Spicy Joe Vibes Blog

Paris - Grieving for his cousin who was killed in the terrorist attacks in Paris last week, Lassana Diarra's mind is most likely far away from Marseille's trip to Saint-Etienne in Ligue 1 on Sunday. Diarra was playing for France against Germany last Friday when the night of terror began with explosions outside the Stade de France. His cousin was among 129 people killed and 350 wounded, but he stayed with the national team and went on as a substitute against England at Wembley on Tuesday. He has arguably been Marseille's best player this season, but it is uncertain whether he will face Saint-Etienne, with his club reportedly giving him some time off. Diarra was not the only French league player affected. Paris Saint-Germain goalkeeper Salvatore Sirigu lost two friends in the attacks...

Madrid - Spanish authorities say they have moved to ban a Manchester City fan from sporting events in Spain for two years after he attacked a police officer in a Champions League game this month. Spain's anti-violence commission said on Thursday that the fan, who was not immediately identified by authorities, will also be fined 6,000 euros ($6,400) for his actions at the Nov. 3 group-stage match in Sevilla. Authorities said the fan "violently assaulted" a police officer inside the Sevilla stadium. They say the fan later tried to hide within the crowd. The commission also said it will ban an Atletico Madrid fan from stadiums for one year and will fine him 6,000 euros ($6,400) for "attacking several police officers" in a Spanish league match on Nov. 8.

Paris - Prime Minister Manuel Valls warned Thursday of the danger of an attack in France using "chemical or biological weapons", in a speech to lawmakers debating the extension of a state of emergency. "We must not rule anything out," Valls said. "There is also the risk from chemical or biological weapons," he added. As the investigation spreads across Europe into the attacks claimed by the Islamic State group, Valls also called on the European Union (EU) to urgently adopt measures to share airline passenger information. "More than ever, it's time for Europe to adopt the text to guarantee the traceability of movements, including within the union. It's a condition of our collective security," he said. Meanwhile, police in France are going to be allowed to carry weap...

Wema Bank on Thursday said it had been granted a national banking licence by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). Wema Bank said in a statement in Lagos that the development would upgrade it from its current regional bank status. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that Wema Bank downscaled to a regional bank in 2010 to operate only within core areas of business in South-South, South-West and FCT Abuja. The bank said it got the new licence because its capital base currently stood at N43.8 billion and having met the regulatory requirements for the national banking licence as stipulated by the CBN. Its Managing Director, Mr Segun Oloketuyi, was quoted as saying that: “this approval represents a milestone for the bank in the delivery of its project LEAP commitments. "Six years ago, we took a decision to refocus the bank’s operations on its areas of strength and build a sustainable institution. "We took advantage of the new licensing regime and applied for a regional au...

Nigeria's fine of $5.2 billion against MTN, Africa's largest telecommunications company, is billions more than any company has been hit with anywhere in the world and may scare off investors, analysts say. MTN was fined for having 5.2 million active but unregistered SIM cards. The cards are a matter of national security as they can be used by extremists. Still, the sheer size of the penalty shocked the telecoms industry. "It is totally out of proportion," said expert John Strand, an analyst with Denmark-based Strand Consult. "I have never seen any operator receiving a fine of more $100 million and I've been in this business for 20 years.". Until now, the United States tended to levy the highest fines on telecom companies. AT&T is suing the Federal Communications Commission o...

The chief executive officer of Adidas says a new president of FIFA is not enough and that the world body of football should introduce limits on the term and age of its future leaders. Herbert Hainer says "it would be no help whatsoever if one person is gone. You have to change the federation fundamentally." Hainer spoke in an interview with the Wirtschaftswoche weekly released Friday. Adidas is a long-time major FIFA sponsor. The German sports apparel company extended the contract last year until 2030. FIFA has been rocked by a corruption scandal. It has suspended president Sepp Blatter and a new president will be elected in February. Hainer said FIFA should be run like a business firm, with a paid chief executive officer and a supervisory board above him.

Hang on to your hats. Range Rover has ripped the roof off its best-selling Evoque to produce the world's first compact 4x4 luxury cabriolet. The new £50,000 Chelsea tractor, pictured, is designed for fashionable, adventurous types who want wind-in-the-hair motoring, whether for an urban jungle shopping trip to Harrods and Harvey Nichols or family treks though the Cotswolds countryside.                                                                          The new model's foldable fabric roof is, says Range Rover, the longest and widest fitted to any vehicle on sale today, and boasts that it's created 'the most exclusive and capable convertible in the world; a convertible for all seasons'.  Prices start from £47,500 for the Evoque cabriolet, which rolls off the Halewood production line on Merseysi...