Samsung Galaxy S III (S3) - 3G WiFi NFC 8MP Camera Phone - Samsung UK -

Samsung Galaxy S III (S3) - 3G WiFi NFC 8MP Camera Phone - Samsung UK -

Ibrahimovic signs for PSG

Paris St Germain have presented Zlatan Ibrahimovic after the striker signed a three-year-contract to seal his move from Milan.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic - PSG 2012 - Official website (www.psg.fr)

The Sweden captain will reportedly earn 15 million euros (£11.8 m) per year, while PSG paid 23 million euros (£18m) for the 30-year-old.

Ibrahimovic said: "PSG have made the impossible possible. It's a big step in my career, another dream come true. In my mind I had no doubts.

"Milan gave me my smile back and they will stay in my heart. They made it easy for me to come to PSG and I want to thank them."

Milan owner Silvio Berlusconi announced last week that he had sold Ibrahimovic, top scorer in Serie A last season, and defender Thiago Silva to the big-spending French club who were taken over by Qatari investors last year.

Ibrahimovic, 30, will join Argentine forward Ezequiel Lavezzi, who signed for PSG earlier this month, as the club from the French capital seek to play a major role in Europe.
They finished second in Ligue 1 last term and will now play in the Champions League.
Last season, they signed Argentine playmaker Javier Pastore as well as defender Alex and midfielder Thiago Motta.

Attempts to sign David Beckham and Carlos Tevez failed, however, despite the presence of new coach Carlo Ancelotti.

 

What’s Age Got to do with It?

Air Nigeria

Fleet Size: 12 Aircraft

Average Fleet Age: 13.5 years

Oldest Aircraft: 18.2 years

AeroContractors

Fleet Size: 11 Aircraft (+ 1 On Order/Planned)

Average Fleet Age: 19.7 years

Oldest Aircraft: 20.7 years

Africa Charter Services

Fleet Size: 2 Aircraft

Average Fleet Age: 32.1 years

Oldest Aircraft: 32.8 years

Air Taraba

Fleet Size: 0 (+1 on order/planned)

Average fleet age: 10.5 years

Arik Air

Fleet size: 21 Aircraft

Average fleet age: 5.5 years

Oldest Aircraft: 11.3 years

Axiom Air

Fleet size: 1 Aircraft

Fleet age: 24.5 years

Chanchangi Airlines

Fleet size: 6 Aircraft

Average fleet age: 25.6 years

Oldest aircraft: 30.2 years

Dana Air

Fleet size: 4 Aircraft (used to be five until Sunday’s crash)

Average fleet age: 21.4 years

Oldest aircraft: 21.7 years

First Nation Airways

Fleet size: 3 Aircraft

Average fleet age: 18.4 years

Oldest aircraft: 19.3 years

Government of Nigeria

Fleet size: 2 Aircraft

Average fleet age: 9.5 years

Oldest aircraft: 12.1 years

IRS Airlines

Fleet size: 5 Aircraft

Average fleet age: 21.6 years

Oldest aircraft: 22.5 years

Kabo Air

Fleet size: 5 Aircraft

Average fleet age: 34.5 years

Oldest aircraft: 41.3 years

Max Air

Fleet size: 6 Aircraft

Average fleet age: 24.1 years

Oldest aircraft: 25.7 years

Overland Airways

Fleet size: 2 Aircraft

Average fleet age: 22.2 years

Oldest aircraft: 25.6 years

Tradecraft Airlines

Fleet size: 1 Aircraft

Average fleet age: 25.4 years

Transky Airlines

Fleet size: 1 Aircraft

Average fleet age: 28.2 years

Disco Queen Donna Summer Dies

Singer-songwriter Donna Summer has died at the age of 63 after a battle with cancer, her family says.

Donna Summer

Summer - who sang hits Hot Stuff, I Feel Love and Last Dance- gained prominence in the 1970s disco era.

The five-time Grammy Award winner passed away in Florida, a statement from her family said.

While we grieve her passing, we are at peace celebrating her extraordinary life and her continued legacy.

Family statement

"Early this morning, we lost Donna Summer Sudano, a woman of many gifts, the greatest being her faith.

"While we grieve her passing, we are at peace celebrating her extraordinary life and her continued legacy.

"Words truly can't express how much we appreciate your prayers and love for our family at this sensitive time."

Often called the Queen of Disco, Summer was born LaDonna Adrian Gaines on December 31, 1948, in Boston.

She began singing early in the church choir and by her teens had formed several musical groups.

Her first album, Lady of the Night, arrived in 1974 in Europe, and 1975's Love to Love You Baby brought her worldwide fame.

Her song Last Dance, in the 1978 disco film Thank God It's Friday, won Summer her first Grammy.

Summer's soaring vocals on She Works Hard for the Money brought her a Best Pop Vocal Performance Award in 1984.

In the mid-1980s, Summer encountered controversy when she was accused of making anti-gay comments related to AIDS.

She claimed she had been misquoted but not before thousands of her records were returned and dance clubs boycotted her music.

Summer holds the record for most consecutive double albums to hit number one on the Billboard charts (three) and was the first female to have four number one singles in a 12-month period.

In 2008, Summer launched a comeback and released Crayons, her first album in 17 years.

She leaves behind a husband, three daughters and four grandchildren.

source: skynews

Robin van Persie to hold Arsenal talks on Wednesday

Robin van Persie

Striker Robin van Persie will open talks to determine his Arsenal future at a meeting with Gunners boss Arsene Wenger and chief executive Ivan Gazidis on Wednesday.

Discussions are scheduled to take place at Wenger's house at 10:30 BST.
It is unlikely that a final decision will be made before Van Persie links up with the Netherlands squad on Thursday.


The 28-year-old, who has a year left on his contract, ended the season with 41 goals in 53 games for club and country.
Of that tally, 37 came in 48 appearances for Arsenal and he was the Premier League's leading marksman with 30 goals in 38 matches.
A number of leading sides have registered interest in signing the Gunners captain, who was named Professional Footballers' Association and Football Writers' player of the year.

Speaking after Sunday's 3-2 victory at West Brom, which secured Arsenal's place in next season's Champions League, Van Persie refused to commit.
When asked if his future would be resolved quickly, he said: "You never know but Arsenal is a massive club. Whatever happens, I'll always love this club.

Van Persie to discuss future next week

"I have been playing here for eight years and I love this club. Whatever happens that will never change. We will sit down next week."
Van Persie was unwilling to open negotiations until the campaign had ended, with Champions League football a key consideration.

Another factor is Arsenal's transfer market activity, and Van Persie has been encouraged by the signing of Lukas Podolski from FC Cologne for £10.9m.
"Will Champions League football help to keep Van Persie?" said Wenger. "It makes it easier to attract good players and keep them."

Arsenal are expected to offer the Dutchman a new four-year deal that would break their current wage structure, while Van Persie and his family are happy in London.
But, with the Netherlands assembling for a pre-Euro 2012 training camp in Switzerland on 17 May, there is little time to reach an agreement.

Van Persie is open to the idea of playing in the tournament before making a decision.
Arsenal do not want a repeat of last summer, when Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri were sold after the season had started.

Van Persie was signed from Feyenoord for £2.75m in 2004 and team-mate Laurent Koscielny is confident he will stay.
"He will be here next season," said defender Koscielny, who scored Arsenal's winner at The Hawthorns.

"He was a fantastic captain, he was so important for us. He will be here scoring goals for us next season."

By David Ornstein BBC Sport

Mancini: We deserved to win

Roberto Mancini insists Manchester City deserved to claim the Premer League crown, having established superiority over title rivals United in every department.

Mancini

Mancini's men won the crown on a dramatic final day after injury-time goals from Edin Dzeko and Sergio Aguero secured a 3-2 win for the Blues over QPR. It was enough to give City their first championship since 1968.

"We deserved it," he said."We played the best football. We scored the most goals, we conceded the fewest. We beat United twice.
"I have never seen a final like this though. In the history of the club, a final like this does not exist. I am very proud of my players though. They wanted to win this title until the last second of the last game."
Captain Vincent Kompany described the Premier League title win as a life-defining moment as he led the celebrations following Sergio Aguero's winner.

"It is one big blur," said Kompany. "I remember jumping on top of Sergio when he scored the goal. He was crying on the floor. All the guys were pouring their eyes out. You don't see strong personalities like that showing their emotion so often.
"We expected to win the league today. The disappointment of being one goal down was incredible. For us to do it was one of the best moments of my life, together with my wedding and the birth of my child."




Source ESPN

Ranieri leaves Inter Milan after six months

Crisis-hit Inter Milan parted company with coach Claudio Ranieri after six months on Monday (Tuesday, PHL time), hours after club president Massimo Moratti had said the beleaguered coach was likely to stay on.
Ranieri left after a weekend defeat by old rivals Juventus, their sixth loss in 10 games in all competitions, left them struggling to qualify for next season's Champions League.

The Serie A club said on their website that Ranieri had left his post and Andrea Stramaccioni, who was on the coaching staff, would take temporary charge of the team, becoming Inter's third coach of the season.

"The President Massimo Moratti and all FC International would like to thank Claudio Ranieri and his staff for their professionalism and dedication and sincerity in recent months at the helm of the team," a club statement said.

Ranieri, the former Chelsea, Valencia, Juventus and AS Roma manager, took over at Inter last September but the side has struggled and is eighth in Serie A, 10 points behind third-placed Lazio who are in the final Champions League spot.

Inter Milan won the Champions League, Serie A and Italian Cup treble in 2010 under coach Jose Mourinho, who left immediately afterwards, and claimed the Serie A title five seasons in a row from 2006.

However, they have struggled since with an ageing team and twice this season broke the record for fielding the oldest side in the Champions League. Their team in the first game of the round-of-16 tie against Olympique Marseille had an average age of 31 years and 331 days.

Ranieri replaced Gian Piero Gasperini who was in charge for only five competitive matches, and was their fourth coach since Mourinho's departure, the club having parted company with Rafael Benitez and Leonardo last season

Moratti had suggested earlier on Monday that Ranieri would see out the season.

"I think so," Moratti told reporters when asked if Ranieri would stay in charge for the rest of the campaign.

"Of course (the Juve defeat) is a blow, it's also a rather undeserved defeat given the way we played in the first half, but seeing as we didn't score a goal, then obviously you can also concede."

Inter's only glimmer of hope this term has been the youth team winning a competition in London at the weekend and Moratti suggested it was time to give some of them a chance at senior level.

"I'm not the coach but I think there are already three or four who could feature for a few minutes, perhaps even more," he said.

Ranieri had previously defended his decision to bank on experience, saying young players could buckle easily under the pressure at the San Siro.

Ranieri made a slow start but a run of seven consecutive Serie A wins in December and January, including a 1-0 victory over neighbors AC Milan, suddenly had them talking of challenging for the title.

Instead, Inter suffered a dramatic loss of form which also included Champions League elimination at the hands of Olympique Marseille. - Reuters

EPL: Man United Go Four Points Clear of City

Wolverhampton Wanderers 0-5 Manchester United

Champions Manchester United ran riot at struggling Wolves to move four points clear at the top of the Barclays Premier League.

United took the lead when Jonny Evans turned the ball home from a corner for his first United goal, and Wolves had Ronald Zubar sent off for two bookings six minutes before the break.

The visitors were merciless and from a quick counter-attack Antonio Valencia drilled past Wayne Hennessey, before Danny Welbeck slotted in from Valencia's pass in first-half stoppage time.

Javier Hernandez headed in a Rafael cross after the break and Hernandez fired in a fifth after more good work from Valencia, as United cantered to victory and leave Wolves bottom of the League.

There is no oil subsidy in Nigeria. It is a lie and fraud:Professor Tam David-West

Professor Tam David-West

Professor Tam David-West, Petroleum Minister during the era of General Muhammadu Buhari, and Mines, Power and Steel in the General Ibrahim Babangida government, spoke with GBENRO ADESINA on the controversy over oil subsidy removal.

There is no oil subsidy in Nigeria. It is a lie and fraud. After the regime of General Buhari, I challenged government after government, from General Ibrahim Babangida and Chief Ernest Shonekan to General Olusegun Obasanjo and President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, to appear on national television with me to justify their subsidy.

Let me introduce you to the basics. Let us say a particular commodity like gari is sold for N10 per bag hypothetically and the farmers are producing to make us self-sufficient at N10. But at a time, they can’t produce enough because of either bad harvest or natural causes, the government now says since garri is a staple food, the government goes to another country where gari is produced and buys it at N20 per bag and brings it to Nigeria to sell at N10 per bag. The government now writes off the extra N10 –– that is subsidy. The extra N10 the government pays on behalf of the people for them to still buy at N10 is the subsidy paid on that commodity. No government should exist if it can’t serve the people because government is a trust.

They are trustees for the people. Edmund Burke, the great British philosopher, said that government is a contrivance of human wisdom and the wisdom should be used to satisfy people’s needs. Any government that can’t satisfy the need of its people is irrelevant and must be overthrown and kicked out. Coming to petroleum, there is no oil subsidy. Oil subsidy in Nigeria is fiction, it doesn’t exist and it is a fraud. During Buhari’s time, we had three refineries. When necessary, I mean, whenever there was shortage of oil, we embarked on offshore processing. If at a time, the production of oil couldn’t satisfy our needs, we selected oil companies like Shell and others that we would give crude oil to refine abroad, sell at foreign exchange and pay to our account. 

 We got quantum of barrels of crude oil and gave to these companies and after they might have refined it, let’s say they got one million litres and we needed only 200 litres, they would give us the quantity we wanted and sell the remaining and give us foreign exchange. We only took our fuel back, never imported fuel. This time what do they do? These fraudulent people will take our oil, refine it and bring it back and sell it at foreign exchange. 

This is fraud in the highest places. Why is it that during Buhari era, with three refineries we were self sufficient but at their time, with four refineries we are now importing fuel? I personally signed the contract of the fourth refinery which we call new Port Harcourt Refinery in 1984. It was one of the best in Africa, with a capacity of 160,000 barrels per day. The first refinery, in Port Harcourt, was built in 1965; Warri refinery in 1978, and Kaduna refinery in 1980. A newly constructed refinery can’t have major problem for about 30 years. 

The problem they will not tell you is that after Buhari, every Minister and Head of State became an oil sheikh, except General Abdulsalami Abubakar. Some ministers have petrol stations and oil blocs. You can’t serve the nation and serve yourself at the same time because you can’t serve two masters at a time. One must serve his country and the dividends of doing this is satisfaction. Total capacity of our four refineries is 445,000 barrels per day. If the refineries are working even at 80 per cent, we will have more than enough product. 

They did not do that but sabotaged our refineries. I have been shouting since 1995 and I wrote that they are killing Nigeria and poor men. And in 2009, the House of Representatives corroborated me by saying that refineries were sabotaged. Abdulsalami as head of state, reacting to the state of our refineries, said he didn’t want to open a box of scandal. Why did they do this to the common man? 

Who are the importers? 

Big people! A senator said this year, Nigeria spends N860 million on fuel importation and they projected that by the end of the year, over N1 trillion will be spent on importation of fuel when our budget is N4.3 trillion. Insanity! Dan Etete said they needed $250 million to repair the refineries but the same minister said Nigeria is importing fuel at $900 million.

Is that not insanity?

If you need this huge amount of money to repair refineries, why don’t you build new refineries? The money you are using to import, use it to build refineries. Why do you think Obasanjo did not repair the four refineries we had and build four extra for petroleum to sold at N20 as he analysed when he was in power? Olusegun Obasanjo is a great liar. They will not do so in order to continue to import fuel for sell