Lawmakers stage a walkout after convicted murderer on death row is sworn in by Sri Lankan Parliament

 

                   

Lawmakers from the United People's Force, the largest opposition grouping in Sri Lanka's Parliament, staged a walkout on Wednesday, September 9, when Premlal Jayasekera, a convicted murderer on death row was sworn in by Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena as member of Parliament for Ratnapura District, a gem mining center, southeast of the capital Colombo.

 

 

Jayasekera was sworn in as a Sri Lankan lawmaker, after a court ruled that he could not be barred from the country's 225-member Parliament.

On Tuesday September 8, Jayasekera was escorted to Parliament by armed prison officials, where he took the oath of office and formally became an elected lawmaker.

 

Even though, Sri Lanka has not carried out an execution since 1976, Jayasekera was convicted of murdering activist Susil Perera ahead of a presidential election in January 2015, and sentenced to death.

 

         

 

While the case against him was pending, Jayasekera was nominated by the Sri Lanka People's Front (SLPF) as a parliamentary candidate.

 

The SLPF, (run by the Rajapaksa brothers, Gotabaya and Mahinda, who hold the positions of President and Prime Minister of Sri Lanka respectively) won a landslide victory last year, and Jayasekera was one of 145 candidates elected to the Parliament.

 

Jayasekera's election triggered a string of legal issues, and he even had to get permission from Colombo's Welikade Prison to attend Parliament sessions.

 

This week, the Court of Appeal ruled that he should be permitted to take his oath of office.
"Since the election of this Member of Parliament has not been invalidated, the interim relief sought that he be permitted to attend Parliament has to be allowed," the court said, though it left the matter ultimately to the Speaker whether or not to swear Jayasekera in.

 

People's Liberation Front leader Anura Kumara said it was "unjust" for someone given a death sentence to be a member of Parliament. 

 

During the walk out on Wednesday, lawmakers chanted "shame" and wore black shawls in commemoration of Jayasekera's victim.

He will be escorted by armed guards whenever Parliament is in session.

Selena Gomez covers Allure Magazine's October edition in support of her new beauty line, Rare Beauty (photos)

 

Selena Gomez is the cover star for the October edition of Allure.

 

The singer, whose makeup brand, Rare Beauty, was featured in the magazine, created her own look for the shoot.

 

When coronavirus safety measures left Selena Gomez without her go-to makeup artist for her Allure cover shoot, the Rare Beauty founder put her makeup stills to the test and created looks all on her own.

 

 

"I had never done that before," Gomez, 28, told Allure. She admitted that doing her own makeup for such a high-profile photoshoot had her feeling 'a little stressed,' but working with cosmetics she created herself (and some creative direction from longtime makeup artist Hung Vanngo) made it a little bit easier."

 

Below are more photos from the shoot.

 

Diana Rigg, The Avengers and Game of Thrones star, dies at the age of 82

 

English actress, Diana Rigg, known for her roles on stage and in film including The Avengers and Game of Thrones, has died at the age of 82.

 

Confirming her death, Rigg’s longtime friend and talent agent, Lionel Larner, said she died “peacefully” this morning, adding that she had been “at home in England with her family who have asked for privacy at this difficult time”.

 

"She was a beautiful kind and generous human being that enhanced the lives of all that knew her as well as a great actress. She leaves a great void in my heart,” she said.

 

Her daughter, actress Rachael Stirling, said Rigg had been diagnosed with cancer in March and had “spent her last months joyfully reflecting on her extraordinary life, full of love, laughter, and deep pride in her profession. I will miss her beyond words.”

 

Rigg, who rose to prominence in the 1960s for her role as Emma Peel in The Avengers, played Lady Olenna Tyrell in HBO’s smash hit Game of Thrones. She also played Countess Teresa di Vicenzo, or Tracey Bond, James Bond’s first and only wife to date, in the 1969 film On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. 

 

She won the BAFTA TV Award for Best Actress for the BBC miniseries Mother Love in 1989, and an Emmy Award for her role as Mrs. Danvers in an adaptation of Rebecca (1997).

 

Lionel Messi beats Cristiano Ronaldo to be the highest-rated player in FIFA 21

 

Barcelona striker, Lionel Messi has been unveiled as the highest-rated player in FIFA 21 Ultimate Team ahead of the game's release date in October

 

The 33-year-old Argentine superstar was awarded a 93 rating ahead of his arch-rival Cristiano Ronaldo and Robert Lewandowski. Ronaldo was awarded 92 while Lewandowski was rated 91.

 

Here is the FIFA 21 top 100 highest-rated players list in full, as confirmed by EA SPORTS.

 

1. Lionel Messi, Barcelona (93)
2. Cristiano Ronaldo, Juventus (92)
3. Robert Lewandowski, Bayern Munich (91)
4. Kevin De Bruyne, Manchester City (91)
5. Neymar Jr., Paris Saint-Germain (91)
6. Jan Oblak, Atletico de Madrid (91)
7. Virgil van Dijk, Liverpool (90)
8. Kylian Mbappé, Paris Saint-Germain (90)
9. Mohamed Salah, Liverpool (90)
10. Sadio Mané, Liverpool (90)
11. Marc-Andre ter Stegen, FC Barcelona (90)
12. Alisson Becker, Liverpool (90)
13. Sergio Aguero, Manchester City (89)
14. Sergio Ramos, Real Madrid (89)
15. Karim Benzema, Real Madrid (89)
16. Manuel Neuer, Bayern Munich (89)
17. Thibaut Courtois, Real Madrid (89)
18. Casemiro, Real Madrid (89)
19. Eden Hazard, Real Madrid (88)
20. Raheem Sterling, Manchester City (88)
21. Samir Handanovic, Inter (88)
22. Toni Kroos, Real Madrid (88)
23. Kalidou Koulibaly, Napoli (88)
24. Harry Kane, Tottenham (88)
25. Ederson, Manchester City (88)
26. Paulo Dybala, Piemonte Calcio (88)
27. Joshua Kimmich, Bayern Munich (88)
28. N'Golo Kante, Chelsea (88)
29. Trent Alexander-Arnold, Liverpool (87)
30. Giorgio Chiellini, Piemonte Calcio (87)
31. Hugo Lloris, Tottenham (87)
32. Luis Suarez, Barcelona (87)
33. Luka Modric, Real Madrid (87)
34. Angel Di Maria, Paris Saint-Germain (87)
35. Wojciech Szcz?sny, Juventus (87)
36. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Arsenal (87)
37. Sergio Busquets, Barcelona (87)
38. Ciro Immobile, Lazio (87)
39. Keylor Navas, Paris Saint-Germain (87)
40. Antoine Griezmann, Barcelona (87)
41. Heung-Min Son, Tottenham (87)
42. Roberto Firmino, Liverpool (87)
43. Fabinho, Liverpool (87)
44. Bruno Fernandes, Manchester United (87)
45. Aymeric Laporte, Manchester City (87)
46. Andy Robertson, Liverpool (87)
47. Bernardo Silva, Manchester City (87)
48. Jadon Sancho, Borussia Dortmund (87)
49. Alejandro Gomez, Atalanta (87)
50. Gerard Pique, Barcelona (86)
51. David Silva, Real Sociedad (86)
52. Yann Sommer, Borussia Mönchengladbach (86)
53. Mats Hummels, Borussia Dortmund (86)
54. Jordan Henderson, Liverpool (86)
55. Jordi Alba, Barcelona (86)
56. Thomas Muller, Bayern Munich (86)
57. David De Gea, Manchester United (86)
58. Paul Pogba, Manchester United (86)
59. Marco Verratti, Paris Saint-Germain (86)
60. Raphael Varane, Real Madrid (86)
61. Dani Carvajal, Real Madrid (86)
62. Jamie Vardy, Leicester City (86)
63. Thiago Silva, Chelsea (85)
64. Dries Mertens, Napoli (85)
65. Miralem Pjanic, Barcelona (85)
66. Gini Wijnaldum, Liverpool (85)
67. Diego Godin, Inter (85)
68. Toby Alderweireld, Tottenham (85)
69. Leonardo Bonucci, Piemonte Calcio (85)
70. Péter Gulácsi, RB Leipzig (85)
71. Marco Reus, Borussia Dortmund (85)
72. Kyle Walker, Manchester City (85)
73. Thiago Alcantara, Bayern Munich (85)
74. Dani Parejo, Villarreal (85)
75. Christian Eriksen, Inter (85)
76. Alex Sandro, Piemonte Calcio (85)
77. Romelu Lukaku, Inter (85)
78. Bernd Leno, Arsenal (85)
79. Koke, Atletico Madrid (85)
80. Lorenzo Insigne, Napoli (85)
81. Luis Alberto, Lazio (85)
82. Mauro Icardi, Paris Saint-Germain (85)
83. Memphis Depay, Lyon (85)
84. Riyad Mahrez, Manchester City (85)
85. Serge Gnabry, Bayern Munich (85)
86. Marquinhos, Paris Saint-Germain (85)
87. Hakim Ziyech, Chelsea (85)
88. Ricardo Pereira, Leicester City (85)
89. Timo Werner, Chelsea (85)
90. Clement Lenglet, Barcelona (85)
91. Leroy Sane, Bayern Munich (85)
92. Sergej Milinkovi?-Savi?, Lazio (85)
93. Frenkie De Jong, Barcelona (85)
94. Gianluigi Donnarumma, AC Milan (85)
95. Marcus Rashford, Manchester United (85)
96. Rodri, Manchester City(85)
97. Milan Skriniar, Inter (85)
98. Matthijs de Ligt, Juventus(85)
99. Kai Havertz, Chelsea (85)
100.  Erling Haaland (84)

Family cries out as man dies in police custody in Lagos

 

A 38-year-old man, who was arrested for allegedly planning to abduct the monarch of Isiu in Ikorodu area of Lagos State, has died in the custody of the Zone 2 police command and his family wants answers.

 

Yemi Taiwo, a land Agent, was arrested alongside one of his friends, Femi Animashaun, by a combined team of local vigilante members in Ikorodu, popularly known as Onyabo, and some palace thugs known as Tobalase in Isiu community.

 

In a video made available to newsmen, the two accused persons were stripped and tortured in the premises of Ikorodu North Local Council Development Area.

 

The wife of the deceased, Olabisi Taiwo, said her husband left home in the Gberigbe area of Ikorodu for Isiu, where he bought some plots of land, and was arrested.

 

She said in tears: "He told me that he would first stop at his boss's office before going to site but he never came back to meet his two children and wife.

"Around 11.pm on the fateful day, his younger brother, Deji, who is staying with us, rushed home and told me that he heard that his brother had been killed."

 

She continued: "I was very distraught and quickly lost my senses but after some hours, they called back that he was not dead but that he had been arrested with some people who are planning to abduct the monarch of Isiu.

 

"We didn't hear anything until late in the evening on Friday when I was told that he had been taken to the annex of Zonal Investigative Bureau in Ladegboye area, Ikorodu by some policemen, who were invited.

 

"I went there on that same day. I was not allowed to see him by the Investigating Police Officer (IPO) who was identified as Lati. We were told that he was not there.

 

"I went there again on Saturday and Sunday and was still not allowed to see him, but on that Sunday, one of his brothers, Awobajo, who went there to see him, was also detained by the policemen.

 

"Awobajo was later released on Monday and he told me that the IPO asked him the location of my husband's properties and that he would sell them off because we don't know the gravity of our offence.

 

"Early on Tuesday morning, the policemen brought my husband and Femi out of the cell and they were tortured in preparation for their transfer to Zone 2 headquarters in Onikan.

 

"I was told that on their way to Onikan, some land thugs sprinkled some water on them on the road. I learnt that, when my husband and Femi were brought to Zone 2, when the superior officer saw the condition of my husband and his friend with injuries all over their bodies, he rejected them and told the IPO to go and treat them first before he can allow them into the cell.

 

"It was while they were returning them back to their annex at Ikorodu that my husband died and the IPO is now saying that he does not know what to do again. He does not want to release the body of my husband to me.

 

"I am appealing to the Inspector General of Police to come to my aid. Those who connived with the police to kill my husband are bragging to have the support of powerful monarchs and the Lagos State Government. I don't want my husband to die in vain."

 

The Zone 2, Command spokesperson, DSP Hauwa Idris declined to comment on the incident, stating simply: "I cannot confirm any story now, I am busy, we are hosting a GOC, call me later."