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A US police officer who fatally shot a black man in Minnesota in July has been charged with second-degree manslaughter, prosecutors say. Officer Jeronimo Yanez opened fire on 32-year-old Philando Castile after stopping his car in Falcon Heights, St Paul. The aftermath was   streamed live on Facebook   by Mr Castile's girlfriend who was a passenger in the car. The death prompted widespread protests in St Paul. The killing is one of a series of deaths of black men and boys at the hands of police - which has fuelled claims of institutionalised racism in US society. Announcing the charge on Wednesday, district prosecutor John Choi said that evidence, including video from a police car, showed that when the officer approached the car, Mr Castile had calmly told him that he was carrying a gun. Mr Choi said the officer told Mr Castile not to pull the gun out and Mr Castile and his girlfriend both said that he wasn't. He said the officer then screamed, drew his gun an...

Barcelona has struck a shirt sponsorship deal worth £47m a year with the Japanese internet retailer Rakuten. It is one of the biggest football shirt sponsorships yet seen and could make Barcelona wealthier than Real Madrid, currently the world's richest club. The deal will begin with the 2017-18 season and last for four years. It will earn the club at least £188m in that time, with more to come if the team wins the Spanish championship or the Champions League. "This agreement puts us at the forefront of sports club sponsorships, which has always been an objective for the current board of directors," said the Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu. He added that negotiations began in 2015 at a dinner in San Francisco organised by defender Gerard Pique, who is a friend of Hiroshi Mikitani, the chairman and chief executive of Rakuten. The deal with Rakuten may be extended for a fifth year. Rakuten is Japan's biggest e-commerce firm and employs more th...

People in Denver will soon get to smoke marijuana at restaurants and bars —   a first for a U.S. city . Residents voted on the measure during the Nov. 8 election, but it took a full week   for a clear majority of votes   to be tallied. But it's not as simple as just saying people in the city can smoke wherever they want now. click here to watch video. First, businesses will   need to apply for permits   that allow those who are at least 21 years old to consume marijuana in designated indoor or outdoor spaces, and those establishments can only do that if a local business group or neighborhood backs them. It's not just bars and restaurants that can apply. Any public establishment, like yoga studios and art galleries, are covered under the measure. People also would have to bring their own pot. And while patrons will be able to smoke outdoors, the measure only allows for vaping or edible use indoors. Interestingly, lawmakers included clau...

A “fired up” President Obama vowed Monday that Donald Trump will find it’s not so “easy” to roll back his myriad regulatory policies, previewing a long fight ahead between his allies and majority Republicans taking control next year. President-elect Trump has vowed to repeal and replace ObamaCare, while canceling “every unconstitutional executive action, memorandum and order issued by President Obama.” Trump also pledges to sharply increase oil and gas drilling on federal lands while opening up offshore drilling in the Atlantic Ocean and other areas where it is blocked. Further, he wants to repeal the Clean Power Plan, Obama's signature effort to limit carbon pollution from coal-fired power plants. The plan -- the linchpin of Obama's strategy to fight global warming -- is currently on hold awaiting a court ruling. It is all but assured that Trump, together with the Republican-controlled Congress, will try anew next year to repeal or significantly change ObamaCare, f...

The former governor of Niger State, Muazu Babangida Aliyu, has stated that it is wrong to believe that only the woman folks belong to the kitchen. According to him, “men also belong there.” President Muhammadu Buhari had, recently in Germany, declared that his wife, Aisha belonged to the kitchen and the other room in reply to his wife’s protest that some unknown politicians had hijacked his government. Aliyu, who spoke in Minna, Niger State capital, at the annual lecture series organised by Newgate College of Technology, said: “Looking at the issue critically, and in Islamic terms, it is actually the man that should be in the kitchen as provided for in the Holy Quran. “The woman should only be in the ‘inner room,’ while the men should provide all the needs of the woman, including making purchases from the market for the use of the family. “Islam does not permit women to go out indiscriminately, as they are supposed to be in the house taking care of the children.” ...

Gov. Aminu Masari of Katsina State says the state Government is ready to enter into partnership with Pakistan to develop Agriculture, Water, Science and Technical sectors. Masari made this known when the Pakistani High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mr Agah Farouk paid him a courtesy visit on Monday in Katsina. “The Katsina government is 100 per cent ready to partner with Pakistan to develop its critical sectors. “We are aware that Pakistan has all the technical expertise in the areas of health, water resources and science as well as technical education. “Katsina government needs the assistance of Pakistan to bring medical consultants that will assist general hospitals in the state to provide medical service. “We are ready to work with the Pakistani government so as to develop our state in the areas of provision of foundation education in Primary and Secondary schools.” The governor said that the state government was in dire need of the assistance of Pakistan to introdu...

The Katsina State Government has presented a memo before the Katsina State Judicial Commission of Inquiry alleging diversion of N8.6bn by immediate past governor, Alhaji Ibrahim Shema, and other top officials. Counsel to the commission, Mr. Hassan Liman, SAN, stated this on Monday during the sitting of the commission. Liman said the amount was diverted from the accounts of the Ministry of Environment, Department of Community Development, Special Duties, Girl-child Education and the Department of Almajirai Affairs. He explained that available records showed that the funds were allegedly diverted by the former governor and other government officials. According to him, there was no evidence on how the funds were utilized during the period under review. Liman, however, told the commission that the former governor had filed a case before the Court of Appeal, Kaduna, on infringement of his fundamental human rights. He asked the commission to adjourn the sitting pend...

Drinking is not a good idea, but if you most! Drink for peace. #Drink4Peace

The Katsina State Government on Saturday inaugurated a 15-member committee on dialogue and amnesty to parley with cattle rustlers operating in the forests across the state. Speaking while inaugurating the committee in Katsina, Governor Aminu Masari mandated the committee to meet with various gangs of cattle rustlers operating in the state with a view to identifying their grievances, and advice the government, accordingly. He also asked members of the committee to consult widely with stakeholders and engage religious and traditional leaders in order to convince the rustlers to repent and accept government’s amnesty. Mr. Masari expressed hope that after a ceasefire, the rustlers would submit their weapons and be willing to embrace rehabilitation programme for reintegration into the society. “The government decides to employ dialogue after it had used force by about 80 per cent and yielded no much positive results. “The ongoing negotiations are aimed at eradicating the men...

Nigerian fashion designer, Emeka Oparah has expressed willingness to establish a Ghanaian offshoot of his fashion label Ethelberts Clothing in the country to serve the needs of the Ghanaian market. Emeka Oparah who is in Ghana to promote his clothing label, which caters for some notable personalities and business executives, observed that Nigerian and Ghanaian nationals have a love for well-tailored clothes that enhance their personality and style in a personalised and cost-effective way.  He remarked about the considerable sense of fashion that exists between Ghanaian and Nigerian men.  “I’ve been coming to Ghana since 1994 and I can tell how similar Nigerian and Ghanaian styles are. I believed that as a thriving fashion business in Nigeria, it is only right that I come to Ghana and explore the market,” he said.  Emeka Oparah, a corporate communications expert with over 25 years said after practising fashion designing as a hobby for many years, he dec...

A teenager has claimed she is pregnant with the baby Jesus despite failing a number of pregnancy tests and no one believing her. Haley, 19, appeared on the Dr Phil Show where she explained she was certain she was carrying The Messiah and that she had felt him kicking. But the teenager, who also says she has put on 10 kilograms, has failed numerous pregnancy tests and been denied a blood test by doctors. She is set to undergo an ultrasound on an upcoming episode but family and members of her church are certain that she is not pregnant. She told Dr Phil that she knows her pregnancy is real. She said: ‘I was sleeping one night and my baby punched the bottom of my stomach and kicked me, and I can feel his head right here, right below my belly button. ‘I don’t care if my family disowns me. It really comes down to if you’re a true believer in Jesus or not… ‘I don’t care what the home pregnancy test or a doctor says, when I give birth to my baby, no one is going to ...

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has condemned and called on the National Peace Council, the Christian Council, and all Civil Society Organisations to also condemn an attack on the residence of the party's Presidential Candidate, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo by members of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the early hours of Sunday. Describing the attack as provocative, a statement signed by the Communications Director of the party said the party condemns the attack in the "strongest possible terms." It said early yesterday morning, a large crowd of NDC supporters led by one Ako Gunn, one of the Muntie 3 who was recently pardoned by President Mahama after being jailed for threatening to rape and murder the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, massed up in front of the home of Nana Addo, and violently attacked the security detail outside the presidential candidate's house.  But for the speedy intervention of the police, the statement said, things wo...

Rick Ross is trying hard to hawk his Florida home at a $125k discount -- a massive loss for him. Da Boss bought the mansion in 2008 for $1.25 mil and spent $500k on upgrades. He listed the home for $1.5 mil in 2015 and someone made an offer but it fell through, Rick put the house back on the market and a month ago dropped the asking price to $1.375. The house is pretty sweet ... 6 bed, 5 bath 5,695 sq. ft., marble floors, gourmet kitchen, arcade room, 2 recording studios, huge pool, jacuzzi and putting green. It will be the second Florida property Ross has unloaded ... he sold his Fort Lauderdale pad for a skosh over $6 mil earlier this year. The rapper bought Evander Holyfield's Georgia mansion in 2014 for $5.8 mil, so he's got cribs everywhere ... but like another famous rapper said -- mo money mo problems. CREDIT: Tmznews