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Georgina Rodríguez, wife of Portuguese football superstar Cristiano Ronaldo, has explained why the couple chose an intimate wedding in the living room of their home in Cascais, Portugal, instead of the lavish ceremony many had expected. Ronaldo and Rodríguez got married on 11 August 2026, marking roughly a decade since they first met at a Gucci store in Madrid, where Rodríguez was working as a sales assistant. The couple kept the ceremony private before confirming their marriage on social media. Ronaldo shared a photograph of their wedding rings bearing the initials “C  G”, while details of the ceremony were later revealed in an interview…

EU sends assistance to Belgium and Spain as they battle wildfiresThe European Commission has deployed assistance to Belgium and Spain as part of the bloc’s civil protection mechanism.Two Swedish planes from the EU’s firefighting fleet were dispatched to Belgium, alongside two helicopters each from the Netherlands, Norway and Germany, the executive arm of the bloc said.Over in Spain, 104 ground firefighters and 36 vehicles from France joined local efforts to fight various blazes.The EU is also continuing to support emergency efforts with satellite mapping through its Copernicus service.ShareKey eventsMeanwhile in the UK, the housing secretary Angela Rayner has visited the…

Sunday Aborisade in Abuja  The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has hailed the re-election of Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, describing it as a victory for democracy and the triumph of the people’s will, but faulted the governor’s reported pledge to support President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election. The NDC National Publicity Secretary, Osa Director, said the outcome of Saturday’s governorship election demonstrated that voters could resist what he described as “tyranny”, “civilian dictatorship” and attempts to suppress their democratic choices through the electoral process. Director, in his reaction to the election, commended the people of Osun State for…

Petroleum economist Prof. Wumi Iledare has urged the Federal Government to prioritise profitability, accountability and economic efficiency in rehabilitating Nigeria’s state-owned refineries. Iledare said President Bola Tinubu’s assurance that the refineries would resume sustainable operations was laudable, but achieving it required strong economic discipline. The Professor Emeritus of Petroleum Economics and Policy Research at Louisiana State University spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Lagos. NAN reports that Tinubu, on Aug. 13, assured Nigerians that the country’s refineries would be revived under a comprehensive government reset. The President said the Federal Government was undertaking restructuring and…

Wispr, a startup known for its AI dictation tool, raised $280 million in Series B funding, led by Menlo Ventures, at a $2 billion valuation, the company announced on Monday. The funds will allow Wispr to increase its footprint as it ventures into new areas, such as meetings, with its newly released note-taker tool. With this latest round, the company has raised $361 million to date. Its last round was less than 10 months ago. The new capital comes at a time when there is increased competition in the dictation space from apps like Willow, Monolouge, Aqua, and Superwhisper, among…

Kemi Olaitan in Ibadan A Nigerian medical expert based in South Africa, Dr. Ademola Tosin Ojo, has enjoined Nigerians to pay close attention to their health and adopt preventive measures to reduce the risk of stroke. He gave the advice during a radio/television programme where he discussed stroke, its warning signs, possible causes, prevention, and appropriate first-aid measures. The cardiovascular doctor urged members of the public to take early warning signs seriously, stating that prompt recognition of stroke symptoms and immediate medical attention could significantly improve the chances of survival and recovery.  According to him, lifestyle choices, diet, and certain underlying…

Blessing Agbebaku, the speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, has resigned amid moves by some lawmakers to impeach him. Mr Agbebaku resigned on Monday. His spokeswoman, Ivy Adodo-Ebojele, announced the resignation in a Facebook post. “Edo Assembly Speaker Rt. Hon. Chief Blessing Agbebaku resigns. “Details later,” she wrote on the social media site. PREMIUM TIMES has not independently verified the circumstances surrounding the resignation. Mr Agbebaku’s resignation comes amid an emerging leadership crisis in the assembly, with some lawmakers reportedly pushing for his removal, Punch Newspaper reported. This is a developing story and will be updated. Discover more…

Manchester City’s Norwegian striker #09 Erling Haaland (L), Manchester City’s English midfielder #47 Phil Foden (C) and Manchester City’s English midfielder #05 Elliot Anderson (R) look on from their seats after being substituted during the English FA Community Shield football match between Arsenal and Manchester City at The Principality Stadium, in Cardiff, south Wales on August 16, 2026. (Photo by Glyn KIRK / AFP) Enzo Maresca urged Man City to learn from their chastening Community Shield defeat against Arsenal after the Italian made a dismal start to the daunting task of replacing Pep Guardiola. For the first time in a…

Hayden Panettiere, the Golden Globe-nominated actress best known for her roles in hit television shows Heroes and Nashville, has died, according to ABC News. She was 36. “It is with profound sadness that we share the tragic passing of our beloved Hayden. She was an incredible light and a force of nature who brought immeasurable love and joy to all who knew her — and to the millions who watched her onscreen,” said her father, Skip Panettiere, in a statement to Rolling Stone provided by the actress’ representative. “We ask for privacy as our family takes time to process this unimaginable loss.” Details surrounding…

On August 14, Jason Arday, the youngest Black scholar to be appointed professor at Cambridge University, was found unresponsive in his home in London. Just three weeks earlier, he had resigned from his job after a vicious weeks-long campaign against him over allegations of plagiarism.The British media, the meme economy online and various commentators dissected every aspect of the professional and personal life of this 41-year-old Black man: from his manner of speaking to his scholarship. They gleefully claimed to expose his supposed “lies” and plagiarism, pillorying him mercilessly. Members of the media establishment defended what they claimed was their…