Welcome to Ezemuoka's Blog

Gianluigi Buffon has announced his retirement from football following a legendary 28-year career. The 45-year-old Italian goalkeeper previously stated that he intends to keep playing until the 2026 World Cup and had wanted to play out his contract at Parma, which expires in June 2024.  However, due to a string of injuries over the past year, he had to reconsider his future before announcing the news on Wednesday.  He took to social media to post a video of some of his best career highlights, along with the caption: 'That's all folks! You gave me everything. I gave you everything. We did it together.'   Buffon is now expected to be offered the Chief of Delegation role for the Italian national team, previously held by former Chelsea striker Gianluca Vialli. Buffon re-joined Parma in 2021 after starting his career in the academy before securing a move to Juventus.   He made 45 appearances in all competitions during his second stint with Parma but was plagued by...

  Award-winning Bollywood director,  Nitin Desai has been found dead in his studio, prompting a police investigation. The film-maker, 58, was reportedly found by police this morning after being alerted by residents at the Karjat residence in India. Local media say a probe has been launched into Nitin's death with the investigation ongoing.`   He had reportedly been living in the Raigad district in Maharashtra since 2005 where he opened his 52-acre studio to make films such as Farzand and Ajintha.   Desai had allegedly admitted an insolvency petition against his company last week and was in significant debt, the Hindustan Times reported.   Filmmaker Madhur Bhandarkar told the paper that he was shocked by the news of his friend's death, adding that just three months ago Desai had hosted a lavish wedding party for his daughter.   Asked if he suspected Desei was struggling financially, Bhandarkar said no: 'The wedding was really lavish. He was actin...

American singer, Jennifer Hudson has described Common as a 'beautiful man' while addressing rumours about them dating.   The Dream Girls star, 41, who was spotted in London with her alleged beau in early July, was asked to go on the record Monday by TMZ as she was leaving the Il Pastaio restaurant in Beverly Hills.  'Rumors say a lot of things,' the Oscar winner told the reporter. 'But, he's a beautiful man, I will give you that.'   When asked about a possible musical collaboration with the Glory artist, Jennifer seemed open to the suggestion. 'It would be dope to see two Chicagoans together,' adding, 'but I don't know about that.'   Hudson, 41, and Common, 51, were first romantically linked back in February when they were spotted having dinner at Nobu restaurant in Malibu, Calif. Common last dated actress Tiffany Haddish who said the split was not mutual.

The Nigerian Breweries has announced a price increase on all their products effective August 10, 2023, amid the current Economic challenges in the country. This was disclosed in a letter dated 1st August 2023, and seen by Nairametrics. In the letter, it was stated that the need to review prices was because of the continued rise in input costs and the necessity to mitigate its impact.  “This is to inform you that we will review the prices of some of our SKUs effective Thursday, 10th August 2023.”   With inflation reaching 22.79% in June and the managed float of the forex market leading to the naira exchanging for as high as N869/$ at the I&E window last week Thursday, companies like NB PLC have faced significant challenges.     In their half-year financial results, NB PLC reported N70.6 billion in forex losses as of June 30, 2023, as they face rising production costs and the ever-increasing cost of raw materials.   The move will impact beer lovers...

  Super Falcons head coach, Randy Waldrum, has stated that his team is ready to face England in the Round of 16 of the ongoing 2023 Women’s World Cup. The Three Lionesses booked a date with the Super Falcons after finishing top of Group D. The fiery clash is billed for the Lang Park, Brisbane on Monday, July 7 and will be the first-ever meeting between both teams.   Waldrum stated that the Super Falcons is destined for something special at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup. “I just feel like they all believe we are destined for something special at this World Cup,” Waldrum told AFP. “Our journey is not over and we will be very, very well prepared for whoever we play next week.”  

  France says it plans to conduct an imminent evacuation of people seeking to leave Niger after the coup last week in the former French colony. It has said it will also help other European nationals to leave. The coup has prompted protests against the former colonial power, with the French embassy coming under attack. Niger, which is rich in uranium, has been a key Western ally in the fight against jihadist extremism in the Sahel and both France and the US have military bases there. After Mali’s military leaders chose to partner up with the Russian Wagner mercenaries in 2021, France moved the centre of its regional counter-terror operations to Niger. On Sunday, protesters outside the French embassy in the capital, Niamey, chanted “Long live Russia”, “Long live Putin” and “Down with France”. They also set fire to the walls of the embassy compound.   The French foreign ministry said its evacuations decision was also influenced by the closure of Niger’s airspace, which...

  Gianluigi Buffon is set to announce his retirement from professional football for a new job.   The legendary former Juventus and Italy goalkeeper has spent the last two seasons playing for boyhood club Parma in Serie B, making 43 appearances. He did sign a contract extension with Parma in February 2022 which would have taken his stay until next summer, but will instead call time on a 28-year career imminently. According to multiple reports in Italy, the legendary goalkeeper's official announcement is expected in the next week. He will then join the Italian national team's coaching staff, fronting Roberto Mancini's backroom team.   Buffon, who is widely considered one of the best goalkeepers to ever play the game, made 1,175 appearances, with his first coming all the way back in November 1995. Buffon started his career with Parma, winning the UEFA Cup and Coppa Italia before being sold to Juventus in 2001. Across 17 years in Turin, he won ten league titles...

  A 51-year-old Russian man, Vladimir Cheskidov has been arrested for kidnapping a woman and keeping her as his sex slave in a makeshift dungeon for 14 years.   The suspect is accused of allegedly raping the woman, identified only by her first name, Ekaterina, more than 1,000 times and savagely beating her. Ekaterina says she escaped from his home in the village of Smoleno, located in the Ural Mountains, on Monday, July 31.    Cheskidov, who is also accused of butchering another woman, denies any wrongdoing. During a custody hearing on Tuesday, August 1, Cheskidov broke down in tears and told a judge that he and Ekaterina shared a “mutual love” for one another.     Russian law enforcement officials have however recovered human remains from the basement of Cheskidov’s home. They also found a collection of sex toys, muzzles and CDs containing pornography, local media outlets reported.   He now faces charges of murder, rape and kidnapping. H...

  The United Kingdom has pledged to assist more than four million Nigerians develop better farming practices and reduce harmful carbon emissions. A statement on Tuesday, August 1 signed by Senior Communications & Public Diplomacy Officer, Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office | British High Commission, Atinuke Akande-Alegbe read:   “Foreign Secretary pledges support to make Nigeria’s agriculture sector more resilient to climate change on a visit to Nigeria.” James Cleverly’s trip to Nigeria comes on a three-country visit to Africa where he is prioritising future-focussed, mutually-beneficial partnerships. The statement added that; "The Foreign Secretary will announce a new package of support to make Nigeria’s agriculture sector more climate resilient, as he arrives in the country today, continuing his four-day African visit. “More than two thirds of Nigeria’s population depend on agriculture for employment. This new funding will help boost the Nigerian a...

Ajay Banga, President of the World Bank will be embarking on a three-day visit to Nigeria today, August 1.  T he Bretton Wood institution said Banga will arrive in the country after a two-day visit to Ethiopia and will be joined by Ritu Banga, his wife. The visit is the next step of a global tour that is at the centre of a mission to write “a new playbook for the 78-year-old institution”.    The statement read;    “Banga will focus his time in Nigeria on identifying opportunities to create jobs for young people and women, addressing energy needs and renewable energy, and further exploring the potential for digitisation. “As part of these efforts, he will visit a World Bank financed mini-grid power plant that is providing solar energy to an entire community, and a woman-owned business that has generated more than 1,500 service-sector jobs for young Nigerians.”   It is expected that Banga will meet President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Vice-President Kashi...