World Sickle Cell Day - Tosyn BucknorTalks About Life With Sickle Cell

"It's World Sickle Day and it's a day I can say I am thankful. Thankful for a dad that would miss work to take me to the hospital, a mum that would know I was ill before even I knew it and a sister that was the easiest and the best to live with.

Thankful for the years I spent full of self-pity (why me o Lord), and the depression, because without battling that, how else would I recognize it in others and help?

 Thankful for the turn around. I can never fully explain it, but between writing poems, stories and thoughts down, I found a breakthrough. And even though it is uncool to talk about God, I can't deny that I had a personal encounter that changed my life.

Thankful because I honestly thought I would be dead by now. I didn't think I'd live past 21 so even though I enjoyed school and life, I had no plans for after. No plans to marry, have kids, work, nothing.

So imagine my surprise that I'm alive. Lol. Thankful for Fountain, QC, Unilag, Law School and any institution I have gone through. Thankful for the people who have employed me, trusted my brands in their hands without worrying about 'o I'm hiring a sickler o".

Thankful that I have a gift and a voice, and even though people think I should hide it, not be open about it, I am thankful that sickle cell is not, has never been, and will never be something to be ashamed of. Thankful for the phrase that changed my life- it is not how long you live that counts, but how well. Not everyone's sickle cell story is the same. That is why we need to keep talking. We have to #StopTheStigma and #FindACure I am a #SickleStar"

Tosyn Bucknor is a Radio/ Event Presenter and a sickle cell activist. Her Sickle Cell Story was shared on Instagram @TosynBucknor. She is on G+ +Tosyn Bucknor  and you can also find more of her writing on her website.

Michael Essien returns to training after toe injury

Ghana misfielder Micheal Essien  has made a return to training after missing out on the last session with a toe injury. The Bison joined his colleagues on the training field this afternoon as they prepared for Saturday’s crunch clash against Germany.

The players have been put through the scorching heat to help them get accustomed to the Fortaleza weather. The Black Stars wil be looking to cause an upset by beating the Germans to keep their World Cup  hopes alive.

Ok she just gave us a clue, Tonto Dikeh getting married?

When a woman is set to get married, she does things like try out makeup,dresses etc..Tonto Dikeh just did her makeup trial and said “Makeup trial for the big day”….She then said her man didn’t like it..I’m presuming it’s her boyfriend who she calls Mr X.Remember he spoilt her silly for her 29th birthday ..Even bought her an G-Wagon being shipped into the country now..Very few men will do that if they aren’t serious with the lady or plan to wife her.

Worthy of note is the fact that,the makeup artist does alot of bridal makeup……

Since she hasn’t been spotted with the C.E.O of Malivelihood ,Micheal Awolaja who used to spoil her with diamond and gold encrusted gifts ,some people think the Mr X is Dbanj .I doubt that .

Hmm something is fishy here, hope am wrong but i think People might be right about the wedding stuff after all Tonto is no more a kid, Anyway if it happens soon enough then you have my congrats as well… (GhanaVibes)

We can beat Bosnia and we can also beat Argentina: Kanu Nwankwo

Ahead of Eagles crucial win or out game against Bosnia in the ongoing FIFA world cup, Ex Eagles star Kanu Nwankwo has told reporters that Eagles not only can beat Bosnia but can also go all the way against their south American counterparts Argentina.

Kanu Nwankwo had been one of the country’s stars from 1994 and 2010 and lead the 1996 olympic team to glory in the United states of America.
He also was present for Nigeria at three different world  cups (1998, 2002 and 2010) and represented highly respected European clubs Ajax, Inter Milan, Arsenal and Portsmouth in England.
He told Nigeria Info FM that he is not concerned about the 0-0 draw against lowly rated Iran and he believes that Keshi’s boys will come back strong against Bosnia.
Kanu restated his belief in the team and said:“We can beat any team. We can beat Bosnia and we can also beat Argentina. But to achieve this, we must work hard,”.
“It’s too early to write off Nigeria’s chances. It’s just our first game and we have to now move forward.
“We have to learn from it, draw from the positives and move on,” he said.
The Eagles are to face Bosnia’s Dragons on Saturday before facing Messi’s Argentine team on June 25.

Kelly Roland flaunts her growing baby bump

This is her first child with manager/husband Tim Witherspoon..So beautiful

Nigeria to receive N36bn Abacha loot refund

The federal government will on June 25 receive the N36 billion ($228 million) looted by former head of state, General Sani Abacha, from the Government and Principality of Liechtenstein, the ministry of finance has said.

This is part of the agreement reached with the Abacha family, leading to the discontinuation of a suit against Mohammed, one of his sons, after the family also agreed to withdraw their own case against the federal government.

Special adviser to Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the coordinating minister of the economy and minister of finance, Mr Paul Nwabuikwu said in a statement on Thursday: “To ensure the proper utilisation of the funds, President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan is constituting an inter-ministerial committee to identify the best projects and programmes in which to invest the funds.”

“The President has also directed that parts of the funds be saved in the Future Generations Fund, one of the funds managed by the Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA) to help secure the economic future of both Nigerian youths and unborn Nigerians”.

Nwabuikwu said in line with the agreement reached with the Principality of Liechtenstein, the World Bank will assist in monitoring the utilisation of the funds for specific projects.

He further explained: “The return of the funds is a culmination of a robust 16-year effort by the federal government of Nigeria to retrieve the funds.

“Working under the leadership of President Jonathan, the Attorney General of the Federation, Mr Mohammed Adokie led the effort with the support from the Coordinating Minister of the Economy and Minister of Finance, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and the National Security Adviser Colonel Sambo Dasuki (retired).

“The return of the funds was delayed by the suit instituted at the European Court of Human Rights by companies owned by the Abachas alleging infringement of their rights to fair trial and to peaceful enjoyment of their possessions. As a result, the Principality of Liechtenstein could not proceed with the return of the funds.”

He added that “to demonstrate the commitment of the federal government to retrieving the funds which belong to the Nigerian people, the Attorney-General of the Federation also filed a suit against Mohammed Abacha before the Abuja High Court.

“As part of the negotiations to expedite recovery of the funds, the Abachas agreed to discontinue the suit before ECHR. The federal government also equally subsequently withdrew the case against the Abachas, paving the way for the release of the looted funds by Liechtenstein.”

Abacha is said to have stolen $5 billion while in office from 1993-1998, according to Transparency International.

Culled from NigeriaFilms.com

The World’s Youngest Mother: Lina Medina Gave Birth To Baby at 5 Years Old- See who got Her Pregnant!

Lina Medina was five years, seven months, and 21 days old at the time of her son Gerardo’s birth, and she's the youngest mother on record. 

Lina’s parents were worried. Lina, one of nine children in this poor family of the Peruvian Andes, had a seemingly inexplicable abdominal growth — which was growing larger by the week.

Fearing she had cancer, Lina’s parents brought her to the doctor. The Peruvian girl was cancer-free; she was, however, seven months pregnant. Six weeks later, on May 14, 1939, Lina gave birth via Cesarean section to baby Gerardo, who weighed six pounds at birth.

In performing the c-section, doctors noted that Lina had gone through puberty at a very early age, called “precocious puberty.” Researchers further pieced together shocking details of Lina’s ascent into “adulthood”: she had developed mature breasts by age four and had her first menstrual cycle at two and a half (with some reports suggesting that her first period came at the age of eight months).

She’s never revealed the identity of Gerardo’s father — and, in fact, may not know who it is; the doctor who delivered Gerardo noted that Lina’s mastery of the details of her pregnancy was fleeting, due in part to her young age. But the pregnancy was definitely real.

2014 Critics Choice Awards: Who Won?

The 2014 Critics Choice Awards were handed out in Beverly Hills last night, as The Broadcast Television Journalists Association recognized the very best of the small screen.
Which shows, actors and actresses took home these meaningful pieces of hardware?
Find out now...

BEST DRAMA SERIES
Breaking Bad (AMC)
BEST ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
Matthew McConaughey, True Detective (HBO)
BEST ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
Tatiana Maslany, Orphan Black (BBC America)
BEST COMEDY SERIES
Orange Is the New Black (Netflix)
BEST ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Veep (HBO)
BEST ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
Jim Parsons, The Big Bang Theory (CBS)
BEST MOVIE
The Normal Heart (HBO)
BEST MINI-SERIES
Fargo (FX)
BEST ACTRESS IN A MOVIE OR MINI-SERIES
Jessica Lange, American Horror Story: Coven (FX)
BEST ACTOR IN A MOVIE OR MINI-SERIES
Billy Bob Thornton, Fargo (FX)
BEST ANIMATED SERIES
Archer (FX)
BEST REALITY SERIES – COMPETITION
Shark Tank (ABC)
BEST REALITY SERIES
Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey (FOX/National Geographic Channel)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES
Allison Janney, Mom (CBS) (TIE)
Kate Mulgrew, Orange Is the New Black (TIE)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
Andre Braugher, Brooklyn Nine-Nine (FOX)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A MOVIE OR MINI-SERIES
Allison Tolman, Fargo (FX)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A MOVIE OR MINI-SERIES
Matt Bomer, The Normal Heart (HBO)
BEST GUEST PERFORMER IN A DRAMA SERIES
Allison Janney, Masters of Sex (Showtime)
BEST GUEST PERFORMER IN A COMEDY SERIES
Uzo Aduba, Orange Is the New Black (Netflix)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
Aaron Paul, Breaking Bad (AMC)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
Bellamy Young, Scandal (ABC)
BEST REALITY HOST
Neil deGrasse Tyson, Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey (FOX/National Geographic Channel)
BEST TALK SHOW
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon (NBC)

Lupita Nyong’o: “The red carpet feels like a war zone”

 
Lupita Nyong’o was a breath of fresh air when she debuted on the scene to begin promoting Steve McQueen‘s 12 Years a Slave. It was not just about her lovable smile but her red carpet choices.

Couture after couture, she won our hearts.

Rocking the cover of Vogue America for its July 2014 issue, she speaks on break out year, winning the Oscar, her new roles, and being the face ofLancôme, as well as her red carpet style.

Read excerpts;

On fully realizing she is now a celebrity: “I felt how valuable and vital such representation is. It just feels like the entertainment industry exploded into my life. People who seemed so distant all of a sudden were right in front of me and recognizing me – before I recognized them!” Recalling an incident at an airport, she said, “For a split second I looked behind me to see who they were flashing at – and it was me! That was, I think, the beginning of the end of my anonymity.”

On selecting red carpet dresses: “It’s a job; it’s work, you know! We’d just try, try, try, try, try, try, try. At first it was very daunting, but I ended up really having fun with it…especially for the bigger awards, the dress let me know it was going to be worn. It’s quite scary when you fall in love with a dress, because it’s nothing to do with your brain. It’s like a gut reaction.”

On her fashion marathon: “Everyone said, ‘Brace yourself, Lupita! Keep a granola bar in that clutch of yours!’ I didn’t really understand what they meant, and it was only once it was past that I realized that my body had been holding on by a thread to get through this very intense experience. Nothing can prepare you for awards season. The red carpet feels like a war zone, except you cannot fly or fight; you just have to stand there and take it. I hope they don’t make that the big quote! Because that would be sad! Tell them not to do that!”

On her role in 12 Years a Slave: “I was really nervous about seeing myself in 12 Years a Slave because it had been such a profound experience in all ways. I remember it being one of the most joyful times in my life—and also one of the most sorrowful. I didn’t want my experience to be a vain one. But I will say that when I watched it, my heartstrings were pulled so tight for Solomon that I couldn’t go into the ego trip. I cried – I mean, I was inconsolable. I wept for an hour after the movie.”

On her Oscar win: “I had already gotten the nomination, which was truly, truly astounding, and enough. Even in my dreams of being an actor, my dream was not in the celebrity. My dream was in the work that I wanted to do. And when her name was read out she said it was “very confusing, very numbing. I was just repeating my name in my head, so I didn’t know whether I had said my name or they had said my name! And then my little brother screamed, and time was suspended and it was just noise in my head.” As she climbed the steps she made sure not to fall, “it’s not cute if you follow Jennifer Lawrence - it’s not cute if you’re the second one!” “People are still filling me in on what happened after. My mother says I cried during the speech; I don’t believe her.”

On Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s Americanah: “The book blew me away. This was a project I wanted to work on, and I pursued it with all my being. It’s an unabashedly romantic book, really inspiring and uplifting. I found myself in her pages.”

The publication also confirmed her relationship with Somali-born rapper K’naan. He is famous for composing “Wavin’ Flag” that became the official 2010 World Cup song.

Nigerian female drummer, Aralola Olumuyiwa popularly known as Ara has revealed how she predicted the death of the late singer, Kefee.

She told Best of Nollywood’s chat forum saying:

“I want to use this forum to appeal to my colleagues in the music industry. Less than two years ago, I had a dream about Keffee and immediately called her and narrated it to her, I also appealed to her not to make a joke of it….the rest is history. 

Early this year, I had a dream and contacted Efe of NOW music as he’s the only one I could call and told him to please organise a forum for all musicians to assemble and pray against death amongst us (please confirm from Efe). It’s sad we had to lose my girlfriend, sister and colleague…so sad.

When a revelation comes like that, it means there is a way out. Once again, we need to come together as a body under one roof to rebuke and pray about this revelation I had early this year. Yes, we all have different sources of prayer but this is a prayer we all must observe together.

I beg you all. I didn’t want to speak out but I have no choice than to”.

Meanwhile it would be recalled in an interview Ara granted in March 2014, the singer who revealed she had a gift of seeing visions and interpreting dreams was quoted as saying: “I don’t even have to sleep to see something. I think it has to do with my spiritual aspect. I fast a lot. My life off stage is an entirely different one. I actually attend the Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries and if you can’t pray, you don’t attend MFM. It is a do-it-yourself church – which has helped me greatly."
Kefee died on June Kefee died on June 13th of lungs failure after 15 days in a coma at Desert Spring Hospital, Las Vegas.