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Here is a rundown of five of the hottest news topics…
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1. Reps invite Buhari over insecurity
A motion to invite President Muhammadu Buhari was unanimously adopted by the members of the House of Representatives on Thursday. The Speaker of the House of Representatives,Yakubu Dogara, said it was necessary to invite the President for an address giving the problems of rampant banditry and kidnap rocking the country.
This followed a motion on the urgent “need for Federal Government’s intervention on the ongoing wanton killing of innocent persons, destruction of property, armed robbery and kidnappings by heavily armed bandits operating within Safana/Batsari/Dansamu federal constituency.”
The motion was moved at plenary by Ahmed Dayyabu-Safana (APC-Katsina), who said some villages within his constituency had been persistently attacked by armed bandits, killing several people. He urged the president to promptly declare a state of emergency in the constituency as an immediate step in curtailing the activities of the bandits.
The House also urged the Federal Government to deploy military assistance to the affected areas in order to assist the police and other security agencies in the fight against the criminal elements.
2. Major Cyclone to hit India
Tropical Cyclone Fani, what is expected to be India’s strongest tropical cyclone to make landfall in 20 years, is heading toward the country’s east coast and is expected to make landfall on Friday afternoon. Perhaps more disturbing is that an estimated 100 million people are set to be affected, prompting officials to begin emergency evacuations.
Cyclone Fani with maximum sustained winds of 250km/hr and gusts of up to 305km/hr, is equivalent in intensity to a Category 4 hurricane in the Atlantic, or a super typhoon in the Pacific. It is 2m/hr shy of a Category 5 hurricane, the highest on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. At this rate, Fani would be the strongest storm to hit the region since a similar one struck in 1999, resulting in at least 10,000 deaths.
Some precautions have been taken with schools closed, flights cancelled and evacuations ongoing in the region. Shelters have also been set up to house evacuated persons. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is seeking re-election, has pledged every possible support.
“The Central Government is ready to provide all possible assistance that would be required. Prayers for the safety and well-being of our citizens,” he said in a post via Twitter.
3. Tiwa Savage signs with Universal
Universal Music group (UMG), one of the world’s leading music companies, has signed an exclusive recording agreement with multiple award-winning Nigerian singer, Tiwa Savage.
Tiwa Savage will make music with UMG and have access to their infrastructure and distribution tools. Her music will henceforth be released to a wider audience through UMG’s operations in 60 countries around the globe.
On signing the contract, the singer announced that she has left Mavin Records, her record label for the past seven years. The label’s founder, Don Jazzy, took to Instagram to congratulate her and appreciate her impact and contributions to the label. She also responded with a heart-warming post showing gratitude to the label which has helped shape her into the artist she has become.
Tiwa becomes the first Nigerian female act to be signed by UMG, the group that boasts of deals with Taylor Swift, Rihanna, Lady Gaga and a host of other superstars. Tiwa will be desperate to make her mark for not only is she one of Africa’s leading music talents, but she also remains the only woman to have won the MTV Europe Music Awards in the Best African Actcategory.
4. Sophie Turner weds Joe Jonas
Musician, Joe Jonas, and “Game of Thrones” actress, Sophie Turner have gotten married in a secret ceremony in Las Vegas. News of the wedding came out when US DJ Diplo posted a series of videos on Instagram.
The couple who announced their engagement in 2017, got married immediately following the 2019 Billboard Music Awards on Wednesday night. According to CNN, Turner’s publicist Gertie Lowe confirmed that the pair were married.
One of the videos uploaded by Diplo showed Sophie Turner in a white bridal outfit walking past with Jonas. He also tagged the pair in another video showing Turner in a veil holding a bouquet of flowers, with the caption “true love.”
Sophie Turner, 23, is best known for her role as “Sansa Stark” in the HBO TV series “Game of Thrones” while Joe Jonas, 29, is a member of the pop band The Jonas Brothers.
5. Facebook bans “dangerous” high-profile users
Social media giant, Facebook, announced that they have removed a string of high-profile people from the platform, saying their accounts violated its policies. The accounts which were said to be “dangerous” have been banned indefinitely from the platform.
A Facebook spokesperson said there were several factors used to determine an individual to be “dangerous.” Some of these include whether the person or organisation has ever called for violence against individuals based on race, ethnicity, or national origin; whether the person has been identified with a hateful ideology; whether they use hate speech or slurs in their about section on their social media profiles or whether they have had pages or groups removed from Facebook for violating hate speech rules.
Among those banned are Alex Jones and his controversial site Infowars, Milo Yiannopoulos, Paul Joseph Watson, Laura Loomer, as well as Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan and Paul Nehlen. These figures are now banned from creating accounts on both Facebook and Instagram.
The announcement comes at a time when Facebook has been criticised for having not done enough to curb the spread of misinformation and hateful content on the site. The move was probably carried out for some much needed positive publicity.
Muslihat Shaka reporting
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