Buhari restates commitment to peaceful, transparent elections in 2023

-

June 13, 2022

“Bring the hula!” commanded Grace Jones, standing imperiously on a podium in an explosively feathery headpiece and vertiginous heels, her open coat exposing bare breasts. Even the 25 musicians stirring up the sinuous, funky groove of Slave to the Rhythm were gazing at their leader with expressions of open-mouthed bemusement.

Sights I never thought I’d see: a topless 74-year-old spinning a hula hoop for 15 minutes, all the while singing and grinning fiercely, eventually descending to strut around the polished catwalk stage with the hoop still gyrating around her slender waist, while a dancing crowd roared “Keep it up! Keep it up!”

The Jamaican diva was everything you could have wished her to be on the opening night of the Meltdown Festival she has curated for London’s Southbank Centre: supremely stylish, magnificently musical, kookily charismatic and apparently tuned to a different frequency to the rest of us mere mortals. “Gimme some drugs, man!” the septuagenarian supermodel roared at one point, whilst rolling around the floor, kicking her long legs in the air.

Jones was an hour and a half late taking the stage for her first concert in two and half years, but her audience seemed to cheerfully accept that as par for the course.

“It’s been a long time,” Jones announced as she slowly descended with feline grace, “and it’s like no time at all.”

Credit: yahoo.com

Morocco bans ‘blasphemous’ British film

By

-

June 13, 2022

The ban means the film will not be screened for commercial or cultural purposes in Morocco

Moroccan cinema authorities have banned the controversial British film Lady of Heaven, after it was condemned by the country’s religious council. The film claims to tell the story of Lady Fatima, the daughter of Prophet Muhammad.

The Supreme Ulema Council said the movie was a “flagrant falsification of the established facts” of Islam. There have been protests against the film in the UK. Egypt, Pakistan, Iran and Iraq have also denounced it.

The council accused the film of “loathsome partiality” and accused the filmmakers of seeking “fame and sensationalism” and “hurting the feelings of Muslims and stirring up religious sensitivities”, according to Moroccan state media.

The BBC’s Religion Editor, Aleem Maqbool, says the criticism centres on the the way the Shia Muslim film-maker and cleric, Yasser Al-Habib, has portrayed prominent revered figures in early Sunni Islam, implying that there are comparisons between their actions with those of the Islamic State group in Iraq.

The film’s producer Malik Shlibak has lambasted those who want the film banned on his social media, describing it as bigotry.

Credit: bbc.com

52-yr-old Diddy confirms he’s dating 28-yr-old rapper Yung Miami

By

-

June 13, 2022

Sean “Diddy” Combs addressed his romantic involvement with City Girls rapper Yung Miami during the first episode of “Caresha, Please.” Diddy publicly fessed up to dating City Girls rapper Yung Miami — who, at 28, is nearly a quarter-century his junior. The truth came out during the premiere of Yung’s new series “Caresha Please,” which featured Diddy, 52, as the first guest star.

As their conversation unfolded — and multiple rounds of drinks were consumed — the Bad Boy Records founder progressively alluded to various past experiences shared between him and Yung while dropping hints about future travel together.

“I look forward … to taking you to Mexico,” he said at one point, to which Yung responded, “We going to Mexico?”

Yung looked to have successfully caught the R&B mogul at least somewhat off-guard with her question a few minutes later, asking, “So, what the f–k do you got going on? Like, what’s your relationship status?”

Diddy, after pausing to light a blunt, answered, “I’m single … but I’m dating. I’m just taking my time with life.”

Yung pushed, “Alright. So what we is?”

Diddy then summarized his take on their “status,” telling Yung, “We date. We’re dating. We go have dates, and we’re friends. We go to exotic locations, we have great times, we go to strip clubs, church…”

In response to Yung subsequently prompting him to describe what he likes about her, Diddy elaborated, “You’re authentic, you’re one of the realest people I’ve ever met … you’re a great mother and a great friend. And we just have a good time, you know?”

Diddy’s last serious romantic partner was model Kim Porter, mother to three out of his six children, who died tragically and unexpectedly from pneumonia in 2018.

Credit: pagesix.com

Britney Spears’ mom reacts to not been invited to daughter’s wedding

By

-

June 13, 2022

Britney Spears mom (r) and the singer’s wedding picture (L)

Britney Spears’ estranged mom congratulated the pop star on her wedding to Sam Asghari despite not receiving an invitation.

“You look radiant and so happy!” Lynne Spears commented on Britney’s Instagram post Friday featuring four photos from the ceremony at the bride’s home in Thousand Oaks, Calif.

“Your wedding is the ‘Dream’ wedding! And having it at your home makes it so sentimental and special!” Lynne added. “I am soooo happy for you! I love you!”

Britney, 40, did not invite Lynne, 67, or her dad, Jamie Spears, to her nuptials Thursday following their falling out over her controversial conservatorship, which was terminated in November 2021 after nearly 14 years.

The “Toxic” singer’s sister, Jamie Lynn Spears, was not on the guest list either, although her brother, Bryan Spears, reportedly managed to snag an invite. However, Bryan did not show up.

Asghari, meanwhile, had several family members on hand to watch him exchange vows with Britney, including his three sisters.

Celebrities such as Madonna, Paris Hilton and Donatella Versace, who designed Britney’s wedding dress, were among those in attendance. The Grammy winner and Asghari, 28, started dating in late 2016 after meeting on the set of her “Slumber Party” music video. They got engaged in September 2021.

Credit: pagesix.com

Iraqi MPs resign enbloc to end political paralysis

By

-

June 13, 2022

Iraqi lawmakers from firebrand Shiite cleric Moqtada Sadr’s bloc resigned Sunday, the parliamentary speaker said, in a move designed to up pressure to end an eight-month political paralysis. “We have reluctantly accepted the requests of our brothers and sisters, representatives of the Sadr bloc, to resign,” parliament’s speaker Mohammed al-Halbussi said on Twitter after receiving resignation letters from the 73 lawmakers.

Sadr on Thursday had urged the MPs from his bloc — the biggest in parliament — to ready resignation papers, in a bid, he said, to break the parliamentary logjam and create space for the establishment of a new government.

Parliament in Baghdad has been in turmoil since October’s general election, and intense negotiations among political factions have failed to forge a majority in support of a new prime minister to succeed Mustafa al-Kadhemi.

Credit:rfi

Bolivia ex-President Anez jailed 10yrs for staging coup

By

-

June 13, 2022

A Bolivian court has found former President Jeanine Anez guilty of orchestrating a coup that brought her to power during a 2019 political crisis and sentenced her to 10 years in prison.

Anez, 54, was convicted on Friday of making “decisions contrary to the constitution” and of “dereliction of duty”. The prosecution said Anez, then a right-wing senator, violated norms that guarantee the constitutional and democratic order after Bolivia’s 2019 presidential elections.

Anez maintains she is innocent. Her defence said it would appeal to international bodies to seek justice, and several sectors of the opposition planned marches to protest against the ruling.

The court also sentenced former Armed Forces commander Williams Kaliman and ex-police commander Vladimir Calderon to 10 years in prison. Four other former military chiefs received lesser sentences.

Bolivia has been split over whether a coup occurred when then-President Evo Morales resigned in 2019, with Anez ascending to the presidency amid a leadership vacuum left in his wake.

Credit: Aljazeera.com

Former British soldier dies fighting for Ukraine

By

-

June 13, 2022

Jordan Gatley's family shared a picture of him in Ukraine

A former British soldier has been killed fighting for the Ukrainian armed forces, his family has said. Jordan Gatley, who left the British army in March and travelled to Ukraine, was described as “a hero” by his father Dean in a tribute on social media.

He died in the battle for the eastern city of Severodonetsk, which has seen intense fighting in recent days.

The Foreign Office has said it is “supporting the family of a British man who has died in Ukraine”.

Mr Gatley’s father wrote in a Facebook post that his son had been helping train local forces. He added that Jordan was fatally shot on the front line while defending the city and they were informed of his death on Friday.

He had gone to Ukraine to help “after careful consideration”, he said.

According to the Facebook post, the family “had several messages from his team out there telling us of his wealth of knowledge, his skills as a soldier and his love of his job”.

Credit: bbc.com

‘Heavy’ damage to Damascus airport confirmed after Israeli attack

By

-

June 13, 2022

Syria state media has confirmed that Damascus International Airport has suffered major damage – including to runways – following an Israeli missile attack.

The Syrian transport ministry said in a statement on Saturday that runways remained out of service at the capital’s airport following the attack on Friday, the state-run Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) reported. “Landing and departing flights were suspended today till further notification as a result of the Israeli aggression, since it caused heavy damages to the airstrips in several localities and to the navigation lights in addition to the damages [that] occurred in the airport lobby,” SANA quoted from a ministry statement.

The ministry said that flights are expected to resume “in corporation with air carriers” as soon as repair work is concluded, SANA reported. The airport was targeted by a volley of missiles fired from the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights at approximately 4:20am local time (01:20 GMT) on Friday, state media reported.

Israel has carried out hundreds of air raids since war broke out in Syria in 2011, targeting government troops as well as allied Iran-backed forces and fighters from Lebanon’s Shia group Hezbollah.

Credit: Aljazeera.com

US Senate moves towards limited gun control measures

By

-

June 13, 2022