New ISIS airstrike destroys 800-year old mosque in Syria [Report]

New reports claims ISIS blew up the historic great Mosque of al-Nuri and its leaning minaret in Mosul. However, ISIS through its news agency, said US warplanes were responsible for destroying the historic mosque that has towered over Mosul for over 800-years.

US officials have since denied the claims by ISIS saying it's "1,000% false." while Iraq Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said the ISIS act amounts to "an official announcement of their defeat" as Iraqi military commanders confirm that militants blew the mosque up after troops closed in.

The great al-Nuri mosque was built by the Seljuk ruler Nur al-Din al-Zangi Atabeg and completed in 1172. It's most notable feature is the Al Hadba minaret, which leans 253 centimeters (100 inches). The Mosque was dismantled and reassembled in 1942, but the minaret remained one of the few original elements.

"You name him, I beat him" Floyd Mayweather boasts about his upcoming fight with Conor McGregor

Floyd Mayweather was seen in a gym in Los Angeles preparing for his fight with Conor McGregor which will hold on August 26. He spent over four hours training and kept repeating a mantra to himself during the workout

"You name him. I beat him." Mayweather said to himself as he punched the boxing bag.

"I be trying to tell ya'll ... I can get a black eye, a bloody nose. I can have a bad day in the gym. At the end of the day, I don't have a bad payday and I don't have a bad night under the lights," he continued while pacing.

He added, "I get bumps, bruises ... but I don't have a bad night."

Mayweather retired from boxing in 2015 after beating Andre Berto but came out of retirement to fight McGregor. He made the announcement in early May that he was finally going to make the fight between him and Connor happen after weeks of hints and intimations

“For Conor McGregor … I’m coming out of retirement just to fight Conor McGregor. I don’t want to hear no more excuses about the money, about the UFC. Sign the paper with the UFC so you can fight me in June. Simple and plain, let’s fight in June,” he had told the crowd at a promotional event in May.

Source: TMZ

Heartbroken girlfriend hangs herself 2 months after boyfriend committed suicide

A heartbroken girlfriend hanged herself just two months after after her boyfriend took his own life.

Hotel receptionist Laura Bedernyak, 30, killed herself after the death of her football player boyfriend Kyle Jones,29.

The mother-of-one fell into deep depression after talented amateur player Kyle died in January after a New Year's Eve party.

An inquest heard the  receptionist sought help for insomnia, sickness, and depression linked to her grief,Walesonline reports.

Best friend Jody Kennett told the inquest in Aberdare, South Wales, Laura was 'fun-loving' until her boyfriend's death.

Miss Kennett said:

'She became very sad. She told me she was depressed and she wanted to get help.'

Ms Bedernyak, of Brackla, Bridgend, South Wales, told friends and medical professionals she had never considered taking her own life.

She also left three suicide notes on her living room coffee table.

Dozens dead and many more injured in suicide car bombing in Afghanistan

At least 29 persons have died and more than 60 injured in a suicide car bombing  targeted at Afghan soldiers lining up outside a bank in southern Helmand province, Afghanistan.

According to the governor of Helmand province, Hayatullah Hayat, most of the people killed in the explosion were civilians who likely had gathered there to collect salaries ahead of the upcoming holiday of Eid al-Fitr.

He said the attack outside the Kabul Bank in the provincial capital of Lashkar Gah, also wounded 60 people. 

Speaking to Associated Press, Haji Moladad Tobagar, health director in Lashkargah said that the hospital received 25 bodies after the attack, as well as 60 wounded.

He says he fears an even higher casualty toll as more victims were being brought in. The discrepancies in the casualty tolls could not immediately be reconciled.

Woman attacked by man on bus for wearing mini shorts during Ramadan

 A young woman was attacked on a bus in Istanbul for reportedly wearing a mini shorts during Ramadan .

Disturbing CCTV footage captured on board the bus showed how an attacker struck Melisa Sağlam in the face as he passed her while getting off the vehicle.

The victim jumped out of her seat to confront the man and threw a slap but the man grabbed her by her hair and shoved her before leaving the bus.

Prosecutors in the Turkish city issued an arrest warrant for Ercan Kızıltaş after the university student reported the attack.'

The suspect allegedly told the victim, "are you not ashamed to dress this way during Ramadan ?" before he punched her, the Doğan News Agency reported.

Kızıltaş claimed he was "provoked" as he defended himself, according to BirGün Daily.

Turkish media reports stated Kızıltaş was about to be released after being interviewed by police on Wednesday but was sent to prison when investigators realised he had been convicted of a "tax offence".He was apparently sent to prison for tax charges for three years and seven months.

Ronaldo makes history,walks with disabled girl onto field

World’s top footballer Cristiano Ronaldo walked out onto the field before the start of the Russia-Portugal football match of the 2017 Confederations Cup accompanied by a disabled ten-year old girl, Polina Khayeredinova.
This is the first time in the history of FIFA when a player was escorted by a disabled child.

This historic event was made possible by the Confederations Cup’s sponsor McDonald’s, showing that football is open to disabled children and lets them get involved in international competitions.
Leaders of football teams taking part in the Confederations Cup will be escorted by disabled children in each of the host cities, Moscow, St. Petersburg, Kazan and Sochi.

I just don’t want a poor person -Trump defends appointing only rich people in his cabinet

 U.S. President Donald Trump said he wouldn’t want a poor person in charge of the economy, as he defended his cabinet, which is thought to be the wealthiest in the country’s history.

“Somebody said, ‘Why did you appoint a rich person to be in charge of the economy?’” he told supporters at rally in Iowa.

“So I said …because that’s the kind of thinking we want… because they’re representing the country.

Making a particular reference to Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, a billionaire former investor, Trump said:,

 “They don’t want the money. And they had to give up a lot to take up these jobs.”

Trump, himself a billionaire, went on to refer to Gary Cohn, his chief economic advisor.

“This is the president of Goldman Sachs. Smart. Having him represent us, he went from massive paydays to peanuts, to little tiny … I’m waiting for them to accuse him of wanting that little amount of money.

“These are people that are great, brilliant business minds, and that’s what we need, that’s what we have to have so the world doesn’t take advantage of us.

“We can’t have the world taking advantage of us any more. And I love all people, rich or poor, but in those particular positions I just don’t want a poor person.

“Does that make sense?”

“If you insist I’ll do it but I like it better this way, right?”

Trump’s Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos is also a billionaire heiress, while Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, the former boss of oil giant Exxon, is thought to be worth hundreds of millions of dollars.

Other rich appointees include Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, a former hedge fund manager, and Housing Secretary Ben Carson, who made his fortune selling books on his career in medicine and his political ideas.

Reuters 

Italian politician resigns for abandoning puppies he found on his doorstep

A politician in Sicily who was caught on camera abandoning four puppies in the street has resigned from his post, local media reported Tuesday.

Vito Dicara, the alderman for culture and sports in the Sicilian town of Caltagirone, was filmed in the act by the security cameras of a nearby private home, whose owner alerted the Carabinieri, a branch of Italy’s police, according to newspaper La Sicilia.

Abandoning animals is punishable in Italy with one year in prison or a fine of up to 10,000 euros (11,150 dollars).

Mayor Gino Ioppolo, a criminal lawyer, told the ANSA news agency he was still considering whether to accept his aide’s resignation, whose work as an alderman he praised.

Dicara confirmed the night-time incident to La Sicilia, saying it occurred “a few weeks ago” after he found the puppies in a box on his doorstep.

“My idea … was to drop them near homes where notoriously kind-hearted people live, in the certainty that [the puppies] would be rescued,” the 54-year-old politician was quoted as saying.

“I apologise to the entire city,” he added.

According to La Sicilia, the pets were screened by local veterinary services and may be offered for adoption.

American rapper, Prodigy of Mobb Deep has passed away at age 42

One half of rap group Mobb Deep, Prodigy has died. He died in Las Vegas this morning. He was just 42 years old.

The group’s publicist issued a statement confirming the news stating: “It is with extreme sadness and disbelief that we confirm the death of our dear friend Albert Johnson, better known to millions of fans as Prodigy of legendary NY rap duo Mobb Deep.

Prodigy was hospitalized a few days ago in Vegas after a Mobb Deep performance for complications caused by a sickle cell anemia crisis. As most of his fans know, Prodigy battled the disease since birth. The exact causes of death have yet to be determined. We would like to thank everyone for respecting the family’s privacy at this time.”

Born Albert Johnson in Hempstead, New York, raised in Queens, Prodigy became a member of the street-wise duo Mobb Deep. His grandfather, Budd Johnson, and his great-uncle Keg Johnson were strong contributors to the Bebop era of jazz, making Prodigy just that for music at a young age. 

Legendary rapper, Nas helped to raise public consciousness about Prodigy and Havoc, as the single, “Shook Ones Pt. 2,” raced up the hip-hop charts

Bomb blast on Brussel’s Grand Central Station; Belgian police “neutralize” man wearing explosive belt

Belgian police have 'neutralised' a man wearing an explosive belt in Brussel's Grand Central Station. 

A witness told Agence France Presse that the suspect shouted "Allahu Akbar" before he was shot by soldiers who were on patrol at the time. Security forces evacuated people from La Grande Place within seconds following the incident.

La Grand Place is one of the city's major tourist attractions and was full of people when the incident occurred this evening. Witnesses took pictures of a fire in the nearby Central Station. One witness said that people had panicked after hearing the explosion and ran "in every direction".

Brussels Police tweeted about an "incident with an individual at Brussels Central station".

It said: "The situation is under control but please follow the instructions.”

A police spokesman said that asides the suspect, there were no other casualties. He however did not clarify whether the suspect was still alive after getting shot. 

Arnaud Reyman, spokesman for rail network operator Infrabel confirmed the station was evacuated.  

He said: "There was panic in the station and on the tracks after an incident."

Bart Crols, a spokesman for the SNCN railway company, confirmed all rail traffic in the city has been suspended after witnesses tweeted a picture of a fire at Central Station.

A senior Belgian law enforcement official told the Politico website that a crisis meeting of top state officials was expected to start immediately.