How Fuji Legend Adewale Ayuba Converted From Islam To Christianity!

Adewale Ayuba and his wife Azukaego Kwentoh

“I became a born-again Christian in 2010, before this I had a lot of Alfas when I was still practicing Muslim they come to my house and pray for me, at the end of the day maybe after 2 hours of hot prayer immediately they are leaving my home I will go upstairs and carry my bible as if the prayer they prayed God will not answer it, I will pick the bible to sanctify the prayer. These are the words of Adewale Ayuba as he testified of how his journey to his Christian faith began.

‘Self denial is a self destruction’ so would some people say and that is why the famous FUJI artiste, Dr. Adewale Ayuba boldly told the tale of how he became Christian without been forced or preached to.

The Fuji master proclaimed openly before the congregation of the Redeem Christian Church of God (RCCG), in a testimony, that the acceptance of Jesus Christ has became source of blessing to Adewale Ayuba. This was according to a video clips posted on facebook by the RCCG City of David.

“I will say this; from last week now have been feeling somehow, I realized that the holy spirit is telling me to go out and give testimony to people I can reach” he said at the beginning of his testimony.

Ayuba, who was from a Muslim background, disclosed that he became a redeemed Christian in 2010 after he had lived with fear of been hated and neglected by his fans whom were all Muslims.

“I became a born-again Christian in 2010, before this I had a lot of Alfas when I was still practicing Muslim they come to my house and pray for me, at the end of the day maybe after 2 hours of hot prayer immediately they are leaving my home I will go upstairs and carry my bible as if the prayer they prayed God will not answer it, I will pick the bible to sanctify the prayer.

“I have been doing this for years I can’t remember, but my wife kept asking me that ‘Wale why are you doing this to yourself, why are you scared?’

“But I was scared because I thought if I turn around to come out that I’m a Christian I may get killed because I have been to hajj, people believe I’m a Muslim but in me I’m not a Muslim I knew but because of the gen of music I chose to do (FUJI) the orientation of it was from Muslim background so I thought if I say I’m a Christian I’m not going to be for decades but then something kept telling me ‘Wale! I choose you I gave you your talent, I’m the only one who can hid you from been fulfilled’.

“One day I called the Alfas and told them that we serve the same God; Anabi Isa is Jesus Christ, Abraham is Ibrahim, Moses is Musa; I’m choosing Moses and I’m choosing Jesus Christ and. “The Head of the Alfas asked me ‘but you gave all your children Muslim names what are you going to do about that?’ I said that is what I want. “I told him I was not supposed to tell you but all my children have been going to church and I support them, I’m the only one in this house that is still practicing Muslim, even at that I go to church every 31st of December; if I don’t go to church it’s like I’m going to die that year.
“But from 2010 I don’t know what is happening; it’s like God opened doors of blessing”.

Testifying further, he said “The one that really surprised me happened three days ago, I go a loan from one bank and when I was here for December 31 I told my God I want to make the payment before the end of January; I made the payment last week. I thank God for his mercy”.

The multi-award winner, at the conclusion of his testimony confidently before the church, declared Jesus has his savior and his pride his Christian. “I thank God for choosing me, I thank God for calling me, I thank God for giving Jesus Christ as my Lord and savior and I’m proud to be a Christian”.

He rounded off the testimony with a worship song “Jesus is the owner of my soul” in his FUJI tone.

Adewale Ayuba met his wife, Azukaego Kwentoh, who is from a Christian family, at a cafeteria in Queens Borough Community College where he studied and they got married in 1989. Azukaego Kwentoh is from Onitsha-Oke, Anambra State, southeastern Nigeria.

Ayuba, born May 6, 1966 in Ikenne Remo,Ogun State, began singing as a child. His father was an amateur singer but reinforced the value of education, making his son agree to focus on his education during the week and allowing him to practice his music on Saturday.

Since signing his first record deal in the 1980s, he has released 15 albums in Nigeria and four internationally.
Though fuji has being in existence long before he started singing, Adewale Ayuba brought into the embrace of the elites in Nigeria, the ignored genre.

With videowheels.tv

Mississippi Lawmakers Propose Designating Bible As State Book.

Lawmakers in Mississippi have again proposed designating the Bible as the state book.

H.B. 840 was recently re-proposed by Rep. Tom Miles, D-Forest, and has nine co-sponsors, including Rep. Michael Evans, D-Preston, who joined him in the first effort last year.

“Me and my constituents, we were talking about it and one of them made a comment that people ought to start reading the Bible,” Evans told AL.com when the bill was first introduced.

“The Bible provides a good role model on how to treat people,” Miles commented to the Associated Press. “They could read in there about love and compassion.”

Miles recently added to reporters that he is not seeking to “force religion on anyone” with the bill, but would like to encourage Mississippi residents and their leaders to emulate the principles found in the Scriptures.

“I am [pleased] to say that we once again enjoyed bipartisan support of this effort,” he told KMOV-TV.

While the teddy bear has been recognized as the state bear, square dancing as the state folk dance and milk as the state beverage, no publication has yet been regarded as the state book.

Miles’ bill simply states, “The following shall be codified as Section 3-3-59, Mississippi Code of 1972: The Holy Bible is hereby designated as the official state book of Mississippi.” It must pass out of committee by Feb. 23 in order advance for the 2016 legislative season.

As previously reported, in 2012, lawmakers in Pennsylvania unanimously passed a resolution that declared a “Year of the Bible.” The resolution stated that not only has the Bible been an important part of America’s history, but that in difficult times such as the present, there is a “national need to study and apply the teachings of the Holy Scriptures.”

In 1983, then-President Ronald Reagan declared the year the national “Year of the Bible.”

“Many of our greatest national leaders—among them Presidents Washington, Jackson, Lincoln, and Wilson—have recognized the influence of the Bible on our country’s development,” he stated. “The plainspoken Andrew Jackson referred to the Bible as no less than ‘the rock on which our Republic rests.’”

“Today our beloved America and, indeed, the world, is facing a decade of enormous challenge,” Reagan continued. “There could be no more fitting moment than now to reflect with gratitude, humility, and urgency upon the wisdom revealed to us in the writing that Abraham Lincoln called ‘the best gift God has ever given to man . . . But for [without] it we could not know right from wrong.”

With christiannews.net

The TEN Youngest Most Powerful Men In Africa 2016

1. Joseph Kabila, Congolese, President, Democratic Republic of Congo.

When he was 29, Joseph Kabila became the President of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) after his father, former president Laurent Kabila was assassinated in a coup attempt at the height of a cataclysmic civil war. As soon as he took the reins of power, Kabila moved quickly to end the country’s civil war by negotiating peace agreements with rebel forces, and played a lead role in the signing of the historic Sun City agreement in 2002 which ended the war. Kabila consolidated his hold on power in 2006 when he won the country’s first democratic elections in over 40 years. The DRC has the second highest rate of infant-mortality and the second lowest nominal GDP Per capita in the world, despite its immense deposits of mineral resources. But Kabila believes he can fix it all with more time; Seeking re-election during November’s Presidential elections.

2. Mark Shuttleworth, South African, Founder, Ubuntu.

In 1995, at the age of 22, Shuttleworth founded Thawte, a digital certificate and internet security company which he later sold off to American software giant, VeriSign for over $500 million, ploughing the proceeds to fund a tech incubator and venture Capital firm. But Shuttleworth is most famous for his founding of Ubuntu, a computer operating system which is distributed as free open source software. Shuttleworth is also the founder of the Shuttleworth Foundation, a purpose trust which funds individuals who are actively engaged in social change projects. The foundation identifies social entrepreneurs, gives them a fellowship grant, and multiplies the money the entrepreneurs put into their projects by a factor of ten or more.

3. Acha Leke, Cameroonian, Partner, Mckinsey & Company.

One of Africa’s most sought after business consultants, Leke, 38, is a partner at Mckinsey & Company. The brainy Cameroonian has the ear of the top dogs at multinational corporations whom he helps with strategy setting, investment decisions, corporate finance and turn-around strategies among other things. He also co-authored McKinsey’s report on Africa- Lions on the Move: The Progress and Potential of African Economies, and is a co-founder of the African Leadership Academy. In 2009, he was selected as a Global Young Leader by the World Economic Forum.

4.David Munro, South African, Chief Executive Officer, Corporate and Investment Banking, Standard Bank Group.

In July, Munro, 38, was appointed the Chief Executive, Corporate and Investment Banking at the Standard Bank Group, Africa’s largest financial services provider. Munro was selected by the World Economic Forum as a Global Young Leader in 2009.

5. Julius Malema, South African, President of the ANCYL.

The son of a resistance, Malema 30, is the President of the Youth League of South Africa’s ruling Action National Congress (ANC). The Youth League wields enormous power in South African politics, and played a pivotal role in the election of the incumbent President, Jacob Zuma during the 2009 Presidential elections. Malema, its leader, remains one of the country’s most divisive and polarizing figures, frequently stirring controversy for his inflammatory rhetoric and racial slurs. Malema has been labeled by President Zuma as a future leader of South Africa.

6. Fred Swaniker, Ghanaian Founder, African Leadership Academy.

Fred Swaniker- Founder, African Leadership Academy Fred Swaniker, 34, a Ghanaian-born serial entrepreneur, Business consultant and Mckinsey alumnus is the founder of the African Leadership Academy- a World-class coeducational, residential secondary boarding school in Johannesburg, South-Africa which recruits outstanding students from across Africa and prepares them for a future of leadership. Fred Swaniker is a TED and Echoing Green Fellow.

7. James Mworia, Kenyan, Chief Executive Officer, Centum Investments.

At only 33, Mworia is the Chief executive officer of one of Centum, one of East Africa’s largest Private Equity firms. Centum has a cross-listing on both the Nairobi and Ugandan Stock Exchanges, and has substantial regional equity investments in blue chips like Coca-Cola, UAP Insurance and Kenya Commercial Bank. Mworia has been instrumental in pursuing Centum’s regional expansion into new territory like Mauritius and Nigeria.

8. Andry Rajoelina, Malagasy, Transitional President, Madagascar.

The former Disc-Jockey was once the Mayor of Antananarivo, the capital of Madagascar. In 2009, he seized power in a widely condemned military coup, subsequently declaring himself the transitional Head of the state of Madagascar. At 37, Rajoelina is the youngest head of government on the continent. Before dabbling into politics, Rajoelina was a moderately successful media entrepreneur who owned a radio station, Viva and Injet, a successful Advertising company.

9. Gachao Kiuna, Kenyan, CEO, Transcentury Group.

Bagged a PhD in Biotechnology from Cambridge at the age of 24; went on to work for Mckinsey & Company in Johannesburg where he helped in advising corporate clients on strategy and finance; advised the Government of Kenya on the development of the Vision 2030 project. Now 33, Gachao sits at the helm of affairs of the Nairobi Stock Exchange-listed Private Equity powerhouse, Transcentury Group. The company’s diversified portfolio is spread across sectors such as financial services, food and agriculture, energy, real estate and infrastructure in both East and South Africa.

10. Euvin Naidoo, South African, President of the South African Chamber of Commerce in America.

A Mckinsey alumnus, Euvin Naidoo is the President of the South African Chamber of Commerce in America (SACCA), and is one of the most renowned advocates for western investments into Africa. As President of SACCA, Naidoo facilitates the expansion of business, trade, and investment opportunities between South Africa and the North America, with the view of promoting sustainable economic growth across the two continents. In 2009, the Journal of International Affairs at Columbia University named him as one of the 5 Faces of African Innovation and Entrepreneurship, alongside Sudanese-born billionaire Mo Ibrahim and Ghanaian president, John Atta Mills. In 2009, Euvin was selected as a Global Young Leader by the World Economic Forum

Tottenham's win at Manchester City

Harry Kane has scoerd 15 goals in his last 17 Premier League appearances this season

Tottenham moved to within two points of Premier League leaders Leicester as Christian Eriksen struck a late winner at fourth-placed Manchester City.

Visiting striker Harry Kane fired home from the spot in the second half after Raheem Sterling was controversially penalised for handball.

Yaya Toure struck a 20-yard free-kick against the bar before teenage substitute Kelechi Iheanacho levelled.

But Spurs earned a fifth league win in a row as Eriksen slotted in.

The Dane was played through on goal by substitute Erik Lamela to coolly finish, after Iheanacho had shot high into the net to restore parity.

Arsenal's win over leaders Leicester earlier in the day temporarily moved the Gunners into second place but Spurs have gone back ahead of their north London rivals on goal difference.

Manuel Pellegrini's side won 21 points from their opening nine league games but have claimed just 26 points from their subsequent 17 matches.

They are six points off the Premier League summit after losing two consecutive home league matches for the first time since December 2008, and have lost ground to Arsenal and Tottenham, who are in third and second respectively.

City know the gap is not insurmountable, having been eight points behind Manchester United in April 2012 before snatching the Premier League title on the final day.

But they are 11 points worse off than Leicester and Tottenham during this 17-game period and need to find form quickly.

City will point towards the penalty as a key moment against a Tottenham side who have not won a top-flight title since 1961.

Both sides struggled to create chances in a tight encounter but, despite Tottenham having more of the ball, the hosts will feel they deserved at least a point as David Silva scooped over late on.

Manchester City were absolutely furious at Mark Clattenburg's decision to penalise Sterling and you could understand why.

The England forward had turned his back as he jumped to block Danny Rose's cross, with the ball hitting him as he was looking the other way.

Former Wales and Leicester midfielder Robbie Savage told BBC Radio 5 live: "I think that is harsh, very, very harsh. It has hit him on the elbow."

However, in a match of few chances, City should ask questions defensively as they levelled before leaving themselves wide open seven minutes from time for Eriksen, on his 24th birthday, to win the match.

England manager Roy Hodgson was at the Etihad and would have welcomed the earlier news of scoring returns for Arsenal's Danny Welbeck and Liverpool's Daniel Sturridge.

In the first two games of the day, six of the nine goals scored had been netted by English players and his options before Euro 2016 were further demonstrated in Manchester as Kane scored his 16th Premier League goal of the season.

The 11.9km covered by England's 19-year-old midfielder Dele Alli was more than all but one of Manchester City's side, as he continues to impress, while compatriot Eric Dier, 22, was solid in the holding midfield role.

Another England forward, Sterling, was quiet for the most part for City, although he did almost break the deadlock with a volley that was bravely blocked by Rose early on.

Man City boss Manuel Pellegrini told BBC Sport: "It was a penalty that referee Mark Clattenburg wanted to sign for and he gave the sign. It was absolutely the wrong decision, it hit the back of Raheem Sterling then his elbow. Sterling was not even seeing the ball. It was the same referee in the first game where there were two clear goals in offside and we lost 4-1.

"It was the key moment that decided thee game; before that they did not shoot towards our goal and did not have any chances. We took the risks, the spirit of the team was good but it was not enough."

Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino told BBC Sport: "I think that it was a game that was very important. You could feel it was not a normal game and a real test for us; for that we feel very pleased for the players.

"The mentality was good and a perfect performance against a team with a lot of quality players who are top class. Full credit to my players.

"From my point of view, I did not see the penalty incident. Sometimes in football it happens, it goes for you and against you in the season."

Metropolitan Police Chief Grilled Over Nigerian Corruption Charges

According to the Daily Mail UK newspaper, embattled Metropolitan Police Chief, Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe will be grilled by MPs next week over bombshell claims that Scotland Yard and the Crown Prosecution Service were involved in a ‘deliberate cover-up’ of damning evidence of police corruption.

The extraordinary case centres on Scotland Yard’s prosecution of a former Governor of Delta State, James Ibori, who once worked as a cashier at a branch of Wickes DIY store in West London before returning to Nigeria to enter politics.

A court was told that the Met and the CPS repeatedly concealed documents suggesting that officers investigating Mr Ibori for fraud were paid to leak details of the inquiry that could have helped him evade justice.

One detective was said to have received at least 19 unexplained cash deposits totalling thousands of pounds into his bank account, after illegally disclosing sensitive information, a judge heard.

9 Mistakes Singles and Newly-Weds Need To Avoid!

If you are about to get married or recently got married, I would like to say congrats and welcome you and your spouse to a whole new world, a whole new life. Do you know why? Newlyweds are like fresh students who just got admission into a university. At first, you feel so happy that you have gotten the admission and that you have arrived. But when the courses starts, the assignments, seminars e.t.c, you then tend to dislike the university and can’t wait to graduate. The same applies to marriage.

The journey of marital life can be very rosy as partners are bound to make mistakes even if they’ve made commitment to each other till death on the altar. Understanding these mistakes made by newlyweds will afford you the opportunity of avoiding them if you plan on getting married soon. Trust me, marriage is the best union ever because it is based on trust, tolerance, understanding, sacrifice and God. Below are some avoidable mistakes made by newlyweds and tips on how to overcome them.

1. Failing to Plan for Life after Wedding

Most couples get carried away by the wedding plans, the wedding proper and other events attached to the wedding that they forget that all these ends in just one day. Some even put all their resources for the wedding forgetting that marital life starts after the wedding fun. After the wedding, you have to live together, tolerate each other and plan your family. Couples should always plan for life after the wedding even before the wedding because couples that fail to plan, plan to fail. Though make your wedding a memorable one but do not put all your resources for the wedding.

2. Not Understanding what Marriage is

Some couples do not understand what marriage is all about and just walk into it as If to think that marriage is a bed of roses or an avenue to enjoy each other. Marriage is far from it. Though, there would be times for enjoyment but there are also hard times which couples have to undergo. Many couples rush into marriage and later rush out from it. The ability of couples to be able to overcome hard times and challenges are what helps in solidifying marital relationship. Before you jump into marriage, seek advice from parents, priest, pastors, or an expert as the case may be to better understand the kind of life you are about to get into.

3. Trying to Change your Spouse

This is one of the biggest mistakes made by couples as they think marriage will automatically change the character of a spouse. Change is something that is constant and it takes time to happen. You married him or her because of love, so give that love a chance to reign in the marriage. Love is sacrifice. Accept the way your spouse is and give him or her room for improvement. Change is never automatic as trying to change the character of your spouse immediately may hurt his or her feelings and cause damage to your marriage.

4. Rushing into Making or Having Children

Children are beautiful gifts from God and having children shows the fruitfulness of the marriage. The problem here is that most couples just rush into having children without giving themselves enough time to be married to each other. Enjoy and spoil yourselves for a while and plan for children because when they come, focus and attention is being shifted from your spouse to your children. They become priority which you cannot hide from. So, have fun with yourselves and decide together when it’s best to have children.

5. Not Being on the Same Page with your In-laws

As with most African homes, not getting along with your in-laws before and after the wedding might send the wrong message to the family of the bride or groom. If the damage has been done, be the first to extend the hands of peace because the only person who gets all the insults and blame is your spouse, who might be caught off in the middle.

6. Acting like You are Still Single

As soon as you were pronounced husband and wife at the altar, that signaled the end of being both a bachelor and a spinster. The parties, hanging out with friends and all sorts that happened when you were single should either be minimized or stopped as you now have a responsibility to one another. As a married person, there are behaviours that should be dropped which are no longer appropriate. Always put your spouse first before anything. Learn to do what is right so as to take your marriage to greater heights.

7. Avoiding important discussions

No matter how couples try to run or meander their way from important issues, they just can’t shy away from them. Subjects like how to handle money, when to have children, planning for the children’s future and how to prepare for the unthinkable, i.e death e.t.c are paramount. All these and more are what shapes a marriage and should be dealt with. Discuss these issues with your spouse and seek advice if the issue requires you too.

8. Allowing Pride into the Relationship

Not all arguments can be won by husband or wife and taking responsibility and blame for a mistake, shows sign of maturity. Remember, pride is something that is in each human but the ability to let go is key to a successful marriage. Let the husband not say “since I am the man of the house, I will not do these or that” or the wife “since I am the wife, he should provide this or that”. Pride has destroyed many marital relationships. You must allow yourself to get softer and take responsibility for your actions.

9. Making lone decisions without consulting your spouse

Most couples forget that two heads are better than one when it comes to decision making. Maybe when you were single, you had the opportunity of making certain decisions like where to go after work, where to spend your vacation, how to spend your money and so on. Now you are married, those decisions are not for you alone to make. Taking decisions alone can put asunder in a marriage as these decisions also affect the spouse. It is best you take decisions together to have better understanding on how to go about a particular issue.

There are many more mistakes but I tried to highlight the major ones. Marriage is an institution that takes time to perfect itself and as I said earlier needs tolerance, understanding, sacrifice and God. Letting resentment build, denying your partner sex, being insensitive to your spouse’s feelings and not giving each other space are also mistakes one should avoid in building a successful marital life.

BY Chizoba Ikenwa

Native Doctor killed two men and buried them in his backyard.

A journey to a self-acclaimed native doctor has ended in a horrible way for two men in Kogi State in Nigeria’s central region, according to Channel News.

The native doctor, Mr Dan Asabe, who is a resident of Kungbani village in Lokoja Local Government Area of Kogi State was reported to have killed the men and buried them in his backyard.

The Special Anti-Robbery Squad of the Police in Kogi State are investigating how the two men were killed and buried by the suspect who is now in Police custody.

While recounting the hideous manner in which he killed the two men, Asabe said that the two men came to him to seek for protection against gunshots.

“After I did the work, (there was) no sign of the work and I did not know how to tell them that this work is not good again and I got confused. So I poisoned them and they died,” the suspect confessed, adding that he hastened their death by hitting them with a stick, in the report.

A local clinic operator, Ben Irewa, who was alleged to have sold the poison to the suspect denied vehemently, claiming that he gave Asabe drugs to cure his itching.

He added that he told the suspect to return to him if the itching persists in three days, saying that he never returned to him.

As the Police continue investigation into the case, they urged the residents to be watchful and report any suspicious activity in their environment to prevent similar occurrence.

MUYIWA JAMES (muyiwajames) want to connect with you on Follio

MUYIWA JAMES (muyiwajames) want to connect with you on Follio

Arsenal in a dramatic win as Welbeck scored the winner goal

Danny Welbeck's goal was his first for Arsenal in the league since December 2014

Danny Welbeck returned from injury to score a dramatic late winner as Arsenal closed the gap to Premier League leaders Leicester to two points.

The Foxes looked set to hold out for a vital draw as a thrilling game went into injury time, despite being reduced to 10 men after Danny Simpson was sent off for a second yellow card early in the second half.

This was until Welbeck, playing his first competitive game since April last year, glanced Mesut Ozil's free-kick past the magnificent Kasper Schmeichel to spark wild celebrations at Emirates Stadium as Leicester lost in the league for just the third time this season.

Jamie Vardy gave the Foxes the lead with a hotly-disputed penalty on the stroke of half-time after he tumbled over Nacho Monreal's outstretched leg.

Substitute Theo Walcott then set up a frantic final 20 minutes with a side-foot finish from Olivier Giroud's superb knockdown.

Leicester still lead the table - but Arsenal's win leaves them only two points clear.

In those closing seconds, with the Emirates awash with tension and anxiety, it looked like Leicester would secure a point that would feel like a victory to manager Claudio Ranieri and his players.

It would have been a draw achieved with a numerical disadvantage at the home of a title rival - and would have given them four precious points from visits to Manchester City and Arsenal.

Instead, Welbeck's intervention left Ranieri and his men desolate after an outstanding backs-to-the-wall performance, exemplified by the brilliance of keeper Schmeichel as he kept Arsenal at bay, with one late save from Giroud world-class especially notable.

Now they must bounce back at home to Norwich City in their next game - but why should we question them after what they have shown us this season?

As for Arsenal, this result will revive their title hopes as the impact will be just as dramatic for them. It would have felt like a defeat had they not beaten a Leicester side reduced to 10 men for 36 minutes.

So the title landscape has changed - but it is still Leicester at the top of the table.Now they must bounce back at home to Norwich City in their next game - but why should we question them after what they have shown us this season?

As for Arsenal, this result will revive their title hopes as the impact will be just as dramatic for them. It would have felt like a defeat had they not beaten a Leicester side reduced to 10 men for 36 minutes.

So the title landscape has changed - but it is still Leicester at the top of the table.

As Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger rightly said after the match, his team were looking down the barrel when they trailed at half-time.

At that point, they were eight points adrift of the Foxes with only 12 games left after this one - a daunting gap.

Walcott's equaliser and that injury-time winner from Welbeck, who has been out for almost a year with a knee injury, was reward for their persistence and effort in the second half.

It was not just vital in the context of this game, it was crucial in the wider context after a poor run of home form which had seen the Gunners fail to win in four league games - with three draws and a defeat - before last week's win at Bournemouth.

N'Golo Kante arrived at Leicester City in early August as an under-the-radar £6m signing from French side Caen - he should now be a contender for Player of the Year.

When Rio Ferdinand is moved to tweet, "right now Kante is the best tackler/retriever of the ball on the planet", you get some idea of just how good he was at the Emirates.

In the first 45 minutes in particular, the Paris-born 24-year-old gave a masterclass in the arts Ferdinand was talking about. While the likes of Vardy and Riyad Mahrez have rightly claimed the limelight, Kante has been just as influential in the manner in which he retains and regains possession, helping Leicester to set up those trademark counter-attacks.

Referee Martin Atkinson was left to handle a tidal wave of pressure and emotion, especially after awarding Leicester that penalty.

It was a tough call, with Vardy clearly accepting the invitation literally extended by Monreal's outstretched leg.

Vardy bought the penalty but it was understandable to see why he gave it - and it is worth noting former Arsenal legends Lee Dixon and David Seaman tweeted their agreement with the decision.

Arsenal fans were demanding every decision after that - and most supporters around the country would be the same - but Atkinson's decision to send Simpson off for two soft fouls was also correct.

It is not just players under stress on these occasions.

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger, speaking to BBC Sport: "The effort, energy, intensity was all good. Leicester defended very well but we had bad luck to be 1-0 down at half-time. We were relentless after that - we should have scored more goals.

"It was a pivotal moment today because the mathematics meant it could be eight points or it could be two points. That is a great change.

"There's a long way to go, we play a lot of big teams. But we had a bad spell where we couldn't win for four games and have now won two on the bounce. We have come out of that bad spell and still have a good chance."

Leicester boss Claudio Ranieri, speaking to Sky Sports: "It was a fantastic match, very fast. I don't know if in a normal match that our two yellows cards was a sending off. They were normal fouls, but not yellow cards. I think the referee was too severe to us for the sending off. 11 v 11, I'm sure we win the match. The match was full of fouls so why send off a player? Come on.

"We know Arsenal are a fantastic team, they move the ball quickly and have skill, but we had to concentrate. We tried to counter-attack and we controlled the match very well.

"We are still top of the table, got two points more - we must carry on and smile. We lost to our opponents - we must say well done."

Oil-producing nations were on a "very good path" as oil prices soar on hopes of Opec production cut

Oil prices surged as much as 12% on Friday after new suggestions that Opec nations were set to cut oil production.

The United Arab Emirates' energy minister said that Opec members were ready to reduce output, the Wall Street Journal reported.

Venezuela's oil minister said oil-producing nations were on a "very good path" to clinch a deal.

However, traders said sharp falls on Thursday may have triggered some bargain-hunting.

Eulogio Del Pino, the Venezuelan minister, who recently visited Russia and Saudi Arabia as part of a global tour to drum up support among both Opec and non-Opec producers, said "we're on a very, very, very good path" to reducing production.

Brent crude closed up $3.30 at $33.36 a barrel in New York after falling below $30 on Thursday.

After sinking to a 12-year low of $26.05 on Thursday, US crude settled up 12%, or $3.23, to $29.44 a barrel - its biggest one-day rise since 2009.

Many traders were sceptical about the Journal's report, pointing out that Venezuela and Russia had tried in vain earlier this week to stir Saudi Arabia and other major producers into agreeing to output cuts.

However, some believe that prices would rebound sooner or later if production tightened or demand rose.

Commerzbank analysts said: "We expect declining US oil production, in particular, to drive the oil price back up to $50 per barrel by the end of the year."

Some traders still expected wilder price swings in the coming weeks. "It's not a one-way price movement anymore" in oil, said ABN Amro's senior energy economist Hans van Cleef. "We will see a period of high volatility".

Friday's price rises were also aided by figures from oil services company Baker Hughes, which said that US energy firms cut the number of oil rigs for the eighth consecutive week to the lowest levels since January 2010.

Drillers removed 28 oil rigs, bringing the total rig count down to 439, Baker Hughes said.

The jump in oil prices helped to boost sentiment on stock markets, with the FTSE 100 in London closing 3.1% higher at 5,707 points.

Wall Street was also trading higher on Friday, with the S&P 500 rising 1.8% and the Dow Jones Industrial Average up close to 2% in late trading.

Katy Perry seems to have offered Taylor Swift an olive branch to end ‘bad blood’

                                                                                                          FELIPE DANA/AP

Perry is teaming up with Spotify to throw a black-tie event before Monday's Grammys and Taylor Swift made the invite list. 

They fight, they break up. They send an invite and they might make up.

That seems to be road to renewed friendship for Katy Perry and former friend-turned-enemy Taylor Swift.

The two may soon be past their bad blood, since the “Roar” singer offered Swift an olive branch in the form of a party invitation to celebrate the Grammys.

Perry, who won’t attend Monday’s award show, is co-hosting an exclusive bash sponsored by Spotify on Saturday night in downtown Los Angeles, and Swift made the list.

Mysteriously dubbed “An Evening to Celebrate the Creators,” Perry will throw the star-studded black-tie event so artists can enjoy a night free of reporters, managers and publicists, according to the New York Times.

The invite for her longtime frenemy is doubly surprising, as Swift had a very public breakup with the streaming service.

The “Shake It Off” singer boycotted the music site over claims of their low royalties.

The night’s tight guest list of about 250 people could also include Adele —another star who has refused to offer her beloved songs to Spotify.

“It’s just up to their schedules,” Perry said of inviting the two stars.

The rift between Swift and Perry dates back years, with Swift making comments that Perry stole her backup dancers in 2013.

The drama later exploded in 2015, when rumors swirled that Swift was taking a lyrical shot at the 31-year-old with “Bad Blood.”

Meanwhile, Perry later chimed in on Swift’s Twitter feud with Nicki Minaj, blasting the star in an incoherent tweet for profiting off “the take down of a woman.”

And though fans have long thought they're "never ever getting back together," perhaps 2016 will be the end of the infamous girl fight.

And, while Swift opens up the awards show, Perry is happy to stay home this year.

“In my pajamas, eating matzo ball soup," she told the Times.

“No makeup, glad I'm not in a corset. Vicks cream on.”