TOBI'S DESK

Yes, Gloria wedded Silas on the 30th of December,  and it was a wedding to attend,  but if   you didn’t,  here is a peep into what you missed, congratulations Mr. And Dr. Mrs Silas  Gloria 

Countries around the world are marking the New Year, with festivities currently under way in Europe. Germany, France and Italy are among the latest to usher in 2016, along with parts of the Middle East and Africa. Earlier in Japan, people released balloons by Tokyo Tower, while South Koreans celebrated with traditional bell-ringing. Revellers in Australia and New Zealand were some of the first to welcome the New Year. Crowds counted down at Auckland's Sky Tower in New Zealand, with a laser show and fireworks display. Fireworks also lit up Sydney harbour in Australia. In Berlin, fireworks were held at the Brandenburg Gate, with one million people estimated to be attending the countdown. The celebrations took place as police in Munich warned of a planned terror attack and asked people to avoid crowds. In Paris, the traditional fireworks display was cancelled to be replaced by a five-minute video performance at the Arc de Triomphe just before midnigh...

A huge fire has engulfed a 63-storey hotel in central Dubai ahead of a New Year's Eve firework display. Despite the blaze at the Address hotel, the display at the nearby Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world, started as planned at midnight. Officials say the fire has been brought largely under control and 16 people suffered mostly minor injures. It is unclear what caused the blaze, which broke out as large crowds had gathered to ring in the new year. People were asked to leave the area around the Address Downtown Hotel, which was evacuated. The fire broke out at about 21:30 local time (17:30 GMT) and appeared to engulf much of the building, a five-star hotel and apartment complex, within 10 minutes. At the scene: Nadia Huraimi, BBC News, Dubai As I watched the flames engulf the massive building, I knew right away it was the Address Hotel in Dubai's downtown district that overlooks Burj Khalifa. I also knew that it was fully booked five years i...

President Muhammadu Buhari is tonight hosting his maiden Presidential Media Chat since assuming office on May 29 this year. The challenges confronting Nigeria – insecurity, the economy, corruption, dearth of infrastructure – are still largely the same issues the last administration grappled with. The presidency promised in the past to entertain questions from Nigerians via telephone, although the phone failed to work during those episodes of the programme. Critics believe the phones were programmed not to work as a way of blocking citizens from asking the president embarrassing questions. So, in case you are able to reach the president on the programme today, we suggest you put these questions we have raised to him, in addition to others you might have. We also urge the editors, who will interview the president, to consider asking him some of the suggested questions. Our reporters are providing live updates of the session. ================== Live B...

I ran as fast as my legs could carry me My feet hurt so badly, for I could not count how many stones I had stepped on I had been running for more than 2 kilometres now I knew I was tired, but the fear in my mind had pumped enough adrenaline to keep my legs moving I was returning from a programme I had been reluctant to attend at first It was my aunt's idea that I should go for the programme She insisted that I learn more skills so I could become a complete wife material I dont know who told her that the material I was wearing did not have WIFE on it The skills acquisition center was about 4 kilometres away from where I stayed with my aunt The programme for today was about how to start up a fish pond It was an interesting experience, packed with a lot of learners like myself Just before the programme ended at about 6.30pm I saw a very familiar face that refreshed an already healed wound Five years back, I met my first love He is the most charming man that I have e...

What are you more likely to die of on Christmas day than any other day in the year? Myocardial infarction otherwise known as heart attack Despite the myth that the ill often “ hold on ” to life during celebrations such as Christmas and birthdays, statistics show that more people die abruptly of a heart attack on Christmas day than on any other day of the year. REFERENCE: LIFE IN THE FAST LANE MEDICAL BLOG

With my towel tied round my chest I walked carelessly into the sitting room I had forgot my phone there earlier on after watching my favorite show on TV There he was, the one I admired but whom never seemed to look at me I was a little embarrassed because I was in my towel and was not expecting to meet him there Our eyes met, my body shivered and I let go My towel dropped... His eyes were all over me like a desperate lion looking for a prey I quickly picked my towel and dashed into my room leaving my phone out for the second time I had come over to my Funke's place to spend some days Funke had been my best friend since secondary school I came into Lagos few days back for an interview at KC foods limited Funke had left me with her elder brother for Abuja He had been quite cold to me since my arrival I could tell he was running away from something I had  all that it took to make a man go crazy My experience with my past 2 boyfriends had proven it My boobs comple...

Andres Moreno, who weighed 980lbs at his heaviest, passed away on the morning of Christmas Day Dec. 25th as he was being rushed to hospital from his home in Ciudad Obregón in Sonora, Mexico. He suffered a fatal heart attack in the ambulance and could not be revived. In a Statement released today, his publicist - Carmen Palacios said: 'Andres died at 8.30am on Christmas Day in an ambulance from a heart attack as he was taken from his house to San Jose Hospital.'

More than 150,000 people in Paraguay, Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil have been driven from their homes by some of the worst flooding in years. Heavy summer rains have caused rivers to swell across a vast area. In Paraguay, the most affected country, President Horacio Cartes declared a state of emergency, freeing up $3.5m (£2.3m) in relief funds. The Paraguay river in the capital, Asuncion, is just 30cm (12in) away from overtopping its banks. That could lead to widespread flooding in the Asuncion And it could affect thousands of other people who live by the Paraguay - the country's main river - the authorities said. Nearly 200 electricity pylons have been damaged or destroyed by strong winds. Four people were killed in the country by fallen trees. In northern Argentina, some 20,000 people have been evacuated. At least two people have died in the floods, which have mostly affected the provinces of Entre Rios, Corrientes and Chaco. In the southern Bra...

For the first time since the last day of last season all 20 Premier League will play on the same day. Back then, of course, there was relatively little to play for. Right now the stakes are fairly high all over the place. With four separate kick-off times, make sure you know what to watch out for and when. 12:45 GMT: Stoke v Man Utd 15:00 GMT: Aston Villa v West Ham Bournemouth v Crystal Palace Chelsea v Watford Liverpool v Leicester Man City v Sunderland Swansea v West Brom Spurs v Norwich 17:30 GMT: Newcastle v Everton 19:45 GMT: Southampton v Arsenal

The president of Turkey, Recep Tayip Erdogan was passing through the 211ft Bosphorus bridge which links Europe with Asia after Friday prayers on Christmas day when he spotted a man attempting to jump off the bridge. He stopped his motorcade to talk to the man whom police had been trying to talk to for two hours. See the photos after the cut... Footage showed Erdogan's bodyguards bringing the sobbing man, who appeared to be in his early 30s, to talk to the President through the window of his car. After a few moments, the man could then be seen kissing Erdogan's hand before being escorted to safety. Police had allegedly been trying for almost two hours to talk the man out of committing suicide. He was said to have abandoned his car on the bridge and climbed over the side railing due to long-standing depression. The man is as yet unidentified.

Crowds of worshippers are surging to the Transfiguration Catholic Church in Marietta, Georgia, and it's not as a result of the priest's sermon. It's thanks to what the pastor describes as a 'divine occurrence' after an image of the virgin Mary appeared on the church's window. Visitors have left flowers beneath the window and built a makeshift altar. Responding to allegations that the 'divine occurrence' may have more mortal origins, the church's pastor Father Bernardo Molina says he did not create the image himself. 'There are a lot of people that may think it's a stain or condensation. They ask if I drew it,' he said. 'No, no, no. There's no way you can do that,' he added. Father Molina said the unusual mark appeared on the window on December 12 and can be seen on most sunny days. One woman who was among the throngs queuing up to see the 'miracle' was in tears as she prayed to the silhouette. ...

Tweet of the day. Lol.

Sri Lankan maid who was sentenced to be stoned in an adultery case in Saudi Arabia has been spared from this mode of horrific death sentence. Instead the convict has been sentenced to three year jail time after several appeals made by the Sri Lankan government. Harsha De Silva, Sri Lankan acting foreign minister said in a statement,” The government of Sri Lanka is very happy to announce that the appeal for clemency on the sentence was successful and the sri Lankan national will have to serve a reduced term in prison”. The 45-year-old married woman who served as a domestic helper in Riyadh since 2013 was accused of adultery with another fellow Sri Lankan migrant worker and sentenced to a harsh punishment of stoning to death while the accomplice was given a lesser punishment of 100 lashes only as he was not married. Though there were no immediate comments from Saudi Arabia on the clemency reports and the announcement made by Sri Lankan authorities. Source: New Delhi Time...

His name is ALFRED OCHONG IKPE.  He is our SANTA of the year. Hope you like? Merry Christmas and make sure you box wella

Minister of State for Petroleum , Dr Ibe Kachikwu during a tour of the Port Harcourt refinery on Christmas Day said that the Federal government is working to reduce the pump price of petrol to about 85 or 86 naira per litre by Jan 1st. He said efforts were on to get the refinery to achieve 60 percent production capacity and to supply about 11 million liters of petrol daily. “If you look at the new PPPRA template that we developed and which I just signed off two days ago, when it is announced you will find out that for now ,and I use the emphatic word of the President for now, the price of the refined product will actually be lower than 87 naira, It will be 85. We will probably announce that in January if the prices hold. “Like I said, we have done a modulation calculation and it is showing us below N87. I imagine that if PPPRA publishes it today, it will become effective immediately. But the 1st of January that is when we are looking at.” “What that does for you is that its ...

John McAfee: Developer of Anti-Virus software to run for US President as Libertarian Party Candidate John McAfee had previously announced and filed his paperwork back in September to run for President under a brand new party that he was going to be starting called the "Cyber Party". Now, according to USA Today's Jon Swartz via a phone interview on December 25, McAfee said he will be joining the Libertarian Party and jumping into the race for their party's nomination. Although there are already 10 declared candidates plus Jesse Ventura and Gary Johnson still contemplating jumping in, McAfee seemed to be confident that he can win the Libertarian Party's nomination. Considering the 10 candidates currently in the race, McAfee said laughing, "They have 10 candidates running, none of whom have personality."

Christmas was bad for traders in the popular Sango Market, Ibadan as fire razed over 200 shops in the plank section of the market. The fire reportedly started around 3pm, burned for several hours and as at 8pm, it still hadn't been put out. According to information gathered, planks estimated at ‎over N250m was lost in the disaster. The Oyo State Fire Service finally responded to the inferno and was seen racing towards Eleyele Water Works for a refill when it ran out of water. A trader in the market said the fire started after he left his shop. He said: “Shortly after I attended to a customer who called me on phone, I had the call that the shops had caught fire”. Another trader Mr. Afolabi said several sawing machines and other logging equipment were lost in the fire. He added: ‎“Each time the vehicle left to refill water, we lost more shops because the fire would gain more ground. Don’t forget this is the time of the year when fire incidents are rampant because w...

The crisis rocking the Rivers state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) seems to be plunging deeper as 16 out 32 members of the state’s House of Assembly have lost their case at the Court of Appeal. PM News reports that in the court’s latest judgment, the election that brought the affected 16 PDP Lawmakers to power did not substantially comply with the electoral law. The politicians who lost include: Granville Wellington in Asari Toru constituency 1, lost to Hope Barango-Tariah of APC. In Asari Toru Constituency 2 as well, Emeni George of the PDP lost to Godstime Ben-Horsfall of APC, the PDP lawmaker representing Ahoada-East 2 lost his appeal to the challenger, Ibiso Nwuche of APC, and in Akuku-Toru constituency one, Jack Major of PDP lost his appeal to challenge of Ineye Jack of APC. Ikuinyi Ibani, the immediate past Speaker of the House who represents Andoni constituency, lost his appeal against the challenge of Romnsan Dressman of APC, Farah Dagogo, th...

The merging pro-Biafra groups said they would function as an interim customary and legitimate organization, affirming that they would not break any Nigerian laws. Breaking Times reports that the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB), the Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) as well as other pro-Biafra movements merged under one umbrella body named the Customary Government of the Indigenous People of Biafra (CGIPB), a development which brought much jubilation to the agitators. Operations for the CGIPB were flagged off at a government secretariat in Enugu state. A press statement made it clear that the governing council of the IPOB remains functional, with leaders as follows: HRM, the Honourable Justice Eze Ozobu, OFR (Chairman); Dr Dozie Ikedife, OON, JP (Deputy Chairman); Brig Gen Joe Achuzia, (Secretary-General); HRM, Eze Iheanyi Nwokenna, OFG, JP (Public Relations Officer), with other members of the council still on duty. The ...

Nonso Ozuligbo aka nonny releases his Christmas card. Beautiful right? I use this time to wish you all a merry Christmas. One love✌✌✌

An unemployed Senegalese man who was rescued by the Spanish coastguard after making a risky journey from Morocco eight years ago on a packed wooden boat won 400,000 euros ($437,000) in Spain’s annual Christmas lottery, local media reported Wednesday. The man, identified only by his first name Ngame, was one of the holders of one of the 1,600 tickets with the winning number in the draw draw. He made an illegal entry into Europe with his wife. “I just can’t believe this, I can tell you that on some days we do not have five euros between the two of us,” he told the newspaper which published a photo of Ngame holding his winning ticket. Ngame and his wife arrived eight years ago in the resort island of Tenerife, a part of Spain’s Canary Islands in the Atlantic off the coast of Morocco. They were taken there after being rescued by Spain’s coast guard when the boat they were travelling in ran into trouble. “There were 65 people on that boat. I want to give thanks to Spaniards and...

The Appeal court sitting in Abuja has upheld the election of Delta state governor, Ifeanyi Okowa. Labor party candidate in the election, Great Ogboru had petitioned the court, challenging Okowa's election. ‎ In his ruling today December 24th, Justice Uwani Abba-Aji who led other five-man bench, struck out Ogboru’s appeal saying it lacked merit.

The Imo state government has broken a record by erecting the tallest Christmas tree in Nigeria. Christmas tree, decor are worth over N 600 million. Earlier this month, Governor Rochas Okorocha reportedly approved N600 million for this Christmas tree and New Year decorations. The cost is really shocking considering the fact that the state workers have not been paid salaries for several months. Undoubtedly, the tree and its price have triggered emotional reactions among Nigerians who started blaming Governor Okorocha, appealing to his conscience. And this is the #600,000,000.00. Christmas tree procured by Gov. Rochas Okorocha of Imo state… #buhari probing team, una don blind now? — Mr Robert (@MrRobert17) December 24, 2015 Cant understand why Change agent Rochas Okorocha of #Imo state spent N600m on Christmas tree while workers are deprived of salaries” — URHOBO BOI #OYE (@jayvyne1) December 24, 2015 @briandark @cemonii @UgoAnumz if I was an Imo worker by now I...