greenmatt

 

  Renowned gospel singer, Mercy Chinwo has once again made history by winning the Best Gospel Artist award at the Trace Awards 2025. The highly anticipated event, – the second edition – took place on Wednesday, February 26, at The Mora Resort in Zanzibar, Tanzania. The award ceremony celebrates excellence in music while bringing together top artists from across the globe like Rema, Wizkid, Tyler, Josey , Stonebwoy and many others. Nigerians were particularly appalled by Mercy Chinwo’s win especially as the gospel singer bagged this big one even amidst distractions of royalty battle with her ex manager. Mercy Chinwo, known for her powerful vocals and soul-stirring gospel hits, expressed her gratitude during her acceptance speech, dedicating the award to God and her loyal supporters.  “This victory is not just mine but for everyone who believes in the power of gospel music,” she said. Her uplifting songs such as Excess Love, Obinasom, and Wonder have inspired millions worldwide,...

  Pep Guardiola says his veteran Manchester City stars still have a key role to play in the club’s rebuild as he seeks to reclaim past glories after a difficult season. City have only the FA Cup left to compete for in terms of silverware, following the collapse of their Premier League title defence and their Champions League defeat by Real Madrid. Guardiola’s team will host second-tier Plymouth in the fifth round on Saturday. The club has been criticised for not renewing an ageing squad more quickly, despite winning six of the past seven Premier League titles. City made four signings in the January transfer window — Omar Marmoush, Abdukodir Khusanov, Nico Gonzalez, and Vitor Reis — highlighting the scale of the rebuild required following injuries and a dip in form for key players However, speaking at his pre-match press conference on Friday, Guardiola insisted that his experienced players would still play an important role next season. “There are players here who are over 30, and t...

  The Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja has ordered that all members of the Lagos House of Assembly be joined as parties in the suit filed by the disputed speaker, Hon. Mudashiru Obasa. Justice Yetunde Pinheiro gave this order after hearing the application filed by some members of the house seeking to be joined in the proceedings. Through their lawyers, Senior Advocates of Nigeria, Olu Daramola and Dada Awosika, members of the Assembly who were not initially listed as defendants in the suit filed by Obasa moved their applications seeking to be joined as parties. Hon. Obasa had approached the court to challenge his removal by at least 35 of his colleagues on January 13, 2025. In the application dated February 12, 2025, and filed by his lawyer, Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Chief Afolabi Fashanu, the claimant stated that he was removed from his position on January 13, 2025, by 35 lawmakers while he was out of the country. At the proceedings on Friday, Senior Advocates of Nigeria, Mr. T...

  Nigerian influencer Sophia Egbueje allegedly exposed Burna Boy in a leaked 40-minute audio call. She claimed he promised her a Lamborghini after spending time together but never followed through. Egbueje was also heard talking about how the musician was seen spending time with Chloe Bailey later on. The source of the leaked audio remains unknown. In the same, the social media personality claimed that she decided to meet Burna Boy after her friend Ama Reginald and the singer’s friend King Manny persuaded her to do so. In the phone call, the influencer claimed that she decided to meet him because the musician had a history of spending copious amounts of money on the women he spent time with. In the recording, Sophia Egbueje was heard saying: “She is like, ‘Babe, you should take him seriously. You know it’s him that bought Stefflon Don Cullinan. He actually spends money on girls. Just try and take him seriously.’” As per the ‘creebhills’ Instagram account,  Sophia Egbueje is a ...

  Coote was dismissed by PGMOL in December following an investigation into a video that showed him making derogatory comments about Liverpool and their former manager Jurgen Klopp; UEFA has banned the ex-Premier League official for "bringing the sport of football into disrepute" Former Premier League referee David Coote has been banned by UEFA until June 30, 2026. UEFA said Coote brought "the sport of football, and UEFA in particular, into disrepute". The news comes after Coote was sacked by PGMOL in December after being "in serious breach of the provisions of his employment contract, with his position deemed untenable". It followed an investigation into a video that showed Coote making derogatory comments about Liverpool and their former manager Jurgen Klopp. The video was widely circulated on social media in November. Coote refuted an allegation he discussed giving a yellow card before Leeds' match against West Brom in October 2019. The FA is investi...

  West Bromwich Albion manager, Tony Mowbray, has said Semi Ajayi is devasted to be sidelined with another injury. Ajayi only recently returned to action for the Baggies after spending around four months on the sidelines with a hamstring injury. The 31-year-old frustratingly suffered a new hamstring injury in the Baggies 2-0 victory over Oxford United last weekend. The centre-back came off in the 41st minute of the encounter. Mowbray admitted that losing the defender to another injury is a big setback for the club. “It’s disappointing for him, frustrating for him and for us. He’s got all the qualities to be a really talented player,” Mowbray told a press conference ahead of his side’s clash with Leeds United. He has got real confidence in his mobility to defend so it allows us to play a higher line and try and keep the opposition away from our goal. “He will be a loss. A blow to us but we wish him a speedy recovery and we will get on with it with the fit players. We have to push on...

  Manchester United winger Alejandro Garnacho "will pay for a meal for his team-mates" after he headed straight down the tunnel following his substitution against Ipswich, head coach Ruben Amorim has said. The Argentine was sacrificed for Noussair Mazraoui on Wednesday after Patrick Dorgu was shown a straight red card for a challenge on Ipswich winger Omari Hutchinson. Garnacho did not take his place on United's bench, opting instead to go straight down the tunnel. Amorim has since spoken to Garnacho to get to the bottom of his decision and says the winger will fund a night out for his team-mates. "It was funny because in the next day he came to me, to my office," said the United boss. "I did some investigations, and he went to the dressing room, he changed his clothes because he was wet. "He watched the game in the different [place], not on the bench. In the end of the game he was there, then he went home, so there's not an issue there. "But ...

  President Bola Tinubu has signed into law the N54.99tn 2025 Appropriation Bill. Tinubu signed the budget in the presence of principal officers of the National Assembly and other top government officials in a small ceremony in his office at the State House, Abuja, on Friday. The bill was passed by the two Chambers of the National Assembly on Thursday, February 13, after Tinubu asked for an increase from the proposed N49.7tn. The National Assembly approved a ₦54.99 trillion ($36.6bn) budget for the fiscal year, surpassing President Bola Tinubu’s initial proposal of ₦54.2tn. This increase reflects additional anticipated revenues from agencies such as the Federal Inland Revenue Service and the Nigeria Customs Service. The budget aims to address key areas, including security, infrastructure, education, and health, with an allocation of $200m to mitigate the impact of recent U.S. health aid reductions. The 2025 budget is based on ambitious economic assumptions, including a crude oil pr...

  Fenerbahce manager Jose Mourinho has been banned for four games and fined a total of £35,194 for comments made after Monday's game with local rivals Galatasaray. Mourinho was accused by Galatasaray of making racist statements after the Istanbul derby and, on Tuesday, Fenerbahce released a statement saying his comments had been taken "completely taken out of context". The 0-0 draw was refereed by Slovenian Slavko Vincic after both clubs requested a foreign official take charge of the fixture. But the fourth official was Turkish and Mourinho repeated his criticism of Turkish referees during his post-match news conference. The Portuguese coach, 62, said that he went to the referee's dressing room after Monday's game, telling the fourth official that "if you were a referee, this match would be a disaster". On Thursday, the  Turkish Football Federation confirmed it would sanction Mourinho , external  for two separate disciplinary matters. The TFF said it wo...

  The Chinese Embassy in Mali has reportedly refused to recognize passports issued by the Alliance of Sahel States, AES, a regional bloc comprising Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso. The decision is seen as a significant setback for the ruling juntas of the three countries, who have been striving to gain international recognition for their alliance. Zagazola Makama, a counter-insurgency expert focused on the Lake Chad region, disclosed this on Wednesday in a post on his X handle. Makama noted that the AES was established in July 2024 to enhance security and economic cooperation among its members. According to the report, the bloc introduced a common biometric passport in January 2025 to facilitate free movement across their borders. However, the security expert stated that the document has now encountered diplomatic hurdles, with several countries, including Senegal, refusing to acknowledge it. “The Chinese Embassy’s stance further complicates efforts to establish the AES as a recogniz...

  Billionaire business mogul Femi Otedola recently hosted Grammy-winning Nigerian singers Wizkid and Burna Boy at his Lagos mansion. On Wednesday, the billionaire businessman shared photos from the encounter via X, explaining that the meeting aimed to exchange ideas and celebrate the global impact of Afrobeats. He wrote, “A true privilege to host some of our biggest music icons @wizkidayo @burnaboy at my Lagos home. Always inspiring to share ideas and celebrate the global movement that is Afrobeats …F.Ote” The visit of the Afrobeats stars to the billionaire’s home has sparked a frenzy on social media. Many netizens have pointed out the conspicuous absence of Davido, who is widely regarded as one of the “big three” Afrobeats artists alongside Wizkid and Burna Boy.

  The suit also demands a public apology and a perpetual injunction restraining the defendants from further publishing defamatory statements against her. Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, representing Kogi-North Senatorial District, has filed a N100 billion defamation lawsuit against Senate President Godswill Akpabio, and Mfon Patrick, a Senior Legislative Aide to the Senate President. The suit, filed at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory in Abuja, alleges that the defendants made and published defamatory statements against her on social media, causing harm to her reputation and dignity. In Suit No. CU/737/25, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan is the claimant, while Senate President Akpabio; President of the Senate and Mfon Patrick are the 1st to 3rd defendants respectively. In a case filed by her legal team, Victor Giwa & Associates, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan is seeking N100 billion in general damages and N300 million as the cost of legal action. The suit also demands ...

  Arsenal will not stop fighting for the Premier League title despite slipping 11 points behind leaders Liverpool, says Gunners boss Mikel Arteta. The Gunners lost further ground on league leaders Liverpool last weekend following a 1-0 defeat by West Ham at the Emirates. Only three teams in Premier League history have closed a gap of 11 points or more to become champions by the end of the season. But Arsenal still have a game in hand on Arne Slot's side and visit Anfield on 10 May, and Arteta believes his side remain in the the title race. Asked if he would concede the title, Arteta said: "Over my dead body. If not I will go home. "Mathematically it is possible. Three days ago we could close a gap and you are like 'you are one-and-a-half games away'. "The difficulty is higher than three days ago but if you are going to win the Premier League you have to do something special. "If you are going to win the Premier League with the circumstances we have you w...

  The US has twice sided with Russia in votes at the United Nations to mark the third anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, highlighting the Trump administration's change of stance on the war. First, the US opposed a European-drafted resolution condemning Moscow's actions and supporting Ukraine's territorial integrity - voting the same way as Russia and countries including North Korea and Belarus at the UN General Assembly (UNGA) in New York. Then the US drafted and voted for a resolution at the UN Security Council which called for an end to the conflict, but contained no criticism of Russia. The Security Council passed the resolution, but two key US allies, the UK and France, abstained after their attempts to amend the wording were vetoed. The UN resolutions were tabled as French President Emmanuel Macron visited President Donald Trump at the White House in an attempt to address their sharp differences over the war. On Thursday, British Prime Minister Sir Keir ...