Analysis: The man who could save Yemen

Khaled Bahah's appointment as vice president is the first step towards a political solution in war-torn Yemen.

Former Yemeni Prime Minister Khaled Bahah's appointment as vice president on Sunday indicates that Saudi Arabia may have realised President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi is actually part of the problem, rather than the solution.

By pressuring Hadi to name a vice president at this critical time, the kingdom may be indicating its political plans for Yemen after the end of its military operation. It is also possible that Bahah will become the de facto president of Yemen, especially since he is popular among broader segments of the Yemeni population than Hadi.

Bahah was the only politician accepted by both the Houthis and former President Ali Abdullah Saleh's party to become Yemen's prime minister after the infamous January 2015 agreement of peace and partnership between Hadi, the Houthis, and other key Yemeni political actors.

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ANALYSIS: Boots on the ground in Yemen? Think again

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For the past three years, Hadi ruled as elected president of Yemen's transitional government without a vice president, relying on a group of weak advisers with no clear political vision to lead the country. The lack of a vice president exacerbated the ongoing political and constitutional crisis in Yemen when Hadi temporarily resigned during his short-lived house arrest imposed by the Houthis.

Later, Hadi's escape to Aden and his subsequent relocation to Saudi Arabia to help coordinate the Decisive Storm offensive, again raised the question of whether a vice president is needed. Thus, Hadi's recent decision to appoint Bahah as his vice president was not surprising.

Yemen is unlikely to become another Syria, Iraq or Somalia. In all of Yemen's past civil wars ... certain forms of political reconciliation have been achieved that are rarely successful in other countries.

Furthermore, Bahah was the only top political leader who was released by the Houthis rather than escaping their control, suggesting the Houthis were not threatened by his discharge. Bahah once served as minister of oil, and later as ambassador to Canada, under the leadership of Saleh. Bahah is from the southern province of Hadramut, and will likely protect the political union between the north and the south.

Consequently, it could be argued that Bahah's appointment represents a first step towards political compromise in Yemen by pushing aside Hadi. The move also sends a strong message to the Houthis and Saleh's loyalists that while the kingdom is extremely serious about restoring security in Yemen and ending the Houthi-Saleh military control, the Saudis still hope to achieve a robust political solution.

The question is whether Yemen can avoid becoming a failed state and experiencing a bloody civil war. The guardedly optimistic answer could be "yes".

Yemen has always possessed exceptional political and social survival skills. Despite being a poor Arab state, it has been rich in terms of its culture and traditions of conflict resolution and political mediation. This is not the first time that the Yemenis have found their country torn by conflict and responded by looking for political solutions. 

Despite the ongoing air strikes and rising number of civilian casualties, Yemen has never experienced circumstances such as massive starvation or tragic genocide. Even when the Houthis entered Sanaa in September 2014, they did not behave like most rebel groups in developing countries experiencing military conflict or civil war.

Yemen is unlikely to become another Syria, Iraq or Somalia. In all of Yemen's past civil wars, from the 1960s to the 1990s, certain forms of political reconciliation have been achieved that are rarely successful in other countries. Political and military enmity is never permanent in Yemen.

Riots break out in Benin after opposition leader dies

Rioters set buildings and cars ablaze, accusing the government of killing Andre Mba Obame, who died on Sunday.

Riots broke out in the capital of the Central African nation of Gabon, with opposition supporters rampaging through the streets setting buildings and vehicles on fire, following the death of a senior opposition leader.

Many rioters on the streets of Libreville accuse the government of murdering Andre Mba Obame, who had contested in the disputed 2009 presidential election.

Israel 'profiting' from Palestinian child labour

Palestinian children as young as 11 face hazardous working conditions on Israeli settlement farms, report finds.

Ramallah, occupied West Bank - F, a 13-year-old Palestinian boy from al-Fasayil, an impoverished village near the West Bank city of Jericho, used to work in the nearby Israeli settlement of Petzael on weekends, earning 50 shekels ($12.50) a day. He would start at 5am and work until 3pm, his wage was reduced by a Palestinian middleman who would bring him to the farming settlement.

"Work is better than school," F said. "My family needs me to work. There are six in my family. I'm the [eldest] boy, and me and my father work."

Hillary Clinton: Everyday Americans need a champion

Former US secretary of state announces 2016 White House bid to become the first female president of the country.

Correction 13/4/2015: An earlier version of this article said that former Florida governor, Jeb Bush, had declared his candidacy for the US presidency. This was incorrect. Bush has said he will "actively explore the possibility of running", but has not formally announced his candidacy.

The story also said that Clinton had made history with this candidacy as the first spouse of a former president to seek the office. To clarify, she made that history in 2008.

Former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has declared that she is running for president in 2016, seeking to become the first female to occupy the seat that her husband Bill Clinton held for eight years, and setting up what could be the most expensive campaign in history.

Sudan votes in elections set to extend Bashir's rule

Incumbent president expected to win another term in office as opposition boycotts polls.

Khartoum, Sudan  - Sudan is voting in elections shunned by the opposition and expected to see the incumbent President Omar al-Bashir hold on to power for another five-year term.

Voting in the general and presidential elections began at 8am local time on Monday and will continue for three days.

Kenyans let off lightly after gang-rape get 15 years

Initially sentenced to cutting grass after gang-raping a teenager, three men now have to spend 15 years in prison.

A court in western Kenya has sentenced three men to 15 years in prison for the 2013 gang-rape of a 16-year-old girl, after protests and longstanding international outrage over an initial light punishment that saw the convicts cut grass at their compound.

The young victim, who uses the pseudonym Liz to protect her identity, was sexually assaulted when she returned home from her grandfather's funeral in Busia county, then dumped in an open sewer and almost left for dead with severe injuries.

Unease with Australia's Islamophobia

Recent 'Reclaim Australia' rallies and counter-rallies across country highlight social tensions and xenophobic fears

Melbourne, Australia - In Christian majority countries like Australia, Easter is usually a time of family gatherings and celebration.

However, a day before Easter Sunday, hundreds of people took to the streets in major Australian cities to protest against what they see as the rising influence of Islam.

UK teachers see thin line between spy and protector

Educators in UK say anti-terrorism laws push them to spy on students under the guise of promoting 'British values'.

London, UK - Teachers have claimed that they are being pressured to spy on their own students because of new counterterrorism laws which they say risk scapegoating Muslim school children and stifling discussion of controversial issues in the classroom.

Delegates attending this week's conference of the National Union of Teachers (NUT), the UK's largest union of school staff, voted in favour of a motion criticising the government's anti-radicalisation

China cancels multiple visit passes to Hong Kong

Move is aimed to cool tensions over growing influx of mainland shoppers, which has angered Hong Kong residents.

China has made curbs on travel to Hong Kong to cool tensions over the growing influx of mainland shoppers, which has angered residents of the Asian financial hub. 

The public security bureau in neighbouring Shenzhen will stop issuing multiple visit passes to people who live in the border city and instead issue only once-a-week travel passes, the state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

Somali refugees urge Kenya not to close Dadaab camp

Elders want government to reconsider decision to relocate world's largest refugee camp, housing 500,000 people.

Somalis living in Kenya's Dadaab refugee camp are asking the government to reconsider its decision to close it.

The Kenyan government has given the UN three months to move the camp into Somalia.

The move comes only days after fighters of al-Shabab, the Somali-based armed group, killed 148 people at Garissa University in Kenya.

Dadaab refugee camp is the world's largest, sheltering around 500,000 Somali refugees who fled civil war in their country.

Nigeria president-elect's party dominates regional vote

Muhammadu Buhari's All Progressives Congress has won governorship elections in at least 19 states out of 36

The party of Nigeria's president-elect Muhammadu Buhari has won governorship elections in a majority of the country's 36 states after a historic presidential win, official results have showed.

The results on Monday showed that the All Progressives Congress took control of at least 19 governor's seats following Saturday's closely-fought regional polls but could add to that tally with results from several states still pending.

Ex-Blackwater guards to be sentenced over shooting

Four former US security guards face long prison terms for role in 2007 shooting that killed 14 civilians in Iraq.

A federal court in Washington is set to sentence four former Blackwater security guards to decades in prison for their roles in a 2007 shooting that killed 14 

Iraqi civilians, causing an international uproar.

Sentencing is scheduled for Monday morning for the ex-guards, who were convicted in October after a long legal fight over the deadly attack at the crowded Nisoor traffick circle in downtown Baghdad .

'Empty words': Donors fail to deliver pledged Gaza aid

Countries have given just 26.8 percent of $3.5bn promised for rebuilding Gaza after the 2014 war, report finds.

Just a quarter of the $3.5bn in aid pledged to rebuild Gaza in the wake of last summer's devastating war has been delivered, according to a new report.

The report from the Association of International Development Agencies, released on Monday, found that only 26.8 percent ($945m) of the money pledged by donors at the Cairo conference six months ago has been released, and reconstruction and recovery have barely started in the besieged coastal enclave.

UN: Majority of Yemen war victims are civilians

Assistant security-general on human rights says both Saudi-led coalition and Houthi rebels to blame for civilian deaths.

Aid agencies have warned of a growing humanitarian crisis in Yemen as the UN says the majority of people killed in the conflict are civilians, blaming both the Saudi-led coalition and Houthi rebels. 

"Over 600 people [have been] killed [in the conflict], but more than half of them are civilians. This is particularly concerning," Ivan Simonovic, UN's assistant secretary-general for human rights, told Al Jazeera on Monday. 

Baseball’s Cuba challenge

On the sidelines of the historic summit in Panama, many wonder how improved US-Cuba relations will affect baseball

A 24-year-old teacher from Virginia, Megan Kelly took Monday off work to attend Washington Nationals’ first official game with her father, uncles and cousins.

She’s pumped.

“It should be a national holiday,” said Kelly referring to efforts by many Americans to get the White House to declare a day off for the opening day of the baseball season.

Daughter of ousted PM looks to a new future in Sudan

Mariam al-Sadeq al-Mahdi has become a leading figure in the Irhal campaign to boycott Sudan's general elections.

Khartoum, Sudan - June 30, 1989, is a day Mariam al-Sadeq al-Mahdi will never forget. She was in her family home in Omdurman, Khartoum, when National Islamic Front (NIF) intelligence forces came to arrest her father, then the prime minister of Sudan.

Ireland accused of whitewashing childbirth scandal

Hundreds of women who survived a horrific medical procedure and now want compensation feel betrayed by government.

Dublin, Ireland - One of the ways a government can claim properly to be representing its people is by holding up a magnifying glass to bad things that happened in the past.

In the UK, for example, all sorts of inquiries have been held recently into issues ranging from systematic abuse of children in care to the deaths of football fans in a crush at a ground.

Cubans sound off on détente efforts with the US

As Castro and Obama meet in Panama, Cubans give their take on potential normalisation of relations after 54 years.

Havana, Cuba - As historic meetings between Cuban and American officials continue at the Summit of the Americas in Panama, Cubans from all walks of life on the Caribbean's largest island expressed a wide range of views on what the negotiations really mean for their country.

Al Jazeera asked what Cubans thought about the developments in Panama City, and what would result if the decades-old trade embargo imposed by the US in 1962 was finally lifted.

Brazilians protest against president amid oil scandal

Critics say Rousseff must have known about corruption as accusations engulf the state-owned oil company Petrobras.

Brazil's President Dilma Rousseff is just three months into her second term as leader but she is facing growing discontent.

Her approval rating has dropped to just 13 percent and protests against her are being planned across the country on Sunday.

They come as her government is embroiled in a corruption scandal involving the state oil company, Petrobras.

Aleppo shelled as Syrian humanitarian crisis worsens

Rebel shelling and government strikes kill and wound dozens in Aleppo, as humanitarian crisis worsens across Syria

Syrian rebels have shelled a government-held neighbourhood in the northern city of Aleppo, killing at least nine people and wounding dozens, Syrian state television and an activist group have reported.

Footage aired on Syrian state television on Saturday showed damaged buildings and injured people being treated at the overcrowded local hospital.

Bangladesh hangs Jamaat-e-Islami leader

Mohammad Qamaruzzaman's execution is the second since trials began of people accused of committing war crimes in 1971

Bangladesh has hanged a political leader sentenced to death for crimes against humanity during the country's 1971 independence war against Pakistan.

Mohammad Qamaruzzaman, an assistant secretary-general of the opposition Jamaat-e-Islami, refused to seek presidential clemency, as he became the second person to be put to death since tribunals were set up more than four years ago to try suspected war criminals.

Reuters bureau chief leaves Iraq after death threats

Death threats against news agency journalist made on Facebook and TV after report detailed rights abuses in Tikrit.

Reuters news agency's Baghdad bureau chief has left Iraq after receiving death threats online and on television for a recent report detailing lynching and looting in the city of Tikrit.

The threats against Ned Parker began on an Iraqi Facebook page run by a group that calls itself the Hammer, which the news agency's sources believes to be linked to armed Shia groups.

Kenya orders UN to move massive Somali refugee camp

Nairobi has given UN three months to move the camp over the border into Somalia.

Kenya has urged the United Nations to remove a camp housing more than half a million Somali refugees within three months, as part of a response to the recent killing of 148 people by Somali gunmen at a Kenyan university.

Kenya has in the past accused fighters of hiding out in Dadaab camp which it now wants the UN refugee agency UNHCR to move across the border to inside Somalia.

Soldiers killed in blast in Egypt's North Sinai

Explosion targets military vehicle near town of Sheikh Zuweid, in latest in a long line of attacks on security forces.

An explosion targeting a military vehicle has killed five Egyptian soldiers near the town of Sheikh Zuweid in North Sinai on Sunday, Reuters news agency says quoting a security official.

Saudi soldiers killed in fighting near Yemen border

Kingdom says mortar fire from Houthi fighters has killed three army officers and wounded two others in Najran province.

Three Saudi officers have been killed and two others wounded after Houthi fighters in Yemen fired a mortar round at a Saudi border post, according to Saudi Arabia's Defence Ministry.

A statement from the ministry on Saturday said the incident took place the previous day in the Saudi border province of Najran.

The Saudi forces responded with gunfire, the statement said.

Clinton poised to launch 2016 US presidential campaign

Former first lady and secretary of state will launch campaign on Sunday to become first female president, media reports

Hillary Clinton will end months of speculation and launch her highly anticipated US 2016 presidential campaign on Sunday, attempting a second bid at becoming the US' first female president, American media outlets are reporting.

Mary Kay Letourneau, Vili Fualaau Introduce Their Teenage Daughters: See the Photo

Decades later, here are their daughters. Mary Kay Letourneau and Vili Fualaau introduced their teenage daughters Audrey and Georgia during their pre-taped sit-down interview with Barbara Walters on ABC News' 20/20, which airs Friday, April 10.

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The controversial couple first started their illicit relationship in 1996 when Fualaau was 12 and a student in Letourneau's sixth-grade class — and she was a 34-year-old married mother of four. Their affair continued and was exposed after she became pregnant with their first child Audrey, now 17. As the story goes, Letourneau, now 53, was sentenced to prison, where she welcomed their second daughter Georgia, now 16, in the slammer.

The girls are now in their teens, and both are older than their father was when his affair began. They are also about to witness their parents' 10th wedding anniversary

Spark Dating Rumors with Intimate Photos

Just friends?

Justin Bieber and Kendall Jenner have already posed together for a sexy Vogue photoshoot, and now they're once again creating a stir with their flirty photos, which the 21-year-old "Baby" singer Instagrammed on Thursday.

In the polaroids in question, the two cuddle a dog, with Justin embracing Kendall from behind and keeping his hand on her hip. While the 19-year-old supermodel has insisted the two are just friends before, the affectionate snapshot sure looks like they're dating.

Khloé Kardashian and Lamar Odom's Divorce Case May Be Dismissed

Is Khloé Kardashian getting cold feet when it comes to her divorce? The Keeping Up With the Kardashians star could get her case thrown out if she doesn't send in the proper paper work on time.

In documents obtained by The Insider With Yahoo, it shows that the court filed a Notice of Case Review on Thursday, meaning Khloé needs to file certain papers in order for the divorce to proceed, otherwise the case will be dismissed. That could happen as early as the end of April meaning she will still be married to Lamar Odom.

Kardashian filed for divorce in December 2013 after rumors of Lamar's infidelity and substance abuse issues surfaced. The former NBA player, 35, never responded with a petition of his own.Khloé, 30, could have gone back to file for a default divorce judgment to officially end their union, but she never did.

Kidnapping: Pay N13m or lose children, Nanny threatens parents

The nanny identified as Mary Akinloye who kidnapped three children in Surulere area of Lagos State has given the victims’ family two days to produce N13m ransom or lose the children.

She was said to have issued the ultimatum through a man who used her telephone to communicate with the family.

Saturday PUNCH learnt that the initial N15m demanded by the kidnappers had been reduced to N13m after much appeal by the victim’s mother.

Saturday PUNCH had reported how the Orekoya family had posted on OLX, an online sales portal, seeking the service of a nanny for their kids

.

Our correspondent reported that a 23-year-old lady, Akinloye, indicated interest by calling the family.

The family was reported to have invited her to their home on Lawanson Road, Itire, Lagos.

Our correspondent also reported that the family demanded the contact of her relatives and she was said to have given them two telephone numbers, which she claimed belonged to her brother and sister.

I’m not planning to rig Rivers polls –Patience Jonathan

Wife of the President, Mrs. Patience Jonathan, on Friday said there was no truth in the allegation that she was pressuring the Independent National Electoral Commission and security agencies to rig the governorship election in Rivers State in favour of the Peoples Democratic Party.

The state governor, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, had during a stakeholders’ meeting on Thursday alleged that Mrs. Jonathan was in her hometown, Okrika, to supervise electoral malpractices during the elections.

But the President’s wife, in a statement by the Director of Information in her office, Ihuoma Priscilla, said as an apostle of peace, she could not be involved in act that would hinder peaceful conduct of elections in any part of the country.

The statement read, “The First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan has dismissed the allegation that she was pressurising the Independent National Electoral Commission (and the Security Agencies to rig April 11 (today’s) elections in Rivers State.

“As an apostle of peace and non-violent elections, the First Lady distances herself from any alleged actions that could hinder successful elections in Nigeria, especially in her home state, Rivers State.

“She countered the insinuations that she was in her hometown, Okrika for the purpose of the governorship election, pointing out that she registered in her husband, President Jonathan’s village, Otuoke in Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.

“The First Lady, a highly respected indigene of Okrika in Rivers State visited her hometown on Wednesday, April 8, 2015 to a tumultuous welcome by her kinsmen and women who thronged the streets to welcome and appreciate her wonderful support to her husband, the President and for bringing development to Okrikaland.”

Amaechi had claimed that Mrs. Jonathan was working hard to impose a governor on the state and ensure that the people’s votes do not count.

The governor had said, “The reason for this meeting is to let you know that what happened on the 28th of March, 2015 may or may not repeat itself. Few days ago, I said it would not repeat itself. But as at this morning, there are enormous pressures on the security operatives by the wife of the President

Military helicopter crashes in Lagos, CAS orders probe

A military helicopter crashed on Friday during training in Lagos State.

The crash was to said to have occurred due to hydraulic failure.

It was learnt that the helicopter was returning to the Apron after the completion of the training when the crash happened.

The Nigerian Air Force said no casualty was recorded in the accident involving the Super Puma Helicopter.

In a statement issued in Abuja, the Director of Public Relations and Information of NAF, Air Commodore Dele Alonge, said, “A Super Puma Helicopter belonging to the Nigerian Air Force on training mission in Lagos on Friday morning suffered severe damage due to hydraulic failure while on taxi to the Hanger.

“However, the main Rotor debris caused damage to some ground equipment.”

It was learnt that the helicopter was carrying three Air Force personnel, the pilot, the co-pilot and the technician.

The Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Adesola Amosu, has, however, ordered investigation into the circumstances that led to the incident.

INEC reschedules Assembly poll in eight Bayelsa constituencies

The Independent National Electoral Commission has postponed the State House of Assembly elections in eight of the 24 constituencies of Bayelsa State.

The state Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mr. Baritor Kpagih, said in a statement on Friday that the elections for the affected constituencies would hold on Saturday, April 18, 2015.

The affected councils are Ekeremor Constituencies 1, 2, and 3; Kolokuma/Opokuma Constituencies 1 and 2; Sagbama Constituencies 1 and 2 and Southern Ijaw Constituency 1.

Kpagih said however that the election would hold as scheduled in the rest 16 constituencies on Saturday.

Curiously, the REC was silent on the reason for the decision to postpone the election by one week.

He simply stated that the elections were shifted because of the position of stakeholders that elections should not hold ‘without full complements of the ballots papers.’

I wasn’t in Lagos to rig election, Jonathan replies APC

President Goodluck Jonathan on Friday dismissed claim by the All Progressives Congress that his Thursday’s visit to Lagos was to coordinate rigging plans for the Peoples Democratic Party in today’s governorship election.

He wondered why he would rig the governorship election for the PDP when he did not rig the March 28 presidential election in which he was a candidate.

Jonathan’s position was contained in a statement made available to journalists by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati.

Abati said there was nothing unusual in people paying homage to the President when he is on a visit to Lagos or any other part of the country.

Arms deal: S’Africa to return Nigeria’s $15m, says report

South Africa is considering returning more than $15m, it seized from Nigeria in September, last year.

The money, which was meant for the purchase of arms to fight the Boko Haram insurgents, was seized in two batches of $5.7m and $9.3m.

A South African newspaper, The Mail & Guardian, reported on Friday that South Africa had begun to work out the process of returning the money.

According to the newspaper, the effort of South Africa is aimed at starting on a clean slate with Nigerian President-elect, Muhammadu Buhari.

The money was taken to South Africa through Lanseria Airport in Johannesburg in three suitcases by a delegation said to represent the Nigerian government.

The Mail & Guardian stated that South Africa wanted to use the money to extend an olive branch to Buhari’s government and mend relations between the two countries, which became strained during the tenure of outgoing President Goodluck Jonathan. It quoted a South African government source as saying, “The positive thing about [Buhari] is that one of the people who supported him is Atiku Abubakar. That makes him our man and he will automatically work well with [President Jacob] Zuma.”

India orders 36 Rafale fighter jets from France

The announcement was made by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi who is on a state visit to France.

India has agreed to purchase dozens of French-made Rafale fighter jets after about three years of negotiations with France in a bid to modernise the country's ageing warplane fleet.

Narendra Modi, India's prime minister, said on Friday that he had ordered 36 "ready-to-fly" jets - meaning they would be built in France - during a visit to Paris.

Barcelona still hopeful of keeping Dani Alves - Bartomeu

The club president insists there is still a chance the Brazilian could stay, despite his agent revealing he now looks set for a summer exit

Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu says contract talks with Dani Alves are ongoing and insists the defender could still stay at Camp Nou.

The right-back's agent has criticised the club for offering the Brazilian an unsatisfactory deal and suggested negotiations were over as the player had better offers to move elsewhere.

Barcelona close to Guardiola-level greatness - Emery

Ahead of Saturday's clash between two of La Liga's top five teams, Sevilla's coach has lauded Luis Enrique's efforts with the Catalans

Sevilla boss Unai Emery believes Barcelona are closing in on the performance level they reached during Pep Guardiola's tenure.

Guardiola stepped down from the Camp Nou job in the summer of 2012 and the Catalans have since struggled to stamp their authority on Europe.

Monaco will cling on to third - Bernardo Silva

The two-goal hero against Caen says the team are desperate to finish in a Champions League place having rocketed up Ligue 1

says Monaco have their sights firmly set on finishing in Ligue 1's top three this season after defeating Caen on Friday.

Les Rouges et Blancs took the lead at the Stade Michel d'Ornano courtesy of 19-year-old striker Anthony Martial's opener after 29 minutes, but it was midfielder Bernardo Silva's double in the second half which put the three points beyond doubt.

Leonardo Jardim's men leapfrogged Marseille into third place with the victory, tentatively boosting them into a Champions League play-off qualification position with six games to go.

Rayo Vallecano 0-2 Real Madrid: Ronaldo's 300th goal keeps Blancos fighting for title

Having been unfairly booked for diving, the Portugal star headed home the opener before James Rodriguez made the points safe
Cristiano Ronaldo scored his 300th Real Madrid goal as Carlo Ancelotti's side battled their way past Rayo Vallecano to win 2-0 on Wednesday.


La Liga leaders Barcelona eased to a 4-0 win over struggling Almeria earlier on Wednesday and Real endured a far more testing encounter against their tireless near-neighbours.

Maradona: Blatter scared because he can't buy votes anymore

The Argentine has suggested the Swiss - who has been in charge of the world football governing body since 1998 - is running afraid

Diego Maradona has claimed Sepp Blatter is scared he will lose in the upcoming Fifa presidency election as the organisation is "not longer allowed to buy votes".

The Argentine has thrown his backing behind Prince Ali bin Al-Hussein of Jordan who, along with Luis Figo and Michael van Praag, is challenging the incumbent in the Fifa top job election to be held on May 29.

And the outspoken Maradona was in typically blunt form as he criticised Blatter and talked up the positive impact he thinks Al-Hussein can have if he is voted in.

Mourinho: Hazard the only option for Player of the Year

The attacker has enjoyed a superb season for Chelsea, with the club set to win the Premier League title, and he has been backed to win the individual award by his coach
Jose mourinho says that Eden Hazard is “by far” the best player in the Premier League and believes there can be no other choice for the winner of the PFA Player of the Year award.

 The likes of Tottenham striker Harry Kane – who has scored 29 goals in all competitions this season – and Liverpool playmaker Philippe Coutinho have been tipped as potential challengers to Hazard as the season draws to a close.

However, Mourinho has backed the Belgian to beat his competitors to the prize, which was last won by a Chelsea player in 2004-05, when John Terry was rewarded for captaining the Blues to their first league title in 50 years.   

"With what he's doing, speaking in a very honest way, it shouldn't even be a debate," Mourinho told reporters.

"If somebody throws other names on the table, it's because they want to sell papers, to throw sand into people's eyes. This player is by far the best player of this season."

Mourinho has also rebuffed the suggestions that the Blues have strolled through the campaign, insisting that this title race has been the most difficult of his managerial career

Chelsea have led the Premier League table since August, and now sit seven points clear of second-placed Arsenal, having played a game less.

But Mourinho said: “No, in England this league is more difficult than the others I’ve played. More teams involved in the title race. First period it was us, United and Arsenal. At this moment, also City and Liverpool and Tottenham.

“The quality of the mid-table teams is also important and more difficult. Has the title race been boring, why? We didn’t dominate.

“It’s more fun when we are champions. That’s the funny moment.”