Pakistan executes Punjab governor’s killer, ex-bodyguard

Pakistan has executed the man convicted of killing the governor of Punjab province, police said.

Mumtaz Qadri was hanged early Monday at a jail in Rawalpindi, the city’s deputy police commissioner said.

Qadri was found guilty of shooting and killing Punjab Gov. Salman Taseer in January 2011.

Thousands of the executed man’s supporters took to the streets in cities across Pakistan as news of his death emerged, and security forces are on high alert for his funeral Tuesday, where large numbers of mourners are expected.

Murdered for opposition to blasphemy laws

Qadri was the governor’s security guard and allegedly killed him because he spoke out against the country’s controversial blasphemy law. The law makes insulting Islam a crime punishable by death.

When the governor spoke to CNN in 2010, two months before his death, he said he didn’t want to abolish the law.

Rather, Taseer said he wanted it “changed in such a way that if you insult any prophet, no matter who he is, then that is a criminal offense. But certainly not punishable by death.”

The day after the governor’s death, Qadri went to court and supporters greeted him with a hero’s welcome. They even showered him with rose petals and put a garland around his neck.

Amnesty: Execution ‘no way to ensure justice’

While lauding the government’s stance against extremism, Amnesty International protested the execution, saying that the “taking of a life is no way to ensure justice for the murder of Salman Taseer,” and called for the country to impose a moratorium on capital punishment.

“Salman Taseer was a brave voice for religious tolerance in Pakistan and his murderer should be brought to justice, but carrying out more killings is a deplorable way to honour Salman Taseer’s life and message,” Champa Patel, Amnesty International’s South Asia Regional Office Director, said in a statement.

Pakistan has executed more than 300 people in just over 14 months, the human rights organization said.

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Conte focused on Italy, not Chelsea – FIGC

The head of Italian football insisted that the national team boss is working hard with the Azzurri rather than thinking about a move to the Premier League

Italian Football Federation (FIGC) president Carlo Tavecchio insists coach Antonio Conte is focused purely on Euro 2016 despite being linked with Chelsea.

The former Juventus coach is widely expected to take over at the Premier League giants ahead of next season.

Despite that, Tavecchio has no doubt Conte is concentrating on the present and Italy, who meet Belgium, the Republic of Ireland and Sweden in Group E in France.

“For me, at the moment, Conte is with the national team and is working with desire, skill and sacrifice,” he said via Gazzetta World.

“We are taking the first steps to do well in the European Championship, but beyond that, only time will tell.”

Former England manager Fabio Capello has said Conte is already “preparing” to take charge at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea, who replaced Jose Mourinho with interim boss Guus Hiddink, are on an 11-match unbeaten run in the Premier League and sit 11th in the table.

 

 

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George Kennedy, Cool Hand Luke star dies, aged 91

George Kennedy, the brawny, Oscar-winning character actor known for playing cops, soldiers and blue-collar authority figures in such films as “Cool Hand Luke,” “Airport” and the “Naked Gun” films, has died. He was 91.

Kennedy died Sunday in Boise, Idaho, said his grandson, Cory Schenkel.

“He passed Sunday morning, due to old age and some health issues,” Schenkel said.

The New York-born Kennedy came by his military gravitas honestly; he served in World War II and spent 16 years in the U.S. Army, many of them with Armed Forces Radio. In the 1950s, he was an adviser to Phil Silvers’ “Sgt. Bilko” show and then started getting acting roles.

Among his early notable films were 1963’s “Charade,” in which he played one of the criminal gang threatening Audrey Hepburn’s character, and 1965’s “The Flight of the Phoenix,” in which he played a passenger on James Stewart’s stranded airplane.

He broke through with 1967’s “Cool Hand Luke,” in which he played Dragline, a convict who resists, and then becomes friendly with, Paul Newman’s Luke character.

“The marvelous thing about that movie was that as my part progresses, I changed from a bad guy to a good guy,” Kennedy said in 1978, according to the Hollywood Reporter. “The moguls in Hollywood must have said, ‘Hey, this fellow can do something besides be a bad guy.’ ”

His performance won him an Oscar for best supporting actor.

Kennedy was, by then, a go-to character actor. He played Joe Patroni, the mechanic and problem solver who was the one constant in the 1970s “Airport” movies. He also starred in 1974’s “Earthquake,” another disaster flick, about a quake that hits Los Angeles.

Meanwhile, he had a number of TV roles, including starring in the short-lived ’70s series “Sarge” and “The Blue Knight.”

But he also had a sense of humor about himself, which came in handy given his beefy, 6-foot-4 frame.

He and Raymond Burr were friendly — Kennedy guest-starred on both “Perry Mason” and “Ironside” — and Kennedy told the Smashing Interviews website that they used to break each other up.

“Raymond and I were big men,” he recalled, noting their height and that “both of us weighed more than a ton and a half each.”

But they found their size entertaining, not intimidating.

“If you can picture this, we’d talk about being big guys, and we would giggle. Now, here was 600 pounds of guys sitting between shots in a couple of chairs and almost breaking them because we’re giggling at jokes. Over all of Raymond’s movies and TV shows, I remember him as a guy who’d giggle with me and didn’t care.”

Kennedy also got to laugh with Albert Brooks, playing himself in 1981’s “Modern Romance,” and Leslie Nielsen, co-starring as Detective Captain Ed Hocken in the “Naked Gun” movies.

 

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Cristiano Ronaldo apologises to Real Madrid team-mates for outburst

The Portuguese star claimed the club would be top of La Liga if every player was on his level after the defeat to Atletico, but explained himself to the dressing room on Monday

Cristiano Ronaldo apologised to his Real Madrid team-mates ahead of a training session on Monday and attempted to clarify comments he made following the derby defeat to Atletico Madrid.

Some 40 hours after losing 1-0 to rivals Atletico, Real’s player were reunited on Monday in the Valdebebas training complex. Zinedine Zidane had scheduled training for 11am following a day off, and in the meantime plenty had been said since match official Clos Gomez blew for full time at the Bernabeu.

Almost all was negative, and much had to do with Ronaldo’s outburst in the mixed zone.

“If all my team-mates were at my level, we might be first,” he said. There was also criticism for the club’s medics, their preparations in pre-season and the team’s current performance, as well as a rousing defence of his own talent and statistics. The consensus was that Ronaldo had shown arrogance and disrespect to his team-mates in his attempt to highlight his own performances.

Ronaldo himself tried to explain on Saturday night that he had been taken out of context, despite the strong words he used. But Monday was the day when he would see those faces he apparently disrespected just 36 hours prior.

Before training, Ronaldo sought to ‘justify himself’ to the dressing room, claiming that he “expressed himself poorly” and did not “wish to annoy any team-mates.”

Ronaldo’s Madrid team-mates, meanwhile, are understood to have played down the significance of the Portugal international’s outburst.

Without a doubt, bridges will need to be mended amongst the players in the Madrid dressing room, and this was a good start to a tough week. Wednesday brings a visit to Levante minus Marcelo, Sergio Ramos, Dani Carvajal, Gareth Bale, Karim Benzema and perhaps Pepe as well. On Saturday Celta Vigo come to the capital, as a forerunner to the massive Champions League clash against Roma on Tuesday.

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Leon Balogun: Nigeria’s new defensive leader

The defender has impressed as Mainz remain on course for a European place next season; have Nigeria found an heir to Yobo?

It was in March 2014, with the World Cup on the horizon, and Stephen Keshi seeking solutions, that Leon Balogun finally made his bow for the Super Eagles. Touted as a solution to a right-back problem that had seen Efe Ambrose act as a stopgap with varying degrees of success, a kind of permanent placeholder, Nigeria could not wait to unwrap its newest gift.

What followed was a freak injury after barely a quarter of an hour, ruling him out of contention for the big show in Brazil. It is a theme that has replayed itself over and again since then though: the Mainz defender missed out on September’s drab stalemate away to Tanzania, then produced a performance of consummate assurance in October’s friendly trouncing of Cameroon, only to crumple again and miss the two-legged rollercoaster against Swaziland.

If he seemed eternally destined to be the bridesmaid, such fears have been largely dispelled by a series of excellent displays in the Bundesliga with Mainz. Led by Martin Schmidt, Karnevalsverein sit in fifth, level on points with Borussia Monchengladbach, who currently occupy the Champions League play-off spot, after 23 games, and have prospered with Balogun pairing Stefan Bell at the heart of the defence.

 

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GOP’s Trump revolt: Too little too late?

The aura of inevitability settling around Donald Trump’s bid for the Republican presidential nomination is finally provoking what many of his GOP rivals have dreamed of for months: a sustained attack by party elders on the billionaire mogul.

Mitt Romney, the 2012 Republican nominee who recently reemerged to predict “a bombshell” in Trump’s tax returns, accused Trump Monday of “coddling … repugnant bigotry” and called his failure to immediately condemn the endorsement of former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke “repugnant & disgusting.” (Trump blamed a faulty earpiece; claiming he misunderstood the question from CNN’s Jake Tapper).

Nebraska Sen. Ben Sasse vowed never to support Trump because of his “relentless focus” on “dividing Americans.” John Cornyn of Texas, the Senate’s No. 2 Republican, predicted that Trump would be “an albatross around the down-ballot races.” Ken Mehlman, who ran George W. Bush’s winning campaign in 2004, penned a Facebook post castigating Trump by stating that leaders shouldn’t need to research whether to reject Klan support. “They also don’t mock people with disabilities, insult war heroes, divide people by religion and nationality, and insult women. #NeverTrump,” Mehlman wrote.

The GOP revolt comes as Trump is poised to cruise toward victory in the Super Tuesday contests — a crucial day in the nomination process when 595 delegates are up for grabs. But the question is whether the Republican outcry against Trump will have any real impact on voters as they head to the polls in more than a dozen states and territories, particularly as he racks up endorsements from key figures like New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions.

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Fuel Scarcity: 166.91m litres of fuel stuck in depots as marketers blame NNPC

About 166.91 million litres of premium motor spirit, PMS, also known as petrol, are stuck in various depots in Lagos, a situation that gave rise to the resurgence of long queues at filling stations in Lagos metropolis and other parts of the country.

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, and its downstream subsidiary, Pipelines and Products Marketing Company, PPMC, are being blamed for the current petrol shortages because of a loading directive not exceeding 50 trucks daily given to the depots. The blame comes as NNPC said it has stepped up collaboration with the Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria, MOMAN, and other downstream industry players to end the resurgence of fuel queues in some major cities across the country, especially in Lagos and environs.

It is uncertain how much fruit this effort will yield as investigations revealed that of an opening stock level of 140.48 million litres of petrol available in 31 depots in the Lagos area yesterday, only 6.09 million litres were loaded out. This leaves an outstanding of about 135 million litres stuck in the depots, which had increased to about 166.91 million litres closing stock at press time. Broken further, of the 59 depots operated by majors, independents and private owners in Lagos, 31 had the available stock quantity, but only 16 depots had “liftable” PMS, that is, had enough stock above the jet stock level or above minimum requirement levels.

Trucks loading Further investigations revealed that most of the depots being used by NNPC/PPMC for throughput or storage purposes were directed not to load above 50 trucks daily, thus compounding the shortages situation, a development that some depots operators cashed in to sell at N105/litre ex-depot, against government’s prescribed N77 per litre. According to one of the depot operators, who preferred anonymity: “No matter the quantity of product NNPC gives us, since they have said not more than 50 trucks per day, we cannot go beyond that. “Our depot is now like a ghost yard, because we’ve finished with the 50, but we still have stock, and there is a long queue of trucks waiting to load outside.”

But NNPC, in a statement, yesterday, said it had “secured the commitment of the leadership of MOMAN for effective collaboration in this regard and assured that the queues will disappear in the days ahead as supplies are ramped up across the country.” The statement signed by the corporation’s spokesman, Mr. Ohi Alegbe, also said: “The corporation noted that to achieve this, truck-out to filling stations in the Lagos area has been increased from the regular 245 to 295 trucks per day (9.7 million) while truck-out to fuel stations in Abuja from Suleja depot has been stepped up to 210 trucks per day (6.9 million litres) from the regular supply of 160 trucks per day.”

It added that “similar increment in supply volume has been activated in Port Harcourt, Calabar, Kano and Kaduna areas to ensure seamless availability of petroleum products across every nook and cranny of the country.” While appealing for understanding and support from members of the public, the NNPC assured that it was doing everything possible to end challenges experienced by motorists, commuters and the general public in accessing petrol. “Within the last 48 hours we have received six cargoes of petrol (270 million litres) and beginning from March 1, 2016, we shall begin to receive one cargo of petrol every day (45 million litres),” the corporation said.

 

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Ese’s father says, Police would’ve killed the matter

The 14 years old Ese Rita Oruru, who was abducted by one Yinusa, alias Yelllow, from her mother’s shop in Yenagoa Local Government Area, Bayelsa State, August 12, 2015, and whisked to Kano State, has been rescued. She was freed last night, following a directive by the Inspector General of Police, Solomon Arase, to the Commissioner of Police, Kano State, Mohammed Katsine, yesterday, to liase with the state’s Emirate Council and relevant persons.

Confirming the rescue in a telephone chat yesterday, Force Public Relations Officer, Mr. Olabisi Kolawole, said Arase had directed that Ese Oruru be given protection, adding that she will be flown to Abuja tomorrow (today) to be re-united with her family. It was gathered that the IG had made arrangements to move the family to Abuja for the re-union with their daughter. Meanwhile, the Emir of Kano, Alhaji Muhammadu Sanusi II, yesterday, blamed police and other para-military agencies over failure to return Ese Rita Oruru to her family.

Ese hails from Uwherun town in Ughelli North Local Government Area, Delta State. Her abductors had earlier rebuffed efforts by her parents to secure her release after they converted the teenager to Islam, renamed her Aisha and betrothed her to Yinusa. I’m grateful—FATHER The girl’s father, Mr. Charles Oruru, said: “Without the support of the media and civil society groups, there is nothing I could have done. Left to the police, the matter would have died a natural death and she would have been lost in Kano.

We are praying for her return so that we can all celebrate. “If they bring my daughter back successfully, I will be very happy. I am like a fish out of water. I have not been myself since she was forcibly taken away from us. “Whenever I think of her, I shed tears. She is only a minor. She was taken away when she was 13 years old, but she is now 14. I do not have many children and the few I have, I make sure I take good care of them because I know they will be great in future.” Emir Sanusi On his part, narrating his involvement in the saga, Sanusi II said: “I ordered Ese’s repatriation since September 2015, through the Assistant Inspector General of Police, Zone 1.

But to my surprise, the issue is still hanging between the Sharia commission, Hisbah and police. Ese-Oruru “Police are those behind this delay. I have done my best for her. It is unfortunate that the police are delaying this matter. “I received phone calls from friends outside the shores of this country over Ese. What I knew was that the matter is something I had settled six months ago.” The emir recalled how he directed that the District Head of Kura, Sharia commission and Hisbah to investigate the allegation Ese raised over threats by her estranged parents to her life, adding that the report confirmed the allegation, while he had since requested police intervention to provide cover.

It’s not Islamic—EMIR The emir, who declared null and void Ese’s marriage to her suspected lover, said: “Ese is underage and she cannot be married off. “Every Muslim also knew that marriage cannot be without guidance. She must be taken back to her parents and can only marry when she is 18 years. “It is unIslamic for someone to marry a lady without approval of the guardian. The abduction of Ese by my subject is worrisome because it will cause disunity among our people.

I feel it is something we should urgently call to order.” The emir also directed the Sharia commission to liaise with the Assistant Inspector General of Police and send the girl back to her family. It was gathered that the planned Bring back EseOruru rally slated for yesterday in Yenagoa by civil society organisations was suspended. Gov Dickson Governor Seriake Dickson, it was gathered, had contacted his Kano State counterpart on the issue and was given assurance that she would be set free.

Executive Director, Kindling Hope Across Nations Initiative, KHAN, Kizito Andah, initiators of Bring back EseOruru, described Dickson’s intervention as heart warming, saying “our governor has stepped in powerfully. That was why the rally was suspended.” The forum also had in attendance, the parents of the abducted child, Mr. and Mrs Charles Oruru; Coordinator, UNICEF Child Protection Network and Bayelsa Legal Aids Council, Kombo Eze; Christian Association of Nigeria CAN, Arch Bishop Jacob Akpiri; Vice President-General, Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, Bayelsa State chapter, and South-South Commissioner, National Hajj Commission of Nigeria, Alhaji Abdulrahman Eneware, among others. Urhobo Monitoring and Development Group, UMDG, led by the President, Mr. Kingsley Oberuruaria, had earlier issued a two-week ultimatum to the Kano State Government and Emir of Kano to produce Ese Oruru.

 

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Police Brutality – Man claims to have been molested by police officers but video-proof shows who really did beat him up

Check out pictures from the legendary Tunde Kelani’s birthday

First of all a happy birthday to him in arrears. The birthday party was so lovely and filled with friends and well wishers. Tunde Kelani celebrated his 68th birthday on Friday the 26th of February with the help of his lovable team and employees who threw him an African themed party. Out of so many special guests we saw; Wole Soyinka, Lagbaja, Adewale Ayuba etc. who graced the even of their ‘padi’ friend. Tunde Kelani has done so many lovely and high quality African movies and we hope he drops something new soon. See more pictures as you read on

Yours Truly JimiVaey

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