Mo Abudu invited to become Academy member, Tom Holland and Zendaya spark romance rumors, Namibian teenager out of Olympics. Stay in the know with our Rave News Digest which summarizes five of the hottest global news you need to catch up on, saving you time and energy. Consider it your daily news fix.
Here is a rundown of five of the hottest news stories…
1. Nigeria: Mo Abudu and others invited to become Academy members
On Thursday, July 1, 2021, The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences unveiled its new members’ invitation list which spots three Nigerian filmmakers; Mo Abudu, Ramsey Nouah and Andrew Dosunmu. While Mo Abudu was selected in the Producers category, Nouah and Dosunmu made the Actors and Directors categories of the Academy members’ list respectively.
In a statement accompanying the list, the Academy explained that the resized list was to prioritize support and growth for members. The list is 46 percent women, 39 percent underrepresented ethnic/racial communities, and 53 percent international from 49 countries outside of the United States.
2. Tom Holland and Zendaya spark new romance rumors
TOM HOLLAND AND ZENDAYA ARE THE BEST COUPLE BREATHE IF YOU AGREE pic.twitter.com/DqpYg0tE8d
— sof ⊗ (@scofijeld) July 2, 2021
“Spider-Man” co-stars Tom Holland and Zendaya have reportedly been spotted sharing a kiss, sparking new romance rumors between the pair. Romance rumors have been swirling the two “Spider-Man” stars ever since they took on the roles of Peter Parker and MJ in 2017’s “Spider–Man: Homecoming.”
Although they have dodged speculation for years, it seems they may be close to confirming they’re together, as they’ve been spotted locking lips in a car in new photos circulating the media. Other photos show the pair out and about together.
3. South Africa: Thuso Mbedu hangs out with Charlize Theron at ‘Fast and Furious 9’ screening
Thuso Mbedu was on the exclusive guest list for the recent screening of “Fast and Furious 9” hosted by the Charlize Theron Africa Outreach Project (CTAOP) at Universal Studios Backlot in Universal City, Los Angeles to raise funds for the organization. Charlize Theron joined the popular franchise as villain Cipher in the eighth installment in 2017 and reprised her role in the latest film.
Thuso shared photos and a video snippet on Instagram of the moment Charlize welcomed her.
4. Video of soldiers beating civilians outrages Ghanaians
Rampaging soldiers captured in a video attacking residents of Wa allegedly over a missing phone#PulseViral #Wa pic.twitter.com/A9ZWOHkTE2
— Pulse Ghana (@PulseGhana) July 1, 2021
Soldiers in Ghana on Thursday went on the rampage, beating up civilians after a mobile phone allegedly went missing in the north-western town of Wa. A video of the incident has been widely shared on social media generating a lot of outrage. The soldiers are seen in the viral video beating up residents on the streets of the town without any provocation. Some of the victims were made to lie in an open gutter and slapped repeatedly. Eyewitnesses have said that the soldiers claimed they were searching for a stolen mobile phone.
In a statement, the military High Command distanced itself from what it described as the unprofessional conduct of the soldiers and indicated that internal disciplinary measures had been initiated. The incident comes days after security personnel clashed with civilians in Ejura, southern Ghana, resulting in the deaths of two people.
5. Namibian teenager out of Olympic 400m over testosterone levels
Namibia's Christine Mboma and Beatrice Masilingi have been withdrawn from the 400m race at the Olympics by World Athletics.
— Africa Facts Zone (@AfricaFactsZone) July 2, 2021
They are said to not be eligible for female classification.
The same rules are affecting Caster Semenya, Francine Niyonsaba and Margaret Wambui. pic.twitter.com/5I4WF4ZL7Z
Namibian teenager Christine Mboma – who broke the 30-year-old world 400m Under-20s record on Wednesday – is out of the Olympics after being found to have ‘naturally-occurring‘ testosterone levels beyond those specified by World Athletics.
The time set by the 18-year-old on Wednesday in the Polish city of Bydgoszcz was the seventh-fastest 400m run by a woman of all time – and suggested she was a prime candidate for gold in the event at Tokyo.
But Namibia’s National Olympic Committee (NNOC-CGA) has now confirmed Mboma will be unable to run the distance in Tokyo because of World Athletics rules on “Athletes with Differences of Sexual Development,” or DSD, following testing conducted by the global body.
Cover photo credit: Instagram – moabudu
Our Week Day News Digest brings you a summary of five of the hottest news topics across the world––including celebrity news from Nollywood to Hollywood, the latest trending global headlines from American reports to top African news today, and the best sports stories in 2021.
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