₦airaland Forum

Gernan Crespo became the hottest property of a new Indian soccer league starting next month when the Argentine fetched $840,000 in an auction of players and coaches on Monday. Nigeria’s Austin Jay-Jay Okocha fetched the marketers $550,000 on the same table. The former Super Eagles captain was snapped up by Durgapur.

Former Nigerian coach Samson Siasia was sold for the sum of $210,000 by the same team that selected his former Eagles teammate Okocha.

Crespo was snapped up by the Barasat franchise of Premier League Soccer, which is modelled on cricket’s highly successful Indian Premier League Twenty20 tournament and scheduled from February 25 to April 8 in the eastern Indian state of West Bengal.

The idea of a players’ auction was borrowed from IPL, whose success has spawned numerous franchise-based leagues in other sports across the country.

Italy’s 2006 World Cup-winning captain Fabio Cannavaro went to Siliguri for $830,000, while Robert Pires of France ($800,000) and Liverpool great Robbie Fowler ($530,000) went to Howrah and Kolkata respectively.

Five franchises collectively spent nearly $7 million, each buying an ‘icon’ player, two overseas footballers and a coach.

“This auction is unprecedented not only in the history of Indian football but also for world football,” Bhaswar Goswami, executive director of the Celebrity Management Group which is organising the league, told Reuters by telephone.

“There is an expenditure cap and I must say that the franchises wisely spent their money,” he said from Kolkata where the auction took place.

In an otherwise cricket-crazy country, the eastern Indian state of West Bengal is equally passionate about soccer.

Nearly 120,000 fans gave a rousing reception to Oliver Kahn in the German goalkeeper’s 2008 Bayern Munich swansong in Kolkata and Argentina great Diego Maradona almost brought the city to a standstill during his visit the same year.

Howrah will boast PLS’s most expensive coach after shelling out $240,000 for former Portugal central defender Fernando Couto.

PUNCH NEWSPAPER

The police in Lagos State, Southwest, Nigeria have arrested a private school bus driver for allegedly killing a 16-year old girl for refusing to allow him have sex with her inside a school bus.

The driver, identified as Godwin Etute, allegedly murdered the teenager called Tolu Gbadamosi, dumped her by the road side and drove off.

The 26-year old suspect was arrested by the police at Ikotun Division on a tip-off by someone who saw him when he dumped the victim and drove off.

The incident happened at Egbe in Alimosho area of Lagos State where both worked in a popular private school (name withheld).

P.M.NEWS gathered that Etute was employed as the school bus driver, while the late Gbadamosi also worked as auxiliary teacher who also assisted the driver to take school children with the bus to and from school.

Sources said her problem started when Etute attempted to woo her to have sex with him several times but she refused and told him that he had not tried sex with any man.

She insisted that she can only do that when she gets married.

She reported her encounter with Etute to her mom and few of her friends, P.M.NEWSlearnt.

It was gathered that on the day of the incident, Etute drove the school bus to pick children to the school with Gbadamosi in the morning.

While only two of them were in the bus as they set out to pick the pupils, he alleged parked the bus by the roadside and attempted to forcefully have sex with the victim inside the school bus.

“When she refused, he grabbed her and tore her underwear, but the girl resisted him. And Etute started beating her,” an eyewitness said.

In anger, Etute allegedly brought out a screw driver and stabbed Tolu. She collapsed and died inside the school bus.

The police were later contacted and they arrested Etute.

The incident has thrown the management of the school and the family of the deceased into mourning.

When P.M.NEWS visited the school, the owner of the school was said to have gone to the police station in respect of the matter.

While at the Ikotun Station, a police source confirmed the incident and added that the matter will be transferred to State Criminal Investigation Department, SCID, Panti Yaba, Lagos after their preliminary investigation at Ikotun.



Source: PM News

THE Presidential Villa, otherwise known as Aso Rock, will spend about N18.36 billion this year for fuel and lubricants.

Also, N237,370,200 will be spent by the State House headquarters. Of this figure, the office of the President will spend N168.722 million for fuel and lubricants, while N68,647,329 will be spent on lubricants by the Vice President.

The State House is also expected to spend N75, 131,589 on plants and generators for both the headquarters and that of the Vice President, with the headquarters spending N54,329,366 while the Vice President will spend N20,802,589 on fuel for generators alone.

The Presidency in the budget for the year would spend N577.543 million to replace aged vehicles in the presidential fleet while N15, 215, 500 has been earmarked for maintenance of plants and generators, N137,827,111 for the maintenance of office/IT equipment, N382,317,777 for maintenance of motor vehicle/transport equipment and N122,466,733 for other maintenance services.

Source: Vanguard

Facebook is going public, to launch IPO next week

News from Wall Street claim Facebook is about to launch an Initial Public Offer (IPO). The anticipated IPO will value the world’s largest social network at between $75 billion and $100 billion in what would be one of the largest initial public offerings in U.S. history.

Morgan Stanley (MS.N) and Goldman Sachs (GS.N) are expected to play a significant role in the deal which is expected to raise $10 billion.

Shares of Internet and social-networking companies rose after the news, with LinkedIn Corp (LNKD.N) closing 5.9 percent higher at $76.64 and Zynga Inc (ZNGA.O) gaining 5.6 percent to $10.05. Shares at GSV Capital (GSVC.O), an investment firm that owns Facebook, jumped 17.8 percent to $17.79

Strong indications have emerged that the Federal Government might enlist the services of international intelligence experts in its bid to arrest the raging Boko Haraminsurgence in the country.

SATURDAY PUNCH investigations showed that the FG was considering the engagement of some United States troops, who are grounded in asymmetric warfare to complement the efforts of Nigerian security operatives.

An intelligence source told one of our correspondents on the condition of anonymity that while the FG was exploring several options to deal with Boko Haram’s threat to peace, the security chiefs had not briefed operatives of any such decision to bring in US Marines into the country to assist their Nigerian counterparts.

The source stated, however, that there were verbal discussions in security circles about the likelihood of engaging the US Marines in a concerted bid to combat the Boko Haram onslaught, the deadliest of which saw the killing of more than 200 people last week in Kano.

It was learnt that the leadership of the nation’s security had not circulated any signal in relation to the coming of the US troops.

The source stated, “The issue of the moves being made to bring in US Marines into Nigeria is being discussed in security circles.

“But I can tell you that no document relating to that has been circulated though people have been saying that the government is perfecting moves to engage the services of American troops because of the Boko Haramissue.

“What I’m not sure is whether the American troops will be coming to join us for combat or they are coming to team up with us in the area of intelligence and monitoring; that is, to play a discreet role. Those are two different things.”

On Monday, some prominent personalities from Borno State, who described themselves as Borno Elders and Leaders of Thought, placed an advertorial in a national daily, in which they cautioned the FG on the implication of bringing in US Marines into the country.

They advised the FG against engaging the American troops in the fight against Boko Haram on the premise that the nation did not have any defence pact with any country.

“We’re very much disturbed by newspaper reports echoed by international media houses and corroborated by certain clandestine statements by some highly-placed persons that American soldiers or Marines would be deployed in Nigeria.

“Though we feel that it is false, we hasten to caution that it is very much uncalled for. Since the Vietnam War till date, there has never been anywhere in the world American forces did anything good but destruction…”

The statement was signed by Alhaji Shettima Ali Monguno, a former Minister of Internal affairs, on behalf of 20 top Borno elders.

Some South-West leaders of thought also kicked against the FG’s move to forge a defence pact with the US as a way of ridding the country of the Boko Haram menace.

When our correspondent contacted the Minister of Defence, Dr. Mohammed Bello, on the telephone on Thursday, he said that he was not aware of such a move.

However, Bello said that he would find out if it was true or not.

He stressed that as the minister of defence, he would be aware if foreign troops were to be deployed in Nigeria to combat the Boko Haram insurrection.

“I can tell you categorically that I’m not aware of such a move and I can tell you also that the Nigerian military is not aware too.

“It cannot be true, but give me time to find out. I’m not aware of it because troops would not be mobilised to the country without my knowledge,” Bello said.

Similarly, the Director Defence Information, Col. Mohammed Yerima, said he was not aware of the planned deployment of American troops in Nigeria.

“I’m just hearing this from you. This is a political issue; it is a policy issue, we don’t know anything about it,” Yerima told SATURDAY PUNCH.

“I also read it from that advertorial by the Borno elders and I think that is their opinion.”

Shortly after the devastating attacks on security formations in Kano on Jan 20, the United States Deputy Assistant Secretary, Mr. William Fitzgerald, said in a critical meeting with the National Security Adviser, Gen. Owoye Azazi, and other FG officials that the Boko Haram insurgence had assumed a different dimension.

Fitzgerald said the US government had separated the Niger Delta from the regional security cooperation with the escalation of the Boko Haram activities in the North.

In his address, which was widely reported, the US Deputy Assistant Secretary conveyed the readiness of the US to render assistance to Nigeria to restore peace to the troubled North.

However, he was not specific on what manner the American intervention in the escalating terrorist attacks in the North would take.

“Today marks a new beginning, security issues in the North have taken up a new significance, so we have chosen to split the regional security cooperation and the Niger Delta. The regional security cooperation has its own working group, which will meet today and tomorrow.

“I bring on behalf of the US government, the deepest condolences on the heinous attacks that have taken place during the past few days; first in Kano and then Bauchi State.

“We deplore swiftly the reign of terror that has existed in the North of the country for many months. And we stand with you to work together to find a way to bring peace to the North,” Fitzgerald said.

Meanwhile, investigations showed that the Nigerian Army is undertaking a major troops deployment and movement of equipment in the north-western part of the country in response to the escalating activities of theBoko Haram in the region.

Before the Kano attacks, it was the belief in governmental circles that the security agencies had been able to restrict the activities of the Boko Haram to the North-East.

That perhaps explains the establishment of the Joint Task Force to focus on security maintenance in the North-East, where Boko Haram was believed to have its root and main operation base.

It was learnt that the army authorities had directed the additional deployment of soldiers to secure their barracks and to protect the civil populace from attacks in their areas.

The Director of Army Public Relations, Maj.-Gen. Raphael Isah, told one of our correspondents on Thursday that the army was only involved in some restructuring in some formations to curtail the emerging Boko Haramthreat in the area.

He said that the army had a responsibility to complement the efforts of the police and other security agencies if they were overwhelmed.

Isah said, “We’re restructuring our formation around there to cope with the threat. Where more troops and equipment are required, they will be done.

“I won’t tell these boys that this is what we want. When the police and other security agencies have been overwhelmed, you expect the soldiers to complement the efforts of such agencies. That is the meaning of internal security operations.

“What do you expect when our sister agencies were attacked? It is nothing unusual,” he said.



Source: Punch Newspaper

Nigerian troops on Saturday killed 11 fighters from the Islamist sect Boko Haram during a shootout in the northeastern city of Maiduguri, a spokesman said.

“Today, in an exchange of fire during an cordon-and-search operation conducted by the JTF, 11 Boko Haram members were killed,” Lieutenant Colonel Hassan Mohammed told AFP by telphone, referring to the army’s Joint Task Force unit.

Mohammed said no casualties were suffered by the JTF, a specialised squad set up last year to crack down on Boko Haram, a shadowy group that is blamed for the deaths of more than 200 people already this year.

Maiduguri, the capital of Borno state, was placed under a state of emergency on December 31 by President Goodluck Jonathan along with other parts of the country hard hit by Boko Haram’s attacks.

The city is seen as Boko Haram’s base.



Source: Vanguard

President Obama's car is currently for sale on ebay by anonymous winner. The value of the car is $16,000 but the minimum bid on ebay is $1 million.

This was the 2005 Chrysler, Barrack Obama drove when running for presidency.

New owners of Intercontinental Bank, Access Bank PLC have began operation by sacking about 1500 staff of Intercontinental Bank.

They have also started shutting down some branched of Intercontinental banks nationwide, with two already closed at Ibafo and Ikeja.

The bank is expected to issue a release soonest.

They were sacked yesterday.

Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State yesterday gave out cheques worth N17.5 million to 70 families of victims of the “black Sunday”, January 27, 2002, at the Oke Afa Memorial Cenotaph where about 1000 people drowned in the Oke Afa Canal in the old Oshodi Isolo LGA now Ejigbo Local Council Development Area, LCDA.

Fashola, who performed the symbolic ceremony, urged the families to “let go of their grief and march on.” The governor also unveiled the ceremonial wall of remembrance and later laid a wreath at the foot of the January 27 cenotaph. According to him:“We must take solace in the fact that there will always be a special place in history for people whose deaths bring about change, and we must take solace in the fact that our loved ones will never be forgotten.”

In his long address, Fashola noted that that the pains of the bomb blast have brought change to disaster management in the state saying that parts of the gains of the tragedy include; a more proactive training of emergency responders, the establishment of relief camps at Agbowa with another ongoing at Alimosho, and the commencement of the construction of the new Ajao-Ejigbo link bridge and road and ferry terminals that would be constructed at the Oke Afa and Ejigbo ends of the canal which will open up water transportation from Ejigbo to the central business districts of Lagos Island and Festac.

Fashola said eight school blocks containing 82 classrooms have been fully built and operational at the Ikeja Military Cantonment since 2010, while government has equally rebuilt and fully equipped the damaged hospital in the cantonment

Social Media Company, Twitter has announced they would start deleting tweets of users in certain country but the tweet would remain undeleted in the rest of the world.

This is a major move by twitter to curb tweets that could prove harmful to their usage in those countries. Most countries have limits and twitter is just obeying that.

“We hold freedom of expression in high esteem and work hard not to remove Tweets,” Twitter spokeswoman Jodi Olson wrote in an e-mail to CNN.

“And just to be clear, this is not a change in philosophy and there are still countries to which we will not go,” she said.

As examples of countries where tweets may have to be restricted, Twitter mentioned Germany and France, which ban pro-Nazi content. Twitter will operate in those countries while censoring pro-Nazi tweets, for example.

But some countries are so restrictive with freedom of expression that Twitter can’t exist there at all, the company said.

“One of our core values as a company is to defend and respect each user’s voice,” Twitter wrote in a blog entry Thursday. “We try to keep content up wherever and whenever we can, and we will be transparent with users when we can’t. The Tweets must continue to flow.”

But one observer said the move is blatant censorship.

“There’s no way around that. But alas, Twitter is not above the law,” according to Jillian York, the director for international freedom of expression at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, which defends free speech and privacy online.

York said she acknowledges that Twitter, like other companies hosting user-generated content, has at some point faced a government order or request to take down content.

“Twitter has two options in the event of a request: fail to comply, and risk being blocked by the government in question, or comply (read: censor). And if they have ‘boots on the ground,’ so to speak, in the country in question? No choice,” she wrote.

The company is simply “doing its best in a tough situation,” she said.

http://www.news4jax.com/news/Technology/Twitter-to-delete-posts-if-countries-request-it/-/4882254/8510896/-/ji3dhp/-/index.html

Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard was stoned by protesters on Thursday. She got protection from her bodyguard to escape

Riot police formed a shield around the prime minister as they helped her force a path through the protesters who surrounded a restaurant where she was attending an awards ceremony to mark Australia Day.

Miss Gillard stumbled after losing a shoe in the scuffle, but was caught by her personal security guard and managed to get into a waiting car.

ENUGU — FORMER President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, yesterday, expressed grave concern over the current state of insecurity in the country and the continued slow march of the nation to desired development destinations.

He also called for increased public private partnership in the management of education to tackle the “four serious problems that still persist in thwarting” the nation’s efforts with consequences for Nigeria’s ability to meet the Millennium Development Goals, MDGs.

Obasanjo who delivered the 41st convocation lecture of the University of Nigeria, UNN, at Nsukka on the theme “Education and national development” said the country could not continue to wobble as she is currently doing.

Speaking on the challenges of the future for the nation, Obasanjo said: “This country cannot continue to wobble along like a stalked and wounded lion, walking to its death. We have immense resources— there were 37.2 billion barrels of proven oil reserves in Nigeria as of 2011 ranking the country as the largest producer of oil in Africa and the 11th largest in the world, yet, there is no respite in the search for sustainable development of the nation.”

Obasanjo also alluded to the nation’s growing population which is put at 170 million as at today, saying: “This will be an asset only if we start now to work seriously and assiduously on how this large population will be the quality, united and purposeful workforce associated with such countries as the US and South Korea.”

He explained that the United Nations’ projection that Nigeria will be the fourth largest nation in population by the turn of the next century places a big burden on the leaders and people of Nigeria who must work for corresponding growth in education sector by increasing access to, quality and purpose of education.

Obasanjo identified the four problems confronting the nation’s education sector as inadequate access to education, poor quality, lack of clarity on purpose of education and relevance of current education to Nigeria’s culture, orientation, core values and the future.

The former military and civilian president called for public private partnership to tackle the challenges of education in Nigeria.

He submitted that “PPP in Nigerian education today must go beyond mortar and bricks, and extend to shared services, entrepreneurial development and reform ideas.”

Chief Obasanjo also recommended that Nigeria must “institutionalise systematic performance reviews and assessment of all key areas of our education system”, noting that “the annual lamentations about poor performance in WAEC and NECO examinations will remain empty and futile until we have reward and punishment systems to encourage improvements among students, teachers, administrators, schools and communities.”

Popular Yoruba movie actor, Lekan Lekinson is dead.

The veteran Yoruba actor died yesterday January 25th in Osun state, after a prolonged battle with diabetes

A motor mechanic has been sentenced to death by hanging for armed robbery. He was sentenced to death for robbing a University Lecturer of his car stereo at gun point in company of another accomplice, now deceased.

Prosecution led by the State Director of Public Prosecutions, Mr. Marcel Okoh called four witnesses to prove its case.

The mechanic along with another person were accused of robbing one Johnson Unuerho of his car stereo on the 29th of June, 2002 armed with a gun at Okpara Inland within Isiokolo judicial division.

However the 2nd accused persons one Gabriel Iyerowho, a driver was discharged and acquitted.

The victim of the robbery incident, who was PW2 (prosecution witness), a Principal Lecturer attached to the College of Education Warri, narrated how he tip-toed to the window, opened the blind gently and saw the 1st accused person, Patrick Ekeh and another member of the gang now deceased before shouting for help.

Justice Fred of Oleh High Court in Delta, in his judgment stated that “in the final analysis, I uphold defence of alibi of the 2nd accused persons. It ought to have been investigated by the police but was not. And besides, he was not one of those sighted by the PW2 when he took a peep through the window of his house and so no evidence fixing him at the scene and sufficient to dislodge the alibi raised by him.

While sentencing the accused, he said, “this is an offence of armed robbery for which I have no discretion. The penalty is death and I am not in a position not to impose it. To this end, the accused person is sentenced to death by handing in the neck until he is dead”, the judge stated.



Source: Vanguard Nigeria

Super Eagles striker, Peter Osaze Odemwinge and Nollywood's top actress have to hit it big.

The two celebrities got a deal with Cintrion drinks, a South African firm worth N50 million each.

They both,now are ambassadors for the firm

Popular Nollywood actor and comedian, Mr ibu has lost his 2-year-old son,Emmanuel Mandela to the cold hands of death.

According to reports on blogs, Emmanuel has been ill some days before dying

The actor posted on his Facebook page: “R.IP. Mandy, my son…Mummy and Daddy love you a lot but God loves you more.”

Its a Nigerian thing

Michael Ayodele has excreted 86 wraps of heroine at the Washington Dulles Airport in the USA while been interrogated after arriving on a flight from Zurich, Switzerland on the 16th of January.

Ayodele told officials,he was returning from Nigeria where he visited his family.

The pellets excreted by Ayodele weighed about one kilogramme and the worth of one kilogramme of heroine is valued at $70,000.

Nigerian international, Taiye Taiwo has joined English Premiership side, Queens Park Rangers on a six month loan from AC Milan.

Taiwo's agent , Fabio Parisi, announced this on tweeter ;

"Taiwo has just signed a six month loan deal with QPR" - Fabio Parisi said.

Taiwo joins QPR after a very unsuccessful season with AC Milan.

source: http://gog.li/gvb

Chairman of Global Fleet Group c, Jimoh Ibrahim, 44, who is also one of the billionaires in Lagos State and is currently into the following sectors: aviation, insurance, oil and gas, media, banking, properties etc, is set to open his 34-floor hotel in Duabi, where he also owns and rents over 50 flats in the city’s very exclusive area.

Acquiring the hotel was said to have cost the billionaire, who owns the only university in Sao Tome, at least half a billion dollars and will be opened in February, 2012.

Jimoh Ibrahim also recently bought a hotel in Budapest in Hungary; that’s plus the very many posh hotels he owns in Lagos; that’s plus the banks (Energy Bank) he owns in Accra Ghana; that’s plus owning National Mirror newspaper and Newswatch magazine; that’s plus owing Air Nigeria and Nicon Insurance…and many more businesses.

Source: http://gog.li/gva

Vice-President Namadi Sambo on Friday expressed optimism that the impasse created in the country by the removal of fuel subsidy would soon be resolved.

One week strike and protests had followed the January 1, 2012 decision of the Federal Government to deregulate the downstream petroleum sector, which led to an astronomical increase in the pump price of petrol from N65 per litre to between N141 and N200. But Sambo, at a Juma’at prayer organised to mark the 2012 Armed Forces Remembrance Day at the National Mosque, Abuja, said there was hope that Nigerians would soon heave a sigh of relief.

“There is great hope for this country. As you are aware, just yesterday (Thursday), we had dialogue with labour and Insha Allah, with the guidance of Almighty Allah and our prayers, it (the impasse) will soon be resolved,” he said.

Sambo said for the country to achieve the desired greatness, Nigerians must learn to live in peace and eschew bitterness.

Admitting that the nation was going through a challenging period in its history, the VP said all Nigerians must work together in unity for the country to come out of the woods.

Source:  http://www.punchng.com/news/fuel-subsidy-impasse-to-be-resolved-soon-sambo/

http://gog.li/guu

The on-going nationwide strike could come to an end as the Federal Government have agreed to revert back to N65 per litre for fuel.

Accoring to source, FG gave labour two options,labour was given two options for the reinstatement of the N65 per litre price of petrol. The first option is to revert to the pre-New Year price on the condition that the subsidy regime would be completely removed in April.

The second option is to allow the N65 selling price of petrol and withdraw 80% of the subsidy in March, meaning that petrol would sell for N120 if the current price regime remains in force.

According to labour, A compromise has been made but there is no agreement.

There is however another meeting on Saturday.

Source: http://gog.li/gur

John Asiemo a.k.a Daddy Showkey joined millions of protesting Nigerians yesterday against fuel subsidy removal by President Goodluck Jonathan.

Speaking at the protest ground in Ojota, Daddy Showkey said:

‘Na shame no make me come. I shame say I open my mouth campaign for dat man‘.

The on-going nationwide strike continues today as FG and Labour could not reach a compromise.

source: http://gog.li/guq

He has to, This country is really in disaster mode now. Na God hand we dey

hehehehehe

Despite the war on subsidy removal in the country,Minister of Finance,Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala is really spending big. She has just purchased a massive home in Maitama, Abuja for a whooping N1.2 Billion.

The house is located at No 3 Nwaora close, off Gana Street, Abuja .

According to source, Okonjo-Iweala through a United States based company owned by her brother Chi-Chi Okonjo-GeorgeTown Consultancy, allegedly pocketed about $2 Billion in commission in the last debt buy back deal under the President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration.

Source: http://gog.li/guj

The biggest phone selling outfit in Lagos, SLOT has been closed down by the Lagos State Government due to an illegal building mounted behind the main outlet at Computer Village, Ikeja

Sources say the company has thus been locked up with padlocks and sealed by the lagos state Government.

source: http://gog.li/guc

According to Arsenal's official website, Thierry Henry has signed a short-term loan contract  - Naijabb

"Henry, who made 370 appearances for the Club and is the Gunners’ all-time leading goalscorer with 226 goals, has been maintaining his fitness at London Colney since November during the MLS off-season.

Speaking about the deal, Arsène Wenger, said: “I am very happy. It was my desire and Thierry’s desire. We will have Thierry for January and in February. Then he will go back to the United States. I am sure during these two months he will be a massive asset to the team in the dressing room and on the pitch. He can be relaxed, not under too much pressure and be a tremendous help to the team.”

Henry initially joined Arsenal from Juventus in August 1999. Arsène Wenger transformed Henry from a winger into one of the finest strikers in the world. He was an integral part of the 2003/04 ‘Invincibles’ who went a whole season unbeaten and during his eight years at the Club between 1999 and 2007 he won two Premier League Championships, two FA Cups, the Premier League ‘Golden Boot’ on four occasions and the PFA Player of the Year twice. Fittingly, on 7th May 2006, he scored the last ever goal at Highbury.

In June 2007 he transferred to Barcelona where he won further honours, including a League, Cup and Champions League treble in 2009. In 2010, he joined the New York Red Bulls and helped them to the Eastern Conference title in his first season, as well as the pre-season Emirates Cup in July this year at Emirates Stadium.

In 2008, Henry was voted as the greatest Arsenal player of all-time in an extensive Arsenal.com poll of tens of thousands of Gunners fans from all over the world. In recognition of his outstanding contribution, the Club marked its recent 125th anniversary by unveiling a bronze statue of the Frenchman at the south east corner of Emirates Stadium, depicting his famous celebration after scoring against Tottenham Hotspur at Highbury in November 2002.

Henry has enjoyed similar success at international level, having won the 1998 World Cup, Euro 2000 and 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup. In October 2007, he surpassed Michel Platini's record to become France’s all-time record goalscorer. Henry retired from international football after the 2010 World Cup.

After signing the loan deal, Henry said: "It is unreal to be honest. But when it comes to Arsenal my heart will always do the talking. Once I knew the plan behind it I was OK with it. I am not coming here to be a hero or prove anything. I am just coming here to help. People have to understand that. Marouane and Gervinho are going to the Africa Cup of Nations, so I was asked to fill in the gap. It is a loan deal and I’ll be on the bench most of the time. If I can make the bench that is! The Boss has a team here already who are doing something good. I am just going to be part of the squad.

Henry continued: "I want to send a message to the fans of New York Red Bulls as well. I always said I would not play in Europe again. But it is hard for me when it comes to Arsenal. I am not coming here for the whole season, I will be back and I want to win the MLS Cup with the Red Bulls. I hope it is win-win situation where I can help Arsenal and come back fit for the MLS season."

Thierry is scheduled to remain with Arsenal on loan throughout January and into February, when he will rejoin his New York Red Bulls team-mates in preparation for the new MLS season, which kicks off on March 10.

Thierry will be available for selection for the FA Cup Third Round match against Leeds United on Monday night.

Thierry will wear the No 12 shirt during his time back with the Club,

http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/41432/henry-signs-short-term-deal-with-arsenal

source: http://gog.li/gu7

Current president of Paypal, Scott Thompson has been named by Yahoo INC has its new Chief Executive Officer.

Thompson who is known for his great records with e-marketplace,ebay is expected to reignite Yahoo who has experienced difficulties lately competing with superhouse Google and Facebook.

The announcement was made on the 4th of January, 2012.

http://gog.li/gu6

Wife to the President of USA, Michelle Obama is set to appear in a comedy TV series iCarly, an episode of Nickelodeon.

Miranda Cosgrove, who plays Carly says.

‘I’ve been doing the show for a long time and I usually don’t get nervous, but having the first lady on the set, I was really nervous‘,

Obama is in the show in line with the White House’s support for U.S. military families.

source: http://gog.li/gu5