Army officer and father of two killed in a Boko Haram bomb attack (2nd Lt. Amajuoritse Jemide)

2nd Lt. Amajuoritse Jemide pictured above with his wife, was killed in a boko Haram bomb attack recently. He was in an army convoy that was hit by a bomb in Yobe state. He is survived by his parents, wife and two children. He was 32 years old. Tributes from his friends and family members have been pouring in. See some of them after the cut...

Father sues Monster Energy drink for the death of his 19-year old son

A 19 year old teenager, Dustin Hood, downed 3 1/2, 24-ounce cans of Monster Energy drink within a 24-hour period back in 2015 and died, now his father is blaming the buzz drink company for his son's death and is suing them for unspecified damages, according to TMZ reports.
According to the lawsuit, after drinking the last can, his son played basketball and collapsed face first on the concrete court. He was rushed to the hospital where he died a short time later. According to the lawsuit, Dustin died of cardiac arrhythmia, caused by a caffeine overload.

The suit which was filed last week claims 3 1/2 cans of Monster has the equivalent caffeine content of 14, 12 ounce cans of Coca Cola. The suit also notes that some other people have suffered cardiac arrest following the "acute consumption" of Monster Energy drink.

James DeGale loses his front tooth in thrilling draw with Badou Jack in New York

James DeGale will return to London with his world title - but without his front tooth.

The Brit battled to a draw with fellow world champion Badou Jack in New York on Saturday night.

But he will need surgery to repair his mouth after his gumshield repeatedly fell out.

At one point, DeGale was without it for more than a minute until the referee could take advantage of a break in the action.

And the 30-year-old showed the TV cameras his missing teeth in his post-fight interview.

He was later taken to hospital and did not appear at the post-fight press conference.

SpaceX successfully launches first rocket since explosion

A SpaceX Falcon rocket blasted off from California on Saturday, returning the company to flight for the first time since a fiery launchpad explosion in September.

The launch of the 230-foot (70-meter) rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base at 9:54 a.m. PST (1754 GMT) aimed to deliver 10 satellites into orbit for Iridium Communications Inc.

SpaceX’s founder and entrepreneur Elon Musk’s ambitious flight plans had been grounded since the Sept. 1 explosion during fueling ahead of a pre-flight test in Florida

About 10 minutes after Saturday’s launch, the first stage of the rocket, which had separated from the rest of craft, successfully touched down on a platform in the Pacific Ocean, a feat previously accomplished by four other returning Falcon rockets. SpaceX intends to reuse its rockets to cut costs.

The mission will test changes implemented by Space Exploration Technologies Corp, known as SpaceX, since the launchpad explosion.

Why I Actually Treat Ladies Like Dogs - Pretty Mike

Pretty Mike

The Lagos socialite, Mike Nwogu, popularly called Pretty Mike, has opened up on why he chained some girls on a dog leash and took them to different events in Lagos recently.

The controversial Pretty Mike who owns Club Uno in Lagos said he did it to advocate for women who “have no voice.”

He said: “For me, there is a mission statement. I would give you some examples to explain the mission statement behind my action. I would not call any names but I am sure we all know about an Emir that was given a 15-year-old as a wife. To me, that is putting women on a leash. We talk about traditional rulers that marry underage women, that is putting women on the leash.

Fake lawyer practised, won cases in Supreme Court – Police

Fakelawyer

Peter Itopa Adogun

* Arraign accused over certificate, identity theft

The police in Kwara State have arrested and arraigned a man, Peter Itopa Adogun, before an Ilorin Magistrate’s court for certificate and identity theft in the state capital.

The accused, according to the First Information Report, has been practising as a lawyer in Ilorin and its environs since 2007 with the name “Barrister I. T. David.” The suspect was picked up and investigated, following a petition written to the police on behalf of the Ilorin branch of the Nigerian Bar Association by its legal adviser, Oyetunji Ojuokaiye.

According to the prosecutor, Nasir Yusuf, “The suspect jumped police administrative bail after being arrested while appearing before an Area Court in Ilorin. He was, however, rearrested on the roof top of his house on January 7.

Trump slammed for attack on rights icon

Politicians, entertainers and others have come to the defence of a US civil rights campaigner, Congressman John Lewis, who has become embroiled in a row with President-elect Donald Trump.

Mr Trump tweeted that Mr Lewis was "all talk" and should focus on his constituents, after he said Mr Trump was not a legitimate president.

But Mr Lewis' supporters reacted with anger, saying he was a hero and icon.

Mr Lewis was a leading figure in the 1960s civil rights movement.

He is the last surviving speaker from the 1963 March on Washington, led by Martin Luther King.

Trump's history on Twitter

Twitter combusts over Streep v Trump row

The tweets that say so much and reveal so little

The row came as civil rights activists led by Rev Al Sharpton began a week of protests ahead of Mr Trump's inauguration on 20 January.

Finally! After years of trying, China celebrates ballpoint pen breakthrough

China has finally produced its own fully home-produced ballpoint pen after years of trying to master the complex techniques involved in making the delicate tips.

Despite manufacturing 80% of the world's ballpoint pens, the country had previously been unable to produce the small but crucial component.

Now, state-owned steel firm Taiyuan Iron & Steel has announced it has finally cracked it.

So why did a country renowned for ingeniously replicating technology struggle to create an everyday item for so long?

Firstly, it did not have machines with the precision needed to cut a tiny ball-bearing accurately, meaning the balls had to be imported from Switzerland.

U.S sending 4000 troops & 2400 military equipment to Europe is a threat to our security- Russia says

Russia has revealed that the U.S government's decision to send 4000 troops and military vehicles/equipments to Poland and Germany is a threat to Russia's interests and security.
 

Early this week, the U.S deployed 4000 troops and 2,400 pieces of military equipment that included tanks, armored fighting vehicles, artillery, trucks and containers to Russia's European borders in Germany and Poland, an action U.S Military described as a clear 'warning to Russia', to prevent them from showing military superiority to 'smaller' European nations just like they did Ukraine.

Kremlin has now revealed that the increase of military presence of it's neighbors by the U.S, that's not even a European country is a threat to Russia's well-being.

"We see it as a threat to us. This is an action that threatens our interests, our security, moreover, this is a third nation (apart from Russia and Poland) that is increasing its military presence near our borders in Europe, and it's not even a European nation.' Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov told journalists on a conference call on Thursday.

Here are 10 'fake news' stories Trump has pushed as real

President-elect Donald Trump is not a fan of “fake news.” But you'd be excused for thinking he is.

The soon-to-be president in his first press conference of 2017 on Wednesday admonished the media for reporting on a widely disputed and still unconfirmed memo that alleges Russia held compromising information on Trump. 

“It's all fake news. It's phony stuff. It didn't happen. And it was gotten by opponents of ours, as you know, because you reported it and so did many of the other people,” Trump said. “It was a group of opponents that got together—sick people—and they put that crap together.”

Ironically enough, many credit Donald Trump for ushering us into this “post-fact” era. From birtherism to claims that millions of illegal immigrants voted in the 2016 election, Trump has dished out his fair share of “fake news” throughout his career—before his presidential run, on the campaign trail, and in the days leading up to his presidency.

As of this writing, Politifact estimates that Trump has made a total of 241 statements that are “mostly false,” “false,” or “pants on fire.” A total of 51 of Trump's claims investigated by Politifact ranked “half true.” 

So, since Trump now appears to be a warrior against inaccurate information, here is a rundown of a few of the more recent or memorable “fake news” that Trump has claimed is real:

BREAKING: MMM Nigeria Returns, Unfreezes Participants Accounts

MMM Nigeria

Mavrodi Mondial Moneybox (MMM) in Nigeria has announced that they are open for business, a day earlier than the promised date, January 14, 2017.

A ‘freeze’ was put on the ponzi scheme in December 2016.

A tweet from @MMMNigeriaHelp reads: “This is to officially inform you that MMM Nigeria is open for business a day earlier than promised! Let’s go there Nigerians!”


The update was accompanied by a press statement, where the administrators explained why they are back before the due date.

It reads: “We are now open!!! :-))

“Dear members,

“The holidays are over, and we”re now open. Just as promised. (You might have already noticed that we always stick to our promises. :-)) Actually, we promised to be open on January 14, but we”re open now, January 13, as you can see, which is a day earlier. (Well, I hope, the members of the System will forgive us for that. :-))

“It’s related to the hysteria raised by the authorities and the mass media around MMM. By joining forces, they”ve managed to nearly give the members of the System a heart attack and have frightened them out of their wits. Poor souls don”t know what to expect. Will we open again or not? :-))

“This is why we”ve decided, considering the situation, to reach out to the members, reassure and cheer them up by opening a little earlier. After all, Together We Can Change The World! :-))


“Here we go.

1. As of this notice, MMM resumes its usual operation. You can now create your GH-requests.

2. However, it”s obvious that panic will reign in the first few days after the re-opening of the System. We’re likely to be deluged by GH-requests. Therefore, we”re going to make gradual paybacks by setting internal output limits. In other words, we will only pay a certain amount per day. Please, be prepared to wait for a couple of days. We are certain things will then calm down, and the System operation will return to normal.

Adulterous Kenyan couple gets stuck after sex ( Photos & Video)

Two months after a similar occurrence happened in Kenya, another married woman and her lover got stuck in bed after her husband had consulted a witch-doctor for a charm.

According to Tuko News, the adulterous couple from Kisii region of Kenya were recently nabbed at a hotel, where they were committing the act.

In the video below, they were carried on the back of a pick-up truck and taken around town where residents could hear them crying in pains.

More photos and the video below...

shocker... Commercial driver sold murdered UNIOSUN student for N10,000

The Department of State Security Service (DSS), Osun State Command, said it has arrested a herbalist and a commercial driver  for allegedly kidnapping and killing a 400 Level Science Education student of Osun State University, Osogbo, Adebisi Rofiat Damilola.

The driver, Elijah Oyebode confessed that the herbalist identified as Jelili, also known Ifa, gave him the assignment to bring a young lady and get N10,000 as reward.

Elijah said the victim boarded his vehicle from Ipetu-Ijesa to Osogbo while returning from the Ipetu-Ijesa campus of UNIOSUN.

Rofiat who left Ipetu-Ijesa for Osogbo on December 22nd, 2016 got missing along the way and her corpse was found on the roadside along Ikirun/Iragbiji road few days later. Elijah who spoke with Daily Trust in Yoruba language, said:

These are the 20 safest airlines in the world

British Airways Airbus A380-800.

Flickr/airwolfhound

Despite some recent tragedies, air travel is still one of the safest forms of transportation around. In fact, according to Australian consumer-aviation website AirlineRatings.com, 2016 was the second safest year in the history of commercial aviation, after 2013.

AirlineRatings.com recently released a list of the 20 safest airlines selected from a pool of 425 carriers around the world. To compile its list, the website evaluated each airline based on its standing with international regulators, its fatality record over the past 10 years, its result from an International Air Transport Association (IATA) safety audit, and whether its country of origin conforms with the International Civil Aviation Organization's eight-point safety parameter. All of the airlines on this list passed those tests with flying colors.

The carriers on the list hail from Asia, North America, Australia, and Europe, with no carriers from Africa and South America making the cut. This top-20 includes only mainline carriers. Low-cost or boutique carriers such as JetBlue, Virgin America, Norwegian, and EasyJet were considered for a separate ranking.

Israel diplomat forced to resign after AJ investigation

An Israeli political officer, who was at the centre of an Al Jazeera investigation, has been forced to resign from Israel's UK embassy, a senior official in the Israeli foreign ministry has told Al Jazeera. 

Shai Masot, a senior political officer working at the Israeli embassy, resigned from his post earlier this week, the spokesman said on Thursday.

The investigation, The Lobby, reveals plots by the Israeli diplomat and a British civil servant to destroy the careers of senior politicians.

In a statement posted on his Twitter account on Sunday, the UK Israeli embassy's spokesman, Yiftah Curiel, downplayed comments made by Masot. 

This 20-year old Norwegian girl is the world's youngest billionaire

Facebook

At 20 years old, Norwegian Alexandra Andresen is the world's youngest dollar billionaire. Her one year older big, Katharina, is the second youngest. 

The Andersen family's fortune comes mainly from the tobacco brand Tiedemanns, which was founded by Alexandra's great-great-great-grandfather. After the brand was sold in 2005 for nearly half a billion dollars, Alexandras father, Johan F. Andresen, transferred 84 percent of the equity in Ferd to his two daughters in 2007. 

Syria accuses Israel of attack on Damascus airport

Syria on Friday accused Israel of firing rockets that hit near a major military airport west of Damascus, triggering a fire, and warned Tel Aviv of repercussions without specifying whether it would retaliate for the attack.

In a statement carried on the official news agency SANA, the military said several missiles were launched just after midnight from an area near Lake Tiberias that fell in the vicinity of the Mezzeh military airport on the western edge of the capital. It did not say whether there were any casualties.

Residents of Damascus reported hearing several explosions that shook the capital. The Mezzeh airport compound located on the southwestern edge of the capital had been used to launch attacks on rebel-held areas near Damascus and has come previously under rebel fire.

TOURISM REVIEW : TOBIX RECREATIONAL GARDEN AND PARK ABUJA @TOBIXGARDEN

Tobix Recreational Park and Garden is easily the most exclusive hangout for people who love outdoor fun and serene relaxation in Abuja. It is a multi-purpose park and a unique events centre built in 2012.

The two-acre park is a tapestry of beautiful and functional garden features such as the ever-green lawns,badminton court,event spaces, walk ways, topiaries of different shapes, sculpture, waterfalls, fountains, ponds, rock gardens, gazebos of different sizes of exotic trees, palms and flowers, it also has a children’s play ground equipped with play toys. The park is known for its expansive space for guests and it beauty.

Located along the Banex-Gwarinpa Express Road, just opposite ALIBERT Furnitures, our location is indeed a perfect place for family picnics, individual and group hangouts as well as romantic getaways.

We are surrounded, by plush green vegetation, large serene atmosphere and enough car parking space for everyone. And we’re only 300 metres away from NEXT Cash and Carry Supermarket, just along the same road. This destination has something for everyone.

British Rapper Bagged 23-Year Jail Term for Jailing, Raping and Torturing a Woman

A man who raped and tortured a woman while keeping her prisoner for three days last February has been jailed for 23 years.

Courtney Hutchinson, a rapper and actor who went by the alias DVS, will also remain on the sex offenders register for life.

Police say the severe level of violence demonstrated Hutchinson’s “total disregard for the victim as a human being”.

Best known for the songs Hometown and Passion, he also played the part of a gangster in the British film, The Intent. In one scene he brands a man with a hot iron, which was also one of the ways he tortured his victim in real life, causing her severe burns.

Despite her horrific injuries, the 20-year-old victim managed to escape from his house and ran naked into the street where a member of the public found her. She suffered a fractured eye socket, broken nose, internal bleeding, a dislocated shoulder and a stab wound to the hand.     

People who only exercise at weekends are 30% less likely to die early

Adults are advised to do 150 minutes of moderate workout each week to stay fit

Exercising just once or twice a week in middle-age slashes the risk of an early death, a major study has found.

‘Weekend warriors’ – those who are too busy to keep fit during the week – reduce their risk of dying from any cause by 30 per cent.

While those who make time to attend the gym or go for a jog each day only reap an extra five per cent benefit.

The findings, based on health data from more than 63,000 British adults, offers hope to the many adults in their 40s, 50s and 60s who exercise on Saturdays and Sundays.

The British Health Service (NHS) and World Health Organisation recommend people each week do at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise such as cycling, walking or gardening, or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise such as running.

South Carolina’s Shooter Sentenced to Death for the Killing of Nine Black People

A US federal jury has sentenced Dylann Roof to death over the murders of nine black churchgoers in Charleston, South Carolina.

Jurors took just three hours to pronounce the sentence yesterday, after last month finding Roof guilty of all 33 charges relating to the massacre at the African Methodist Episcopal Church in June 2015.

He is “the first person to face execution for a federal hate crime conviction”, reports The Guardian.

Roof, who had dismissed his legal team, delivered a “halting and cryptic closing argument”, the Washington Post reports, but “not once during his very brief remarks did [he] say he regretted his actions”.

Instead, he told jurors: “The prosecution and anyone else who hates me are the ones that have been misled.”

He added: “I think it’s safe to say that no one in their right mind wants to go into a church and kill people. I still feel like I had to do it.”

Several relatives of Roof’s victims welcomed the death sentence.

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”.