Mark Zuckerberg makes $1.6 billion in a Week, net worth soars to all-time high

Bolstered by surging revenues, the growing popularity of Facebook Live and the recent debut of a food-delivery service, shares of Facebook rose 1.5% Friday, finishing 3% above Monday’s opening price.

As the company heads toward its quarterly earnings announcement on November 2, the stock is now trading at an all-time high.

Mark Zuckerberg’s net worth, heavily tied to Facebook’s stock performance, has risen to a record $56.6 billion. 

The biggest beneficiary is, of course, Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook’s co founder and largest individual shareholder. This week alone Zuckerberg’s net worth increased by more than $1.6 billion to an estimated $56.6 billion; he is currently the fifth-wealthiest person in the world, according to FORBES’ real-time ranking of The World’s Billionaires, ahead of Mexico’s Carlos Slim, once the planet’s richest person.

Facebook has had an all-around stellar 2016. Shares are up over a quarter since January 1, despite briefly slumping soon after the New Year. As a result, Zuckerberg, who has a controlling voting interest in the company, jumped to fourth place on this year’s edition of The Forbes 400, up from seventh in 2015. He is now behind only Microsoft’s Bill Gates, Amazon’s Jeff Bezos and Berkshire Hathaway’s Warren Buffett.

Analysts remain almost universally confident that the social media giant will continue to post strong results. With Facebook’s third-quarter earnings report around the corner, the business is projected to bring in roughly $7 billion in revenue, driven by huge growth in video advertising, particularly on mobile.

Culled from www.forbes.com
Photo credit: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg

Scenes from the aftermath of deadly Hurricane Matthew in Haiti (photos)

At least 283 people died as Hurricane Matthew slammed into Haiti's southwest peninsula, flattening houses and forcing thousands to flee. It was the first Category 4 storm to hit Haiti in more than a half century.

A woman stands in a field of destroyed trees after the passing of Hurricane Matthew in Sous Roche in Les Cayes, Haiti, on Oct. 6, 2016.

Damaged houses are seen after the passing of Hurricane Matthew in Sous Roche in Les Cayes, Haiti, on Oct. 6, 2016.

The body of a man who perished during Hurricane Matthew lies on a piece of wood as survivors prepare to place his body in a coffin, in Cavaillon, Haiti, on Oct. 6, 2016.

A man sits on a tombstone as he watches other clearing trees after Hurricane Matthew in Les Cayes, Haiti, on Oct. 6, 2016.

Homes lay in ruins after the passing of Hurricane Matthew in Les Cayes, Haiti, on Oct. 6, 2016.

A group of people carry a coffin and try to cross the river La Digue, after the collapse of the only bridge that connects to the south after the passing of hurricane Matthew in the country, in Petit Goave, Haiti, on Oct. 5, 2016.

Haitian people cross the river La Digue, where the bridge collapsed during the rains from Hurricane Matthew, in Petit Goave, Haiti, on Oct. 6, 2016.

People walk on a street next to destroyed houses after Hurricane Matthew hit Jeremie, Haiti, October 6, 2016.

Culled from www.time.com
Photo credit: AFP/Getty Images/AP/Reuters

Meet António Guterres, the U.N.’s ninth Secretary General

He is the first former head of state to take the role as the world's top diplomat.

Nominated U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres attends a news conference at Necessidades Palace in Lisbon on Oct. 6, 2016.

António Guterres was today formally nominated by the U.N. Security Council as the organization’s next Secretary General, and in the coming days his name will be given to the 193-member General Assembly for formal approval.

Guterres, who was prime minister of Portugal from 1995 to 2002, will be the first national leader to take the role as the world’s top diplomat. But there will be no honeymoon period for 63-year-old former U.N. High Commissioner on Refugees (UNHCR). Come January, when he formally takes over from the departing Ban Ki-Moon, Guterres will lead the U.N. through the maelstrom of regional conflicts, including global rise in terrorism, a painful Syrian war, the international refugee crisis and an ever-growing gulf between Russia and the West.

Culled from www.time.com
Photo credit: Reuters

Syria: Suicide bomber kills 36 at Kurdish wedding party

The death toll from a deadly ISIS suicide bombing at a Kurdish wedding party in northeast Syria has risen to 36, a UK-based monitoring group said Tuesday.


Eleven women and children were among the dead in Monday's attack, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said, adding that at least 80 people were injured, 16 of them seriously.

The blast occurred inside a wedding hall in Tal Tawil, a village near the city of Hasaka which is under the control of Syrian Kurdish forces, SOHR said, citing sources.

The groom was among those killed, SOHR founder Rami Abdulrahman said.

Kurdish forces are playing a key role in fighting ISIS in Syria and Iraq.

ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement that was posted on Twitter and retweeted by several ISIS supporters. The statement said an ISIS suicide bomber ambushed a Kurdistan Workers' Party gathering on the outskirts of Hasaka with a machine gun, and after he ran out of ammunition, the attacker blew up his explosive vest among the "PKK apostates."

The attack came as the United States announced it is suspending bilateral talks with Russia amid continued bloodshed in Syria.

Culled from edition.cnn.com

Paris approves plan for first nudist park where locals and tourists can let it all hang out

The nudist park could open as early as next summer and lawmakers are considering two wooded areas on the city's outskirts as a possible location.

Bois de Vincennes is being looked at as a possible location.

Paris is planning to open its first official nudist park where locals and tourists can bare all.

The French capital's council approved the proposal to set up an area for nudists in an existing park as early as next summer.

Two wooded areas that are being considered as a possible location are the Bois de Boulogne on Paris' western outskirts and the eastern Bois de Vincennes, the city's largest public park.

David Belliard, the Green party member who tabled the proposal with two fellow lawmakers, told AFP there is a demand for a nudist park as two million French people practise naturism and there is nowhere for them to bare all in Paris.

Under current law in Paris nudism is considered indecent exposure.

Deputy Mayor Bruno Julliard said France is the world's most popular destination for nudists thanks to more than 100 beaches where clothing is optional.

The Conseil de Paris must now choose a location.

Julliard said the nudist park would be in a "regulated setting" near a lake.

Before the vote he pointed to the success of nudist areas in cities such as Berlin, adding: "We need to find the right place and we don't want to upset anyone or ruffle feathers."

Nudists' only public outlet in Paris appears to be a swimming pool in the 12th arrondissement, where they can swim naked three times a week in the late evening.

Under current law nudism is considered indecent exposure and punishable by up to a year in jail and a maximum fine of €15,000 (£13,000), France24 reported.

Paris has banned a bottom-only bikini known as the monokini and thongs from public places.

Culled from www.mirror.co.uk
Photo credit: Shutterstock

Guinness World Records: Check out the youngest woman with beard (photos)

The Guinness World Records 2016 was released on Thursday, September 8 and 24-year-old Harnaam Kaur from Sough, England, holds the title of the youngest female with a full six-inch beard.

Harnaam Kaur.

A Facebook user identified as, El-masjid Abdul Umar posted the pictures on his wall with the caption:

“The Catwalk model said in an interview that she was bullied in school for having too many hairs on her face and eventually she embraced her body hairs after being baptized as a Sikh (a religion that forbids the cutting of body hair). Kaur is suffering from a very rare hormonal condition known as polycystic ovary syndrome. She has tried to wax, shave, and bleach the hair which had also started coming through on her chest and arms.”

She called the honor ‘absolutely humbling’ and said she hope it would help empower her message that women can be and look how they want.

The youngest woman with beard.

She said:

“I would never ever go back now and remove my facial hair because it’s the way God made me and I’m happy with the way I am. I feel more feminine, sexier and I think I look it too. I’ve learned to love myself for who I am, nothing can shake me now.”

Culled from www.naij.com

Anatomy of a breakdown - 10 reasons why Barcelona are falling apart

Having lost their last three matches in La Liga and got knocked out of the Champions League, Barcelona’s season is in danger of completely falling apart. Goal runs down the 10 reasons why it has all come unstuck so quickly.

Luis Suarez, Neymar and Lionel Messi.

1. XAVI & PEDRO LEAVE WITH TRANSFER BAN ONGOING | Xavi departed after winning the treble and Pedro chose to join Chelsea in August, leaving Barca short of quality options on the bench and unable to replace them straight away, still banned from fielding new players in 2015.

2. ARDA & ALEIX STRUGGLE TO ADAPT | Barcelona did sign Arda Turan and Aleix Vidal last summer and the two finally made their debuts when the transfer ban came to an end in January. However, they missed a total of 30 games and have been unable to adapt to the team since finally making their bows at the beginning of the year.

3. NO NOLITO, NO COVER FOR MSN | With Pedro gone and nobody to replace him, Barca set their sights on Nolito in the winter window but were unable to find the funds to sign the Spain striker. That has seen a large burden placed on the shoulders of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar, with the sheer volume of games taking their toll on Barca's fantastic forward line.

4. PROBLEMS IN DEFENCE | So secure en route to the treble in 2014-15, Barcelona's back-line has had plenty of issues in the current campaign. They conceded only 37 goals last season, but have already shipped 51 this term (including four each against Athletic Bilbao, Celta Vigo and Sevilla earlier in the season). And although there has since been improvement, the goals of MSN have papered over the cracks for much of the campaign. Until now, that is...

5. RAFINHA'S INJURY | Luis Enrique is a big admirer of Rafinha, a player he took to Celta on loan and who looked set to feature heavily this season. However, the youngest of the Alcantara brothers was seriously injured against Roma in September and sidelined for six months, meaning he was unable to provide cover for the midfield and attack as planned. Barca lost a very good player and also one who would have provided much-needed depth from the bench.

6. LITTLE HELP FROM THE BENCH | With the notable exception of Sergi Roberto, Barcelona's substitutes have not been up to the task for the most part in 2015-16. Luis Enrique does not appear to trust Munir El Haddadi or Sandro when it matters, while Jeremy Mathieu has made mistakes (like against Villarreal recently) and both Thomas Vermaelen and Marc Bartra are out of the first-team picture now, along with Adriano. As already mentioned, Arda and Aleix have also failed to convince.

7. LA MASIA ISN'T HELPING EITHER | Barca B's erratic season has hindered the first team as well. Luis Enrique has handed debuts to seven youngsters - Juan Camara, Gerard Gumbau, Aitor, Wilfrid Kaptoum, Romera, Carles Alena and Sergi Samper. The latter is easily the most talented of those, but has been largely overlooked and is also now sidelined through injury. In the meantime, the talented Alen Halilovic was allowed to join Sporting Gijon on loan for the season.

8. MSN TIRED AND OUT OF FORM | Earlier this season, Luis Enrique described his famed forward line as the best trident in the history of the game and such was their brilliance, it was hard to disagree. However, Neymar has looked out of sorts since the Ballon d'Or and Lionel Messi has been a shadow of his usual self over the past few games.

9. BARTOMEU ISN'T A MAN FOR A CRISIS | The Barca president has done little since winning the elections last summer. The club chief has failed to secure a new shirt sponsorship deal for next season, which meant Barca were unable to sign Nolito in January, and consequently has still not tied down Neymar to a new contract. Bartomeu did not ensure that the squad was sufficiently strengthened after last term's treble triumph and has kept quiet while Luis Enrique has stepped out of line in his recent press appearances. He is fortunate that the elections came after the treble and not now.

10. MIXED MESSAGES FROM LUIS ENRIQUE | It seems strange to announce that the trip to Anoeta is "the most difficult away match of the season" yet then pick Rafinha and Arda Turan in midfield for the game against Real Sociedad. The Barca boss has also been unable to rotate his MSN attack with any real success and has largely failed to change games with his substitutions when things have been going against his side. He must take a significant share of the blame.

Culled from www.goal.com
Image credit: Getty Images

Rescuers search for survivors after deadly Japan quake

Shaken residents of a southern Japanese island rocked by a powerful earthquake that left at least nine dead queued for water in rubble-strewn streets Friday, with many facing a second night of uncertainty away from their ruined homes.

An eight-month-old baby is carried away by rescue workers after being rescued from her collapsed home caused by an earthquake in Mashiki town, Kumamoto prefecture, southern Japan, in this photo taken by Mainichi Shimbun April 15, 2016 early morning.

 Rescuers continued to search through damaged buildings for possible survivors after the violent quake that also injured hundreds, although officials said the death toll was unlikely to rise significantly.

Tens of thousands of people fled their homes after the 6.5-magnitude quake struck the southwestern island of Kyushu on Thursday night, leaving lumps of concrete strewn in the streets.

Houses collapsed, factories stopped work and a high-speed train was derailed, while the roof of the treasured Kumamoto castle in the southern city of the same name was also damaged.

"We tried our best to take all our belongings and go to a shelter by car," said Haruki Ito, 62, whose house tilted 45 degrees after the quake.

"Our dogs got so scared and hid themselves inside the collapsed house," he told AFP, adding he hoped he and his wife could stay in a local shelter with their pets

Dozens of aftershocks followed the quake, which hit about 9:26 pm (1226 GMT) on Thursday evening, and officials warned the death toll could still rise as rescuers scoured the collapsed structures.

As rescue workers toiled through the night hours after the quake struck, an eight-month-old baby girl was pulled from the rubble alive and unharmed.

"As far as we can tell from infrared images from a police helicopter, there appears to be a significant number of houses destroyed or half-collapsed," said disaster minister Taro Kono.

Rescuers were concentrating their searches in Mashiki, near the epicentre of the quake where eight of the nine deaths occurred.

On the streets, the remains of collapsed Japanese-style houses -- many of then aged, wooden structures -- could be seen, and damaged roof tiles lay in piles.

A rescue team with several search dogs patrolled around half-collapsed houses in the town but no new deaths had been announced for more than 14 hours.

Scores of people spent the night huddled in front of Mashiki's town hall, some in tears, while others wrapped themselves in blankets to ward off the night chill.

By Friday afternoon, the government said it had confirmed that 881 people were injured, at least 52 seriously. An official from the local Kumamoto disaster agency said at least nine were dead.

But Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said at a regular press conference that the death toll was unlikely to sharply increase, but that search operations were continuing just to make sure.

He added that Prime Minister Shinzo Abe plans to visit Kumamoto on Saturday to meet victims.

Culled from www.timeslive.co.za
Photo Credit: Reuters

Barcelona 1-2 Real Madrid: Ronaldo strike gives 10-man visitors victory

The visitors came from behind to earn a remarkable victory at Camp Nou, in a result that simultaneously dents the hosts' title hopes and boosts those of Atletico Madrid.

Cristiano Ronaldo's late goal earned Real Madrid a brilliant 2-1 win over Barcelona at Camp Nou on Saturday.

The Portuguese collected a superb Gareth Bale cross at the back post and fired past Claudio Bravo in the 85th minute, almost immediately after Sergio Ramos had been sent off for a second bookable offence.

Gerard Pique had opened the scoring in a fiery Clasico with a superb header, only for Karim Benzema to equalise just after the hour mark with an instinctive volleyed finish.

The result sees Real move within seven points of La Liga leaders Barca, and the result will also provide a major boost to Atletico Madrid, who lie second.

Culled from www.goal.com
Photo Credit: Getty Images

Transfer news: PSG striker, Ibrahimovic demands £600,000-a-week from BPL giants

Zlatan Ibrahimovic is willing to move to the Premier League after seeing interest from four English clubs who want to sign him, but he will demand a world record £600,000-a-week before completing any move.

Paris Saint-Germain striker, Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

Ibrahimovic is out of contract with Paris Saint-Germain at the end of the season and will be free to negotiate a move away from the recently crowned Ligue 1 champions, and the 34-year-old has plenty of interest to consider for his next club.

Should he decide to leave PSG, Ibrahimovic could move to the Premier League after speaking positively of English football in recent weeks, but the Sweden international is also believed to have offers from China too.

According to the Daily Mail though, Ibrahimovic will demand a world record wage of £600,000-a-week, dwarfing the current Premier League record of Wayne Rooney’s £260,000-a-week.

A source involved in trying to bring Ibrahimovic to the Premier League labelled the wage demands “crazy” and cast doubts over whether any English club would be willing to fork out such a wage packet on one player in the latter years of his career.

“We would like to sign him, but the money is crazy,” the source said. “We get that he would be a significant capture, but is he really worth that money — and at the age of 34?”

Ibrahimovic is believed to have concerns over the tax rate in the united Kingdom, hence the astronomical wage demands, but despite clubs interested in his services needing to pay an incredible £31m-a-year to the Swede if they sign him on the wage being asked for, his agent revealed that there is serious interest from the Premier League.

“With the exception of Manchester City, where there is (Pep) Guardiola, all the big clubs have knocked on the door,” Mino Raiola, Ibrahimovic’s agent, told Italian newspaper Gazetta dello Sport.

Culled from www.independent.co.uk

India flyover collapse: 14 dead and 150 trapped (Photos)

At least 14 people have been killed and 150 are feared trapped after a partially built flyover collapsed in the Indian city of Kolkata, according to police.

Witnesses say rescuers are using their bare hands to try to save those caught under the rubble.

Television footage shows people passing water bottles through to those who are crying out for help from beneath the debris.

One witness has told the New Delhi Television news channel (NDTV): "We heard a loud rumble and then saw a lot of dust in the sky."

Another added: "The area was very, very crowded. Motorised rickshaws, taxis ... there was a lot of traffic."

Large concrete slabs from the construction site fell onto traffic below, reports said.

Heavy duty cranes have apparently been brought in to move the wreckage, but attempts have so far been unsuccessful.

Senior police officer Akhilesh Chaturvedi said 15 critically injured people had been rescued.

"Most were bleeding profusely. The problem is that nobody is able to drive an ambulance to the spot," he added.

There are conflicting reports about the number of casualties, with some officials putting the figure as high as 21.

Some witnesses have been critical of the initial response, with one saying there appears to be very little co-ordination on the ground.

Army officers and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have been called in to help.

An NDRF official said: "Our team is on their way to the site with all required equipment, we are also pressing into service canines which will help find trapped people.

"We will start the operations as soon as possible." 

Construction of the 2km (1.2 mile) flyover was supposed to be completed three years ago, but it has been delayed several times.

Culled from news.sky.com
Photo Credit: Bikas Das/ASSOCIATED PRESS/AP Images/Reuters

Official UEFA Europa league quarter final draw

The Reds will face the German side in the next round after defeating Manchester United, while holders Sevilla face Athletic Bilbao in an all-Spanish clash.

Elsewhere, Sevilla, the current holders of the trophy will renew their Liga hostilities with Athletic Bilbao in an all-Spanish tie, while Spain are also represented by Villarreal who take on Sparta Prague.

The proceedings are wrapped up by a tie between Sporting Braga and Shakhtar Donetsk, who have been severely affected by the war in eastern Ukraine, forced to move their home matches to Lviv in the west of the country.

Photo Credit: Getty Images

Official UEFA champions league quarter final draw

The Citizens face the Ligue 1 champions, guaranteeing that one of the two sides will reach the semi-finals for the first time, while there is an all-Spanish clash elsewhere.

Manchester City will face Paris Saint-Germain while reigning champions Barcelona take on Atletico Madrid in the Champions League quarter-finals.

The match between City and PSG guarantees that one of the sides will reach the semi-final for the first time in their history, as Manuel Pellegrini's Citizens tenure begins its final stretch.

Laurent Blanc's side, who have already wrapped up the Ligue 1 title, are once again handed a draw against English opposition, after defeating Chelsea in the last-16 with two dominant

Elsewhere, there will be an all-Spanish tie as current trophy holders Barcelona face Atletico, renewing their rivalry on the European stage as the two clubs compete at the top of La Liga.

On the other side of the Clasico divide, Real Madrid will be made heavy favourites against Bundesliga side Wolfsburg while German champions Bayern Munich, fresh from their triumph over Juventus, were handed a draw against Benfica, a tie that they will be expected to win.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic: I'll leave PSG at the end of the season

Zlatan Ibrahimovic expects to depart Paris St Germain in the summer… unless the French champions really convince him that they want him to stay.

PSG claimed a four consecutive Ligue 1 crown with Ibrahimovic in sparkling form, netting four goals in a 9-0 mauling of Troyes, including a 10-minute hat-trick, to secure L’Hexagoal trophy with nine games to spare.

Over four seasons in the French capital Ibrahimovic, 34, has continued his remarkably successful career, becoming the club’s all-time leading scorer with 141 goals. With his contract set to expire the Swedish national captain has emerged as a target for sides in the Premier League, MLS and the Chinese Super League.

“For the moment, I will not be at PSG next season,” Ibrahimovic told beIN sports. “I still have a month and a half left here.

Culled from www.standard.co.uk
Photo Credit: Independent Print Limited

Woman ‘starved to death’ after being stranded for a month on an elevator in China

The prospect of riding an elevator, let alone being stuck on one, is enough to make the claustrophobic among us squirm. But in China, a woman appears to have met the worst imaginable fate for those who fear confined spaces, apparently starving to death during a month stranded on an elevator by allegedly negligent workers.

The Associated Press and many other outlets reported that the corpse of a 43-year-old woman was found in an elevator in an apartment building in Xi’an, a city of more than 8 million people about 700 miles southeast of Beijing. Authorities identified her only by her surname, Wu, according to the Los Angeles Times; her hands were reportedly mangled by her attempts to escape the elevator.

“The scene was inhumane,” one tenant of the building said, according to news reports cited by ShanghaiList. “We think she starved to death in there.”

Power to the elevator was cut on Jan. 30 when a problem with it was reported. Workers, however, did not return until March 1, when they found the corpse. The Gaoling district government has now detained the maintenance crew; police said their gross negligence resulted in involuntarily manslaughter. The AP reported that the workers cut the power without checking if anyone was inside, but the L.A. Times noted that workers had “shouted” to see if anyone was inside without looking themselves.

“The paramedics told us that when they found the body, her hand had already begun to deform,” another resident told ShanghaiList of the woman, who reportedly lived alone. “There were markings all over the inside of the elevator, it’s just too horrible.”

China has seen a number of gruesome elevator and escalator deaths in recent months. The AP noted the nation “has poor records on workplace safety where proper safety procedures and practices are routinely ignored.”

Culled from www.washingtonpost.com

Luis Suarez ruins defender with nutmeg, scores MSN's 100th goal of the season

Luis Suarez

It's 100 total goals for MSN this season and it comes in absolutely stunning fashion. Luis Suarez's individual effort of nutmegging a defender and smashing home his finish is worthy of the century mark for the Messi-Suarez-Neymar trio. We're witnessing greatness.

Photo: Former ChelseaFC star Ashley Cole cuddles his new born son

Former England and Chelsea footballer, Ashley Cole shared a photo of him and his sleeping son. The LA Galaxy footballler welcomed his son with his Italian model girlfriend, Sharon Canu this Sunday.

Ashley Cole and his son.

Ashley Cole and Sharon canu.

Dangote, Adenuga, Otedola, others on Forbes billionaires list

The President of the Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, retained his position as Africa’s richest person and was listed as the 51st richest person in the world in the Forbes 2016 World’s Billionaires list released on Tuesday.

Femi Otedola, Aliko Dangote and Mike Adenuga.

Dangote’s net worth, according to the magazine, has risen to $15.4bn from $14.7bn in 2015. He was ranked 67th in the 2015 list.

The 2016 list, which contains 1,810 billionaires in dollar terms, also has four other Nigerians apart from Dangote.

These are the Chairman of Globacom, Dr. Mike Adenuga; Chairman of Forte Oil, Mr. Femi Otedola; Founder and Executive Chairman, Famfa Oil Limited, Mrs. Folorunsho Alakija; and Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, BUA Group, Abdulsamad Rabiu.

Adenuga, whose net worth was put at $10bn, was ranked 103rd on the global list; while Otedola, with a net worth of $1.8bn, was ranked 1,011th.

Alakija, estimated to be worth $1.6bn, came in the 1,121st position, while Rabiu was ranked the 1,577th billionaire in the world, with a net worth of $1.1bn.

The five were on the Forbes 2015 World’s Billionaire list.

However, Dangote, Adenuga, Otedola and Rabiu moved up on the 2016 list, while Alakija dropped down.

Dangote, Adenuga, Otedola and Rabiu emerged 51st, 103rd, 1,011th and 1,577th in this year’s list, from 67th, 393rd; 1,741st and 1,741st, respectively in 2015.

Alakija, who was ranked 949th last year, was listed in the 1,121st position this year.

Despite the economic crisis in Nigeria, the five billionaires are said to have increased their net fortunes by $7bn (N1.4tn). They had a combined net worth of $29.9bn this year, down from $22.9bn the year before.

In the Forbes 2015 World’s Billionaires list, the fortunes of Dangote, Adenuga and Alakija were put at $14.7bn, $4.2bn and $2bn, respectively, while Otedola and Rabiu had a net worth of $1bn each.

Although the Nigerian billionaires had their fortunes increased, the situation was not totally the same globally.

Culled from www.punchng.com

TEAM NEWS: Rashford starts for Man United as Welbeck replaces Giroud for Arsenal

United's two-goal midweek hero gets another start with Anthony Martial still out, while a former Old Trafford favourite returns to Arsenal's XI

Marcus Rashford has been handed his first Premier League start for Manchester United's clash with Arsenal, while Danny Welbeck is preferred to Olivier Giroud for the Gunners.

The 18-year-old striker netted twice in the 5-1 win over FC Midtjylland in the Europa League on Thursday after being given a late call-up following Anthony Martial's injury during the warm-up. And with the Frenchman's hamstring strain keeping him out again, Rashford has got the nod against the north London side.

David de Gea returns in goal for the home side, with Marcos Rojo also recalled despite manager Louis van Gaal insisting after Thursday's game that the Argentine would certainly not start as he slowly recovers from a recent shoulder injury.

Arsene Wenger brings in former United forward Welbeck in place of Giroud, who started the 2-0 loss to Barcelona in midweek, while Gabriel comes in for Per Mertesacker at the back.

MANCHESTER UNITED: De Gea; Varela, Carrick, Blind, Rojo; Schneiderlin, Herrera; Lingard, Mata, Memphis; Rashford.

SUBS: Romero, McNair, Riley, Fosu-Mensah, Weir, Januzaj, A. Pereira

ARSENAL: Cech: Bellerin, Gabriel, Koscielny, Monreal; Coquelin, Ramsey; Walcott, Ozil, Alexis, Welbeck

SUBS: Ospina, Mertesacker, Gibbs, Elneny, Campbell, Iwobi, Giroud
Culled from www.goal.com

Ronaldo: Real Madrid would be top of La Liga if everyone was at my level

Cristiano Ronaldo’s pretty, marketable face couldn't distract from his ugly comments on Saturday following Real Madrid's 1-0 loss to Atletico Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Cristiano Ronaldo.

The biggest superstar in Spain’s capital city, along with his expensive teammates, failed to produce over 90 minutes in a match that kept Los Blancos nine points adrift of league leader Barcelona.

"If everyone was as good as me, maybe we would be first," the Portuguese foolishly spewed following an altogether forgettable performance from the home side. "If a team does not play with the best, [it] is difficult to win a long competition."

Ronaldo subtly gave up on the La Liga title with his comments, as Barcelona has a game in hand and the previous weekend's draw had imbued talk of the race already being over.

"From what the press says it seems like I am doing [expletive] but the numbers and statistics do not lie. They are there," Ronaldo went on to somehow sound even more selfish.

Ronaldo's records and talent, overall, cannot be questioned. The Lionel Messi diehards spend their days promoting propaganda that Messi is better than Ronaldo, which is a compliment to Ronaldo's achievements. However, the Portuguese's attitude and recent outbursts serve as notice that he may be doing more harm than good at this stage.

For all the records Ronaldo holds, his recent performances against Atletico Madrid are nothing worth bragging about. The 31-year-old has only scored one goal in his last six meetings against the city rivals. Over that stretch, Real Madrid has lost twice, drawn thrice and only won once.