₦airaland Forum

The European Parliament called on Thursday for Turkey's European Union accession talks to be suspended if Ankara fully implements plans to expand President Tayyip Erdogan's powers, in a vote which Turkey dismissed as flawed and wrong.

The parliament has limited influence on Turkey's decades-old pursuit of EU membership, now in limbo after bitter exchanges between Ankara and some European countries, but the decision highlighted the gulf which has grown between the two sides.

EU leaders have been critical of Erdogan and his behavior toward opponents, both before and after an abortive military coup against him last July.

A year-long crackdown since the failed coup and the sweeping new powers which Erdogan won in a tightly fought referendum in April have raised concerns among Turkey's Western allies.

Erdogan says both the crackdown and the increased presidential powers are needed to help tackle serious challenges to Turkey's security both at home and beyond its borders.

The resolution passed by parliament in Strasbourg "calls on the Commission and the member states... to formally suspend the accession negotiations with Turkey without delay if the constitutional reform package is implemented unchanged."

Some constitutional changes approved in April have already been implemented - Erdogan has been able to return to lead the ruling AK Party, and members of a top judicial body have been changed. Other steps, such as scrapping the post of prime minister, are due to take place within two years.

Opposition parties and human rights groups say the changes threaten judicial independence and push Turkey toward one-man rule. The EU has also expressed concern, although many in the European Parliament believe the bloc has not gone far enough.

"The current strategy of the European Commission and EU leaders seems to wait silently for things to improve in Turkey," said the European Parliament's lead negotiator on Turkey, Kati Piri, criticizing a stance which she said was "feeding President Erdogan’s authoritarianism".

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-turkey-eu-parliament-idUSKBN19R194

Hartford, Connecticut

Population 124,014
Median home value $159,200
Poverty rate 28.3 per cent
Population with a bachelor's degree or above 16.9 per cent
At 10.4 per cent, Hartford has the seventh highest unemployment rate in the US - meaning it's tied with Flint, Michigan and Compton, California.
But to compound problems for the un- and underemployed, the city has one of the highest tax rates in the country.
Goods and services cost 17 cents more per dollar than the American average.
That's led to a drop in population as people leave the city for new opportunities in cities where there are more jobs and lower living expenses - the city's poulation has dropped by 0.7 per cent in the past five years.
Those changes, as elsewhere, have gone hand-in-hand with increasing crime rates (1,141 violent crimes per 100,000 residents) and poverty (at 28.3 per cent, Hartford has double the national poverty level).

5. Memphis, Tennessee

Population 655,760
Median home value $94,400
Poverty rate 26.2 per cent
Population with a bachelor's degree or above 24.9 per cent
While St Louis has the highest crime rate for any city in the US, Memphis has the highest for any major city.
It has 1,740 violent crimes for every 100,000 residents, putting it just a hair's breadth under St Louis.
And its property crime rate is 5,631 for every 100,000 residents - more than double the rate for the nation as a whole.
More than a quarter of the city's population is impoverished, and the average household income is just $55,775.

4. St Louis, Missouri

Population 315,685
Median home value $130,800
Poverty rate 24.9 per cent
Population with a bachelor's degree or above 34.7 per cent
St Louis' poverty rate is more than ten per cent higher than the national average, the result of decades of industrial decline.
That has coincided with increased segregation as affluent whites have fled the city for the suburbs, and an overall population drop of more than 50 per cent since the 1950s.
In the last ten years, the population of St Louis has fallen by 5.4 per cent - whereas the population of the US overall has increased by double that.
That has in turn led to urban decay and the country's highest crime rate for a city, with 1,817 violent crimes reported per 100,000 residents.
That's more than five times the national crime rate.

3. Flint, Michigan

Population 98,297
Median home value $25,900
Poverty rate 40.8 per cent
Population with a bachelor's degree or above 11.8 per cent
Motor City's neighbor has also suffered due to changes in the auto industry and the decline of American manufacturing, with 30,000 jobs now gone from Buick's former auto plant in the city.
Infamously the city has also suffered from drinking water that had not been properly treated for lead contaminants from old pipes.
The population has declined rapidly - at a rate of 12.2 per cent in the last ten years.
It also had the highest poverty rate in the nation of any city in the 2015 data, at 40.8 per cent, with the average income being $25,342 a year.
The figures state above come from 2015 statistics; the most recent census bureau statistics suggest that things have become worse in the year since.
As of June 2016, the percentage of people living below the poverty line had increased to 41.2 per cent.
And the the average household income had dropped to $24,862.

2. Birmingham, Alabama

Population 214,911
Median home value $93,000
Poverty rate 29.2 per cent
Population with a bachelor's degree or above 25.3 per cent
Like Detroit, Birmingham's failing economy has driven away residents while raising poverty levels.
In the past decade, the city has shed 3.3 per cent of its population, while employment has fallen by 0.9 per cent in the past ten years.
Around a third of the city's population is now impoverished, at 29.2 per cent - which is around double the national poverty rate of 14.7 per cent.
And those that are making money are bringing home just $32,378 per household per year.
Those woes extend beyond Birmingham and across the rest of the state, according to AL.com, which reported in 2016 that Alabama had the fourth highest poverty level in the US.

Do you live in one of America's worst cities? Detroit, Birmingham and Flint top list of America's 50 least appealing places to live

The study examined the 551 cities in the US with populations over 65,000
It looked at education, health, crime, property prices, income and other factors
Each city was then given a score and the 50 worst picked out from the results
Detroit, Michigan, Birmingham, Alabama and Flint, Michigan are the three worst
Tourist hotspots Philadelphia and Miami Beach are also terrible places to live


Detroit, Michigan is the worst city in the US to live in due to its urban decay, violent crime rates and dwindling population, according to a new study.
It's not alone in being a dreadful place to reside, however: Birmingham, Alabama and Flint, Michigan take the next two spots.
And there are 47 more cities behind them, ranging from the dusty, deprived city of Merced, California, to tourist favorites Philadelphia and Miami Beach, 24/7 Wall Street reported.

To make the list, the site compiled data on the 551 cities that had populations of more than 65,000 in 2015.
It then rated them on a slew of subjects in nine major categories: crime, economy, demography, education, environment, health, housing, infrastructure, and leisure.
Each of those was then split into sub-sections, so 'crime' differentiates between violent and property crime, while 'health' includes the death rate from illnesses as well as how often people are readmitted to hospital.
Other factors included property prices, poverty and unemployment rates, availability of public transportation and the quality of air.
All data came from 2015 figures.
The statistics were given points and weighted, and final scores handed out to each of the cities to see which were the best and worst on offer.
Below are the top ten worst cities, according to the analysis; the full list can be found at the bottom of the page.


http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4659604/Worst-cities-America-revealed-Detroit-No-1.html#ixzz4lrS4hQIr


1. Detroit, Michigan

Population 677,124
Median home value $42,600
Poverty rate 39.8 per cent
Population with a bachelor's degree or above 14.2 per cent
Seeing downcast Detroit at the top of this list will be of little surprise to many, given its failing fortunes in recent times.
As the US auto industry has come to rely increasingly on automation and foreign manufacturing, employment in the city has dropped off in recent decades - with the population taking a similarly precipitous tumble.
At 677,124, the population is now just a third of what it was in 1950, when it topped out at 1.8 million people, and continued to drop at a rate of 19 per cent over the past decade.
Urban decay is rife in the city, which is clawing its way back from bankruptcy, and its violent crime rate is the second highest in the country at 1,760 crimes per 100,000 residents.
That's left property values at the lowest outside of its neighbor, Flint, with the average occupied Detroit home being worth just $42,600.
And on average Detroit households earn just $25,980 a year - that's under half the national average of $55,755.

While Pacquiao often has a fleet of luxury cars parked in the Manila mansion, the Horns share a 2004 Toyota Camry

Jeff Horn is on track to become Australia's highest earning sportsman if he continues his ascendancy following a shock win over Manny Pacquiao


Horn will bank over $1 million for the win over the 11-time world champion and is set to earn up to $250,000 in endorsements and $10,000 per appearance fee

Jeff Horn defeated Manny Pacquiao by unanimous decision on Sunday to claim the WBO welterweight world championship


The L-shaped house was originally commissioned and designed for wealthy Filipino banker Lorenzo Tan, before the boxer and his family purchased it


The Horn home is vastly less luxurious with a simple shower/bath in a narrow bathroom


While Pacquiao often has a fleet of luxury cars parked in the Manila mansion, the Horns share a 2004 Toyota Camry

The VERY different lives of two world champion boxers: Manny Pacquiao set to return to his $18million Manila mansion as winner Jeff Horn looks to pay off his humble $300,000 home

Manny Pacquiao's 1,500+ square metre Manila mansion in the Forbes Park gated community costs $18 million
Newly-crowned world champion Jeff Horn's Brisbane house in the suburb of Algester cost just $300,000
Pacquiao manor features pool with spa, large koi pond and fleet of luxury cars including Mercedes Benz
Jeff and Joanne Horn have a silver 2004 Toyota Camry sedan and a Rhodesian ridgeback dog named Lexy


Manny Pacquiao's shock loss to little-known Australian Jeff Horn will surely be eased when the boxer returns home to his sprawling mansion.
The 11-time world champion paid over $18 million for the 1,500+ square metre home in his native Philippines in 2011.
Horn's humble Brisbane abode cost the new WBO welterweight champion just $300,000.


Pacquiao's estate is located in Forbes Park, a gated community in the country's capital Manila.
The L-shaped house was originally commissioned and designed for wealthy Filipino banker Lorenzo Tan, before the boxer and his family purchased it.
It reportedly has seven bedrooms, a pool with a spa and a large koi pond.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4663342/Manny-Pacquiao-returns-home-18million-mansion.html#ixzz4lr8t0PE5


The 11-time world champion paid over $18 million for the 1,500+ square metre home in his native Philippines in 2011



Horn's humble Brisbane abode cost the new WBO welterweight champion just $300,000


The Pacquiao mansion boasts a stunning pool with a spa and a large koi pond


Horn on the other hand shares a small house in the Brisbane suburb of Algester with wife Joanne

mazimee:
Only Ugandans can explain why they voted him.

I don't think, Nigerians can vote any celebrity simply because he is a celebrity.

no they didnt vote him because of that..his songs are always against the government of the day.if they allowed independent candidates in nigeria...it would be good..people are sick of parties..they want independent candidates now..he is a ghetto celeb and not a posh one...he is loved by everyone and that is why he won

myd44 please move to the right section.i think i should have posted it on celebs section.

some of his songs


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQusHL3FQUE&index=2&list=PLXO_O5vRBj-o3ZaWcZIdLlKlTjWnxMDtS




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zrjHw6t-MVA&index=5&list=PLXO_O5vRBj-o3ZaWcZIdLlKlTjWnxMDtS



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XIt9DjipMxA&index=18&list=PLXO_O5vRBj-o3ZaWcZIdLlKlTjWnxMDtS



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2EPeXHPbmJQ&index=15&list=PLXO_O5vRBj-o3ZaWcZIdLlKlTjWnxMDtS

Ugandan musician and Afrobeats star Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, famously known as Bobi Wine, has won a by-election in Kyadondo East in central Uganda.

Kyagulanyi, who ran as an independent candidate, beat four challengers by polling 25,659 votes of 33,310 cast. He received congratulatory message from the former presidential candidate for the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) party, Kizza Besigye tweeted:

“Landslide victory for the HE Bobi Wine. Congratulations-PEOPLE POWER!! That's why Wakiso people weren't allowed to vote 2016.

After being declared winner, Kyagulanyi said that he wants to focus on uniting people:

"The first thing I want to do is to reconcile the leaders of Kyadondo East... I want politics to bring us together... just like music does."

The seat was declared vacant last year after a court ruled that the election had violated electoral rules

Kyagulanyi began his music career in early 2000s. Following the 2016 election he released a song titled Situka, which means rise up in Luganda.

Part of the lyrics include a challenge to Ugandans to play an active role in fighting corruption and injustice in their country:

"When the going gets tough, the tough must get going, especially when our leaders have become misleaders and mentors have become tormentors. When freedom of expression is met with suppression and oppression. "

http://www.theeastafrican.co.ke/news/Ugandan-musician-elected-MP/2558-3993850-9rujmyz/index.html



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IszmMqxd51c



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3fqYvqAa_Sg

Barking mad' millionaire dog lovers spend £4,000 on a luxury wedding for their pet chihuahuas including a custom bridal gown and diamond collars (and a gay dog union is next)

Debi and Bob Clark married two of their dogs Honey and Joey
The 52-year-old founder of child modelling agency Bizzykidz and the 70-year-old retired professional poker player have 13 dogs between them
There are four chihuahuas, three Chinese crested, two dobermans, three chi chis, and one miniature Chinese crested, who all live on a four-acre Kent estate
Debi joked that it was 'tongue-in-cheek' but has considered throwing a gay dog wedding for two of her male dogs

One 'barking mad' dog owner loves her pets so much she has spent more than £4,000 on a marriage ceremony for two of her dogs.
Millionaires Debi and Bob Clark share their luxurious four-acre Kent estate with 13 of the most spoilt dogs in Britain and arranged for Honey, her Teacup Chihuahua, to marry long-time partner, Chihuahua-cross, Joey, in a lavish ceremony.
The 52-year-old founder of child modelling agency Bizzykidz and the 70-year-old retired professional poker player even organised for the chihuahua bride - who had her own custom gown and diamond collar - to arrive in a horse-drawn cart.
Debi and Bob's eleven other dogs served as ushers and bridesmaids, and 60 human guests also attended to give their blessing at the extravagant do.


JOEY AND HONEY'S £4,000 WEDDING

Custom bridal gown from China
Diamond dog collars
Horse-drawn cart
Wedding party of 13 dogs, all serving as bridesmaids, ushers and father of the bride
60 human guests in attendance
Doggy wedding planner

Ekaterina was a basketball player but gave up the sport in 2014

Does this 6ft 9ins model have the world's longest LEGS? Former Olympic basketball player, 29, aims to set a new world record with her 52ins pins

Ekaterina Lisina, 29, from Penza in Russia, is the tallest woman in Russia
She now wants to set the world record for being the world's tallest model
Her legs measure 52.4 inches and she towers over the average person at 6ft 9ins


Models are almost always taller than the average woman - but this Russian beauty towers above everyone as she sets her sights on being named the tallest in her industry.
Towering above the average person in the street at 6ft 9ins, Ekaterina Lisina, 29, has already been officially crowned the tallest women in her native Russia.
But the Olympic medallist and former basketball player, from Penza, now wants to set the world record for being the world's tallest model as she switches careers - as well as being awarded a prize of having the world's longest legs.


Ekaterina said: 'The record is held at the moment by Amazon Eve and she is 6ft 8in, which is smaller than me.
'I really want to be in the book of world records as the world's tallest model. I also think I have a chance to be awarded the world's longest legs. My legs are around 52.4 inches, which is longer than the current record holder'.