Ancelotti: Mourinho paid price for Chelsea players' loss of motivation

The Italian has empathised with the Portuguese following his sacking last week, while he looks forward to his next job at Bayern Munich
Carlo Ancelotti believes that "a lack of motivation" among the Chelsea players cost Jose Mourinho his job at Stamford Bridge.

Mourinho led the Blues to the Premier League title last season but they endured a shocking start to the 2015-16 campaign, losing nine of their opening 16 games, with a 2-1 loss at Leicester City last Monday week proving the final nail in the coffin for the Portuguese coach.

After the defeat at the King Power Stadium, Mourinho admitted that he felt "betrayed" by his players but Ancelotti - who was sacked by Chelsea in 2011, a year after leading the west London club to a domestic double - says that it is never easy to keep motivation levels high within a squad coming off the back of a successful season.



"That is the most difficult job for a coach because within a group, both one that is doing well and one that is doing badly, there are always problems to resolve," the Italian coach told Goal.

"When things are going well, there is a risk of relaxation; when things are going badly, obviously there is a loss of confidence.

"The coach must always keep a good balance in that sense, lifting the confidence levels particularly when things don't seem to be working.

"It's a little of this that Mourinho paid for, the fact that the team had not started like last year, when they had a tremendous desire to do well after a bad year.

"This year it was exactly the opposite; he paid for the lack of motivation among the players."

Ancelotti, of course, has just confirmed that he will make his return to coaching next summer, having agreed to replace Pep Guardiola as Bayern Munich boss.

Succeeding the Catalan would appear to represent a daunting challenge, given the 44-year-old is bidding for a third successive Bundesliga title and gearing up for one final crack at the Champions League, with the Bavarians having suffered disappointment at the semi-final stage for the past two seasons.

However, while Ancelotti has never coached in Germany before, the well-travelled Italian is neither intimidated by the prospect of following Guardiola - nor by the challenge of adapting to a new culture.

"Nothing worries me," the former PSG and Real Madrid boss stated. "I'm going to have a new and interesting experience and I'm certainly happy to discover a new country, rich in stimuli.

"The thing that has enriched me most in these past few years has without doubt been getting to know different cultures; the customs in various countries.

"I believe that it will be this kind of experience in Germany; very interesting. Learning German? I've already started. I can confirm that it's not easy!

“The important thing, though, is to find a good player-coach relationship and to carry forward your beliefs, managing to convince the players of the merit of your ideas.

"Imposing things on players is never good. It's important to find in the group the belief in what you are doing and to make sure it is accepted by all.

"Bayern are a great club and my objective is to keep them competitive in Germany and in Europe."

Indeed, Ancelotti admits that he is particularly excited about plying his trade in what is officially the best supported league in the world.

"I believe that in Germany in recent years, after 2006, they made great investments," the 56-year-old mused. "They rebuilt the stadiums and they became a very competitive nation on a European level.

"I'm especially intrigued by the atmosphere that I will face on the field, because it seems that the full stadia create a beautiful atmosphere around the football. This is the thing that intrigues me most."

Ancelotti says that he feels privileged to have been given yet another high-profile position within the game, confessing that he feels blessed by the opportunities that have come his way across a coaching career that began 20 years ago.

"I have been fortunate," the ex-Italy international admits. "From the very start, at Reggiana, I have always found myself in clubs that have had great faith in me.

"I have had a lucky career, in the midst of which there have been great triumphs that have helped me in this sense. Undoubtedly, great opportunities have always arrived at the right time for me.

"I was at Reggiana at the start, then it was Parma in Serie A, then in the same way opportunities came along at Juventus and AC Milan.

"And in the same sense, when I decided to go abroad, I always had the opportunity to coach big teams."
Source: Goal

PDP on the proposed budget for 2016

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) describes the N6.8 trillion 2016 federal budget presented by President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday as a big fraud and executive conspiracy tailored towards mortgaging the future of the nation. The party queried President Buhari’s decision to borrow N2 trillion, the biggest in the history of the nation as the height of recklessness and deceit from a government that trends on propaganda.

The PDP in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh on Tuesday berated the Federal Government for trying to use their bogus welfare programme and phantom capital projects as cover and conduit to syphon the funds to satisfy partisan interests, particularly to settle huge campaign debts. 

“It is obvious that this budget is an extension of the campaign promises of the APC government, presented as a manifesto filled with bogus promises which implementation will be inconclusive, thereby allowing the APC to once again deny their promises.  

“There has never been any known economy in the world where government deliberately mortgage the future of its nation by borrowing excessively to finance partisan interests while hiding under bogus welfare programmes. This is moreso important as the APC in reeling out their bogus campaign promises never informed Nigerians that they would mortgage their future through excessive borrowing.

“We have it on good authority that this is the first in the series of APC borrowings which would leave the future generation of Nigerians under the burden of huge debts after four years”

The PDP said the budget clearly shows that after seven months in power, President Buhari and his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) are yet to differentiate between governance and campaign propaganda.

“By all standards, the 2016 budget, the first major economic policy outing of this government, is completely unrealistic and duplicitously embellished with impractical predications, a development that confirms fears by economy watchers and investors that this administration is obviously ill-equipped for governance.

“We are indeed shocked that President Buhari and his minister of information have come up with two different reasons for the current fuel crisis in the country. While we appreciate the President’s apology, we think it is high time he called this minister to order as his excessive propaganda and blame game are ridiculing this administration and the image of the nation.

“Furthermore, it is instructive to note the official endorsement of Mr. President to the devaluation of the naira as against his campaign promise of firming up the value of our currency even to the much vaunted one naira to one dollar.

‘Does it mean that Mr. President lied his way to power, or that he did not understand the complexities of governance when he was making his false promises to Nigerians?

“In future, there is need to regulate campaign promises so that we will not end up with a government that promises to climb Mount Everest with bare hands and end up mortgaging our future with orchestrated borrowings.

“Finally, we want to request Mr. President to once again to involve experienced and well-tested hands in the management of the economy and budgeting processes. This economy is not for Mr. President, neither is it for the APC. The progress of the economy is for all Nigerians and as such, due care should taken to save ourselves from unrealistic and deceptive programmes.

Signed:

Chief Olisa Metuh

National Publicity Secretary

Source: Naijamember

Public Holiday

The Federal Government has declared holiday for Thursday Dec. 24th (eid el Malud), Friday Dec. 25th (Christmas) Saturday, Sunday and Monday as public holidays…

The declaration was made in a statement by the Minister of the Interior, Rtd Lt.-Gen. Abdulrahman Dambazau. It reads

“The Federal Government has declared Thursday, 24th December 2015 as public holiday to mark Eid-E-Maulud celebration.

“Friday, 25th and Monday 28th December 2015 have also been declared as public holidays to mark Christmas and Boxing Day celebration.”

SSS Defies Court Order On Nnamdi Kanu’s Release

Five days after a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja ordered the release of the director of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, the state security service (SSS) is yet to release him.

Nnamdi Kanu

Director of Radio Biafra, Nnamdi kanu

Speaking to Naij.com, Nnamdi kanu’s brother, Prince Kanu said the continued detention of his brother by the SSS is disappointing.
“He has not been released at all, no, he has not,” Prince said.
He said: “All the people he was arrested with were released on that same December 17, and the SSS just came up with another charge – treasonable felony.”
Prince said his brother’s lawyer would move to challenge the SSS action in court.
“Well, of course the barrister would be here today and we have to go to the court to contend that, he (the counsel) believe strongly that unless Nnamdi Kanu is released, no other charges will be observed in the court.
“I am not satisfied with the system, it is a huge disgrace on the judiciary, you understand, I am extremely disappointed with the federal government and with judiciary too; their stand on this case at the moment. With the entire practising lawyers at the moment, I am very very disappointed,” he said.
He added that it is saddening that the court is no longer the last hope of the common man, as it ought to be.
On flouting the court orders he said: “So why won’t the federal government abide by the rule of law, that’s the question I am asking? So, given that they have not yet honoured the rule of law, what is the judiciary supposed to do?
When they have cases like this and orders are flouted, what should be their reaction? They should be able to boldly condemn what the DSS are doing; if there is no condemnation on actions like that of the DSS, then Nigeria will not move forward.”
He said that insider’s reports has it that the SSS is planning to move Kanu out of Abuja.
“We were at the DSS on December 18, although they never allowed us access to him except the lawyer who saw him briefly, but the information reaching us here is that they intend to do so; they plan to move him to Kaduna,” he said.
He said reports has it that the SSS plan is to kill Kanu on transporting him to Kaduna.
He also said: “Of course they intend to kill him.”
A source close to the family told Naij.com that: “Information we have is that they will move him from Abuja to Kaduna, and on the way, they will bomb the vehicle and claim it is an attack by Boko Haram.”
Kanu’s brother in addition said: “We do not reside in Abuja here, none of my family members live here, we have been here since running huge cost, we stay in a hotel; we spend N40,000 per day in a hotel.”
Also, Kanu’s counsel told Naij.com that disobedience of the court order by the SSS does more harm to Nigeria’s democracy.
A Federal High Court in Abuja had on Thursday, December 17 ordered that the Biafra agitator be released.
The court presided by Justice Ademola Adeniyi ordered the SSS to release Kanu immediately and unconditionally.
A day before Adeniyi’s order, Shuaibu Usman at the magistrate court in Abuja also ordered Kanu’s release.
Usman in his ruling, struck out all charges levelled against Kanu by the SSS, his ruling came after the SSS had applied for the discontinuation of the case before the Magistrate Court for lack of jurisdiction to entertain the matter.
Source: Naij

Annie Idibia Takes 200 Orphans To Cinema

2face Idibia’s wife Annie Idibia is in the mood of the season already as she reached out to the needy.

On Saturday, December 19 Annie had a date with 200 children. Annie decided to give back to the society when she and her children went to the cinemas with children from orphanage under the programme 200 Orphans Experience.

Before taking the children to the cinema, Annie had solicited for people to come join her put smile on the faces of these children who had not been to the cinemas before now.

She wrote: “We are heading to the cinema with 200 Precious Kids!!! Please if you are in Abuja , come out to the silverbird Cinema and let’s give these Precious kids a good time! God bless u all.. Can’t wait !!
Annie later shared her pictures and that of the children at the cinemas and captioned it:

“  Today was very exciting n yet emotional for me.. These kids have never been to the cinema or watch a movie on a very big screen,so when orphanscorp called and told me about their idea , I totally fell for it! It was different,it something I never tot of.. It was quite exposing n educating for them,they were excited! We should never take the grace of God in our lives for granted! All these kids do not know d love of a father or mother! Or what it feels like to have a parent take u out, run after you, check on u every min,they feel alone most times from a very tender age.. Being so close to them today got me thinking….. 

The organisers of the event, Orphan Corp, were honoured when Annie acknowledged her willingness to be a part of their humanitarian service. They said she is truly a rare African Queen, Super Mom and a true definition of a supportive wife to one of Nigeria’s luckiest man!
Speaking as a guest speaker at Eve secondary school series tagged #YourDreamsOurReality held on Monday, October 26 the Nollywood actress and business entrepreneur revealed she once sold pepper soup with her mother to make ends meet.

Source: Naij

What Happened today in History

Today in History

1135		Stephen of Blois is crowned the king of England.
1775		Esek Hopkins takes command of the Continental Navy — a total of seven ships.
1807		Congress passes the Embargo Act, which halts all trading completely. It is hoped that the act will keep the United States out the European Wars.
1829		The Baltimore & Ohio Railroad opens the first passenger railway line.
1918		The last of the food restrictions, enforced because of the shortages during World War I, are lifted.
1929		Soviet troops leave Manchuria after a truce is reached with the Chinese over the Eastern Railway dispute.
1941		Japanese troops make an amphibious landing on the coast of Lingayen Gulf on Luzon, the Philippines.
1942		The Soviets drive German troops back 15 miles at the Don River.
1944		During the Battle of the Bulge, General Anthony McAuliffe responds to a German surrender request with a one word answer: “Nuts!”
1945		The United States recognizes Tito’s government in Yugoslavia.
1965		The EF-105F Wild Weasel makes its first kill over Vietnam.
1966		The United States announces the allocation of 900,000 tons of grain to fight the famine in India.
1989		The Romanian government of Nicolae Ceausescu is overthrown, ending 42 years of communist rule.
1989		The division of East and West Germany effectively ends when the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin reopens for the first time in nearly 30 years.
1992		What became known as the Archives of Terror are discovered in a police station near the capital of Paraguay, records detailing tens of thousands of Latin Americans who had been secretly imprisoned, tortured and / or killed by the security services of several South American governments.
1997		Hussein Farrah Aidid relinquishes his disputed title of President of Somalia, an important step toward reconciliation in the country.
2001		President of Afghanistan, Hamid Karzai, takes over an interim government.
2001		A passenger on American Airlines Flight 63 from Paris, Richard Reid, unsuccessfully attempts to destroy the plane in flight by igniting explosives he’d hidden in his shoes.
2008		Some 1.1 billion gallons of coal fly ash slurry flood part of Tennessee after an ash dike breaks at a solid waste containment area in Roane County, in the eastern part of the state.
2010		US President Barack Obama signs a law officially repealing the 17-year-old policy known as “Don’t ask, don’t tell”; the new law permits homosexuals to serve openly in the US military.
Born on December 22
1856		Frank Kellogg, U.S. Secretary of State who tried to outlaw war with the Kellogg-Briand Pact.
1858		Giacomo Puccini, Italian operatic composer best known for Madam Butterfly.
1883		Arthur Wergs Mitchell, first African-American to be elected to the U.S. House of Representatives.
1912		Claudia “Lady Bird” Johnson, wife of US President Lyndon Baines Johnson.
1921		Hawkshaw Hawkins (Harold Hawkins), country singer; he died in 1963 along with country stars Patsy Cline and Cowboy Copas when the small plane that was carrying them crashed in 1963.
1945		Diane Sawyer, journalist; anchor of ABC World News.
1949		Robin and Maurice Gibb, singers, songwriters; co-founders of the Bee Gees band.
1946		Rick Nielsen, musician, vocalist, primary songwriter of the band Cheap Trick.
1951		Charles de Lint, author; helped popularize the urban fantasy genre; received World Fantasy Award (2000) for the collection Moonlight and Vines.
1951		Major-General Gerald Grosvenor, 6th Duke of Westminster, owner of the property company Grosvenor Group.

Source: History Net

Today in History being Monday 21st December

Today in History

Source: History Net

1620		The Pilgrims land at or near Plymouth Rock.
1708		French forces seize control of the eastern shore of Newfoundland after winning a victory at St. John’s.
1790		Samuel Slater opens the first cotton mill in the United States (in Rhode Island).
1862		The U.S. Congress authorizes the Medal of Honor to be awarded to Navy personnel who have distinguished themselves by their gallantry in action.
1866		Indians, led by Red Cloud and Crazy Horse, kill Captain William J. Fetterman and 79 other men who had ventured out from Fort Phil Kearny to cut wood.
1910		Over 2.5 million plague victims are reported in the An-Hul province of China.
1928		President Calvin Coolidge signs the Boulder Dam bill.
1944		German troops surround the 101st Airborne Division at Bastogne in Belgium.
1945		General George S. Patton dies at the age of 60 after being injured in a car accident.
1946		An earthquake and tidal wave kill hundreds in Japan.
1963		The Turk minority riots in Cyprus to protest anti-Turkish revisions in the constitution.
1964		Great Britain’s House of Commons votes to ban the death penalty.
1965		Four pacifists are indicted in New York for burning draft cards.
1969		American draft evaders gather for a holiday dinner in Montreal, Canada.
1986		500,000 Chinese students gather in Shanghai’s People’s Square calling for democratic reforms, including freedom of the press.
1988		Pan Am Flight 103 from London to New York explodes in midair over Lockerbie, Scotland, an hour after departure. All 259 passengers were killed in the explosion caused by a bomb– hidden inside an audio cassette player — that detonated inside the cargo area when the plane was at an altitude of 31,000 feet. A shower of airplane parts falling from the sky also killed 11 Lockerbie residents.
1994		Popocatepetl, a volcano in Mexico spews forth gases and ash after nearly a half-century of dormancy.
1995		The city of Bethlehem passes from Israeli to Palestinian control.
2004		A suicide bomber attacks the forward operating base next to the US military airfield at Mosul, Iraq, killing 22 people; it is the deadliest suicide attack on US soldiers during the Iraq War.
Born on December 21
1804		Benjamin Disraeli, Prime Minister of Great Britain.
1879		Joseph Stalin, Communist leader of the Soviet Union.
1911		Josh Gibson, baseball player for the Negro Leagues, Home-Run King.
1918		Kurt Waldheim, controversial fourth Secretary General of the United Nations.
1937		Jane Fonda, actress, political activist, exercise guru; films include Klute and Coming Home.
1940		Frank Zappa, bandleader, composer, guitarist, satirist, filmmaker and advocate of creative freedom.
1954		Chris Evert (Chris Evert-Lloyd), No. 1 women’s pro tennis player in the world for 260 weeks in the 1970s; she reached 34 Grand Slam singles finals, a record unmatched by any other pro, female or male.
1959		Florence Griffith Joyner, track star, Olympic medalist. Died unexpectedly of heart failure at age thirty-eight on September 21, 1998.
1966		Kiefer Sutherland, British-born Canadian actor, producer, director; best known as Jack Bauer on the 24 TV series, a role that garnered him several awards including an Emmy and Golden Globe.

Pedro backs Fabregas to silence Bridge boo-boys

Pedro, Fabregas

Spain forward Pedro has backed his club and international team-mate Cesc Fabregas to beat hostility from some Chelsea fans and are available smart for the west Londoners. Midfielder Fabregas was jeered by some sections of the Stamford Bridge crowd throughout Saturday’s 3-1 convert Sunderland as a part of protests against the sacking of ‘Shed’ hero Jose Mourinho.

Fabregas  like Pedro a former Barcelona star, has been defendant, aboard another Spain international, Diego Costa, of undermining the favored Mourinho, conducive to the Portuguese manager’s sacking. “It was troublesome for him however he will get through this,” Pedro told the Evening customary, of Fabregas.
He is powerful mentally and really competitive. “Cesc could be a high player, a awfully smart character within the team, he's a winner and it’s smart he plays for United States. “I perceive why the fans area unit thus upset. It’s traditional once the team and coach area unit during this position.” Mourinho convinced Fabregas to affix Chelsea for £30 million (41 million euros, $45 million) in June 2014, with the previous Arsenal midfielder serving to the Blues claim the Premier League title last term.

But Fabregas’s type this season has been a so much cry from that of the previous campaign and also the 28-year-old was forced to deny any half in alleged room revolts earlier this season. “Thank you for all you have got finished Maine. I owe you plenty and that we can all miss you. smart luck within the future,” aforesaid Fabregas on Twitter when Mourinho’s sacking last Thursday.

Messi, Suarez gets third Club World Cup for Barca

Messi, Suarez Neymar

Lionel Messi denoted his arrival from sickness with a splendid objective as Barcelona beat Argentina's River Plate 3-0 to catch a record third Club World Cup on Sunday. The Spanish goliaths invited back Messi after an episode of kidney stones and the inconsistent Argentine scored with a clinical completion on 36 minutes, before a deadly Luis Suarez twofold pulverized River's trusts.

"We came here to win the title and it was essential to take care of business," said Suarez, who grabbed the player of the competition and brilliant boot grant subsequent to completing with five objectives. "We stayed quiet and played our amusement until Leo scored the first objective. More than my objectives, it was only critical to get our hands on the trophy."

Neymar, himself coming back to the side after a crotch strain, was instrumental in Barcelona's opener, moving to thump down a Dani Alves cross for Messi to guide past River goalkeeper Marcelo Barovero with a deft flick of his left boot. Suarez, who scored a cap trap in Barca's 3-0 semi-last win over Guangzhou Evergrande, scored a second with a wild low drive four minutes into the second half.

The previous Liverpool striker got his second of the night when he dispatched a pounding header past Barovero after a pinpoint cross from Neymar. Stream Plate's beginning eleven cost a sum of somewhere in the range of six million dollars, while Barcelona paid $85 million for Suarez alone, and the inlet in class appeared.

The Catalans, who had officially gathered the Champions League, Spain's La Liga, the Copa del Rey and European Super Cup this year, tore River to shreds in the second half. Neymar additionally verged on scoring with a twisting exertion that shaved the bar.

Barcelona goalkeeper Claudio Bravo was an observer for a great part of the amusement on a chilly night however made a gymnastic recovery from River substitute Gonzalo Martinez seven minutes from time to deny the South Americans a relief objective.

Messi, who constrained a keen recovery from Barovero in the early encounters and could himself have completed with a cap trap, turned into the first player to score in three finals in the wake of driving Barca to triumph in 2009 and 2011. "Messi and Neymar needed to play in the last, regardless," said Suarez. "It demonstrates the penance that there is in the gathering that they did everything to play."

The Uruguayan cautioned that Barca were still ravenous for more achievement. "After an opposition like this the greater part of groups have a plunge," he said. "In any case, we need to maintain a strategic distance from that and we have the yearning to continue winning titles and be the best group on the planet."

JOSE SANTOS MOURINHO FIRED!!!!!!!!

Jose Mourinho isn't unique any longer.

Broadly viewed as one of the world's best soccer mentors, Chelsea has sacked the Portuguese director after a horrendous keep running of structure left the English Premier League champion with no shot of holding its title.

In any case, Mourinho was far beyond only a football supervisor.

Brands rushed to him, pulled in by his swagger, yet just critically his capacity to convey incredibly provocative quotes. He was a man you either cherished or abhorred.

So in April, Mourinho let one know British daily paper that he was such a decent administrator, to the point that he was "improving at everything identified with my employment," which underlines the 52-year-old didn't do self uncertainty.

Around then he was get ready to observe Chelsea's triumph in winning the English Premier League title, yet that buoyancy has since a long time ago vanished as this serial champ has needed to watch his side implode amid the 2015-16 battle.

                           

In spite of the fact that Chelsea has fit the bill for the last 16 of the UEFA Champions League, Monday's 2-1 household rout by Leicester left the Blues grieving one point over the transfer places. It was the club's ninth alliance annihilation of the season.

An announcement on the club's official site read: "All at Chelsea express gratitude toward Jose for his monstrous commitment since he returned as administrator in the late spring of 2013. Both Jose and the board concurred results have not been sufficient this season and trust it is to the greatest advantage of both sides to go our different ways.

"The club wishes to clarify Jose abandons us on great terms and will dependably remain a quite cherished, regarded and noteworthy figure at Chelsea.

"His legacy at Stamford Bridge and in England has long been ensured and he will dependably be warmly invited back to Stamford Bridge. The club's emphasis is presently on guaranteeing our gifted squad achieves its potential."

It is the second time Mourinho has been soothed of his obligations at Stamford Bridge, with extremely rich person club proprietor Roman Abramovich likewise wielding the hatchet in 2007.

His sacking flags a surprising go wrong for a man viewed as one of the world's best - Mourinho has likewise won class titles in Italy, Spain and Portugal, in addition to two Champions League triumphs with Porto and Inter Milan.

He came back to England in June 2013 after a tumultuous spell at Real Madrid, where he depicted his last season as the most exceedingly bad in his profession subsequent to neglecting to win a trophy

Mourinho marked a four-year bargain at Chelsea, and the group completed third in his first season back before closure a five-year hold up to win the residential title the next year.

Nonetheless, this season has been more troublesome, with Mourinho involved in a discussion that prompted the takeoff of Chelsea's female group specialist Eva Carneiro.

He has been twice fined by the English Football Association - for an aggregate of £90,000 ($135,000) - and given an one-match stadium boycott for occurrences amid and after matches with Southampton and West Ham.

Chelsea have lost nine group coordinates this battle, more than in the past two seasons joined, and sit 20 focuses off pioneers Leicester.

After the amusement he told columnists he felt "double-crossed" by his players, who had neglected to complete his strategic directions.

"One of my best qualities is to peruse the amusement for my players and I feel like my work was double-crossed," Mourinho told Sky Sports.

"One probability is that I made an astonishing showing last season and conveyed the players to a level that is not their level and now they can't look after it."

The man behind Mourinho and Ronaldo

Jorge Mendes: The man behind soccer's "craziest bargains'

At the point when inquired as to whether he thought he would be given more opportunity to turn things around he told journalists: "The main thing I can say is that I need to.

"I have no questions and I think you know me all around ok, three years this time, in addition to three years some other time, that I am not anxious of a major test, and in this minute this is a genuine enormous test.

"I need to stay, I trust Mr Abramovich and the board need me to remain."

The club gave the 52-year-old a vote of trust in October, saying he had the board's full backing despite the fact that they conceded that outcomes hadn't been adequate.

From that point forward Chelsea have endured five more thrashings in the Premier League, and could drop into the transfer zone in the event that it is beaten by Sunderland on Saturday and different results don't go its direction.

Lets trust in great things for Jose
Source: Marapova

IPOB LEADER, NNAMDI KANU RELEASED

NNAMDI KANU RELEASED

Magistrate of the Chief Magistrate Court, Wuse Zone 2, Abuja, Shuaibu Usman, on Wednesday discharged the Director of Radio Biafra and Leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB),  Nnamdi Kanu, on all counts of criminal conspiracy and ownership of an unlawful society brought against him by the federal government.

After holding that the government had dropped the charges against Kanu, the judge ruled:  “The accused person is hereby discharged and the case struck out.” The government through its agent, the Department of State Services (DSS), had elected to withdraw the case at the lower court for a higher court, which has jurisdiction to entertain charges bordering on terrorism, to take over.
Usman was scheduled to deliver judgment on the application of the DSS on December 1, but he put it off until December 16, reports TheCable.
The DSS has held Kanu for at least 90 days despite an order of the magistrate court granting him bail in October.
After the lower court granted him bail, the DSS got an order of the federal high court, Abuja, to keep the leader of IPOB in detention.
However, his lawyer, Vincent Obetta, filed a counter application, seeking bail for the accused person.
Meanwhile, Justice of the Federal High Court, Abuja, Adeniyi Ademola, is expected to rule on the bail application on Thursday.
Since, the arrest and detention of Kanu by Nigeria’s secret Police, in Lagos, on Saturday, October 17,  wave of protests, engineered by IPOB, as well as members of the Movement for the Actualization of Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) had swept through the South-East and parts of the South-South, demanding an immediate and unconditional release of Kanu.

Source: Vanguard Newspaper

Galatasaray in for Mikel

Mikel Obi

Super Eagles and Chelsea midfielder, John Obi Mikel is destined to join Turkish giants Galatasaray amid the winter exchange window.

Reports in Turkey expressed that Galatasaray have tabled $8.5m (about N1.7b) for Mikel who has overseen just nine recreations for Chelsea this season.

Mikel likewise made only six starts in Chelsea's Premier League title-winning season a year ago because of being pushed to the sidelines by first-decision defensive midfielder Nemanja Matic.

What's more, as indicated by Turkish outlet Takvim, Galatasaray are currently wanting to reach Chelsea in the coming days to attempt and concur a charge for the 28-year-old. Mikel whose place in the Super Eagles has gone under threat.

Mikel's current deal with the Blues keeps running until 2017 yet the club are unrealistic to offer him another one and could exploit Galatasaray's enthusiasm one month from now.

Besiktas have also additionally enlisted their enthusiasm for marking the midfielder, with club president Fikret Oman conceding that they could return for the player they attempted to sign in the late spring.

"We were prepared to sign Mikel the previous summer. Also, we could enter the race again over the winter break," Oman said.

Today in History being December 16th

Today in History; what happened this day in history

December 16

1431		Henry VI of England is crowned King of France.
1653		Oliver Cromwell takes on dictatorial powers with the title of "Lord Protector."
1773		To protest the tax on tea from England, a group of young Americans, disguised as Indians, throw chests of tea from British ships in Boston Harbor.
1835		A fire in New York City destroys property estimated to be worth $20,000,000. It lasts two days, ravages 17 blocks, and destroys 674 buildings including the Stock Exchange, Merchants’ Exchange, Post Office, and the South Dutch Church.
1863		Confederate General Joseph Johnston takes command of the Army of Tennessee.
1864		Union forces under General George H. Thomas win the battle at Nashville, smashing an entire Confederate army.
1930		In Spain, a general strike is called in support of the revolution.
1939		The National Women’s Party urges immediate congressional action on equal rights.
1940		British troops carry out an air raid on Italian Somalia.
1944		Germany mounts a major offensive in the Ardennes Forest in Belgium. As the center of the Allied line falls back, it creates a bulge, leading to the name–the Battle of the Bulge.
1949		Chinese Communist leader Mao Tse-tung is received at the Kremlin in Moscow.
1950		President Harry Truman declares a state of National Emergency as Chinese communists invade deeper into South Korea.
1976		President Jimmy Carter appoints Andrew Young as Ambassador to the United Nations.
1978		Cleveland becomes the first U.S. city to default since the depression.
1998		The United States launches a missile attack on Iraq for failing to comply with United Nations weapons inspectors.
2003		President George W. Bush signs the CAN-SPAM Act of 2003, which establishes the United States’ first national standards regarding email and gives the Federal Trade Commission authority to enforce the act.
Born on December 16
1485		Catherine of Aragon, first wife of Henry VIII, who bore him six children; only one, Mary I, survived to adulthood.
1770		Ludwig Van Beethoven, German composer best known for his 9th Symphony.
1775		Jane Austen, novelist (Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice).
1917		Arthur C. Clarke, English science fiction writer (2001: A Space Odyssey)
1932		Sir Quentin Saxby Blake, illustrator and children’s writer; received the Hans Christian Andersen Award (2002) and was Britain’s first Children’s Laureate (1999–2001).
1936		Morris Dees, activist; co-founder of the Southern Poverty Law Center.
1938		Liv Ullmann, Norwegian actress and director; won Golden Globe for Best Actress–Motion Picture Drama for The Emigrants (1971).
1943		Steven Bochco, TV producer and writer (Hill Street Blues, L.A. Law).
1949		Billy Gibbons, sinner, songwriter, musician with ZZ Top and Moving Sidewalks bands.
1955		Prince Lorenz of Belgium, Archduke of Austria-Este.
1962		William Perry, pro football defensive lineman nicknamed The Refrigerator because of his size.
1963		Benjamin Bratt, actor best known for his role of Rey Curtis on the Law & Order TV series.
1969		Adam Riess, astrophysicist; shared 2006 Shaw Prize in Astronomy and 2011 Nobel Prize in Physics for providing evidence the expansion of the universe is accelerating. Source: History Net

Today in History being December 15

Today in History, what happened this day in history

December 15

1862		Nathan Bedford Forrest crosses the Tennessee River at Clifton with 2,500 men to raid the communications around Vicksburg, Mississippi.
1862		In New Orleans, Louisiana, Union Major General Benjamin F. Butler turns his command over to Nathaniel Banks. The citizens of New Orleans hold farewell parties for Butler, "The Beast" – but only after he leaves.
1864		The battle at Nashville begins.
1890		As U.S. Army soldiers attempt to arrest Sitting Bull at his cabin in Standing Rock, South Dakota, shooting breaks out and Lt. Bullhead shoots the great Sioux leader.
1903		The British parliament places a 15-year ban on whale hunting in Norway.
1920		China wins a place on the League Council; Austria is admitted.
1924		The Soviet Union warns the United States against repeated entry of ships into Soviet territorial waters.
1938		Washington sends its fourth note to Berlin demanding amnesty for Jews.
1944		The battle for Luzon begins.
1946		Vietnam leader Ho Chi Minh sends a note to the new French Premier, Leon Blum, asking for peace talks.
1961		Adolf Eichmann, the former German Gestapo official accused of a major role in the Nazi murder of 6 million Jews, is sentenced by a Jerusalem court to be hanged.
1965		The United States drops 12 tons of bombs on an industrial center near Haiphong Harbor, North Vietnam.
1967		President Lyndon B. Johnson signs the meat bill in the presence of Upton Sinclair, the author of the controversial book The Jungle.
1972		The Commonwealth of Australia orders equal pay for women.
1973		The American Psychiatric Association votes 130 to remove homosexuality from its official list of psychiatric disorders.
1976		The oil tanker MV Argo Merchant causes one of the worst marine oil spills in history when it runs aground near Nantucket, Massachusetts.
1978		US President Jimmy Carter announces the United States will recognize the People’s Republic of China and will sever all relations with Taiwan.
1981		In what is often called the first modern suicide bombing, a suicide car bomb kills 61 people at the Iraqi embassy in Beirut, Lebanon; Iraq’s ambassador to Lebanon is among the casualties.
1993		The Downing Street Declaration, issued jointly by UK and the Republic of Ireland, affirms the UK would transfer Northern Ireland to the Republic of Ireland only if a majority of Northern Ireland’s people approved.
2001		The Leaning Tower of Pisa reopens after an 11-year, $27 million project to fortify it without eliminating its famed lean.
2005		F-22 Raptor Stealth fighter enters active service with the US Air Force.
Born on December 15
37		Nero Claudius Caesar, emperor of Rome, blamed for the great fire of Rome.
1832		Alexandre-Gustave Eiffel, designer of the famous tower in Paris.
1883		William A. Hinton, developer of the "Hinton Test" for diagnosing syphilis.
1892		J. Paul Getty, American oilman and art collector..
1907		Oscar Niemeyer, Brazilian architect who designed the Uited Nations Headquarters building.
1911		Nicholas P. Dallis, a psychiatrist turner comic strip writer who created the long-running strips Rex Morgan, M.D., Judge Parker, and Apartment 3-G.
1916		Maurice Wilkins, New Zealand-English physicist and molecular biologist; received Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (1962).
1919		Max Yasgur, whose New York farm became the site of the Woodstock music festival in August 1969.
1923		Uziel Gal, German-Israeli firearm designer, best known for designing the Uzi submachine gun.
1933		Tim Conway, actor, screenwriter, producer, known for his comedic roles in TV and film that he frequently improvised (The Carol Burnett Show TV series).
1942		Dave Clark, singer, songwriter, drummer, producer; lead singer of The Dave Clark Five.
1979		Adam Brody, actor (Gilmore Girls and The O.C. TV series).

Source: History Net

Things u don't know about Donjazzy

Don Jazzy

 MAVINS Records huge supervisor, Don Jazzy, born Michael Collins Ajereh is a riddle, whom next to no is thought about. He once gloated that he detests talking in front of an audience and once in a while ever concedes press interviews. Aside from his exercises on online networking next to no is thought about the multi-grant winning music producer.

Be that as it may, as of late Don Jazzy let down his gatekeeper and conceded a few meetings, from which we could unmask the genuine man behind the Dorobucci brand. Here are a few certainties you likely don't think about the Nigeria's first music creator.

1.    He prefers bringing up new artistes , than hooking up the the big boys
2.    He hasn’t slept in his house in over one year. He lives in the studio at Lekki
3.    He smokes cigarettes, not marijuana or any other drugs
4.    He likes only slim girls, he calls them ‘Lepa toh bad’
5.    He believes there are four major artistes in Nigeria, 2Face, D’Banj, Psquare and the rest
6.    He likes to think Italian and it is where he got Dorobucci, at Tiwa Savage’s wedding in Dubai
7.    He thinks he is an ugly man
8.    He has investment in oil, owning a large number of fuel tankers
9.    He got the name ‘MAVIN’ from Google
10.    His father is his number one fan
11.    He is a very shy person and that’s why he wears sunglasses
12.    He cannot rap
13.    2Face is his favourite artiste
14.    He is not inspired by anyone
15.    He only respects Timbaland and Jay Z
16.    No one has ever written a line of song for him in his life; he writes all his songs by himself
17.    His beats are inspired by highlife
18.    His music comes first, his family second
19.    He is not a fashion label freak
20.    Once he releases a song he doesn’t listen to it again.
21.    He has never charged for a collabo

Champion League; Last 16 Draw

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

 

THIS IS THE LIST OF UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE ROUND 16 DRAW

Gent (BEL) v VfL Wolfsburg (GER)

 

 

AS Roma (ITA) v Real Madrid (ESP)

Paris Saint-Germain (FRA) v Chelsea (ENG)

 

Arsenal (ENG) v Barcelona (ESP)

 

Juventus (ITA) v Bayern Munich (GER)

PSV Eindhoven (NED) v Atletico Madrid (ESP)

 

Benfica (POR) v Zenit St Petersburg (RUS)

 

Dynamo Kiev (UKR) v Manchester City (ENG)

 

 

 

Japanese Astronaut Kimiya Yui and his colleagues returns

Kimiya Yui

Japanese astronaut Kimiya Yui and his two colleagues at the International Space Station returned to Earth on Friday evening after completing a nearly five-month mission.
Yui, 45, landed on the plains of Kazakhstan aboard a Russian Soyuz spacecraft after serving as flight engineer on the ISS for 142 days. Russian cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko and U.S. astronaut Kjell Lindgren joined him on the trip home, with their descent slowed by parachutes attached to the Russian-built capsule.
The three astronauts returned around 11 days earlier than planned due to rescheduling aimed at enabling the departure of Russia’s Progress, an unpiloted cargo ship that had seen its liftoff postponed to Dec. 21 instead of November.
After departing from the Baikonur Cosmodrome on July 23, Yui conducted various tasks, including using a robotic arm to catch and dock the unmanned Kounotori 5, a Japanese cargo transport that ferried water and experimental equipment to the ISS.
After Yui, fellow Japanese Takuya Onishi, 39, is scheduled to arrive at the ISS next June, followed by Norishige Kanai, 39, in November 2017.
“It is an uncanny feeling to think I will be on Earth in 24 hours. I will go to bed to prepare for my return tomorrow . . . This might be the last tweet from space,” the former Air Self-Defense Force test pilot said via Twitter on Thursday.

Source: Japan Times

Olamide, Phyno and Chidinma to perform in MTV’s White Xmas party

Olamide & Phyno

Straight from being named "Nigeria's Hottest Artist of 2015" by MTV Base (DStv channel 322), YBNL frontman Olamide is set to feature a program of whiz craftsmen who will drop on Ikeja City Mall Grounds for the greatest "White Christmas" party ever (18 December).

Sorted out by MTV Base in conjunction with Jemima Events and Ikeja City Mall, the free occasion will include super exhibitions from Chidinma, Oga Boss IllBliss, Sean Tizzle, Vector Tha Viper, Orezi, YCee, Kiss Daniel, Reminisce, Phyno, Lil Kesh, Black Magic, Niniola, May D and CDQ.

Different entertainers on the night will incorporate Immaculate, Ms Kizz, Big Sheff, Victoh and JJC, close by numerous other amazement exhibitions.

Keeping the gathering proceeding onward the wheels of steel will be The Mavins' official DJ Big N, close by whiz DJ Xclusive. Finishing the turntable line-up are DJ Kaywise and DJ Spicey, ensuring this will be one Xmas you simply would prefer not to miss.

"MTV Base exhibits the White Christmas Party," the gathering has been sorted out to compensate Nigerian music fans for their backing during the time 2015.

Giving her musings on the MTV Base White Christmas Party, Colette Otusheso, Head of Marketing and Events, VIMN Nigeria remarked, "For the current year has been a significant one for every one of us at MTV Base and we will get a kick out of the chance to end the year celebrating with our viewers who have demonstrated to us support. This is additionally our tenth year commemoration and what better approach to end the year than by remunerating our fans with the greatest Christmas party ever – and it is absolutely free! We have such an astounding line-up and I'm certain that participants will have a great time of their lives”.

Ribery Injured again

Franck Ribery

Previous France universal Franck Ribery will miss Bayern Munich's last three matches of 2015 subsequent to torment a thigh damage, his group said on Friday.

Ribery just made his arrival from a nine-month harm lay-off a week prior, making a late scoring cameo off the seat in a 3-1 rout at Borussia Moenchengladbach.

He began Wednesday's 2-0 Champions League triumph at Dinamo Zagreb yet was constrained off at half-time because of the muscle issue in his right thigh.

He will now miss group matches against Ingolstadt and Hanover, and also the midweek German Cup conflict with Darmstadt on Tuesday.

"I will most likely be unable to play against Ingolstadt. I need to take it gradually despite the fact that I'm biting the dust with yearning (to play)," Ribery had told Bild daily paper.

The 32-year-old burned through nine months on the sidelines because of a lower leg damage and had just barely come back to the group a weekend ago.

As indicated by a few specialists in Germany, the choice is more about reasonability than a major issue.

Ribery played just 23 matches for Bayern last season because of the lower leg issue.

Bayern's Moroccan focus back Mehdi Benatia will likewise sit out whatever is left of 2015 with the same harm.

Today in History

December 10

1817		Mississippi is admitted as the 20th state.
1861		Kentucky is admitted to the Confederate States of America.
1862		The U.S. House of Representatives passes a bill creating the state of West Virginia.
1869		Governor John Campbell signs the bill that grants women in Wyoming Territory the right to vote as well as hold public office.
1898		The United States and Spain sign the Treaty of Paris, ceding Spanish possessions, including the Philippines, to the United States.
1917		The Nobel Peace Prize is awarded to the International Red Cross.
1918		U.S. troops are called to guard Berlin as a coup is feared.
1919		Captain Ross Smith becomes the first person to fly 11,500 miles from England to Australia.
1936		Edward VIII abdicates to marry Wallis Warfield Simpson, an American-born divorcee.
1941		Japanese troops invade the Philippine island of Luzon.
1941		The siege of Tobruk in North Africa is raised.
1943		Franklin D. Roosevelt signs a bill that postpones a draft of pre-Pearl Harbor fathers.
1943		Allied forces bomb Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria.
1949		150,000 French troops mass at the border in Vietnam to prevent a Chinese invasion.
1950		Dr. Ralph J. Bunche becomes the first African-American to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
1977		On UN Human Rights Day, the Soviet Union places 20 prominent dissidents under house arrest, cutting off telephones and threatening to break up a planned silent demonstration in Moscow’s Pushkin Square. Soviet newspapers decry human rights violations elsewhere in the world.
1978		President of Egypt Anwar Sadat and Prime Minister of Israel Menachem Begin are jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
1983		Democracy restored to Argentina with the assumption of Raul Alfonsin.
1989		Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj announces the establishment of Mongolia’s democratic movement that changes the second oldest communist country into a democracy.
1993		The Wearmouth Colliery in Sunderland, East England, closes, marking the end of the County Durham coalfield, which had been in operation since the Middle Ages.
Born on December 10
1830		Emily Dickinson, American poet of more than 1,000 poems, seven published in her lifetime.
1851		Melvil Dewey, American librarian who created the Dewey Decimal System.
1881		Viscount Alexander of Tunis, British soldier who took his title from his part in the Allied victories in North Africa.
1891		Nelly Sachs, Nobel Prize-winning poet.
1903		Mary Norton, English children’s author (Bedknobs and Broomsticks).
1907		Rumor Godden, English novelist (Black Narcissus).
1908		Oliver Messian, French composer (Quartet for the End of Time).
1911		Chester "Chet" Huntley, American broadcast journalist.
1914		Dorothy Lamour, actress, best remembered for co-starring with Bing Crosby and Bob Hope in their "Road to" movie series.
1922		Agnes Nixon, writer, producer; creator of long-running TV soap operas (One Life to Live, All My Children).
1934		Howard Martin Temin, geneticist; shared 1975 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.
1941		Chad Stuart, singer, musician; half of the Chad & Jeremy folk rock duo.
1948		Abu Abbas (Muhammad Zaidan, Muhammad Abbas), a founder of the Palestine Liberation Front; led terrorist hijacking of cruise ship Achille Lauro.
1956		Rod Blagojevich, 40th Governor of Illinois; arrested on federal charges of trying to sell the US Senate seat of President-elect Barack Obama. Source: History Net

Swansea Fire Manager; Garry Monk

Garry Monk

Garry Monk has been sacked as supervisor of Swansea City taking after a keep running of one win in 11 Premier League amusements, the Welsh club reported on Wednesday.

Friar, 36, drove Swansea to an eighth-spot complete last season in his first full battle in charge, however he has paid the cost for a keep running of results that has left the club a point over the transfer zone.