an exclusive new macOS desktop wallpaper based on the iMac Pro marketing campaign.

Indian hemp smuggler boards police car, mistakes it for a taxi

A man who smuggles Indian hemp for a living accidentally boarded a police car, as he had mistaken it for a taxi. The drug dealer in Copenhagen, Denmark, is facing the threat of a jail term, the Local reported. According to Copenhagen Police’s Twitter feed, the man was carrying around 1,000 wraps of marijuana when he clambered into the patrol car. “Last night, a cannabis dealer from Christiania who wanted to get home quickly got into a taxi. “He received a big surprise when he realised it was actually a police car he was sitting in,” police wrote. “The police officers were happy to see him, since he was carrying around 1,000 joints,” the tweet continued. The incident took place in Christiana, a part of Copenhagen known for its alternative lifestyle. However, police in the area have been clamping down on drug use in the enclave, which was established by hippie squatters 47 years ago. The Copenhagen dealer follows a long tradition of not very smart wannabe drug barons. In Januar

Cardi B Confirms Offset Cheated on Her After iCloud Hack Reveals the Receipts

After a hacker exposed Offset as a cheater, Cardi B confirmed that he had been unfaithful to her back in September. She also revealed that the video was taken in September, which fans had already speculated because Offset's outfit matched up with an ensemble he wore that month. The site also reports that she knew about the cheating before the hack, which is why she claimed she was "single" on social media in October. If that's the case, the two were clearly able to move past the drama, as she accepted his marriage proposal on Oct. 27. Reports also claim that Cardi started following her ex, Tommy, who recently did time in jail, on Instagram on the same day the cheating videos surfaced.

Persistent hiccups: Why do they happen?

The challenge of having hiccups is a peculiar phenomenon. Many text messages and emails have been received at the various portals above in pursuit of the understanding of this problem and many solutions have been put forward. However, it is time perhaps to deal with the issue in a formal essay, hence this week’s effort at bringing some degree of understanding to it. Often, it is a mild affair that lasts only a few minutes. At other times, however, it may last for several hours and even days. When it stays for more than two days, it is described as a chronic condition. In the main, a definite cause cannot usually be attributable to the problem. More seriously sometimes, a troubling disease condition may be responsible. A hiccup is in part, an irritation of the diaphragm with a spasm of its muscular component which produces the characteristic feature that becomes so concerning when it fails to stop after a few seconds. The diaphragm is a structure that is part muscle and part tendon, w

Salah determined to win titles at Liverpool

Egyptian forward Mohamed Salah said on Monday he hopes he can help Liverpool end a five-year wait for silverware after making a blistering start to life at Anfield. The 25-year-old — who joined from Italian club Roma in the close season — has scored 21 goals in all competitions for Jurgen Klopp’s side and is joint-top of the Premier League scorers’ charts with Tottenham Hotspur’s Harry Kane. “I want to win titles here, I cam here to win titles — to win something for the club, for us, for the fans,” he told Sky Sports News. “I love to win something here. We are working hard every day to win something. I am sure we are going to win something this year.” Salah has formed a key part of Liverpool’s ‘fab four’ attacking line-up alongside Philippe Coutinho, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane. The five-time European champions — who have not won a trophy since the 2012 League Cup — sit fourth in the Premier League ahead of Tuesday’s match against Swansea City and take on Porto in the Champion

ICYMI: Man slashes girlfriend’s throat for attempting to jilt him

A 21-year-old woman, Aisha Dikko, is presently recuperating at the General Hospital, Kurfi, Katsina State after she was attacked and left for the dead by her boyfriend. Dikko was said to have been tricked into a bush at Tamawa village in the Kurfi Local Government Area of the state by her boyfriend of five years, Abubakar Sule, 23, who allegedly slashed her throat with a knife. Sule, who is currently in the police custody, was alleged to have thereafter abandoned Dikko in the bush, believing she was dead. A Good Samaritan reportedly found the dying lady and rushed her to the General Hospital, Kurfi. The state Commissioner of Police, Beseng Gwana, confirmed the incident, declaring that Sule would be charged to court soon. The police boss said, “The Suspect abandoned the lady in the bush thinking that she was dead, but the victim was later found by a Good Samaritan and was rushed to the General Hospital, Kurfi. “The suspect was traced and apprehended. He confessed to have committe

UPDATED: Security operatives lock down Bwari as one dies in Hausa/Gwari clash

Soldiers and policemen  on Monday locked down Bwari, a satellite town in the Federal Capital Territory, following clashes between Gwari and Hausa youths. The security personnel prevented residents from moving around and sent back home motorists taking their families out for Christmas celebration. It was gathered that the violence broke out after a fight between a Hausa and Gwari youth on Sunday night, which led to the death of the latter. The death of the Gwari youth, it was learnt, angered his kinsmen who carried out a reprisal on the Hausa community during which a market was torched by a mob. The clash, which was believed to be a fall-out of the leadership tussle between the two chiefs in the area, began at about 10am when many residents were in church for the Christmas service. One of our correspondents, who visited the scene observed that many of the houses were shut while majority of the residents were asked to stay indoors until the security situation improved. Three vehicl

Mystic woman who predicted '9/11' and ISIS has 2 predictions for 2018

Baba Vanga, a mystic who many believe 'predicted' 9/11 and the rise of ISIS, also had two predictions for 2018. The 85-year-old passed away in 1996 but her predictions are still circulating online over twenty years later. Regarding the year ahead, Baba Vanga said that China would take over from the United States as the world's number one superpower. She also predicted that scientists would discover 'a new form of energy' on the planet Venus. In previous years, it has been suggested that China could potentially overtake the US as the number one global power and considering its current economic prowess, this is a definite possibility. As regards the second prophecy, the 'new form of energy', a NASA spacecraft entitled the Parker Solar Probe will launch in July. According to The Mirror , it is not expected to land on Venus but will use the planet's 'gravitational force' to study the outer corona of the sun. Baba Vanga, originally from Bulgari