Saturday, 3 June 2017
Kendall Jenner furious at father Caitlyn for accusing mum Kris of hoarding money
Kendall Jenner is not happy with Caitlyn Jenner as she calls out her father for the controversial tell-all memoir, The Secrets of My Life, in which Caitlyn has accused Kris of "hoarding" money during their 23-year marriage. In the latest promo of Keeping Up With The Kardashian, the supermodel shared her thoughts about the book.
"I heard about all the stuff that she was saying in it and just how a lot of it's so not true. The weird part is, I don't think it's purposeful lying. I think she really just thinks that's what happened for some weird reason," 21-year-old model tells her mother Kris.
Kris, who is equally baffled by the sensational claims in the book, agrees with her fourth daughter and wonders of the matter could have been solved in a "loving way." "It could have been handled in the most amazing, loving way. Talk about your journey and keep it to that—that I would have had great respect for. Don't talk about, in a real negative way, everything was like I am such a bad person," Kris says.
In the promo, the momager accuses her former husband Caitlyn of fabricating lies against her which are now imprinted for her next generations to read.
"There's lies that are printed in a book that lives there for the end of time. So, your children are going to read this book about their grandparent and have a story that's fabricated. That's in print and is a fabrication," she said fearing how her grandchildren will think about her in the future.
"Yeah, you're right. And then she goes around dissing the Kardashians, but it's like, those are the kids that you raised! If you have a problem with them, you raised them," Kendall replies and rages her voice to call the book an "insane" attempt to malign the Kardashian's name. "That makes no sense to me that she would go around bashing us for no reason!"
Woman Sets Her Wedding Dress On Fire to Burn the Memory of a Relationship Gone Wrong
A woman from San Antonio, Texas found a cathartic way to deal with the aftermath of wedding plans gone wrong: by burning the white wedding dress that she would have worn to get married.
According to her Facebook, Khristella Joseph initially tried to sell her wedding dress and other items for the wedding. When the wedding dress didn’t sell, she instead filmed herself setting the dress on fire as a way of closing a painful chapter of her life. Before lighting the dress, she doused the dress in lighter fluid and said a few last words.
"I’m getting ready to burn this bad a-s memory," she said. "There goes the end of the bad memory of a wedding dress somebody pays for and says that your relationship is just a "joke and they never loved or cared about you in the first place."
After setting the dress on fire, Joseph had some poignant final words for the union that would never be.
‘Well, there you have it," she said. "It’s gone up in flames. Ashes to ashes dust to dust."
Cybercrime agreement to be signed by global leaders
Global leaders are preparing to agree how police access digital evidence which may physically be located in another jurisdiction.
The amendment to the Budapest Convention on Cybercrime will allow signature states' police forces to receive digital evidence in criminal investigations in a timely manner - something those forces complain is currently a major problem.
Since the opening of the convention in 2001, the importance of internet media to criminal investigations has grown significantly.
While data can traverse borders effortlessly over the internet, police have complained about struggling to follow it due to conflicting laws about whether they can access data which may physically reside in data centres outside of their jurisdiction.
The head of the Council of Europe's cybercrime division, which led the development of the treaty, Alexander Seger spoke to Sky News to explain the need for the protocol.
He said: "The problem is, when you're looking for evidence on a computer system, that evidence could be held on a single server in another country, or it could move between servers, or the data itself could be fragmented and held in different jurisdictions."
This makes it very difficult for the police to address a single judicial authority with the legal ability to demand that this evidence be handed over.
Mr Seger also said: "Let's assume that law enforcement in the UK arrests a drug trafficker in London, and at the time of the arrest, the suspect's smartphone is open - can you access that data?
"Assume they use Gmail, can you access that, or any of their cloud accounts, or are you intruding on the territory of another party? Are you seizing data in another territory?"
"This isn't clear, and while some law enforcement agencies will do this, others have received judicial criticism for it," said Mr Seger, and police do not want to risk evidence being found to be inadmissible in court.
At the moment, when police forces around the globe need to work with those in another jurisdiction, they use Mutual Legal Assistance Treaties, or MLATs.
However, the MLAT process, which allows evidence and information in criminal investigations to be shared, has been criticised for being extremely slow.
Mr Seger said that even something as simple as receiving subscriber data - finding out which individual was using a particular communication service - was difficult when it should be routine.
The protocol to the Budapest Convention would specifically address subscriber information and allow police to pursue suspects with more haste.
"We (also) need emergency procedures for full access to data in the face of threat to life," Mr Seger added.
At the time of the Charlie Hebdo attacks in France, the French authorities were able to access information on the suspects from the Americans very quickly, as the US has adequate emergency procedures in place, he said.
Want to visit the US? Hand over your social media details
The vetting process for a US visa has never been easy but it is about to get a lot more arduous with social media checks. US President Donald Trump's administration has rolled a new questionnaire for US visa applicants worldwide that compels selected travellers to hand over social media details from the last five years.
The process is part of a larger effort to tighten any security loops for would-be visitors to the US. The government says there may be potential extremists or even terrorists among the travellers and hence the new step. The proposal, which has been tossed around for a while now, was finally approved by the US Department of State (DoS) to evaluate visa applicants who have been flagged for further review.
Critics however, argue the new questionnaire will not only delay the already burdensome visa process but also target individuals based on their country, religion and community. Although the DoS says the questionnaire will be presented to 0.5 % of US visa applicants worldwide critics believe it fits an undisclosed threat profile.
This means authorities will not have to produce any reason for why they chose to target an individual and asked him/her to fill the additional form. Critics say this is likely a veiled attempt to implement the Trump administration's court-blocked ban on travellers from six Muslim majority countries – Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen.
The burden of implementation will largely fall mostly on the respective consular offices that can request all prior passport numbers, five years worth of social media handles, email addresses, phone numbers and 15 years of biographical information including addresses, employment and travel history.
While this is mandatory for the targeted travellers it still remains voluntary for most as a supplement form, but not filling the form may result in delays in obtaining a visa.
Pires wants Arsenal fans to unite
Robert Pires has called on Arsenal supporters to unite and play their part in a challenge for the Premier League title next season.
Fans were split all year on whether Arsene Wenger should remain in charge, and the Gunners boss claimed last month the "hostile environment" at games contributed to the worst league finish of his 21-year reign.
Wenger has since signed a new two-year contract in the wake of victory over Chelsea at Wembley and a record seventh FA Cup win.
And 2004 'Invincible' Pires, speaking to Sky Sports News HQ after a Champions League legends game in Cardiff, said: "I love Arsenal and I love Arsene Wenger so I think it's great news for him.
"I think the decision is not easy because they had some trouble during the season with some fans, so now we need to build a new team for next season.
"Some fans are split but the message is to be passionate for next season because the first objective will be to win the Premier League.
"I think Arsenal will be stronger for next season. Now it's very important to buy players and build a team to win the Premier League."
Pires won the league twice during his six years at Arsenal and was voted Footballer of the Year by journalists for his contribution to the 2002 double success.
UK torture charge for ex-wife of former Liberian president Taylor
An ex-wife of former Liberian president Charles Taylor was charged by British police on Friday with four torture offences committed between 1989 and 1991 during the west African nation's civil war.
Agnes Reeves Taylor, 51, was arrested in east London on Thursday and police searched two properties.
The Metropolitan Police said she was charged with agreeing to conduct that amounts to the commission of torture.
She has also been charged with three counts of intentionally inflicting severe pain or suffering on an individual in the performance of her official duties.
She will appear in custody at Westminster Magistrates Court on Saturday.
From 1989 to 2003, up to a quarter of a million people in Liberia were killed in a civil war, while thousands more were mutilated and raped. - Reuters
CCTV footage shows woman being led away to be gang raped
Officers released the video appealing for help in finding three men pictured on the CCTV footage.
"We have released footage of the suspects in Greek Street in the hope someone will recognise them or saw them that night.”
The man holding the victim’s hand appears to be in his 30s and has a shaven head, and is wearing a dark blazer and trousers, and back shoes.
All three are described as being "of Asian appearance".
Juventus stadium finally given name after 6 years
Six years after its inauguration, Champions League finalists Juventus's home stadium in Turin has finally been given a name: the Allianz Stadium.
As of July 1, the German insurance firm's name -- which already adorns a number of other sports stadiums, including Bayern Munich's Allianz Arena, Nice's Allianz Riviera, and the Allianz Park in London of rugby club Saracens -- will be emblazoned on a ground until now simply known as the Juventus Stadium.
Specialist Italian media company Calcio e Finanza (football and finance) said Allianz will pay three million euros a year until 2023.
However, Juve will see none of that money having sold the naming rights to the 41,000-seater stadium to Sportfive agency back in 2011 for 75 million euros over 12 years.
This deal will allow Sportfive to finally recover 18 million euros of that outlay.
How NDDC Director Attempted to Bribe Me’’- EFCC Official
The South-South Zonal Head of Operations of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Mr. Ishaq Salihu, on Thursday June 1, told a Rivers State High Court, sitting in Port Harcourt, that a former director of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, Mr. Robert Akunne Obuoha, offered him a bribe of N150, 000.00k (One Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira only), in order to compromise an ongoing investigation by the EFCC.
He stated this before Justice S.C. Amadi, while being led in evidence by the EFCC counsel, O.B. Akinsola( Mrs). Obuoha, a former director, Project Management of the NDDC, is being prosecuted in a case of contract splitting and over-inflation of contract.
At the resumed hearing of the matter on Thursday, the EFCC presented its last witness, Mr. Salihu, who told the court that, “on February 12, 2016, the defendant came to my office where he asked me that he wanted to see me in private, and I asked him, why? I categorically told him that it was not possible and that, whatever he wished to see me about, should be discussed in the presence of the investigators.
There upon, he dipped his hand into his pocket and brought out a sum of N150, 000.00, made up of three bundles of N50, 000.00 of N500 denomination each and offered them to me. I asked him what the money was meant for, the defendant said I should use it to buy recharge cards and also to establish a relationship with me. This prompted the Commission to investigate the matter and file a charge against the defendant’’.
Defense counsel, Sam Nwadigha asked Salihu whether he had any personal dealings with the defendant “before February 12, 2016?’’ and he responded “Yes and No”. “Yes, because he came to the EFCC to write a statement over an ongoing investigation in which his name featured, and he was allowed to go and brhttps://efccnigeria.org/efcc/administrator/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&layout=editing in a surety because of the volume of money involved. As a staff of NDDC, he was asked to go and bring a reliable surety”.
Obuoha, had in his confessional statement, admitted that he offered Salihu the said money “for him to buy recharge cards in order to build a good relationship with him”.
Justice Amadi adjourned the case to 13 July, 2017 for the defence counsel to open its case.
The charge against him read: “that you, Robert Akunne Obuoha on or about the 12th day of February, 2016 at Port Harcourt in the Port Harcourt Judicial Division did corruptly give N150, 000.00 (One Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira) only to Mr. Ishaq Salihu a public officer and Zonal Head of Operations, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, South-South zone, Port Harcourt for the purpose of ‘’recharge cards’’ and with a view to influence his decision in a case wherein you are being investigated and thereby committed an offence, Official Corruption contrary to Section 13 (1) (a) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2003 and Punishable under section 13 (1) of the same Act“.
Wenger adamant Sanchez and Ozil will not leave Arsenal
Arsene Wenger is adamant that Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil will not be allowed to leave Arsenal in the transfer window.
The future of the Gunners' star duo remains the subject of intense speculation, with both entering the final year of their contracts at Emirates Stadium.
Sanchez has been heavily linked with Manchester City and Bayern Munich, while Ozil has also been tipped for a potential move away following Arsenal's failure to qualify for the Champions League.
But Wenger, who signed a new two-year contract to stay on as Arsenal manager this week, says neither player will be sold before next season begins.
"This summer, first of all they will stay at the club and hopefully we can extend their contract," Wenger told beIN SPORTS when asked about Sanchez and Ozil's futures.
When pressed on whether they would leave, he replied: "No. You cannot weaken the club and weaken the team. You want to strengthen the team. Unless you find a player of the same calibre and if they absolutely want to leave...
"I believe, at the moment, we're not on that front. We're focused on keeping the team together and to see how we can strengthen the team.
"When you sign a contract somewhere, you commit to give your best until the end of the last day of that contract. I would say 'why should they not give their best?'.
Era of kidnapping will soon be over- IGP
The Inspector General of Police, Mr. Ibrahim Idris has reassured Nigerians that the era of kidnapping will soon be over as police has equipped themselves with sophisticated intelligence units to track down criminals.
Idris gave the assurance yesterday while inaugurating the Imo Police Intelligence Unit which will coordinate tracking of criminals in the state.
Idris, who was on a familiarization visit to Imo, also inspected some police projects donated by Governor Rochas Okorocha. The IG said police had advanced to a sophisticated level in fighting crime, adding that it would be difficult for any criminal activity to be carried out in Imo and other states without the suspects being intercepted.
Idris said tracking down of the Imo born notorious kidnapper Mr. Henry Chibueze was an example of how police will flush out all criminals in the system.
The IG admonished officers to always respect human dignity, adding “police cannot make any headway without the people.
“You must always respect human rights and dignity to restore confidence that police is the people’s friend”, he said.
Idris commended Governor Rochas Okorocha, who donated an ultra modern hospital located at Ideato South Local Government, and urged the officers to make maximum use of the facility.
Idris also inspected the Police College of Finance and Police Special Intervention Training also donated by the governor.
The Commissioner of Police in Imo, Mr. Chris Ezike said crime has reduced drastically in Imo.
He said the command has also strengthened its relationship with the members of the public as well as sister security agencies to enhance fight against crime in the state. - PM
Reps reject bill seeking to establish south-east commission
The house of reps has rejected a bill seeking the establishment of the South-East Development Commission.
The house rejected the bill after it was put to a voice vote by Yakubu Dogara, the speaker.
Some of the lawmakers who contributed to the debate, said the timing of the bill was not right and adequate consultations were not made before it was brought to the house.
The house of representatives has rejected a bill seeking for the establishment of the south-east development commission.
The house rejected the bill after it was put to a voice vote by Yakubu Dogara, the speaker.
Some of the lawmakers who contributed to the debate said the timing of the bill was not right and adequate consultations were not done before it was brought before the house.
Earlier, Leo Ogor, minority leader of the house, while contributing to the debate, said the bill was a step in the right direction.
“This country needs to be restructured. We cannot continue the way we are going,” Ogor said.
“The bill is a good step in the right direction. I appeal with all that the bill be considered.”
On his part, Sani Abdul, a lawmaker from Bauchi state, said the agitation to create the commission is as a result government’s failure to its citizens.
“We should look at it holistically in other not to have a problem. We are worried about the timing of the bill. This is suspicious because it is coming during the agitation for Biafra.”
Sunday Karimi, a lawmaker from Kogi, said some of the south-east states were already captured in the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and the creation of a south-east “will be too much.”
Sani Zorro, a lawmaker from Adamawa, said not much consultation had gone into bill.
“I won’t be comfortable that at the end of the day we leave here with acrimony. In view of the debate we have had so far we should consult further.”
The lawmakers in support of the bill stood their ground but they lost out after the vote.
Attention Ndi Igbo: To get Biafra, presidency, the Yoruba are indispensable
By Fredrick Nwabufo
In the past week, I was in the hive of a conversation on Biafra – that is, on if the dream of an independent state of the southeast as conceived by some Igbo is “live or jive”.
In the dialogue, the obverse character told me that the actualisation of the “Igbo dream” was a fait accompli.
I challenged the kernel of his argument, and I suggested that the Igbo nation might be in a better place if Nigeria was restructured along regional lines. But I emphasised that to achieve this or for the Igbo to get up from the political canvas, they need the Yoruba. “It has become a matter of delicate necessity,” I said. “The Igbo are politically in the intensive care unit.”
But my Biafra friend went into an impassioned twaddle of how the Yoruba are “unreliable, ambivalent and deceptive”. At this point I knew there was no salvation here. I botched the broach.
Sadly, this is the perception of many Igbo people which stems from the atavism of ethnic divergence and disagreements.
By the way, I will not want to dwell on the history or the foundation of the Igbo-Yoruba hostility because it is often subjective and subject to revisions.
As a matter of fact, on this curve in our history, an entente between the Igbo and the Yoruba is critical for the political survival of the southeast. Both ethnic groups are in propinquity, sharing the south of Nigeria. And they also seem to share a desire for the restructuring of the country. Why can’t they detente? Why can’t they reach out to each other for an umbilical purpose?
At the Biafra conference in Abuja last week, Ayo Adebanjo, a leader of Afenifere – the elite Yoruba socio-political organisation – spoke passionately about the need for the restructuring of the country. In fact, he said Nigeria would crash if it was not reprogrammed.
John Nwodo, president of Ohanaeze Ndi Igbo, bleated the same thing, and even drummed that Nigeria was not working – a fact, known to all. But why can’t these leaders come together in an emulsion of purpose to achieve a common goal? I believe, if the Igbo and Yoruba conflate and demand a reworking of the country – along regional lines – even Hades will not stop them.
The Igbo and the Yoruba must end their atavistic grudge for an ultimate beneficial end. These southern neighbours must be born again.
Again, one of the pesky grouses of the Igbo against the Nigerian establishment is that they have been perennially shut out of the top position of power – the presidency – which is true. But what is the ethnic group doing about it?
Instead of nestling in a grotto whining and whimpering, they must form alliances. And an alliance with the Yoruba is the best bet to coming out of the political cul-de-sac. Enough of the recriminations and animosity! The Igbo should know that staying walled up in their enclave without any tactical action is self-immolation.
They must get out of this grotty grotto and embrace the southwest for both political and, perhaps, corporeal ends.
They Igbo must get their politics right. Yes, they are marginalised and subdued in Nigeria, but they must go beyond protests and activism to real-politik to breast the finish line. Whatever their aims are, they need a political stratagem.
In conclusion, I believe an alliance between the Igbo and the Yoruba is possible, but they must be ready to make compromises for the common good. Alliances, sometimes, are not forged between friends, but among enemies with shared interest. During the Second World War, Russia and the US, despite being ideological and dialectical opposed to each other, joined forces to defeat Adolf Hitler’s Nazi army.
I don’t mean to rub it in, but the Hausa/Fulani and the Yoruba joined chariots to deracinate an anointed Igbo candidate in the 2015 presidential election. No man is an island – even as cliché as this aphorism is, it is potent.
But I strongly believe the Igbo and the Yoruba tying the political knot is a possibility.
MEANWHILE…
Osinbajo in Garki marketLast week, Acting President Yemi Osinbajo paid an unscheduled visit to Garki market in Abuja where he bargained with traders over the prices of some food items. That got me, really. Because I believe he did that basically to find out the prices of foodstuff, considering Nigeria’s present inflation rate. Maybe, I am naive. Again, when was the last time a Nigerian president went into the streets to feel the pulse of the people? I doubt if Google can figure that out. But some Nigerians, as it is customary here, took it to be a political stunt with a vicarious linkage to the 2019 presidential election. Hmm. Nigerians are hard to please. Well done, Professor Osinbajo.
On Reps rejection of Southeast Development Commission Bill
On Thursday, the house of representatives rejected a bill for the establishment of a Southeast Development Commission. This is not surprising. The passage of bills in the house and in the senate is usually determined by ethnic, sectional and religious interest. Months ago, in the senate, a bill to give a special status to Lagos was rejected. As it is, the southwest and southeast will continue to be the biggest losers in the Nigerian enterprise until they come together.
Twitter: @FredrickNwabufo, Facebook: Fredrick Nwabufo, Email: fredrick.nwabufo@thecable.ng
Lai: Why this government flouts court orders - Lai Mohammed
Lai Mohammed, minister of information and culture, has explained why the government of President Muhammadu Buhari flouts court orders.
Speaking in an interview with Osasu Igbinedion on The Osasu Show, Mohammed said the government disregards some court orders in the interest of national security.
The lawyer also said the judiciary does not have the “entire picture” on some cases at hand and it was the responsibility of government to balance human rights and national security.
When asked why the government continually flouts court rulings on the release of Sambo Dasuki, former national security adviser (NSA) and Ibrahim El Zakzaky, Lai said: “Every government will balance national security with human rights; every country in the world. It is the level of the balancing.
“As a government, I will balance national security against human rights; and then I will take a decision. Because there is security, there is stability, that the courts also exist.
“What I am saying (is) that the court has ruled but the court does not have the entire picture when it comes to national security. I am a lawyer too, therefore I have utmost respect for the judiciary.”
Mohammed however added that Nigerians cannot “pick one or two cases” and conclude that Buhari runs a government of impunity.
“You can’t pick two, three cases which border on national security to condemn a whole government and say this government is a government of impunity,” he added.
“How many cases are determined daily in Nigeria? I still say every government has that right to balance national security.”
On the health of Buhari, Mohammed said he last spoke to the president the day he travelled, but other ministers had spoken to him afterwards “and they know the president is fine”.
5 Men Arrested Over Suspected Bank Robbery
The Inspector-General of Police (IGP’s) Intelligence Response Team (IRT) on Friday announced the arrest of five suspected armed robbers who had planned to attack some banks in Lagos. .
The IRT Commander, ACP Abba Kyari, said the arrested suspects also participated in the killing of four policemen and an Army Captain in Ikorodu in April, this year.
The IRT Commander, ACP Abba Kyari, said the arrested suspects also participated in the killing of four policemen and an Army Captain in Ikorodu in April, this year.
The commander said that the suspects were arrested at Ikorodu and Ajah areas of Lagos State, as they perfected the planned attacks on the banks.
He said their arrest was part of the IGP Ibrahim Idris’ effort to neutralise the threat posed on Lagos by the notorious new militant leader called America.
According to him, America was also responsible for last week’s kidnap of school children in Epe. “Five key members of the notorious militant group led by America, who have perfected plans to attack and rob five banks in Lagos have been arrested in Ikorodu and Ajah areas of Lagos state.
They were all arrested after several days of unrelenting follow-ups by the IRT. Four of the arrested suspects are militants, who were sent by their gang leader, America, to survey the banks.
The team was also to hire two operational buses that will be used to convey the militants to and from the river banks, to the commercial banks. The fifth suspect is a security man in one of the banks targeted to be robbed. He brought the job,” Kyari alleged.
He noted that the banks targeted were located in Lekki and Ajah areas of Lagos state. He said that the suspects confessed to have chosen the targeted banks because of their proximity to the river banks. America had fixed Thursday, June 1, as the date for the attack on the banks, before his boys were arrested. - Saynaija.com
There are too many drinking joints in Anambra – Monarch
Chief Alex Onyido, the traditional ruler of Ogilisi, Idemili South Local Government in Anambra, has called for stringent measures to curtail the growing number of drinking joints in the state.
Onyido made the call on Friday in Awka, while speaking at the the 2017 edition of Lady Victoria Onyido quiz competition, organised by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, for secondary schools.
“The trend is worrisome and not in the best interest of public health.
“Such facilities breed crime and criminality; the rate at which such businesses are springing up in all corners calls for concern,” he said.
Onyido, who is the sponsor of the quiz competition, said that it was meant to draw government’s attention to the use of illicit drugs among secondary school students.
The monarch lauded NDLEA’s commitment to the fight against drug abuse and peddling, pointing out that drug addiction and abuse could lead to other vices like kidnapping, armed robbery and prostitution.
In his speech, Gov. Willie Obiano commended the sponsor and NDLEA for the effective collaboration in the fight against drug abuse in the society.
Obiano, who was represented by Prof. Kate Omenugha, Commissioner for Education, said that his administration was committed to quality education that would enhance students’ capacity to compete with their peers the world over.
NDLEA Commander in Anambra, Mr Sule Momodu, in a brief remark, said that the competition, which started four years ago, had yielded positive results.
Momodu commended the Anambra government for establishing Drug Free Clubs in secondary schools.
Bill Cosby: from TV hero to fallen US cultural icon
A celebrity’s fall from grace is always ugly, but that of Bill Cosby — a once beloved comedian who broke through racial barriers to broadcast a successful black family into white living rooms — is a true gut punch to America.
The Cosby name alone once evoked so much — a treasured father figure, a seemingly model citizen and comic with a gentle, self-deprecating style and playful voice that would go from deep to screeching in search of a laugh.
But accusations from around 60 women, many of them formerly aspiring actresses and models, that he was a calculating, serial sexual predator who plied victims with sedatives and alcohol to bed them have left his career and reputation in tatters.
On Monday the 79-year-old, Emmy-winning actor and Grammy-winning stand-up comedian goes on trial in Pennsylvania for aggravated indecent assault, accused of drugging and then assaulting a woman at his home in 2004.
Dozens and dozens of accusers have alleged that the entertainer exploited his fame to feed them sedatives and alcohol, leaving them powerless to resist his advances.
But the trial in Norristown, just outside Philadelphia is the only criminal case to stick as the vast majority of alleged abuse happened too long ago to prosecute.
Cosby insists that relations were consensual but if convicted, he risks spending the rest of his life behind bars on a minimum 10-year sentence and a $25,000 fine.
The trial cements a stunning fall from grace for an avuncular icon synonymous with squeaky clean humor and social progress, who once embodied the American dream.
Today, Cosby cuts a forlorn figure, deserted by celebrity pals and left legally blind, he says, from glaucoma.
On a pre-trial public relations offensive, he suggested that racism may have played a role, in a radio interview at times rambling and confused.
– Self-made –
“There are so many tentacles. So many different — ‘nefarious’ is a great word,” he told Sirius XM radio, insisting he had “an awful lot to offer” in terms of writing and performing.
Born on July 12, 1937 in Philadelphia to a mother who was a maid and a father who was a Navy cook, William Henry Cosby Jr. developed a reputation as the class clown, and joined the Navy after 10th grade, finishing high school by correspondence.
He won an athletic scholarship to Temple University and started doing stand-up comedy. In his early 20s he appeared on variety programs, but got his first big break in 1965 when he co-starred in the espionage thriller “I Spy.”
It was a time when there were few major roles for black actors. He won three Emmys and went on to star in a string of successful movies in the 1970s.
Then from 1984 to 1992, he portrayed gynecologist Cliff Huxtable, the affable, funny dad of an upper middle class black family with a lawyer wife in “The Cosby Show” — so named thanks to the actor’s overwhelming star power.
The sitcom was a fabulous success, becoming one of the most popular TV shows in history and the ultimate family-oriented series, turning Cosby into a major figure of US pop culture in the second half of the 20th century.
He was heaped in awards for the show, which anchored NBC’s powerful Thursday night line-up and for the first time put an affluent African American family on prime time.
Along the way, he authored best-selling books, and was for decades a member of the Temple board of trustees until he resigned in 2014, stripped of honorary degrees as sexual assault scandals mushroomed.
Comedian friends like Whoopi Goldberg who once supported him have now denounced him. He is isolated, and has largely refused to discuss the allegations against him other than to deny them through his lawyers.
His wife of 53 years, Camille, has stood by his side. The couple have five children. Their son Ennis was shot dead in 1997 while changing a tire in California.
Two giant, rare 'corpse' flowers bloom in Chicago
It is unusual enough to see one of nature's biggest, rarest -- not to mention smelliest -- flowers bloom. But it is extraordinary to see two bloom at once.
That is why two seven-foot-tall corpse flowers at the Chicago Botanic Garden have attracted thousands of visitors this week, despite the smell of rotting flesh that the flowers emit to attract pollinating beetles and flies.
The rare flowers, officially called titan arum, are naturally occurring in just one place on Earth -- the Indonesian island of Sumatra. They are threatened by deforestation, and botanic gardens around the world are cultivating and preserving them.
It takes up to 10 years for one plant to flower, and then it does so for about one day.
"Having twin corpse flowers both bloom at the same time is very rare," said Greg Mueller, chief scientist at the botanic garden.
The Chicago Botanic Garden checked with its counterparts around the world and found only a handful of times that such an event has happened, and it has never before occurred in North America.
"This is one of these plants that are just so exciting," Mueller said.
The garden will continue to display the plants until June 8, and expects to draw many more thousands of enthusiasts come to observe the huge structures, even though the flowers have already closed back up, and are beginning to wilt.
Lonely Planet Reveals Its Top 10 European Destinations For 2017
Lonely Planet's travel experts have just unveiled what they believe are the best places to go in Europe in 2017.
Only one British destination has been included, with the city of Leeds making it to number five on the list.
Lonely Planet says: "Recent developments have propelled its Victorian city centre and atmospheric mill district into the 21st century, luring stylish boutiques, innovative coffee houses and restaurants, and people seeking an alternative to London."
staycation in a northern English city isn't for you this year, then take your pick from the other must-visit destinations…
Top 10 European destinations for 2017
10. Le Havre, France
9. Pafos, Cyprus
8. Moldova
7. Northern Germany
6. The Alentejo, Portugal
5. Leeds, UK
4. Northern Montenegro
3. Galicia, Spain
2. Gotland, Sweden
1. Zagreb, Croatia
Only one British destination has been included, with the city of Leeds making it to number five on the list.
Lonely Planet says: "Recent developments have propelled its Victorian city centre and atmospheric mill district into the 21st century, luring stylish boutiques, innovative coffee houses and restaurants, and people seeking an alternative to London."
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staycation in a northern English city isn't for you this year, then take your pick from the other must-visit destinations…
Top 10 European destinations for 2017
10. Le Havre, France
9. Pafos, Cyprus
8. Moldova
7. Northern Germany
6. The Alentejo, Portugal
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5. Leeds, UK
4. Northern Montenegro
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3. Galicia, Spain
2. Gotland, Sweden
1. Zagreb, Croatia
South African graft accusations expose split in ANC over Zuma
The ruling African National Congress said on Friday it is gravely concerned by leaked documents alleging influence-peddling by friends of President Jacob Zuma, deepening a divide in South Africa’s ruling party over its leader.
Some South African media reported on Thursday they had access to over 100,000 leaked documents and emails that showed improper dealings in lucrative government contracts by business friends of Zuma.
The latest allegations of influence-peddling may deepen divisions in the ANC as factions battle for control ahead of a party conference in December where a successor to the beleaguered, scandal-plagued Zuma will be chosen. Zuma can remain as head of state until an election in 2019.
Zuma and the Gupta family, wealthy Indian-born businessmen whose companies have contracts with state-owned firms, have not commented but have denied similar allegations in the past. Reuters could not independently verify the new allegations.
“These reports contain very worrying claims about the nature of the relationship between government and private interests,” the ANC said in a statement, calling on government to urgently establish the veracity of the leaks.
“The ANC views these allegations in a very serious light as, if left unattended, they call into question the integrity and credibility of the government.”
The statement appeared to contradict Zuma, who said at a parliamentary session on Thursday that he was not interested in “hearsay” published in newspapers.
A backroom schism in the ANC over Zuma has burst into the open in recent weeks as his opponents seek to oust him or ensure his chosen candidate does not take over the reins.
Analysts say Zuma’s camp will back his ex-wife and former African Union chair Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma in December, while another faction will support Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa.
ANC SPLIT IN TWO
“This week we have seen there are clearly two ANCs,” said political analyst Daniel Silke.
“One ANC sees very little wrong with crony capitalism, kickbacks and shady payments. The other ANC sees the reputation of the party among the electorate disintegrating and fear the real possibility they could lose power.”
Opposition parties have made upbeat comments about unseating the ANC in 2019, an unthinkable scenario a few years ago for a party that has led comfortably since it swept to power under Nelson Mandela at the end of apartheid in 1994.
Zuma survived a call to resign at an ANC meeting last week due to disputes over political appointments and his friendship with the Gupta family.
Parliament is expected to hold a no-confidence vote in Zuma later this year but he has survived similar attempts before.
When Zuma sacked respected finance minister Pravin Gordhan in March, three of the top six members of the ANC, including Ramaphosa, openly criticising his decision, breaking the party’s strict rule of showing unity in public.
Gordhan’s replacement Malusi Gigaba has been accused of having close ties to the Guptas. Gigaba said on Friday that he had done nothing wrong and the leaked documents would not link him to the family. -CNBCAfica
Nigeria to introduce indigenous languages to teach Mathematics and Science
Nigeria might be a country facing too many challenges, but the latest announcement by the Minister for Science and Technology, Dr Ogbonnaya Onu that the country will soon use indigenous languages to teach Maths and Science is a welcome development if implemented.
Nigeria might be a country facing many challenges, but the latest announcement by the Minister for Science and Technology, Dr Ogbonnaya Onu that the country will soon use indigenous languages to teach Maths and Science might be a stepping stone towards development if implemented.
During the inauguration of the inter-ministerial committee on the teaching of Mathematics and Science subjects in local languages in Abuaja, the minister, said primary and secondary schools in the country will soon start teaching Mathematics and Science subjects in indigenous languages.
This announcement was welcomed and seen as a step forward in the process of preservation and elevation of indigenous. The inter-ministerial committee, which would be comprised of the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology and the Ministry of Education will work towards the realisation of the project.
The magnanimity of such a project is not to be understated. Nigeria, a country of over 600 languages has English and French as its official languages. English is currently used as the medium of instruction in primary and secondary schools despite the existence of a language policy in education that recommends that indigenous languages should be used as the medium of instruction in primary schools.
The U-turn by the Nigerian government might as well be in compliance with this policy. The minister said the committee would develop the capacity of the local languages to serve as effective tools for teaching Mathematics and Science subjects. Whether the committee will also include linguists and language experts, it still remains relatively unknown.
With the minister pointing to India and China as examples of countries that use their languages as mediums of teaching in their schools, he hoped making use of indigenous languages to teach the various subjects would ignite an interest in the subjects.
But does all the talk on the issue mean anything without the increment in the budget allocation for both education and science and technology? This project is complex and ambitious, which needs extensive multi-sector support, research, government investment, training and development. The implementation of the proposal will be a huge challenge. The training of teachers specifically for this purpose is one of the challenges.
Man arrested for allegedly raping teenage boys
A 39-year-old man has been arrested for allegedly raping and sexually assaulting two teenage boys in Hopetown, Northern Cape police said on Friday.
The man was arrested on Thursday just outside Hopetown on a farm where he is believed to be working as a foreman, after a 15-year-old boy complained about having been raped by him, spokesperson Captain Olebogeng Tawana said.
The man has been charged with rape, sexual assault, possession of an unlicensed firearm as well as ammunition.
"It is alleged that the suspect used to pick up the 15-year-old boy together with his 13-year-old friend from Hopetown CBD and took them to the farm and give them alcohol, drugs including dagga and in the process raped the boys," Tawana said.
During his arrest, pornographic material, ammunition and a .22 rifle were recovered.
The man is expected to appear before the Hopetown Magistrate's Court on Monday, June 5.
Acting provincial Commissioner Major-General Koliswa Otola has condemned the alleged rape.
"It cannot be correct that children should be encountering trauma on a daily basis from people who are supposed to be protecting them," she said.
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