WWE: Legendary Manager, Announcer Bobby 'The Brain' Heenan Dies at 73

Legendary pro wrestling manager and announcer Bobby "The Brain" Heenan died at age 73, World Wrestling Entertainment announced Sunday. Photo courtesy of WWE/Twitter 

 

Legendary pro wrestling manager and announcer Bobby "The Brain" Heenan died at age 73, World Wrestling Entertainment announced Sunday.
He had battled throat and lung cancer since 2002.

Hennan worked for several wrestling associations before finding fame with WWE. He managed such stars as Andre the Giant, Ric Flair, Big John Studd, King Kong Bundy and "Ravishing" Rick Rude.
WWE wrote of Heenan, "As impossible as it may seem, Heenan's overwhelming success as a manager was matched by that of his announcing career. Heenan's constant verbal jousts with fellow WWE Hall of Famers Gorilla Monsoon and 'Mean' Gene Okerlund on USA Network remain among the most memorable moments in sports entertainment history. In fact, 'The Brain' was so entertaining that 'The Bobby Heenan Show' had a brief run on USA Network as well."
Okerlund told Slam! Wrestling: "Bobby was the guy in wrestling that you'd love to hate. He lived and breathed the profession and did a tremendous job with everything he did. ... As a commentator, I thought he was able to deliver tremendous insight and develop storylines effectively."
Flair tweeted: "Bobby Heenan... The Greatest Manager, One Of The Greatest Announcers, And One Of The Best In-Ring Performers In The History Of The Business"
Wrestling star Triple H tweeted a picture of Heenan with the caption: "... one of a kind"

When News Breaks Out, We Break In. (The 2014 Bloggies Finalist)

Egypt Court Upholds Ex-President Morsi's Life Sentence

Top appeals court makes the final ruling, accusing the overthrown president for leaking secret state documents to Qatar.

 

Mohamed Morsi 

 

An Egyptian court has upheld a life sentence for ousted Islamist president Mohamed Morsi on charges of harming national security by leaking secret state documents to Qatar while he was in office. 

 

Morsi, democratically elected after Egypt's 2011 revolution, was removed from his position in mid-2013 by a coup led by Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, the army chief of the time.

 

Morsi was immediately arrested after the coup and Sisi has been the president of the country since 2013. The court also confirmed death sentences against three defendants in the same case. 

 

There have been no explanations yet for the rulings and they cannot be appealed.

 

In 2014, Egypt charged Morsi and nine others with endangering national security by leaking state secrets and sensitive documents to Qatar.

 

Sisi's crackdown

 

Morsi is already serving a 20-year sentence after being convicted for the killing of protesters during demonstrations in 2012.

 

Since toppling Morsi, Sisi has clamped down on dissent. Mass trials have been held for thousands of supporters of Muslim Brotherhood, which Morsi was a member of, and hundreds have received death sentences or lengthy prison terms.

 

Cairo's relations with Doha were already troubled by Qatar's backing of Morsi during the time of the cirisis.

 

Egypt is one of four Arab nations in a Saudi-led bloc that cut relations with the Gulf state on June 5, accusing it of backing "extremist" groups and cooperating with their arch-foe Iran, allegations Doha has repeatedly denied.

When News Breaks Out, We Break In. (The 2014 Bloggies Finalist)

Health Minister Disguises As Patient, Doctors Demand Bribe From Her

 

Uganda’s Health Minister, Mrs. Sarah Upendi, on Saturday disguised as a commoner and visited China-Naguru hospital, wearing a veil. Upon arriving at the hospital, she reportedly told the medical officials on duty that she wanted to take hepatitis B test.

Ugandan Minister of Health who disguised herself to visit a General Hospital, discovers patients pay bribe to get treated.

She was told to pay a bribe of shs5,000 at the reception in order to see a doctor, which she willingly paid.

When she finally got to the doctor, the doctor also asked for a bribe of shs100,000 to conduct the test. After paying, police covered up the place and arrested the two corrupt medical officers. Health services at the hospital are meant to be free.

When News Breaks Out, We Break In. (The 2014 Bloggies Finalist)

Nigerian Army Declares IPOB a Terrorist Organisation

 The Defence Headquarters of the Nigerian Army has labeled the Indigenous People of Biafra as a militant terrorist organisation.

IPOB members

 

The Defence Headquarters has branded the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) as a “militant terrorist organisation’’ and urged parents to dissuade their wards from joining the group.

 

In a statement in Abuja on Friday, Maj.-Gen. John Enenche, the Director, Defence Information (DDI), therefore, restated the commitment of the Armed Forces to confront “all security challenges facing the country.’’

 

Enenche also assured of the protection of lives and property in all parts of the country by the military. He said that the group posed security challenge and had been metamorphosing from one stage to another.

 

“After due professional analysis and recent developments, it has become expedient to notify the general public that the claim by IPOB actors that the organisation is non-violent is not true.

“Hence, the need to bring to public awareness the true and current state of IPOB.

“In this regard, some of their actions, clandestinely and actively, that have been terrorising the general public include:

“The formation of a Biafra Secret Service, claimed formation of Biafra National Guard, unauthorised blocking of public access roads and extortion of money from innocent civilians at illegal road blocks.

“Militant possession and use of weapons (stones, molotov cocktails, machetes and broken bottles, among others) on a military patrol on Sept. 10, 2017.

“Physical confrontation of troops by Nnamdi Kanu and other actors at a check point on Sept. 11, 2017 and also attempt to snatch their rifles.

“Attack by IPOB members on a military check point on Sept. 12, 2017, at Isialangwa, where one IPOB actor attempted to snatch a female soldier’s rifle.’’

“From the foregoing, the Armed Forces of Nigeria wish to confirm to the general public that IPOB from all intent, plan and purpose as analysed, is a militant terrorist organisation,’’ the DDI said. 

 

-NAN

When News Breaks Out, We Break In. (The 2014 Bloggies Finalist)

Genevieve Flaunts Wedding Ring After Allegedly Marriage

Nigerian actress, Genevieve Nnaji has taken fans by surprise after she flaunted her wedding ring following an alleged secret wedding.

Genevieve Nnaji flaunting her wedding ring today allegedly confirming the rumour

 

It looks like Genevieve Nnaji has confirmed rumours that she secretly married her beau recently after visiting Portugal by flaunting her wedding ring on social media.

 

Genevieve Nnaji and her alleged beau Ishaya Bako

 

The actress was on September 12 alleged to have married her man in a secret ceremony after a picture of the actress and friends surfaced online with Genevieve spotting a wedding ring.

 

 

Many of her friends in the industry have taken to her page to congratulate her on the massive step.

 

When News Breaks Out, We Break In. (The 2014 Bloggies Finalist)

Bafoussam, Bafang Without Water as Landslide Hits Part of West Region

 Reports say the nightmare on the Bafoussam-Bamendjou road reached its peak on September 16, 2017 after the road collapsed making movement very difficult. Eyewitnesses say the road collapsed in the morning hours after some visible cracked and immediately divided into two, making it impassable for cars and even motor bikes. It is even alleged that the road collapsed at the spot that was rehabilitated and the Minister of Public Works personally received the job. villagers are pointing accusing fingers at witchcraft while administrators say it is the result of landslide. Bafoussam town has been without water due to the effects of the landslide..More details soon

US Considering Military Action Against North Korea Reports Say

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson accused North Korea on Friday of threatening the entire world, and President Donald Trump’s national security adviser said the administration is not ruling out a possible military action against the regime.

The reactions came after North Korea fired a missile over Japan for the second time in under a month in defiance of international pressure over its missile and nuclear programs.

“There is a military option,” H.R. McMaster, Trump’s security adviser said during a press briefing at the White House, flanked by U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley.

But he clarified that the military option is not a preferred option, hoping that all other diplomatic moves will succeed.

McMaster urged all nations to do more to rein in the North, which he called “one of the world’s most urgent and dangerous security problems.”

In the latest attempt to deal with an issue that has repeatedly frustrated world powers, the U.N. Security Council was due to meet on Friday to discuss the missile launch, at the request of the United States and Japan.

The council’s 15 members unanimously stepped up sanctions against North Korea over a nuclear bomb test it staged on Sept. 3, imposing a ban on North Korea’s textile exports and capping its imports of crude oil.

North Korea has launched dozens of missiles under leader Kim Jong Un as it accelerates a weapons program designed to give it the ability to target the United States with a powerful, nuclear-tipped missile.

Tillerson said in a speech to foreign officials that the tests threaten the world and stressed the United States was working closely with regional allies Japan and South Korea.

“In East Asia, an increasingly aggressive and isolated regime in North Korea threatens democracies in South Korea, Japan, and more importantly, and more recently, has expanded those threats to the United States, endangering the entire world,” Tillerson said.

Taking a tougher line than Tillerson, White House National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster said the United States was fast running out of patience for diplomatic solutions on North Korea.

“We’ve been kicking the can down the road, and we’re out of road,” McMaster told reporters.

“For those … who have been commenting on a lack of a military option, there is a military option,” he said, adding that it would not be the Trump administration’s preferred choice.

North Korea’s latest test missile flew over Hokkaido in northern Japan on Friday and landed in the Pacific about 2,000 km (1,240 miles) to the east, the Japanese government said.

It traveled about 3,700 km (2,300 miles) in total, according to South Korea’s military, far enough to reach the U.S. Pacific territory of Guam, which the North has threatened before.

“The range of this test was significant since North Korea demonstrated that it could reach Guam with this missile,” the Union of Concerned Scientists advocacy group said in a statement. However, the accuracy of the missile, still at an early stage of development, was low, it said.

On Thursday, Tillerson called on China, Pyongyang’s only ally, and Russia to apply more pressure on North Korea by “taking direct actions of their own.

But Beijing pushed back.

Trump will meet with South Korean President Moon Jae-in and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly in New York next Thursday, McMaster said.

When News Breaks Out, We Break In. (The 2014 Bloggies Finalist)

FIFA Rankings: Cameroon Drops 10 Places, Nigeria Drops 6

Recent FIFA rankings show that Cameroon has dropped 10 positions to be the 45th while Nigeria have slipped six places below to be placed 44th in the latest rankings released on last Thursday.

In the month under review, the Super Eagles recorded a decent outing against Cameroon in the World Cup qualifiers. First, they pummelled the Indomitable Lions 4-0 in Uyo before they were held to a 1-1 draw in Yaoundé.

Even at that, Gernot Rohr’s moved southward in the grading – as they now rank Fifth in Africa according to the world football governing body.

Cameroon fell 10 places to no. 45 in the world and sixth in Africa. Nigeria’s next opponent in the race to Russia 2018, Zambia zoomed 18 places up (78th in the world) after recording a double against Algeria.

Cape Verde were the biggest movers (up 47 rank, 264 by points) with Switzerland plummeting after losing 119 points.

Germany dethroned Brazil from the summit of the ranking following two impressive Fifa World Cup qualifying victories over Czech Republic and Norway.

Portugal, for their part, are up three to third and, further down, no fewer than 23 teams jumped ten places or more.

Goal.com


When News Breaks Out, We Break In. (The 2014 Bloggies Finalist)

President Biya to Attend UN Genreal Assembly in New York

At the invitation of the His Excellency Antonio Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations Organization, His Excellency Paul Biya, President of the Republic of Cameroon, and his wife, Mrs Chantal Biya, left Yaounde Thursday morning, September  14, 2017, to take part in the 72nd Ordinary Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, United States of America.

The Head of State is accompanied by an Official Delegation comprising:

– Mr. Lejeune MBELLA MBELLA, Minister of External Relations;

– Mr. Martin BELINGA EBOUTOU, Director of the Civil Cabinet of the Presidency of the Republic;

– Mr. HAMADOU MOUSTAPHA, Minister in charge of Special Duties at the Presidency of the Republic;

– Mr. Paul ATANGA NJI, Minister in charge of Special Duties at the Presidency of the Republic;

– Mr. Luc SINDJOUN, Special Adviser at the Presidency of the Republic;

– Rear Admiral Joseph FOUDA, Special Adviser at the Presidency of the

– Republic;

– Mr. Henri ETOUNDI ESSOMBA, Cameroon’s Ambassador to the United States of America;

– Mr. TOMMO MONTHE, Ambassador, Cameroon’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations;

Mr. Simon Pierre BIKELE, Chief of State Protocol.

PRC

When News Breaks Out, We Break In. (The 2014 Bloggies Finalist)

London Subway Terror Attack: Man Hunt Launch, Threat Level at 'Critical' Reports Say

An injured woman is escorted away from 'Parsons Green' station in London on Friday after a terrorist device detonated during the morning rush hour. Photo by Matt Oliver/EPA 

 

Sept. 15 (UPI) -- Police began a manhunt Friday after an explosion rocked a crowded London subway car in what officials say was a terror attack during the morning rush hour.

The blast occurred as a train left Parsons Green station and caused a fire that swept through the subway car. Authorities are investigating the event as a terrorist-related attack, London Metropolitan Police said.

Government officials raised the terror threat level in England from "severe" to "critical," which means an attack is "expected imminently." The last time the threat level was raised to critical was the day after the Manchester terror bombing in May.

Several passengers were burned and dozens hurried to leave the train and get out of harm's way. At least 29 people were injured, with NHS England reporting 21 still in the hospital by late Friday.

Passengers on the train said a wall of fire erupted aboard one car.

A major manhunt for the bomber was launched and police asked for information from any witnesses or other sources.

Police have not yet made any arrests. London Mayor Sadiq Khan confirmed the manhunt but did not say if any specific person is being sought.

Although reports have claimed police are pursuing a suspect based on images from CCTV at the scene, Scotland Yard told The Standard that "there's no truth to that."

Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner Marc Rowley said an improvised explosive device caused the explosion. Authorities added that the IED may not have fully detonated, and might have been set off with a timer.

Rowley also said British counterintelligence agency MI5 is involved in the investigation.

The incident prompted panic in the subway, disrupted schedules and drew a quick and heavy response from rescue workers and armed police. Emergency responders were on the scene within minutes, Rowley said.

The attack drew swift condemnation from U.S. officials.

"Another attack in London by a loser terrorist," President Donald Trump tweeted early Friday. "These are sick and demented people who were in the sights of Scotland Yard. Must be proactive!"

"The U.S. remains committed to defeating terrorist organizations as well as their evil ideology," Trump's national security adviser, H.R. McMaster, said at a White House press briefing Friday afternoon.

British officials criticized Trump's tweets as "unhelpful" and "dangerous," although the president expressed sympathies and offered help in a phone call with British Prime Minister Theresa May Friday.

Friday's was the fifth terrorism-related attack in London this year. The previous four killed 36 people, and police said six other significant plots, soon to be prosecuted, were thwarted before they occurred.

When News Breaks Out, We Break In. (The 2014 Bloggies Finalist)

Latest Fashion Brand: Calvin Klein Offers Sleeves only' Sweater Whose Price will Shock you

 

 Fashion brand Calvin Klein has released a sweater that appears to simply be a pair of sleeves.

The $1,650 "multicolor wool cheerleader sweater" features a semi-sheer stretch nylon and wool material that creates the illusion that the garment has no torso.

A thin line of blue contrast stitching along the side breaks the illusion, leading into off-white and blue rib knit sleeves seemingly floating in thin air.

The unusual garment is listed on Canada-based online retailer Ssense, but is currently sold out.

When News Breaks Out, We Break In. (The 2014 Bloggies Finalist)

Study links swine flu to increased risk for type 1 diabetes

Researchers report that data on a pandemic in Norway suggests people who contract the H1N1 swine flu have an 18 percent increased likelihood for later diagnosis of diabetes.

 Young people who've been infected with the H1N1 swine flu virus may be at increased risk for type 1 diabetes, a new study suggests.

Researchers examined data from all the 2.28 million people aged 30 and younger in Norway between June 2009, when pandemic H1N1 flu struck the country, and June 2014.

People who reported flu symptoms during the pandemic were 18 percent more likely to later be diagnosed with type 1 diabetes than those who did not get the flu, the investigators found.

This association was even stronger in children aged 15 or younger. Among that age group, those who were infected with H1N1 flu virus had a 25 percent increased risk of developing type 1 diabetes, according to the study.

However, the association seen in the study doesn't prove a cause-and-effect relationship.

The study findings were scheduled to be presented Wednesday at the annual meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes, or EASD, in Lisbon, Portugal.

People inherit a genetic susceptibility to type 1 diabetes, but an environmental trigger is also needed for it to develop, and viral infections may provide that trigger, the researchers explained in an EASD news release.

Previous research has linked H1N1 with the development of autoimmune disorders, the study authors noted.

"This study may support the hypothesis that respiratory infections can contribute to the development of type 1 diabetes, due to stress and inflammation in predisposed individuals," Paz Lopez-Doriga Ruiz and colleagues from the Norwegian Institute of Public Health and Oslo University Hospital, concluded in the news release.

Findings presented at meetings are generally viewed as preliminary until they've been published in a peer-reviewed journal.

When News Breaks Out, We Break In. (The 2014 Bloggies Finalist)

President Mugabe Rubbishes South African Entertainer Who Doesn't Wear Panties

Elderly African leader, Mr Mugabe has reportedly expressed his disapproval of a South African celebrity who refuses to wear panties.

 

Zodwa Wabantu

 

South African entertainer, Zodwa Wabantu who is known for not wearing panties recently made news when she said that she would like to meet Zimbabwe's 93 year old president, Robert Mugabe.

 

Zodwa said before she made the trip to Zimbabwe some fans warned her to "behave" because that country's president is a strict man.

 

"They were telling me that Mugabe does not allow nonsense. And as a result I would not be allowed into Zimbabwe because I am too sexy.Some feel I will be half Unclad and that he (Mugabe) knows that I don't wear panties," she told local journalists.

 

"I would love to meet Mugabe if given a chance," she said. "I don't live a fake life. This is me: I am not expensive. I am a "kasi" person. I love you all. God gave me this body and I am using it," she said to cheer.

 

Mugabe has however blasted Zodwa Wabantu for not wearing panties, and any form of underwear for that matter.

 

Speaking at a rally in front of a 10‚000-strong crowd in Bindura on Saturday, Mugabe said he is aware that a decision to ban her from participating at official government events which she had been earlier invited to in Zimbabwe made him a “killjoy"

 

TshisaLIVE quoted the President as saying; “I’m sorry we disappointed many men” before questioning why Zodwa would attend parties without underwear.

 

“You just come without covering your decency. What do you want? Men to see you? We don’t want such‚” he said.

 

The decision has drawn mixed reaction‚ with political figures weighing in on the decision.

 

“There are many things that are wrong in this country and they are not addressed. But suddenly someone asks about Zodwa and it becomes a national interest‚ as if it’s a state of emergency‚” said a prominent political activist Josphat Ngulube.

When News Breaks Out, We Break In. (The 2014 Bloggies Finalist)

See First Photo of Serena William's Daughter

World tennis champion, Serena Williams has shared first photo of her baby who was born on the 1st of September.

Serena Williams and her lovely daughter

 

Serena Williams has shared first photo of her daughter leaving her fans totally excited. The superstar took to social media writing: "Meet Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr. You have to check out link in bio for her amazing journey. Also check out my IG stories 😍😍❤️❤️."

 

 

The start had in April announced her 20 weeks pregnancy with fiance, Alexis Ohanian. In August, the tennis champ had a star-studded baby shower in which she opted for a gorgeous 1950’s theme which saw her besties dress in eye-catching 50’s attire.  Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr. was born on September 1.

 

Serena Williams and husband Alexis Ohanian

When News Breaks Out, We Break In. (The 2014 Bloggies Finalist)

Hilarious: First Female President Elected in Singapore Without Vote Cast

 The first female President of Singapore has been elected without people casting a single vote.

Singapore's President-elect Halimah Yacob and her husband Mohammed Abdullah Alhabshee address supporters before leaving the nomination centre in Singapore September 13, 2017. REUTERS/Edgar Su

 

Halimah Yacob, a former speaker of parliament, was declared elected as Singapore’s first woman president on Wednesday, after the returning officer announced she was the sole candidate to qualify for the contest.

 

Aiming to strengthen a sense of inclusivity in the multicultural city-state, Singapore had decreed the presidency, a largely ceremonial post, would be reserved for candidates from the minority Malay community this time.

“Although this is a reserved election, I‘m not a reserved president,” Halimah said in a speech at the elections department office. “I‘m a president for everyone.”

 

Halimah’s experience as house speaker automatically qualified her under the nomination rules.

 

Of the four other applicants, two were not Malays and two were not given certificates of eligibility, the elections department said earlier this week.

 

The last Malay to hold the presidency was Yusof Ishak, whose image adorns the country’s banknotes.

 

Yusof was president between 1965 and 1970, the first years of Singapore’s independence following a short-lived union with neighboring Malaysia, but executive power lay with Lee Kuan Yew, the country’s first prime minister.

 

The separation of Singapore from Malaysia gave ethnic Malays a clear majority in Malaysia, while ethnic Chinese formed the majority in independent Singapore.

 

Reuters - (Reporting by Fathin Ungku; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan & Simon Cameron-Moore.)

When News Breaks Out, We Break In. (The 2014 Bloggies Finalist)

Over 500 People Die in Congo Cholera Epidemic

A cholera epidemic which broke out in Congo has claimed the lives of about 500 people due to the issue of contaminated water.

 

File Photo

 

The World Health Organisation on Tuesday said more than 500 people have so far died in cholera epidemic sweeping the Democratic Republic of Congo.

 

The world body said in a statement that outbreaks of the water-borne disease occur regularly in Congo, mainly due to poor sanitation and the lack of access to clean drinking water.

 

It stated that this year’s epidemic, which hit at least 10 urban areas including Kinshasa, was particularly disturbing as about 1.4 million people were displaced by violence in the central Kasai region.

 

The WHO said at least 528 people had died and the epidemic had spread to 20 of Congo’s 26 provinces.

 

It noted that “the risk of spread remains very high toward the Grand Kasai region, where degraded sanitary and security conditions further increase vulnerability in the face of the epidemic.

 

“So far, health officials have recorded more than 24,000 suspected cases of the disease across the vast nation this year, averaging more than 1,500 new cases per week since the end of July.”

 

It added that WHO sent a team of experts, including epidemiologists and public health specialists to Congo this month to contain the spread of the disease.

When News Breaks Out, We Break In. (The 2014 Bloggies Finalist)

65-year-old Virgin Takes Part in the 2017 Annual Reed Dance (Photo)

A 65-year-old virgin has revealed her excitement after she was cleared to participate in the annual reed dance in South Africa.

65-year-old virgin, Ngipheni Ngcobo

 

Ngipheni Ngcobo may be one of the oldest virgins at the age of 65, but every year in September, she gets excited as she prepares her traditional attire to attend the uMkhosi woMhlanga (reed dance) ceremony.

 

Later today she will board a bus, along with other, younger maidens, and travel to King Goodwill Zwelithini’s Enyokeni Royal Palace for Saturday’s reed dance.

 

Speaking to the Daily News in Pietermaritzburg on Thursday, she said the event was the highlight of her life and an opportunity to show off her pride at being a virgin at her age.

 

“Come rain or sunshine, I will be at the reed dance. Only illness or a death in my family would force me to miss this ceremony.”

 

Ngcobo will take girls from her Nzondweni Village in Mafunzwe area, outside Pietermaritzburg, with her. The girls had qualified to attend the reed dance after months of virginity testing and workshops on the importance of staying a virgin until marriage.

“I am not ashamed that I am not married. I also don’t regret not having children of my own. In fact, I am fulfilled by the role I play in my community and by the example I am setting to young girls, that having a man and bearing children is not everything and definitely not something that defines us as women,” she said.

 

After having her heart broken by a man she had loved and who had paid her bride price as per the lobola tradition, she decided to stay single. “Fortunately, I was still a virgin and I felt that I left him with my dignity intact. I wanted to save myself from more heartbreak.”

 

She has since lived a happy, fulfilling life. Ngcobo attended virginity testing all her life, but only started attending the reed dance 20 years ago.

“I dreamt of attending the reed dance since I was a young girl. The problem was getting transport to travel to the royal palace,” she said. Taking part in the ceremony only became a reality for her and others when the Msunduzi Municipality provided funding for transport and food. “For maidens, attending the reed dance is the most precious and exciting cultural practice we do.”

 

Ngcobo is the leader of a cultural group of maidens.

 

Nomagugu Ngobese, a cultural activist and director of the Nomkhubulwane Culture and Youth Development Organisation, said Ngcobo had been one of the most loyal maidens and had played a huge role in getting more and more maidens to attend the reed dance.

 

“We should not take virginity testing lightly. We need to encourage and save our girls from killer diseases such as HIV and Aids and the best thing to do is for them to abstain from sexual activities,” said Ngobese.

 

-Culled from iol.

When News Breaks Out, We Break In. (The 2014 Bloggies Finalist)

2017 Zulu Virgin Annual Reed Dance in South Africa #PhotoNews

Princess Nqobangothando has taken a leading role as the annual reed dance at eNyokeni Royal Palace kicked off in South Africa.

Princess Nqobangothando at the annual reed dance at eNyokeni Royal Palace on September 6, 2014

in Nongoma, South Africa. (Photo by Gallo Images / City Press / Khaya Ngwenya)

 

The 2017 annual reed dance in South Africa got off to a colourful start some days ago as the Zulu monarch King Goodwill Zwelithini presided over the event. Thousands of young women came out to participate in the event.

 

It all started well with the local mayor expressing his pride in the continuation of the decades-old custom.

 

What you need to know abou Reed Dance

 

The ceremony is known as Umkhosi woMhlanga, and takes place every year in September at the Enyokeni Royal Palace in Nongoma, KwaZulu-Natal. The girls come from all parts of Zululand, and in recent years there are also smaller groups from Swaziland, as well as more distant places such as Botswana and Pondoland.

 

All girls are required to undergo a virginity test before they are allowed to participate in a royal dance. In recent years the testing practice has been met with some opposition.

 

 

The girls wear traditional attire, including beadwork, and izigege and izinculuba that show their bottoms. They also wear anklets, bracelets, necklaces, and colourful sashes. Each sash has appendages of a different colour, which denote whether or not the girl is betrothed.

 

As part of the ceremony, the young women dance bare-breasted for their king, and each maiden carries a long reed, which is then deposited as they approach the king. The girls take care to choose only the longest and strongest reeds, and then carry them towering above their heads in a slow procession up the hill to Enyokeni Palace. The procession is led by the chief Zulu princess, who takes a prominent role throughout the festival. If the reed should break before the girl reaches that point, it is considered a sign that the girl has already been sexually active.

 

 

The ceremony was reintroduced by King Goodwill Zwelethini in 1991, as a means to encourage young Zulu girls to delay sexual activity until marriage, and thus limit the possibility of HIV transmission.

 

-culled from Wikipedia

 

When News Breaks Out, We Break In. (The 2014 Bloggies Finalist)

How to Charge Your Phone without Electricity

A backup battery pack is the safest and easiest way for charging without power as other solutions include a hand crank, solar panels and a wind turbine.

 

 

It is not uncommon for residents of cities and towns to go without electric power for days. This leaves phone users with many hours unable to get across to their loved ones and business partners. 

 

The question most people keep asking is how to keep their phone fully charged without having to rely on electricity. 

 

Here are the answers:

 

From battery packs, solar panels and hand cracks, there are dozens of ways to charge your phone without using a typical charger, according to experts.

 

Backup battery packs: these are the easiest and safest option. They will definitely charge your phone and are inexpensive and available everywhere.

 

Solar panel and charger: this is an affordable option that ads more versatility than the traditional backup battery packs because it doesn’t require electricity to charge in the first place.

 

Hand crank: The Eton BoostTurbine2000 handcrank would be a difficult way to give your phone a full charge, but it can get you some power in an emergency.

 

Wind turbine: the inventors claim that when fully-charged, the turbine can charge your phone four to six times. But this is a pricey option at $399( about FCFA 200.000).

 

But Matthieu Dubarry, an electrochemist at the Hawaii Natural Energy Institute who is an expert in batteries, told DailyMail.com that trying to charge a phone with a 9V battery ‘is certainly not a good idea because of the voltage.

 

“You don’t want to put anything past 4.5 volts”, he said.

 

“That’s really really bad”, he echoed, emphasizing that no batteries, even lower than 9V, should be used.

 

If you attempt this for too long and the battery gets too hot, the phone can explode. Sometimes this can happen right away and other times it can take two or three days.

 

“5 or 6 [phone batteries] is as much power as a hand grenade”, he said.

 

“There’s a risk, and we don’t want people getting hurt because they tried something off the internet without knowing about it.”

 

He explained the iPhone probably has a safety that prevents it from accepting the charge from the 9V battery, which is why the ‘this accessory may not be supported’ error message popped up.

 

Build a fruit battery

 

Several online tutorials also show how to charge a cell phone using acidic fruits (like oranges, lemons, or apples), copper wire, and both zinc and copper nails.

 

To do this, insert one zinc nail and one copper nail into several pieces of fruit so that the nails are close but not touch. Next, connect the copper piece of one fruit to the zinc of another using the copper wire to make a circuit.

 

Then cut open the USB end of your charging cord, connect the wires to the ends of the copper wires in the fruit circuit, and plug in your phone. Other ways to do this involve metal plates or coins.

 

But beware before trying this method; know that it also has the potential to damage your phone, Dubarry said.

 

Backup battery packs

 

Battery packs are the easiest and safest way to charge your phone.

 

You can charge these devices ahead of time when you do have power and then use them to charge your phone (as well as other devices) later when you can’t reach an outlet or don’t have electricity.

 

They can be purchased for less than $20 (FCFA 10.000) online or in department and convenience stores.

 

Solio Classic2 Battery Pack + Solar Charger

 

Using this small, 10.1-ounce device, you can charge your phone using solar power.  Simply spread out the panels facing the sun to the charge the device itself (which should take about 10 hours), and then you can charge your phone.

 

Inc. tested the $100 (approximately FCFA 50.000) Solio device and was able to charge an iPhone in 90 minutes. Also in 90 minutes, they got an iPad’s charge up 20 percent. 

 

This is a somewhat affordable option that ads more versatility than the traditional backup battery packs because it doesn’t require electricity to charge in the first place. 

 

The Eton BoostTurbine2000

 

This device is the most manual way to give your phone a charge. It’s a $60 (FCFA 30.000) hand crank that is roughly the size of a smartphone itself and has a retractable crank you can turn to charge your phone. 

 

Charging your phone this way would take a lot of labour - three hours of cranking, to be exact. But if you need to make an emergency call, one crank is enough to generate enough power a 30 second call.

 

Vindur portable wind turbine

 

Two electricians designed the world’s first portable turbine phone charger that lets people charge their mobile phone using wind power alone. 

 

It started on Kickstarter as Trinity, a device folds together into a 12-inch cylinder and then unfolds into a vertical turbine that be used to charge USB devices.

 

To open the product you’d pull out the aluminium legs and arrange them either into a tripod or on a flat surface. At the top of the legs is a turbine with three blades.

 

These capture the wind and spin, providing green energy for a generator that can supply to 15 watts of power. There is also an internal battery that can store energy if you don’t need it right away.

 

The inventors claim that when fully-charged, the turbine can charge your phone four to six times.  After raising $75,000, the creators are now selling a new version called Vindur for $399.

When News Breaks Out, We Break In. (The 2014 Bloggies Finalist)

UN Security Council slaps new sanctions on North Korea

Security Council unanimously imposes new sanctions on Pyongyang in watered-down version of initial draft resolution.

 

The UN Security Council has unanimously adopted a US-drafted resolution imposing new sanctions on North Korea following its sixth and largest nuclear test.

With backing from China and Russia, the council voted 15-0 on Monday to slap a ban on textile exports and restrict shipments of oil products to North Korea.
The resolution is a watered-down version of the original US proposal.

It does ban North Korea from importing all natural gas liquids and condensates.
But it only caps Pyongyang's imports of crude oil at the level of the last 12 months, and it limits the import of refined petroleum products to 2 million barrels a year.

OPINION: Peace with North Korea is still possible

It also bans all textile exports and prohibits all countries from authorising new work permits for North Korean workers - two key sources of hard currency.
The initial US proposal included an assets freeze on North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and a complete ban on countries selling oil to his government, but the measures were softened to appease China and Russia.

It is the ninth resolution unanimously adopted by the 15-member council since 2006 over North Korea's ballistic missile and nuclear programmes.

Not looking for war'

US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley said the bans on textile exports and overseas workers alone would starve the Pyongyang of at least $1.3bn in annual revenues - an estimated $800 million and $500 million respectively. 

UN Security Council 'strongly condemns' North Korea nuclear test

She added that the US is not looking for war with North Korea and Pyongyang has "not passed the point of no return".

"If it agrees to stop its nuclear programme, it can reclaim its future. If it proves it can live in peace, the world will live in peace with it," she told the UN Security Council after the adoption of new sanctions.

"Today's resolution would not have happened without the strong relationship that has developed between President [Donald] Trump and Chinese President Xi."

Trump has vowed not to allow North Korea to develop a nuclear missile capable of hitting the mainland United States.

However, Al Jazeera's Wayne Hay, reporting from the South Korean capital Seoul, said that "we seem to be stuck in this endless cycle of provocation and condemnation, and there is no sign of either side - the US and South Korea combined or North Korea - backing down from their state positions". 

North Korea was condemned globally for its latest nuclear test on September 3, which it said was of an advanced hydrogen bomb.

Resume talks 'sooner rather than later'

China's UN Ambassador Liu Jieyi called on North Korea to "take seriously the expectations and will of the international community" to halt its nuclear and ballistic missile development, and called on all parties to remain "cool-headed" and not stoke tensions.

Liu said relevant parties should resume negotiations "sooner rather than later".

To kick-start talks, China and Russia have proposed a dual suspension of North Korea's nuclear and ballistic missile testing, as well as US and South Korean military exercises.

"We think it's a big mistake to underestimate this Russia, China initiative. It remains on the table at the Security Council and we will insist on it being considered," Russian UN Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia told the Security Council.

Source: www.aljazeera.com


When News Breaks Out, We Break In. (The 2014 Bloggies Finalist)