MAYEGBA'S BLOG ™ ̷̐ ̈́ ̈́ ̈́ ͂ ̷̐ ̈́ ̈́̈́ ͂ ̐

Fast cars and Hollywood have always been a crucial part of American identity, with the former helping to shape the cool identity of the latter, adding an aspirational accessory to aspirational imagery on screen. In turn, cinema was America’s subconscious writ large; the American dream played out across multiplexes nationwide. Anyone could become anything they wanted, and their exploits were projected before the eyes of millions at 24 frames a second.      In the past decade, the retooled Fast and Furious franchise (the eighth chapter of which speeds into cinemas this week) has taken that relationship to the next level, turning cars into a status symbol of almost religious importance. They’ve always denoted cool, courage and wealth, but now they aren’t just vehicles with which to smash speed limits and chase villains – they are vehicles of social mobility in and of themselves. Few would have predicted it, but right now the clearest example of the American dream on scr...

Bangladesh on Wednesday executed banned Harkat-ul-Jihad al-Islami chief Mufti Abdul Hannan and his two associates for a 2004 attack on a shrine that killed three people and wounded the British high commissioner at the time. Hannan was hanged at Kashimpur Jail in Gazipur along with his accomplice Sharif Shahedul alias Bipul at 10:01 PM (local time), Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan said. His associate Delwar Hossain Ripon was executed in Sylhet jail, the minister added. Gazipur Superintendent of Police Harun Ur Rashid said the autopsies of Hannan and Bipul have been completed and their bodies will be sent to their village homes amid tight security. President Abdul Hamid had rejected their mercy petitions this week. Earlier, the authorities beefed up security in and around the Kashimpur jail. The family members of Hannan – his wife, two daughters and elder brother – met him in the jail this morning. Ripon’s family members also met him at the Sylhet jail. On March 19, the Suprem...

This happened when a tourist tried to get a picture with a deadly cobra wrapped around his neck in Jodhpur.The man while posing did not realize that the reptile had bitten him and lost his life hours later.42 year old Baburam Jakhar has died after been bitten by a snake while posing for a photo with the reptile and it's handler,Indraram Suthar 34,only minutes later he touches his face and asks the snake handler if he had been stung.However, the entertainer ignored him and carried on with the acts. Indraram removed the snake and kept trying to get it to stay put while Baburam waited.Meanwhile Baburam kept touching his temple over and over but he and the others did not seem alarmed. They were unaware that the man had been bitten by the snake until much later. The snake charmer took the victim to a nearby temple and tried to treat him on his own  .When the victim was not improving, he was rushed to local hospital where he was declared dead.The snake handler has been arrested b...

Donald Trump is set to closely hug the Nato alliance he has previously derided as tensions with Russia escalate following last week’s missile attack on Syria. Trump will host Nato secretary general Jens Stoltenberg at the White House on Wednesday and express what a White House official called an “ironclad” commitment to the transatlantic military alliance. Capped by a joint press conference, the White House hopes Stoltenberg’s visit will turn a page after Trump’s erratic dismissals of Nato as “obsolete”, a theme he developed first as a Republican candidate. Aides signaled that the White House has a broader message, aimed at Russia, where secretary of state Rex Tillerson is attempting to cleave an infuriated Vladimir Putin from Syrian proxy Bashar al-Assad. Trump “has been very firm that he is 100% committed to Nato”, a White House official said, a position “probably reinforced by everything that Russia is doing”. White House officials did not indicate that Stoltenberg and Tr...

KEMI OLUNLOYO IN PRISON UNIFORM ABOVE CUFFED TO A MALE PRISONER       A Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, has granted the embattled online blogger,  Kemi Omololu-Olunloyo,  N1 million bail following the bail application of her counsel,  Fatai. O. Lawal.       The trial Judge, Justice H.I.O Shamah, who delivered ruling, on Tuesday, said the Court exercised discretionary power and, also, because the offence for which she was arraigned was bailable. Reading the long list of bail conditions, Justice Shamah said the accused must produce a surety in like sum, adding that the surety must be resident in Port Harcourt metropolis and the person’s address must be verifiable.           Also, the surety,  if a civil servant,  should not be below Level 12 and must submit his or her letter of employment, as well as staff identity card. The surety would also sign an undertaking to ens...

TERRORIST LEADER SHEKAU An “alarming” number of children, most of them girls, have been used by Boko Haram as suicide bombers in the first months of 2017, UNICEF said Wednesday. The Islamists have increasingly been using children to attack crowded markets, mosques and camps for internally displaced people in northeast Nigeria and the broader Lake Chad region. Experts said the number of children used in suicide attacks by Boko Haram surged to 27 in the first quarter of this year, compared to nine over the same period in 2016. Since 2014, 117 children — the “vast majority” of them girls — have been used to carry out attacks in public places across Nigeria, Chad, Niger and Cameroon, said the report by the United Nations children’s agency UNICEF. Four children were used to carry out bomb attacks in 2014, 56 in 2015, 30 in 2016 and 27 in the first three months of 2017, reported UNICEF. “The increase reflects an alarming tactic by the insurgents,” said the report. “This is the...

The crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) deepened yesterday as some leaders of the party in the South West ruled out the possibility of further meeting with the Senator Ali Sheriff Modu faction. The party leaders, led by the governor of Ekiti State, Mr. Ayodele Fayose, National Vice Chairman, South West, Eddy Olafeso and other notable leaders, said the zone has foreclosed possibility of any reconciliation , even if summoned by former President Goodluck Jonathan, who is the party’s leader. The caucus, however, saluted Jonathan’s courage for his reconciliation efforts, particularly the one that ended in fiasco last week, when Sheriff stormed out of a meeting called to reconcile with Ahmed Makarfi group. Addressing journalists after the meeting , Fayose said : “We laud former President Jonathan for the initiative, he has proven to be a good leader. He meant well and we stand by him . But let it be expressly stated that we won’t reconcile with Sheriff. The door of re...

Canada's government is aiming to pass legislation that will legalise the recreational use of marijuana. The bill will fulfil an election promise by Justin Trudeau, Canada's prime minister, who has admitted smoking pot himself in the past. Medical marijuana is legal in Canada, but a doctor's prescription is required. Existing medical marijuana growers with government licenses have expanded operations in preparation for what some in the Canadian news media are calling a "green rush". Supporters argue that benefits include taxing legal marijuana, which could potentially bring in a lot of public revenue. The move also raises questions about who would reap the benefits. Some believe that large companies that will control growth and distribution of legal marijuana will have too much influence over government regulation. "Whether you look at alcohol, tobacco or pharmaceuticals, the government seems to be a lot friendlier to industry interests than p...

      New York – U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday, warned North Korea, saying the country is looking for “trouble”. Trump, on his Twitter handle, threatened to solve the North Korean problem alone should China fail to intervene. “North Korea is looking for trouble. If China decides to help, that would be great. If not, we will solve the problem without them! U.S.A.” Trump tweeted. The president added: “I explained to the President of China that a trade deal with the U.S. will be far better for them if they solve the North Korean problem!”       The U.S. had last week, issued what seemed to be its “last warning” over North Korea’s continued launch of ballistic missiles that threaten the country and its allies-Japan and South Korea. The U.S. Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, in a statement on Tuesday, said the U.S. had spoken enough about North Korea and would speak no further on the issue. “North Korea launched yet another intermediate range...

A pregnant British woman from Leeds who was arrested in Rwanda on suspicion of plotting to undermine President Paul Kagame is back in the UK. Violette Uwamahoro was granted bail last month by a court which ruled that her detention over charges of spreading state secrets was not warranted. Her arrest while in Rwanda for a family funeral caused an uproar, with rights groups calling for her release. Her family wanted the UK to intervene, saying she faced an “unfair” trial. It is unclear whether her return to Britain was facilitated by the British. A spokesperson for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office said last month that consular staff in Kigali were in touch with local authorities over Mrs Uwamahoro’s detention. On 27 March, the Leeds youth worker appeared in court in Rwanda’s capital Kigali, where her lawyers argued for her release. The judge decided there was no evidence which suggested the expectant mother should remain in detention, ordering her release on bail. Mrs Uwa...

Iran has announced sanctions against 15 US companies, alleging they support "terrorism", repression and Israel's occupation of Palestine, in retaliation for measures earlier announced by Washington. A foreign ministry statement carried by the state-run IRNA news agency on Sunday said the sanctions barred companies from any agreements with Iranian firms, and that former and current directors would not be eligible for visas into Iran.It also said any of the company's assets in Iran could be seized. "The sanctioned companies have, directly and/or indirectly, been involved in the brutal atrocities committed by the Zionist regime in the occupied Palestinian territories, or they have supported the regime's terrorist activities and Israel's development of Zionist settlements on the Palestinian soil," the IRNA report said.The report referred to the sanctions as a "reciprocal act," without elaborating. Iran's new sanctions come after US...

BREAKING NEWS!!!    Easter May Be Postponed!!! Report says that Judas is refusing to betray Jesus this year. He claims that 30 pieces of silver is too small to do the job due to the current economic situation and high exchange rate of the US dollar.  He is demanding 100% increment on the amount. Negotiations are still on going. You are hereby advised to free your cows, goats, turkeys and chickens awaiting crucifixion during the Easter season, pending when Judas will receive alert from his bank. Judas and his entire family duly apologize n regret any inconveniences this may cause you. 😜😜😎😎😎 Just for laffs Have a wonderful day ahead

PHOTO USED FOR ILLUSTRATION Abbas Hakimzadeh's jail cell was bleak. High walls, one sink and a window. Just enough light crept in to distinguish between morning and night. This was solitary confinement in Iran in 2009. The government was in the thick of the largest crackdown on political dissent since the 1979 revolution, jailing scores of protesters, intellectuals, and journalists. SPY MERCHANTS: MORE FROM THIS PROJECT Exclusive: Spyware firms in breach of global sanctions Feature: Spying on dissent through illegal means Explainer: What is electronic surveillance? Reporter's Notebook: How we revealed the surveillance world's illegal trades How the dual use ruse is employed to sell spyware Opinion: Infrastructure vulnerabilities make surveillance easy Hakimzadeh spent 120 days living like this, not seeing family or friends - just prison guards and interrogators, who occasionally beat him. Publishing a student newsletter critical of then-President Mah...

FORMER PRESIDENT MAHMOUD AHMADINEJAD In a surprise move, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Iran's former president, has registered as a candidate for next month's presidential election. Ahmadinejad had previously said he would not stand after being advised not to by supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, saying he would instead support his former deputy, Hamid Baghaei, who also registered on Wednesday. He said he remained committed to his "moral promise" to Khamenei of not running for the May 19 election. Khamenei's "advice was not a ban", he said at the interior ministry where registration was taking place. "I repeat that I am committed to my moral promise [of not running] and my presence and registration is only to support Mr Baghaei." Two turbulent terms Ahmadinejad left office in August 2013 after two turbulent four-year terms, leaving the country divided domestically, isolated internationally and struggling economically. In 2009, Ahma...

At least 16 civilians were killed on Monday in the South Sudanese city of Wau, according to the United Nations' peacekeeping mission in the country (UNMISS), with witnesses reporting that government-aligned militia were targeting residents based on their ethnic group. The violence stemmed from an ambush on Sunday of government troops near Wau, leading to clashes in the city the following day, UNMISS said in a statement. Aid workers killed in South Sudan ambush "The Mission mounted two patrols into Wau on Monday and said it had observed the bodies of 16 civilians in a hospital," UNMISS said, adding that 10 people had been wounded. A power struggle between President Salva Kiir and his former deputy Riek Machar escalated into a military conflict in December 2013, leading to tens of thousands being killed and about 3.5 million being displaced.  The conflict has pitted Kiir's Dinka ethnic group against Machar's Nuers. Other ethnic groups have also created ...

Zambian police have arrested opposition leader Hakainde Hichilema for committing "treason", according to his lawyer. Hichilema was narrowly defeated by President Edgar Lungu in an August 2016 election, which he described as fraudulent. His attempts to mount a legal challenge have so far been unsuccessful. Zambia's Edgar Lungu wins re-election as rival cries foul The leader of the United Party for National Development (UPND) arrived at a police station in the capital, Lusaka, on Tuesday after officers raided his home overnight. Authorities allege that Hichilema blocked Lungu's motorcade with his own convoy of vehicles during a traditional ceremony in Zambia's Western Province over the weekend. They say Hichilema's motorcade did not yield after presidential security guards signalled for it to get out of the way. The opposition party has denied any wrongdoing. "They have detained him for having committed treason along Limulunga road by obstruct...

Thousands of demonstrators have gathered in the South African capital Pretoria for protests urging President Jacob Zuma to step down. Wednesday's march to Union Buildings, the official seat of government, was organised by a coalition of opposition parties following nationwide rallies against Zuma last week. The president's recent dismissal of finance minister Pravin Gordhan stoked public anger over government corruption scandals, record unemployment and slowing economic growth. South Africa's President Zuma faces pressure to step down The march was led by the leftist Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) party, along with the Democratic Alliance (DA) and smaller opposition parties. Al Jazeera's Fahmida Miller, reporting from Pretoria, said the opposition parties show unprecedented unity in coming together for the protests. "Last week's protests were organised by the civil society and religous groups. But now we have at least seven political parties who...

Thailand's new king started his reign wresting more power from the junta and purging the royal court's old guard. On April 6 ,  King Vajiralongkorn signed Thailand's 20th constitution. Charters have come and gone in the country since the end of absolute monarchy in 1932, often without much woe or jubilation. While the new constitution was met with similar general apathy, the unprecedented journey it went through offers a rare insight into the secretive new reign of King Vajiralongkorn and his developing leadership style. The King ascended to the throne on December 1 ,  2016, a month and a half after his father died after seven decades on the throne. As the nation mourned the much-loved monarch, the succession caused anxiety among the Thai people about the future of the institution and doubts over the new monarch's ability to fill his father's shoes. Many saw the new King as an erratic playboy more interested in fast cars, parties, and women than in rul...

Hundreds of African refugees and migrants passing through Libya are being bought and sold in modern-day slave markets before being held for ransom or used as forced labour or for sexual exploitation, survivors have told the UN's migration agency. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said on Tuesday that it had interviewed West African migrants who recounted being traded in garages and car parks in the southern city of Sabha, one of Libya's main people-smuggling centres. Refugees in Libya: 'Smugglers have lost all humanity' People are bought for between $200 and $500 and are held on average for two to three months, Othman Belbeisi, head of the IOM's Libya mission, said in Geneva. "Migrants are being sold in the market as a commodity," he said. "Selling human beings is becoming a trend among smugglers as the smuggling networks in Libya are becoming stronger and stronger." The refugees and migrants - many from Nigeria, Se...