Actor Uncle Phil From ‘Fresh Prince of Bel Air’, Dies At 68

 

Veteran Hollywood actor — James Avery, who played the role of  Will Smith’s uncle in the 90’s sitcom ‘Fresh Prince of Bel-Air’ has died at the age of 68.
Reports emerging say that, James Avery who is popularly known by the name ‘Uncle Phil’ passed away at a hospital in Glendale, California on Wednesday, January 1, 2013.
James Avery had undergone open heart surgery and unfortunately didn’t make it through.

Davido’s N30 Million Naira G-Wagon Lands Nigeria

 

Does it take that long to order cars from abroad or was the Omo Baba Olowo of Nigerian music having the car customized all this time.
Davido announced news of this car months back and i bet he was all excited as his Mercedes G-Wagon arrived the country on the last day of 2013!
Davido couldn’t hide his excitement as he showed off his new car — model G-63 on Instagram; ‘My baby is here!!!!! Great way to start the new year!!‘

It’s A Boy: Toyin Lawani And Fiancee Welcome Baby Boy

 

Famous Stylist and blogger — Toyin Lawani and and her much younger fiancee have together welcomed their baby into the world.
The couple who are still yet to be wedded, were all smilses as Toyin revealed a cute photo of her bundle of  joy on Twitter.
Toyin’s delivery astonishingly happened in the early ours of  January 1st 2014.

Oshey: D’banj Firmly Grabs A Fan’s b*tt While Performing

 

The Eja Nla of Nigerian music, D’banj is one of those artistes that always goes to the extreme while performing on stage; so if you happen to appear on the stage while he is doing his thing, be prepared for whatever.

Awo was greater than Mandela – Ofeimun

 

Late Chief Obafemi Awolowo

Writer and poet, Odia Ofeimun, has rated the late Premier of the old Western Region, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, above late former South African President, Nelson Mandela.

The social critic, in an interview granted to Sahara TV which was uploaded to YouTube and seen by our correspondent, said although “Mandela was good for the liberation” of his people, Awolowo made far-reaching impacts on the lives of many Nigerians.

Ofeimun, while comparing the two leaders, said the processes leading to independence in South Africa and Nigeria “followed exactly the same pattern” noting that the liberation struggle championed by Mandela did “not create the end of apartheid.”

He said Awolowo negotiated Nigeria’s independence just as Mandela did, adding that it would amount to a “hype” to think that there were differences in what the two leaders essentially fought for in their respective countries to end colonisation.

Naira value likely to drop this year – Rewane

Managing Director, Financial Derivatives Company Limited, Mr. Bismark Rewane

The Managing Director, Financial Derivatives Company Limited, Mr. Bismarck Rewane, has said that the naira will come under intense pressure this year.

Rewane said in an interview with our correspondent that the new members of the Monetary Policy Committee would need to find a way to support the currency.

“I don’t want to use the word devaluation but I surely know that the currency will come under pressure. I know that the monetary policy in 2014 will change in line with the new players in the MPC,” he said.

Speaking on price level, Rewane noted that the average inflation rate would hover between nine and 10 per cent this year.

He said, “I think we will have a higher rate of inflation; the rate of inflation will increase a bit. I think anything between nine and 10 per cent because of the pressure on the naira. That will translate itself into higher prices.

Tottenham rap Assou-Ekotto over race tweet

 

Benoit Assou-Ekotto was at the centre of another French race storm on Tuesday after it emerged that he had invited anti-Semitic comedian Dieudonne M’bala M’bala to a game at Tottenham, insisting he would ‘love it’.

In a tweet that has now been deleted, the Tottenham left back — currently on loan at QPR — messaged the man who invented the controversial quenelle gesture used by Nicolas Anelka to celebrate a goal for West Brom on Saturday at West Ham.

French-born Assou-Ekotto said: ‘oh dieudo tu vien quand voir un match a tottenham? Tu va adore … LOL.’

We’re ready for legal battle with PDP, says Amaechi

 

Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi

The five  Peoples Democratic Party who defected to the opposition All Progressives Congress  are  ready to meet the ruling party in court, the Rivers State Governor, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, has said.

Amaechi made this known in Port Harcourt on Wednesday just as the PDP National Chairman, Bamanga Tukur, boasted that Amaechi and his colleagues would willingly return to the party soon.

The PDP had  last month asked an Abuja Federal High Court to sack the five governors. It    also prayed the court to   order the houses of assembly of Adamawa, Rivers, Sokoto, Kano and Kwara states to commence impeachment proceedings against the governors.

Suarez could leave Liverpool for £120m

 

Luis Suarez

Ian Rush has said the words no Liverpool fan wants to hear: Luis Suarez could be sold in the summer.

The striker has been in fine form this season, topping the Premier League scoring charts with an incredible 19 goals by the turn of the year, making Brendan Rodgers’ men title contenders.

But Rush, Liverpool’s record goalscorer with 346, admitted that if the Merseyside club don’t make the top four this year then the Uruguayan could be sold… for £120m.

“If we don’t qualify for the Champions League he can leave, provided a club make an offer according to the player’s value,” the 53-year-old told Tuttosport. ‘When we renewed Luis’ contract, we put in a clause of £120m.

Italian navy rescues 233 migrant south of Sicily

The Italian navy has rescued 233 mostly African migrants from a boat in Mediterranean waters south of Sicily as the immigration crisis that killed hundreds in shipwrecks in 2013 showed no signs of letting up in the New Year.
In a statement the navy said that it picked them up in choppy seas late on Wednesday and was ferrying them on Thursday to a port near Syracuse on Sicily’s eastern coast.

NDLEA arrests 251 with 2,648kg of illicit drugs in Jigawa

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency in Jigawa on Thursday said it had arrested 251 suspects with 2.7 tones (2,648kg) of illicit drugs between January and December 2013.
The Commander of the Agency, Ibrahim Abdul, disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria in Dutse.
Abdul said 61 of the suspects had been convicted; 77 standing trial, while 113 were in the Agency’s custody for counselling

Antarctic ship passengers rescued

All 52 passengers who were stranded aboard an ice-locked ship in Antarctica for more than a week were rescued by helicopter early Thursday, officials said.
The Akademic Shokalskiy sent out a distress call on Christmas morning after it became surrounded by sea ice while on a scientific mission more than 1,700 miles south of Australia.
On Thursday, a helicopter from a Chinese ice-breaking ship Xue Long — or Snow Dragon — transported groups from a makeshift helipad which the passengers had stomped out in the ice near the ship.

S’Sudan crisis: President declares state of emergency in two cities

 

South Sudan President, Salva Kiir, has declared a state of emergency in two states of Unity and Jonglei.
The Chinese News Agency, Xinhua, reported that the two cities were now controlled by rebel forces loyal to former Vice President, Riek Machar, who President Kiir accused of plotting a coup.
Xinhua said the declaration of state of emergency in the two cities, however, came as both sides of the conflict prepared for talks to end the more than two weeks of violence.

S’Sudan crisis: President declares state of emergency in two cities

 

South Sudan President, Salva Kiir, has declared a state of emergency in two states of Unity and Jonglei.
The Chinese News Agency, Xinhua, reported that the two cities were now controlled by rebel forces loyal to former Vice President, Riek Machar, who President Kiir accused of plotting a coup.
Xinhua said the declaration of state of emergency in the two cities, however, came as both sides of the conflict prepared for talks to end the more than two weeks of violence.