Nine senior government officials sacked after Dubai ruler holds impromptu office inspection

Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum conducted an unannounced inspection of some government offices and found out that some top employees were absent. According to local media reports, the inspection was to send a message. 

From the videos shared via Instagram, the Sheikh is seen casually moving around a deserted office with empty seats, picking up a book and flicking through it.

 

The next day, the retirement of nine members of Dubai Municipality's executive management, including directors and assistant director-generals in departments such as legal affairs and planning, was announced. 

Sheikh Mohammed reportedly thanked the nine retired officials for their service but said he wanted to allow a new generation of young leaders to take control and provide top-quality services to the public.

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Black schoolgirls in South Africa protest after being told to straighten their hair

Pretoria Girls High School is facing a furious backlash after instructing black school pupils to straighten their hair. Black school girls claim that they have been subjected to racism and that their blackness has been discouraged. They added that school rules forbid African hairstyles such as afro, Bantu knots, dreadlocks and braids.


#StopRacismAtPretoriaGirlsHigh is currently trending in South Africa. Videos and photos of pupils protesting at the school, one of them sporting an afro, went viral over the weekend

A petition STOP RACISM AT PRETORIA GIRLS HIGH which has over 9,889 signatures so far, has been set up asking the authorities to investigate the school. Part of the petition read: 

"Learners at Pretoria High school are demanding that racist practices at the school are brought to an end. Girls attending the school have been forced to straighten their hair; are accused of conspiring when standing in groups and face other intolerable comments and actions"

The Gauteng Department of Education MEC Panyaza Lesufi arrived at Pretoria High School for Girls on Monday to investigate racism allegations by its black learners. He is currently in a meeting with parents, management as well as the school principal Karen Du Toit.

Spokesperson, Elijah Mhlanga told DRUM that it is too soon to determine what action will be taken against whom at the school if the girls’ concerns are valid.

"I can’t have a blanket solution for every time there is an outburst of racism at a school because each case is unique," he says. "We want to know what is going on here before we can make a comment"

The girls also claim they are not allowed to speak their mother tongue and that a teacher called them monkeys when they were singing and chanting in class.

Meanwhile, the situation at the school has escalted with political youth movement gathering outside the main gate. Members of SASCO,COSAS, the African National Congress Youth League and Economic Freedom Fighters tried to force their way into the school premises after the school's management barred parents from coming in to fetch their children.

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Rihanna and Drake kiss at the 2016 VMAs

Drake presented Rihanna the Michael Jackson Vanguard award 2016 and before he handed the award to her, he said:

'She's someone I've been in love with since I was 22 years old, she's one of my best friends in the world. All my adult life I have looked up to her even though she is younger than me. 'She is a living and breathing legend of our Industry...'

Drake, Rihanna and her grandfather

Bride-to-be cries after Groom spends £14k to surprise her with Roman Empire themed-wedding filled with battle scenes

Zoe, 23, dreamed of having an indoor wedding with a classic, girly theme but her groom Matthew, 25, had other ideas, and decided to stage an outdoor, Roman Empire themed affair featuring a battle at an old, crumbling amphitheatre in a muddy field on TV show 'Don't tell the bride'.

Despite the pair being together since they were 12, Matthew had no plans to spend the £14,000 budget on the wedding of his fiancée’s dreams.

Zoe said “My standards are quite high, I do like everything to look nice and clean and pretty, only the best will do.”

Speaking about her wedding, she stresses:

 “If I was to walk into my dream venue I’d want orange and pink, and glitter and gems everywhere. Anything vintage, cute and fluffy. I wouldn’t be happy if it was outside and it was raining, I wouldn’t want to be cold.”

Speaking about his wedding plans, Matthew says: “Because I love history I want to give Zoe a Roman-themed wedding where all the men are dressed as Roman legionnaires and Zoe’s gonna be brought in on a horse-drawn, Roman-style chariot.

“All our family and friends are going to be around us, as the spectators would have been.”

As an extra “surprise”, the wedding will then transform into a battle, with guests – like Zoe’s dad – dressed in full suits of Roman armour holding real weapons.

Matthew admits: “It’s a bit dangerous, but you need a bit of danger I think.”

Matthew then chose an Indian restaurant as a reception venue and told his bride to pack casual, comfy clothes and “maybe make-up” for her hen.

When Zoe saw the wedding was Roman themed, she couldn't believe her eyes and started crying, even the bridesmaids were shocked at such 'poor' planning with £14,000 by Matthew.

Source : Sun UK

83 year old man on wheelchair is eaten alive by his neighbor’s dogs leaving only a third of his body intact

An 83 year old man on a wheel chair, Michael Downing was dismembered by his neighbors' savage dogs in Jacksonville, Florida. Neighbours Mackenzie Partin and Eddie Edwards found his body, which was almost unrecognisable, next to a set of bins last Friday at 4pm, local time. Speaking with WFTV9, Partin said;

“By far it’s probably the worst things I’ve ever seen in my life. “There was only 30 per cent left of his body.”

The dogs slipped through a hole in the fence which divided Downing’s property from dog owner Lephus Fenton’s home.

Partin said the dogs dragged the victim into their yard to devour him.

He said:

“They had dragged him underneath, back up underneath, to eat on him.”

The four dogs have been identified as Rottweiler and German shepherd mixed breeds.

The dogs reportedly ripped the victim’s legs off and ate flesh from his body and head during the terrifying ordeal.

Jacksonville Animal Care and Protective Services is reportedly in the process of having the dogs declared dangerous which would lead to them being put down.

The police haven't yet charged Fenton and no arrests have been made.

59 year old woman falls 35 feet to her death while riding a zip line

A 59 year old woman Werner from Felton, fell 35 feet to her death from a zip line platform in after she allegedly disconnected herself from the safety system, the attraction's operator said Thursday.
Delaware State Police investigators are investigating how Tina Werner tumbled off the platform at the Go Ape Tree Top Adventure attraction in Lums Pond State Park on Wednesday.

Participants at Go Ape courses are equipped with climbing harnesses and two sets of ropes with carabiners that they unclip and clip to safety wires in sequence as they move through the trees and Werner, had completed the required safety training, and was nearing the end of the course when she fell, said Jeff Davis, a spokesman for Go Ape.

He said:

"Participant witnesses have stated that at the time of the accident the participant had unfortunately disconnected herself from the safety system" .

An inspection found that all of the course and associated safety equipment was in sound operating condition, and that "nothing was broken or unserviceable," Davis wrote.

Werner's daughter, Melissa Slater, described her mom as "super fun," and "adventurous." After traveling to Venice, Italy and taking a hot-air balloon ride, Werner had told her daughter Tuesday that riding the zip line was next.
She said of her mum:
"She was finishing her bucket list."

According to the website of Go Ape, which is based in Frederick, Maryland, and operates attractions in 15 states, patrons receive a 30-minute training session before being turned loose on the course, which can take them as high as 50 feet in the air.

Slater said her mom, who was visiting Lums Pond with a friend, was able to complete at least one zip line ride before falling.xx "So she did do it". 

The Spokesperson said the attraction has been closed for now to help with the investigation, and out of respect to Werner's family.
"The Go Ape company is extremely saddened by this," he said. Park rangers and Go Ape employees performed first aid on Werner until paramedics arrived, but she was pronounced dead at Christiana Hospital, Maryland.


Source: Delawareonline.com

Cristiano Ronaldo wins UEFA Best player award 2015/2016

Real Madrid and Portugal striker Cristiano Ronaldo this evening defeated Antoinne Griezmann of Atletico Madrid/ France and Gareth Bale of Real Madrid/ Wales to win the prestigious UEFA best player award 2015/2016.

Cristiano Ronaldo helped Real Madrid win the Uefa champions League and was a major player as Portugal beat so many top European countries touted as favorites to win the EURO cup.

 

Posting a photo of him carrying the award on Instagram, he wrote ''Very happy and proud to win such a special award. Thank you to my team mates from Real Madrid and Portugal!.