British singers Church, Ferguson snub Trump’s inauguration

British singers, Charlotte Church and Rebecca Ferguson, have rejected invitations from U.S. President-elect, Donald Trump’s team to perform at his inauguration next week, they said in separate statements on Tuesday. The rejections follow other apparent snubs by celebrities, including Elton John, whose publicist denied in November that he would be performing at the event after an economic adviser to Trump had said that he would.

 “@realDonaldTrump Your staff have asked me to sing at your inauguration, a simple Internet search would show I think you’re a tyrant. Bye,’’ wrote Church in a tweet she concluded with derogatory emojis. Tom Barrack, a longtime friend of Trump who is organising the Jan. 20 event, brushed aside suggestions that there would be a lack of star power at the Jan. 20 festivities. Barrack told reporters that Trump himself was “the greatest celebrity in the world’’ and that the inauguration committee was aiming for a “much more poetic cadence’’ rather than “a circus-like celebration that’s a coronation.’’ Trump’s inauguration committee did not reply to requests for comment about Church and Ferguson. Classical crossover singer Jackie Evancho, who rose to fame as a child performer on the TV show “America’s Got Talent’’ six years ago, has confirmed she would sing the U.S. national anthem at Trump’s inauguration.
 Church, who also began her career as a child classical singer, has spoken out in recent years about her left-leaning political views, and posted multiple tweets during the 2016 campaign criticising Trump. Ferguson, who gained prominence as a runner-up on the TV talent show “The X Factor’’ in 2010, said on Tuesday she too had refused to perform at Trump’s inauguration because her choice of the song “Strange Fruit’’ was rejected. 
The anti-racist song, which has been performed by the likes of Billie Holiday and Nina Simone, protests against the lynching of African-Americans in the South in the early 20th century. “I requested to sing ‘Strange Fruit’ as I felt it was the only song that would not compromise my artistic integrity,’’ Ferguson said in a statement. “As music is so powerful, I wanted to try and help educate the people watching of where division and separation can lead to if not corrected. My aim was not to cause contention,’’ she said.

Messi Statue Vandalized

A statue of Lionel Messi in Argentina’s capital, Buenos Aires, has been broken in half, with the player’s upper body, arms and head removed, it has been reported.

The statue on the Paseo de la Gloria walkway overlooking the River Plate was severed at the waist leaving only the lower body and a ball.

City Hall said they do not know who was responsible or the motive for the damage.

“It was the victim of an act of vandalism,” the city’s culture secretariat said on Tuesday. “The city government is already working on repairs.”

THE SHELTER OF WARRI KINGDOM THE UMBRELLA OF ITSEKIRI NATION MAMA OF THE DELTA. CHIEF RITA LORI OGBEBOR

THE SHELTER OF WARRI KINGDOM
THE UMBRELLA OF ITSEKIRI NATION
MAMA OF THE DELTA.

CHIEF RITA LORI OGBEBOR Aka IROJOWO.

A goer; An extra miler; An Activist per excellence;
A Youth; A mother; The flower of Ale Iwere.
Our Ace, A Watcher woman; The Pride of all Itsekiri.
A flag bearer; A living Legend; A giant from the Swamps.

Chief Mama Rita Lori-Ogbebor; The Warrior who confronts intruders with a very sharp sword, but executes her domestic fights with a blunt sword.

With Great Joy In My Heart I Write Again to Celebrate an ICON in My time,MAMA of the Itsekiri Nation.

 WE ITSEKIRIS are the present day Israelites in Nigeria. As the Almighty God used Esther to fight for the children of Isreal and became victorious.we PRAY that the Almighty God as HE used Esther to fight for the children of Israel, will give you the grace and strength to fulfill God purpose in your life and the WARRI KINGDOM like the Esther in the Holy Bible.You will not fail, God will guide you always.

Breaking: FIFA approves 48 team World Cup for 2026

FIFA’s ruling council on Tuesday unanimously approved an expansion of the World Cup to 48 teams in 2026, with a format of 16 groups of three nations. 
“The FIFA Council unanimously decided on a 48-team #WorldCup as of 2026: 16 groups of 3 teams,” a tweet from FIFA’s official account said. 
The decision marks a major coup for the body’s president Gianni Infantino who has made enlarging football’s showcase event the centrepiece of his young administration. The controversial proposal has faced criticism from some of the sport’s most powerful voices, including warnings that it would dilute the quality of play and overburden already exhausted players. 

But Infantino had in recent weeks voiced confidence that his flagship project would be approved. While noting that a bigger tournament would bring in more money, the FIFA chief has also argued that more World Cup berths would help drive football’s global growth. 
Africa and Asia could be the big winners in a larger format with a rise in their number of places, currently at 5 and 4.5 respectively. But in order to smooth over scepticism about World Cup reform within UEFA, it is likely that Europe will also see its allotments rise above the current 13 places.

Friends mourn as groom dies 3 days after wedding

It was tears and wailing after a young man who just got married somewhere in the eastern parts of the country lost his life in a fatal car accident on his way back to his base in Lagos State.

According to a close friend of the late groom, Darlington Nnamani, who posted the sad story on his Facebook wall, the young couple were returning to Lagos three days after their traditional marriage and church wedding when they were involved in a tragic accident which left the groom dead on the spot.

The bride identified as Cynthia Chy Onyeagba, was, however, lucky though she sustained serious injuries and had to be rushed to a specialist hospital.

Jamie Foxx Attacked At Hollywood Restaurant (Video)

Jamie and some friends were in the patio area at Catch restaurant when a guy came up and complained the group was too loud. One witness says the guy mouthed off, "You don't want to mess with me. I'm from New York."

A comedian who was at Jamie's table fired back, "F*** you I'm from Oakland."

Eyewitnesses say at that point the guy lunged at Jamie. The accounts vary, but one witness says he actually made contact with the actor, pulling him down onto a table. The witness goes on to say Jamie turned the guy around, put him in a choke hold and took him down.

The random guy and the group were kicked out of the restaurant.

BTW ... lots of celebs had a bird's-eye view ... including Jerry Bruckheimer, Cuba Gooding Jr., Michael Bay and Nicole Murphy.

Navy Hands Over Three Suspects, Four Vessels to EFCC

Illegal Oil Bunkering; Navy Hands Over Three Suspects, Four Vessels to EFCC.
As part of its collaborative efforts to sanitize the Nigeria waterways and to rid it of illegal oil bunkering, the Nigerian Navy, NNS Pathfinder on Friday January 6, 2017 in Port Harcourt, Rivers State handed over three persons suspected to be involved in illegal oil bunkering and four Tug Boats – MV Kessy1, MV Thames, MV Lolo14 and MV Lolo 20 to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission for further investigation and possibly prosecution.

Top Russian diplomat found dead in Athens apartment with 'no evidence of a break-in'

A senior Russian diplomat was found dead in his Athens apartment on Monday, a Greek police official said.

Andrey Malanin, 54, was head of the consular section, according to the embassy's website.

He was found on the floor of his bedroom by a member of the embassy's staff with no evidence of a break-in, the official said on condition of anonymity.

"At first sight, we are talking about natural causes," the police official said, noting that police were investigating and authorities were awaiting the coroner's report.

Russia's ambassador to Turkey, Andrei Karlov , was assassinated last month while speaking at a photo exhibit.

President Putin was among mourners, including relatives and fellow diplomats laying flowers near Karlov's body in a ceremony in the marbled lobby of the looming Stalin-era skyscraper in central Moscow.

EXCLUSIVE PHOTOS FROM 2016 TOP NAIJA MUSIC AWARDS PRESENTATION CEREMONY ON 7TH JAN 2017 IN LAGOS

It was indeed a night for glitz and glamour, excitement and fun, new experience and life achievements as young aspiring musicians gathers from all over the world to attend the 4th edition of Top Naija Music Awards Presentation Ceremony held on Saturday 7th January at Oriental Hotel, Lekki Express Way, Victoria Island, Lagos.

Winners and their family and friends all converged at the venue from around 7pm to the august event. The Host of the event was Raypower Super Presenter and winner of 2015 Top Naija Music Awards OAP Of The Year and 2016 Nigeria Entertainment Award OAP Of The Year, Tisan Bako. And he left no stone unturned as he hosted the event to the excitement of all present.

At the end of the event, the event was adjudge successful by all present. The Top Naija Music team, led by the young creative power house, Paul Oghoghore sincerely appreciate God almighty and all those who supported the event. We thank God for making the 2016 edition a success .

Below are exclusive photos from the event

A Strike Empties London’s Underground. Aboveground Is a Different Story.

More than two million commuters were thought to be affected by the walkout, which came amid cold, rainy weather, a falling pound and new fears over Britain’s plans to exit the European Union. Two separate industrial actions at British Airways and Southern Railway are also expected this week.

“Hard Brexit, pound plummet, Tube strike,” Alex Caldwell, a Londoner, wrote on Twitter, adding the hashtag #blueMonday.

As a consequence of the strike, Uber fares more than quadrupled, further raising the ire of Londoners and making Leicester Square, a major tourist hot spot, seem like a “Toyota Prius convention,” according to Chris Parsons, another commuter.

Transport for London, the Underground’s operator, provided river services — that is, boat rides across the Thames River. The company was also forced to wheel out its heritage buses — vintage double-deckers — to help ferry thousands of bus passengers, offering some a brief moment of delight.

MMA fighter War Machine 'beat porn star ex to pulp and sexually assaulted her after discussing rape fantasy'

A mixed martial arts fighter is to stand trial accused of brutally beating and sexually assaulting his porn star ex after the pair discussed acting out a rape fantasy.

Jonathan Koppenhaver is alleged to have beaten Christine Mackinday into a pulp and strangled her friend Corey Thomas to within an inch of his life after breaking into his former girlfriend's flat in 2014.

Mackinday, who starred in porn films under the name Christy Mack, posted photos of her horrific injuries on Twitter after the alleged assault in her Las Vegas home left her with 18 broken bones in her face, including a shattered eye socket.

A judge has ruled evidence the couple's discussion of rape fantasy can be heard in court after hearing Koppenhaver, 34, often bragged: "Real men rape."

The Las Vegas Review-Journal reported that Mackinday told a defence lawyer at a hearing on Thursday: "That was a joke between us. That was a pretty common slogan for him to say, and yes, I would repeat it back to him.”

T.I. Writes Open Letter to Barack Obama: ‘Your Legacy Will Live On’

The rapper and actor Tip Harris, better known as T. I., has never hesitated to speak his mind or wade into controversy. But even by his standards, he has had something of an awakening in the past year, which has culminated in a planned series of open letters to President Obama, President-elect Donald J. Trump and America as a whole.

Pained by the high-profile killings of African-Americans at the hands of the police, Mr. Harris began to think about taking action. The tipping point may have come last summer when, within a day of each other, Philando Castile and Alton Sterling were fatally shot by police officers. He met with several activists, including Harry Belafonte and the Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan, to ask for advice. “The main thing is educating ourselves on the issues and just remaining aware,” Mr. Harris said of the lessons from those meetings.

In addition to speaking on panels, marching in protests and sharing political views on late-night talk shows, Mr. Harris released an EP, “Us or Else,” followed by a full album, “Us or Else: Letter to the System,” that bluntly addresses police harassment. Before releasing his first letter, a reflection on President Obama’s impact, on Friday, he spoke about his hopes for his writing, and the next president. These are edited excerpts from the conversation.

G&D SMART BULBS

G&D Smart LED bulb is Nigeria's first portable and multi-functional power & money saving bulb, it can serve the functionality of an LED bulb, a handheld flashlight, a camping light, an emergency lantern and a power inverter. According to the company, the LED bulb that could revolutionize the very concept of providing lighting, as it is made using 18 LEDs. This allows the LED bulb to give a total lumen output of 900, which is equivalent to a 75 – 100 watt incandescent bulb or conventional bulb.

G&D LED bulb has life span of 40,000 hours lifeline  and promises a saving of 10-15 per cent more on energy and cost. Speaking to the Chairman of G&D smart bulbs,the parent company of the G&D construction brand said, “We are very pleased to launch G&D Smart Board. This is one of our best innovations yet, owing to the freedom of mobility and multiple functionality it offers. We believe that this innovation will lift every corner of the world out of darkness, sustainable. This little wonder bulb can light the world. The simplicity of its usage makes the bulb even more appealing to the user.”

52 car racers bag 6-month jail terms in Kano

Fifty two car racers in Kano have been summarily sentenced to six months imprisonment for attacking policemen.

The Kano State Police Command had earlier charged the 52 youths to court for pelting police officers who attempted to stop them from participating in car race during the just concluded New Year celebrations.

A statement by the spokesman of the command, Magaji Majiya, said the youths were arrested along Zoo Road area of the city in the early hours of January 1, planning “deadly car races”.

Cristiano Ronaldo beats Lionel Messi to win Fifa best player award

Cristiano Ronaldo was named the world's best player at the inaugural Best Fifa Football Awards in Zurich.

Real Madrid and Portugal forward Ronaldo, 31, beat Barcelona's Lionel Messi and Atletico Madrid's Antoine Griezmann to the prize.

Ronaldo also won the Ballon d'Or in December, with both honours recognition for success in the Champions League with Real and Euro 2016 with Portugal.

Carli Lloyd of the United States was named the world's best female player.

Leicester's Claudio Ranieri was named best men's coach, ex-Germany boss Silvia Neid won the female coach award, while Penang's Mohd Faiz Subri received the Puskas award for the best goal of 2016.

Hold on... haven't we already had the Ballon d'Or?