Welcome to Olamama's blog!!!: May 2018

Thursday, 31 May 2018

Saudi Arabia seeks to criminalize sexual harassment

Saudi Arabia is preparing to outlaw sexual harassment, officials have disloced. This is coming less than a month before the conservative kingdom lifts its decades-long ban on women driving. The kingdom's Shura Council, which advises the cabinet, approved a draft law on Monday which would introduce a prison term of up to five years and a penalty of 300,000 riyals (US$80,000).

After rapping about gin and juice for more than 20 years, Snoop Dogg took it upon himself to mix the largest paradise cocktail of all time over the weekend. During an appearance at BottleRock Napa Valley music festival alongside fellow rapper Warren G and Top Chef Season 6 winner Michael Voltaggio on Saturday, Snoop broke the Guinness World Record for biggest gin and juice by stirring up a drink that contained 180 bottles of gin, 154 bottles of apricot brandy and 38 jugs of orange juice.

Zinedine Zidane says he is stepping down as Real Madrid boss, five days after leading them to a third straight Champions League triumph, claiming the club needs "a different voice".
Zidane told a news conference that "everything changes" and "that's why I took this decision".
He leaves having guided the Spanish club to three successive Champions League titles and one La Liga success since taking over in January 2016.
"I love this club," he added.

Police in Mozambique confirm that 10 people were beheaded in an attack over the weekend in a village near the town of Palma, close to Mozambique’s border with Tanzania, an area where previous Islamist attacks have been reported.

Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich has been granted Israeli citizenship and will move to Tel Aviv where he bought a property, according to media reports including giant CNN and Aljazeera. The move by the owner of the Chelsea football club comes as he finds himself without a visa to Britain. The Kremlin said on Tuesday it was Abramovich's right to take Israeli citizenship.
"The Kremlin doesn't think anything about this," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters when asked about Abramovich's Israel move. "An entrepreneur has received Israeli citizenship. So what? It is his right."
Abramovich, 51, is Russia's 11th-richest man with a wealth of $10.8bn, according to estimates by Forbes magazine. He bought the English Premier League club in 2003. His British visa expired last month but it was taking longer than usual to get it renewed. The British government has also declined to comment on his case.

ABC cancels Roseanne's Show after racist tweet

ABC TV network has cancelled comedian Roseanne Barr's sitcom after she posted a racist tweet likening an African-American former Obama aide to an ape.
ABC said: "Roseanne's Twitter statement is abhorrent, repugnant and inconsistent with our values and we have decided to cancel her show."

Morgan Freeman is fighting back against allegations of sexual harassment and inappropriate behavior. In a 10-page letter from his attorney, the 80-year-old actor has demanded an immediate retraction and an apology from CNN following its report last week in which multiple women accused Freeman of sexual harassment and inappropriate behavior.

Papua New Guinea will ban Facebook for a month while it identifies fake profiles and considers the website's effect on the country. Communication minister Sam Basil said users posting pornography and false information would be identified.

The driver of a Tesla Inc (TSLA.O) Model S crashed into an unoccupied, parked police vehicle in Laguna Beach, California, on Tuesday and the driver told investigators the Tesla was in “Autopilot” mode at the time, police said. The driver suffered minor injuries, Laguna Beach Sergeant Jim Cota said, who posted photos of the crash scene showing extensive damage to the front end of the Tesla and the rear side of the police vehicle.

Tobacco epidemic is one of the biggest public health threats the world has ever faced, killing more than seven (7) million people yearly, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has stated. WHO also declared that about 146,000 adults aged 30 years and above die every year from tobacco related diseases.

Coffee chain Starbucks shut all 8,000 company-owned branches in the US on Tuesday for an afternoon to carry out "racial bias" training. About 175,000 employees are taking part. The aim is to prevent discrimination in Starbucks cafes. The move comes after the firm had to apologise over last month's arrest of two black men who were waiting to meet someone in a Starbucks in Philadelphia. Following the incident, protesters have been calling for a Starbucks boycott.

A man beat up his girlfriend so badly that she needed hospital treatment and the reason he gave is that she had undercooked his chicken Kiev. Scott Howell, 32, an ex-Army reserve soldier, attacked Michelle Mundt, also 32, in anger over his dinner at the home they shared with their baby son in Glasgow, a family friend said. Michell was left with horrendous facial injuries and had to be taken to hospital after the violent assault.

There's nothing quite like the World Cup, and waiting four years for the tournament to return can be challenging. But in between, there's plenty of club soccer, qualifying for the World Cup and various regional competitions for countries to complete it. But we may not have to wait for years for another "World Cup."
Here's what to know about a new potential tournament:

Still fresh from her win against Kristyna Pliskova during the French Open tournament on Tuesday, Serena Williams, 36, isn't taking any breaks when it comes her life on or off the tennis court. And for her latest accomplishment, the tennis phenom just launched her first online shop called Serena. Serena took to her Instagram to share her excitement over her clothing line, which includes an assortment of denim, dresses, leisure wear.

At least 20 people, including civilians, were killed in a suspected jihadist attack in northeastern Mali near the border with Niger, sources said. The deaths came after more than 100 people including many civilians, particularly from the Fulani and Tuareg communities, died in recent months as a result of attacks by rival armed groups in the region.

Two police officers and a passerby were killed on Tuesday night when a gunman opened fire in the eastern Belgian city of Liege. According to a spokesperson from the Liege prosecutor's office, the assailant has since been "neutralized". It is not yet clear what the attacker's motive may have been, the spokesperson added.

Cristiano Ronaldo won the Champions League for a fifth time on Saturday but the striker's petulant posturing over his future has left a sour taste at Real Madrid. While his team-mates were celebrating a record-stretching 13th European crown, earned after a gutsy 3-1 victory over Liverpool, Ronaldo was casting doubt over his commitment to the club.
"It was very nice to be in Madrid," said Ronaldo, who was told it sounded like he was saying goodbye.

Two young women suffered serious injuries after lightning struck them while they were taking selfies in western Germany, officials said on Monday. A spokesperson for Bochum police said first responders found the 23 and 21-year-old women lying on the ground with their clothing torn in the city's Wattenscheid district on Sunday evening.
Paramedics had to resuscitate the 23-year-old and she remains in intensive care with life-threatening injuries, Bochum police spokesperson Volker Schuette said. The younger woman told police the last thing she remembered was walking with her friend on a footpath and recording each other with their smartphones, Schuette told The Associated Press.

South Korean boy band BTS have become the first K-pop artists to reach number one on the US album charts. The K-pop superstars are part of the so-called Korean Wave, the global rise of Korean music, drama and film.
Known for their meticulously choreographed dance style and boyish good looks, the seven-member group is one of the country's best selling musical exports. They have developed a fiercely devoted fan base, who call themselves the ARMY.

A 15-year-old girl, whose dismembered body parts were found in a drain in outer Delhi, India early this month, was murdered for demanding her monthly salary, the police said after arresting one of the killers from Nangloi, identified as Manjeet Karketa. The killers had chopped the victim, identified as Soni Kumari’s body into at least 12 pieces after killing her.
The victim, a native of a village near Ranchi, was hired as a domestic help for a monthly salary of Rs 6,500, but did not receive a single penny for the three years that she worked in Delhi, said Rajender Singh Sagar, additional deputy commissioner of police. She worked as a full-time help at a businessman’s house in south Delhi’s East of Kailash area, said the officer.

Liverpool FC have announced the signing of midfielder Fabinho from Monaco on a five-year deal for a fee of £43.7million plus bonuses worth £4.3million. The 24-year-old Brazil international who will officially join the club on July 1 arrived at Merseyside on Monday with his agent, Jorge Mendes, and his wife to complete his medical and agree personal terms that will keep him at Anfield until June 2023.

The war between G.O.O.D Music rapper, Pusha-T and Canadian rapper, Drake just got messier. Last week, Pusha T released his much awaited Daytona album and seemingly left a message on one of the tracks for Drake. On the track titled Infrared, Pusha-T took shots at Drake with the line “It was written like Nas but it came from Quentin” alluding to Drake’s alleged ghostwriter Quentin Miller.

The President of Mali, Ibrahim Baoubacar Keita, has allegedly asked "spiderman" Mamoudou Gassama to forfeit his newly given French citizenship and firefighter job and return to Mali to become a captain in the Malian Army. Gassama was made an honorary French citizen and was also given a job in the French fire service after he scaled the outside of a four-storey building in just 30 seconds to save a boy hanging off a balcony in Paris. Following the heroic act, he met with French President Emmanuel Macron and was rewarded.

Sex scandal forces Missouri governor Eric Greitens to resign

Missouri State Governor Eric Greitens has resigned amid expanding investigations of a sex scandal and potential violations of campaign finance laws. It was a stunning fall from grace for the military veteran and Rhodes scholar once rumored to be considering an eventual run for the presidency. The Midwestern US state’s legislature, controlled by the governor’s own party, was in the midst of a special session to consider whether Greitens should be impeached, when the governor announced his resignation would be effective Friday evening.

The European Union is proposing a ban on single-use plastics to help protect marine life. The proposals are aimed at outlawing many commonplace plastic items including straws, cotton buds, cutlery, balloon sticks and drink stirrers. The governing body also wants almost all plastic bottles to be collected for recycling by 2025. The plan will need to be approved by the 28 member states and the European Parliament before it can be passed.
The EU estimates that the ban will help:

RAHEEM Sterling has triggered the fury of anti-gun campaigners — by unveiling a new tattoo of an M16 assault rifle on his right leg, The Sun reports. Sterling posted a picture of himself training with his England team-mates at St George’s Park, with the tattoo on his right calf clearly visible.
They called for the striker, 23, to be dropped from the England World Cup squad, with one saying: “That tattoo is sick.”
An anti-gun campaigning mother whose son was shot dead said Sterling’s new tattoo is “an absolute disgrace.”

Austria unveils plan to cut benefits for immigrants

Austria's coalition government has unveiled plans to cut benefit payments for immigrants, including refugees, in a move aimed at deterring new arrivals. The main benefit payment will be capped at €563 ($655; £492) a month, rising to match the amount Austrians receive - €863 - if they pass a German test. Immigrants will also be barred from claiming such benefits for five years.
Conservative Chancellor Sebastian Kurz, in government with the far right, has vowed a hard line on immigration. Mr Kurz campaigned in last year's parliamentary election with pledges to cap benefits for refugees and to shut down migrant routes to Europe.

Paraguay will have a woman president for the first time in its history, at least temporarily, after outgoing leader Horacio Cartes stepped down Monday ahead of schedule. Vice President Alicia Pucheta, 68, will complete Cartes's mandate after he resigned to become a senator.
On August 15, fellow conservative Mario Abdo Benitez, elected in April 22 polls, will begin his five-year term as president of one of Latin America's poorest countries. The parliament is due to confirm Cartes's resignation and proclaim Pucheta as interim president on Wednesday.

Bill Gates warns a deadly disease could wipe out 30 million people in just six months

He’s one of the most highly-regarded figures in the technology industry, and now Bill Gates has warned that a deadly disease could be on its way. Speaking at a conference last month, Gates claimed that the disease could spread in as little as six months, wiping out up to 30 million people in the process.
He said: “There’s one area where the world isn’t making much progress and that’s pandemic preparedness.”

A decision by Australia's former deputy prime minister to sell his story about having a love child with a former aide sparked derision Tuesday and calls for politicians to be banned from paid interviews. Scandal-hit Barnaby Joyce, who was forced to quit in February and move to the backbench over his affair with his 33-year-old former media adviser, will reportedly be paid Aus$150,000 (US$113,000) for a tell-all television appearance by the pair on Sunday.

A buyer with a penchant for vintage denim has plunked down nearly $100,000 for a pair of truly vintage jeans that come from the American Old West. The 125-year-old Levi Strauss & Co. blue jeans, which failed to sell at auction in 2016, now have a new owner somewhere in Southeast Asia.
“It’s somebody who loves old Levis,” said Daniel Buck Soules from Daniel Buck Auctions, who worked for 11 years on public television’s “Antiques Roadshow.”

A man in America died when his vape pen exploded, but how dangerous are e-cigarettes?
The case has made headlines around the world, and is believed to be the first death caused by vaping products in the US. The man, Tallmadge D'Elia, died at his home in Florida when his device blew up and projected fragments into his skull. He was said to have suffered burns over 80% of his body.
But how common are these kinds of incidents?

A 29-year-old "penniless" student has won a TV game show to marry a Russian oil tycoon twice her age and live a life of luxury. Yulia Sveshnikova was chosen by 55-year-old multi-millionaire Konstantin Scherbinin’s four children as a “hot” new bride for their father. Some 2,000 hopefuls applied for the bizarre Russian show, called Millionaire for Marriage.

A 39-year-old spinster in desperate search of a husband has told of how she received 48 strokes of the cane from a pastor so she could get a husband. Princess Josephine Uloma, an indigene of Orlu in Imo state, Nigeria broke down in tears in front of a large congregation in Asaba on Sunday as she told of all the horrible things she has had to endure in her search for a life partner.

Liverpool and Egypt star Mohamed Salah will travel to Spain on Tuesday for treatment on the injured shoulder that wrecked his Champions League final bid and threatens his World Cup participation. Egypt's football federation (EFA) said Salah's entourage had chosen Spain for a rehabilitation programme that Egyptians will hope helps Salah return in time for next month's World Cup in Russia.
According to an EFA statement, Salah will be accompanied by Liverpool's medical staff "for the duration of the treatment period", having "started his rehabilitation on Sunday".

Fashion enthusiasts slam the new Balenciaga double T-shirt Shirt worth £1,000

When people pay £1,000 for a shirt, they expect to get something that is pleasing to the eye, not the T-shirt shirt Balenciaga is offering for the same amount. Fans have criticized the Balenciaga fashion brand for the new double shirt which is part of the Fall 18 collection and will be in stores from June 19th. The shirt is a striped short-sleeved T-shirt with a long sleeved shirt sewn on top and it costs £1,085.

The European Union will deploy observers to Zimbabwe's general election expected in July, the first time in 16 years the bloc will monitor polls in the southern African country.vThe EU and Zimbabwe's government signed a memorandum on Monday outlining guidelines for election monitors.

A 21-year-old rape victim from Georgia was awarded $1 billion (£750 million) in a historic jury verdict believed to be the largest ever handed down in an American assault case. According to court documents, Hope Cheston, was sexually assaulted by an armed security guard at an apartment complex near Atlanta while she was visiting a friend in October 2012. She was 14 at that time of the attack. The guard, Brandon Lamar Zachary, was 22.

(C)Caters

A nurse has designed a hug simulator that mimics comforting parental arms for newborn babies when separated from their parents. Maria Dolores Hernandez, who works at Casa Salud hospital in Valencia on the east coast of Spain, calls her invention “Amb Tu”, which means “with you”.

Equatorial Guinea President Teodoro Obiang Nguema reportedly told his former Zimbabwe counterpart Robert Mugabe he should count himself lucky he’s still alive after last year’s military operation that saw him forced out. Obiang, who has been in power since 1979, was in Zimbabwe for a two-day state visit during which he paid a visit to Mugabe, 94, at his Harare mansion.
"You must be thankful my brother that these people left you alive and you are still at your home," a source quoted Obiang as telling Mugabe, according to the private Standard newspaper.

Ethiopia's state-affiliated broadcaster reports that a landslide triggered by heavy rains has killed 23 people in the country's Oromia region. Fana Broadcasting Corporation reported that the landslide happened Saturday evening after hours of heavy rains in the area. The report said 16 of the fatalities were women. It said six others were injured and taken to health centers after sustaining heavy bodily injuries.

An animal lover changed his will to leave €1 million to his pet dog after the poodle saved his life when he had a heart attack. Pasquale Rizzo (90) left everything he owned to his beloved pet dog who raised the alarm by barking after he suffered a heart attack in Milan, Italy. The grateful pensioner didn’t want his best friend, a fluffy white pooch called Tor, to end up in a dog shelter when he died.

Coca-Cola has launched its first alcoholic drink, a lemon flavoured alcopop, in Japan in a bid to tap new markets and consumers. In a global first for the US drinks giant, three fizzy lemon drinks went on sale on Monday. The product aims at a growing market of young drinkers - especially women.
Described by Coca-Cola as "unique" in the company's 125-year history, the three drinks range from 3% to 8% alcohol. In keeping with the company's tradition, the recipe is closely guarded but the drinks are modelled on the country's popular Chu-Hi drinks, usually a mix of local spirit and a range of fruit flavours.

A bottle of wine dating back to 1774 has sold at auction in eastern France for a record €103,700 ($120,800). The bottle of Vin Jaune (yellow wine) comes from the eastern Jura region and was made using grapes harvested during the reign of King Louis XVI. At the same auction, another bottle of the same vintage fetched €76,250, and a third was sold for €73,200. The three 87cl bottles of Vin Jaune were made by the winemaker Anatoile Vercel.

The creators of the famous children's TV show Sesame Street have launched a lawsuit against an upcoming sex, drugs and violence-laden puppet-based movie called the Happytime Murders. The movie uses the tagline "No Sesame. All Street" on promotional material. The lawsuit says this tarnishes the Sesame Street brand and confuses people into thinking the two are linked. Melissa McCarthy stars in the film, slated for August release, where humans and puppets co-exist. She is given a new puppet partner in the R-rated film to try to solve a string of murders.

Police are investigating death threats made to Liverpool goalkeeper Loris Karius after two of his mistakes played a major part in the English Premier League side's 3-1 Champions League final defeat by Real Madrid. The 24-year-old German and his family have been the focus of social media threats and hate messages after Saturday's match in Kiev, Ukraine.

Qatar has ordered retailers to stop selling products from Saudi Arabia and other countries that severed ties with it almost a year ago. Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Bahrain launched a political and commercial boycott of Qatar last June, accusing it of supporting terrorism. Qatar quickly turned to other countries like Turkey to help replace the supplies of food and other key imports that had suddenly been cut off.

A retired secondary school English teacher has corrected a letter she received from US president Donald Trump and sent it back to the White House. Yvonne Mason, who lives in Atlanta and was a teacher for 17 years, said the letter would have barely passed and corrected its numerous grammatical errors. This included 11 examples of incorrect capitalisation of words such as “president” and “state”.

A Malian migrant hailed as a hero after mounting a daring rescue to save a small boy dangling from a balcony in Paris is to be made a French citizen. Mamoudou Gassama won widespread praise after climbing the outside of the building to save the four-year-old. Video showed him being cheered on by spectators as pulled himself from balcony to balcony to the fourth floor. After meeting him at the Elysee Palace, President Emmanuel Macron said he would be made a naturalised citizen. He personally thanked Mr Gassama, gave him a medal for courage and said he would also be made a fireman.
Watch the video of the rescue after the cut

Kanye West dropped $85,000 on a photo of Whitney Houston's drug-strewn bathroom to use as an album cover. In an interview this week rapper Pusha-T revealed Kanye- who co-produced his new Daytona album, decided to switch up the artwork, opting instead for the picture of the late singer's bathroom.
'1 a.m., my phone rings, no caller-ID,' Pusha told Power 105.1 of the call he received from the 40-year-old Gold Digger rapper.

Thursday, 31 May 2018

Wednesday, 30 May 2018

Tuesday, 29 May 2018

Monday, 28 May 2018