JUVENTUS SIGN DOUGLAS COSTA FROM BAYERN MUNICH

The Selecao international moves to Turin on a one-year loan that could turn into a permanent transfer should the Old Lady meet his option fee
Juventus have announced the signing of Brazilian attacker Douglas Costa from Bayern Munich.

The 26-year-old wideman spent two seasons at the Allianz Arena after moving from Shakhtar Donetsk.

But after an uneven campaign in 2016-17 he has now been released on an initial one-year loan to the Serie A champions.


Juve will pay €6 million for the star at first, while the deal also includes a purchase option valued at €40m after the year is up. The option to buy becomes mandatory after Costa reaches a set number of appearances, though that figure is currently unknown.

Bayern could also receive an additional €1m should certain unspecified conditions be met.

Bayern CEO Karl Heinz Rummenigge expressed the club's satisfaction over the terms agreed with Juventus, while stating his gratitude for Costa's commitment to Die Roten.

"We have held some serious and constructive talks with the Juventus representatives," he said.


"All the financial demands of FC Bayern have been fulfilled. I want to thank Douglas for his performances.

"After two successful seasons with four titles he wanted to accept a new challenge. We accepted this and wish him, together with his family, all the best in Italy."

Costa follows Rodrigo Bentancur in signing for Juve in the transfer window, while Medhi Benatia and Juan Cuadrado have agreed permanent moves to the club following loans last season.

The winger made 34 appearances in all competitions last season under Carlo Ancelotti, despite admitting in February that he was unsettled in Munich.

He won two Bundesliga titles, the DFB-Pokal and the DFL-Supercup following a move from Shakhtar Donetsk in 2015 for a reported fee of €30m.

Dani Alves Signs For PSG

Alves, 34, signed a two-year deal with PSG believed to be worth £230,000 per week, a figure that topped City's bid. 

He will thus line up for his third club in as many seasons once the campaign begins, having spent a year in Serie A following his free transfer from Juventus.

Happy birthday to Nigeria movie Star Rita Dominic

Actress Lola Margaret Oladipupo Arrested For Fraud In The U.S

Nollywood actress, Lola Margaret, is currently undergoing interrogation in the hands of the police in Atlanta, Georgia. This is said to be linked to money laundering. She was reportedly arrested after a huge sum of money was wired into her account and the collection method failed.



According to an insider, she’s been doing it for a while now before she got busted 2-3 weeks ago. When she was arrested initially, she was asked to reveal the identity of the person she’s working for if she wants to be freed which she did and was released, but unfortunately for her, they came back for her and she has been in their custody for weeks now.

“I And My Lovely Wife Share Joint Account” – Funke Akindele’s Husband, JJC Reveals

Funke Akindele’s Husband, Abdul Rasheed Bello, popularly known as JJC Skillz has revealed in a recent interview that he shares a joint account with his comic actress wife.

In the Interview with The Point, the actor and singer, revealed he does a lot of business with his wife, saying;

‘We have a website, an app, SceneoneTV and it is also available on mobile devices. Through that, you get to watch

‘Industreet’ and ‘Jennifa’s Diary.’ But you will have to subscribe’.

Then he added that;

“we have a business account that we run together, then we have separate accounts obviously’.

When asked if his wife pregnant at the moment, he said;

‘It is the prophesy of Olowogbogboro’s convener (Nathaniel Bassey). To God be the glory, it will come to pass. He came on line and was saying it.

If you saw my tweet, you would see what I wrote. I received the good news and I pray it comes to pass’

LAUTECH!! ASUU Lists Condition For Re-Opening University

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) of the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, has insisted that its members would not return to work, unless their demands from Oyo and Osun State Governments are met.

This was disclosed by the Chairman of ASUU, LAUTECH, Dr Abiodun Olaniran, while speaking in Ibadan yesterday.

“Issue of ultimate survival of the institution as a proper university in the comity of other universities elsewhere” was never negotiable.

“While ASUU is eager to put this ugly situation in LAUTECH behind us, we are interested in a honest and holistic address of the issues that forced us to proceed on the current strike.

“It is gratifying that even the visitation panel set up by the owner states clearly called attention to this problem,” Olaniran said.

In response to the call by Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State, he added: “For the Governor to be calling on the striking staff who have been reduced to paupers due to months of unpaid salaries is the peak of insensitivity to the plight of the workers.”

LAUTECH has almost lost a session as a result of the strike.

Adnan Januzaj: Man Utd agree fee of about £9.8m with Real Sociedad

Manchester United have agreed a fee of about £9.8m with Real Sociedad for Belgium winger Adnan Januzaj.

Januzaj, 22, was told he could find another club this summer by United manager Jose Mourinho.

He returned from an unsuccessful campaign on loan at Sunderland and was left out of Mourinho's squad for the pre-season tour of the United States.

Januzaj, who has also had a stint on loan at Borussia Dortmund in 2015-16, is set to have a medical on Wednesday.

Januzaj joined United from Anderlecht when he was 16 and broke into the first team in 2013 during David Moyes' ill-fated spell in charge.

Deemed good enough to take Ryan Giggs' number 11 shirt, Januzaj signed a five-year contract extension that was not due to expire until 2018.

Real Sociedad finished sixth in La Liga last season and will compete in the Europa League group stage in 2017-18.

Obafemi Awolowo Foundation invites nominations for 2017 Awo Leadership Prize

THE Obafemi Awolowo Foundation has invited nominations from Nigerians for the 2017 edition of the prestigious Obafemi Awolowo Prize for Leadership.

The prize, which is awarded to individuals who have made vital contributions to societal progress and development, was instituted to reward people-oriented leadership and good governance.

Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, won the maiden edition in 2012, while a former President of South Africa, Thabo Mbeki, won the 2014 edition.

JAMB commences sale of Direct Entry form

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has commenced the sale of Direct Entry application form for candidates who have A-level results and wish to proceed to degree programmes in the nation’s university system.
A statement made available by the Board on Tuesday in Abuja and signed by its spokesman, Dr Fabian Benjamin, said the exami­nation body has also commenced the sale of Unified Tertiary Matric­ulation Examination (UTME) for candidates in foreign countries.
The statement advised prospec­tive candidates to obtain the pins at Interswitch, Remita or any of the commercial banks approved earlier for the vending of UTME pins, adding that JAMB is yet to start change of course and institu­tions for its UTME candidates.
Parts of the statement read: “The Board also wishes to state that it has not commenced the change of course and institutions. We will soon begin and when we do start, the changes will be done in all approved CBT centres na­tionwide.
“Candidates need not necessar­ily come to the Board’s centres for the change. It can be done in any of the CBT centres. This is to avoid overcrowding of our offices for services that can be obtained at the utmost comfort by the candidates.”
The Board said the delay was occasioned by the its preparation to ensure that the system is smooth and without encumbrances.
While urging candidates not to patronise fraudulent individu­als or organisations but to visit approved CBT centres and cross-check information from JAMB website, the statement warned against the antics of individuals who claim to have the capacity to increase UTME scores.

Osinbajo holds secret meeting with President Buhari in London

Acting President Yemi Osinbajo yesterday secretly travelled to London in the United Kingdom where he held a meeting with ailing President Muhammadu Buhari.This is coming as the Federal Executive Council (FEC) holds tomorrow. The Acting President presides over the Council.

Details of the unannounced trip were not made known at press time by officials of the presidency.Osinbajo had earlier attended the Presidential Quarterly Business Forum which held in the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The venue of the two leaders’ meeting in London was not disclosed, but a tweet by Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Laolu Akande ‎on his handle last night indicated that Osinbajo met with President Buhari in London and was expected to return to Abuja immediately.

“Acting President Osinbajo meeting with President Buhari in London today (yesterday), and returning to Abuja immediately afterwards,” the spokesman tweeted last night. Buhari had two months ago travelled to London for an undisclosed medical follow-up with his doctors in that country.

The development has continued to heighten the political atmosphere in Nigeria with uncertainty surrounding his date of return.At the Presidential Quarterly Business Forum held in Abuja, yesterday Osinbajo assured Nigerians of an expected turnaround in the economy in the next 12 to 18 months with renewed government focus .

According to him, the Muhammadu Buhari-led administration is poised to deliver on the promises it made to the people.The acting president, who said government had identified critical areas to deal with and was working hard on providing solutions, stressed the need for a synergy between the government and the private sector with a view to moving the country to a higher pedestal.

“When Mr. President launched the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (EGRP) ‎sometime in April, one of the things that he emphasised was the fact that we have made up our minds as to where we are going.

“We have the discipline to be able to do so, but this is a complex environment, it is a complex economy and I think that we must trust the government.“ I have said it repeatedly that in some sense, we are fortunate to have a leader like the president who, at least we know, is straightforward and honest, and committed to ensuring government money is spent the way it should be spent, and that people don’t do what they like.

“To that extent, I think we have the right environment at least in terms of government discipline to be able to deliver on the promises that we have made. We say to the private sector that we have enough willing and able partners.”

According to Osinbajo, “There is no way we can ever be perfect. I mean government is a behemoth where there are so many problems and issues. But do not doubt for one moment our commitment to ‎ensuring that we are able to deliver on the promises that we have made.

“I believe very strongly that Nigeria will turn around. I have no doubt in my mind that if we are focused, even in the next 12 to 18 months, we will certainly see a turnaround. I ‎want you to join us in being able to ensure that this happens to the Nigerian economy.”

While noting that commitment must come from both the government and the private sector, the acting president explained that what government had done was to “identify certain critical things that must be done. We know that there are certain things that if we do them, they will move the nation forward.

“Those things include stabilising the macro economic environment, energy sufficiency, power and petroleum, improving transportation infrastructure and achieving food security. On each of these items, certainly progress is being made, and of course, fighting corruption, controlling government expenditure, controlling leakages and all of that.”

Message For The Haters? Demi Lovato’s Sorry Not Sorry

In honour of Amazon Prime Day, Musician Demi Lovato released a brand new track Sorry Not Sorry as the lead single off her forthcoming sixth studio album. This is a song targeted to the haters.

“You know what? I’m good now. And sorry I’m not sorry that you may not be loving where your life is at the moment,” she tells Amazon Music

 A lot of people might think it is about an ex-boyfriend or something along those lines but it’s really for the haters.

Nigerian Troops Kill Terrorists in Lake Chad Region

In an engagement yesterday morning, soldiers of the division killed four terrorists, while others fled, abandoning their motorcycles, which were recovered and destroyed, to prevent their being used to perpetrate terror on innocent villagers.

Similarly, as part of the theater wide and ongoing clearance operations, troops of 145 Battallion, 5 Brigade, 8 Task Force Division have cleared Gashigar, Asaga, Bukarti and neighbouring villages.

In the process, troops made contact with terrorists in Kanama village and killed two terrorists, arrested two more, while one AK 47 riffle, four magazines and four motorcycles were recovered.

Internet banking: Top 5 best banks in Nigeria

Here are the top five Nigerian banks that are the best of the best when it comes to internet banking.


Heritage Bank
Heritage Bank is leading the way in internet banking. The mobile app is user friendly, making it one of the easiest and most efficient apps to use. Heritage offers two internet banking services, with one for personal use and another for corporate use. Through its services, customers can view their latest account information, manage multiple accounts, transfer funds across any bank, pay bills, buy airtime, SMS alerts and make debit card and cheque-book requests. Through its corporate services, businesses can automatically pay employees’ salaries as well as contractors and suppliers from anywhere around the world. Heritage also has a huge focus on security, so you know your money is safe.

Zenith Bank
Zenith Bank is also right up there with Heritage Bank when it comes to internet banking. Zenith puts a lot of energy into its app, which means plenty of upgrades and new features. Similar to Heritage Bank, Zenith offers real time account balances and transaction information, you can make transfers to other banks and you can pay bills too. With Zenith you can make bulk payments to employees and third parties. The bank has also included a new feature which allows customers to track their spending and savings.

Diamond Bank
Diamond Bank has one of the most comprehensive list of internet banking features among the top Nigerian banks. It includes all the regular features you would expect, plus extra features like touch ID for iOS devices, you can switch debit cards on or off, buy movie tickets, top up your Konga Wallet and even personalize your app with a selfie.

GTBank
GTBank is a consistent performer, though its app can be a bit clunky at times. With GTBank you can check your balance, purchase airtime and domestic and international flight tickets, pay bills and transfer money. GTBank also has its Mobile Money feature which allows customers to withdraw cash from GTBank ATMs without a card. You can also pay for purchases with your E-Wallet at selected places, though this feature can be unreliable.

Access Bank
Access Bank rounds out the top five with a very efficient internet banking system. Access Bank has an easy to use app and offers two services, Mobile Banking Classic and Premium. Classic features detailed balance and transaction history, ability to make payments across any bank, purchase prepaid electricity and locate the nearest ATMs and branches to you. You can also get personalized offers for ugrades and limit increases. One of the best features of the Premium services is that it allows you to carry out transactions in higher volumes, up to N2 million daily.

Although Nigerians have a worldwide reputation of being some of the smartest negotiators, experts have said that too many Nigerians settle far too easily when it comes to who they bank with. It is always important to shop around to find out what bank is best for you. It’s never too late to switch to a better bank.