Cristiano Ronaldo may be probed for his goal celebration in El Clasico.

Real Madrid talisman, Cristiano Ronaldo’s goal celebration after netting an equaliser at the 31st minute at the Nou Camp on Sunday has landed him into trouble. Now, that’s pretty weird!
The “calma calma” (calm down) celebration Ronaldo, has been deemed a provocative gesture by the Liga de Fútbol Profesional (LFP); the governing body of principal football leagues in Spain.
“We have to be careful with provocative gestures by a player when he scores a goal or with any other provocation or conduct that could incite violence among spectators. It must be sanctioned, from a fine up to a suspension. We will look into it.” LFP president, Javier Tebas said.

Angel Di Maria on Barcelona's radar

Barcelona FC are reportedly looking to replace their outgoing midfield ace, Xavi Hernandez with Argentine international, Angel di Maria. According to sources, the Manchester United midfielder is far from happy with his current situation in Old Trafford and he’s seeking an exit.
The 27 year-old winger who left Real Madrid for the English team in the summer of 2014 at a record of £75 million, featured in 21 of Manchester United’s 30 Premier League matches so far is also on french club, Paris Saint Germain’s radar.
Although Barcelona are currently banned from signing any player since 2016, the club is confident of signing him come January.

Opinion: The Morning After March 28 | By: Tolu Ogunlesi

March 28. On this day in history, Flavius Valens became, in 364 AD, co-emperor of the Roman Empire, and the British Parliament passed; in 1979, a single-vote of no confidence on the government of James Callaghan, paving the way for the elections that ushered in the Age of Margaret Thatcher.
On this day in 2015, Nigerians went to the polls to elect a President. The morning of the next day, in the incumbent President’s home in Otueke, a sleepy community in the creeks of the Niger Delta, near where oil was first discovered in Nigeria in 1956, the alarm goes off, but the President is already awake.
He’s been up since the earliest-rising fishermen set off on the oil-slicked waters in search of the day’s catch. Next to him the First Lady is still fast asleep.
Today the President will know whether his return to the capital, Abuja, will be a triumphant entry, or something mournful and subdued, similar to the way his predecessor returned in the early hours of February 23, 2010.
Deep down in him he knows he won’t be too pained, at least not as much as his wife, and his kinsmen. He’s had an unbelievably fortunate run, going from a mid-level civil servant to President of the richest and most populous black nation on earth in a little over a decade.
Six hundred and fifty kilometres to the north, in Kaduna, the presidential challenger is keeping vigil. Behind his oval-frame glasses his eyes are devoid of sleep, as they were during the party’s presidential primary in Lagos last December.

He sits on a couch in his modestly-furnished living room, surrounded by friends and well-wishers who all address him as Mr. President. Even the littlest children, when they awaken, will run rings around him squealing ‘Sai-Bwawee’.

In that same Kaduna, the Vice-Presidential alarm goes off. The Architect-turned-politician reaches out to silence it. He’s reluctant to rise to meet the beckoning day. He’s never won an election in his ward, and today might not be different.
People say the former President, the farmer who has ruled Nigeria twice, also had a habit of not winning elections in his ward. Hardly comforting, if you asked the Vice President. 
There’s no basis for comparison, considering that one man’s mild embarrassment is another’s obituary. The Vice President has often thought of relocating his ward to a part of town where victory is likelier.
In the Kaduna State Government House, the incumbent Governor is up early. He summons his secretary to bring the iPad, and to open his challenger’s Twitter account. His challenger is a Social Media Overlord (SMO), with close to half a million followers on Twitter, a man who more than makes up for what he lacks in verticality and horizontality with a penchant for ruffling every feather in sight.
The Governor wants to see what the Ruffler has been saying on Twitter. Nothing, it turns out. The last time he tweeted was nine hours ago. The Governor doesn’t know whether to be worried or not. Is the Ruffler’s silence a good or bad sign? He doesn’t know.

This is the first real election both of them will be contesting – the Governor came to this office by way of succeeding his deceased boss; the Ruffler, until now, had shown little interest in elective office, and seemed destined to live
out his life as a technocrat and troublemaker.

In Lagos, the Vice Presidential candidate of the opposition is at his desk, the silence of dawn broken by diesel generators that ought to belong to hellfire, considering the amount of heat they generate. 
His head is bowed in prayer, his arms resting on an open Devotional Bible. In a few hours it will be time for church, and he will be preaching of the goodness of God. For as long as he can he will try to keep his mind away from the ballots. It’s not by power nor by might, saith the Lord.
Back in Abuja – deserted by politicians, who have all gone to their towns and villages to fight do-or-die political battles – the Chairman of the Electoral Commission is going into his second or third sleep-free night.
Yesterday’s elections, and the ones holding on April 11, will be the last set of elections he’ll be conducting before his term of office expires in June. They will permanently define his legacy. He knew, when taking this job, in 2010, that it would mostly be a thankless task. 
But he had no idea just how difficult it would be; how intimidating the temptation to throw in the towel would be. In one sense you’re just like the president, at the mercy of your advisers and subordinates, and expected to make all-wise and all-knowing decisions based on limited information you have no way of verifying.
Far away in Abeokuta, there’s a young man who’s still in bed. All he can think of is this: that were it not for the elections, this would be his first full day as a married man.
 Sometime at the end of December, his family met with his fiancée’s family, and settled for the 28th of March as ‘the day the Lord has made.’ They would have chosen February 14, Valentine’s Day, but it was not an option because presidential elections had already been fixed for that day.
 Someone had suggested that they leave out the whole of February, because of the elections. And so they had chosen March 28. And printed invitation cards. The cards had caused a fight between him and his fiancée, because he felt they had spent more money on it than they could afford.
And then the postponement happened, somewhat out of the blues. He still remembers that night, February 7, when the Electoral Commission chairman confirmed the postponement, and announced the new dates: March 28, April 11. 
He remembers wondering if he heard the new dates correctly. He will never forget the way something inside him seemed to drop to the bottom of his stomach.
He remembers the incoming call from his fiancée, and failing to answer it. The days that followed were a blur, family meetings to reschedule the date, frequent and random outbursts of crying from his wife-to-be. 
Now they’ve postponed the wedding till June, because no one is sure what even May might look like. So he has another three months to live as a Bachelor – all because of an unserious country and its politics.
Across the country much of the predicted violence has yet failed to materialise. But it’s still too early to rejoice, considering what happened when the results of the last presidential elections emerged. 
Unlike that election — with its 10 million vote gap between the winner and the runner-up — this one promises an alarmingly narrow margin; perhaps the first presidential election in Nigeria’s history that an incumbent will be going into without a solid assurance of victory.
In the last one week everyone and their grandmother has published projections, throwing up the idea of ‘Buhari’s States’, ‘Jonathan’s States’, and ‘Battleground States’. There are the ones that bear the indelible mark of consensus – everyone knows the 12 northernmost states will be taken by Buhari, and that all the southeastern states and all the Niger delta states will be taken by Jonathan.
 No one is sure of Adamawa and Gombe and Niger; where they will swing, and by what margins. Or whether Ekiti will go the way of Osun, or Ondo?
By evening today we will have a clear view of where Nigeria is headed, for the next four years. All eyes will be on Kaduna. And not just for the battle between the Governor and the Ruffler.
 In the violence that followed the 2011 presidential elections, close to a thousand persons were killed. More than eight hundred of those people died in Kaduna State; eighty percent of that number in southern Kaduna.
It will be a tense Sunday; the most tense of the fifty-two this year, no doubt. Where will the victory parties break out? And where will the machetes and Kalashnikovs show their unforgiving faces; their unstoppable resolve to sow sorrow, tears and blood?

Credit: Premiumtimesng.com

Plane crash in France leaves over 140 passengers dead.

An Airbus A320 plane travelling between Barcelona and Dusseldorf with over 140 passengers has crashed in southern French Alps, police and aviation officials report.
The debris of the plane which belonged to Germanwings; an affiliate of German airline Lufthansa has been found. French President said no survivors are expected in the plane crash.

Angry fans attack Gareth Bale's car after clasico defeat

Poor Bale! The Real Madrid forward has been a subject of heavy criticism at the Bernabeu since his form dropped. Booed at teammates during training, booed at fans and now attacked. The Welsh star was attacked by irate fans as he sped away from Valdebebas training ground following the club’s return from Barcelona.
He missed a chance to warm his way back to his fans’ hearts on Sunday as his goal was disallowed after teammate Cristiano Ronaldo was found in an offside position.
The ex-Tottenham star also received backlash from Spanish press, Marca who claimed that Real president Florentino Perez had paid €100million for a player worth €20m.
The club has however issued a statement condemning the incident, threatening it will take legal actions against “aggressive and violent actions against several of our players”

How 3 helpless kids were saved by Twitter

If you still consider social media as perfect waste of time, you should have a rethink after this. Forget the fun, no-holds-barred discussions and all, social media saves lives too. Here’s another proof. Three children abandoned at a New Delhi Railway Station returned to their mother after a trend on social networking site, twitter.
A passerby who saw the miserable kids tweeted their picture, asking “Can someone help these helpless kids at New Delhi railway station near platform 16 entrance”. The post got more than 200 retweets and attracted the attention of the police.
After being fed, the kids aged, 4,5 and 7 explained that they were taken 3km from home by their father and abandoned at the spot where he instructed them to “Stay here till your mother finds you.”
The Police are still investigating how their father managed to take them from their home without their mother’s knowledge. The most important thing is they were found and returned home safely.

#NigeriaDecides: Read the full text of President Barack Obama's message to Nigerians

Hello.
Today, I want to speak directly to you—the people of Nigeria.
Nigeria is a great nation and you can be proud of the progress you’ve made. Together, you won your independence, emerged from military rule, and strengthened democratic institutions. You’ve strived to overcome division and to turn Nigeria’s diversity into a source of strength. You’ve worked hard to improve the lives of your families and to build the largest economy in Africa.

Now you have a historic opportunity to help write the next chapter of Nigeria’s progress—by voting in the upcoming elections. For elections to be credible, they must be free, fair and peaceful. All Nigerians must be able to cast their votes without intimidation or fear.

So I call on all leaders and candidates to make it clear to their supporters that violence has no place in democratic elections—and that they will not incite, support or engage in any kind of violence—before, during, or after the votes are counted.
I call on all Nigerians to peacefully express your views and to reject the voices of those who call for violence. And when elections are free and fair, it is the responsibility of all citizens to help keep the peace, no matter who wins.

Successful elections and democratic progress will help Nigeria meet the urgent challenges you face today. Boko Haram—a brutal terrorist group that kills innocent men, women and children—must be stopped.
Hundreds of kidnapped children deserve to be returned to their families. Nigerians who have been forced to flee deserve to return to their homes. Boko Haram wants to destroy Nigeria and all that you have worked to build. By casting your ballot, you can help secure your nation’s progress.
I’m told that there is a saying in your country: “to keep Nigeria one is a task that must be done.” Today, I urge all Nigerians—from all religions, all ethnic groups, and all regions—to come together and keep Nigeria one.
And in this task of advancing the security, prosperity, and human rights of all Nigerians, you will continue to have a friend and partner in the United States of America.

Desmond Elliot, Monalisa China, Julius Agwu, others Walk Against Kidney Diseases in Lagos

The ‘Walk Against Kidney Diseases’ event put together by former TV host, Emma Ugolee and Juliet Ibrahim Foundation initiative to create awareness about kidney related diseases and ways to reduce their risks took place in Victoria Island, Lagos, Nigeria on March 21st, 2015.
Present at the 2-hour exercise were Monalisa China, Desmond Elliot, Julius Agwu, AY Comedian, Praiz, Sound Sultan,Yaw, Audu Maikori, Ebuka Obi-Uchendu and a host of others.
A consultant nephrologist, ‎Dr Adebowale Adewunmi emphasized that the progression of the disease can be slowed down if discovered early. He added that most times the kidney is 70% battered before diagnosis.
He maintained that a kidney diseass are expensive to maintain because if the kidneys fail, treatment such as dialysis or kidney transplant are the only options to help people live longer and healthier lives.
Diabetes and high blood pressure are the two leading causes of kidney failure. Live a healthy lifestyle to prevent diabetes and high blood pressure. If you already have diabetes or high blood pressure, control them to prevent chronic kidney disease!

Fayose's brother wants him to stop embarrassing the family, blames Nigerians for electing him.

Segun Fayose, the elder brother to Ekiti State Governor Ayo Fayose in a recent chat with Nation newspapers reporters appealed to his brother to stop dragging the family name into mud.
The UK-based Accountant said the abuses he has hurled at elders like former President Olusegun Obasanjo and the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Gen. Muhammadu Buhari have really put the family in bad light adding that their father was a gentle and contented Pastor before his demise.
“It is a pity Nigerians are celebrating criminals. I am angry with Nigerians for electing somebody like Ayodele as governor. My children cannot come to Nigeria because of the terrible situation of our country.

“I don’t have a relationship with any of our leaders because of their criminality and anybody who says I collected money from  the opposition should step forward to challenge me. Ekiti and Nigeria are bigger than Fayose’s name and both names should be protected.


“I don’t want anything from anybody, but Ayo should stop insulting and abusing my father’s name. As a result of Fayose’s attitude, many people believe the Fayose family is rude but it is far from the truth.

“I have spoken to him many times, but he refused to listen. Buhari and Obasanjo are old enough to be his father and I don’t know why he should be insulting them.
“I am always sad with the situation of this country. Ayo’s arrogance is one of the reasons I said people should not vote for him prior to the Ekiti governorship election. If all I am saying is not true, my six children should die and I should end up in shame.

“Most of us abroad are not happy with the situation of Nigeria. We are sad. When people call me from Ekiti to complain about Ayo, I tell them to forgive the family. People should not see Ayo as an ambassador of our family.”
 He stated.

Photo: President Goodluck Jonathan receives FIFA Women's World Cup trophy.

President Goodluck Jonathan at a forum with Nigeria Young Professionals held yesterday at the Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos was presented with the FIFA Women’s World Cup trophy by NFF President, Amaju Pinnick.
The trophy is on its tour of all 24 countries qualified for the finals in Canada this summer. Meanwhile Nigeria will be participating in the FIFA Women World Cup Finals which will hold in Canada from 6th June-5th July 2015.
Source: The Nigeria Football Federation
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