Lionel Messi biopic planned for 2014 World Cup

LOS ANGELES (AFP) – US filmmakers are to make a biopic about Argentinian football legend Lionel Messi, to be released around the time of the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

Beverly Hills-based Epic Pictures Group said it has acquired the rights to a biography of the Barcelona star, “Messi: The Inside Story of the Boy Who Became a Legend.”

The film will be a dramatization based on the book by European sports journalist Luca Caioli, rather than a documentary. Epic will finance and produce it, and are looking for a writer and director.

Imo police smash baby factory, nab impregnator, rescue 17 pregnant teenagers

Imo State Police Command recorded another success in its renewed fight against crime and criminals, following the bursting of child trafficking and baby factory syndicate in the state.

Disclosing this to newsmen Thursday evening, at the State Police Headquarters, Owerri, the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Mohammed Katsina, said the Command has clamped down on illegal motherless babies homes, as well as rescued 17 pregnant teenagers.

Happy Birthday to a colleague

Happy Birthday to a colleague

                                         Have a wonderful years ahead

Strengthening your small business

                                                          Strengthening your small business
                                                     
No matter how small a business is, experts say it can grow into a big one. Indeed, stories abound of small scale businesses that grew to become multinational companies. Despite this, experts say many entrepreneurs do not believe that their small businesses are capable of sharing an amazing story of growth.

As a result, many entrepreneurs do not even bother to take steps to grow their businesses or position them for growth; they are contented with them as they are. In keeping things that way, they often leave their businesses badly exposed to failure.

Man Utd-loving Asia boss hopes Moyes is winner too

SINGAPORE -The Bahraini royal appointed as Asia’s new football boss has taken time out to ponder another succession — at his beloved Manchester United.

Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa, just days after taking over as head of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), hailed retiring manager Alex Ferguson and expressed hope for his replacement, David Moyes.

“Being a Manchester United fan, I have closely followed their path to glory and it was because of Sir Alex’s untiring efforts that the club won 13 league crowns, five FA Cups, four League Cups and two UEFA Champions Leagues,” he said, in a statement emailed to AFP.

Man charged with theft of internet lover’s N680, 000

Lagos— A 26-year-old man, Jolaoye Oyewole, yesterday, appeared before an Ebute Metta Magistrates’ Court in Lagos over alleged theft of his Indian girlfriend’s N680,000.

Oyewole, who resides at 3, Atobaje St., Agege, Lagos, is standing trial on a two-count charge of conspiracy and stealing.

According to the prosecution, the man stole Miss Sarah Warner’s MasterCard and used it to withdraw the sum from her bank account.

Cpl. Onaiwu Iyobosa told the court that Oyewole committed the offences between December 3, 2012 and January 12, in Ikeja.

“The accused invited the complainant (Warner) to Nigeria through the internet to formalise their relationship.

They Toy With Our Future

IN the ingenuity of the politician, the future of Nigeria is tied to elections. When politicians, who call themselves leaders, engage in phased discussions of Nigeria, they are not contemplating legacy projects that would enhance the development of Nigeria.

Their entire concerns are elections, the struggle for power, the decisions about who becomes what, and those marked for nothingness. The reduction of the country to this contracted vision is the biggest failure of civil rule since 1999. Every administration, from the local governments, through the States to the centre, sees election to office as the platform to perpetrate either itself or its interests in power. When it leaves, the damage endures.

India, China, Brazil, Bangladesh & Nigeria account for over 50 % of the annual cervical cancer death

NEW DELHI (AFP) – Social stigma is harming attempts to combat cervical cancer in India where more women die annually of the disease than anywhere else in the world, a new report said Friday.

The also indicated that India, China, Brazil, Bangladesh and Nigeria account for over 50 percent of the annual 275,000 cervical cancer deaths

More than a quarter of cervical cancer deaths worldwide occur in India, representing 72,825 a year according to the report by the US-based Cervical Cancer Free Coalition, although African nations have higher mortality rates.

Eat mangoes and ward off hypertension, cancer and obesity

                                         Mango

Another season of mangoes is here again and most people relish this seasonal fruit but how many of these people know the health benefits of eating mangoes? Mango fruit is known as the king of fruits and one of the most popular, nutritionally rich fruit with unique flavour, fragrance, taste, and heath promoting qualities making it a common ingredient in new functional foods often called “super fruits”. Mangoes are perfect to replenish salts, vitamins and energy after physical exercise.

The enzymes of the mango, such as magneferin, katechol oxidase and lactase, clean the bowel of the “filth” within and are an ideal antidote for all toxic effects inside the body. They provide also sufficient resistance to fight any germs and afflictions.

If I’m arrested, Nigeria will be histroy – Dokubo-Asari

                                         FORMER Niger Delta activist, Alhaji Mujahid Dokubo-Asari

Leader of the Niger Delta People’s Volunteer Force, Alhaji Mujahid Dokubo-Asari, has dared the House of Representatives and leaders of northern Nigeria to arrest him if they can.

Dokubo-Asari, who spoke with journalists on Wednesday evening in Abuja, said he stood by his words that there would be no peace if Jonathan is not reelected in 2015.

He was responding to calls by members of the House, Governor Babangida Aliyu of Niger State and northern leaders, saying the leaders were cowards if he was not arrested.

Air freshners: Healthy or deadly?

Air fresheners sell like hot cakes. Almost every other car on the road and at least two out of three homes use some form of air freshener.

But what kind of an effect can they have and are they all that bad? Is your air freshener secretly killing you? Are there any serious health effects to those sweet scented, aromatic accessories?

From solid, aerosol and plug-in varieties, domestic fragrances and odour neutralizers have received a bad reputation for their chemical stewpots. Environmental groups repeatedly warn against using many types of air fresheners, citing a list of pollutants that can threaten our health.

Former Super Falcon coach Jossy Lad passes on at 72

                                                         Jossy Lad

Former Super Falcon coach, Joseph Ladipo, popularly called Jossy Lad died on Thursday at his Kuola, Apata residence in Ibadan after a protracted illness..

The former Shooting Stars coach gave up the ghost at exactly 10:15am while having breakfast.

He received treatment for heart-related diseases for some weeks at the University College Hospital, Ibadan before he went back home on Friday.

Waje on Glo ambassador deal: ‘I’m grateful to God’

                                         *Waje
This could be described as a double blessing for the sensational singer, Waje who was recently unvieled as one of the new Glo ambassadors, a mouth-watering deal that came up few days after she launched her much talked about album.

Still basking in the euphoria of the excitement, the singer said, she is so grateful to God for the deal, adding that it is an indication that more blessings are coming her way before the end of this year.

“I am so grateful to God for this deal. It shows that more blessings are still coming my way. As for what I will do with the money, it is strictly my personal business,” she said.

Nigeria owes World Bank, AfDB $5.34bn

                                                  World Bank

Nigeria’s total indebtedness to the World Bank Group and African Development Bank has reached $5.34bn, our correspondent has gathered.

Information obtained from the Debt Management Office on Thursday showed that the country was indebted to the International Development Association, a lending arm of the World Bank Group, to the tune of $4.598bn.

It was also gathered that the country owed the African Development Bank Group $667.58m.

Why my music stands the test of time – Orits Wiliki

Orits Wiliki is a self-acclaimed Koleman revolutionaire who needs no introduction. He stormed the industry in the mid-80s with his album titled; Tribulation. He has gone on and on with amazing reggae sound tracks and his unique style of playing the talking drum with his songs.

The veteran reggae artiste embarked on self-imposed sabbatical spanning twenty years. He came back stronger as an artiste, a song writer, producer and performer 11 years ago and featured hip-hop artiste, Idris Abdulkareem on his ‘the Good, The Bad and The Ugly album. In this interview, he explains why his music stands the test of time among other issues raised by our reporter.

Lagos and FG’s unfolding CCTV contract scam

THE depth of corruption and incompetence that pervades Nigeria’s public service is on display once again in the unfolding Federal Government’s $430 million surveillance camera contract. Not only has the government wasted a huge sum on another failed project, it may be delaying a similar and more transparent project by the Lagos State Government. The National Assembly should not relent in its efforts to unravel the mess and bring culpable public officers to book.