The News - Negative for Nigeria and Egypt / Positive for Mandela and Beckham

Saturday is often a slow news day, but today there's a lot to report on. So let's cover some of the day's events. (1). As many feared, the Egyptian court today confirmed the death sentences of those convicted in January for the violent deaths that they caused in the 2012 Port Said football riots. This led to another violent day in Egypt. In Port Said and Cairo a police club and the Egyptian football federation headquarters were burned. At least two people are dead and Egypt is again in the throes of violent street protests that neither the government nor the military is capable of fully handling. (2). A suicide attack claimed by the Taliban has left nine civilians dead in Kabul as the new US Defense Secretary, Chuck Hagel, made Afghanistan his first foreign visit. This is just one more incident proving that the Afghanistan Taliban are neither beaten nor driven out of the Afghan capital. (3). Uhuru Kenyatta, son of the first president of Kenya, was officially proclaimed the victor in tbe Kenya presidential election, with 50.07% of the vote. His rival, Raila Odinga, is contesting the results but Kenyatta, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court for alleged crimes against humanity during the last presidential election in 2007, has asked Odinga to join him in preventing a recurrence of the 2007 violence and in leading Kenya toward the future. So far, the ethnic violence that killed more than 1,000 Kenyans in 2007 has not occurred, thanks to the concerted effort of all leaders. (4). Ansaru, a radical islamist group that kidnapped seven hostages three weeks ago in northern Nigeria, has confirmed that it executed all of them...2 Syrians, 2 Lebanese, 1 British, 1 Italian and 1 Greek. ~~~~~ Is there any good news today, dear readers? Nelson Mandela is in hospital...but for a routine check-up. Preparations continue at a 'Vatican-pace' for the election of the next Pope, while young European Catholics talk about wanting someone like John Paul II whom they can identify with. AND, David Beckham has now played in three games at his new club, Paris-St. Germaine, and despite everyone saying that he has nothing to contribute at 37, his teammates are full of praise for his energy and enthusiasm and every PSG game (all wins since his arrival, including PSG's first ever qualification for the European League of Champions quarterfinals) is now covered on French national TV news. There is simply no one like Becks.