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by Maane Khatchatourian Michael Bay is calling your bluff. According to the director, even his biggest critics will end up watching “Transformers: Age of Extinction,” the latest installment in his ever-growing franchise. “They love to hate and I don’t care; let them hate,” he told MTV’s Josh Horowitz. “They’re still going to see the movie! I think it’s good to get a little tension. Very good.” So far, “Age of Extinction” is the worst reviewed movie of the series with an 18% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The first “Transformers” movie has the highest with 57%. However, “Age of Extinction” has an A- Cinema Score. Bay said it’s important for everyone to voice their opinions, as negative as they may be, as it only advances the conversation and drives him to create better films. “I used to get bothered by it, but I think it’s good to get the dialogue going,” he said. “It makes me think, and it keeps me on my toes, so it’s good.” “Age of Extinction” is evidently review-proof as i...

•Massive movements of arms in creeks Militants are regrouping in the creeks of the Niger Delta, especially in the mangrove forest of Bayelsa State, it was learnt yesterday. There are supremacy battles and scrambling for operational territories among leaders of the emerging militant groups. It was gathered that the scrambling triggered a bloody clash between two groups operating at the Gbarain area of Southern Ijaw Local Government Area. A security source said members of the groups engaged  in a fierce battle that lasted for many hours. Assorted weapons, including AK47 rifles, were reportedly used in the ‘warfare’, which unsettled communities around the area. Gunshots were said to have created panic among residents, who fled the area temporarily. After the battle, three militants were reportedly killed by the rival camp. “The leader of one of the camps is very notorious. He is known in the creeks but we are keeping his name under wraps. It was a fierce battle caused by shari...

Nigerian youths have been urged not to be discouraged by the state  of the nation’s insecurity and restiveness. The Ekiti State Deputy Governor, Prof. Modupe Adelabu, who made the appeal at the weekend, added that rather, the “youths should look into the future with hope that all will be well.” Mrs. Adelabu, who spoke as special guest of honour at the graduation of Grange School, Ikeja, Lagos, urged them “to take the bull by the horns by being change agents who will arrest the drift and reshape the country.” According to her, the youths have what it take to secure a promising and brighter tomorrow for themselves as long as they refrain from folding their arms, but rising up against injustice as future leaders. She also reminded parents to pay due attention to the upbringing of their wards, stressing that a child’s development can only be total if the home and the school play complementing roles. Besides, the deputy governor urged parents to prepare their children for future l...

There may be mass arrest of protesting lawyers in Ondo State with effect from today, as their boycott of all courts under the state’s juridiction enters the fourth week. Lawyers from all branches of Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) in Ondo are demanding the withdrawal of tax clearance as a compulsory condition for bail. Judicial proceedings in the state’s courts have remained on standstill, as the lawyers have also directed litigants to stay away from courts. It was learnt that the intervention of eminent lawyers and judges to resolve the matter had failed due to the insistence of the Chief Judge (CJ), Justice Olaseinde Kumuyi, on implementing his circular The CJ reportedly informed some lawyers he met on the premises of the High Court, Akure last week that as from today, any protesting lawyer found in the court would be arrested. Already, armed soldiers in two vans were noticed at the gate of the High Court, Akure on Friday around 3p.m. But their mission could not be ascertained. ...

The United States said on Friday it had decreased its surveillance flights in the search for the about 219 schoolgirls abducted by Boko Haram, but added that the overall effort was unchanged due to more flights by other countries. It stated that it had no idea of the location of the girls, noting however that there is no letup in the efforts to locate and rescue them. “We don’t have any better idea today than we did before about where these girls are, but there’s been no letup of the effort itself,” Pentagon spokesman Rear Admiral John Kirby told reporters, according to Reuters. Kirby said the same level of effort was being sustained now through international involvement. A US defence official speaking on condition of anonymity said American flights had been reduced only after a body of intelligence had been gathered and that the cuts had been offset by the British and the French support. Kirby denied a suggestion that US flights over Nigeria had been reduced to accommodate i...

Facebook is facing criticism after it emerged it had conducted a psychology experiment on nearly 700,000 users. The test saw Facebook “manipulate” news feeds to control which emotional expressions the users were exposed to. The research was done in collaboration with two US universities to gauge if “exposure to emotions led people to change their own posting behaviours”. Facebook has defended the study and said there was “no unnecessary collection of people’s data”. “None of the data used was associated with a specific person’s Facebook account,” the social networking giant added. Cornell University and the University of California at San Francisco were involved in the study. But some have criticised the way the research was conducted and raised concerns over the impact such studies could have. “Let’s call the Facebook experiment what it is: a symptom of a much wider failure to think about ethics, power and consent on platforms,” Kate Crawford posted on Twitter. Lauren ...

At least 17 people are now known to have died when a building collapsed in southern Indian city of Chennai. Some 22 survivors have so far been pulled from the rubble, and 40 others are feared trapped in the debris. More than 70 workers were in the 11-storey building under construction when it toppled in heavy rain late on Saturday. India has seen frequent building collapses, many blamed on lax safety and substandard materials. At least six people, including construction company officials, have been arrested in connection with the collapse in the capital of the southern state of Tamil Nadu. “It appears they have not adhered to approved plans. The building appears to have serious structural defects,” Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa said. Hundreds of rescue workers, including personnel from India’s National Disaster Response Force, are working with cutters, shovels and other equipment to search for survivors. “Clearing the debris is a huge challenge. This would take...

The Pakistani army has launched a ground offensive against Taliban militants in North Waziristan. A statement said operations had begun around Miranshah, the main town in the tribal region bordering Afghanistan. The offensive follows several weeks of air strikes in which the army says more than 370 militants have been killed. North Waziristan has long been a sanctuary for militants. Correspondents say many are thought to have left the area before the offensive began. The assault marks a new phase in operations against the Pakistani Taliban and other militants in the area. Troops were conducting a door-to-door search in Miranshah, the army statement said. The town has been one of the main TTP bases during recent years when the militants have killed thousands of people in a bombing campaign across Pakistan. The Punch

Bulgaria’s president has said he will dissolve parliament and appoint an interim government, amid concerns over the country’s banking system. Rosen Plevneliev’s comments came after crisis talks with leaders of the main political parties. Earlier, five people were arrested on suspicion of plotting to destabilise Bulgaria’s banks. They are suspected of spreading false information, prompting runs on two of the country’s biggest banks. On Sunday, President Plevneliev confirmed that the current parliament would be dissolved on August 6, paving the way for early elections on October 5. He also said he would name a caretaker cabinet in August. The country’s Socialist-led minority government of Prime Minister Plamen Oresharski has been in power for barely a year, and the main parties had already agreed to hold early elections. And referring to the concerns about the banking sector, President Plevneliev said: “The money of the citizens and the firms invested in the banking institu...

A small bomb exploded in the vicinity of the main presidential palace in the Egyptian capital on Monday, killing a police colonel and wounding three street cleaners, police officials told Agence France-Presse. The blast came days after a militant Islamist group warned it had planted bombs near the Ittihadiya palace in east Cairo, and claimed it did not set them off to avoid civilian casualties. The attack occured on the day Egypt is preparing for celebrations to mark the anniversary of June 30 protests last year which lead to the ouster of Islamist President Mohammad Mursi. There is expected to be a high turnout in Cairo’s Tahrir Square, where protests were staged last year demanding the “withdrawal of confidence” from then President Mursi. Last year, a campaign saw mass protests calling for Mursi to step down exactly 12 months after he was inaugurated. The campaign, named Tamarod (Arabic for “rebellion”), accused Mursi of “threatening his own people” and rejected Muslim Brothe...

Four people were killed and another 19 were injured in a wave of gun violence that has spilled into all five of New York City’s boroughs since Friday. Brooklyn saw the most violence of all the boroughs, with 11 people hurt in seven separate shootings, police say. Five people each were shot in Manhattan and the Bronx. There was also one shooting each in Queens and Staten Island. Four people were killed in the shootings. On Saturday in Queens, a man was fatally shot in the head. Then on Sunday, one man in Brooklyn andanother in the Bronx died in separate shootings. A 55-year-old man also died after being shot in the neck in the Bronx early Monday, police say. Many of the injuries came in shootings that included multiple victims. In one, in Harlem, four people were shot, including a 16-year-old boy. Children were victims in other shootings, as well. In one non-fatal shooting in Brooklyn, a 10-year-old boy was wounded. In another bout of gunfire in the Bronx Sunday night, a 12-ye...

In a few months, celebrated talkshow hostess and founder of Ebony Life TV, Mosunmola Abudu, would clock 50. It is a milestone. And for this beautiful success story, there would be no inhibitions about the celebrations that would follow. We gathered that friends of Mo’, as she is widely known, are about setting up a committee for the grand event. In less than a decade of her foray into the media, Mo has really done well for herself, rising from a tentative, scarcely trained talk-show hostess to a prima donna TV gal interviewing national and global leaders on her widely syndicated Moments With Mo. Also a successful businesswoman with different thriving companies under her belt, Mo’s magnum opus remains her daring foray into satellite television ownership with Ebony Life TV, which went live in 2013 on Digital Satellite Television, DSTV. With a mission to create ‘Original, Premium and Inspiring content with an African Soul that showcases the best of Africa for a Global Black audience, A...

Mustapha Chike Obi By Steve Omanufeme Contrary to popular concerns that Nigeria's financial services industry is experiencing another round of loan growth, which may lead to increased non-performing loans, the Managing Director of the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) has said that loan growth in Nigeria is still very slow. "People always talk about loan growth. I think loan growth in Nigeria is muted. I think loan growth should be higher than it is now. It is muted because of the CBN tight monetary policy on lending typified by the hike in cash reserve requirement for deposit money banks (CRR) for both public sector funds and private funds. That has dampen loan growth," he said. In an exclusive interview with THISDAY, he said the issue of loan growth is always misconstrued as a direct cause of defaults. "The issue about loan growth is that it does not necessarily lead to defaults. The CBN has a sensible loan policy which requires any bank w...

 Apapa bomb blast By Chiemelie Ezeobi   While the outcome of the investigation of last Wednesday's twin blasts in Apapa is being awaited, security sources involved in the investigation have said the casualty figure from the blasts could have been higher but for the ongoing World Cup tournament, which has kept many people off the streets during rush hours. However, there is still no official confirmation on whether the twin explosions at Creek Road, Apapa, Lagos, were planted bombs, an explosion caused by a petrol-laden tanker or gas explosion. Confirming the suspicion that the twin blasts which claimed four lives were actually bomb attacks and not a gas explosion as touted, a security source said the police alongside the operatives of the State Security Services (SSS) attached to the Apapa area were still investigating the blasts. He said: “Immediately the incident happened, the SSS personnelattached to Tincan and Apapa ports were withdrawn and sent to investigate. ...

CBN Head Office, Abuja •  Scores killed, five churches burnt in Boko Haram siege near Chibok  • US cuts back surveillance flights looking for abducted girls Our Correspondents Other than its desire to stop the depletion of the country’s foreign reserves and curb the laundering of looted funds from the treasury, THISDAY has learnt that another reason the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has reviewed the licensing guidelines for Bureau de Change (BDC) operators in the country stemmed from the fact that some of the BDCs are used as conduits to finance terrorism. CBN sources informed THISDAY yesterday that prior to the increase of the capital requirement for BDCs to N35 million last week Tuesday, the central bank had undertaken an audit of BDC operations and discovered that several BDCs used multiple addresses and some of their owners owned multiple BDCs, which are all licensed with the CBN. It was also learnt that some of the BDCs are used to procure foreign exchange from...

(AFP) – Underdogs Algeria have the chance to settle a 32-year-old World Cup score and create a major upset by knocking out Germany in Monday’s last 16 clash. The sides meet at Porto Alegre’s Beira-Rio Stadium, but the 1982 World Cup in Spain remains a sore point in Algeria, three decades after ‘the shame of Gijon’. Despite beating West Germany 2-1 in their group games, Algeria were eliminated after the Germans played out a mutually beneficial 1-0 win over Austria in Gijon. Coach Joachim Loew has played down any talk of Algerian revenge being a factor as the Germans chase a first win against the north Africans at the third attempt. “Most of the players weren’t even born then and something which took place over 30 years ago is not really a relevant subject,” said Loew on Sunday. But his opposite number Vahid Halilhodzic said the team have “not forgotten” and spoken at length about the 1982 factor since reaching the knock-out stages. “No one has forgotten what happened in 1982, the...

(AFP) – Didier Deschamps has warned France‘s players they cannot think about anything but Monday’s last-16 encounter with Nigeria if they are to make a lasting impression on the World Cup. France thrilled in their first two group games, beating Honduras 3-0 and crushing Switzerland 5-2, and although a much-changed side then drew 0-0 with Ecuador, they find themselves being discussed as potential champions. However, Deschamps has told his squad not to start looking beyond Monday’s tie at Brasilia’s Mane Garrincha National Stadium and he batted away questions about France‘s chances of winning the tournament in his pre-game press conference. “My only concern is Nigeria in the last 16 and to make sure with my staff that we prepare the players for battle tomorrow (Monday),” he said. “There’s no point looking beyond that. Our rendezvous is tomorrow at one o’clock (1600 GMT). “It’s not like the group phase, where you can make amends. The verdict falls at the end of the match. It’s a cup...

(AFP) – European powerhouses Germany and France block the way for Nigeria and Algeria to make some World Cup history on Monday. Africa has never had two teams in the last 16 and if both can pull off upset wins, they will meet in the quarter finals and an African nation will be guaranteed a first ever place in the semi-finals. French coach Didier Deschamps and Germany’s Joachim Loew know however that if they win, their sides will clash in the quarter finals. France take on Nigeria in Brasilia at 1600 GMT while Germany play Algeria, with the North Africans also playing for revenge, in Porto Alegre at 2000 GMT. Deschamps insists that he is concentrating on getting Karim Benzema, and the rest of the potent force that scored eight goals in Group E, ready to face the African champions. Several players were rested for the Ecuador group game, when France were held to a 0-0 draw. So Mathieu Valbuena should return and Laurent Koscielny could line up in central defence alongside Raphael Va...

BRASÍLIA (AFP) – For France to overcome Nigeria in Monday’s World Cup last-16 fixture in Brasilia, they must outwit a man who is something of an authority on thwarting French strikers. Nigeria goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama kept 21 clean sheets for Lille in France’s Ligue 1 last season and now has his sights set on denying Didier Deschamps’s side a place in the quarter-finals. Towards the end of last year, Enyeama went 1,062 minutes without conceding a goal in the French top flight — just 114 minutes short of former Bordeaux goalkeeper Gaetan Huard’s all-time record. It moved Marseille defender Rod Fanni to label him “a phenomenon” and saw him rewarded with a new two-year contract by Lille, who finished third in the table with the league’s second-best defensive record. From Zlatan Ibrahimovic to Radamel Falcao, Ligue 1′s top marksmen learnt to rue the 31-year-old’s dazzling agility and supersonic reflexes, and France’s players know they will have their work cut out at the Mane Gar...

BY CHRIS OCHAYI ABUKA: A group known as the Concerned Citizens of Kano, CCK,has called on the Federal Government to set up a panel of inquiry into various occurrences surrounding the death of immediate past Emir of Kano, Dr. Ado Bayero. The group also demanded for probe into the violent protest that followed the appointment of the successor to the throne Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi. Chairman of the group, Alhaji Ibrahim Umar in a statement in Abuja yesterday said, “the Concerned Citizens of Kano in its recent meeting has called on the Federal Government to set up a panel that would probe into the circumstances surrounding the death of the erstwhile Emir of Kano, Alhaji Dr. Ado Bayero.” He also noted that the probe is informed by the previous attack on the emir early in January, 2013 where he was almost killed ,adding that, “several incidences had happened to put him off by some unscrupulous elements to pave way for a new dynasty.” The group said Bayero’s 51 old reign came to an e...

*As Catholic Church bans women handbags By Tony Edike ENUGU—AS part of efforts to forestall attack on the church by Boko Haram insurgents who are feared to have invaded the South Eastern states, the Catholic Diocese of Enugu, conducted thorough screening of its members before allowing them into the Sunday services. The church also banned  women from entering with hand-bags as part of the security measures. Some Pentecostal churches within Enugu have also procured bomb detecting equipment with which they screened vehicles driven by worshippers into the premises of the churches within the state capital. Some churches have constructed iron barricades to prevent insurgents from hitting the church buildings with their vehicles. The extra security measures by the churches, according to the church leaders, came on the heels of the recent discovery of two bombs in the Winners’ Chapel in Owerri, Imo State, which were diffused by  police bomb experts. The arrest of more than 400 ...

The Presidency, yesterday, said that the activities of members of Boko Haram, resulting in massive killings and wanton destruction of property in some parts of the country was about the struggle for power, just as it vowed that as a government, it was too big to be disturbed by those it described as a handful of miscreants. According to the Presidency, the mission of the Boko Haram Islamic sect in Abuja was to intimidate the Federal Government as well as cause confusion in the country. Jonathan Goodluck  Jonathan Goodluck Senior Special Assistant to President Goodluck Jonathan on Public Affairs, Dr. Doyin Okupe, who spoke, yesterday, during a condolence visit to the Abuja office of New Telegraph to commiserate with the management and staff over the death of the organisation’s Managing Editor, North, Suleiman Bisalla, stressed that though the incessant bombings worry the Federal Government, it will not rest on its oars. Bisalla died in last Wednesday’s bomb blast at Emmab P...

''BY SIMON EBEGBULEM BENIN—THE National Chairman of All Progressives Congress, APC, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, yesterday, said it would be difficult for Nigeria to survive another four years under the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, if things continued the way they were in the country, saying there were several unanswered questions in the last governorship election in Ekiti. Newly Elected National  Chairman of APC  Odigie-Oyegun at APC National Convention in Abuja. Photo by Gbemiga Olamikan.   National Chairman of APC Odigie-Oyegun at APC National Convention in Abuja. Photo by Gbemiga Olamikan. Oyegun, who spoke in Benin City, said his party decided to concede victory to the PDP in the governorship election in Ekiti State because it did not want anything that could make the people react negatively and violently. He, however, hinted that the party would challenge the trampling on the fundamental human rights of the members before, during and after the election. Urgi...