Matthew McConaughey's Stephen King movie 'The Dark Tower' is getting shredded by critics

It took a decade for "The Dark Tower" to make it to the screen, but maybe it would have been best for everyone if it took a little longer.

The movie is based on Stephen King's book series of the same name. It's a fantasy epic where Idris Elba plays the gunslinger, a sort of magical diplomat-warrior trying to build peace in the universe, and Matthew McConaughey plays The Man in Black, who's an evil sorcerer. It's pretty wild.

A screen adaptation of the eight-book series has been planned in various incarnations. In 2007, J. J. Abrams wanted to adapt it, but backed out after three years when his option on the books ran out. Then Ron Howard picked it up, trying to make an ambitious spectacle that would include three movies and two TV series bridging them, but had trouble finding the financing.

HR McMaster: Kim Jong Un 'should not be' sleeping easily at night

National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster warned North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un should not be sleeping easily at night and said the evolving situation with the North Koreans constitutes a "grave threat" to the U.S.

McMaster made the remark in an interview Wednesday and emphasized that Kim has become increasingly isolated on the world stage.

"No, I think he should not be," McMaster said after MSNBC's Hugh Hewitt asked if Kim should be "sleeping easily at night."

"Because he has the whole world against him, right? He's isolated. He's isolated on this. Since 1953 the Korean peninsula has been in a state of armistice. The war never formally ended and there's been no aggression, no aggression from the United States, South Korea, any of our allies."

Hadiza Sule Lamido, 38, laid to rest in Jigawa State

The daughter of the immediate past governor of Jigawa State Hajiya Hadiza Sule Lamido was buried today, in Bamaina, Birnin Kudu Local Government, according to Islamic rites.

The remains of the deceased arrived Dutse International Airport late yesterday.

Hadiza died last Saturday in an Indian hospital after a protracted illness. She was aged 38. She left behind three children.

The Governor of Jigawa State, Muhammad Badaru Abubakar, who attended the funeral, expressed his grief and sadness over the loss and prayed to Allah to forgive her, grant her Jannatul-Firdaus and comfort her family at this time of grief.

Also in attendance were Governor of Gombe State Alhaji Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo, Deputy Governor of Kano State Prof. Hafizu Abubakar, Deputy Governor of Jigawa State Barr. Ibrahim Hassan Hadejia, Hon. Faruk Adamu Aliyu, former Kaduna State Governor Alhaji Mukhtar Ramadan Yero, Commissioners Special Advisers and Special Assistants and other notable personalities from different places in the country.

More phootos below...

China just opened its first overseas military base in Africa and not everyone is excited about it

China has officially opened its first overseas military base in Djibouti, in the Horn of Africa.

In a flag raising ceremony on August 1, Chinese officials unveiled the base that Beijing insist will be a logisitics facility and not a military foothold.

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“The Djibouti base has nothing to do with an arms race or military expansion, and China has no intention of turning the logistics center into a military foothold,” the state-run news agency Xinhua said.

Model, 28, who tried to steal £1,000 worth of designer goods from Harrods is let off with a slap on the wrists after a magistrate said she was a woman of 'considerable talents'

A model who tried to steal £1,000 worth of designer goods from Harrods was let off with a slap on the wrist after a magistrate said she was a woman of 'considerable talents'.

Natalia Sikorska, 28, a business management student, attempted to make off with a Markus Lupfer jacket, a pair of Claudie Pierlot shoes, a Pinko handbag and the silver knife on 5 July.

But she was stopped before she left the Knightsbridge, London, store with the haul worth £959.59. 

After she admitted theft Westminster Magistrate Grant McCrostie gave the Polish model and actress a conditional discharge for 12 months. 

He said: 'You are a newcomer to this county, you are a student with a place at university.

'You are obviously a woman of considerable talents, you are obviously intelligent.

'Taking goods from any store, including Harrods is wrong.

'Your future has been put at risk by these actions.

'Because of the fact that you pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity and you do have a potentially bright future, we will deal with this more leniently than we should have.

'It will be a conditional discharge for a period of 12 months.'

Mr McCrostie said if Sikorska, who is currently studying business management and economics at the University of Westminster, stays out of trouble for that period she will not face any further punishment.

'You have been given another opportunity do not abuse the opportunity we have given you, stay out of trouble,' he said.

Trump, frustrated by Afghan war, suggests firing U.S. commander: officials

By Steve Holland and John Walcott

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump's doubts about the war in Afghanistan has led to a delay in completing a new U.S. strategy in South Asia, skepticism that included a suggestion that the U.S. military commander in the region be fired, U.S. officials said on Wednesday.

During a July 19 meeting in the White House Situation Room, Trump demanded that his top national security aides provide more information on what one official called "the end-state" in a country that the United States has spent 16 years fighting against the Taliban with no end in sight.

The meeting grew stormy when Trump said Defense Secretary James Mattis and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Joseph Dunford, a Marine general, should consider firing Army General John Nicholson, commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan, for not winning the war.

"We aren't winning," he told them, according to the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

In addition, once the meeting concluded, Trump's chief strategist, Steve Bannon, got into what one official called "a shouting match" with White House national security adviser H.R. McMaster over the direction of U.S. policy.

Some officials left the meeting “stunned” by the president’s vehement complaints that the military was allowing the United States to lose the war

NEW MUSIC: Masterkraft X Wizkid – Odoo

Super music producerMasterkraft teams up with Starboy and rave of the moment – Wizkid, to bring us another fiery collaboration titled “Odoo“.

Still on the #PonPon trend, the tune is smooth as smooth can be. Add to your playlist asap.

Enjoy!

DOWNLOAD CLICK HERE

Typhoon injures more than 80 people in Taiwan as another storm approaches

Taiwan's first typhoon of the year left 81 people injured and coastal towns flooded as the island braces for a second tropical storm.
Much of Taiwan came to a standstill after Typhoon Nesat made landfall in eastern Yilan county, whipping up massive waves of over 50-feet and dumping rain of up to 23 inches in the southern region of Pingtung.
As Nesat moved away from Taiwan, tropical storm Haitang churned towards the south of the island.

India's coast guard has made a record-breaking 1.5 tonne heroin bust worth $500 million

Ahmedabad (India) (AFP) - India's coast guard announced Sunday it had seized 1.5 tonnes of heroin worth almost $550 million from a merchant ship in what maritime authorities are calling their largest-ever drug bust.

The ship was intercepted Saturday off the western state of Gujarat, the coast guard said in a statement.

"This is the largest single haul of narcotics seized till date," it said, adding the drugs were worth an estimated $545 million.

An undisclosed number of suspects were detained for questioning by coast guard officials, police and intelligence agencies.

Anyone caught smuggling or possessing narcotics is remanded in custody without bail under Indian law.

Daughter Of Former Jigawa State Governor, Hadiza Lamido Dies At 38

Hajia Hadiza Sule Lamido, the second daughter of immediate past Governor of Jigawa State, Dr. Sule Lamido, has died. She died in an Indian hospital on Saturday morning, July 29th, after a brief illness.

Born in 1979, late Hadiza is survived by husband and three children. A family source said the funeral arrangements will be announced as soon as her remains arrives Nigeria. May her soul rest in peace, amen.

War Against Drugs: Police Gun Down Philippine Mayor, His Wife And 12 Others In Drug Raid

Authorities in Philippine have fatally shot a city mayor, who was among politicians linked to illegal drugs, and 13 others in a gunbattle that erupted Sunday morning when they reportedly resisted arrest, officials said.

Chief Supt. Timoteo Pacleb, the Northern Mindanao police chief, said elements of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) were serving six search warrants against properties of the Mayor Reynaldo Parojinog Sr, his daughter, who is the vice mayor, and four other officials of Ozamiz city for drugs and firearms when they were met with violent resistance at about 2:30 a.m in San Roque Lawis in Ozamiz City.

Okra can lead to infertility in men – Research

Okra, though very nutritious, can lead to infertility in men of reproductive age, Dr Ochuko Erikainure, a Senior Research Officer at the Federal Institute of Industrial Research (FIIRO), Oshodi, Lagos, has warned.
Erukainure, also a nutritionist and biochemist, gave the warning on Saturday in an interview in Lagos.
According to him, too much consumption of okra, especially its seeds can lead to infertility in men of reproductive age. An online publication, www.medicalhealthguide.com says Okra, known in many English-speaking countries as lady’s fingers, is a flowering plant in the mallow family. “Okra is an annual herb that is widely cultivated for its edible green seed pods in tropical, subtropical and warm temperate climates. “Okra is a hardy plant that can grow even with less water and in hot conditions.’’ Erukainure said that okra has a unique substance called “GOSSYPOL”. “Gossypol inhibits sperm production and motility by blocking several enzymes that are highly important in energy metabolism in sperm and sperm producing cells.

Trump to sign bill imposing fresh sanctions on Russia

US President Donald Trump will sign into law a bill imposing new sanctions on Russia, the White House says.

Both houses of Congress backed the bill, which also includes measures against Iran and North Korea, but it was thought Mr Trump might veto it.

Russia has already retaliated by ordering cuts to US diplomatic staff and barring the use of some properties.

The sanctions are over Russia's 2014 annexation of Crimea and alleged interference in the US election.

Iran and North Korea are being penalised over their ballistic missile tests.

White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Mr Trump would sign the bill, but only after having negotiated "critical elements" of it. She did not specify what those elements were.

"He has now reviewed the final version and, based on its responsiveness to his negotiations, approves the bill and intends to sign it," she said.

Chinese woman undergoes plastic surgery to evade £2.8 million debt

A 59-year old woman from the central Chinese city of Wuhan transformed her appearance through plastic surgery in order to avoid 25 million yuan (£2.8 million) of personal debts, state news agency Xinhua said.

In a case highlighting the challenges facing China as it tries to establish a "credit society", police officers were reported to be "astonished" after apprehending the woman, who fled to the southeastern Chinese city of Shenzhen after a court in Wuhan ordered her to pay off her debt.

China and Russia have 'responsibility' for North Korea nuclear threat, says US

The United States has accused China and Russia of bearing “unique and special responsibility” for North Korea’s “belligerent” pursuit of nuclear weapons, after Pyongyang tested its latest ballistic missile.

North Korea conducted its second intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) test late on Friday in what it called a warning to the “beast-like US imperialists”. It came less than a month after its first such experiment, on 4 July.

“If the Yankees brandish the nuclear stick on this land again despite our repeated warnings, we will clearly teach them manners,” KCNA warned.The test-launch sent “a grave warning to the US” that it “would not go scot-free if it dares provoke” the North, Pyongyang’s official news agency, KCNA, said in a statement.