Buhari, Osinbajo, Jonathan, Atiku, others at Yusuf Buhari’s wedding ceremony (Tribune)
President Muhammadu Buhari alongside eminent Nigerians and other dignitaries were at the solemnisation of holy matrimony of his son, Yusuf and Zahra, daughter of the Emir of Bichi held at Bichi, Kano State, on Friday.
Among those at the ceremony were Vice President Yemi Oosinbajo, former President Goodluck Jonathan, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former Niger President, Mahamadou Isoufou, former Senate President, Bukola Saraki, governors, among others. Read more
Lagos lawmakers, others move against drug abuse (Guardian)
Lagos State House of Assembly lawmakers have raised the alarm on the threat of drug abuse in the country, describing it as an impediment to the development of the nation.
They said that the prevalence of drug abuse among adults and youths, if not addressed and checked, would jeopardise the entire efforts of the Assembly in the establishment of a safe, peaceful and livable society.
This was disclosed at the seventh yearly constituency stakeholders’ meeting held simultaneously in all the 40 constituencies of the state, tagged: “Increasing wave of drug abuse: A threat to nation building.” Read more
Desmond Elliot, Mo Abudu lead dignitaries to Rachel Oniga’s burial (Nation)
Lagos lawmaker and filmmaker, Desmond Elliot and Ebonylife CEO, Mo Abudu, are some of the dignitaries expected to grace the burial ceremony of the late film star, Rachel Oniga.
The Nation was reliably informed the burial arrangements for the late veteran actress have been concluded by the family.
Reliable sources disclosed the burial will begin with a tribute night on Saturday, August 21, 2021, in Lagos.
On August 26, 2021, a service of songs has been scheduled to take place at the Catholic church of Resurrection on Abayomi Owulade Avenue inside Magodo phase 2. Read more
UI emerges champion at ICT Global Challenge (Guardian)
The University of Ibadan’s contingent at the 2020 edition of Huawei ICT Global Challenge has emerged as one of the Global Champions in the National and Cloud Categories.
The University’s Public Communications Director, Office of the Vice Chancellor, Mr Tunji Oladejo, said this in a statement in Ibadan.
He said that the Country Manager, Talent Ecosystem Development, Huawei Technologies Company Nigeria Limited, Mr Kenneth Igwe, commended the University during a courtesy call on the Acting Vice-Chancellor, University of Ibadan (UI), Prof. Adebola Ekanola
Igwe said the excellent performance of the UI students at the competition showed they were talented, skilled, creative, gifted, passionate and zealous for information and communication technology toward sustainable development. Read more
FIRS targets N5trn tax from Twitter, other digital platforms (Vanguard)
The Executive Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Mohammed Nami, has said that the impending registration of Twitter and other social media platforms in the country is expected to boost the agency’s projected revenue for 2022 by about N5 trillion.
Nami stated this when he appeared before the House of Representatives’ Committee on Finance in Abuja.
He said that FIRS has set a revenue target of N10.1 trillion for 2022, noting that the projected revenue for 2022 is about N5 trillion above that of 2021 because of the expected registration of social media platforms.
He stated: “The total collection that we are trying to generate and remit to the appropriate accounts, including the federation account in 2022, is N10.1 trillion. Read more
President Buhari re-appoints Oloyede as JAMB registrar (Guardian)
President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the re-appointment of Prof. Ishaq Oloyede as Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) for another five years.
Buhari also approved the reappointment of the Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission (NUC) Prof. Adamu Rasheed, for another five years tenure.
The approval is contained in a statement by Mr Ben Goong, Director, Press and Public Affairs, Federal Ministry of Education and made available to newsmen on Friday in Abuja.
According to the statement, the re-appointment takes effect on Aug. 1. Read more
Hoodlums enforcing shop closure loot vehicle conveying food items (Punch)
There was a pandemonium at the Oke Aro area of Akure, Ondo State, on Thursday, as some youths suspected to be thugs attacked a vehicle conveying consumables and household materials during a traditional festival.
The Deji of Akure Kingdom, Oba Aladetoyinbo Aladelusi, had earlier ordered the closure of shops and markets in order to observe the Aheregbe and Amole traditional festivals.
As the festivals were ongoing, it was gathered that the hoodlums attacked the bus, which was conveying foodstuffs and other household materials worth millions of naira, and carted them away.
The incident occurred at Bolajoko junction, in Oke-Aro, along the Idanre Road, Akure, and some of the items stolen are noodles, detergents, spaghetti and beverages among others. Read more
Twitter accedes to 7 of 10 demands – FG (Guardian)
The Federal Government says from the 10 demands put forward to lift Twitter suspension, the microblogging and social networking platform has acceded to seven.
Information and Culture Minister Lai Mohammed disclosed this in Washington DC during his on-going engagement with various global media outlets, global think tanks and influencers.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports the engagement is to enable the minister put across the correct narratives about what is happening in Nigeria, showcase government achievements and present challenges facing the country.
During his respective interaction with Reuters, Washington Post and Bloomberg Quicktake, a live streaming news service, the minister said there is an end in sight of amicable settlement of the ban. Read more
Pandemic fiction: Fall books include stories of the virus (APNews)
Near the end of 2020, the pandemic had lasted long enough for author Jodi Picoult to try something that seemed unthinkable for novelists in its early stages — turn it into fiction.
“At the beginning of the pandemic, I couldn’t even read, much less write. I didn’t have the focus,” says Picoult, who last November began the novel “Wish You Were Here.” The fall release is set in New York and the Galapagos during the first two months of the pandemic, March-May of last year.
“I couldn’t find myself in my own life; writing the book was therapeutic,” she added. “I finished a draft in February, very quickly. And the whole time it was going on, I was talking to friends of mine, telling them, ‘I don’t know if this is going to work.’ But I had very positive responses and feel that, unlike almost any other topic, I have written a book about this one experience that everyone on the planet has lived through.” Read more
China formally passes 3-child policy (BBC)
China has formally revised its laws to allow couples to have up to three children, to boost the birth rate.
The regulation was one of several passed on Friday at a meeting of the country’s top lawmakers, the National People’s Congress (NPC).
Details on a controversial anti-sanctions law for Hong Kong, which many businesses feared would put them in a difficult position, were also expected.
But Hong Kong media reported on Friday that the decision had been delayed. Read more
3 more accusers come forward against Broadway star Alice Ripley (PageSix)
A total of four people have now come forward against Alice Ripley, claiming the Broadway star “groomed” and behaved inappropriately toward them when they were minors.
Days after TikToker Brie Lynn became the first to publicly speak out against Ripley, three other people spoke to the Daily Beast to corroborate her story, claiming they, too, were manipulated as teens into forming a “cult-ish,” Ripley-centered fan base primarily consisting of queer girls.
“I felt like I was in a cult, the cult of Alice Ripley,” Liz, a New York City actress who chose to be identified by her middle name, told the outlet in a bombshell story published Thursday. “She finds people who are desperate for love, and she figures out how to fill that hole and then manipulates them with it.”
Liz recalled being stupefied after seeing Lynn’s TikTok video, saying it felt like “a slap in the face.” Read more
Taliban hunting down Afghans on blacklist — report (DW)
The Taliban have been conducting “targeted door-to-door visits” to find people on the list, according to an intelligence report. It contradicts the less extreme image that the group has been trying to portray.
The Taliban have begun rounding up Afghans on a blacklist of people with suspected links to the previous Afghan administration, according to a report by a Norwegian intelligence group.
The report comes as the Taliban attempt to present a more moderate image of the group since seizing Afghanistan’s capital on Sunday. They have pledged full amnesty for all who worked with the Western-backed, elected Afghan government.
Despite this, the US and allies have been carrying out evacuations of workers who are desperate to leave the country, fearing retribution. Read more
How AI-powered tech landed man in jail with scant evidence (NYPost)
Michael Williams’ wife pleaded with him to remember their fishing trips with the grandchildren, how he used to braid her hair, anything to jar him back to his world outside the concrete walls of Cook County Jail.
His three daily calls to her had become a lifeline, but when they dwindled to two, then one, then only a few a week, the 65-year-old Williams felt he couldn’t go on. He made plans to take his life with a stash of pills he had stockpiled in his dormitory.
Williams was jailed last August, accused of killing a young man from the neighborhood who asked him for a ride during a night of unrest over police brutality in May. But the key evidence against Williams didn’t come from an eyewitness or an informant; it came from a clip of noiseless security video showing a car driving through an intersection, and a loud bang picked up by a network of surveillance microphones. Prosecutors said technology powered by a secret algorithm that analyzed noises detected by the sensors indicated Williams shot and killed the man. Read more
Ijeoma Oluo, who authored bestselling book on race, discovers white woman created instagram page using its likeness (Flipboard)
The author of New York Times bestseller So You Want To Talk About Race, Ijeoma Oluo, has discovered an Instagram account run by a white woman echoes a very similar sentiment and title to her work.
The account, which was formerly called @soyouwanttotalkabout and ran by Jessica “Jess” Natale, displays infographics about social justice issues like immigration, the history of policing, gender equality and race. Natale introduced the account in February 2020 and after the wave of George Floyd protests in the summer of last year, the account went from 10,000 followers in June 2020 to 1 million by August.
“I am not interested in the meme-ification of anti-racist and social justice work,” Oluo said about the page in a recent series of Instagram story videos according to Business Insider. “I would never turn people of color, disabled people, queer and trans people into footnotes of building my brand.” Read more
US officials investigating Moderna vaccine for myocarditis link, newspaper says (VOA)
A story on The Washington Post’s website late Thursday said federal officials are investigating reports that the Moderna vaccine against COVID-19 may be linked to a higher risk of myocarditis or heart inflammation in young adults than previously thought.
The Post cited anonymous sources who are not authorized to speak about the investigation being conducted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The U.S. is using data from Canada, the Post said, that suggests that young people, especially males “below the age of 30 or so” who were inoculated with the Moderna vaccine face a higher risk for myocarditis than those who received the Pfizer vaccine. Read more
Solskjaer tells Pogba to back up lavish praise (Guardian)
Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer warned his side not to get carried away with a 5-1 win over Leeds United to start their Premier League season as he challenged Paul Pogba to perform consistently at his best.
The Frenchman provided four assists in the rout of Marcelo Bielsa’s men in front of a near-capacity crowd at Old Trafford for the first time in 17 months last weekend.
Pogba’s future is a source of speculation as he enters the final year of his contract at United with Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid linked with picking up the midfielder for free at the end of the season.
“That’s negotiations with Paul’s representatives and the club,” Solskjaer said on Friday, when quizzed over the possibility Pogba will extend his stay in Manchester. Read more
Arsenal sign Martin Odegaard from Real Madrid for about £30m as Aaron Ramsdale completes medical (BBC)
Arsenal have signed midfielder Martin Odegaard from Real Madrid for a fee in the region of £30m while goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale has completed a medical before a move from Sheffield United.
Norway international Odegaard, 22, spent the second half of last season on loan at the Emirates.
He made 20 appearances in all competitions and scored two goals.
England Under-21 international Ramsdale made 38 Premier League appearances for the Blades last season. Read more
James Harden likes Nets’ title chances: ‘At full strength, nobody can beat us’ (NYPost)
The early playoff exit did nothing to diminish the Nets’ confidence. They still believe they’re the best team in the NBA, even if they fell well short of expectations.
“At full strength, nobody can beat us,” star guard James Harden told Sports Illustrated. “I’m just going to leave it at that.”
The Nets, of course, were not at full strength when they lost in seven games to the eventual NBA champion Bucks in the Eastern Conference semifinals. Kyrie Irving suffered a severe right ankle injury in Game 4 of the series and didn’t return. Harden aggravated a hamstring injury in the opener, an injury that still hasn’t completely healed, and though he returned in Game 5, he clearly wasn’t himself. Read more
Fears in Afghanistan for future of women’s football (DW)
Afghanistan’s women’s team was created in 2005. Now, there are fears for its future.
With the Taliban back in power in Kabul, there is widespread concern that women in Afghanistan will once again have their freedoms severely curtailed. The women’s national football team and the local league could fold.
There will be more interest than usual in qualification Group B for the 2022 Women’s Asian Cup, which is scheduled to start on September 23.
Afghanistan have been drawn with Vietnam, Maldives and host nation Tajikistan. But whether the Afghan team will be allowed to go to Dushanbe, indeed whether it will even exist at all, will be an early indicator of the Taliban’s attitude to women as they return to power.
The world has been stunned by the Islamic group’s swift capture of Kabul two decades after a US-led invasion in 2001 ended their first five years in power. Back then, Kabul’s Ghazi Stadium became known around the world, not for football, but for the executions of those who fell foul of the Taliban’s strict laws. Read more
Ronald Koeman calls Ilaix Moriba situation ‘horrible’ as Barcelona contract standoff continues (Eurosport)
Ronald Koeman has described the contract standoff between Barcelona and Ilaix Moriba as “horrible” as the current impasse between the two parties continues.
Moriba’s representatives have been in discussions with the Camp Nou club over a contract extension for a number of weeks, but the 18-year-old’s wage demands have prevented any agreement being reached.
Now into the final year of his career at Barcelona, a number of potential suitors, including Chelsea, RB Leipzig and Real Madrid, have registered their interest in Moriba.
Ilaix Moriba’s wage demands have resulted in an impasse between Barcelona and the young midfielder with Chelsea, RB Leipzig Real Madrid reportedly monitoring. The 18-year-old made his first team breakthrough at the Camp Nou last season, making 14 La Liga appearances and one appearance in the Champions League for the Catalans. Read more
Benzema extends contract with Real Madrid (Punch)
France international, Karim Benzema, has extended his contract with Real Madrid which will see him remain at the club for the next two years.
This was disclosed in a statement issued on the club’s website on Friday.
“Real Madrid C.F. and Karim Benzema have agreed to an extension of the player’s contract and he will remain at the club for the next two seasons, until 30 June 2023,” the statement read.According to Benzema on Twitter, “The story continues for me in the biggest club in the world. Read more