Sports, politics and the unending tussle between life and death took over Google Trends this week. The passing of veteran actress, Bukky Ajayi, sent Nollywood and movie lovers into mourning while the ongoing drama surrounding the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board forcefully thrust the regulatory body into the limelight.
The goings-on in Europe also caught the attention of gist-hungry Nigeria. Theresa May’s post-Brexit incumbency in England; the feats of Serena Williams and Andy Murray at Wimbledon and Portugal’s first Euro Championship win all got the country hot under the collar.

To Be or Not to Be?

Is University admission now based on a points system or is it not? That’s the question admission seekers want answered, after a points system posted on JAMB’s website was circulated recently in the media. Well, JAMB says the point system was misrepresented.
According to the regulator, the illustrations are contained in a paper presented by the registrar were wrongly depicted by the media as the 2016 guideline for admission. 2016 admissions, according to JAMB, will be conducted purely on the three existing admission pillars of merit, catchment area and educationally less developed states.

Mama Rests
Veteran actress and presenter, Zainab Bukky Ajayi, passed away on July 6 after a distinguished career which began with Village Headmaster in the 70s. The 82 year old thespian had been in poor health for a couple of years, having reportedly had a stroke a few years ago. She also had to battle cerebral malaria, diabetes and hypertension. She was honoured with the 2016 AMVCA Industry Merit Award in March for her contributions to Nigeria’s entertainment industry.

Another Thatcher
The victory of former Home Secretary, Theresa May in the race to replace David Cameron as UK’s Prime Minister is an example of what can happen to you when you put your foot in it while attacking an opponent. Andrea Leadsom’s poorly chosen remark that she’s more qualified to lead the UK because she has children and Mrs May doesn’t, led to a barrage of complaints and resulted in Mrs. Leadsom’s withdrawal from the election.
May has been the UK’s Home Secretary since 2010 and the Member of Parliament (MP) for Maidenhead since 1997. She’s the longest-serving Home Secretary since James Chuter Ede.

Dallas Shootings

On July 7, 2016, an Army Reserve Afghan War Veteran, Micah Xavier Johnson, ambushed and shot a group of people in Dallas, Texas, killing five police officers and injuring nine others. Two civilians were also hurt. Johnson was reportedly angry over police shootings of black men.
Following the shooting, Johnson fled inside a building on the campus of El Centro College. Police followed him there, and a standoff ensued. In the early hours of July 8, police killed Johnson with a bomb attached to a remote control bomb disposal robot.
The shooting was the deadliest incident for U.S. law enforcement since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.

Alton Sterling and Philando Castile

Alton Sterling, a 37-year-old black man, was shot several times on July 5 after being tackled to the ground by two white Baton Rouge Police Department officers in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Police were responding to a report that a man dressed in red and selling CDs used a gun to threaten someone outside a convenience store.
One day after, 32 year old Philando Castile was fatally shot by a St. Anthony, Minnesota police officer, while complying with a request for his driver’s license and registration. Castile was driving a car with his girlfriend, Diamond Reynolds, and her four-year-old daughter. Their deaths have been cited as a contributing factor in the Dallas Shootings that occurred days later.

Golden Duo

Women’s Tennis number 1, Serena Williams has finally won her 22nd Grand Slam title, trouncing Angelique Kerber in the finals at Wimbledon on Saturday, 7-5, 6-3. Williams gets her seventh singles title on the grass courts of The Championships, and she has finally tied Steffi Graf for the most major titles in the Open Era.
Making the most of the semi-final exit of Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic’s shock third round defeat, Men’s number 2 seed Andy Murray, also served and spun his way to victory at Wimbledon, defeating Milos Raonic in straight sets 6-4, 7-6, 7-6 to claim his second Wimbledon title. Congratulations, you two.

Now you see me…

Oh boy e!!!
Seems this guy somehow took lessons from Houdini (Don’t ask Google that one). There are reports that Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, a modern day Pablo Escobar and head of the Sinaloa Cartel has escaped from a maximum security prison in Mexico. If the rumours are confirmed, this would be his third prison break. Mexican authorities however posted an image from a security camera on Twitter to show the public that Guzman was still at a prison in the northern state of Chihuahua.