Social media platform Snapchat has blocked access to Al Jazeera content in Saudi Arabia.
Snapchat said it was asked by the Saudi authorities to remove the Qatari-backed broadcaster's Discover Publisher Channel because it violated local laws.
Qatar is in an ongoing dispute with Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt and the UAE.
The four countries cut ties with Qatar earlier this year, accusing the country of supporting terrorism.
Saudi Arabia has one of the world's most restrictive media environments, according to human rights groups and media freedom advocates.
But the Saudi authorities have a particular dislike for Al Jazeera. At one point they had demanded Qatar's government shut it down altogether as one of 13 conditions to remove sanctions against the country.
Those conditions were later withdrawn.
Saudi Arabia is one of the largest social media markets in the Middle East, boosted by a high rate of smart phone ownership.
That can sometimes place US-listed companies like Snapchat's parent Snap Inc in an awkward position, as local laws are far more restrictive than in many other markets.
"We make an effort to comply with local laws in the countries where we operate," a Snapchat spokesperson said in a statement.
Rising singer, Oluwatosin Ajibade, aka Mr Eazi, has been in the eye of the storm lately over some statements he has been making.
During a recent radio interview, the singer had claimed that the practice of infusing Ghanaian sounds and slangs into Nigerian music was started by him. And that, other artistes in the country are now copying his ‘formula’ in order to have hit songs like him.
Immediately the video recording of the interview surfaced on the Internet, Nigerians lambasted him for making false claims.
The dust had yet to settle down on that incident before the controversial singer also claimed that he rejected an oil and gas job that would have fetched him $6,000 per month in order to pursue his music career. Meanwhile, some Nigerians shared pictures of Mr Eazi’s LinkedIn page, which showed that the singer only worked as an intern at Schlumberger for six months in 2010.
However, in a chat with Sunday Scoop, the singer stood by his words.
“The interview that caused this uproar was just me speaking my mind and saying things the way I see it from my perspective. It wasn’t meant to be an insult to any Nigerian artiste. You cannot deny that I brought a new vibe to the industry and I believe everybody can see that. Now, there are lots of Nigerian artistes who use Ghanaian words and melodies in their songs, but they’ve never been to Ghana. So how did they get to know about those words? There are a lot more songs out now that have that Ghanaian influence, and with all due respect, I can boldly say that started after my songs started gaining popularity.”
Asked to mention one artiste that has ‘copied’ his style, the dreadlocks-wearing singer said:
“I don’t have to mention anybody’s name. I am sure that those who are discerning know what I’m talking about.”
Speaking on the $6,000 job he allegedly turned down for music, Mr Eazi said:
“I turned down the job; I didn’t say I had started working there. I don’t think there is anything wrong with being an intern. I don’t have anything to gain by lying about such a thing.
The truth remains that I was offered a job by Schlumberger, but I decided not to take it, but rather concentrated on my career. And that is a decision I’ve never regretted till date.”
One of Africa's most prestigious universities is investigating how 300 students managed to get their degree results changed.
Uganda's Makerere University discovered that the students' marks had been tampered with in 2015.
It is thought that some people responsible for managing the results system were behind the changes, Vice-Chancellor Barnabas Nawangwe said.
They are being investigated and the students' degrees have been withheld.
The BBC's Patience Atuhaire in the capital, Kampala, says that the university-wide investigation will compare questionable degrees with students' result papers and exam results submitted by lecturers and colleges to their deans, going back to 2011. It will also look at the academic registrar's records.
Two years ago, 600 students from the College of Humanities and Social Sciences were removed from the graduation list, after a whistle-blower pointed out that their marks were lower than the pass mark for their courses.
The university, in Kampala, is one of the most well known on the continent and has 40,000 students, many from outside the country.
Among its graduates are a number of current and former heads of state including Tanzania's first president, Julius Nyerere, and Kenyan author Ngugi wa Thiong'o.
But Professor Nawangwe told the BBC's Focus on Africa programme that the attempted cheating would not damage the university's integrity as "we were able to arrest the situation before anyone was able to get our academic papers".
He said that the staff suspected of being involved have been suspended and security measures are now in place to "make it extremely difficult for anyone to do that kind of thing again".
Olori Wuraola former wife of the Ooni of Ife, can now remarry if she wishes as the customary bride price paid by the Ooni has been returned fully to him by the elders of her family in Benin City, Nigeria.
According to BossNewspapers, a source in Benin said the Ooni was initially reluctant to collect the bride price, but was persuaded by the Elders as a way of closing the controversial marriage and separation.
“She’s free now, she’s free…,” the Ooni was quoted to have exclaimed afterwards.
The Elders had sued for amicable settlement instead of a rough separation. Both families appeared relieved about this final foreclosure of the marriage that lasted less than two years.
It will be recalled that earlier in August, news went viral about the break of the marriage between the revered kingdoms of Ife and Benin, where the paramount ruler of Ife Kingdom, and first among the list of Yoruba Obas, Oba Enitan Adeyeye Ogunwusi took Queen Zynab to wife.
The marriage which was contracted in March 2016 in elaborate ceremonies held in Benin and Ife hit the rocks over alleged infidelity.
According to a Yoruba source, it was imperative that the bride price be returned even as it is just a token, adding that it holds significant value and meaningful according to tradition.
“When a bride price is returned, the man no longer have ties or right over the woman in question, and they can only see themselves afterwards as friends if they so desire,” the Yoruba source said.
From left: Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi (Ojaja II) and the Aseyin of Iseyin, Oba Abdul Ganiyu Salaudeen Ajao Ajinase 1 during the unveiling of Aso Ofi in his palace at Oduduwa House, Ile-Ife
The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi (Ojaja II), on Saturday in his palace declared that the progenitor of Yoruba race, Oodua, was the first person who developed the concept of cloth weaving in the whole world.
He maintained that the Yoruba race had been setting the pace in virtually all spheres, being the descendants of Oodua from Ile-Ife, which is the origin of all human migration to the entire surface of the earth.
Receiving the Aseyin of Iseyin Ile-Ife, Oba Abdul Ganiyu Salaudeen Ajao Ajinase I as part of the preparations for the annual “Aso Ofi” festival, scheduled to hold in Iseyin this week’s Saturday, Oba Ogunwusi emphasised that “Yorubas are blessed. Our race is the pacesetter in all spheres.”
According to him, “Yoruba is the first race to wear cloth in the whole world. The progenitor of Yoruba race weaved cloths several centuries back. He received the inspiration and concept for weaving through spider and its craft of cobweb, which was the origin of weaving cloth in the global community.”
Oba Ogunwusi further stated that “through archaeological exploration, we recently exhumed a local weaving tools and machines used by our forefathers in Ile-Ife for weaving cloths, most especially Aso Oke. The tools are over 4,000 years old. We were able to get the age of the local machines through scientific dating.”
While assuring that he would collaborate with Aseyin of Iseyin and groups of Aso Oke cloth weavers from Iseyin and Kwara on the forthcoming Aso Oke festival, the monarch recalled that the founder of Iseyin, identified as Olufi migrated from Ile-Ife to Iseyin where he started cloth weaving business.
Oba Ogunwusi said many descendants of Yoruba extraction moved from Ile-Ife to Sudan, Ethiopia, Egypt, India, Brazil, Trinidad and Tobago, Cuba and other parts of the world, where they excelled in making difference in their resident countries.
Earlier, the Aseyin of Iseyin, Oba Abdul Ganiyu Salahudeen Ajao Ajinase I described Ooni as rare symbol of humility, who have displayed high degree of intelligence and maturity since he ascended throne about two years ago.
He corroborated Ooni’s historical account of Iseyin saying Olufi and his brother, Ebedi who migrated from their ancestral home in Ile-Ife began the trade of Aso Oke cloth weaving in the community, stressing that “both of them are now mountains that we worship in Iseyin.
Oba Ajao said he had the delegation of high chiefs and Aso Oke weavers from Iseyin to officially invite Ooni for the annual Aso Oke festival.
There are fresh concerns over the health of Daddy Yo singer, Wizkid as the artiste has again cancelled his ongoing music tour over what he described as ‘failing health’.
The Star Boy crooner broke the sad news on his twitter acount during the week pleading with his fans in the US and other parts of Europe to pray for him while he recovers fully.
There had been concerns over Wizkid’s failing health in the last one year as some of those closed to the artiste were said to have forced him to take a break from music towards the end of last year with the hope that he would fully recover and continue his tour but that is not to be.
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The African Bad Gyal singer took to Twitter to apologise to fans, explaining that he needed to “get my health up” and that he would spend time with his children and family while he “recovers”.
“Sad I’m typing this but I’ll be moving dates on my tour to get my health up. I appeal to my real fans to understand nd pray with me,” he wrote.
“I’ll be spending time with my son’s and family while I recover”, he stated.
Wizkid said the rescheduled dates for cancelled shows will be announced to his fans and that his next performance will be in London on September 29.
He was said to have been battling with undislcosed ailment as his doctors warned him to stay off music and shows to save his life.
While many people have been asking questions about the nature of the ailment, his team, led by his manager, Sunday Are, has come out to calm nerves, saying “Wizkid is fine. He has been working round the clock without observing proper rest.”
Information pieced together by R on Friday revealed that the singer is currently in Nigeria to consult some doctors and would leave the country in the next few weeks if there is no improvement.
Breaking: President Buhari travels again, heads to the US to meet Trump on September:
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There are strong indications that President Buhari is leaving Nigeria for the US on Monday, September 4, 2017 for a trip to Washington.
According to Sahara Reporters, The trip from Nigeria to the US is reportedly at the invitation of President Donald Trump. A Nigerian presidency source says that Mr Trump extended the invitation last February, shortly after his inauguration.
The media house also reports that Buhari is scheduled to leave his hometown, Daura, by helicopter at 9:15 am on Monday, September 4, for Katsina airport. From the airport, he will fly out at 10 am aboard a presidential jet to Washington, DC.
It was also said that the earlier plan was for Buhari to combine the official visit to the US with his participation at the UN General Assembly in New York from September 21 to 25, 2017.
