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Talented India opener Prithvi Shaw admitted the news about his suspension from all forms of cricket for a period of eight months after failing a dope test has shaken him. A BCCI release said Shaw had “inadvertently ingested a prohibited substance, which can be commonly found in cough syrups”. Shaw’s suspension is retrospective in nature, starting from March 16 and ending on November 15. “I have come to know today that I will not be able to play cricket till mid November 2019. This is in light of a prohibited substance present in the cough syrup which I inadvertently took when I had severe cough & cold while playing for my Mumbai team during Syed Mushtaq Ali tournament in Indore in Feb 2019. I was coming back off a foot injury which I suffered during the India tour of Australia & I was returning to active cricket in that tournament,” Shaw wrote in his statement which he published on Twitter immediately after news about his suspension broke. Shaw had … [Read more...] about This news has really shaken me: Prithvi Shaw releases statement after receiving 8-month suspension

Abuja – The Ag. Inspector-General of Police, Muhammed Adamu, on Sunday in Abuja, advised members of the public to ignore fake social media reports on Federal Government’s decision to suspend mining activities in Zamfara. The government also ordered all foreigners engaged in mining activities to leave the area within 48 hours as part of measures to check banditry in the state. Adamu, however, noted that the order issued by the government may attract various fake social media reports, and advised that such reports should be ignored in the interest of peace and stability in the country. “May I appeal for the cooperation of the local communities especially the traditional and religious leaders within the communities to cooperate with the security agencies. “Meanwhile, we note the use of social media to spread fake news, falsehood and deliberate misinformation. We therefore urge our citizens to exercise restraint in circulating unconfirmed information capable … [Read more...] about IGP warns against fake news as FG takes over mining fields

Lagos – CrossCheck Nigeria, a collaborative platform for media organisations to combat fake news and misinformation, especially on social media, has been launched. No fewer than 15 news outlets from the print, electronic and online media are participating in the project inaugurated in Lagos on Wednesday. The participating media will be fighting fake news through a website (www.crosschecknigeria.com), which was activated at the occasion. These are NAN, The Guardian, Punch, Daily Trust, The Sun, Tribune, Thisday and The Nation. Others are Channels Television, Freedom Radio, Premium Times, The Cable, Sahara Reporters, International Centre for Investigative Reporting (ICIR) and Agence France-Presse (AFP). CrossCheck Nigeria is aimed at checking the threat of misinformation and fake news before, during and after the 2019 general elections. It was initiated by First Draft, a United Kingdom based organisation battling misinformation globally, and would be coordinated by the ICIR. … [Read more...] about Media organisations launch online platform against fake news

ITV newsreader Charlene White has welcomed a daughter. The 39-year-old announced the happy news onto Instagram on Monday and shared that she selected the name Florence for her little one. Gushing over her new addition - who she gave birth to a month ago - the journalist wrote: "A month ago this beauty finally made an appearance... welcome to the world Florence. "Go make your mark, be bold, be fabulous, fly in your own lane, and know I’ll always have your back." Illustrating the special announcement was a sweet photo of the little tot dressed in a yellow onesie and wrapped up in a pink blanket. Charlene shares Florence with her partner Andy and the couple also have a son named Alfie who was born in August 2017. The ITN favourite revealed she was expecting for the second time in May with a sweet social media post that saw her displaying her blossoming baby bump to her first-born Alfie. She shared: "Yes Alfie, that *is* another baby in your mum’s tummy! Do you have a … [Read more...] about ITV news anchor Charlene White announces birth of baby daughter

German judges and state prosecutors need to crack down on fake news disseminated through social media platforms immediately, Germany’s justice minister has said. Heiko Maas, a Social Democrat in the conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) coalition of the chancellor, Angela Merkel, has repeatedly warned US technology companies such as Facebook to respect laws against defamation in Germany that are more rigid than in the US. He told the Bild am Sonntag newspaper that the principle of free speech did not protect against slander. “Defamation and malicious gossip are not covered under freedom of speech,” Maas said, just days after other top government officials called for legislation to tackle hate speech and fake news on Facebook and other social media platforms. “Justice authorities must prosecute that, even on the internet,” he said, noting that offenders could face up to five years in jail. “Anyone who tries to manipulate the political … [Read more...] about German courts should tackle fake news now, says justice minister

Turkish authorities have appointed a panel of trustees to take over Cihan, the country’s second-largest news agency. The agency announced the takeover on its website on Monday, only days after the Turkish government seized control of Turkey’s largest newspaper, Zaman, and its English-language sister publication, Today’s Zaman. “The seizure of the news agency following that of Zaman is another nail in the coffin of journalism in Turkey,” said Yavuz Baydar, founding member of the Platform for Independent Journalism (P24). “[The agency] was known for independently monitoring each and every election in Turkey. The real effects of its closure cannot yet be understood, neither by the local nor by the global public.” On Friday a Turkish court ordered the seizure of Zaman by court-appointed administrators. Before forcing their way into the building, police violently cracked down on protesters who had gathered outside the newspaper offices. Turkish … [Read more...] about Seizure of news agency is ‘​​nail in coffin of journalism in Turkey’