Amazing! Obamacare Just Keeps Getting More Popular

Even with the looming threat of a repeal, more and more Americans say they support the Affordable Care Act (ACA), better known as Obamacare.

A poll released by Public Policy Polling on Thursday showed that 46% of Americans now support the ACA, while 41% oppose the law. Additionally, PPP found that 62% of people polled wanted to keep the ACA and make changes to the existing law, while only 33% wanted it repealed and have the US "start over with a new healthcare law."

"Obamacare continues to become more popular the more talk there is about repealing it," PPP director Tom Jensen wrote.

The poll also follows two other surveys showing Obamacare is becoming ever more popular with Americans. A NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll found that 45% of Americans approved of the law and 41% disliked i,t and a Morning Consult/Politico poll found 47% approved while 45% disapproved.

The increase in popularity comes as Republicans have begun the process of repealing significant parts of the law through the budget reconciliation process. The GOP has cited increasing premiums and a number of insurers abandoning the law's insurance exchanges as reasons for the repeal.

Democrats, on other hand, have fought for the law, pointing to positives such as the more than 20 million people who have gained access to insurance through it, as well as provisions like a statute that prevents insurers from denying coverage due to a preexisting condition.

The three-month open enrollment period for the ACA's exchange-based plans ended Tuesday night. Due to restricted communications from the Department of Health and Human Services under President Donald Trump's administration, the final number of Americans who signed up for plans remains unclear.

(Business Insider)

LATEST ON BEYONCE: Coachella Performance 'Up In The Air'

According to TMZ, Beyonce is not saying whether she'll perform at Coachella, and we've now learned she did NOT tell festival organizers she was pregnant when they announced she was headlining.

Goldenvoice -- a subsidiary of AEG Live which produces the event -- did not learn Beyonce was expecting twins until they saw it Wednesday on TMZ ... seriously.

Goldenvoice is playing it close to the vest, but our sources made it clear they're not thrilled they went out on a limb with the announcement, given this is a high-risk pregnancy. Bey is 35 and her first pregnancy with a single child was difficult, requiring bed rest.

Our sources say Goldenvoice still has no idea how far along she is, which obviously becomes a factor for the April event.  In fact one source says Goldenvoice tried in vain Thursday to reach Bey or her reps.

A source connected with Beyonce told us the singer still plans to perform, assuming her pregnancy goes well.

That said, we're told Goldenvoice is not worried and doesn't feel pressure to find another headliner. We're told the festival was almost sold out before the January 3 lineup was announced.

As one source put it, Coachella is fluid in that Goldenvoice "constantly talks to bands," so a replacement won't be difficult if necessary.

Oti o! Woman Dies During Marathon Sex In Lagos Guesthouse

The wife of a Lagos State socialite, identified only as Josephine, has been killed after sex romps with her boyfriend in a guesthouse in the Isheri Olofin area of the state.

PUNCH Metro gathered that the victim had gone to the guesthouse with her boyfriend, Augustine Dunkwu last Tuesday around 2.30pm.

They were said to have drunk different brands of beer after which they went into a room.

Our correspondent was told that after about 45 minutes of marathon sex, the woman fainted.

When efforts to resuscitate her reportedly failed, the suspect allegedly dressed up and left the guesthouse.

The receptionist, who became suspicious that Dunkwu left without his partner, was said to have quickly dashed into the room and saw that the woman was unconscious.

Our correspondent gathered that the worker raised the alarm, and the suspect was chased, apprehended and handed over to policemen from the Idimu division.

Josephine’s corpse was subsequently deposited in a morgue.

Our correspondent gathered that the owner of the guesthouse had made statement at the police station.

When our correspondent visited the guesthouse on Jemi Alade Street (Pictured),  he was received by an elderly man and a young lady, who confirmed the incident.

The man, who appeared to own the guesthouse and asked not to be identified, said the suspect had attempted abandoning the corpse in the room.

He said, “This is a public place and people come in and go out. We are not responsible for what happened.

“They came in and had drinks. There were several others here that day. After they finished drinking, they went into a room.

“I don’t know what happened between them; but some minutes later, he stepped out of the room and left the guesthouse. The receptionist observed that he didn’t leave with his woman friend and when she went inside to check, she discovered that the lady was unconscious and quickly raised the alarm.

“People ran after him and saw that he had already boarded a vehicle. We had to drag him down from the bus.

“The incident really caused commotion in the guesthouse as some of our customers fled. We alerted policemen, who arrested him and removed the corpse.”

A source in the area said Josephine was the wife of a socialite, whom he refused to name.

He said, “They both had drinks in the guesthouse before going into the room where they had sex. It is possible that the man used drug or the woman was not strong enough to withstand the sex. She passed on during the romp.”

The source said the police from the Idimu division took the corpse to a mortuary.

Our correspondent gathered that the matter had been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department, Yaba.

The state Police Public Relations Officer, SP Dolapo Badmos, said investigations were ongoing into the incident.

She said, “We were told that on January 24, 2017, the suspect and the deceased lodged in a guesthouse.

“The suspect later attempted to check out without his guest, prompting the receptionist to run after him.

“He was taken back to his room where the lifeless body of his girlfriend was discovered without any sign of violence.

“The corpse was removed and deposited in the Mainland General Hospital Mortuary, Yaba. Investigations are ongoing.”

Source: Punch

INCREDIBLE! Gifty allegedly married Big Brother Naija contestant In a Kissing Session With Soma (Photos)

Ok... It goes like this..

Stories have been making the rounds recently alleging that pretty Gifty is married to a Nollywood movie producer even as photos of their traditional wedding went viral.

Some other school of thought have insisted that Gifty ran away from her matrimonial home, dumping her husband way before participating on Big Brother Naija.

The big deal!

10 days into the show, some of these guys are already betraying spouses they left back home. Soma who initially said he had a girlfriend has quickly denied her just for an opportunity to kiss Gifty.

"Your lips are so beautiful! I could kiss them forever... I don't have a girlfriend!" Soma, told “married” Gifty before locking lips with her last night.

More pics…

Trump, Military Split on Climate Change

A nondescript metal box at the end of an unremarkable pier in Norfolk, Va. is one key to why the U.S. Navy is concerned about climate change.

For nine decades, the Sewells Point tide gauge or its ancestors have been recording the sea level off Pier 6 at Naval Station Norfolk.

The story it tells is clear. Between naturally sinking land and global warming driven sea level rise, the water is a half-meter higher than it was at the beginning of the last century.

That's creating problems at the world's largest naval base.

In rough weather, damaging surf slams against electrical, water and steam lines under the piers where the Navy docks its Atlantic fleet. High waves can keep sailors from getting to the ships. Even getting on base is getting harder as "nuisance flooding" becomes a regular problem, cutting off roads around the city of Norfolk.

"It's not going to stop us from accomplishing our mission. We're the military. We'll figure it out," said Capt. Dean VanderLey, commanding officer of Naval Facilities Engineering Command for the Mid-Atlantic region. "But it just makes things more difficult."

"The higher the sea level gets, the more we're going to have to deal with that," he adds. "I don't think we fully understand the scope of the problem. And we definitely don't fully understand the solution."

Hoax vs. threat multiplier

The commander-in-chief, President Donald Trump, has called global warming a hoax, although he now says there is "some connectivity" between human activity and climate change.

The Pentagon, on the other hand, takes the risks of climate change seriously.

Rising seas threaten coastal installations. Severe storms can cut off supply routes. Extreme heat limits training.

"The military has seen climate change as a problem since 2003, if not earlier," says retired Army Gen. Gerry Galloway, now with the Center for Climate and Security.

National security threats from climate change are included in eight defense and intelligence documents published before President Obama took office, according to the center.

"Climate change acts as a threat multiplier for instability in some of the most volatile regions of the world," a group of high-ranking former military officials wrote in a landmark 2007 report.

"Economic and environmental conditions in already fragile areas will further erode as food production declines, diseases increase, clean water becomes increasingly scarce, and large populations move in search of resources," the report continued.

These conditions "foster the conditions for internal conflicts, extremism and movement toward increased authoritarianism and radical ideologies."

Planning for the impacts accelerated under the Obama administration. In 2014, DOD published a "Climate Change Adaptation Roadmap" outlining risks and responses.

While the new president is a climate skeptic, his pick for secretary of defense acknowledges the threat.

Retired Marine Gen. James Mattis led the U.S. Joint Forces Command. The 2010 Joint Operating Environment report that he signed described climate change as "one of the 10 trends most likely to impact the Joint Force."

It notes the melting of the Arctic and the competition for newly available resources "is but one example of potential security challenges that did not exist in the past."

Eye to the future

Trump supports a strong military, and "I personally don't believe that the administration is going to do anything that's going to interfere with the military being prepared," Galloway says.

"Now, there will be fights over dollars," he adds, and who gets the resources will depend on the president's defense priorities.

At Naval Station Norfolk, they already are adapting to the realities they see coming. Newer piers are built higher, with the utility lines under a protected concrete deck.

"When we do construct facilities, we're doing that with an eye toward the future, as we always do," Capt. VanderLey says. "One of those things we see in the future is, potentially, sea level rise."

VanderLey stays away from the politics of climate change and how the new administration might affect adaptation plans.

"We're just trying to be good, smart engineers," he says. "And I can't imagine anyone's going to decide to stop being good, smart engineers.

(VOANews)

Deutsche Boerse CEO Under Investigation For Insider Trading

German prosecutors said on Thursday their investigation of Deutsche Boerse Chief Executive Carsten Kengeter for suspected insider trading related to talks held between the group's management and the London Stock Exchange between July/August and December 2015.

Prosecutors searched offices at Deutsche Boerse's headquarters in Eschborn near Frankfurt on Wednesday in connection with a €4.5 million ($4.85 million) purchase of Deutsche Boerse shares by Kengeter in December 2015, just over two months before Boerse and LSE announced merger talks.

The Frankfurt prosecutor's office said in a statement that the search was meant to help clear up the course of talks up to February 23, 2016, when the two companies confirmed they were in negotiations for a merger.

London Stock Exchange Group and Deutsche Boerse confirmed plans for a £20 billion merger last March.

(Business Insider)

Manchester United And Arsenal Are Our Only Title Rivals - Hazard

Eden Hazard has said that Manchester United and Arsenal are the only title rivals to Chelsea.

Chelsea are currently top of the table and nine points clear of Tottenham and Arsenal, with United a further six points back in sixth.

Although Liverpool and Manchester City are in the mix, Hazard believes United have the experience to challenge.

“I think Arsenal and Manchester United [are the biggest title rivals],” he told Sky Sports .

“United had a bad first part of the season and I think for a couple of games now, they played well.

“They drew against Stoke, but they have good players and the squad is very good. The manager is good, so they will be second or third.

“Tottenham also are strong. We lost there, but for me it is more Manchester United. They are more experienced. That is my opinion, maybe I’m wrong.”

41 Nigerians Deported From UK Over Immigration Offences

UK government early yesterday morning deported 41 Nigerians over various immigration offences.

The deportees comprising 33 males and eight females were brought into Nigeria through the Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, at 8am with a chartered aircraft.

Findings show that some of the offences of the deportees include expired and fake travel documents and illegal entry into the UK.

It was also gathered that some of them had sought for asylum status in the UK, which was not granted by the immigration authorities, and some before the deportation had spent between two and 24 years in the UK.

Some of the deportees were later seen loitering around the Nigerian Aviation Handling Company (NAHCO) gate while others tried to make telephone contact to some of their family members to take them out of the airport.

Guardiola Tips Chelsea To Win The Premier League

Manchester City coach, Pep Guardiola has stated that the league is firmly in Chelsea’s hand and they’re to blame if they let if slip, despite the 4-0 win over West Ham.

Jesus Navas scored a goal and assisted one in the first half against a West Ham side they beat 5-0 in the FA Cup.

Conte was in the stands to watch the proceedings, but Guardiola doesn’t think City can catch them, as they’re ten points behind.

“He doesn’t have to be too worried because Chelsea are nine points ahead,” Guardiola said at his post-match media conference.

“Only they can lose the Premier League. The gap is too big, but we will until the last day be fighting to qualify for the Champions League.

“All the teams around us are so strong but we want to be up there with them.”

Brazil Hopes To Win 2018 World Cup - Costa

Brazil are in good shape under Tite, and are looking to win the 2018 World Cup says Douglas Costa.

Tite took charge of Brazil after the sacking of Dunga and they sit four points clear of Uruguay on the South American World Cup qualifying.

The Selecao have won six straight qualifying games since Tite took over and they’ll have the confederations cup in Russia to prepare for the World Cup.

“I think after the new coach came in, he made big changes and the team grew up,” the winger told Omnisport.

“Now we are in a sensational way and we have to continue with this form until 2018 in Russia to maybe win the world title.

“This is in the plan which I have for my career and my life, to one day win the Champions League and the World Cup.”

U.S. Defense Secretary, Mattis, to Discuss Missile System in South Korea

As he arrived in Seoul Thursday, U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said he would sound out ally South Korea on efforts to rein in North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs, including plans to deploy a U.S. missile defense system there.

Mattis’ visit comes amid reports that the North may be preparing to test a new ballistic missile in what could be an early challenge for U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration.

“I will talk to them about THAAD absolutely,” Mattis told reporters shortly before landing in South Korea, referring to the plans to deploy a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system in South Korea.

North appears to restart reactor

South Korea and the United States say the deployment of THAAD is designed to protect against North Korea’s growing nuclear and ballistic capabilities.

The North appears to have restarted operation of a reactor at its main Yongbyon nuclear facility that produces plutonium that can be used for its nuclear weapons program, according to a U.S. think tank, 38 North.

China has objected to THAAD, saying it will destabilize the regional security balance, leading to calls from some South Korean opposition leaders to delay or cancel it.

Next: Japan

Mattis’ trip to the region, which also includes a stop in Japan, is his first since becoming Trump’s Pentagon chief and is also the first foreign trip by any of Trump’s Cabinet secretaries.

Mattis is scheduled Thursday to hold talks with South Korean Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn, who is serving as acting president after President Park Geun-hye was impeached over a corruption scandal.

U.S. officials have said the trip is meant to reaffirm ties with South Korea and Japan, U.S. allies hosting nearly 80,000 American troops, and the importance of the region overall. That U.S. reaffirmation could be critical after Trump appeared to question the cost of such alliances during the election campaign. He also jolted the region by pulling Washington out of an Asia-Pacific trade deal that Japan had championed.

(VOANews)

Putin Makes His 1st Trip To EU Since US Election

On his first trip to the European Union since the U.S. presidential election, Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday is heading to Hungary, the nation whose leader has cozied up to Moscow despite Russia-West tensions.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, a populist dubbed “little Putin” by his opponents, has been critical of the U.S. and of EU sanctions imposed on Russia for its action in Ukraine.

Speaking ahead of Putin's visit, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said the EU sanctions against Russia have failed to achieve their objectives and cost Hungary some $6.7 billion in export opportunities. He also pointed at what he described as the previous U.S. administration's pressure on Hungary to prevent it from warming up to Moscow.

“The whole world is noticeably holding its breath while waiting to see if there will be rapprochement ... in American-Russian relations and if so, to what depth and dimension,” Szijjarto said.

U.S. President Donald Trump has promised to mend ties with Russia, which have sunk to post-Cold War lows over the Ukrainian crisis, the war in Syria and the allegations of Russia's meddling in the U.S. elections. For the first time since his inauguration, Trump on Saturday had a phone call with Putin, which both the White House and the Kremlin described in strongly positive terms.

“If American pressure has been taken off European countries in terms of the sanctions, and there seems to be a good chance for this, I believe all of those who emphasized pragmatic relations and talked about the need to reevaluate the sanctions will be more courageous and that will be a new basis for debate,” Szijjarto said Wednesday.

Hungary has also voiced hope for better ties with Washington under Trump. Orban has criticized the past administration for what he described as attempts to influence Hungary's domestic policies, such as a ban on entering the U.S. for six Hungarians, including the then-head of the Hungarian tax office, because of corruption allegations.

Orban, who has faced EU criticism for building a barbed-wire fence along its borders with Serbia and Croatia to stop migrants, has a sympathetic interlocutor in Putin, who has warned that flows of migrants could destabilize Europe.

Putin's foreign affairs adviser, Yuri Ushakov hailed what he described as “good personal ties” between the Russian and Hungarian leaders.

Putin last visited Hungary in February 2015, and Orban traveled to Moscow a year ago. Discussions focused on long-term supplies of Russian natural gas to Hungary and a deal to expand Hungary's Soviet-built nuclear power plant with a 10 billion-euro loan provided by Russia.

Ushakov said during this visit the parties will discuss the possibility of extending prospective Russian pipelines to Hungary, as well as the Paks nuclear plant deal.

The plant, launched in the 1980s, now accounts for about 40 percent of Hungary's energy consumption, and building two new reactors there will double its output, Ushakov said. The project is still awaiting permission from the European Commission, which Ushakov said has stymied it with “quibbles.”

(VOANews)

Gen gen! 2Face Protest Not Allowed To Hold In Lagos - Police

The Lagos State Police Commissioner Fatai Owoseni on Wednesday said he will not allow the planned protest against the Federal Government slated for February 5 to hold in the state.

Popular musician, TuFace Idibia who joined the call for protest by some concerned Nigerians over the state of the nation, had used his social media platforms to appeal to his supporters to join the movement.

But Owoseni, who had earlier stated that there was no official request from the protesters notifying security agencies of their plan, said Wednesday that intelligence report indicates that criminals might hijack the process.

According to the police chief, the command wasn’t ready for that kind of demonstration and as such would not allow it to hold.

He said no matter how good an intention is, hoodlums would always find a way to harass, rob and attack innocent members of the public, who may wish to go about their Lawful duty.

Owoseni said: “Information reaching us revealed that some hoodlums are planning to hijack the peaceful protest. And as such, we won’t allow it to hold in Lagos. We know that Tuface do not have the capacity to contain such a crowd and we will not fold our hands and watch while things go out of hand.”

(NEWSHELM)

Lawsuit: Facebook Ordered To Pay $500 Million

A Dallas jury has ordered Facebook to pay $500 million in damages for a lawsuit that claims its Oculus VR subsidiary was based on stolen tech, according to Polygon.

The money will go to game maker ZeniMax, who filed the lawsuit against Oculus in 2014 and led Facebook executives like Mark Zuckerberg to testify in a public trial last month.

Polygon reports that Oculus wasn't found guilty of stealing trade secrets from Zenimax, but the jury did find that Oculus cofounder Palmer Luckey violated a signed non-disclosure agreement with Zenimax during Oculus's early days.

We've reached out to Zenimax and Oculus for comment on the jury's decision.

(Business Insider)

TRUMP'S SHAKE-UP: WHAT'S COMING NEXT?

Days into an administration that promised to govern by upheaval, Donald Trump's White House has been the target of massive protests, defied reporters who questioned fact-challenged statements and issued a blur of lightning-rod executive actions. The speed and depth of it all have left many Americans apprehensive: Even some who longed for a shake-up are unsettled by a sense of chaos it has unleashed.

"We're in a very fragile state right now," said Margaret Johnson of Germantown, Maryland, who runs a small translation business. "We don't know what's coming next. The country's divided. There's a lot of fear. And I think we're kind of at that point where things can go any kind of way, and it's really hard to say which way they're going to go."

That uncertainty finds an echo in Pastor Mike Bergman's church in Adrian, Missouri, 40 miles south of Kansas City, where many congregants count themselves as conservatives and embrace the new administration's order cutting off funding to international groups that provide abortions. But as church members consider another order - restricting refugees and pausing entry to the U.S. from several Muslim-majority countries - worries about security are tempered by concern about the needs of refugees and whether Trump's rhetoric is widening the gulf between Americans, Bergman said.

"There is worry about how deep the divide is going to run. There is worry about some of the political rhetoric ... about how all that is going to cause the divide in the community to deepen and more bitterness to spring up between the people of our country. I wouldn't say we're really optimistic right now," he said.

Trump is hardly the first president to take office promising wholesale change in the face of substantial skepticism. But Kevin Boyle, a professor of American history at Northwestern University, said the new administration has put itself at the center of an extraordinary political moment.

Boyle hears echoes of the Ronald Reagan era in Trump's attempts to alter the role of government; this administration's willingness to play on division rather than serve as a calming influence is reminiscent of Richard Nixon. The mass protests since inauguration day are reminiscent of some of the upheaval of the 1960s. Still, Boyle said, the tensions swirling around Trump's administration are unique.

"I cannot in my adult life think of a moment that compares to this," he said. "The level of tension between these two competing visions of the country needs to be resolved in some way or another."

Trump's actions have unsettled Suzanne Kawamleh, 24, a graduate student born in Chicago to parents who emigrated from Syria. On Saturday night, Kawamleh said, she joined protesters outside the terminal at O'Hare International Airport to protest the executive order stopping Syrian refugees from entering the country. The next day, she told a crowd gathered at the county courthouse in Bloomington, Indiana, about how her relatives had fled Syria by boat and ended up in a refugee camp before finding refuge in Germany.

Last year, Kawamleh said, she and her father were taken off a flight for questioning when they returned from Lebanon to do relief work in a refugee camp. But that scrutiny, she said, pales with Trump's executive order, which forced a family friend from Syria who had flown to the U.S. to visit a sick relative to return to the Middle East on Saturday.

"Immediately after the order, everything changed. There wasn't a chance to plead your case," she said. "It seems like everything is very in flux. People don't know what's going on."

Over the last week, teacher Dee Burek has led discussions with the seventh- and eighth-graders in her debate and journalism classes about Trump's first days as president. Students were dismayed when they read about false statements by White House press secretary Sean Spicer and by an interview with Trump adviser Steve Bannon in which he compared himself to Darth Vader.

When one girl compared Trump to Dolores Umbridge - a character from the Harry Potter series who provokes a student revolt after issuing a series of harsh decrees - classmates nodded in agreement, Burek said.

"As a teacher I'm trying to present both sides, as I always have to, and when I deal with the children and I'm reading articles to them (about the Trump administration), their faces are in shock," said Burek, who teaches in Allentown, New Jersey. "They just keep coming back to, 'We're America. How could this happen?' And I say I just don't have the answers."

Many Americans say that Trump's moves since taking office are exactly what the country needs. Nonetheless, they are taking note of the pushback.

Juan Villamizar, a 52-year-old flooring business owner in West Hartford, Connecticut, said he supports Trump's executive order restricting refugees and immigration from seven countries as a way to protect Americans from terrorism. But while he believes the country is headed in the right direction, he is disheartened to see a negative response to Trump's actions.

"I just think that the people of this country, the citizens of this country, need to take a really deep breath and read the Constitution," he said.

During the presidential campaign, Brenda Horvath strapped a giant "Hillary for Prison" sign to her Logan, West Virginia, front porch, and another that read "Make America Great Again" beside it. She isn't opposed to Trump's plans, but thinks the new president could do a better job at presenting his plans with compassion, in a way that doesn't alienate and offend so many. She believes Trump is off to a rocky start, but believes he deserves more time to get on track.

"You can listen to the wrong people and do the job wrong. I'm hoping and praying that he'll start listening to the right people," she said.

Yatziri Tovar, a 24-year-old college student in New York who emigrated from Mexico as a toddler, saw the response to Trump in a different light. Though troubled by the initial days of the new administration, she was encouraged to see the activism it has spurred and the people of many backgrounds who have spoken in protest. She felt a duty to speak, too, addressing a weekend rally that she helped organize as a member of an immigrant advocacy group, which drew an estimated 30,000 people.

"It's a moment that has a lot of confusion, it has some scary times, but at the same time it has become a time of unity," said Tovar, a part of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA, which President Barack Obama instituted to allow young people brought into the country illegally as children to stay and obtain work permits.

Others hold the protesters, not Trump, responsible for the discord.

John Fusaro, an immigration officer in Dallas who voted for Trump, said the media and protesters should ease up.

"They're trying to sow seeds of doubt and keep stirring the pot," he said. "They're just not giving him a chance."

Fusaro said the upheaval represents a "new normal" of constant protests. While he's dubious of the protesters' message, the presence of a niece in their ranks reminds him of the wide gulf in Americans' political views.

"She's standing against Trump, out there yelling and stuff, and I'm honestly thinking you don't know the whole picture. I sent her a message: Give it time. It'll sort itself out."

So far, he said, she hasn't responded.

(AP)

Bonanza! Arik Launches Free Return Ticket On Purchases

Arik Air Communications Manager, Ola Adebanji, says the airline is rolling out a series of sales promotions as part of its 10th anniversary celebrations.

Mr. Adebanji made the announcement in a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria in Lagos on Wednesday.

He said that the first among the planned offers was the special Valentine promo fare which would be available from January 31.

According to him, customers can take the advantage of this offer by buying one return ticket to any destination within Nigeria and then get another return ticket free for their loved ones.

“The offer is open for purchase on or before February 1.

“To make this super flexible, convenient and to give adequate time for customers to plan their getaways with their loved ones, the offer permits the first sector to be travelled anytime until February 28.

“The return sector can be completed on or before March 31.’’

He said that customers wishing to take advantage of this special offer could buy their tickets by calling the airline’s Call Centre on 01-2799999 or at any Arik air at airports or ticketing offices.

(NAN)

Big Brother Naija: Soma Receives A Strike From Big Brother

Big Brother Naija housemate Soma received a strike from Biggie today.

Biggie had warned Soma yesterday of being sluggish and wasting time whenever he is called in the diary room. Only for him to repeat the same mistake today.

When he entered the diary room, Biggie told him "remember no housemate is allowed to keep Big Brother waiting!!!!" Soma tried to argue with Biggie and got his first strike in the Big Brother Naija house.

Two more strikes will lead to his immediate disqualification from the house.

(lailasblog)

Beyonce Is Pregnant With Twins

Blue Ivy is about to become a big sister - twice over.

Beyonce and Jay Z announced Wednesday on Instagram that the superstar singer is pregnant with twins.

"We have been blessed two times over. We are incredibly grateful that our family will be growing by two," said a statement signed "The Carters," Jay Z's real last name.

The news accompanied a photo of Beyonce showing a baby bump while wearing just a bra, underwear and a veil, in front of a backdrop of flowers. The singer's representative did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Their daughter, Blue Ivy, was born in 2012. The little girl served as the inspiration for Jay Z's hit song "Glory," and she's appeared in music videos alongside her mother.

Beyonce, who set a record in December for earning Grammy Award nominations in the rock, pop, R&B and rap categories in the same year with her diverse album, "Lemonade," announced her last pregnancy at the 2011 MTV VMAs. She leads all Grammy nominees with nine and is due to perform at the Grammy ceremony on Sunday, Feb. 12.

Beyonce and Jay Z routinely make listings of the most powerful people in the entertainment world. She is the most nominated woman in Grammy Awards history, with 53 nominations and 20 wins and he has helped launch the streaming service Tidal.

She and Jay Z were married in April 2008. Beyonce revealed in 2013 that she had suffered a miscarriage a child before Blue Ivy's birth.

In 2013, Beyonce told ABC News that she definitely "would like more children."

"I think my daughter needs some company. I definitely love being a big sister," she said, referring to little sister, Grammy-nominated singer Solange Knowles.

(AP)