#Tokyo2020 #Olympics: Nigerian sprinter Blessing Okagbare banned after failing drugs test

One of Dina Asher-Smith’s prime rivals in the 100m, Blessing Okagbare, has been booted out of the Olympics after failing a drugs test.

The Nigerian, who was due to line up against Asher-Smith in the semi-finals on Saturday, tested positive for human growth hormone on July 19. Okagabare learnt the news a day after winning her heat in 11.05sec on Friday. This development serves as a further hit to the Nigerian athletics delegation after 10 of their track and field team were ruled as ineligible for the Tokyo Games three days ago for failing to meet minimum testing requirements. 

In a statement, the AIU said: 

'The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) has provisionally suspended Blessing Okagbare of Nigeria today with immediate effect after a sample collected from the sprinter tested positive for human Growth Hormone. 

'Growth Hormone is a non-specified substance on the 2021 World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Prohibited List and a provisional suspension is mandatory following an adverse analytical finding for such substance under the World Athletics Anti-Doping Rules. The AIU collected the sample from Ms. Okagbare during an out-of-competition test on 19 July. 

'The WADA-accredited laboratory that analysed the sample notified the AIU of the adverse analytical finding at mid-day Central European Time yesterday, Friday 30 July. The athlete was notified of the adverse analytical finding and of her provisional suspension this morning in Tokyo. She was scheduled to participate in the semi-finals of the women’s 100m this evening. 

'The AIU will make no further comment on this matter at this time.' 

Okagbare, who had expected to provide stiff competition to Asher-Smith in both the semi-final and finals, is the first doping case of the Tokyo Games track and field competition. 

Human growth hormone is on the list of banned substances.

Tips: 7 signs your work team is toxic

You may be in a toxic team – here are the warning signs:

1) Bullying and bad behaviour are ignored, excused or even encouraged.

2) People regularly cry at work or shout at each other.

3) Team banter makes other colleagues feel uncomfortable, embarrassed or left out.

4) People make excuses for each other like 'don't mind her, she's always like that', or 'ignore him, he doesn't mean it'.

5 People are indiscrete, unprofessional or spread gossip.

6) People are overworked, underpaid or unfairly treated, for example being expected to answer emails at all hours.

7) There's a culture of fear – no one wants to say anything because they worry about being targeted.

We all have a responsibility to each other to improve the way we all behave at work. 

Anyone in a team, whether the team leader or a team member can intervene to fix a toxic team: 

1. Ask for things to improve 

2. Focus on behaviour not people: 

3. Speak up early if it happens again 

4. Name and explain unacceptable behaviour 

5. Seek support

What you can do if your WhatsApp account in the UAE is hacked

If you are concerned that your WhatsApp account has been hacked, the UAE’s Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA) has provided the following steps that you can follow to deactivate your account, reinstall the app and protect your contacts’ privacy: 

1. Send an email to the technical support of Whatsapp – support@whatsapp.com 

2. Mention the following text: “Lost/stolen: Please deactivate my account” 

3. Provide your phone number in the following format: +9715xxxxxxxx 

4. Attempt to remove and reinstall Whatsapp at different times of the day. 

Retry reinstalling Whatsapp every day. 

5. Inform relatives and friends about the hacking and urge them not to respond to any messages coming from your number on Whataspp. 

Two-step verification TDRA has also advised people in the past to use two-factor authentication for social media accounts to protect them from hackers. 

Whatsapp also offers a two-step verification process as an optional feature which adds more security to your WhatsApp account. You’ll see the two-step verification screen after you successfully register your phone number on WhatsApp. When you enable two-step verification, you have the option to enter your email address. This allows WhatsApp to email you a reset link in case you ever forget your PIN and also helps safeguard your account. 

How to enable two-step verification on Whatsapp 

1. Open WhatsApp Settings. 

2. Tap Account > Two-step verification > Enable. 

3. Enter a six-digit PIN of your choice and confirm it. 

4. Provide an email address you can access or tap Skip if you don’t want to add an email address. We recommend adding an email address as this allows you to reset two-step verification, and helps safeguard your account. 

5. Tap Next. 

6. Confirm the email address and tap Save or Done. 

If you don’t add an email address and you forget your PIN, you’ll have to wait for seven days before you can reset your PIN.

Simon Cowell's X Factor axed after 17 years

‘The X-Factor’ has been canceled after 17 years on the air.

According to New York Post: 

The U.K. channel, ITV, confirmed the news and said “there are no current plans for the next series of ‘The X Factor’ at this stage.” 

The show was created by Cowell, 61, and first aired in 2004. Through the years, 445 episodes have aired. The last season hit the airwaves in 2018. The series has launched the careers of several successful British musicians and boybands that you’ve heard of such as One Direction, Leona Lewis and Little Mix. 

During each episode, singers perform their musical acts on stage as a panel of judges critiques their abilities. 

Cowell is at the helm of the judges’ table alongside Sharon Osbourne, Louis Walsh and Nicole Scherzinger. 

In February 2020, the network announced that “The X-Factor” would be going on hiatus, but would return in 2021. 

Several months later, Kevin Lygo, Director of Television at ITV, revealed at the virtual Edinburgh TV Festival that there was no guarantee that the show would ever return. 

“It’s not definitely returning, it might return, and if it does the format will tweak,” he said. “Simon controls it more than we do. 

When does he want it to come back, how does he want to come back? 

Hopefully, we can be part of it.” The former “American Idol” judge came up with the idea for “The X-Factor” as a replacement for “Pop Idol,” the British parent show of the FOX musical competition series. 

“Pop Idol” originally ran from 2001 to 2003 and spawned several international versions. 

Cowell’s next TV show will be “Walk the Line,” a musical quiz show for ITV. 

While the series has yet to set a premiere date, the six-part show will debut before the end of 2021. Each episode will feature several musical acts that will be competing for a cash prize. 

The two acts left standing will need to decide to cash out of the game or move to the next step of the competition. 

The prize will get bigger and bigger the longer a contestant stays.

How Police Chief Abba Kyari flew to Dubai to spend good time with Hushpuppi: FBI

Nigerian police commissioner Abba Kyari left his official activities in Nigeria and flew to Dubai to enjoy a stupendous lifestyle with notorious Internet fraudster Ramon ‘Hushpuppi’ Abbas, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

The September 2019 trip was only an episode of a mutually-beneficial cozy affair of Messrs Kyari and Abbas’ that was uncovered by American authorities as part of their ongoing prosecution of Mr Abbas for multimillion-dollar Internet fraud. Mr Abbas pleaded guilty this week after his legal representatives successfully negotiated a plea deal with prosecutors in Central California, court documents said. He faces up to 20 years in jail at sentencing in the coming weeks. 

He will also forfeit some of his plunder from years of online fraud and pay restitution to some of his victims, court filings said.

Culled From People's Gazette.

#Hushpuppi narrates how he paid bribes to Police Chief, Abba Kyari in $1.1million deal

Nigeria’s infamous suspected fraudster, Ramon Olorunwa Abbas, alias Hushpuppi, who recently pleaded guilty in the United States, has narrated how he bribed Nigeria’s celebrated Deputy Commissioner of Police, Abba Kyari, according to court documents.

According to the US Department of Justice, a criminal complaint initiated the prosecution of Hushpuppi in February as court documents ordered unsealed showed that Abbas, a 37-year-old Nigerian national, pleaded guilty on April 20. 

A version of Abbas’ plea agreement filed late Tuesday outlines his role in the school-finance scheme, as well as several other cyber and business email compromise schemes that cumulatively caused more than $24million in losses. 

Officials said in court filings that Abbas disclosed during interrogation that he paid bribes to Nigeria’s police chief, Kyari, to have one of his rivals arrested and jailed in Nigeria following a dispute over a $1.1million dupe of a Qatari businessperson. 

Abbas had asked Kyari to arrest and jail a fellow fraudster Kelly Chibuzor Vincent after both were locked in a dispute presumably over how to share the $1.1million loot received from the Qatari businessperson. 

Vincent subsequently contacted the victim and informed them that they were being scammed by a syndicate involving him and Abbas. This elicited anger from Abbas, who contacted Kyari to arrest and jail his rival over the dispute. Abbas said Kyari sent pictures of Vincent in jail and subsequently sent his bank account number to Abbas to which a wire transfer should be made having done a good job as sent by Abbas. 

“Court documents outline a dispute among members of the conspiracy, which allegedly prompted Vincent to contact the victim and claim that Abbas and Juma were engaged in fraud. After this contact, Abbas allegedly arranged to have Vincent jailed in Nigeria by Abba Alhaji Kyari, 46, of Nigeria. “According to the affidavit, Kyari is a highly decorated deputy commissioner of the Nigeria Police Force who is alleged to have arranged for Vincent to be arrested and jailed at Abbas’ behest, and then sent Abbas photographs of Vincent after his arrest. Kyari also allegedly sent Abbas bank account details for an account into which Abbas could deposit payment for Vincent’s arrest and imprisonment,” U.S. Justice department said in a statement. 

After the $1.1 million fraud was successful, Abbas spent $230,000 on a watch and also bribed officials at St. Kitts and Nevis for his citizenship of that island country “Approximately $230,000 of the stolen funds allegedly were used to purchase a Richard Mille RM11-03 watch, which was hand delivered to Abbas in Dubai and subsequently appeared in Hushpuppi’s social media posts. “Other illicit proceeds from the scheme were allegedly converted into cashier’s checks, including $50,000 in checks that were used by Abbas and a co-conspirator to fraudulently acquire a St. Christopher and Nevis citizenship, as well as a passport for Abbas obtained by creating a false marriage certificate and then bribing a government official in St. Kitts,” officials said. 

Abbas pleaded guilty to multi-million fraud earlier this month and faces up to 20 years in jail. 

He will be sentenced in the coming weeks and will forfeit some of his assets and his rights to appeal while also paying restitution to victims of his years-long fraud.

Culled From Sahara Reporters.

Photos: Kanye West stays in a cell-like room to complete his album, Donda

Sometimes, isolation is necessary in order to be able to focus!

Kanye West has shared a glimpse of his Spartan living quarters in Atlanta's Mercedes-Benz Stadium, revealing that the billionaire is living in an austere, windowless room as he completes his album. 

The eccentric rapper has refused to leave the stadium, home to the Atlanta Falcons, until he completes his Donda album, a version of which was revealed at an album drop party there last week. 

West on Tuesday posted a photo on Instagram, uncaptioned, which presumably shows the room where he is living in the stadium. A twin mattress sits on the floor alongside a pair of barbells and an open suitcase, while a few items of clothing hang in a wardrobe. 

West, whose net worth is estimated at $1.8 billion, owns a staggering real estate portfolio, including a $2.2 million bachelor pad in Los Angeles and $14 million Wyoming ranch where he has been spending time recently. 

Twitter is closing its 2 largest offices, New York & San Francisco offices due to COVID-19

Twitter on Wednesday announced that it was closing its New York City and San Francisco offices and pausing all other office re-openings, in response to the latest CDC warnings about COVID-19.

The Silicon Valley firm had already, in May 2020, become the first major tech company to allow staffers to work from home permanently, even after coronavirus lockdowns end. 

On Wednesday it said it was closing its two largest offices. 

'After careful consideration of the CDC's updated guidelines, and in light of current conditions, Twitter has made the decision to close our opened offices in New York and San Francisco as well as pause future office reopenings, effective immediately,' the company said. 

'We continue to monitor local conditions and make necessary changes that prioritize the health and safety of our Tweeps.' The decision was made just two weeks after reopening the offices in both cities. 

Earlier on Wednesday Google and Facebook announced they were making COVID vaccinations compulsory for when staff return in the fall.

Unvaccinated people could be banned from concerts, plays, art events & festivals

No jab, no entry! 

Finito!! 

Unvaccinated Australians could be banned from attending arts events including plays, concerts, and music festivals to stop super-spreading. 

Prominent arts and music figures are pushing for a 'no jab, no entry' policy in an effort save one of the industries hardest hit by the pandemic. 

Vaccine passports could be trialled and immediately introduced as soon as enough of the population has the jab to make it viable. The Australian music industry suffered a $700 million loss last year, shrinking by 39 per cent, according to PricewaterhouseCoopers. 

With vaccinations being offered to more Australians, some residents may be denied access to certain venues and services if they are unvaccinated.

What is 'Shaken Infant Syndrome'?

What is 'Shaken Infant Syndrome'?

Remember, crying doesn't hurt a baby, SHAKING does!

It is a form of child abuse that causes critical brain damage, resulting from as little as five seconds of shaking.

It often occurs out of frustration or anger, usually because the child won’t stop crying.

Because infants have soft brains and weak neck muscles, shaking a baby or toddler can cause their brain to repeatedly hit the inside of the skull.

This can trigger bruising in the brain, bleeding in the brain, and brain swelling. 

Other injuries may include broken bones as well as damage to the baby’s eyes, spine, and neck.

While shaken infant syndrome is more common in children under age 2 - with cases occurring among infants 6 to 8 weeks old - it can affect children up to age 5.

Symptoms of shaken baby syndrome include:

- difficulty staying awake

- body tremors

- paralysis

- trouble breathing

- discolored skin

- vomiting

-  seizures

-  coma

A doctor will diagnose by searching for the three conditions that often indicate shaken baby syndrome. 

Those include, encephalopathy, or brain swelling; subdural hemorrhage, or bleeding in the brain; and retinal hemorrhage, or bleeding in a part of the eye called the retina.

The doctor will then order a variety of tests to check for signs of brain damage, such as a CT scan or skeletal X-Ray.  

Cristiano Ronaldo's sister, Katia Aveiro rushed to hospital for pneumonia from Covid-19

Cristiano Ronaldo's sister has been hospitalised with pneumonia due to complications in her fight against Covid.

Katia Aveiro, 43, revealed she was in hospital in her native island of Madeira in an Instagram post. She is being treated at Dr Nelio Mendonca Hospital, the same place Cristiano's doting mother was taken for emergency surgery following her stroke last year. 

Cristiano Ronaldo had a brush with Covid in October last year, testing positive for the virus twice, though he was asymptomatic. 

Now singer-turned-influencer Katia, who is now based most of the time in Brazil, said alongside a photo of her in bed attached to a drip: 

'This is the last type of publication I would like to write. 'I tried not to do it in recent days, but as news travels fast, and out of respect for those who follow me and care for me and my loved ones, I will share with you the truth. 'I was caught by this damn virus. I tested positive on July 17 and have been self-isolating at home since. 'I was doing well with few symptoms and following protocol. 'Everyone at home kept away from mum and the videos I have published where I am outside were taken before I tested positive. 'Unfortunately last Friday I started to get worse.' Admitting she had caught pneumonia as a result of the virus, she added: 'I was admitted to hospital and here I am, doing everything I should and recovering thanks God and thanks to the wonderful medical team here.'

Photos: No be juju be dis? *Is this not sorcery?

Russian influencer Valeria Voronina took to TikTok to share her extreme makeover video last month, which has since amassed more than 31.2million views.

Valeria goes from a big-nosed, blotchy, yellow-teethed woman to a glamorous Instagram model during the clip. 

However, while some were impressed with the cosmetic transformation, others insisted it wasn't the same person, or that Valeria had edited her 'before' face to look more drastic than it actually was.

Beautiful lady! 

Click HERE to watch the video.

OUT NOW! Expo 2020 Dubai Events & Entertainment Calendar

Are we ready for the world's BIGGEST event of the decade?

You have your tickets. 

You’ve chosen which pavilions you’re going to visit first. 

Maybe you’ve even chosen a curated itinerary. 

But are you really ready for Expo 2020 Dubai? 

As if we needed another excuse to be hyped about the world’s greatest show coming to the UAE, a detailed calendar has come out with loads of events, activities, and showcases that we couldn’t be more excited for. 

Here are some of the highlights you can expect to see at Expo 2020 Dubai. 

Regular and daily events At Al Wasl Plaza there will be music in the garden at 3pm every day, with international participants performing live music across all genres; you can expect to hear world fusion, choirs, and orchestras in traditional and contemporary music styles from around the world. 

Late Nights at Expo will happen at 10.30pm daily on the Jubilee Stage, connecting artists and genres from around the world in musical performances that we can’t wait to see. 

There will be a parade at Ghaf avenue every day starting at 12.45pm, with a vibrant colourful moving celebration, and roving entertainment that will perform different acts across the pavilions. 

Monthly events in 2021 October has a line-up of loads of cultural performances and events, including Step Afrika, a dance company that is dedicated to the African-American tradition of stepping. 

This world-famous dance company will be performing from October 3 to October 9 from 6.30pm to 8.30pm. 

You can also expect to find Balkan folk music, Senegalese dance, Malaysian dance, music, and food, and more. 

On October 31 there will also be a Halloween hero event, so you can be sure to get your spook on. November will be themed around urban and rural development as well as tolerance and inclusivity, with forum talks on topics such as women’s empowerment, infrastructure development, and smart cities. 

We’re especially excited for the “La Caramba” Spanish musical performance, body-transformation exercise classes, Nigerian music, and Moroccan dance performances. 

The outdoor kite flying event seems like the perfect activity for families, and is happening on multiple days from 4.30pm to 7.30pm. 

We’re looking forward to the many different national day celebrations (especially the UAE National Day in December) and the loads of other cultural events, activities, forums, talks, and global innovation coming up – and that’s just the first three months. 

Bring on Friday October 1. 

Did you know there will be K-pop idols at the expo with weekly performances lined up? 

Read all about it here. 

Dhs95 (one day), Dhs195 (30 days), Dhs495 (6 months). 

Expo 2020, Dubai Exhibition Centre expo2020dubai.com.

Nigeria & 15 other countries with flight ban to & from the UAE are exempted if participating in #Expo2020Dubai

Exhibitors and personnel sponsored by the world fair given the green light to travel.

Passengers from 16 countries where flights in and out of the UAE are suspended will be exempt from current travel restrictions if they are participating in Expo 2020 Dubai, officials said.

A new circular issued by the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) said Expo 2020 international participants and exhibitors, as well as personnel sponsored by the world fair’s organiser, can enter the UAE. 

The flight suspension for some of the 16 countries has been in place since April to limit the spread of Covid-19. The GCAA said the UAE government is monitoring the situation closely. 

Several categories of travellers were previously exempt from the travel suspension, including diplomatic personnel, UAE citizens and their first degree relatives, official delegations (subject to obtaining approval) and UAE residents with a gold or silver residency permit. Crews of cargo flights and transit flights of foreign companies are also permitted to travel to the UAE provided they have a negative PCR test before travel and perform a PCR test upon arrival. 

On arrival in the UAE, they must quarantine in a hotel during the transit period and wear a monitoring and tracking device. 

Last week, the UAE extended a flight ban on passengers from four major south Asian nations because of the highly infectious Covid-19 Delta variant. 

Emirates airline said restrictions on travellers from India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh were extended from July 21 to July 25 because of the Covid-19 situation. 

Etihad Airways previously extended the ban until July 21.

#Olympics: 7 new Covid-19 infections reported at #Tokyo2020

Tokyo Olympics organisers on Tuesday reported seven new Games-related Covid-19 cases, including two athletes.

The latest daily cases have brought the total number since July 1 to 155. 

Tokyo recorded 2848 new Covid-19 infections on Tuesday, July 27 making it the highest-ever tally in the Japanese capital since the pandemic began, officials said. 

The record tally comes at a time when the Tokyo Olympics are being held under a Covid-19 state of emergency in Tokyo. 

The record jump in daily cases of coronavirus infections in the fifth wave of the pandemic fuelled by Delta variant is putting pressure on Tokyo's hospital, according to Reuters.

Photo: Dubai jails this African woman for carrying cocaine in 'empty bag'

The Dubai Criminal Court sentenced a woman of African origin to a 10-year jail term followed by deportation to her home country after she was found guilty of smuggling banned narcotic substances in an 'empty bag' at the Dubai International Airport (DXB), Emarat Al Youm reported.

A Dubai Customs inspector told the Public Prosecutors that the defendant denied carrying any contraband in the ‘empty bag’. Initially, the Customs authorities opened a bag and found another ‘empty bag’ inside, and both of them were put through the X-ray scanner. 

However, an abnormal density was observed in the ‘empty bag,’ which resembled those used by school pupils. 

The scanning revealed that the ‘empty bag’ contained a white powder like substance, which forensic investigation proved to be cocaine, and was neatly stuffed in packets, containing 800 grams (g) each. 

The defendant confessed to the authorities that she was paid $500 (Dh1,836.50) for acting as a courier. However, she maintained that she was not aware that she was made to carry banned narcotic substances in the ‘empty bag’. 

The court convicted her to a 10-year prison term because she failed to prove her innocence.

Photos: Kim Kardashian-lookalike caught with suitcases full of £2m in cash on way to Dubai & jailed

Just WOW!

A 'party-loving' Kim Kardashian-lookalike has been jailed for nearly three years over more than £5million worth of money-laundering offences after she was stopped at Heathrow Airport with five suitcases full of nearly £2million in cash on her way to Dubai. 

Recruitment consultant Tara Hanlon, 30, who worked for a recruitment firm in Leeds and underwent cosmetic surgery to try and look like her idol Kim Kardashian, was held as she tried to board a flight to the United Arab Emirates city last October with more than £1.9million in cash. 

The find, vacuum packed in five suitcases and covered in ground coffee to hide the smell from sniffer dogs, was described at the time as the largest individual cash seizure at the border that year. 

Party girl Hanlon, from Leeds, Yorkshire, pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to remove criminal property from England and Wales between July 13 and October 4 last year, which has been left to lie on file. But she admitted three counts of removing criminal property, relating to cash amounts of £1.4million on July 14, £1.1million on August 10 and £1million on August 31 last year. 

The defendant also pleaded guilty to attempting to remove £1.9million in criminal cash from the country on the day she was arrested.

She doesn't look like Kim K, does she?