bangladesh clears execution for top extremist leader

The Supreme Court upheld a 2008 order to execute Mufti Abdul Hannan and two associates for an attack on a shrine that left three dead and injured the British high commissioner at the time.

Bangladesh’s highest court Sunday rejected the final appeal by a top extremist leader tooverturn his death sentence, all but paving the way for his execution within weeks.

The Supreme Court upheld a 2008 order to execute Mufti Abdul Hannan and two associates for an attack on a shrine that left three dead and injured the British high commissioner at the time.

The decision comes just weeks after armed militants attempted to free Hannan in a daring ambush as police transferred the high-profile extremist between prisons.

The appeal dismissal leaves Hannan and his associates no further legal avenues to escape the gallows and they could be hanged within a week, said Attorney General Mahbubey Alam.

“They can still beg for their lives to the president,” he told AFP, though there is no such precedent of an Islamist extremist being granted clemency in Bangladesh.

The trio were sentenced to death for masterminding a 2004 grenade attack that killed three and injured scores more, including then British high commissioner (ambassador) Anwar Choudhury.

It was among the most high-profile attacks orchestrated by the Harkat-ul Jihad Al Islami (HuJI) group, headed by Hannan, across Bangladesh in the mid-1990s.

By the time Hannan was arrested in late 2005 more than 100 people had been killed in attacks by HuJI on a church, secular gatherings and mosques used by Islam’s minority sects.

His supporters attempted to free their influential leader in early March by hurling hurl bombs at police vans transporting Hannan, but failed to secure his release.

Bangladesh has suffered a spate of attacks on secular activists, foreigners and religious minorities in recent years.

Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group have claimed responsibility in some cases but Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s secular government has pinned the blame on local outfits.

Islamic State claimed responsibility Saturday for a suicide bomb attack on a Bangladesh security forces camp, while police in Dhaka shot dead a suspected militant in a separate incident.

Police have arrested scores of suspected extremists and killed more than 50 people since an attack on a Dhaka cafe last year that left 22 dead.

Chris Brown turns his sight on Rihanna...

Chris Brown turns his sight on Rihanna...

For reasons best known to him, Chris Brown started following his ex, Rihanna again last week, years after he unfollowed her on instagram. Now that Karrueche is out of the picture following her restraining order against him, looks like he's turned his sight Badgal RiRi...

Khloe Kardashian flaunts wedding band (photos)

There were rumours some weeks back that Khloe Kardashian and her boyfriend, NBA basketball star, Tristan Thompson had eloped. And just last week, Khloe showed off some major bling on her ring finger, fuelling rumours they really secretly got married.

Madagascar FA President, Ahmad dethrones Hayatou

Ahmad Ahmad (2ndL) of Madagascar reacts after being elected the new president of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) in Addis Ababa on 16 March 2017. Madagascar’s football chief Ahmad Ahmad was elected president of the Confederation of African Football today, ousting veteran leader Issa Hayatou after 29 years in office. PHOTO: Zacharias Abubker / AFP

African football heaved a sigh of relief yesterday in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia when Madagascar Football Association chief, Ahmad, ended Issa Hayatou’s 29-year reign as Confederation of African Football president.

Ahmad won 34 out of the 54 votes cast in the election held inside the African House, where Nigeria’s Amaju Melvin Pinnick also beat Benin Republic’s Moucharafou Anjorin by 32 to 17.

Yesterday’s results heralded a change in the leadership of African football for the first time since 1988, but it had been long in coming.

The result also makes Ahmad, who in his acceptance speech invited every well-meaning football official in the continent to help in rebuilding the body, only the seventh president in CAF’s 60-year history.

This is the fourth attempt by the younger elements in CAF to try to change the leadership of the body since allegations of ineptitude and corruption started surfacing in the hitherto closely-knit executive committee.

Hayatou routinely beat his first challengers, Armando Machado of Angola (2000) and Ismail Bhamjee of Botswana.

At the last elections in Marrakesh, Morocco, Hayatou was returned unopposed because his challenger, Jacques Anouma of Cote d’Ivoire was declared ineligible to contest because he was not a member of the CAF executive committee.

The was a fall out of the CAF constitutional amendment engineered by Hayatou in September 2012, which states that anybody who is not a member of the body’s executive cannot vie for any elective position.

Nobody could challenge Hayatou’s rule, but many were not happy with his iron rule. They found an outlet in Ahmad, who rallied the young elements in CAF to the fight against the Camerounian’s hegemony.

Ahmad said before yesterday’s polls, “Many of my colleagues are demanding for change. And I believe that it is time for change, which is why I have decided to challenge him in the elections.

“We cannot keep complaining about the problems of African football in private and not be prepared to do nothing about it in the open. Why are people so afraid?

“We live in a time of transformation. The majority of federation presidents have changed. There are many more young people than before.”

The 57-year-old Ahmad, a two-time minister in Madagascar, who is currently the vice-president of his country’s senate, had the support of the new leaders in FIFA in his battle for succession.

The argument was that all the confederations’ bosses are less than 60 years, with FIFA president Gianni Infantino, 45, and so it was out of place for Africa to be led to FIFA congress by a 72-year-old man, who many believe is close to 80 years.

Infantino had his reason for supporting Ahmad, apart from the age considerations.

The first sign that Hayatou’s reign was coming under its biggest threat emerged when 14 Southern African countries and Nigeria publicly declared support for Ahmad.

Even the last minute efforts to use some governments to force their FAs presidents to vote for Hayatou did not work, as at the collation of votes, Hayatou could only muster 20 out of the 54 votes.

Ahmad told reporters when his victory at the polls was revealed, “I can’t talk at this time. Only one thing – I thank God, I thank my team.

“We worked hard but we won. That was the first step. The second step is to develop African football.

“Some days I thought I would win – today I didn’t (think I would win).”

He added: “When you try to do something, you mean that you can do it. If I can’t do it, I never stand.

“This is sweet victory. When you work hard for years and months and you succeed, that is great.”

While Ahmad and his supporters were jubilating yesterday, Hayatou departed the auditorium humbled. He said, however, “It is not that bad.”

Aside the CAF Presidency, Hayatou also lost his position at Fifa, where he had been the longest-serving executive.

Ahmad has promised to modernise the body and make it more transparent.

Hayatou’s tenure as president will certainly be equalled by no other, as an amendment to the CAF statutes, at last September’s extraordinary congress in Cairo, ensures that his successor can only have a maximum of 12 years in office.

I think Trump’s kind of bad for comedy - Dave Chappelle

US Comedian Dave Chappelle isn’t quite in favor of anymore President Donald Trump inspired jokes. In a recent interview with Toronto’s CBC News, the legendary comedian revealed that jokes about Trump isn’t benefiting any comedian. He said:

“I think Trump’s kind of bad for comedy. Most comics in the states are starting to do the same jokes just because Trump is so on everybody’s mind, so it’ll be nice when we don’t have to talk about him as much.”

Watch the video below...

Woman defends her son who police accuse of fleeing the scene of a car crash and leaving his elder brother to die

Police are accusing Aidan Camacho, 19, who crashed into a parked car and a tree in Queens, New York, of fleeing the scene and abandoning his brother to die. Aiden's mother, Fernanda Almestica, does not agree with the police that Aidan left his elder brother, Angel Camacho, 21, to die. She denies that Aiden was driving the car which crashed and killed  Angel at 4:15 a.m. on Sunday.

"We are grieving — we lost one son, and we have one son that’s wanted for something he didn’t do," she told the New York Daily News. "My son will be at the precinct today with a lawyer, giving his side of the story, and we have video showing that my son wasn’t driving the car."

According to the police, after the crash, Aidan left the car and his injured brother then hitched a ride to Interfaith Medical Center in Brooklyn, but those who know Aidan say that could not have been possible because his brother was his best friend.

Steven Scordio, who owns the construction company where Angel worked, told the New York Post that Aiden would have given his last breath for his brother.

"Aidan was his younger brother who looked up to Angel like a father. Aidan would have never done that. He would take his last breath for his brother."

He went on: 

"I asked Angel, 'What does your brother look like,' and he said, 'He looks like me without the beard.' He said it with pride.

Police report that Aidan was speeding when he crashed just a mile from where they both grew up. He got out of the car and flagged down a passing driver, who took him to the hospital. Firefighters arrived at the scene minutes later and took Angel Camacho who suffered severe head and internal injuries to the hospital where he eventually died. The police are now looking for Aiden who could face manslaughter charges.

3 Nigerians and 4 other Manchester United kiosk workers face jail time after being caught stuffing money down their trousers

7 Manchester United Kiosk workers are facing jail time after they were captured on camera stuffing money down their trousers. 

The management installed the peephole cameras at an Old Trafford burger stand after they noticed that the tills were repeatedly down and this helped them catch the employees stealing some of the money.
The employees caught are Anthony Agabaje, Mustafe Belkhair, Fliavio Andrade, Lugman Arogundada, Justino Edmilson, Mwila Bwanga and Olamide Oyawoye. The seven of them, all between 20 - 22 years, were linked to around £600 taken when Old Trafford hosted a rugby league match. In total around £4500 has disappeared.and the young workers have been convicted of theft by their employer.

During the hearing at the Manchester Magistrates Court, Anthony Agabaje, 21, of Folkestone Road West, Clayton, and Mustafa Belkhair, 20, of Beamish Close, Ardwick, denied the allegations brought against them but were found guilty at a trial yesterday.

Lugman Arogundada, 22, of Charlestown Road, Blackley, Mwila Bwanga, 20, of Welbeck Street, Gorton, Olamide Oyawaye, 21, of Elfan Crescent, Sandbach, Justino Edmilson, 22, of Tatton Close, Hazel Grove, and Fliavio Andrade, 22, of Lydford, Rochdale, all pleaded guilty to theft.

It was heard in court that Fliavio Andrade, who was team leader at the kiosk, was at the centre of the scam. After a game between Warrington Wolves and Wigan Warriors at United’s ground on October 8 last year, it was discovered that the tills at the kiosk were £382 short. A full stock check revealed more than £200 of food and drink was missing as well so they analysed the CCTV and discovered what the employers had been up to and got them arrested. 

The Prosecutor, Heather Alsop, speaking to the court, said: “There is evidence the defendants took money from the till and put it down their trousers as well as inside blue gloves meant for hygiene. The money was passed around and shared out. It is said Mr Andrade took a cut of that money before the other team members pocketed the remainder.”

Agabaje said he had not stolen any money that what he had been putting down his boxer shorts were a bag of cannabis and two joints and that he was high on the drugs so had no idea what he was doing.  On his part, Belkhair, claimed he had been given a lot of tips and hid them in his trousers because he was afraid of having them confiscated.

All seven will be sentenced at Manchester Crown Court next month.

Photos: 14 year old Zuriel Oduwole meets with US Secretary of State, John Kerry

14 year old Nigerian-America filmmaker and writer, Zuriel Oduwole has met with the  US Secretary of State, John Kerry.

Zuriel Oduwole is popular for her education advocacy campaign and for being the youngest filmmaker to have a self-produced and self-edited work among other achievements.
Sharing photos from her visit, Zuriel wrote,

"Met John Kerry - US Secretary of State. Happy New year to you all and hope you had a Merry and Safe Christmas. I am just so very, very thankful to the LORD for where he is taking me and what he wants to do in the lives of the youth of this world today. I just met with the US Secretary of State, John Kerry in his office in Washington DC. Some of you might think so, you've already met 23 World Leaders and recently spoke at the UN. This is very different. Secretary Kerry's decisions affects the whole worlds foreign and economic policy. And next to President Obama, he is the most visible member of the US Government leadership. The whole world knows who he is. What's so cool is we talked about Girls Education, and all the State Department has done the last 4 years on this serious topic. Like me, he believes if all people in a society are included, especially Girls and Women, then that society does much better. I believe that so much. That's another reason I am teaching young children some basic film making skills, so they can add to their society's development. We all can do something very small, to empower others, or encourage others. I truly believe so"

More photos below...

Pope tells women to feel free to breastfeed in church

Pope 

Pope Francis encouraged women attending a ceremony in the Sistine Chapel on Sunday to feel free to breastfeed their children in the church.

“The ceremony is a little long, someone’s crying because he’s hungry. That’s the way it is,” the pontiff said.

“You mothers, go ahead and breastfeed, without fear. Just like the Virgin Mary nursed Jesus,” he told worshippers attending an annual ceremony commemorating the baptism of Jesus.

The Argentine pope on Sunday baptised 28 children — 15 boys and 13 girls.

He has previously voiced his support for breastfeeding, including in public.

The benefits of breastfeeding include providing optimal nutrition and an immune system boost for babies, while helping mothers bond with infants and speeding maternal weight loss after birth.

In many countries around the world, however, women are still widely discouraged from breastfeeding, especially when they are in public.

the guardian