Entertainment Gists
Hakeem Al-Araibi – Thailand Frees Refugee Footballer
A football player and refugee whose detention in Thailand sparked an outcry has been freed from jail after Bahrain withdrew its extradition request.
Hakeem al-Araibi, who is a Bahraini citizen, fled to Australia in 2014 and was granted political asylum.
He was detained in Bangkok in November on an Interpol notice requested by Bahrain. He had travelled to the Thai capital on honeymoon.
He was sentenced in absentia to 10 years for vandalising a police station.
Al-Araibi, 25, denies the charges. Human rights activists say he could face torture if sent back to Bahrain, where he was a vocal critic of the authorities.
His case has been taken up by high-profile footballers, with stars including Didier Drogba and Jamie Vardy calling for his release. The Australian government, football’s international governing body Fifa and the International Olympic Committee all lobbied Thailand.
Thailand’s Office of the Attorney General (OAG) asked the court to end proceedings against al-Araibi because Bahrain had said it no longer wanted him, officials told BBC Thai on Monday.
“This morning the Ministry of Foreign Affairs informed us that Bahrain was no longer interested in this request,” OAG foreign office chief Chatchom Akapin said.
Al-Araibi is expected to leave Thailand on Monday evening for Australia.
Bahrain’s foreign ministry said that despite the end of the extradition proceedings, the footballer’s conviction still stood. “The Kingdom of Bahrain reaffirms its right to pursue all necessary legal actions against Mr al-Araibi,” it added.
The Thai foreign minister was in Bahrain over the weekend for an official visit and met senior leaders.
Bahrain’s foreign ministry on Monday said that despite the end of the extradition proceedings, the footballer’s conviction still stood. “The Kingdom of Bahrain reaffirms its right to pursue all necessary legal actions against Mr al-Araibi,” it added.
Craig Foster, a former Australian national football captain and TV host who spearheaded the campaign to free al-Araibi, said there were “tears” in his household “right now”.
https://twitter.com/Craig_Foster/status/1094873843385024512
He told the BBC that it was “an extraordinary day”. “Sanity has prevailed, international law has been upheld,” he said, adding he was glad that football had “stepped forward”.
There had been criticism that football bodies, including Fifa, had not initially lobbied strongly enough on behalf of al-Araibi. Mr Foster and world players’ union FIFPro had urged Fifa to threaten sporting sanctions against Bahrain and Thailand.
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison told reporters in Canberra that he thanked Bangkok for “listening to the issues” Australia had raised.
“Now the next step is for him to return home. But as it always is in these cases, people aren’t home until they’re home,” he said.
Al-Araibi plays for Pascoe Vale FC in Melbourne.
Last month, his wife told the BBC that extradition would put him in danger.
“I’m calling on every country to help Hakeem because I know if he gets taken back, he will be tortured, and he will be killed,” she said.
But Bahrain said al-Araibi had been sentenced by an independent judiciary “on charges involving serious violence and criminality, unrelated to any possible freedom of opinion/expression issues”.
It said his safety would be “guaranteed” if he returned to Bahrain to appeal against the sentence.
Hakeem’s arrest caused an outcry in AustraliaHuman rights activists lauded Monday’s news.
“This is a huge victory for the human rights movement in Bahrain, Thailand and Australia, and even the whole world,” said Sayed Ahmed Alwadaei of the Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy, London-based campaign group.
“Hakeem’s ordeal ended after 70 days when there was a clear public stance and solidarity movement. The football community, the human rights movement and all of those who dedicated their time and efforts to end this injustice were rewarded.”
Josh2Funny’s Album Has Fans Talking — But Should He Stick To Music Or Skits? 😂🎶
Nigerian comedian and content creator Josh2Funny has taken his comedy game into music, and Nigerians are definitely having something to say about it.
The comedian released his 15-track album, “On Behalf of Josh,” on July 10, 2026, but instead of fading away after release, the project has continued to generate conversations on X.
And the big question now is:
Should Josh2Funny continue with music or go back to skits? 😂
Fans have been divided. While some listeners openly criticized the album and told him to return to comedy, others found songs they genuinely enjoyed.
One X user joked:
“Josh2Funny stopped doing skits and started music, Everybody wan chop this music money 😂”
Another simply said:
“This Josh2Funny Album no enter make he just go back skit abeg 😂”
But then came “Lembe.” 🔥
The track caught fire on X and eventually became a trending topic in Nigeria. The #LembeChallenge also gained momentum as creators began jumping on the song.
Josh2Funny later announced ₦1 million for winners of the challenge, giving the song another major push.
And it didn’t stop there.
‘INTERNATIONAL’ FT. ICE PRINCE ALSO TRENDED
On another day, “International” featuring Ice Prince generated its own buzz on X.
One fan even called it their favourite song from the album, while praising the collaboration. The post itself pulled thousands of views, showing that people weren’t only talking about Lembe.
From album criticism to trending songs and challenges, “On Behalf of Josh” has kept Josh2Funny’s name in the conversation.
Whether you love the album or think he should return to skits, one thing is clear:
Josh2Funny has succeeded in getting Nigerians talking. 😂🔥
So, let’s settle this once and for all:
Should Josh2Funny continue with MUSIC 🎶 or return to SKITS 😂?
Music or Skits? Drop your answer! 👇
RUAN-Badkid.96 is a Nigerian recording artist whose music refuses to live inside a single genre. Blending Afrobeat, Afrofusion, trap, hip-hop, melodic rap, R&B, and global influences, he creates records that move effortlessly between raw street energy, soulful storytelling, and infectious melodies. Whether delivering hard-hitting bars, emotional love songs, or rhythm-driven African records, his sound is defined by authenticity rather than limitation.
Inspired by both African culture and international music, RUAN-Badkid.96 embraces the confidence and ambition of global hip-hop while staying deeply connected to his roots. His lyrics explore love, heartbreak, betrayal, friendship, social injustice, hope, and the everyday realities of life. He doesn’t create music to follow trends, he creates music to reflect truth, emotion, and human experience.
Behind his fearless image is an artist who believes in kindness, equality, justice, and genuine human connection. His appearance may be intimidating, but his message is rooted in compassion and authenticity. Every record carries a piece of his journey, proving that strength and vulnerability can exist in the same voice.
For RUAN-Badkid.96, music is more than entertainment, it’s a language, a testimony, and a lifelong mission to connect with people through honesty, versatility, and unforgettable sound.
Entertainment Gists
Meet the Man Who Turned Hype Into a Science: Emmy Blaq, Nigeria’s G.O.A.T. of Hype
If you have ever been at a Nigerian event and found yourself on your feet before the main act even stepped on stage, there is a good chance a hype man was responsible. But not just any hype man. Emmy Blaq, born Ikechukwu Emmanuel Chima and raised in Auchi, Edo State, has spent the last few years quietly becoming the most talked-about name in that profession, and the Nigerian press has taken notice. Punch, Vanguard, The Guardian Nigeria, The Nation, and Independent Newspaper have all sat down with him, and every conversation leads back to the same thing: this man does not just make noise; he makes moments.
What makes Emmy Blaq different is the journey behind the energy. Before the stages, the collaborations with Waje on her “Waje 2.0” album, DJ Consequence, and DJ Kaywise on the massively streamed “Joor Party Mix” series, he was repairing generators, cutting hair, and sewing clothes in Auchi. His first professional hype gig happened at a local fast food spot called Valchi, and the crowd response that night changed everything. He told The Nation directly: “My passion for entertainment and desire to make people happy led me into the craft.” Punch also captured his bigger mission when he said that hype men deserve more than what they currently earn, a statement that sparked a real conversation across Nigerian entertainment circles.
With over 1.7 million TikTok followers, 23.6 million TikTok likes, a viral “Wife Material” challenge that landed on Pulse Nigeria’s top ten social media moments of 2021, and an international performance at the Cameroon International Music Festival that Cameroonian media described as electrifying, Emmy Blaq is not building toward something. He is already there. The G.O.A.T. of Hype is not a title he gave himself and hoped would stick. It is one the rooms keep confirming every single time he grabs the mic.
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