Stop Hate Speech Now

The Duke of Cambridge has called for racist abuse aimed at footballers to stop, calling it "despicable". Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford was the latest player subjected to racist abuse this weekend after a series of incidents. On Sunday, Greater Manchester Police began an investigation into the abuse. And writing on Twitter , Prince William, who is also the president of the Football Association, praised those who had spoken out. He said: "Racist abuse - whether on the pitch, in the stands, or on social media - is despicable and it must stop now. "We all have a responsibility to create an environment where such abuse is not tolerated, and those who choose to spread hate and division are held accountable for their actions. That responsibility extends to the platforms where so much of this activity now takes place. "I commend all those players, supporters, clubs and organisations who continue to call out and condemn this abuse in the stronges...

Former U.S. President, Donald Trump has resumed his campaign for the Republican Party to win back the House of Representatives in 2022, according to the Guardian UK. The immediate past President met with US House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy in Florida amid a tug of war over their party’s future. Leadership of the Congress is appearing eager to present a united front with Trump. The primary topic in Trump and McCarthy’s meeting was winning back the House of Representatives from Democrats in 2022. “President Trump’s popularity has never been stronger than it is today, and his endorsement means more than perhaps any endorsement at any time,” it said. Recall that McCarthy stood by Trump during his baseless claim of election fraud but distanced himself from him when he (Trump) was accused of inciting his supporters to attack the US Capitol on January 6. However, the House Minority Leader appeared back in the former President’s graces, as the men grinned broadly in a handout p...

South Africa’s spy agency has been accused of spending hundreds of millions of dollars on illegal undercover operations to protect former President Jacob Zuma from corruption investigations. The allegations, made by whistle-blowers at a corruption inquiry, include attempts to influence judges and newspapers. The allegations are staggering. Two whistle-blowers, and other witnesses, have given details of a systematic plot to turn South Africa’s state security agency into something almost like a private army for former President Zuma. During his decade in power, Mr Zuma faced - and still faces - multiple allegations of corruption. But a judge-led inquiry is now revealing the extent to which, it is alleged, Mr Zuma used state institutions to protect himself during his presidency. Witnesses have described how vast sums of money were allegedly stolen from the security agency and funnelled to Mr Zuma’s allies How money was allegedly given to media companies to influence their cove...

Juventus forward Cristiano Ronaldo is under investigation by police in the Italian city of Aosta over a ski trip which may have broken the country’s COVID-19 laws. Ronaldo and his girlfriend, Georgina Rodriguez, were seen skiing in Courmayeur to celebrate her 27th birthday on January 27, but trips to the ski resort are not permitted under the current rules as Val d’Aosta is in a medium-to-high risk orange zone. Exceptions can be made for those who own a second home in the region, but according to ANSA , that’s not the case for Ronaldo, whose actions are now under investigation by local police. This incident has also been reported by Corriere dello Sport, who claim that Ronaldo and Rodriguez took a snowmobile ride before settling down for the night in a hotel that was actually closed to the public. Ronaldo tried to keep the getaway under the radar, but images of the trip surfaced on social media and attracted the attention of the local police. The pictures and videos have si...

Though the die is cast and the democrats are determined to impeach former American President, Donald Trump, for what they described as “incitement of insurrection,” there are several issues that will determine whether he can survive it or not. One of the issues is partisan politics. It would take a two-third majority (67 votes) to convict the former president. But the question is: will the democrats who are speaking with one voice in the senate be able to muster enough support from the Republicans? One of the features of party politics in any democracy is partisan alliances – the tendency of party members to align with party interest, no matter whose ox is gored. There are already signs that that majority of the Republicans are ready to support the former President in his impeachment trial. This indeed will definitely stall the impeachment process. If for instance, all the democrats and the two independent senators caucusing with the democrats vote for Trump’s impeachment, ...

The Nile Cruiser continues to sail despite the pandemic. Named the Steam Ship Sudan, the cruiser still draws tourists following the trail of the legendary crime novelist, Agatha Christie. "This ship is historical and very unique as it still works with steam. It is also a royal ship as King Fuad sailed on it and also King Faruk after him. This ship was built in England and its launch was in 1885", Amir Attia, Director of the SS Sudan said. The cruiser, which towers over the traditional wooden sailing boats in Southern Egypt, inspired British author dubbed ‘’ the Queen of crime’’. Agatha wrote one of her most famous works, the death on the Nile in 1937. Agatha’s writer’s room is still the most popular among the ship’s 23 rooms and suites. "Some visitors come to the hotel to see where Agatha Christie used to stay, and from where she got her inspiration for the story or some of the chapters of her novel 'Death on the Nile', which was written at the hotel...

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte has condemned weekend riots against newly imposed coronavirus restrictions as "criminal violence". Rioters attacked police and set cars and bikes on fire to protest against a curfew introduced on Saturday. In the southern city of Eindhoven, protesters threw fireworks, looted supermarkets and smashed shop windows. There were smaller protests in Amsterdam, and in some cities and towns around the country. More than 200 people have been detained, police said. "This has nothing to do with protest, this is criminal violence and we will treat it as such," Mr Rutte told reporters on Monday. In Eindhoven, golf balls and fireworks were hurled at police in full riot gear, who eventually used tear gas to clear the crowds. Burning bikes were built into barricades. In the eastern city of Enschede, rioters threw rocks at the windows of a hospital. A Covid-19 testing centre was also set alight on Saturday evening in the northern village o...

The president of Palmas football club and four of its players were killed on Sunday when a small plane taking them to a Brazilian cup game crashed on take-off. The fourth-tier club said president Lucas Meira, along with players Lucas Praxedes, Guilherme Noe, Ranule and Marcus Molinari, all died. The pilot, named only as Wagner, was also killed. "The plane took off and crashed at the end of the runway at the Tocantinense Aviation Association," the club said. "We regret to report there are no survivors." The plane was heading to Goiania, around 800 km (500 miles) away, where Palmas were due to play Vila Nova on Monday in the last 16 of the Copa Verde, a tournament reserved for teams outside the traditional powerhouses of southern and northeastern Brazil. The club did not say what kind of a plane was involved in the air accident, which was just the latest to hit Brazilian football in recent years. In 2016, almost the entire Chapecoense squad were killed whe...

Rafa Benitez has left his position as manager of Chinese Super League side Dalian Professional by mutual consent. The former Chelsea boss said it was for family reasons and the coronavirus pandemic. In a statement on his website, Benitez wrote: “Unfortunately, like so many things in the last year, Covid-19 has changed our lives and our projects.” “From today, both my coaching staff and I will sadly no longer be coaching the Dalian Professional F. C. “It has been an incredible experience and for this, I would like to thank all my staff, coaches, medical and club staff, as well as our players. “The pandemic is still here, for all of us, and supporting our families has been a priority when making this decision.” Benitez had one more season left on his estimated 12-million-pound-a-year ($16 million) contract at Dalian, in China’s northeast. Dalian failed to qualify for the Super League’s Championship stage last season, which was affected by the pandemic, finishing seventh in th...

The second impeachment trial of former U.S. President Donald Trump will begin next week, new majority leader Democrat Chuck Schumer said on Friday. He said the House of Representatives will deliver to the senate on Monday, an impeachment measure, charging Trump with inciting insurrection. The trial process that could ban him from holding office again will begin on Tuesday, Trump: second impeachment trial begins next week “The House will deliver the article of impeachment to the Senate. “The Senate will conduct a trial of the impeachment of Donald Trump. “It will be a full trial. It will be a fair trial,” Schumer said on the Senate floor. His position however differed from former majority leader, Mitch McConnell who had suggested the trial be delayed till early February. This he said was to allow the senate deal with President Joe Biden’s nominees for key posts.

Below is President Joe Biden inaugural speech delivered on Wednesday, January 20, 2021 Chief Justice Roberts, Vice-President Harris, Speaker Pelosi, Leader Schumer, Leader McConnell, Vice-President Pence. My distinguished guests, my fellow Americans. This is America’s day. This is democracy’s day. A day of history and hope, of renewal and resolve. Through a crucible for the ages, America has been tested a new and America has risen to the challenge. Today we celebrate the triumph not of a candidate but of a cause, a cause of democracy. The people – the will of the people – has been heard, and the will of the people has been heeded. We’ve learned again that democracy is precious, democracy is fragile and, at this hour my friends, democracy has prevailed. So now on this hallowed ground where just a few days ago violence sought to shake the Capitol’s very foundations, we come together as one nation under God – indivisible – to carry out the peaceful transfer of power as we have...

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday delivered his farewell speech to the American public, condemning U.S. Capitol rioters and claiming credit for not starting a new war. He also hinted he is not quitting the political space quickly. “Now, as I prepare to hand power over to a new administration at noon on Wednesday, I want you to know that the movement we started is only just beginning.” In his usual character, Trump praised himself for taking on the big issues, on behalf of America. “I took on the tough battles, the hardest fights, the most difficult choices – because that’s what you elected me to do,” Trump said during his speech. “As a result of our bold diplomacy and principled realism, we achieved a series of historic peace deals in the Middle East. It is the dawn of a new Middle East and we are bringing our soldiers home … I am especially proud to be the first president in decades who has started no new wars,” Trump added. Trump condemned, once again, the January 6 ...

Kamala Harris has resigned from the U.S. Senate as she prepares to be sworn into office as the nation’s first female and first African American vice president. She has formally submitted her resignation letter to Governor Gavin Newsom of California, dating it effective at noon. Newsom said he will appoint California Secretary of State Alex Padilla to replace her. Padilla will be up for re-election in 2022. ‘This is not goodbye,’ Harris, the only African American woman in the U.S. upper chamber, wrote in an op-ed for the San Francisco Chronicle. ‘As I resign from the Senate, I am preparing to take an oath that would have me preside over it.’ She noted she was prepared to cast tie-breaking votes in the chamber, which will be a 50 Democrat, 50 Republican split, but added she hoped senators would find ‘common ground.’ ‘Since our nation’s founding, only 268 tie-breaking votes have been cast by a Vice President. “I intend to work tirelessly as your Vice President, including, if n...

Japan’s government on Sunday dismissed suggestions that the 2020 Tokyo Olympics scheduled for this summer could be cancelled owing to the coronavirus pandemic. “We have decided the venues and schedule, and the people involved are working on preparations, including infection control,” the Kyodo news agency quoted government spokesman Katsunobu Kato as saying. The statement came after reports quoted Taro Kono, the minister for administrative and regulatory reform, as saying that “anything can happen” and “it could go either way” with the Games postponed from last year. The government, local organisers and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) have said the Games are to go ahead amid a strict hygiene and safety concept. But doubts remain as a state of emergency has been declared for the Tokyo region amid rising numbers of coronavirus infections. A recent survey has also said 80 per cent of Japanese believed the Games would be postponed or cancelled again. (dpa)

Ugandan President, Yoweri Museveni has won a 6th term as president, extending his 35 years in office. He won 58.6.% of the vote while his nearest rival Robert Kyagulanyi, known as Bobi Wine, took 34.8%. The result was announced by the Uganda Electoral Commission. Mr Wine, a former pop star, earlier vowed to provide evidence of fraud. The Electoral Commission denies there was vote-rigging in Thursday’s poll. According to the BBC, poll monitors have criticised the government closure of internet access. They said this undermined confidence. Mr Wine said he would provide evidence of fraud once the internet was restored. Museveni, 76, who has been in power since 1986, said he represented stability in the country. “The electoral commission declares Yoweri Museveni… elected President of the Republic of Uganda,” election commission chairman Justice Simon Mugenyi Byabakama said on Saturday. He said turnout was 57% of the almost 18 million registered voters. Earlier, Mr Byabakama sai...

China and member-states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have pledged to further enhance their diplomatic relations, media reports said on Friday. According to the reports, this commitment was made following a meeting between Chinese Foreign, Minister Wang Yi, and ASEAN Secretary-General, Lim Jock Hoi, in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei’s capital city. Wang noted that the China-ASEAN relations are the most dynamic and fruitful ones and have become an important pillar for regional peace and stability, development and prosperity. He said China appreciates the important contribution made by the ASEAN Secretariat to promote the development of China-ASEAN ties and cooperation in combating COVID-19 pandemic. Wang expressed his hope that both sides organise a series of commemorative events to mark the 30th anniversary of the China-ASEAN dialogue relations this year. This, he said, would entail implementing the five-year action plan, elevate the China-ASEAN relatio...

Former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has been urgently admitted to hospital in Monaco because of heart problems, a spokesman and his doctor said on Thursday. The 84-year-old media tycoon, infamous for his ‘bunga bunga’ sex parties, ‘is at the Cardiothoracic Hospital in Monaco for tests.’ ‘He will return home within a few days’, his spokesman told AFP news agency. Berlusconi’s personal doctor Alberto Zangrillo said he saw Berlusconi on Monday and decided to transfer him to a nearby hospital because he did not think it prudent to bring him to Italy, which is some 15 km (10 miles) from the small city-state. Italy’s ANSA news agency first reported the news. It was not immediately clear if the health emergency had been overcome. The 84-year-old media tycoon underwent major heart surgery in 2016 and has also survived prostate cancer. Last September he was hospitalized after contracting coronavirus. He later told reporters that the virus had posed “the most dangerous ch...

Outgoing U.S. President Donald Trump is soft-pedaling on his incendiary rhetorics, appealing for non-violence by his supporters, said to be planning demonstrations up till Joe Biden’s inauguration next week. His speech that came about an hour after he was impeached by the House of Representatives for incitement of insurrection, was loudly silent about the unprecedented second indictment, the first to be earned by an American president. He however gave adequate hints that demonstrations by his mob of supporters were in the offing, except that he has appealed for non-violence and respect of the law enforcement officers. He acknowledged being briefed on new threats of violence as President-elect Joe Biden prepares to take the oath of office. “There must be no violence, no law breaking and no vandalism of any kind. Everyone must follow our laws and obey the instructions of law enforcement,” Trump said, in an appeal intended to calm his supporters. For the second time, he ‘unequ...

Outgoing U.S. President Donald Trump said there was tremendous anger in the country about impeachment moves by the House of Representatives. But he quickly added that he did not want violence. He was reacting for the first time to the impeachment move by the House, the second time in his tumultuous four years at White House. He sounded unapologetic about the speech at a White House rally, in which he clearly asked his hordes of supporters to march on the U.S. Capitol. Denying he triggered the mayhem in the US Capitol, Trump claimed that his rally speech to the MAGA supporters who stormed their way in, killing a police officer, was ‘totally appropriate.’ ‘They’ve analysed my speech, my words and my final paragraph, my final sentence and everybody just thought it was totally appropriate,’ he claimed. The House in the impeachment article accused Trump of inciting insurrection. “I want no violence,” Trump told reporters as he left for a trip to the border wall in Alamo, Texas. ...

For the second time in about two hours there's news of a fresh development in toilet tech. Japanese firm Toto has announced a lavatory that checks each user's health every time they make use of it. The company says the device uses a range of sensors to scan each person's body and its "key outputs" to provide a status update. In case there's any doubt, the press release makes clear this is a polite reference to poo. "A wealth of wellness data can be collected from faecal matter," it says. In addition, readings are taken from users' skin, where it comes into contact with the seat. An accompanying app promises to help owners track their mental and physical status and recommend lifestyle changes. Although it remains a concept for the time being, the firm says it intends to start offering an internet-connected version of the appliance "in the next several years". It may sound amusing, but there's potentially huge benefits in ...

Fabrizio Soccorsi, the personal doctor of Pope Francis, has died due to complications from the novel coronavirus. The demise of Fabrizio was announced by Catholic News Agency (CNA), quoting the Vatican newspaper L’Osservatore Romano. CNA said Dr. Fabrizio Soccorsi was being treated for an oncological pathology when he died at Rome’s Gemelli hospital. However, It’s unclear when he last had direct contact with the pontiff. Pope Francis had tapped Soccorsi as his personal doctor in 2015. However, the pope had announced on Saturday that he planned to get a COVID-19 shot next week as part of a vaccination program at the Vatican. “I believe that ethically everyone should take the vaccine,” the pope said in an interview with TV station Canale 5. “It is an ethical choice because you are gambling with your health, with your life, but you are also gambling with the lives of others.” This article first appeared in the New York Post.

The fate of 62 people on board the Sriwijaya Air plane which crashed into the sea on Saturday is yet unknown, since the wreckage has not been found. The plane a Boeing 737-500 crashed minutes after taking off from Indonesia’s capital Jakarta. Its destination was Pontianak in West Kalimantan. It disappeared from radar screens after taking off just after 2.30 p.m. (0730 GMT) – 30 minutes after the scheduled time because of heavy rain. Indonesian Transport Minister Budi Karya told a news conference that 62 people had been aboard Flight SJ 182, including 12 crew. The detik.com website quoted him as saying the plane crashed near Laki Island, some 20 km (12 miles) from the airport. Rescue agency Basarnas said in a statement it would send a team to the Thousand Islands area to help in the search for victims “after the crash of Sriwijaya Air SJ 182”. All those on board were Indonesian, Indonesia’s transport safety committee said. Indonesia’s Navy had pinpointed the site of the miss...

The United Kingdom has extended the travel ban on travellers entering England to 11 African countries. This is in a bid to prevent the spread of a new COVID-19 variant identified in South Africa. The UK made this known in a press statement titled, ‘Travel restrictions update: South Africa ban extended, Israel (and Jerusalem)’ on the UK’s government website . The statement confirmed that the restriction will take effect on Saturday 9th January 2021 and remain in place for two weeks. The UK had on December 23, 2020, imposed a travel ban on South Africa following new data on the steep rise in the incidence of the new variant, that has vastly increased the risk of community transmission between 9 other southern African countries, as well as, the Seychelles and Mauritius, which both have strong travel links with South Africa. Part of the statement reads, “Entry into England will be banned to those who have travelled from or through any southern African country in the last 10 day...

U.S. Transportation Secretary, Elaine Chao, has announced her resignation over Wednesday’s breach of the Capital Hill by supporters of President Donald Trump. She is the first cabinet member to quit over the incident, which drew outrage from within the country and around the world. “Yesterday, our country experienced a traumatic and avoidable event as supporters of the president stormed the Capitol building following a rally he addressed. “As I am sure is the awe with many of you, it has deeply troubled me in a way that I simply cannot set aside. “Today, I am announcing my resignation as U.S. Secretary of Transportation, to take effect on Jan. 11, 2021,” Chao, wife of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, said. Several White House officials have resigned since armed Trump supporters stormed the building on Wednesday, forcing a lockdown. Congress was meeting to certify the Nov. 3 election won by former Vice President Joe Biden when the mob struck, shortly after Trump addre...

After a summer of protests against coronavirus lockdown measures, including in Michigan where armed militia members stormed the state capitol, we're now seeing similar scenes playing out in Washington DC. While both chambers of the US Congress were meeting on Wednesday to certify Democrat Joe Biden's win over Donald Trump, the proceedings were interrupted by police clashes with rioters in adjoining corridors. Trump has for weeks claimed to have been the true winner, saying without evidence that the votes cast for Biden in crucial swing states were fraudulent. He and his supporters have been pressing Vice-President Mike Pence to overturn the election result by refusing to certify Biden's win, something that experts agree he does not have the legal power to do. In the days leading up to the certification, Trump said that he would attend the "Save America" rally happening in Washington on Wednesday, promising on Twitter that it would be "very big...

Saudi Arabia and its regional allies look set to end a few years-long blockade of Qatar and re-open its borders in what looks like a breakthrough agreement, due to be signed later on Tuesday, but the million-dollar-question on the lips of many is  —  “ Can Qatar be trusted? ” How it started….. On June 5, 2017, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the UAE and Bahrain cut diplomatic ties with Qatar, closing borders and airspace, and imposing an economic blockade that still remains in place. Saudi Arabia said at the time that the decision was based on “Qatar’s embrace of various terrorist and sectarian groups aimed at destabilizing the region, including the Muslim Brotherhood, Al-Qaeda, Daesh and groups supported by Iran,” as reported in Arab News. The four states, and others that soon joined the boycott, had spent years trying to persuade Doha to stop supporting terrorist groups and interfering in the internal affairs of other countries in the region, including its GCC allies. ...

Egypt has followed with great concern Tut Qalwak’s recent visit to Doha. Qalwak is the security adviser to the president of South Sudan, and his visit has raised suspicions about Qatar’s next moves in the region after the fall of its ally in Sudan, Omar al-Bashir. It seems that Doha is turning to Juba to build new influence there. Political sources in Cairo said that Doha was keen during Qalwak’s visit to know the limits reached by relations between Juba and Cairo, and whether or not South Sudan had promised Egypt to let it build a military base on its territory. Qatar is trying to compensate for the decline of its influence in Khartoum by turning its attention to its rival Juba, as it wants to keep a finger in the pie in a region that is becoming increasingly dynamic on many levels due to the escalation of the roles of the forces involved in the developments there, and to its role in the crises that plague it. On Sunday, Qatari Defence Minister Khalid bin Muhammad al-Attiy...

Recently the Washington Spirit announced that the club is taking part in a cultural exchange with Qatar, and that a delegation from the team left for Qatar on December 12 for a one-week stay, during which they’ll do things like tour the Qatar Foundation’s Education City, hit an event with the Qatar women’s national team, tour the National Museum, and put on a soccer clinic with Best Buddies. According to the club announcement, this is part of the United States-Qatar Year of Culture (they’re unveiling the 2021 Year of Culture logo too), and continues on from an event on February 7 when several Spirit staff and players participated in the Qatar National Day of Sport in Washington, D.C. “Sportwashing” is a term that encompasses the use of sports to help improve the reputation of an entity with a poor reputation, usually due to things like human rights violations. Put on a gaudy international tournament where the only things the cameras see are bright, happy fans and players in...