How ‘boys’ club that didn’t welcome newcomers’ spurred departed TV queen Barbara Walters to stardom
Each December, for more than two decades, Barbara Walters hosted Barbara Walters’ Ten Most Fascinating People of the Year, a breezy album of interviews with newsmakers as defined, of course, by Barbara Walters. Take 1999, for example. Who else but Walters would think King Abdullah II of Jordan, Joe Torre...
Influential personality in broadcast journalism and ABC News anchor Barbara Walters dies aged 93
Barbara Walters, the trailblasing television news broadcaster and longtime ABC News anchor and correspondent who shattered the glass ceiling and became a dominant force in an industry once dominated by men, has died. The death of the trailblasing TV icon broke down barriers during her illustrious five decades-long career, has...
Former Botswana President Khama wanted by Gaberone court for illegal possession of firearms
An arrest warrant has been issued in Botswana for former president Ian Khama, who is believed to be in South Africa. According to the warrant issued by Gaborone’s regional magistrate, Mareledi Dipate, Khama should be apprehended on sight and brought before the Broadhurst Magistrate’s Court. It is the state’s case...
Day Pele halted Nigeria’s Biafran War, was almost shot dead before he escaped disguised as a pilot
Assassination, disguise and a foreign embassy sound like the typical ingredients of an underwhelming action film, not tales from the life of Pele. But that is exactly what they are. During a February trip to Nigeria in 1976, one of football’s greatest players found himself holed up in a hotel...
New study shows colon cancer, which killed Brazil soccer icon Pele, is on decline in people aged over 50
New study findings by medical scientist in the United States say there is a significant decline in incidence of people aged over 50 years developing colon cancer. The same study raises alarm over rising colon cancer incidence among younger people, although the new phenomenon is attributed to increased screening. The...
Beautiful game’s deity? A reporter once asked Pele if his fame was comparable to that of Jesus Christ
Commissioned to produce a portrait of Pele in 1977, artist Andy Warhol quipped: “Pele was one of the few who contradicted my theory: Instead of 15 minutes of fame, he will have 15 centuries.” It nicely sums up the adulation for the footballer widely considered the greatest to ever take...
When 1958 World Cup final ended Pele collapsed, later his opponent told him: ‘When you scored your second goal I felt like applauding’
An obituary by journalist Jeff Powell Pele was a cut jewel – sharp-edged, glittering and flawless. Brazil’s three-time World Cup winner was perfect in every dimension and stands alone as football’s greatest of all time. For those among us who might be described as vertically challenged, it came as something...
Stoic Pele: How The King defied to the last day poor health that threatened to bog him down
Edson Arantes do Nascimento Pele struggled with health issues for several years prior to his death on Thursday December 29. Pele had made light of his health problems in an Instagram post following his surgery last September, saying that he had left intensive care, appearing in good spirits while smiling...
Final call: Lights go out for Pele as the soccer icon returns to the pavilion after battle with cancer
Pele, the Brazilian who has long been considered the greatest footballer of all time, has died at the age of 82. The legendary figure, a man who transcended his sport and was a global icon, learned that his colon cancer had advanced on December 21 and was told he would...
Eternal Pele: Samba icons take part in ‘Game of Stars’ charity match in honour of ailing legend
Brazil legend Pele was honoured during a ‘Game of Stars’ between Samba icons at the Maracana Stadium. Organised by former Brazil star Zico, the charity match featured numerous aces from the South American country. Ex-Chelsea and Arsenal defender David Luiz captained a team featuring Zico, the 69-year-old’s grandson and several...