Day: December 29, 2017

To whom does Buhari’s ‘human side’ matter?

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For politicians, especially presidents, images matter a lot. Perception is reality. The eye can be tyrannical; it demands to be fed with images that contour its bias. That is why leaders meticulously construct their image through appearances. Studies have shown that people do not primarily vote issues but impressions. On that basis, I understand why the documentary, “The Human Side of Buhari,” had to exist. What I do not quite understand is why the material, created to influence our perception of the President, was not subliminally and deftly pushed to…

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Sevilla set to appoint Vincenzo Montella as new coach

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Sevilla have reached an agreement with Vincenzo Montella to become their new coach on a contract until June 2019. Montella will succeed Eduardo Berizzo, who was dismissed after just six months in charge at the Sanchez Pizjuan stadium last week after the team’s poor run of form. Montella had been out of work since parting ways with AC Milan one month ago. In a statement on their official website, Sevilla said that Montella will attempt to end his contract of employment with Milan on Friday before taking training with Sevilla…

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Russia loses £33m satellite over programming error

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Russia lost a 2.6bn-rouble (£33m) weather satellite due to a programming error, the country’s deputy prime minister has confirmed. Meteor-M was launched on 28 November, but the Russian space agency Roscosmos quickly announced that it failed to establish communications with the craft. Roscosmos later stated that the satellite failed to enter into its designated orbit following the launch. Russia’s deputy prime minister Dmitry Rogozin told the Rossiya 24 state television channel that the rocket carrying the satellite had been programmed with the wrong coordinates. Instead of being programmed to take…

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George Weah wins Liberian presidential election

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Former professional footballer George Weah has won the Liberia presidential run-off with 61.5% of the vote. The country’s electoral commission said he had taken 61.5% of the vote from 98.1% of ballots cast. He beat Vice President Joseph Boakai, who took 38.5% of the vote. It means Mr Weah will succeed Ellen Johnson Sirleaf to become president next month, the country’s first democratic transition since 1944. Mr Weah, 51, grew up in poverty in Liberia. He was raised by his grandmother in one of the worst slums of Liberia’s capital…

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India to jail muslims divorcing wives with ‘triple talaq’

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The Indian government on Thursday introduced a bill in parliament aimed at prosecuting and jailing Muslim men who divorce their wives through the “triple talaq”, or instant divorce. Indian muslim women have  complained that ‘triple talaq’ violates their right to equality. In August, the Supreme Court ruled as unconstitutional , the religious practice which allows Muslim men to divorce their wives simply by uttering the word “talaq” three times. Muslim women had petitioned the court, arguing that  husbands who divorce them through “triple talaq”, including by Skype and WhatsApp, not…

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Alabama declares Democrat Doug Jones Senate winner

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Democrat Doug Jones was formally declared the winner of the bitterly contested US Senate race in the southern state of Alabama on Thursday, whittling down the Republican majority in the chamber by a crucial seat. Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill certified the results of the December 12 special election and dismissed claims of voter fraud by the campaign of the defeated Republican candidate, Roy Moore. “This election has been conducted with the utmost integrity,” Merrill told a news conference. “It’s been safe, secure. It’s been credible.” With Jones’ upset…

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Apple begs iPhone users over glitches, offers discounted battery

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Apple on Thursday apologized to its customers for slowing down performance of older iPhone models and said it would discount replacement batteries for some of its handsets. The move by Apple was a response to an uproar from iPhone users — and a series of lawsuits — after news of the battery problems stoked concerns the company was unfairly nudging consumers to upgrade. “We know that some of you feel Apple has let you down. We apologize,” Apple said in a message to customers on its website. “We’ve always wanted…

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Weah wins 62 % of votes for Liberian presidency

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Provisional results just announced by Liberia’s National Elections Commission (NEC) have placed former international football superstar, George Weah, ahead with 720,023 votes or 61.5 per cent. Incumbent Vice President Joseph Boakai is far behind with 451,088 votes or 38.59 per cent. Chairman of NEC, Mr Jerome Korkoya, announced the results at a press conference in Monrovia. Meanwhile, out of a total of 1,198,984 votes cast in the election, the provisional results of 1,176,203 representing 98.1 per cent were announced on Thursday. Obviously,  no more surprise is expected. Senator  Weah is…

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