Happy 61st Birthday Oprah!

Its feels good to share a birthday date with Oprah... If only she knows the role she has played serving as a good role model to me.

Happy Birthday to the woman who made herself an empire. Oprah Winfrey worked her way to the top through her talent and intelligence. Here's wishing her another great year!

Would you consider 'Nutella' a name for your baby?

A very common saying in Nigeria that the name a father would give his newborn resides in his stomach. This is not the case with a French couple who decided to name their daughter 'Nutella' a brand hazelnut chocolate spread.

The unusual name was noticed by the registrar while recording the baby's birth. The parents however named their baby Ella after a court ruling saying “the first name Nutella, given to the child, is that of the commercial brand of a spread”. The court also added that the name could cause “mockery or disobliging remarks” for the baby while growing up.

What odd name have you ever heard?

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A French court has barred a couple from naming their daughter Nutella after the popular hazelnut chocolate spread.
The unusual choice of name by the couple from Valenciennes, in northern France, was noticed by the registrar who recorded the baby’s birth last September. He alerted the local prosecutor who referred the case to a family court judge.
The parents have now named their baby Ella, after a court ruling stipulated that “the first name Nutella, given to the child, is that of the commercial brand of a spread”. The court ruled that such a name was against the girl’s interests as it would cause “mockery or disobliging remarks”.
The days are long gone when a French child would be named according to the saint’s day on which it was born. In 1993 the law was changed to enable parents to freely choose their baby’s name – unless it is deemed contrary to the child’s interests.
According to the Voix du Nord newspaper, a separate case in the region concerned a child who had been given the name Fraise (Strawberry). The parents told a judge this month that they had wanted an original name. However, the court decided that she would face mockery from other children who might have called out to her “ramène ta fraise”, a colloquial expression meaning “get over here” or “butt in”. The girl was renamed Fraisine, which was popular in the 19th century.
In 2013, a boy named Jihad caught the notice of school authorities when the three-year-old was seen wearing a T-shirt emblazoned with the words “I am a bomb” on the front, and his name and date of birth, 11 September, on the back. His mother was acquitted of supporting terrorism by a court in Avignon.

Awww..David Cameron spotted with daughter

I ran into these pictures and I thought I should share. When you sometimes see Prime Minister David Cameron during official duties and you wonder how he is like outside the office...This might help you see the 'daddy' side of him as he carries his daughter Florence.

Adoring eh?

Today's Wise Saying

"An okra tree does not grow taller than its owner"- (Krio) Sierra Leone Proverb

When Brad Pitt sings David Oyelowo's name

I felt very familiar with the whole scenario when Brad Pitt told of his struggle trying to pronounce David Oyelowo's name..Trust me, his attempt made it easy...Take a look.

Yay...Its my brithday!!!

Its my birthday today..I'm so happy to be celebrating again..It might be a slow news day today as I'm out and about celebrating...If you're also celebrating like me today, please have a good one!

Veiled or Unveiled: Much ado about Mrs Obama's Saudi visit

There has been so much rants about whether or not Mrs Obama was right not to wear a veil. After cutting short their Indian trip to pay respect to the Saudi royals on the death of King Abdullah, President Obama and his wife 's pictures and video images surfaced online showing the First Lady's image blurred out as it was aired on a state television station.
The brief four-hour visit to the Kingdom has caused uproar on social media, with people attaching so many meanings to Mrs Obama's facial expressions and body languages...Here are some pictures;

Away from the stereotype of a teacher

This is the coolest high school teacher I have ever seen...Away from the norm I must say..A teacher getting jiggy with doing Uptown Funk Dance. Take a look

Today's Wise Words

"A bad attitude is like a flat tire. You cant go anywhere till you change it"-Anonymous

Happy 60th birthday to Ruby Bridges

Photo: A mighty girl

Who would imagine this ever happened..

"As a six-year-old, Ruby Bridges famously became the first African American child to desegregate an all-white elementary school in the South. When the 1st grader walked to William Frantz Elementary School in New Orleans on November 14, 1960 surrounded by a team of U.S. Marshals, she was met by a vicious mob shouting and throwing objects at her.

One of the federal marshals, Charles Burks, who served on her escort team, recalls Bridges' courage in the face of such hatred: "For a little girl six years old going into a strange school with four strange deputy marshals, a place she had never been before, she showed a lot of courage. She never cried. She didn't whimper. She just marched along like a little soldier. We were all very proud of her."

Power outage and the zeal to learn in Ghana

Photo credit-myjoyonline.com

The recent erratic power supply in Ghana has brought these young children to SG-SSB Bank premises in Accra to do their homework. There has been a shortfall in the distribution of megawatts. Inadequate gas supply from Nigeria is among other factors leading to this uneven distribution.
In their bid to complete their homework, one of the kids, an 8-year-old girl said “Maybe there is a fault on the power so the repairers should repair it so that it will not be difficult for us”.
A continent that is committed to helping its generation has to create an enabling environment where geniuses can thrive. Africa has got to do something.

Sir Ferguson's pay revealed

Sir Alex Ferguson has earned a whopping amount of money after stepping down as Manchester United Football manager. The living legend whose career span over 26 years earned an astounding £2,165,000 from his work with the club between October 2013 and June 2014, making his role as 'global ambassador' at Old Trafford to amount to £100,000-a-day. The 73-year-old Scot's positive influence and reputation over the years has enhanced the brand of the club internationally.

Way to go Sir! You deserve it.

Nigeria's J.Martins feat Senegalese's Youssou N'Dour- Time is now

There is no better time for this song than now. Nigeria's J Martins features Senegalese's Youssou N'Dour. The song titled 'Time is now' is addressing the different challenges plaguing Africa and how we have to act now. Africa needs to wake up and smell the coffee..No one can come to its aid if the people are not willing.

The video is smashing...Youssou N'Dour nailed it for me, he looks very good for his age! J Martins? Get in here boy!!!lool! #runsaway

Today's Wise Saying

"No matter how long the winter is, spring is sure to follow"- Guinean saying

Lupita Nyongo'o's dress is stunning!

Lupita Nyongo'o at the Screen Guild Actors Awards on Sunday...Love the floral stripy dress!

Alexis Tsipras sworn in as new Prime Minister in Greece

Many congratulations to the people of Greece as Alexis Tsipras, the head of Greece's far-left Syriza party is sworn in as Prime Minister. The election victory by the 40-year-old will be leading an anti-austerity coalition government.

Let us hope for better days ahead for Greece.

Sam Smith settles out of court pays songwriting royalty

Sam Smith's ''Stay with me'' single has been found to share similarities with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers "I won't back down" a 1989 classic song. Petty's lawyer swung into action and the UK's ballad singer quickly agreed to pay songwriting royalties. Smith's song was the most successful single in 2014, it sold over four million copies world wide.
As much as Petty and Smith have settled out of court since October 2014, the song is up for best Pop Performance and Record of the Year at the 2015 Grammy Awards.

Have a listen and be my judge.

Wellbeing Foundation's Maternal Monday Fact

It is a fact that "breastfeeding reduces the risk factors for three of the most serious diseases of women: female cancers, heart disease and osteoporosis, without any significant risk to your health."

US Secretary of State John Kerry on Nigeria's forthcoming elections

Speaking in Lagos, Mr Kerry said; "Let me be clear, anyone who participates in, plans or calls for wide spread of systematic violence against the civilian population must be held accountable, including by ineligibility for an American visa. Violence has no place in democratic elections and I can guarantee you that the perpetrators of such violence would not be welcomed in the United States of America"

Dare I say take heed?! Please say no to election violence!

ECOWAS Chair in The Gambia

"In the African tradition, if anything happens in your brother's house you have to go and visit and make sure that things are okay, and that is why I came. You also know that our ECOWAS protocols do not support violent overthrow of governments, so we want to remind all member states of the protocols that ECOWAS has, that change of government must be through democratic means and as far as possible we should try and abide by that."

These are the comments made by the Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama, Chair of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State & Government speaking after a visit to The Gambia to express solidarity with President Yahya Jammeh, the government and people of the country following a failed attempt of a recent coup d'etat.

Today's Wise Saying

"One camel does not make fun of other camel's hump"- Guinean Proverb

Nigerian Hollywood Actress Uzo Aduba wins awards at SAG Awards

Congratulation to Hollywood actress Uzo Aduba for winning awards in roles played in 'Orange is the New Black'. The actress with Nigerian roots won awards in Los Angeles on Sunday at the Screen Actors Guild awards as Best Actress in a comedy series. She also won 'Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series'
Uzo who looked beautiful in a striking yellow Angel Sanchez Spring 2015 gown expressed her gratitude saying "I want to say a huge massive thanks to our cast, without whom this is not possible. I love you guys so desperately, so much. This is not done without you, any step of the way."
This is the first SAG award the beautiful actress would be clinching.

Many congrats to her Nwannem!

Church of England ordains first female Bishop today

The Church of England would be consecrating the first female Bishop today after women became priest over 20 years ago. Reverend Libby Lane would be ordained in York Minster as Bishop of Stockport.

#SmearForSmear Lipstick selfies as campaign to battle cervical cancer

SmearForSmear is a cervical cancer awareness campaign launched after figures shows that over a million women failed to go for a smear test in 2013/2014. Social media users are being encouraged to smear lipstick across their cheeks and post selfies online and nominate friends to do the same. This would encourage and also create more awareness about the importance of the test.

Robert Music, Chief Executive of Jo's Cervical Cancer Trust said "Every day we see the devastating impact a cervical cancer diagnosis can have on both a woman and her loved ones. He added "But to know that, for those that delayed their screening before diagnosis, this could have been prevented is tragic. It's now time that we see an upward shift in awareness of cervical cancer and an understanding of the importance of smear tests."

Early detection is a key thing!!Get checked!

Photo speak

German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi at the Accademia Gallery in Italy during a press conference.

Sokoto Women demand 35% cabinet slot if Tambuwal's wins gubernatorial

Ahead of the 2015 election, coalition of women groups in Sokoto state, north east Nigeria have requested the Speaker of the House of Representative Alhaji Aminu Tambuwal to make 35% provision for women in his cabinet if elected the governor in the coming elections. 

The women under the auspices of 'Women for Change' made the demand on Sunday in Sokoto when they made a courtesy call to Tambuwal.

According to the group spokesperson Hajiya Turai Shehu, went ahead to also say ”With constant support from the state government, the number of girls enrolled in schools in the rural areas had increased in recent years. She also added "the momentum can only be maintained if the incoming administration shows interest and commitment to the issue." Tambuwal responded by reassuring the women of his absolute support if he wins.

Just for a wee smile

Indeed!

Nigeria welcomes United States Secretary of State John Kerry

United States secretary of state John Kerry arrived Nigeria today to meet with political groups to abide by the outcome come February 14th presidential election. Kerry's visit to Lagos is to engage in talks with President Goodluck Jonathan and APC Presidential candidate General Muhammadu Buhari.

The secretary of state is to also state how symbolic the coming elections would be since 1999 transitions from military regime. According to a senior State Department official who said the secretary of state will "emphasize to both of the candidates the importance of non-violence in this election and having a free and fair and transparent process".

CNN:Nigeria as 3rd fastest economy

CNN states Nigeria as the third fastest growing economy in the world..Waoh...This is some great news..

Celine Dion's eldest son René-Charles is 14 today

I guess by now you should all guess that I love Celine Dion..Her son René-Charles turns 14years today..RC is a big brother to the twins Nelson and Eddy.

Richard Branson dots on twins granchildren

"I've been trying to stop myself from posting too many photos of our gorgeous new grandchildren, but like any proud grandad I can't resist" wrote billionaire grandfather, Sir Richard Branson in a blog post with a picture showing him expressing care to daughter, Holly's twins. He posted further "getting to spend some quality time with new baby twins, Etta and Artie. The twins are one-month old. Every father and grandad should be motivated by this.

Awww....how cute.

Today's wise saying

Word!

General Buhari's Wife and Daughter

Nigeria's APC Presidential candidate, General Muhammadu Buhari 's wife and daughter. You can hardly tell which is the mother...They are both beautiful!

Scottish Ebola nurse discharged

Pauline Cafferkey, the Scottish NHS nurse who contracted Ebola virus while volunteering in Ebola crises West Africa country has recovered after treatment at London hospital. She has also left hospital to return to her normal life. The nurse was diagnosed upon returning to her Glasgow home after visit to Sierra Leone. She is "very happy to be alive."

Happy she made it.

Nigerian army equipped, many joined out of no job

Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd.), Nigeria's National Security Adviser at a forum in Chatham House, London disclosed that the country's military is equipped to fight Boko Haram insurgence. He said: "anyone who is saying that they are not well armed is not telling the truth, we had a lot of cowards, and it turned out there was a problem in the recruitment process. There were a lot who joined because they wanted a job, not because they wanted a career in the military. These are the people who ran away." 

This is another dimension to this whole saga. I remember being recruited by the military was a dream come true for many young Nigerian men few years back.

I hope they fix this shortcomings in the recruitment process soon.

First female editor appointed by the Economist

The Economist has in its 172-year publication history appointed first woman editor in person of Zanny Minton Beddoes. Beddoes had a stint at the International Monetary Fund before joining the publication in 1984. She was economics editor and is the current business editor.

Rihanna t-shirt: Topshop can't sell without her permission, Appeal Court affirms

A sleeveless £22 priced top has been at the centre of legal battle between Rihanna and Topshop over the high street fashion retailer's selling of the t-shirt with image of the singer without her permission. Rihanna previously won the case but Topshop appealed the judgement and has now won the appeal as well. Three appeal court judges upholds High Court's ban on the retailer selling the top. Rihanna and her licensing companies claim that she did not license the use of her image on the clothing and that people purchasing the top would think it has her endorsement.

Beckham for H&M 2015 spring collection

'It runs in the family' is a mantra very few can claim, the Beckhams are however of the few. It is David Beckham's turn on the runway as he models for H&M 2015 spring collection. Remember his son Romeo recently modelled for Burberry too.

Gordon Ramsay liable for rent signed with a ghostwriting machine by father-in-law

 

The court has ruled that celebrity chef, Gordon Ramsay is liable for the £640,000 annual rent in a 25-year lease agreement on a pub in Regents Park, London. Ramsay alibi was that his father-in-law, Christopher Hutcheson who was managing his business empire and whom he had sacked following family dispute, signed the pub's agreement with a ghostwriting machine in 2007 wherein Hutcheson made him the guarantor for the rent 'without his knowledge'. He claimed to know of the transaction after Hutcheson was sacked. Interestingly, the chef's office had used the same equipment to autograph merchandise, cookbooks and legal documentations.

The court ruled that Ramsay should pay £1.3m two years rent backlog and £650,000 legal costs. Don't you think technology would soon replaced human being responsibility?

UK manufactured a car every 20 seconds in 2014

Last year was a boom for car production lines in the UK as manufacturers produced a car every 20 seconds in the country totaling 1.5m for the year. My head is full of the jobs that would be created by this massive production and the ripple effects of it on any country's economy, where conducive business environment is provided for it.

King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz of Saudi Arabia buried

King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia has died at the age 90 years after a brief illness battling with pneumonia. The news broke on Thursday evening and immediately followed by the announcement of his successor. His half-bother Prince Salman is now the new King of Saudi Arabia.
King Salman has promised continuity saying,"We will never deviate from our constitution" after his accession to the throne. He also added “We will, with God’s support, maintain the straight path that this country has advanced on since its establishment by the late King Abdulaziz,”

The late King Abdullah has since been buried in an unmarked grave..More photos after the cut.

British No.1 Tennis player blames 'girl things' for her poor performance

Heather Watson, British No.1 Tennis player who crashed out on her first-round in the Australian Open on Tuesday has attributed her poor performance to the clash of her menstrual period with the Tournament schedule. According to her she said "I think it's just one of these things that I have, girl things."

Menstrual period related discomfort in Sportswomen made Annabel Croft, former British No. 1 female tennis player, to develop her own line of leak-proof underwear, Diary Doll. Her underwear is now common with both sports and business women to prevent embarrassing moments.            

Today's Wise Saying

"A child can play with the mother's breast but not the father's testicles."- Guinean Proverb

France Attack: Supermarket employee gets French citizenship

                             
The Jewish grocery store (Kosher supermarket) employee Lassana Bathily has been offered French citizenship following the bravery he exhibited during the attack carried out in the store he worked. The Malian muslim employee, risked his own life and hid 15 people in the store’s freezer to protect them from harm.

Bathily, 24, was joined by French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve and Prime Minister Manuel Valls in a naturalisation ceremony to honour him. He received a medal for his bravery and said "I am so happy to get dual nationality," he added "Long live freedom, long live solidarity, long live France."

2015 World Economic Forum Davos

President Paul Kagame of Rwanda in the picture speaking on the CNBC panel on achieving Africa's growth at the World Economic Forum. He said "We need to allow Africans to move freely across borders and to invest in and with each other. If we do this, the rest will follow."

Surely the rest will definitely follow.

Today's Wise Saying

"A strong man is remembered on the day of the fight and a glutton on the day pounded yam is surplus" - Ghanaian Proverb

AirAsia: Plane was at a speed of military jet

The cause of AirAsia recent crash into Java Sea in which 162 Passengers of the airlines lost their lives has been attributed to the plane pilot "climbed too fast." Ignasius Jonan, Indonesia's Minister of Transportation made this disclosure in Jakarta during a parliamentary hearing on the crash. He stated further that only military jet could survive what the commercial flight attempted. Aircraft experts are in doubt of this line of cause as they claimed commercial planes are unlikely to physically attain the ascension speed of 1,828m per minute claimed the flight made by the Minister.

Nut-ty Air Executive

             Ex-Korean Air executive Cho Hyun-ah, center.     Photo: Getty images

The sacked executive of Korea Air and daughter of the airline's Chairman, Cho Hyun-ah who went into a rage because a flight attendant served her nuts in a bag instead of the complimentary plate used for first class passengers as she was has been docked in Seoul. Cho commandeered the flight which was already taxiing to return to the gate to deboard the cabin attendant for the shoddy service to her. Cho who was later sacked by the airline for her behaviour may be jailed up to 15 years if found guilty by the court.

Waoh...Things some people do when in power is just baffling.

David Williams Got Talent

British Got Talent judge, David Williams was the cynosure of all eyes yesterday at Edinburgh during auditions of the Talent hunt. The judge was garbed in kilts complemented with a bagpipe which he appeared to be playing along with a Pipe Band.

Simon Cowell, the show boss however put him through a 'real Scot' test by lifting his kilts to flash the crowd. David's day was saved by a white pant he adorned. It is assumed that a real Scot does not wear any brief under the kilts.

Traditional attire always look good on people.

Pubic Hair: What is your take?

On this, Cameron Diaz is of the view: “Pubic hair serves as a pretty draping that makes it a little mysterious to the one who might be courting your sexiness. Pubes keep the goods private, which can entice a lover to come and take a closer look at what you have to offer. Also, let’s be honest: just like every other part of your body, your labia majora is not immune to gravity. Do you really want a hairless vagina for the rest of your life? It’s a personal decision, but I’m just putting it out there: consider leaving your vagina fully dressed, ladies. Twenty years from now, you will still want to be presenting it to someone special, and it would be nice to let him or her unwrap it like the gift that it is.”

What's your take on this?

BBC sets up award to honor late Komla Dumor

The BBC has set up an award in the honour of its late presenter Komla Dumour. Dumour who was a journalist with a difference, made an impact with professionalism and willingness by telling the African side of story. The BBC Focus Africa presenter, exhibited commitment to his job and worked diligently before his unexpected death.

The BBC World News Komla Dumour Award winner will be given to an outstanding candidate living and working in Africa, who has great variety of skills telling African stories combined with journalism. The winner of the award will be offered an opportunity to earn experience, work with professional team across BBC News during a three month placement in London. The winner will also have the opportunity to broadcast to millions of BBC audience via TV, radio and online around the world.

How nice..Komla Dumour, even in death has paved way for other Africans...

Parents charged for son's absence at a birthday party

The parents of 5-year-old Alex Nash were shocked to find an invoice of £15.95 waiting for them in their son's bag from school for being absent at a friend's party. Alex refused to attend his friend's birthday trip to a local ski and snowboarding centre but chose to visit his grandparents on same day instead. His parents initially shrugged it off until the birthday boy's mother threatened to take them to a small claims court.

According to Alex's parents claimed "We did not have a contact number, email or an address to let [the boy’s mother] know," Mr Nash explained. "So on the day of the party we asked Alex what he wanted to do – he chose to be with his grandparents." The two mothers have been in contact to resolve the situation.

Sade Adu gets a warm 56th birthday celebration

Born on the 16th of January 1959 in Ibadan, Nigeria and named Helen Folasade Adu by her Nigerian father and English mother. Sade a British Nigerian singer, songwriter, composer and record producer celebrated her birthday on Friday and here in the picture is a table of goodies and her birthday cake organised by her family.

Happy belated birthday Ma'am