UFC star Conor McGregor suspended for six months and fined $50000

Conor McGregor has been suspended for six months and fined $50,000 (£38,095) for his part in the ugly scenes which marred UFC 229 in October 2018.  

His opponent, Khabib Nurmagomedov, received a nine-month suspension and has been fined $500,000 (£380,950). Russian Nurmagomedov began a brawl by the octagon after beating McGregor, before the Irishman was involved in a bust-up with his opponent's team.  

Both suspensions have been backdated to the date of the Las Vegas fight.  However, Nurmagomedov's suspension could be reduced to six months if he participates in an anti-bullying campaign in Nevada.  

If it is, it is not expected he will return to action until after 5 June because the practising Muslim will honour Ramadan. Two of Nurmagomedov's team have also been handed suspensions by the Nevada Athletic Commission (NAC).  

Both Abubakar Nurmagomedov and Zubaira Tukhugov have been banned for one year and fined $25,000 (£19,030). Seconds after landing a fourth-round submission, Khabib Nurmagomedov vaulted the cage and headed towards McGregor's team, prompting a melee.  Meanwhile, McGregor was involved in a bust-up in the octagon with members of Nurmagomedov's team.

Suspended CJN, Onnoghen sues Federal Government

Suspended Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, Walter Onnoghen has filed a suit against the federal government over his suspension. The suit was filed by his lawyers, Wole Olanipekun, Adegboyega Awomolo, Kanu Agabi and James Onoja.

Recall that Justice Onnoghen was suspended by the Federal Government last Friday January 25th on the order of the Code of Conduct Tribunal, CCT.

Onnoghen who assumed office as the 17th CJN in March 2017, has been accused of not declaring all his assets two years after coming into office.

French giant, PSG complete signing of Zenit St Petersburg midfielder Leandro Paredes on four-and-a-half year deal

French giant, Paris Saint-Germain have announced the signing of Argentine international Leandro Paredes from Zenit St Petersburg in Russia.

The 25-year-old has signed a four-and-a-half year deal with the club after completing a medical in Doha this week. The midfielder will wear the No 8 shirt at the Parc des Princes.

He told the club website: 'I'm very proud to be joining Paris Saint-Germain. 'After my previous experiences in Italy and Russia, I now have this fantastic opportunity, not only to discover a new league, but above all one to wear one the most prestigious club jerseys in the world. 

'I'd like to thank the chairman and the coach for the confidence they have shown in me by signing me. 

'We all know the extraordinary sporting dimension of Paris Saint-Germain, its players, and staff. I share the same high ambitions and I will do everything I can to give my club what it expects of me as a midfielder. 

'I also look forward to the passionate atmosphere of the Parc des Princes, as I grew up with football fever in Argentina.'

Chelsea record signing Alvaro Morata seals 18-month loan deal to Atletico Madrid after struggling to prove his worth

Chelsea record signing, Alvaro Morata, who was bought for £60m from Real Madrid in 2017, has completed an 18-month loan deal to Atletico Madrid in Spain.

The 26-year-old striker who had fallen out of favour at Chelsea under Maurizio Sarri ,and struggled to impress since his arrival, was pushed further down the pecking order by the arrival of Gonzalo Higuain.

According to Mail Online Sport, Morata's move to Atletico was formalised today after Monaco sealed a loan deal for Atletico Madrid winger Gelson Martins, freeing up room for the Spanish striker.

Atletico Madrid confirmed the signing of Alvaro Morata on their Twitter account this afternoon.

Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde's first daughter bags degree from Cyprus University

Actress Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde is a proud mum at the moment as her first daughter, Princess, just graduated from the Eastern Mediterranean University, Cyprus.

Princess bagged a degree in Tourism and Hospitality management. Congrats to her! See more photos below

Naomi Osaka wins Australian Open to become world number one female tennis player

Naomi Osaka has won the Australian Open and is the new world number one, after beating Czech Petra Kvitova 7-6 (2) 5-7 6-4 in a dramatic final.

Just last September, Osaka was reduced to tears when the crowd booed her after a controversial US Open final in which Serena Williams lost her cool. The hard-fought victory made Osaka the first Asian, male or female, to hold the world’s top ranking, taking over from Romania’s Simona Halep.

The Japanese youngster fell to one knee in celebration, head bowed, as Melbourne Park erupted in thunderous cheers. “I felt like I was in a state of shock through the entire trophy presentation,” the 21-year-old said.  

She is the first woman to follow her first grand slam title by immediately winning the next one since Jennifer Capriati in 2001 and the first since Serena in 2015 to win two slams in a row.

Monaco suspends first-team coach, Thierry Henry until further notice just 15 weeks into his managerial job

Arsenal legend, Thierry Henry has just been suspended as the first team coach of AS Monaco until a final decision is made on his future just 15 weeks after he signed a 3 year deal that was supposed to last until 2021. He won just 4 of his 20 matches.

The French Ligue 1 club said in a short statement on Thursday that “AS Monaco announces that it has decided to suspend Thierry Henry from his duties as coach of the first team from this day and waiting for a final decision. Franck Passi will train the professional group this Friday”..

Monaco, who appointed Thiery Henry in October, have picked up only two points in their last five Ligue 1 games and sit second from bottom in the table.  They were also knocked out of the French Cup in the last 32 by Ligue 2 side Metz on Tuesday. This followed a 5-1 demolition at home by Racing Strasbourg in their last league outing with the club showing no signs of improvement since signing midfielder Cesc Fabregas from Chelsea earlier this month.

Henry, who started out playing for Monaco and went on to enjoy a stellar club career with Arsenal and Barcelona, worked as assistant coach for Belgium for two years until 2018 but had never been in charge of a team in his own right. Henry, 41, played for Monaco for five seasons, winning a league title with them in 1997.

Venezuela gives all US diplomats 72 hours to leave the country after Trump recognises opposition as "legitimate" leaders

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro said his government was breaking relations with the United States and gave diplomatic personnel 72 hours to leave the country after President Donald Trump on Wednesday backed the country's opposition leader, Juan Guaidó, as interim president.  

Hours later, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo issued a statement saying the U.S. does not recognize the Maduro regime as the country's government. "Accordingly the United States does not consider former president Nicolas Maduro to have the legal authority to break diplomatic relations with the United States or to declare our diplomats persona non grata."  

Guaidó, 35, the leader of the opposition-controlled National Assembly, had earlier declared himself interim president as hundreds of thousands marched in Caracas demanding an end to Maduro's government.

In a statement, President Trump said: "In its role as the only legitimate branch of government duly elected by the Venezuelan people, the National Assembly invoked the country’s constitution to declare Nicolás Maduro illegitimate, and the office of the presidency therefore vacant. The people of Venezuela have courageously spoken out against Maduro and his regime and demanded freedom and the rule of law".

Most countries in Latin America, as well as Canada, recognized Guaidó as interim president after he took the oath before his supporters. Leftist allies, Cuba and Bolivia, were the only two in the region that voiced support for Maduro. Mexico's new leftist president Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said he would not take sides and said support for Guaidó is a violation of sovereignty.

Barcelona signs Holland midfielder Frenkie de Jong from Ajax for £65m

Spanish giant, Barcelona have confirmed the signing  of Ajax and Holland midfielder, Frenkie de Jong. 

The 21-year-old shunned the host of top European clubs, including Manchester City and PSG to sign a five-year deal at the Nou Camp in a £65m deal.

He will see out the season in Amsterdam before joining up with his new team-mates in the summer.

Frankie's arrival was announced on the club's Twitter page, via a video of tweets telling the Catalan giants to 'announce de Jong'.

President Josep Maria Bartomeu tweeted: 'With the arrival of Frenkie De Jong we add talent, youth and Barca style to our sporting project.

'We are convinced that he will be a key part of our team for years to come. Welcome, Frenkie!'

The Dutch midfielder is the third signing made by Barcelona this month after the arrivals of Kevin-Prince Boateng and Jeison Murillo.

Oby Ezekwesili withdraws from 2019 presidential race

Oby Ezekwesili has just announced her withdrawal from 2019 presidential race saying she has opted to help build a coalition to defeat the All Progressives Congress and the People’s Democratic Party in the February 16, 2019 election.

Explaining her action in a series of tweets this morning, she said the action was also prompted by an examination of the country’s electoral environment sequel to the 2019 presidential debate of Saturday, January 19, 2019.

See her full statemnt below...

Following the reactions of Nigerian citizens at home and abroad to the 2019 Presidential Debate held on Saturday 19 January 2019, and after extensive consultations with leaders from various walks of life across the country over the past few days, I have decided to step down from the presidential race and focus on helping to build a Coalition for a viable alternative to the #APCPDP in the 2019 general elections.

This coalition for a viable alternative has now more than ever before become an urgent mission for and on behalf of the citizenry.

Over the past three months, I have been in private extended talks with other candidates to make a coalition possible that would allow Nigerians to exercise choice without feeling helplessly saddled with the #APCPDP.

In doing so, I have not hesitated to offer my willingness to step down my candidacy in order to facilitate the emergence of a strong and viable alternative behind which Nigerians can line up in our collective search for a new beginning.

My commitment in this regard has been consistent and in consonance with my agreement, at the request of then aspirants under PACT in 2018, to supervise their internal selection process as an outside observer passionate about building this alternative force.

Despite disagreements within the Allied Congress Party of Nigeria on these and other issues, I have decided that it is now necessary to show by action and example my determination on this issue by stepping down my candidacy and focusing on building the coalition once and for all.

We have no right to allow citizens give in to despair. We will #Fight4Naija together, and prove to all that the mess that has now become the political class will not be allowed to destroy our spirits and the nation.

We are also determined to ensure that the message keeps resonating that our beloved country deserves better, and that if we are to get the best that we deserve, we must fight for it.

The world's richest 26 people are richer than 3.8billion of the world's poorest people

A new Oxfam report has highlighted the growing gulf between the rich and poor as it revealed that the world's top 26 billionaires are richer than half of the world's poorest people or 3.8billion people. According to the report, Billionaires, who now number a record 2,208, have more wealth than ever before and are growing $2.8billion richer everyday. 

 

Most of these mega-wealthy are American, according to the Forbes list of billionaires used by Oxfam. The names include Amazon's Jeff Bezos, Microsoft's Bill Gates, Berkshire Hathaway's Warren Buffett and Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg, who collectively are worth $357 billion, according to Forbes.

 

Oxfam recommends that nations tax wealth at fairer levels, raise rates on personal income and corporate taxes and eliminate tax avoidance by companies and the super-rich. It also advocates providing universal free health care, education and other public services — and ensuring that women and girls also benefit. And it suggests investing in public services — including water, electricity and childcare — to free up women's time and limit the number of unpaid hours they work.

Barcelona complete loan signing of Ghanaian footballer Kevin-Prince Boateng from Sassuolo

Spanish giant, Barcelona have confirmed the signing of Ghanaian footballer Kevin-Prince Boateng from Italian side Sassuolo.

The club bought the 31-year-old former Tottenham, Portsmouth and AC Millan star to replace Munir El Haddadi who moved to Sevilla two weeks ago. 

A statement from Barcelona on Monday said: 'Barcelona and Sassuolo have reached an agreement for the loan of Kevin Prince-Boateng for the remainder of the 2018-19 season. The deal includes the option to buy the player for 8m euros (£7.1m).'

According to reports, Barcelona paid 2 million euros (£1.76m) for the loan and will present Boateng to supporters on Wednesday. 

See Boateng's career

 2004–2007: Hertha BSC II

2005–2007: Hertha BSC

2007–2009: Tottenham Hotspur 

2009: Borussia Dortmund (loan)

2009–2010: Portsmouth

2010–2013: Milan 

2013–2015: Schalke

2016: Milan 

2016–2017: Las Palmas

2017–2018: Eintracht Frankfurt 

2018: Sassuolo

Data watchdog in France slams a fine of 50 million euros ($57 million) on Google for failing to provide transparent information on its data consent policies

France’s data watchdog on Monday announced a fine of 50 million euros ($57 million) for US search giant Google, using the EU’s strict General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) for the first time.  

Google was handed the record fine from the CNIL regulator for failing to provide transparent and easily accessible information on its data consent policies, a statement said. The CNIL said Google made it too difficult for users to understand and manage preferences on how their personal information is used, in particular with regards to targeted advertising.

“People expect high standards of transparency and control from us. We’re deeply committed to meeting those expectations and the consent requirements of the GDPR. We’re studying the decision to determine our next steps”  a Google spokesperson said in a statement.  

The ruling follows complaints lodged by two advocacy groups last May, shortly after the landmark GDPR directive came into effect. One was filed on behalf of some 10,000 signatories by France’s Quadrature du Net group, while the other was by None Of Your Business, created by the Austrian privacy activist Max Schrems.  

Schrems had accused Google of securing “forced consent” through the use of pop-up boxes online or on its apps which imply that its services will not be available unless people accept its conditions of use. “Also, the information provided is not sufficiently clear for the user to understand the legal basis for targeted advertising is consent, and not Google’s legitimate business interests,” the CNIL said.

Former Chelsea, Liverpool and England defender, Glen Johnson retires from football after an impressive 16-year career

Former Chelsea, Liverpool and England defender, Glen Johnson, has retired from football after an impressive 16-year career 

Johnson also represented West Ham, Portsmouth, and Stoke and also went ahead to make 54 appearances for England between 2003 and 2014. He played two World Cups and a European Championship.

The 34-year-old who was released by Stoke after they were relegated from the Premier League last season, made the announcement on talkSPORT on Monday morning. 

Johnson who won the Premier League, FA Cup, and League Cup told the Jim White show: 'Today is the day I'm officially saying I've retired.

'I knew halfway through last season I was going to call it a day. I always wanted to retire at an age where my body still felt good.'

Serena Williams knocks out world's number 1, Simona Halep, to reach her 12th Australian Open quarterfinal

Serena Williams has beat world's number 1 Simona Halep to reach the quarter-finals of the 2019 Australian Open.

Serena Williams, 37, sat out last year's Australian Open after giving birth to her daughter months earlier and suffering health complications. Since returning to the tour, Williams has reached the past two Grand Slam finals, losing both.

On Monday, the mother-of-one outlasted Simona Halep at Melbourne Park and won the fourth round match with a 6-1 4-6 6-4 victory.

Speaking on court, Williams said:

It was a really intense match, some incredible points. I love playing tennis, I love this court and it's really cool to be back out here playing.

I really needed to elevate my game and there's a reason why. She's a great player. I had to just play a little bit like I knew I could and I did, and I think hopefully that was the difference.

I'm such a fighter, I never give up. There's definitely something that's innate.

Serena will now make her way through to the quarter-final where she will meet Czech Karolina Pliskova.

Burkina Faso Prime Minister and entire cabinet resign from office

The Prime Minister of Burkina Faso, Paul Kaba Thieba, has resigned from office along with his entire cabinet.

No reason was given for the move, which was announced in a televised statement by the country's president. Thieba, a former economist, had held the position since January 2016 when he was nominated by President Roch Marc Christian Kabore.

His government has faced growing pressure over a rise in the number of kidnappings and jihadist attacks. Recent high-profile disappearances of foreign nationals have led to direct calls for Mr Thieba's resignation, as well as that of his defence and security ministers.

In his statement, President Kabore expressed his gratitude for their service and said he hoped to form a new government soon.

NASRDA says Nigeria will experience a lunar eclipse on Monday morning

According to the the Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA), Nigeria will join other countries of the world to experience a total lunar eclipse on Monday, Jan. 21, 2019.

Felix Alle, head, media and public communications of the agency, said this in a statement on Friday.

A lunar eclipse is a celestial incident where the moon appears darkened as it passes into the earth’s shadow. It occurs only when the sun, and the moon are exactly aligned with the earth between the two.

“There will be a lunar eclipse over Nigeria on Monday, Jan. 21, 2019. The eclipse, expected to be total, will begin in the evening of Sunday and end on Monday.

The eclipse will start across Nigeria in the early hours of Monday at approximately 3:36 am to reach its maximum at 6:12am and end at about 6:43am. The total duration of the occurrence over Nigeria will be three hours and 15 minutes,” the statement read.

Alle said the lunar eclipse would, by 4.33am, become a partial eclipse, where the moon would start getting red.

He added that “at exactly 5.41am, a maximum eclipse of the moon which may be visible to human sight will be witnessed, while the moon eclipse is expected to end at 6.43am”. He said this year’s eclipse would be the last to be experienced until 2021.

Huawei's new campus in China looks like a big European city and can house 25,000 employees

Tech giant Huawei's massive new campus, which is designed to look like a group of European cities, has left people in awe.

The campus in the Chinese city of Dongguan recreates a wide swathe of Europe, from faux Italian towers to artificial lakes and classical palaces. It also has its own tram system. 

The campus is split into 12 "towns," which are areas where employees work. Each town is named after a European city. There are towns including Paris, Granada, Verona and Bruges. 

The campus is still being built. So far 8 out of the 12 towns have been completed.

The nine square kilometer facility can house up to 25,000 employees. 17,000 employees are currently located on the campus. There are over 50,000 employees at Huawei's Shenzhen headquarters.

Huawei's Dongguan campus is so big that a tram operates to transport employees between different towns. There's also a bridge that connects the different parts of the campus on different sides of the lake. The bridge is a replica of the Freedom Bridge in Budapest, Hungary, CNBC reports.

More photos below.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic takes a swipe at Cristiano Ronaldo over his move to Juventus

Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Cristiano Ronaldo are no doubt regarded among the most respected footballers of all time, but the Swedish talisman is not happy about his Juventus move and has now taken a swipe at the Portuguese superstar.

After Ronaldo's £100million move from Real Madrid to Juventus last summer, he called his football rival Lionel Messi to join him in Italy.

'I've played in England, Spain, Italy, Portugal and for my national team, while he's still in Spain,' he said.

'Maybe he needs me more. For me, life is a challenge. I like it and I like to make people happy.'

But Ibrahimovic who currently plays for LA Galaxy in the US has dismissed Cristiano Ronaldo's move to Juventus, saying it is 'not a challenge at all'

In an interview published on Mail Online Football, he was quoted to have said: 'Ronaldo talks about challenges but he decided to go to a club who have been winning the Serie A title with their eyes closed,' he said.

'Why did he not choose a club from a second division a few years ago? Try to become a champion with such a second-division [club] and lead them to the highest level.

'Moving to Juventus is not a challenge at all.'

Man who tweeted final goodbye to his family during terrorist attack in Kenya among 174 people rescued

A man who went viral on social media after bidding farewell to his family while trapped in one of the buildings at 14 Riverside complex during Tuesday’s attack has been rescued.

Mr. Ng’eno was among over 174 people who were rescued overnight even as security forces continued to battle the attacker more the 12 hours after the siege started.

Ng’eno was evacuated hours after he tweeted a “goodbye message” to his family should he die in the attack. In a series of tweets, he had given updates on the harrowing situation inside Dusit D2 Hotel at a time no one knew exactly what was happening.

In his first tweet, he said that if he died, he loved the lord and believed he will go to heaven.

“Please tell my family I love then I love you Caleb, Mark and Carol.”

"If I die I love the Lord and believe I will go to heaven please tell my family I love then I love you Caleb, Mark and Carol"

Mr Ng’eno who describes himself as a husband, father, communication consultant, trainer and photographer, tweeted at 6:20am on Wednesday to the relief of those who had been hoping to hear good news that he was well.

“Dear all thank you for your support. I am now out and at home with my family. Thanks to the brave @NPSOfficial_KE @kdfinfo for risking their lives to save others.”

Rihanna sues her own dad for stealing her Fenty brand Name

Pop star, Rihanna is taking her own father, Ronald Fenty to court for stealing her Fenty brand name to launch a business for himself.

 Read TMZ report below

Rihanna is going after her own father in court for using her Fenty brand and his relationship to her to launch a business for himself ... according to new court docs.

In a new lawsuit -- obtained by TMZ -- Rihanna claims her father, Ronald Fenty, recently started a talent development company in 2017 called Fenty Entertainment. The problem ... Rihanna has already trademarked "Fenty" to use in a number of biz ventures, including her well-known Fenty Beauty line. She claims he's profiting off the reputation she's created with Fenty.

In the docs, Rihanna says her father and a business partner falsely advertised themselves as her reps to solicit millions of dollars, including trying to book her for 15 shows in Latin America in December 2017 for $15 mil ... all without her authorization. 

Rihanna claims later her dad even unsuccessfully tried to file a trademark for "Fenty" to use with resort boutique hotels.

She says she's sent multiple cease and desist letters to her father, ordering him to stop capitalizing off of her Fenty trademarks, but says he's ignored them and continued to make money off of Fenty Entertainment.

She's asking a judge to place an injunction on her dad using the name Fenty ... and, of course, for damages.

Canadian citizen sentenced to death in China for drug smuggling

A Chinese court on Monday sentenced a Canadian man to death for drug smuggling after prosecutors said an original 15-year sentence announced in November was too lenient.

“Dalian Intermediate People’s Court in the northeast province of Liaoning retried Robert Lloyd Schellenberg and handed down the death penalty,’’ the court said in a brief statement on its website.  

The case is likely again to test relations between Beijing and Ottawa, which has been tensed since Canada’s arrest of a Chinese executive at the request of the U.S. in December. The arrest was followed by China’s detention of two Canadian citizens on suspicion of endangering state security.

US rapper Juelz Santana quickly marries his fiance Kimbella ahead of his 2-year prison sentence

American rapper, Juelz Santana has quickly married his fiancee Kimbella Vanderhee ahead of his prison sentence.

Recall that the former Dipset rapper was in December sentenced to 27 months in prison for carrying a loaded gun to an airport, but before going off to jail, he made sure he tied the knot with his partner of 10 years.

Santana and Kimbella who both share two children, a son name Juelz, and a daughter named Bella got married this week at a private ceremony in New Jersey. 

See more photos below.

Lagos Police Commissioner, Imohimi Edgal redeployed

he Commissioner of Police in Lagos State, Mr Imohimi Edgal has been redeployed.

According to Channels, Mr Edgal was redeployed to the Force Headquarters in Abuja as the Commissioner of Police in charge of Explosive Ordinance Unit.

The police authorities also asked Mr Kayode Egbetokun to take over from Mr Edgal as acting police commissioner in the state.

South African billionaire rewards his 18-year-old son with a Porsche for passing matric exam

South Africa billionaire Robert Gumede has splurged millions of rand on a sports car for his son for passing matric.

The yellow Porsche GT3, which retails between R2.8m and R3.3m, was a surprise gift for 18-year-old Matana Robert Junior Gumede. A video that has been circulating on social media shows the moment the teen is shown his gift.

Initially, the teen is seen being led to a Porsche Boxster S before his actual gift is revealed. When the car is shown to him, the youngster goes hysterical with excitement and starts jumping. His brother Themba posted the video on Twitter.

"So as a family we decided to fool my little brother and made him believe that he got the Boxster S. Yes he was happy... But wait and see his reaction to what we ACTUALLY him. Proud of you little bro!" Temba wrote.

In the video, the emotional youngster shares a warm hug with his father. 

In another video, Gumede is heard warning his son not to do to the Porsche what he did to a Jeep.

Watch videos below:

TG@ThembaGumede_

So as a family we decided to fool my little brother and made him believe that he got the Boxster S. Yes he was happy... But wait and see his reaction to what we ACTUALLY him.

Proud of you little bro!

6,213

9:25 PM - Jan 8, 2019

2,041 people are talking about this

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LEFA@LEFA_Lek

Gumede brothers shaking the hood , yeses im sick! inspirational stuff ... Cc @ThembaGumede_

61

12:38 PM - Jan 10, 2019 · Mbombela, South Africa

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Sego_M@M_Sego12

That GT3 tho... @ThembaGumede_

30

12:28 PM - Jan 10, 2019

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