1 jili

“For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord” – Luke 2:11 (KJV). The above account of the Holy Bible justifies the celebration of Christmas, the birth of Jesus Christ, which is commemorated by billions of Christians across the world, Nigerians inclusive, on December 25 each year. Although some scholars have argued that Jesus Christ was not born on December 25, the essence of the celebration is hinged on the fact that a Messiah to save the world from sin and reunite mankind with his Creator, the Almighty God, had been born. Thus, emphasis should be on the birth rather than the date Jesus Christ was born. In Nigeria, the federal government has traditionally declared Wednesday, December 25 and Thursday, 26 as well as January 1, 2025, as public holidays to enable Nigerians celebrate Christmas and New Year. Interestingly, Christmas transcends a mere day’s merriment. It is, in fact, a season, generally referred to as the yuletide, which runs from December through to the New Year. The yuletide is usually marked by a series of preparations towards the celebration of Christmas and New Year. Many Christians, and even non-Christians, embark on the decorations of their homes, offices and other business outlets to herald the coming of Jesus Christ, who his followers believe is the saviour of mankind. The season also witnesses mass purchase of clothing, foodstuff, and other items which causes a spiraling inflation in the prices of commodities. There is also the mass movement of people who travel to various locations across the country to join their loved ones to celebrate Christmas. This high commuting accounts for the high rate of fatality from road traffic accidents during the yuletide season. The rate of crime and insecurity is also high during the Christmas period. While these preparations in themselves are good, the snag here is that they tend to overshadow the love, humility, and simplicity which Christmas symbolises and exemplifies. The birth of Jesus Christ, the King of kings and Lord of lords, in a manger in Bethlehem signifies his humility and simplicity; the gift of gold, frankincense and mar to Jesus by the three wise men from the East demonstrates Jesus’ kingship and love for humanity. Blueprint therefore enjoins Christians and, indeed, Nigerians of all faith to imbibe the message of Christmas, which is love, humility, and submission to the will of God. Nigerians should seize the opportunity offered by Christmas to turn to God in prayers as the panacea to solving the country’s multi-dimensional challenges – banditry, kidnapping, terrorism, high cost of living, among others. Nigeria’s leaders at all levels, particularly those of the Christian faith, must strive to emulate the virtues as well as adhere to the teachings of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ humbled himself by shedding off his divinity in order to be offered as a sacrificial lamb for the redemption of mankind. This is instructive for Nigeria’s leaders who rule like emperors and loot the country dry thereby causing hardship for the generality of the people. The recent tragic incidents in Abuja, Anambra and Ibadan during a stampede for rice that was being shared are, indeed, deplorable. The incidents, which claimed dozens of lives, should serve as a clarion call on the nation’s leaders to repent and govern with the fear of God; the birth of Jesus Christ today offers the opportunity for true repentance and reconciliation with God. The president urged the citizens to pray for the nation’s leaders at all levels. “On this joyous Christmas Day, I extend my heartfelt greetings to Christians across Nigeria and worldwide as we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, as narrated in the Holy Scriptures. Nigeria is on a promising path of restoration and progress, with every indication pointing towards a bright future. In the spirit of this season, let us renew our hope and belief in a prosperous Nigeria,” he said. To Tinubu, Christmas embodies the fulfilment of divine prophecy and symbolises the triumph of love, peace, and unity. He said the event is a poignant reminder that light can emerge even in the darkest times, bringing solace and hope, adding that this belief resonates with people of all faiths. Indeed, God is with us. We join President Tinubu and the sub-national and religious leaders in urging Nigerians to foster love, unity, peace and tolerance for the accelerated socio-economic and political development of the country. Notwithstanding the harsh economic situation which has plunged millions into multi-dimensional poverty and the attendant low key celebrations, Nigerians should take solace in the fact that Jesus Christ has come to give life, and to give life abundantly. We wish our Christian compatriots Merry Christmas.Sutton scores 23, Omaha knocks off Sacramento State 70-60I'M A Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here! star Jane Moore has taken on her first Bushtucker Trial - and managed to keep her cool. The Sun columnist, 62, joined all the campmates for the nail-biting challenge, which fell on the evening of Maura Higgins' 34th birthday. But while most of them screamed in terror, Jane managed to stay calm and even comforted her Loose Women co-star GK Barry. Called The Fright Bus, the Bushtucker Trial was dropped on all the celebs as they finished eating their dinner around the camp fire. Moments earlier, they were seen discussing why the lights were still on in the jungle. GK Barry said: "Predictions... I think we're going to have songs, a little boogy and a bit of birthday cake." Tulisa added: "They're not going to do something negative for Maura's birthday. It's only going to be a treat." But Danny read a laminate to the group: “Tonight, you will all have the chance to win treats. "However, to be in with a chance of winning, you will all need to take a trip on The Fright Bus!” Each campmate was handed a ticket before being told to go and stand by a bus stop in the jungle. Jane told her campmates: "I think there's going to be extra passengers..." The doors then opened and the celebs began filing on, with Jane being left at the front with GK - aka Grace - and Oti Mabuse. "Front row, front row!" she exclaimed. "The seat that everybody wants!" The challenge was simple: the campmates had to endure the bus and work within their rows of three to escape it, passing four stops on its journey. To do this, each row would wait until their stop to manoeuvre three tokens across the bar to the stop button as fast as they could. Every token won, would equate to one piece of luggage. As the gang were told to put their safety goggles on, GK told Jane: "Oh my God, I'm so on edge!" But tapping her knees in anticipation, Jane simply nudged her and replied: "No, come on, we can do this!" She then gently rested her head on GK's shoulder before the task really got going, while wishing everyone luck. Extremely shrill screams is all that could then be heard as creepy crawlies and critters began falling from the roof of the bus onto its famous passengers. In a first for this series, the Bushtucker Trial ended on a major cliffhanger as hosts Ant and Dec revealed the rest of it would be shown in Tuesday night's episode. However, on spin-off show I'm A Celebrity: Unpacked, it was revealed that the nightmare is not yet over for Jane. i'm A Celebrity is back for its 24th series, with a batch of famous faces living in the Aussie jungle. The Sun's Jake Penkethman takes a look at the stars on the show this year.. Coleen Rooney - Arguably the most famous name in the camp, the leading WAG, known for her marriage to Wayne Rooney , has made a grand return to TV as she looks to put the Wagatha Christie scandal behind her. The Sun revealed the mum-of-four had bagged an eye-watering deal worth over £1.5million to be on the show this year making her the highest-paid contestant ever. Tulisa - The popstar and former X Factor judge has made her triumphant TV comeback by signing up to this year's I'm A Celeb after shunning TV shows for many years. Known for being a member of the trio, N-Dubz, Tulisa became a household name back in 2011 when she signed on to replace Cheryl on ITV show The X Factor in a multi-million pound deal. Alan Halsall - The actor, known for playing the long-running role of Tyrone Dobbs on ITV soap opera Coronation Street, was originally signed up to head Down Under last year but an operation threw his scheduled appearance off-course. Now he has become the latest Corrie star to win over both the viewers and his fellow celebrities. Melvin Odoom - The Radio DJ has become a regular face on TV screens after rising to fame with presenting roles on Kiss FM, BBC Radio 1 and 4Music. Melvin has already been for a spin on the Strictly dancefloor and co-hosted The Xtra Factor with Rochelle Humes in 2015 but now he is facing up to his biggest challenge yet - the Aussie jungle . GK Barry - The UK's biggest social media personality, GK, whose real name is Grace Keeling, has transformed her TikTok stardom into a lucrative career. Aside from her popular social media channels, she hosts the weekly podcast, Saving Grace, and regularly appears on ITV talk show, Loose Women. She has even gone on to endorse popular brands such as PrettyLittleThing, KFC and Ann Summers. Dean McCullough - A rising star amongst this year's bunch of celebs , Dean first achieved notability through his radio appearances on Gaydio and BBC Radio 1. He was chosen to join the BBC station permanently in 2021 and has featured prominently ever since. He has enjoyed a crossover to ITV over the past year thanks to his guest slots on Big Brother spin-off show, Late & Live. Oti Mabuse - The pro dancer has signed up to her latest TV show after making her way through the biggest programmes on the box. She originally found fame on Strictly Come Dancing but has since branched out into the world of TV judging with appearances on former BBC show The Greatest Dancer as well as her current role on ITV's Dancing On Ice . Danny Jones - The McFly star was drafted into the programme last minute as a replacement for Tommy Fury. Danny is the second member of McFly to enter the jungle , after Dougie Poynter won the show in 2011. He is also considered a rising star on ITV as he's now one of the mentors on their Saturday night talent show, The Voice , along with bandmate Tom Fletcher. Jane Moore - The Loose Women star and The Sun columnist is braving the creepy crawlies this year. The star is ready for a new challenge - having recently split from her husband . It will be Jane's first foray into reality TV with the telly favourite having always said no to reality shows in the past. Barry McGuigan - Former pro boxer Barry is the latest fighting champ to head Down Under following in the footsteps of Tony Bellew and Amir Khan. It comes after a tough few years for Irish star Barry, who lost his daughter Danika to bowel cancer . He told The Late Late Show in 2021: "She was such an intrinsic part of the family that every day we ache." Maura Higgins - The Irish TV beauty first found fame on Love Island where she found a brief connection with dancer Curtis Pritchard . Since then, she has competed on Dancing On Ice as well as hosting the Irish version of the beauty contest, Glow Up. Since last year, she has been working on building up her career in the US by being the social media correspondent and host of Aftersun to accompany Love Island USA. She even guest hosted an episode of the spin-off, Love Island Games, in place of Maya Jama last year. Rev. Richard Coles - Former BBC radio host the Rev Richard Coles is a late arrival on I’m A Celebrity , and he's ready to spill the beans on his former employer. The former Communards and Strictly star , said the BBC did not know its a**e from its elbow last year. An insider said: "Rev Coles will have a variety of tales to tell from his wild days as a pop star in the Eighties, through to performing on Strictly and his later life as a man of the cloth." Together with Maura, Jane will also be taking on the next Bushtucker Trial; Fright At The End Of The Tunnel. The underwater challenge will require the ladies to be "trapped in a pair of petrifying pipelines" with critters waiting for them. They will then have to complete words and crack locks to win stars - aka meals - for camp. Big Brother host Will Best , who is this week's celebrity panellist on Unpacked, only had positive words for Jane. He told presenter Joel Dommett: "I feel like she is going to be stoic and get through it."1 jili 。

One of the most exciting contents of the new Palworld update is the introduction of the Xenolord raid, and you can summon it anytime you want with the help of the Xenolord Slab. There are two types of Xenolord Slabs you can find in Palworld. The normal variant allows you to start a traditional raid, which in itself can be quite difficult. There’s also an Ultra variant that you can unlock with the use of the said variant. Let’s take a look at how you can get these special slabs in the first place. How to farm Xenolord Slabs in Palworld Xenolord Slabs are not final resources or raw ingredients that spawn on nodes. Instead, you can produce it on any type of workbench. To consistently get the slab, you’ll have to farm the resources that are required. Having those resources will allow you to craft the Slabs when required. Additionally, completing the Space Xenolord raid guarantees you a Slab back if you manage to defeat the boss successfully. However, this method isn’t quite self-sustaining in nature and it’s better just to craft it with the correct resources. How to craft Xenolord Slabs in Palworld The process for crafting a Xenolord Slab can be broken down into four parts. Reach Technology level 15: Pretty easy task unless you’re an absolute beginner. You can also boost your server settings to achieve this quicker. Build a Pal Expedition Station: You can use this station to send Pals on different expeditions who aren’t in your party/assigned to task at your base. Unlock Dark Cave: This specific location is found on Feybreak Island , and you’ll need to defeat the boss of Feybreak Tower. This step will take a long time unless you can comfortably clear the content of the Feybreak update. Send Pals to the Dark Cave on an expedition: You can send your pals to the Dark Cave using the Pal Expedition Station. Each expedition trip lasts for an hour, but that can be reduced if your Pal power is high. There’s a chance that they could return with the fragments required for creating the slab. Once you’ve all the resources, approach any workbench, and you’ll have your Xenolord Slab.

Scientific advisers to the European Commission are calling for a moratorium across the EU on efforts to artificially cool Earth through solar geoengineering. That includes controversial technologies used to reflect sunlight back into space, primarily by sending reflective particles into the atmosphere or by brightening clouds. Proponents argue that this can help in the fight against climate change, especially as planet-heating greenhouse gas emissions continue to climb. But small-scale experiments have triggered backlash over concerns that these technologies could do more harm than good. The European Commission asked its (GCSA) and (EGE) to write up their opinions on solar geoengineering, which were published today alongside a synthesizing what little we know about how these technologies might work. There’s “insufficient scientific evidence” to show that solar geoengineering can actually prevent climate change, says the opinion written by the GCSA. “Given the currently very high...

Recent discussions on the popular talk show Morning Joe have raised eyebrows by predicting the exact moment when US President-elect Donald Trump and Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s once-close alliance might face a significant fracture. The panelists on the show explored the possibility of a falling out between the two influential figures, a prediction fueled by Trump’s recent remarks about his relationship with Musk. During a segment on Morning Joe , the panelists delved into the growing tension between Donald Trump and Elon Musk, spurred by Trump’s recent speech in which he asserted his control over the partnership with the Tesla CEO. According to reports from Hupost , the conversation took a sharp turn when host Jonathan Lemire highlighted Trump’s comments about Musk, calling him the “Shadow President.” These remarks were seen as a subtle indicator of Trump’s insecurities over Musk’s rising influence, both politically and in the media. Panelist Sam Stein suggested that the bond between Trump and Musk is largely based on mutual benefit. Trump, who values Musk’s financial support and media presence, has been able to leverage their alliance for political gain. However, Stein warned that if Musk begins to overshadow Trump’s political influence, it could lead to serious tensions between them. This could signal the beginning of a power struggle between the two men, both known for their immense egos and desire for attention. Lemire jokingly proposed that a cover story on Time Magazine with Elon Musk portrayed as the true leader could act as the breaking point for their alliance. While Musk has supported Trump politically in the past, any perceived attempt by Musk to steal the spotlight could jeopardize their relationship. The discussion on Morning Joe reflects a broader concern about the balance of power between the two, with both figures known for their strong personalities and high media profiles. Their relationship is now under close scrutiny, especially with Musk’s growing influence in the tech and political spheres.

Serbian List Set To Appeal Kosovar Election Commission's Decision Barring It From February ElectionFormer lawmaker Mary Murphy, longest-serving woman in Minnesota House, suffers stroke1929’s “Black Thursday” was a stock market crash that marked the beginning of the great depression. 1987’s “Black Monday” was also a devastating blow to financial markets that decimated $1.71 trillion of wealth in a single day. Despite its similar name, Black Friday is the moniker of a much more benign phenomenon — the biggest and most publicized shopping day of the year. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Thanks for the feedback.

PHINMA raises P1 billion in stock rights offering

Freeman Chari and the The Edgar Tekere “Two Boy” Phenomenon! [Long Read]

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) — EJ Neal had 12 points in Sacramento State's 63-61 win against Air Force on Wednesday night. Neal had five rebounds for the Hornets (2-4). Julian Vaughns shot 5 for 8, including 2 for 4 from beyond the arc to add 12 points. Jacob Holt had 10 points and shot 3 of 5 from the field and 4 of 4 from the free-throw line. The Falcons (2-5) were led by Jeffrey Mills, who posted 19 points. Ethan Taylor added 11 points, eight rebounds, five assists and two steals for Air Force. Vaughns scored eight points in the first half and Sacramento State went into halftime trailing 33-22. Sacramento State used a 12-0 second-half run to take the lead at 34-33. Lachlan Brewer scored 10 second-half points. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .

DES MOINES, Iowa -- Republican Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks won her reelection bid Wednesday after a recount confirmed her lead, helping her party pad its thin majority in the U.S. House and retain control of all four of Iowa’s congressional seats. Miller-Meeks said in a post on the social platform X that she was “deeply honored” after she defeated Democrat Christina Bohannan in a rematch of 2022, when Miller-Meeks won by 7 percentage points. The margin this year was much tighter — Miller-Meeks' lead over Bohannan was less than a percentage point, or fewer than 1,000 votes. “I am now looking forward to getting back to work in Washington to lower prices at the gas pump, grocery store and on prescription drugs, secure the border and help farmers," said Miller-Meeks, who represents the 1st District, which includes the eastern part of the state and a swath of south-central Iowa, including Johnson County, home to University of Iowa in Iowa City. Miller-Meeks earned a first term in Congress representing Iowa’s 2nd District when she defeated Democrat Rita Hart by just six votes in 2020. The Associated Press called this year's race at 4:02 p.m. ET on Wednesday. Miller-Meeks had declared victory earlier, but the AP had not yet called the race because the margin was close enough that it could prompt a recount. Bohannan's campaign on Nov. 14 requested a recount , as any candidate is allowed to do, saying in a statement that the recount will make certain “that every voter is heard.” She congratulated Miller-Meeks in a message on X after the vote count was completed. “Although this is not the result we wanted, I am so proud of our campaign,” she wrote. “We exceeded all expectations and turned a district that many pundits thought was unwinnable into one of the very closest races in the country.” The request was made for a recount in each of the district’s 20 counties. Because the margin was less than a percentage point, the state — not the candidate — pays for the costs associated with the recount. Miller-Meeks’ campaign accused Bohannan and other Democrats of being “election deniers," and Republicans have said Bohannan is wasting taxpayer dollars. “This is a delaying tactic to thwart the will of the people,” the Miller-Meeks campaign said in a Nov. 14 statement. “A recount won’t meaningfully change the outcome of this race as the congresswoman’s lead is mathematically impossible to overcome.” Republican incumbents held onto Iowa’s three other congressional seats, maintaining GOP control over the entirety of Iowa’s congressional delegation. The sweep in 2022 represented the first time in three decades that Iowa had an all-Republican delegation, emblematic of the sharp rightward shift in the state not long after former President Barack Obama carried Iowa in 2008 and again in 2012. Obama won with solid support from the eastern counties along the Mississippi River that have mostly backed Trump since and bolster Miller-Meeks' in her district as well. Two competitive congressional races in Iowa this year — the 1st and 3rd Districts — brought millions of dollars in paid advertising to the state from national campaign arms for House Republican and Democrats. Zach Nunn fought off the challenge from Democrat Lanon Baccam in the 3rd District, which includes much of the Des Moines metro area. Republican incumbents Ashley Hinson in the 2nd District and Randy Feenstra in the 4th District won decisively. Hinson defeated Democrat Sarah Corkery. Feenstra defeated Democrat Ryan Melton.

Lawyer says ex-Temple basketball standout Hysier Miller met with NCAA for hours amid gambling probeAston Villa’s disallowed goal would have counted in England – Unai Emery

COP29: OPEC head tells Baku summit oil and gas are ‘gift from God’

Mellott throws 4 TD passes to lead top-seeded Montana State past UT Martin 49-17 in FCS playoffs

First treatment in 50 years for serious asthma attacks is ‘game-changer’