Especially to all our US based reader's!! Wishing you all the blessings of today!
Sunday, May 11, 2014
Saturday, May 10, 2014
Speaking on the new collaboration Alicia said:
“Givenchy has long been one of the world’s most iconic luxury fashion houses, and a personal favourite of mine,” To be a part of their prestige and elegance is a thrilling moment. I’m honoured to introduce the world to the newest scent by Givenchy.”
Nigerian stars joint forces early this morning to protest the disappearance of nearly 300 female students. Tonto Dike, Tiwa Savage, Tonto Dike, and Toke Makinwa, were joint by many other stars who marched through the streets of Lagos this morning.
The march took them from Falomo Roundabout to the State house Onikan where they met with Lagos state governor, Babatunde Fashola.
Oprah Winfrey looks barely recognisable as she poses for her magazine, The Oprah magazine to mark her 60th birthday. In the glamourous shoot, the entrepreneur wears a red Badgley Mischka dress and Sarah Jessica Parker heels.
Call me crazy, but I’ve never really understood our culture’s fear of getting older. The way I see it, every year can be a brand new journey.
‘Think about it: You get one chance to be 25…38…44…61…and every age before and between. Why wouldn’t you want to experience all the wonder in each step on your path?
And on finally accepting her body:
‘One day I literally woke up and thought ”My god, these knees have been with me for 60 years. Wow! I’ve had these elbows for 60 years. My heart has been beating for 60 years. The feet I stand on have carried me for 60 years.’’ And when you think about it that way, you can be nothing but grateful.’
Wow!
Thursday, May 8, 2014
Camelle Daley has founded fashion label 'House of Ilona' with the aim of designing fashionable clergy wear. The Clergy Collection was born after one of her recently ordained friend was troubled at the thought of wearing an unflattering clergy shirt and asked the designer to make her a dress instead.
The dress has apparently been a huge hit so far amongst female minsters and Camelle. What's your take on it?
"I believe the kidnap of these girls will be the beginning of the end for terror in Nigeria," he said at the opening of the World Economic Forum meeting in Abuja.
The abductions and an attack this week that left more than 300 people dead have focused worldwide attention on Nigeria's fight with terrorists.
The world still doesn't know what happened to the 276 girls kidnapped almost a month ago, except that Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau said he plans to sell them.
Now, the militants may be going after those trying to find the girls. On Thursday, Nigerian police said one officer was wounded in the neck during a gunfight with suspected Boko Haram militants on the road between Maiduguri and Chibok, where the schoolgirls were abducted April 14.
And on Monday, Boko Haram militants attacked Gamboru Ngala, a remote state capital near Nigeria's border with Cameroon that has been used as a staging ground for troops in the search for the girls. Some of the at least 310 victims were burned alive.
The assault fits a pattern of revenge-seeking by Boko Haram against those perceived to have provided aid to the Nigerian government.
"Every day when I wake up and I think about young girls in Nigeria or children caught up in the conflict in Syria, when there are times in which I want to reach out and save those kids. And having to think through what levers, what powers do we have at any given moment, I think drop by drop by drop that we can erode and wear down these forces that are so destructive," U.S. President Barack Obama said Wednesday night in Los Angeles.
Exactly how, he didn't say.
Witnesses described the Gamboru Ngala attack as a well-coordinated onslaught that began shortly after 1:30 p.m. Monday at a busy outdoor market in the town.
Wearing military uniforms, the militants arrived with three armored personnel carriers, villagers said.
The attackers shouted "Allahu Akbar" -- "God is great" -- and opened up on the market, firing rocket-propelled grenades into the crowd and tossing improvised explosive devices, witnesses said.
Some marketgoers tried to take shelter in shops only to be burned alive when the gunmen set fire to a number of the businesses, the witnesses said.
A few Nigerian soldiers who had been left behind at the village could not hold off the assault and were forced to flee, they said. Many sought safe haven in nearby Cameroon.
The fighters also attacked the police station during the 12-hour assault, initially facing stiff resistance. They eventually used explosives to blow the roof off the building, witnesses said. They said 14 police officers were found dead inside.
Residents who returned to the village said they found 310 bodies.
The attack came about three weeks after militants snatched the 276 girls from their beds at the Government Girls Secondary School in Chibok.
And Sunday night, villagers in Warabe said Boko Haram militants snatched at least eight girls between the ages of 12 and 15.
Amid the growing international outrage, world leaders lined up to provide assistance.
The United States is sending a team of law enforcement experts and military advisers. France said Thursday that it would send a "specialized team" to help. The British government is also sending a small team, Prime Minister David Cameron's office said. Neither country said exactly what expertise their teams would bring.
British satellites and advanced tracking capabilities also will be used, and China has promised to provide any intelligence gathered by its satellite network, the Nigerian government said.
It's unlikely U.S. combat troops would be involved in operations against Boko Haram, U.S. officials told CNN Wednesday.
Nigerian police also announced a reward of about $310,000 for information leading to the girls' rescue.
The increased global response came after a chilling video described what may happen to the girls.
A man claiming to be Boko Haram's leader, Abubakar Shekau, made the following claim:
"I abducted your girls. I will sell them in the market, by Allah," he said. "There is a market for selling humans. Allah says I should sell. He commands me to sell. I will sell women. I sell women."
Boko Haram translates to "Western education is sin" in the local Hausa language. The group has said it wants a stricter enforcement of Sharia law across Africa's most populous nation, which is split between a majority Muslim north and a mostly Christian south.
The militants have even been known to kill Muslim clerics who dare criticize them.
The United States has branded Boko Haram a terror organization and has put a $7 million bounty on Shekau. But his location is as uncertain as the whereabouts of the girls.
Source: CNN
For those recently diagnosed with diabetes and those who have been living with it for some time, diabetes can be managed by making dietary changes and maintaining an active lifestyle.
We know it’s one thing to talk about healthy living but it is an entirely different story trying to walk the walk so we have created a green, amber and red plan that we hope will be easy to follow and might make it easier for those struggling with making a lifestyle change.
Green
- Increase your intake of green vegetables, fish-especially those high in omega 3, egg whites, low fat yoghurt and pulses.
- Try to incorporate aerobic exercise and resistance training- start by taking walks and incorporate more fun exercises into your weekly plan as you go along
- Try a low glycemic Index (GI) diet or a Mediterranean diet to help improve your blood sugar control
Amber
Your intake of fatty food and simple carbohydrates should be limited and more complex carbohydrates should be introduced into your eating plan which will place you in the green (which is where you want to be).
Simple carbohydrates are sugars such as glucose and fructose. They are found in refined sugar and in fruits. Complex carbohydrates are starches found in beans, nuts, vegetables, and whole grains which include fibre.
Alcohol consumption should be limited to a glass or two during the week unless you are strong enough to abstain and drink infrequently.
Red
This is probably the hardest part of the change as the best things are usually the worst things to eat!
Avoid sugary food, fruit juices, refined starches (white rice, pasta and bread), most baked goods and full fat dairy as mentioned earlier.
This is easier said than done but your body will thank you for making the change and over time you will see a healthier happier you in the mirror.
For those who are living with type 2 diabetes, we would like to hear from you on how you have been dealing with this disease and any tips you can share promoting a healthier way of living.
Wednesday, May 7, 2014
Toke vlog's this week about the recent happenings in Nigeria. The abduction of the teenage girls from the Northern region.
Speaking about the situation, Toke say:
We are not there yet, there is so much to be done yet. Please lend your voice. Tweet, Facebook, Instagram as much as you can. It is not futile, you just never know how far we can take this.
My Thoughts and Prayers goes out to every family that has been torn apart by this madness, we remain hopeful and we unite as one.
Our prayers are with the missing Nigerian girls and their families. It's time to #BringBackOurGirls. -mo pic.twitter.com/glDKDotJRt
— The First Lady (@FLOTUS) May 7, 2014
And yet, very little is known about Abubakar Shekau, the leader of Boko Haram.
He operates in the shadows, leaving his underlings to orchestrate his repulsive mandates. He resurfaces every once in a while in videotaped messages to mock the impotence of the Nigerian military. And he uses his faith to recruit the impressionable and the disenfranchised to his cause.
He's a religious scholar
Nigerians protest over kidnapped schoolgirls Nigerians protest over kidnapped schoolgirls
Nigeria: The Slavery Connection Parents doubt Nigerian government
Shekau was born in Shekau village that borders Niger. He studied under a cleric and then attended Borno State College of Legal and Islamic Studies for higher studies on Islam.
That's why he's also known as 'Darul Tawheed,' which translates to an expert in monotheism, or the oneness of Allah.
He's a polyglot
He speaks several languages fluently: Hausa, Fulani, Kanuri and Arabic. But English isn't one of them. After all, he heads a group that rejects all things Western.
He's elusive
Even his age is unknown -- estimates range between 38 and 49.
The U.S. State Department has Shekau's year of birth listed as 1965, 1969 and 1975.
He's a loner
Analysts describe Shekau as a loner and a master of disguise. He does not speak directly with members, opting to communicate through a few select confidants.
He uses many aliases: Abu Bakr Skikwa, Imam Abu Bakr Shiku and Abu Muhammad Abu Bakr Bin Muhammad Al Shakwi Al Muslimi Bishku among them.
He was an unruly No. 2
Boko Haram was founded by Mohammed Yusuf, a charismatic, well-educated cleric who drove a Mercedes as part of his push for a pure Islamic state in Nigeria. He wasn't too effective as a leader and had a hard time keeping his second-in-command in check. Shekau was more radical and had grander designs.
... And merciless as No. 1
Nigerian father: 'We sleep in the bush' More schoolgirls abducted in Nigeria
Mohammed Yusuf was killed in a security crackdown in 2009, along with about 700 of his followers. That left Shekau in charge. He vowed to strike back, and his group has spared no one: government workers, police officers, journalists, villagers, students and churchgoers. Human Rights Watch estimates that in the past five years, more than 3,000 people have been killed.
The Nigerian military has touted Shekau's death several times, only to retract its claim after he appeared alive and vibrant in propaganda videos.
They almost got him in September 2012 when they raided his home, where he had snuck in for his six-day-old baby's naming ceremony, according to the International Crisis Group. He managed to get away with a gunshot wound to the leg; his wife and three children were taken by the military.
He uses Islam to recruit and radicalize
The northeast, where Boko Haram has been most active, is economically depressed and among the least educated regions in Nigeria. Shekau has done a good job of convincing residents that the powers in Abuja are corrupt and a better system of government would be a strict enforcement of Islamic Sharia law across Nigeria. And his promise, coupled with a weapon and a license to plunder, has been enticing to hundreds of young men.
... and the government's response isn't helping
The central government's heavy-handed and frequently untargeted anti-terrorism campaign has just helped create more members to sustain Boko Haram. The country's own Human Rights Commission last year accused the military of arbitrary killings, torture and rape in its campaign against the group. This makes for fertile territory for Boko Haram.
Dates of Birth Used: 1965, 1969, 1975
Place of Birth: Yobe, Nigeria
Height: Tall
Build: Slim
Complexion: Dark
Ethnicity: Kanuri
Languages: Arabic, Hausa, Fulani, Kanuri
Aliases: Abu Bakr Skikwa, Imam Abu Bakr Shiku, Abu Muhammad Abu Bakr Bin Muhammad Al Shakwi Al Muslimi Bishku, Abubakar Shakkau
From the U.S. State Department's Rewards for Justice
He's exporting his brand of terror
There's no firm evidence as yet that Boko Haram has ambitions beyond Nigeria. But its campaign of terror has spilled into remote parts of Cameroon and it appears to have informal links with militant Islamist groups in Mali and Niger.
He's made good on his brutal threat
It was in May 2013 that Shekau first announced in a video that Boko Haram would start kidnapping girls. The kidnappings, he said, were retaliation for Nigerian security forces nabbing the wives and children of group members.
The most horrifying instance was last month's abduction of 276 girls from a girl's school.
"I abducted your girls," he taunted with a chilling smile in a new video that surfaced this week. "There is a market for selling humans. Allah says I should sell. He commands me to sell."
There's a $7 million bounty on his head
Shekau has been on the radar of U.S. officials since he came to power in 2009. Last June, the United States put a bounty on him, offering a reward of up to $7 million for information leading to his location.
... But that's yet to yield results
Here's why, says CNN's Chief International Correspondent Christiane Amanpour: "(African warlord) Joseph Kony's had a bounty for years and years. Even with the 'Stop Kony' video that went viral, nothing has happened to get Joseph Kony -- even though it's about the only thing in Africa that the United States has committed some forces and some intelligence to.
"Osama bin Laden was not given up because of the $25 million bounty. And who knows whether this will be the case."
Source: CNN
Girl: He must be god fearing, neat and well groomed, honest, decent, with a vision for his life and home, bla bla bla.
What do you want in a woman?
Boy: She must love God, neat and properly raised, decent, good in the art of housekeeping…the list is often endless.
I can only say bravo and kudos for knowing what you want in your future partner. It’s always beautiful to know what you want and more beautiful to know that you are not willing to accept anything less.
We all set standards for ourselves in life even though we don’t always meet those standards. But I love it when I see those who are focused and who know what they want from life. You know what you want from life, in a relationship; do you know what you deserve? I must also let you know that you are not alone in this because almost everyone wants the same thing you want in a spouse. But have you asked yourself if you are anywhere close to being those things everybody wants from his/her spouse?
You want a very decent spouse; what’s your dress sense like? You still sag with bare chest out for the whole world to see; you always have your boobs out for every fly to perch on, you have five earrings on your ears, you have another on your tongue and eyes; your body is nothing short of a public toilet and yet you want a decent man/woman for a spouse.
Your makeup, instead of making you more beautiful, turns you to a masquerade that should be dreaded. Everything you do is in the excess, your false lashes look abnormal, your false nails are way too long, you are close to wearing panties outside the house and yet you desire a very decent spouse. My mother says, “odikaodi kpoba, odikaodi azuru” (you will always attract your likes).
I agree with you; you sure need a man of vision who can lead the way. We have been conditioned to believe that it’s the man who must have a vision for his home. You move about aimlessly; you loiter the streets from morning till night; your going to school is just for the sake of it; you have no vision apart from graduating and partying.
All you think of is what to wear for that weekend party. Your favourite TV channel is E-125 on DSTV and your favourite program is the Khardashians. Now let me ask you; do you have a vision for your life? If you do, what vision do you have for your own life? What vision do you have for your spouse? Where do you see you five years from now? What would be your contributions to his life? What are you bringing to the table if eventually you become his Mrs? You have no right to ask for a spouse with vision if you have none for your life and home.
You want a girl who can cook and keep the home and yet the only place you visit is a night club. While you date her, you take pleasure in eating out and visiting all the big hotels and restaurants in town. You can only get a girl who would be out every night-ladies night out, and come back the following morning to throw her pants on the floor of your bedroom and sometimes on your face. It’s also possible you get a very good girl who you would subject to torture as long as she lives with you.
A friend told me how his cousin’s fiancé was left in shock when she saw that the very man she has been in touch with is her fiancee’s cousin. She put up a newspaper advert asking for a man in his forties. She lied that she was in her twenties (she was in her thirties). My friend continued chatting with her and talking on phone. On the D-day, my friend went to work, well dressed, hoping to finally meet his dream woman. He had told his colleagues that someone special was coming. There entered this lady who was asking for the given name. When they called my friend, he realized that the very lady he was in touch with for months and who he supposedly didn’t know, was in his house with her fiancée the previous night. This brought that lovely relationship to an end.
Like I said earlier in this article, it is not wrong for you to know what you want. It is normal for you to want a Mr. or Mrs. Right, but in doing this, make yourself a Mr/Mrs Right. Make sure you are that which you desire in a spouse. God is too merciful not to allow you mess up the life of His precious child.
Written By Amara Blessing
Tuesday, May 6, 2014
In an interview last night with CNN's Christiane Amanpour regarding the missing schoolgirls, Nigerian Nobel Prize Winner Wole Soyinka suggested that the Nigerian Government were acting like children.
From CNN:
The search for more than 200 girls in Nigeria is now “beyond the capacity” of the government and needs international support, Nigerian author Wole Soyinka told CNN’s Christiane Amanpour on Tuesday.
“This is a government which is not only in denial mentally, but in denial about certain obvious steps to take,” Soyinka, a Nobel laureate who is often referred to as the conscience of his nation, told Amanpour.
“It’s one of those rather child-like situations that if you shut your eyes, if you don’t exhibit the tactile evidence of the missing humanity here, that somehow the problem will go away.”
It is not just “a Nigerian problem,” he said.
“I’m calling for the international community, the United Nations – this is a problem. This is a global problem. And a foothold is being very deeply entrenched in West Africa.”
The search for the girls, who were kidnapped by the Boko Haram terrorist group on April 14, has seen little progress.
The issue, Soyinka said, has been addressed “very late and very cursorily.”
Amanpour had scheduled a live interview with Nigerian Information Minister Labaran Maku on Tuesday; Maku failed to show up in time for the interview. He later spoke with CNN’s Isha Sesay.
A man claiming to be Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau said in a newly released video "I abducted your girls. I will sell them in the market, by Allah.”
Soyinka referred to Shekau’s video as a “charade” and “gleeful obscenity.”
The U.S. said on Tuesday that it had offered, and President Goodluck Jonathan had accepted, an offer to discuss American aid in finding the girls.
“President Jonathan should have asked for it from the very beginning,” Soyinka said. “I don’t believe in false pride.”
Why, Amanpour asked, does Soyinka believe Jonathan is in denial?
“It’s not only he. It’s the advisers around him. It’s a certain section of the nation, some of whom enjoy for various reasons a nation in a state of chaos. They profit by it, and in fact some of the, are guilty of provoking the situation.”
“The person who has no excuse is the president of the nation.”
The problem, he said, has been festering for years.
“There have been numerous incidents like this,” he told Amanpour; the 2011 Boko Haram bombing of a United Nations compound in Abuja and extremist unrest over a 2002 beauty pageant being just two examples.
“The pinpricks you’ve seen all over the world are consolidating into a situation of internal war – insurrection by this group.”
One need only look at the history of Algeria or the Taliban’s rule in Afghanistan to understand what is happening, he said.
“Let’s not beat around the bush. We’re dealing with a monstrosity. We’re dealing with an affliction the likes of which the nation has never encountered.”
The response must be rapid, he said.“Abduction, terrorism, suicide bombing – these are very difficult situations to deal with. But they are not unique.”
“Where it will end, I do not know. But one thing is certain: The president and his government cannot sleep easy after what has happened to Nigeria.”
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Super stunning Jamaican bride captured by @niidjarbeng_lightville.
We love this trad look by @manikki555.
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Choose your dream @barkevs ring. 1,2,3, or 4?
Pre-wedding cuteness! Captured by @knvgmedia
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Wow! Bridal beauty at it's best. Courtesy of the talented @mamzabeauty!
Fun and colour pre-wedding captured by @swgphotography.
Too sweet!
Stunning Northern bride. Her makeup looks flawless and goes perfectly with her coral attire ! !
Now this is what you call a 'bridal party'! Too cute!
Photography by @photonimi
Bride @wuris_cee also looked amazing in her wedding dress!
Captured by @atunbi!! Makeup by @jideofstola
We Love!
Flower girl hair inspiration. So adorable.
Sweet mother! Beautiful shot by @laphyphotography
Woah...@mamzabeauty does a flawless job! One of favourite makeup artists.
Absolutely stunning! All white perfection.
Super stunning bride @oyink8700! Makeup by @mamzabeauty
Photography by @georgeokoro. We love!
Yellow diamonds @tiffanyandco make for a unique engagement!
Would you want a yellow diamond engagement ring?
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Would you wear this stunning dress by @galialahav? It's from their breathtaking Empress Collection. Wow!
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Gorgeous bride Fatima makes red and blue look sooo good!
Photography by @maigaskiya and makeup by @banksbmpro
Gorgeous wedding invitations by @ivoryandfine.
@jideofstola did an amazing job on this stunning Rivers bride @wuris_cee.
So pretty!!
Decor by @nasheedevents. Simplicity at its finest!
Stunning bride @phinajoseph.
Love her hair and accessories.
African Sweetheart Weddings on Instagram!
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