The Wild Boars youth team caught the world’s attention when they got trapped in the flooded cave for 17 days.
They were all eventually freed in an international rescue effort that involved more than 90 divers.
The cave in Thailand’s northern Chiang Rai province was officially opened to tourists in an inauguration ceremony on Friday.
Jongklai Worapongsathork, the deputy director-general of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation, led the ceremony, which was attended by monks, government officials and park rangers.
Officials allowed 20 people at a time to visit the cave’s first chamber, which will now be open to visitors from 08:30 to 16:30 local time (01:30-09:30 GMT), according to the Bangkok Post.
People queued to enter the cave as it opened to the public on Friday
More than a million people have visited the cave in the past year, but they have not been allowed to go inside.
What happened to the Wild Boars?
The team, aged between 11 and 16, and their 25-year-old coach became trapped on 23 June 2018 while exploring the cave complex, when a downpour flooded the tunnels.
A 17-day effort to rescue them saw experts from various countries volunteering to help.
The 12 boys, their coach and rescuers attended ceremonies to mark one year since they went missing
Former Thai navy diver Saman Gunan died after losing consciousness on his way out of the Tham Luang cave complex, where he had been delivering air tanks.
Netflix has secured the rights to make a miniseries about the rescue, and several books have been published about it.
Enyeama Reveals African Footballer Who Should Have Won World Best Player Award
The ex-Nigeria international made a case for Eto’o, who came third at the 2005 FIFA World Player of the Year award ceremony.
Ex-Super Eagles goalkeeper, Vincent Enyeama, has said former Cameroon forward, Samuel Eto’o, should have won the world best player award before he called time on his career in September.
Enyeama stated this during an interview with GFFN.
The ex-Nigeria international made a case for Eto’o, who came third at the 2005 FIFA World Player of the Year award ceremony, behind Ronaldinho and Frank Lampard.
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“I told them [French media] to their face, it is good to criticise Vincent when he makes a mistake but you all need to praise Vincent like you do to other goalkeepers.
“You don’t praise me when I play good games, you don’t give me the hype. When I deserve an award, you don’t give them to me but when I make mistakes you blast me like I made heaven came to earth. It is ok because I’m African and I’m not French, some of these things happen.
“It is like you want to compare Jay-Jay Okocha, Samuel Eto’o and some of the world best players. It’s like when Eto’o deserved to have won the world best player at a point in his career because he was just too good.
“But he never had it because there’s one Ronaldinho who is Brazilian and one Schevenchko who is Ukrainian. I’m used to this thing but it is painful.
“I don’t think it is intentional. It is just normal, sometimes you don’t like this particular person so much no matter what he does, you don’t praise him,” Enyeama said.
HOT!!!Vincent Enyeama Celebrates Wife, Promise On Their 13th Wedding Anniversary
Pham Thi Tra My and Nguyen Dinh Luong’s families are concerned they may be among the victims
All 39 people found dead in a refrigerated lorry in Essex were Vietnamese nationals, police have said.
The victims were found in a container on an industrial estate last week and were initially thought to be Chinese.
But Essex Police said it was now in “direct contact with a number of families in Vietnam and the UK” and the Vietnamese government.
A number of Vietnamese families have previously come forward fearing their loved ones are among the dead.
Pham Thi Tra My, 26, sent her family a message on Tuesday night, saying her “trip to a foreign land has failed”.
Post-mortem examinations are being carried out on the 31 men and eight women to establish the cause of death.
Assistant Chief Constable Tim Smith said: “At this time, we believe the victims are Vietnamese nationals, and we are in contact with the Vietnamese Government.”
He said police were not in a position to identify any of the victims.
The bodies were discovered in the lorry trailer in the early hours of 23 October
The Vietnamese Embassy in London said it was “deeply saddened” and sent its “heartfelt condolences” to the families of the victims.
“Specific identities of the victims still need to be identified and confirmed by the relevant authorities of Vietnam and UK,” it said.
It said would “closely co-ordinate with the relevant authorities of Vietnam and UK to support the families of the Vietnamese victims, if any, to bring their loved ones home”.
The father of 30-year-old Le Van Ha, who comes from an agricultural part of Vietnam, previously told the BBC he was convinced his son was among the dead.
VietHome, a popular Vietnamese community forum in the UK, said it had passed on the pictures of almost 20 people who have been reported missing to detectives.
Earlier, police in Vietnam’s Ha Tinh province said they had charged two unnamed people with “organising or brokering illegal immigration”.
Le Minh Tuan, pictured here, fears his son Le Van Ha was among the dead in Essex
The driver of the lorry, Maurice Robinson, from Northern Ireland, appeared in court on Monday charged with a string of offences, including 39 counts of manslaughter.
Extradition proceedings have also begun against 22-year-old Eamonn Harrison, who was arrested in Dubin on a European Arrest Warrant.
Police are also seeking two brothers from Northern Ireland, Ronan and Christopher Hughes, who are wanted on suspicion of manslaughter and people trafficking.
Mr O’Rourke struggled to carry the energy of his insurgent Senate campaign into a White House bid
US Democratic presidential hopeful Beto O’Rourke has announced he is ending his campaign.
The former Texas congressman tweeted: “Our campaign has always been about seeing clearly, speaking honestly, and acting decisively.
“In that spirit: I am announcing that my service to the country will not be as a candidate or as the nominee.”
Mr O’Rourke ran for president in March after losing his 2018 bid to oust Texas Republican Senator Ted Cruz.
In that Senate race, he did better than any Democrat had in Texas for decades, running a campaign that invigorated the party nationwide and drew comparisons with former President Barack Obama.
His passionate delivery along with his good looks and background as a skateboarder and a punk rocker endeared him to liberals across the country.
But Mr O’Rourke struggled to carry that energy into a White House race crowded with more than 20 Democratic candidates.
As the initial buzz over his campaign began to subside, Mr O’Rourke, 47, tried to reboot his candidacy. He began to focus on gun control after a mass shooting in August in his hometown of El Paso, Texas. He vowed to remove assault-style weapons from private ownership, saying in one televised debate: “Hell yes, we’re going to take your AR-15s.”
But he could not catch up with front-runners like former Vice-President Joe Biden, Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren and Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders.
Mr O’Rourke also found himself leap-frogged by another young, charismatic, white candidate – 37-year-old Pete Buttigieg, mayor of South Bend, Indiana.
In the latest opinion poll by New York Times/Siena College on Friday, Mr O’Rourke drew the support of just 1% of voters in the crucial early-voting state of Iowa.
He acknowleged in a blog post announcing the end of his presidency that his cash-strapped campaign “does not have the means to move forward successfully”.
He said: “It is in the best interests of this party as we seek to unify around a nominee [that I quit]; and it is in the best interests of the country.”
He also took a parting shot at President Donald Trump. “We confronted institutional, systemic racism and called out Donald Trump for his white supremacy and the violence that he’s encouraged against communities that don’t look like, pray like or love like the majority in this country,” his statement said.
I am grateful to all the people who made up the heart and soul of this campaign. You were among the hundreds of thousands who made a donation, signed up to volunteer or spread the word about this campaign and our opportunity to help decide the election of our lifetime.
Mr O’Rourke had been urged by donors to drop out of the presidential race and run against Texas Senator John Cornyn, who is up for re-election next year. But the O’Rourke camp reiterated in a statement on Friday night that he did not plan on standing for the Senate again.
Mr O’Rourke is not the only once-promising Democratic candidate who is struggling – California Senator Kamala Harris this week scaled back her campaign, firing some staffers and shuttering offices in another key, early voting state, New Hampshire.
From rock star to rock bottom
Analysis
In just about 12 months, Beto O’Rourke went from Democratic rock star to political rock bottom.
During his 2018 Senate race, the former Texas congressman was fundraising like a top-tier presidential candidate. Beloved by Democrats across the country for his youthful energy, his passionate stump speeches became viral sensations.
His obvious political skills in his home state did not translate on to the national stage, however, where a lack of campaign organisation and an inability to stand out on a crowded debate stage cost him dearly.
Mr O’Rourke’s relatively thin CV, which wasn’t a concern for Democrats when he was facing conservative stalwart Ted Cruz in Texas, was also a liability in a match-up against senators and a former vice-president with extensive experience and in-depth policy knowledge.
Some presidential hopefuls can run unsuccessful campaigns and end up with an elevated stature among party faithful – with more political prospects than when they began. Mr O’Rourke, whose campaign started high and trended only downward, was not so fortunate. He may have a second act in national politics, but his 2019 effort will be an experience he will have to overcome, not build on.
Who is Beto O’Rourke?
Mr O’Rourke represented Texas’ 16th congressional district for three terms before running unsuccessfully last year for the US Senate. He travelled to all of Texas’ 254 counties during his Senate campaign, documenting his journey on social media, and broke Senate fundraising records by amassing more than $80m.
He lives with his wife, Amy Hoover Sanders and three children in El Paso. He has an estimated net worth of nearly $9m (£6.7m). His first name is actually Robert, but he is known by his nickname Beto – a common contraction of Roberto, which he says he picked up as a child in El Paso.
Following his November Senate defeat, Mr O’Rourke drew criticism for embarking on a road trip across the south-western US, during which he documented his travels in a blog and admitted he was stuck in a “funk”.
Even supporters questioned why Mr O’Rourke was on the road, leaving his wife at home to look after their children, while other Democratic contenders were assembling staff and funding.
As he launched his campaign, he posed on the cover of Vanity Fair, telling the magazine about the White House race: “Man, I’m just born to be in it.”
He later said he regretted that move because it reinforced a “perception of privilege.”
After Mr O’Rourke dropped out on Friday, President Trump, a Republican, mocked him in a tweet.
Oh no, Beto just dropped out of race for President despite him saying he was “born for this.” I don’t think so!
After days of rumors, Google announced Friday that it would be acquiring wearables pioneer FitBit for $2.1 billion. In an industry where warring tech giants are battling for user loyalty, it’s a big deal.
“It’s not every day a deal like this happens,” Forrester analyst Frank Gillett told Mashable over the phone.
The acquisition could have far-reaching ripples in business, showing that Google is seriously ready to compete with Apple in health and wearables, and up its presence in our lives wherever we go. But, if you’re a FitBit user, what does it mean for you?
Overall, experts agree that change will come, but it will take a while.
“It is a big deal to bring together two technology stacks that were built separately without plans to integrate,” Gillett said. “We won’t see the full fusion for two or three years. This will be slow.”
But slow does not mean everything will stay the same forever. Taking many cues from Google’s acquisition and (slow) integration of Nest, here are the changes experts think Google’s absorption of wearables pioneer FitBit could bring about.
1. Welcome to the Google eco-system, FitBit
If you’re a FitBit user, it might get a bit more convenient to also use Google products. For example, perhaps it will be easier to use Maps or Calendar than other similar products. As another example, Gartner analyst Werner Goertz said perhaps Nest could use location data from FitBit to adjust the temperature or energy output if it determines you’re out of town.
“Integration into an overall Android ecosystem creates additional synergies,” Goertz said. “That can be beneficial to Google, as well as end users.”
2. Make room, Alexa
Right now, FitBit’s smart watch, the Versa 2, comes equipped with Amazon’s Alexa smart assistant. The thing is, Google has its own, competing A.I.: Google Assistant.
Experts don’t think the Google acquisition means FitBit will ditch Alexa entirely. Instead, Google is likely to integrate Google Assistant and offer users a choice of which smart assistant they want to use.
“If FitBit devices are merged into the Google Assistant ecosystem, there will be the tendency for the system to favor Google ecosystems,” Goertz said. “But I don’t think Alexa will be going away entirely, because they want to give users the choice.”
3. New boss, new lewk
One of the reasons FitBit has lagged behind Apple in smart watches was because it started with a low-cost, simple fitness tracker, which it then had to rejigger into a more complicated device. You can expect Google to come in and find a way to keep the accessibility of FitBit (in terms of price and simplicity), but up its technological capabilities.
4. Make no mistake: Google wants that FitBit data
Google said in its acquisition announcement that your FitBit health data will not be used for advertising purposes. However, that doesn’t mean it won’t be used to pad Google’s bottom line.
One of the big ways it will do that is by using FitBit’s enterprise business, in which it has third parties analyze aggregated, anonymous user health data for employers and insurance companies.
“[FitBit has] a bigger integration into enterprise uses than anybody else,” Goertz said. “That’s an asset that I think Google will capitalize on.”
In addition to this aggregated data, integrating FitBit into Google is all about getting to know customers even more deeply, with the sort of personalized data that a wearable provides (like location, or whether you’re someone who uses a FitBit regularly).
“This is not a race against Apple’s smart watch — this is an ecosystem play,” Goertz said. “It’s more about the data, and developing customer intimacy.”
Eventually, Google may roll out more information about how it collects your data with FitBit (as it did with Nest).
“Like Nest, Fitbit didn’t have an unusual focus or attention on data,” Gillet said. “But they will now.”
WhatsApp Update – Fingerprint Lock Feature Now Rolling out to all Android Users. After months of beta testing, Whatsapp Fingerprint lock for Android smartphones is finally here. Android users can now require Fingerprint ID authentication to unlock their WhatsApp application.
The feature was previously announced in January 2019, rolled out to iOS users in February and available to Android beta testers in August, just now it is rolling out globally to all Android users.
You can now secure your WhatsApp conversations with an additional layer of biometric security. This means you can bid goodbye to all those third-party app lockers or the thought of switching to an expensive iPhone just for the sake of this feature.
Once the Fingerprint Authentication is turned on, the widget content will be hidden by default. But users can still answer WhatsApp calls and reply to messages from notifications since the authentication of the fingerprint is only required when the user wants to open the app and access it.
How to Use Fingerprint ID for WhatsApp on Android
Update the app from the Google Play Store to the latest version.
Once the update is installed, open WhatsApp Settings (can be accessed by clicking the three dots present on top right corner) > Account > Privacy.
You will find a new option called ‘Fingerprint lock’ under ‘Privacy’.
Turn on ‘Unlock with fingerprint’ option to enable the feature.
Confirm the selection by touching the fingerprint sensor.
WhatsApp is also giving more options with regards to the new fingerprint unlock feature. Users can choose to let WhatsApp ask for fingerprint authentication as soon as one closes the app or they can set a specific time limit. Additionally, the app will also give an option to hide the content of the messages in the notifications for enhanced security.
Once the option is enabled, users will see the WhatsApp app ask for fingerprint data as soon as one opens it. Once the verification is done, the app will open and the user can access all the chats and messages. The feature should work on phones with conventional capacitive fingerprint sensors along with the modern in-display fingerprint sensors.
See The Ugly Moment Area Boys ‘ATTACK’ Nollywood Actress, Nkechi Blessing and Broda Shaggi On Movie Set
Nollywood actress, Nkechi Blessing today had an ‘unpleasant’ encounter with ‘area boys’ who disrupted her movie set in Langbasa, Lagos.
Sharing a video from the ‘ugly’ incident, the actress wrote:
‘this has to stop,this people expects me to give them the whole of my production money before I shoot? Really? Look at the faces of useless lazy Nigerians youths and this ones will say they have girlfriends too, bastards I swear on my late fathers grave I will find you all and u must pay for every damages’.
She added
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‘thanks to everyone that reached out,I am safe and fine but i still need to point out some things due to some stupid comments I saw about me not giving them money’.
After giving the location manager 10k to settle anyone that might give us issues in the market wey shot first,I personally gave one of the guys that disturbed us earlier extra 5k.
When we proceeded to the estate that dis whole brouhaha happened,I gave Broda shaggi some money to give this guys when he’s leaving,then one of the idiot said how can we give them dt kind of amount that he should give dem 50k,broda shagi had to add extra 10k to the money I gave him earlier from his pocket to give dem,this idiots refused ,and u expect me to do what? Give dem 50k?
Abeg which acct I want write am? Dear stupid Lamsgbasa Boys,I will find you and you must pay dearly ,cus I am sure most of you will see this post,but for now now I am fine and work continues,cus my job stops for no idiot
WATCH VIDEO BELOW:
HOT!!!Comedy Video: Broda Shaggi – Agbero Training (Full Video)
Solange has split from her husband of 5 years, Alan Ferguson.
The singer announced the split, which happened many months ago, on Instagram, writing:
the past 2 years have brought me more physical and spiritual transition and evolution than ever before
my body left me with no choice but to listen and be still
within that stillness i begin my journey in confronting my worst enemy, fear.
ive lived my best and worst moments in front of the lens and gaze of the world since i was a teenager. ive always tried to live in my truth no matter how ugly or full of love it is. ive also tried to carve out the space to protect my heart, and my life as it unfolds, evolves, and changes. 11 years ago i met a phenomenal man who changed every existence of my life. early this year we separated and parted ways, (and tho it ain’t nan no body business ?) i find it necessary to protect the sacredness of my personal truth and to live in it fully just as I have before and will continue to do. it is unfair to not have power of your own story as you shape and mold and rewrite it yourself. a nigga ain’t perfect, but im leaning into the fear of the unknown and all the glory and power i know exist within god and the universes grace. may all of your transitions no matter how big or small, be kind to you and filled with incredible love and light!
Rumours of the break up of her marriage began flying around on Twitter about two days ago, so the younger Knowles sister had to address it.
Solange and video director Alan Ferguson got married in New Orleans in November 2014. Her sister Beyonce, Jay-Z, their mum Tina Lawson, her son from her first marriage Daniel Julez, and other members of her family were present at the wedding, which was an all-white affair.
Apple is a notorious Black-Friday-skipper. When it comes to great deals directly from the company: Zip. Nada. You’re not going to find much of anything.
But because they list so many of their products with major retailers (ie. , , Best Buy — you know, the usual suspects), those sellers are able to offer some pretty sweet opportunities for you to get the Apple device you’ve always wanted. Well, the older ones at least. Don’t expect to see an iPhone 11 Lightning Deal at any point.
Thanks to the team at , we have some insights on what we might see this year in terms of doorbuster deals on Apple products (note that Apple never does an official “ad preview,” so these are mostly educated guesses using data from years prior — aka good data!).
So, without further ado, let’s take a look at the Apple deals we think you might see this Black Friday.
iPhones
When it comes to the world’s most popular array of smartphones, most retailers go the route of including a free gift card with your purchase. Last year, Target bundled the iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and iPhone X with $150 gift cards for multiple carriers. The iPhone XS or iPhone XS Max came with a $250 Target Gift card when activating on Verizon or Sprint.
Shopping super-giant Walmart is also known for being generous with gift card bundles. Last Black Friday, the retailer offered $400 in gift cards with a purchase of the iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and iPhone X (shots fired, Target). Apple’s own gift card offer paled in comparison at just $50 — wow, how nice of them.
So, expect to mostly be getting some store credit when it comes to iPhones — which, hey, isn’t so bad.
MacBooks
PC people, you can keep scrolling — MacBook fans, hold up for a second.
We see MacBook sales regularly during the year (meaning besides just shopping events), so we’re thinking that you’ll probably be able to snag one of these powerful laptops at a pretty decent discount. Last year, Best Buy had up to a $250 discount on select MacBook Pro models, which beat Apple’s offer of up to a $200 Apple gift card. We also see MacBook Pros for around $200 off, and MacBook Airs for about $100 off, on Amazon quite frequently.
Start picking out your software in preparation now.
iPads
Most iPhone users think that also getting an iPad isn’t exactly a necessity (and we tend to agree), but if you can grab one on sale, we say “why not?”
During last year’s Black Friday festivities, Best Buy offered up to $150 off the iPad Pro (for reference, Apple’s own offer was full price with up to a $100 gift card — what’s up with them and gift cards?).
Other highlights of last year’s iPad discounts were:
Walmart and Amazon have consistently better iPad deals than anywhere else, so we think you’ll want to stick with them this year, too.
Apple Watches
Smart watches are getting more and more popular as the years go on, with tons of shoppers subbing out their wrist bling for something more tech-based. Like, come on, getting texts sent to your watch is pretty cool.
Last year, Best Buy offered the Series 3 Apple Watch for $50 off, so you can probably expect something similar, if not a tiny bit cheaper. But, if you’re looking to get a more recent Apple Watch model, the Series 4 was offered at $75 off during this year’s Amazon Prime Day — it’s probably safe to say that we’ll see a comparable deal during Black Friday on the same device.
iTunes Gift Cards
Yes, people still use iTunes (Spotify users, pick your jaws up off the floor, it’s rude).
If you or somebody you know is an avid user of the Apple service, a gift card could be a good get. Best Buy, Walmart, Amazon, Sam’s Club, and Costco all had $100 iTunes gift cards at just $80 last Black Friday, so you’ll most likely see that again.
Note: iTunes gift cards can also be used to pay for Apple Care.
AirPods
Finally, AirPods. Everybody is getting them as of late — try walking down the street and not seeing a pair. Go ahead.
In terms of last year, AirPods were not discounted by Apple or other retailers last holiday season (which makes sense — they were still really new, after all). But, with Amazon now offering a competing product in their new Echo Buds, as well as some promising AirPods discounts during Amazon Prime Day, we think you’ll probably see some sort of savings on the in-fashion headphones.
You’re not going to see the AirPods Pro, though. Trust us. Too new. Too nice.
Cindy has reacted to being called out by a bouqitue owner over not fulfilling her own side of an agreement after allegedly being given a free dress.
The reality show star who was heard talking in a voicenote that has gone viral, described the boutique owner as a clout chaser and also promised to sue her over alleged defamation.
However reacting to the viral voicenote, the boutique owner promised to meet Cindy in court. She also vowed to bring in other vendors who Cindy allegedly “disappointed”.
Saturday’s Rugby World Cup final sees England face the South African Springboks. Both sides are expecting a gruelling defensive battle in the heavyweight showdown in Yokohama, Japan.
“We may have a couple of trick plays on the day but mostly it will stay the same for both sides,” South Africa fly-half Handre Pollard told journalists on Friday, a day ahead of the final of the Rugby World Cup.
The Sprinboks, who beat Wales 19-16 in the semi-final last Sunday, will be pitted against England at Yokohama International Stadium. The white shirts dominated New Zealand’s All Blacks 19-7 in the other semi-final the day before.
This will be a battle between tough, physical defences. And the advantage line will continue to be the key area of focus.
Pollard explained: “It’s up to us to stop momentum at the gain line. It will be a line in the sand and we will be trying to stop them getting over it.”
England openside flanker Sam Underhill was keen to underline the Boks’ strengths: “They are a pretty big side across the board, in the pack with some good ball carriers, and a big threat at the breakdown.”
He added that England would have to “turn up physically” if they are to be world champions for the second time in their history. Their last World Cup final win was in 2003 against Australia, thanks to a Jonny Wilkinson last-gasp drop goal.
Bok brutes against English elegance?
The “Bok brutes”, as some have nicknamed the South Africa players in reference to their height, bulk and physical, confrontational style, will also rely on their pint-sized (5ft7) scrumhalf Faf De Klerk. He summed up his tactics, after the Wales game: “I’m pretty excited when I get a good kick up in the air and I can really start chasing because I know it’s a 50-50.”
England lock George Kruis said the humiliation inflicted on the side then coached by Stuart Lancaster after they crashed out at the group stage – on their home turf – four years ago had a salutary effect on the current squad.
“It definitely helps that we went through that pain,” he added. “It doesn’t mean we’re owed anything but it will go towards making a difference tomorrow”.
He concluded: “We know what’s coming – it’s about manning up and dealing with it.”
Leading the Rainbow Nation into history, whatever the result
Two-times world champions South Africa, now coached by Rassie Erasmus, will be captained by Siya Kolisi, the first black player to lead the Boks.
Saturday’s final marks a 50th cap for Kolisi, who made his debut for his country in 2013 and took part in the 2015 World Cup where South Africa finished third.
His teammate Tendai Mtawarira pointed out what that meant for the Rainbow Nation: “For a young kid from Zwide township in Port Elizabeth to rise above circumstances and become Springbok captain and lead the way‚ he has just been inspirational to South Africans from all walks of life.”
England will be led by Owen Farrell, who can play at fly-half or inside centre. He will win his 79th cap in an England shirt – on top of his four for the British and Irish Lions.
South Africa edged England 15-6 when the two sides last met in a final – it was in 2007 in Paris. Ironically, England coach Eddie Jones was then technical adviser to Springboks head coach Jake White.
Morocco’s penitentiary administration Friday sacked a prison director afer the detained leader of a protest movement complained of being “tortured” and “raped” in jail.
Nasser Zefzafi — who earlier this year lost an appeal against a 20-year prison term — said in a taped message that he “suffered the worst forms of torture” following his arrest in June 2017.
In the message from jail shared widely on social media this week, Zefzafi said he was “beaten up… raped with a stick… forced to undress”.
His father, Ahmed Zefzafi told AFP the audio tape was authentic.
On Thursday the penitentiary administration said it had opened an “administrative investigation” into the details on the audio tape.
And on Friday it announced the sacking of the director of the Fez prison where Zefzafi is detained.
Zefzafi was convicted on charges of threatening state security in June last year, along with three other members of the Hirak protest movement which rocked Morocco in 2016 and 2017.
Their sentences were upheld in April by a court of appeal in Casablanca.
In December last year, Amnesty International said the trial of Hirak members exposed “serious flaws” with some confessing under torture.
The protests took hold in the country’s marginalised Rif region in October 2016.
The social unrest was sparked by the death of a fisherman and escalated into a wave of demonstrations demanding more development in the neglected region and railing against corruption and unemployment.
Authorities accused the activists of having separatist aims.
Zefzafi, who is now 40, emerged as the face of the movement as a result of his rallying speeches, accusing authorities of corruption.
In August he and five other activists issued a statement accusing authorities of torturing them during investigations.
China’s Communist Party says it will continue to respect Hong Kong’s autonomy but expressed impatience with the ongoing unrest at the end of a full session, or Plenum, of its 371 member Central Committee in Beijing.
In a statement, the party said it will protect the “stability” of Hong Kong, which has been rocked by months of unrest.
Led by the Party’s 25-member Politburo, a Central Committee plenum is a closed-door meeting of high-ranking officials where the country’s future direction is discussed. This week’s meeting was the first since February 2018.
In his concluding speech, CPP Secretary Xi Jinping, who doubles as the country’s President, highlighted the achievements of two of his four illustrious predecessors Mao Zedong and Deng Xiaoping, but did not mention the other two, Jiang Zemin and Hu Jintao, the last one being China’s president until 2012.
Historically, party plenums take place on a yearly basis, mostly in October, and only after its members have solved their differences so they can come up with a unified statement.
“The timing of the Fourth Plenum itself is not exceptional,” says Tsang. What was exceptional was the timing of the Third Plenum. That was held much earlier in order to enable Xi Jinping to consolidate his condition within the Party.
The meeting was fast-forwarded to February and Xi Jinping abolished limits for the Presidency, making him China’s President for life, just in time for the yearly session of the National People’s Congress, China’s nominal parliament, to rubber-stamp the decision.
Meanwhile, through a harsh anti-corruption campaign, Xi managed to rid himself of his main opponents and heads the seven-member Standing Committee of the Politburo – the most powerful political body in China – that also includes six of his most loyal followers.
Xi Jinping “managed to consolidate his power. And yet, two years on, he is still consolidating more of his power. It really makes you wonder: will he ever stop?” says Tsang.
The CCP has Hong Kong in the crosshairs
Just after the CCP Plenum was finished, Shen Qunyao, the Head of the National People’s Congress Committee overseeing the Basic Law of Hong Kong, said in a press conference after the Plenum in Beijing that China “will boost efforts to safeguard national security in Hong Kong.
“It means that the Chinese government is determined to persist in a policy which may well end up with a tragedy in Hong Kong,” says Tsang.
“It reflects a complete refusal on the part of the Chinese leadership to see the reality in Hong Kong and acknowledge that the problems in Hong Kong are largely the result of a misguided policy on the part of Beijing under the leadership of Xi Jinping,” he adds.
The leadership agrees to redouble their efforts in implementing a policy that caused the problems in the first instance, thinking that this would therefore solve the problems, says Tsang.
“Which is a rather extraordinary way of looking at how to deal with their problem that they created in the first instance,” he adds.
Patriotic education
National People’s Congress Committee head Qunyao also stressed the importance of stepping up so-called “patriotic education,” especially among civil servants and young people, aimed at impregnating them with the “values of China’s Communist Party” and “Socialism with Chinese characteristics,” ideas that often conflict with the liberal ideas.
It was the very idea of introducing “Patriotic Education” that created a new generation of very young protesters in Hong Kong.
The leading light of Hong Kong’s protest these days, Joshua Wong – who was earlier this week banned from presenting himself as a candidate for Hong Kong’s elections – , was himself a high school student when the original Patriotic Education Campaign was introduced.
“It really created problems which became much more serious as the years went by,” says Tsang.
“Now they would like to make sure that they go back to it more strenuously, and expect that this would resolve the problem. It is going to take a lot more than this to deal with the issues in Hong Kong,” he adds.
Foreign-owned shops in Ghana’s second city of Kumasi, have been forced to close by local traders angry with their illegal presence, according to the head of the country’s trade union.
Joseph Obeng, president of the Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA), said local markets were being invaded by foreigners.
Traders have accused them of selling cheaper products.
“Many businesses, especially those owned by Nigerians, are not legal,” he told AFP.
Foreigners are not allowed to own shops or work in retail in Ghana, but this law is not enforced.
In August, Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari declared all land borders closed in order to prevent any import or export of products via road as a way of combatting illegal goods in their market.
Traders in Kumasi, in the south, want the Ghanaian government to hit back at Nigeria with financial measures and basic law enforcement. Ghana and neighbouring countries have been hit by Nigeria’s ultra-protectionist stance.
But Ghanaian officials have called on traders to call off the forced closures and blockades in the streets, believing that any clampdown could strain relations with Nigeria.
“Their economy is six times more important than ours, why go into confrontation with them?” said Radio Carlos Ahenkorah, the Ghanaian Minister of Commerce.
“I’m on the side of GUTA, I just want us to take our time to find a solution,” he added.
Populist politician and Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage has kicked off his election campaign with an ultimatum to Prime Minister Boris Johnson to drop his deal with Brussels or face a challenge in every seat in the 12 December snap election.
“I will say this to Boris Johnson: drop the deal, drop the deal because it is not Brexit. Drop the deal because as weeks go by and people discover what it is you will have signed up, they will not like it,” Farage said at the campaign launch.
Farage says that a solid 150 seats in Parliament are pro-Brexit and that if the Conservatives do not challenge those seats, his party will put up candidates. If the Tories do not agree to the proposal, the Brexit Party will place candidates for all 650 seats up in the general election, he said.
The ruling Conservative party rejected his threat, reiterating its stance that it would never cut a deal.
“It will not get Brexit done – and it will create another gridlocked parliament that doesn’t work,” said Conservative Party Chairman James Cleverly.
The Tories hold 298 out of 650 seats in the House of Commons, not enough to rely on its own strength. The party needs to work with independent and smaller parties to move forward, and its former Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) alliance is tatters due to the current Brexit plan on the table.
Farage forging ahead
Farage was largely considered an outsider until he was backed by wealthy Eurosceptic financiers. His Brexit vision gained ground with voters who felt ignored by the main parties, which ultimately gave the “leave” vote the edge in the 2016 referendum.
The Brexit Party now proposes to get Labour voters who want to leave the EU on board for the 12 December election. The latest opinion polls show that the party still have a foothold of 10 percent, down from 31 percent at the height of the European Parlimant campaign in May.
For Farage, the “clean-break Brexit” means leaving the EU without a deal. He has called on Johnson to push for a free trade deal instead of the transitional agreement he put on the table. He has proposed that Johnson makes 1 July his deadline for no-deal Brexit.
“Please don’t doubt we are ready,” said Farage. “I hope that common sense prevails over the next new weeks,” he added.
Head coach for Kumasi Asante Kotoko, Kjetil Zachariassen has named his final 18-man squad that will make the trip to Cote d’Ivoire this weekend for their return leg fixture against FC San Pedro in the CAF Confederations Cup.
The Porcupine Warriors are seeking qualification to the group stage of the continental competition after being knocked out of the Champions League by Tunisian giants Etoile du Sahel.
With the team scheduled to fly to Abidjan tomorrow, Coach Zachariassen has announced the final 18-man squad that he believes can get the job done in Abidjan.
Experienced players Jordan Opoku and Augustine Sefah failed to make the team with fit-again Wahab Adams earning a place in the squad.
Besides those two, all the top players of the club made the list as they hope to build on their 1-0 win from the first leg in the crucial return fixture.
The match will be played this Sunday, November 3, 2019.
Below is the list of the final 18-man squad:
Goalkeepers:
Felix Annan and Osei Kwame.
Defenders:
Empem Dacosta, Stephen Ayiku Tetteh, Wahab Adams, Patrick Yeboah, Evans Owusu, Agyemang Badu, Samuel Frimpong.
The final 12, Sinam, Kofi Pages, Kojo Karl, Alibaba, Mawuly, Mimi, Lasmid, Nessa, Derrick, Jeremy, Kwesi Ishe and Singer P, for the first time battled it out with a live band at the national theatre as they were each given the chance to choose any song of their individual international idols to perform live on stage in the hopes of showing their various talents to the rest of the world.
You have followed all the notes, every bar from the auditions, to boot camp, to the semifinals and after weeks of going through various audition stages and intense training, it all came down to the D-day as the final 12 gave Ghanaians a night of incredible display of great musical talent.
The judging panel for the 8th edition dubbed “LIVE YOUR WILDEST DREAM” who had the sole task of getting the contestants on the right track week after week and also determining who makes it through and who leaves the competition is made up of award winning singer song writer Eazzy, celebrated award winning music producer Kaywa and finally, CEO of Lynx entertainment, they were joined by CEO of Palm Media, celebrated music producer and artiste manager, Kiki Banson as guest judge. Hosted by tv3 presenter, Berla Mundi and Media Generals’ Giovani Caleb.
The beat makers, Mix Master Garzy, DJ Breezy and the latest addition, MOG Beatz before the live performance balloted for the 4 contestants each out of the 12 that they will be working with throughout the competition.
MOG mentors’ singers, Nessa, Kofi Pages and Derrick and rapper Alibaba as DJ Breezy takes on rapper, Kojo Karl, singers, Mimi, Kwesi Ishe and reggae dancehall act, Singer P. Garzy, for the rest of the competition, mentors’ rappers, Lasmid and Mawuly, and singers, Jeremy and Sinam.
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