Miss Cameroon-USA Prescribes Love As Leadership Tool

               

Miss Cameroon-USA, Vanelle Acha Morfaw, has told students of Holy Cross International College that love is important to maintain a leader. Acha Morfaw was addressing the students at the weekend at their Nkoabang campus on the outskirts of Yaounde.

The nursing student urged the Holy Cross International College students to be serious with their studies, which could lead them to become leaders in future.

“I can see the love they have for one another, and would say love is important to stay a leader in the community,” said the 21-year-old beauty pageant.

She added, “After hearing wonderful things about the students of this college, that they are self-motivated and leaders in their communities, I came to inspire them more.” Having lost three of her family member to cancer, Acha Morfaw knows how it feels, that is why she is out to sensitize the communities about cancer.

“I don’t want to see more people suffer. Cancer is not only affecting my family, but the entire world, everyone knows someone who has died, is a cancer survivor or is living with cancer,” she said.

The Principal of Holy Cross International College, Buban Ngu Julia nee Acha Morfaw, situated the visit within the context of peer motivation for the students who have been immersed into leadership studies.

Buban Ngu Julia said beauty is not only physical, but also what is inside the brain, humility and reaching out to people.

Coco Austin shares throwback photo from when she was 18

Photo from Peter Okoye's daughter's birthday party

Peter and Lola Omotayo's daughter, Aliona turned 3 recently and the family threw her a lovely party at their home.

Tunisia imposes nationwide curfew as protests spread

Tunisia imposed a nationwide curfew Friday as protests that coincided with the Arab Spring anniversary spread from the nation’s impoverished heartland to the capital, leading to looting and property destruction.
The indefinite curfew, announced by the Interior Ministry and scheduled to take effect at 8 p.m. local time Friday evening, followed five days of protests and rioting in several cities over widespread unemployment.This week’s unrest underscores the difficulties Tunisia has faced in addressing basic economic needs since 2011, when similar protests drove out its longtime autocratic president and triggered demonstrations that ousted long-serving leaders across the Middle East in a movement known as the Arab Spring.
Tunisia been hailed as the movement’s lone political success story, having established an inclusive democracy and avoided the violence that has riven other Arab Spring countries. Egypt, for instance, is now ruled by the former military chief Abdel Fattah Al Sisi, whose authoritarian government is cracking down on its critics and has warned against protests on this year’s anniversary of the Arab.

But Tunisia has struggled to revive a stagnating economy and rising unemployment. Unemployment has increased to 15%, from 13% before the revolution, with the rate surging to 30% among young people.

The latest protests broke out last Sunday after a young man in the working-class city of Kasserine killed himself, apparently despondent over being rejected from a list of jobs at the Education Ministry.

Police responded to a sit-in at the city council with tear-gas, prompting demonstrations to grow, said Rabii Gharsalli, an activist based in the city.

In its haste to quell the unrest, the government of Prime Minister Habib Essid on Wednesday announced emergency measures, promising 5,000 new jobs in Kasserine and surrounding towns. The following day, the minister of finance said that the announcement had been made in error and that 5,000 unemployed people would be given job training instead.

The reversal infuriated residents, according to Mr. Gharsalli, who said “people felt betrayed.”
The demonstrations spread to neighboring towns and on Thursday to poor districts in the capital, Tunis, where they turned violent and destructive, witnesses and the Interior Ministry said.

One police officer was killed earlier this week in a car accident while responding to rioting and 20 people have been arrested for violence during protests, the ministry said.

For many Tunisians, this round of demonstrations bears a strong resemblance to the 2011 protests, which erupted near Kasserine. The latest unrest is also occurring at a sensitive time for President Beji Caid Essebsi, a career politician who held prominent positions under successive autocratic regimes.

Student suspended after carrying classmate to nurse

A Texas mother is defending her son who was suspended after helping a fellow student who was having an asthma attack.
Anthony Ruelas, 15, said his eighth grade classmate was wheezing and gagging for three minutes Tuesday morning while no one did anything.  But when Anthony did do something, he apparently broke the rules.

“He may not follow instructions all the time, but he does have a great heart,” said Mandy Cortes, Anthony’s mother.

Anthony, who attends Gateway Middle School, an alternative school in the Killeen Independent School District, has been suspended before, but Tuesday was different.

"No, they already told me what happened, you walked out of class,' " she said to him. "And he was like, 'OK, forget it.' But I can tell, you know your kids. I could tell he was upset."

Anthony had walked out of class because he was carrying a friend to the nurse's office.

"I was like what? I'm suspended for this? Like, I was trying to help her,” said Anthony.

Anthony said the teacher was waiting on an email from the nurse and told the class to remain calm and stay in their seats. Fearing for the girl’s health, Anthony didn’t listen and after several minutes of inaction, went against the teacher’s wishes to help his friend.
Anthony’s referral form from his teacher reads in her handwriting:

“During 5th period another student complained that she couldn't breathe and was having an asthma attack. As I waited for a response from the nurse the student fell out of her chair to the floor.  Anthony proceeded to go over and pick her up, saying ‘f--- that we ain’t got time to wait for no email from the nurse.’ He walks out of class and carries the other student to the nurse.”

 

"I broke rules but, she needed help, like she needed help,” Anthony said.

“I don't, ya know think, he should have used that language. But as far as getting suspended for walking out of class, he could have saved her life,” his mother said.

The school district said it couldn't provide details because it involved "student discipline and/or health records." However, the statement from John Craft, superintendent of Killeen Independent School District, concluded: "The Killeen ISD maintains the safety of our students, staff and campuses as a priority and applauds the efforts of students who act in good faith to assist others in times of need."

However, Cortes said instead of “applause” her son got punished for doing the right thing.

"Especially with it being an alternative school I feel like the kids hear enough of ‘they're bad’ or their behavior, or you know, and for them to not be rewarded for really something that is brave, ya know, he is a hero to me,” Cortes said.

Anthony said he wasn’t concerned about the two-day suspension, only the girl’s health, and even with the outcome would help her again if given the chance.
“Most definitely,” he said.
On Wednesday, the school called Cortes asking why Anthony was absent. Cortes had to remind them that the school suspended him.
Anthony said he got a text from his classmate Wednesday thanking him and letting him know she was 'ok.'
Anthony was able to return to school Thursday, but his mother is now considering home-schooling him.


Source: USA Today

Tyga spotted with Kylie Jenner look-alike Val Mercado

Rapper, Tyga who was recently spotted walking together on Thursday with Instagram model Val Mercado, whom everyone says looks eerily similar to his girlfriend Kylie Jenner, (don't see the resemblance). The two were seen  at a Beverly Hills shopping center while Kylie spent Thursday night partying in the city with friends. Neither Tyga nor Val have commented on their rumoured relationship. More photos after the cut...

Oscar overhauls membership, voting rules to promote diversity

The film academy is pledging to double the number of female and minority members by 2020, and will immediately diversify its leadership by adding three new seats to its board of governors. Academy president Cheryl Boone Isaacs announced the changes on Friday, following a weeklong storm of criticism and calls for an Oscar boycott after academy members nominated an all-white slate of actors for the second year in a row.

'The Academy is going to lead and not wait for the industry to catch up,' she said in a statement. 

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' 51-member board of governors unanimously approved a series of reforms late Thursday to 'begin the process of significantly changing our membership composition,' Isaacs said. 

The number of minorities currently serving as members of the academy has not been revealed. 

“These new measures regarding governance and voting will have an immediate impact and begin the process of significantly changing our membership composition.”

Beginning later this year, each new member’s voting status will last 10 years, and will be renewed if that new member has been active in motion pictures during that decade.  In addition, members will receive lifetime voting rights after three ten-year terms; or if they have won or been nominated for an Academy Award.  We will apply these same standards retroactively to current members.  In other words, if a current member has not been active in the last 10 years they can still qualify by meeting the other criteria.  Those who do not qualify for active status will be moved to emeritus status.  Emeritus members do not pay dues but enjoy all the privileges of membership, except voting.  This will not affect voting for this year’s Oscars.

At the same time, the Academy will supplement the traditional process in which current members sponsor new members by launching an ambitious, global campaign to identify and recruit qualified new members who represent greater diversity.

The decision was made at an emergency board meeting Thursday night. Academy honchos, including president Cheryl Boone Isaacs and CEO Dawn Hudson, opted not to wait for the regularly scheduled board meeting on Jan. 26. The changes were announced Friday morning.

Also on Thursday, sources said the Academy met with ABC officials and reps of Chris Rock, confirming that he will host the Feb. 28 ceremony. Jada Pinkett Smith, Spike Lee and Will Smith said they will not attend. Some other activists had urged Rock to withdraw; he never addressed those directly, but insiders said he believes he can do more good by remaining, since the Academy Awards reach a worldwide audience.

After worldwide media criticism over the Jan. 14 Oscar nominations, Academy officials knew they had to make some bold moves, and make them quickly. The image of the Oscars and the Academy were tarnished when the all-Caucasian lineup of 20 actors immediately led to bigger questions about the lack of diversity within the Academy — and ultimately within the industry.

The Academy has 17 branches; actors nominate actors, editors nominate editors, and so on; the entire eligible membership votes on final Oscars.

Four days after the Jan. 14 announcement of nominations, Boone Isaacs issued a statement saying there would be “dramatic steps to alter the makeup of our membership.” She did not give details at the time.

Photo: Man who raped and beat a woman to death with a dumbbell executed in Alabama

A 43-year-old man convicted of raping and beating a woman to death with a dumbbell has been executed by lethal injection in Alabama.

Christopher Eugene Brooks was convicted of the capital murder of 23-year-old Jo Deann Campbell, a woman he met when they worked at a camp in upstate New York.

According to the court record, Ms Campbell was seen speaking to Brooks at a restaurant where she worked on 30 December 1992, and later told a friend someone was spending the night in her living room. The next day, police found her partially clothed body under the bed in her apartment in the Birmingham suburb of Homewood.

Prosecutors said she had been bludgeoned with an 8lbs dumbbell and sexually assaulted. Brooks was pronounced dead at 6.38pm, after the US Supreme Court had denied a last-minute defence request for a stay of execution.

His final words were: "I hope this brings closure to everybody. I will take you with me in my heart... I love y'all. Bye. I love y'all."

A prison chaplain held his hand and prayed with him as the first drug, a sedative, was administered. It was the first execution since Alabama announced in 2014 that it was changing two of the three drugs it uses for lethal injections - including switching to the sedative midazolam.

A jury convicted Brooks in 1993 of capital murder, robbery, burglary and rape.

His bloody fingerprint was found on a door handle in Ms Campbell's bedroom and a palm print was found on her ankle, according to court records.

 

Brooks was later found with her car keys and had cashed her paycheck.

Lawyers for Brooks had argued another man who was at the apartment that night could have committed the killing.

Corrine Campbell said her sister was very trusting, but had no idea whom she had invited to stay when Brooks arrived uninvited.

"She was young, energetic, bubbly, hard-working. The young lady had no enemies." she said.

Lol. Marlon Wayans weighs in on the White-Oscars boycott.

Actor/comedian Marlon Wayans of the Wayan brothers, is out making the publicity rounds to drum up attention for his new spoof comedy "Fifty Shades of Black," which opens Jan. 29. But wherever the actor goes, he's being asked to weigh in on the many shades of gray in the complex and far more serious #OscarsSoWhite issue.

"I can't promote my movie!" Wayans told The Times Wednesday, laughing. "I’m going to have to change my movie from 'Fifty Shades of Black' to 'Fifty Shades of White' just so it can be mentioned at the Oscars!"

While Wayans expressed solidarity with the aims of the those who've criticized the Academy for the lack of any actors of color among this year's nominees, he stopped short of endorsing a boycott.

"I always go, 'Let’s try to be productive instead of counterproductive.' Instead of just sitting out, I’d rather go, 'Let’s come together and communicate.' That’s how you solve issues.... I think the remedy could be a peaceful one. I don’t know if there needs to be a loud boycott. But there definitely needs to be some sensitivity toward it."

While the Academy has come in for some blistering criticism in recent days, Wayans says it is incumbent on everyone, including filmmakers, studios and the audience, to push for greater diversity in movies.

"Does Hollywood need to make more movies [with minorities]? Absolutely," he said. "Do we need to make movies of the quality that will be recognized by the academy? Sure. It falls on everybody in the film community, and we all have a job to do. I use it as inspiration and invigoration."

"My brothers taught me, 'You don’t knock on the door of Hollywood and ask to be let in. You kick it off the hinges.' I don’t know what complaining is going to do. I don’t want a consolation prize, like 'Best Black Actor goes to…' I take on the challenge, and I know we’ve got work to do. It’s nothing new."

Part of the problem, Wayans said, is that black-led films rarely command the kinds of budgets that other major studio movies do.

"We should have a sit-down with the Academy, but we should also have a sit-down with the film studios because we’re not getting the budgets that we need to get that kind of consideration," he said. "Look, 'The Revenant' was made for a lot of money. The bear alone was $100 million." He laughed. "And I’m sure the Oscars are going, 'What are you angry about? The black bear was awesome in 'The Revenant!' "

While Wayans expressed support for the message Jada Pinkett Smith offered in protesting the Oscars' lack of diversity, he jokingly questioned her timing.

"I agree with what Jada said. I don’t agree with her timing because, as her friend, she looked like an angry wife. You don’t shade no sister’s husband. She’s like, 'No, I know my baby was good in that damn 'Concussion' movie. And I’m going to give the Oscars a damn concussion if they don’t recognize him. They shaded him on 'Ali.' They shaded him on the movie with my son. And now you’re going to shade him on 'Concussion?' Not today.” 

In regards to Chris Rock remaining as host or dropping out in solidarity with those who've called for a boycott he said..

"Should Chris Rock host? Sure. Everybody just gave him a ton of material. This is going to be a lot of fun. He should put himself in every single one of these Oscar movies as the black guy. Just superimpose himself in every last single one."

Source: The LA Times

What Men Think Women Want Versus What They Actually Want

If you ask any man, he would tell you he knows how there is to know about the things that women want in a life partner. While, they might get some things right, they get a lot of things wrong.

Let us examine what men think women want versus what she really wants.

Money vs Success: Men will always insist that all women want is money. There might be a little bit of truth to it. But the thing here is, a real woman would want a successful guy over one that just flashes money. If your girl is all about the money and does not care about your financial status as a person, then you are with the wrong girl. Everyone is attracted to success. So, work on bettering yourself as a man, instead of chasing fast, temporary money. The woman who is made for you will care more that you are a success than the money you can flash for her.

Looks vs Hygiene: Yes, good looks attract women, but a clean guy is more likely to get more ladies. There is no point to a handsome man if he does not clean up nice. So, instead of worrying about your looks, how about you let that go and make sure you are presentable. Dress well and pay attention to hygiene. Trust us, you will not have a problem with the ladies.

Arrogance vs Confidence: Men have this knack of exuding pride, thinking that it is what women want, but too much of that can rub her off the wrong way. Arrogance means you act like you are better than everyone else, but confidence, which is what women are attracted to, means you believe in yourself. You are not competing with others because you are secured in who you are as a man. So an arrogant man is unlikely to attract a real woman.

Clingy vs Cherished: Men often complain that women are clingy and they want their partner to pay attention to them every second of the day. Well, if that is really true for a woman in your life, then something is wrong. Most women that complain that their partners do not spend enough time with them are not clingy/needy, they just don’t feel like the time actually spent with them makes them feel loved. Instead of worrying about spending more hours with her, how about you make every minute a quality one. Make her feel like a woman loved/cherished, even though it is for 5 minutes, and she will stop complaining about having no time with you.

Life of the party vs Sense of Humor: Women love a man who can have fun, but this does not mean they want the partying or alcohol/drug-hazed man. They want to laugh, they do not want you to make a fool of yourself at a party or pass out drunk at a bar. So, if she says she wants you to be more fun, endeavor to show her a good time without making her feel like she is hanging out with some party-crazed teenager.

MTN wants proof it evaded taxes in Cameroon

An anti-corruption commission has probed the telecoms sector in the central African country and says several companies, including MTN, collectively owe $166 million in unpaid taxes.JOHANNESBURG – MTN says it’s still waiting to see a copy of a report claiming it owes the Cameroonian government millions in unpaid taxes.

MTN’s Chris Maroleng says, “We are in full compliance with these tax matters and consistently engage with the government of Cameroon. We haven’t received a formal copy of the report, when we do we’ll get back to them with our position on some of the allegations.”

Meanwhile, MTN is contesting a $3.9 billion fine in Nigeria, for failing to disconnect users with unregistered sim cards.

Eyewitness News 

Emotional Photos! Celine Dion stares at her husband and touches his face during open casket visitation (Photos)

Grieving Celine Dion was seen crying as she and others paid their final respect to her late husband, RenéAngélil at open casket visitation at Notre-Dame Basilica in Montreal yesterday Thursday Jan. 21st. Angélil died of throat cancer at the age of 73 on Jan. 14. Celine Dion announced that a national funeral for Angélil will be held today at the basilica and will be televised. More pics after the cut..

Photos: At least 20 dead in Al-Shabaab terror attack on a Mogadishu beachfront restaurant

At least 20 people died when Al-Shabab suicide bombers and gunmen have attacked a popular seafront restaurant and cafe in the Somali capital, Mogadishu on Thursday, Somali police said

Mohamed Moalimuu( in bandages) a former BBC Correspondent was wounded. Freelance journalist Hussein Mohamed lost three of his classmates (pictured) Mohamed Dek Shurie (on bloodied shirt) survived. A mother and her baby were among the dead. Three members of a family(pictured together) Abdikani Kheyre 24, his sisters Fardosa, 22 and Naimo, 15 died in the attack.


According to reports, a car laden with explosives rammed into the Beach View Hotel on Lido beach after which several al-Shabab fighters opened fire at the hotel.

"After the blast, I saw at least four armed men run into the hotel, shooting everyone inside and around the hotel," Mustafa Elmi, a Lido beach visitor, told DPA news agency.

"I managed to escape with minor wounds, but there were people who were shot dead on the spot," he added

A second explosion hit the nearby Lido Seafood restaurant, where several gunmen were reportedly holed up.

"The lights at Liido Seafood have just been switched off. Heavy gunfire is now ongoing," Abdirizak Mohamud, a freelance journalist at the scene, told Al Jazeera.

The terrorists engaged in a gun battle with government security forces trying to force flush them out. Captain Mohamed Hussein who spoke from the scene of the attack said that the security forces finally took control of the restaurant just befor dawn.

"The operation ended at 3 am last night and at least 19 civilians were killed," police officer Osman Nur said

Al-Shabab has claimed responsibility for the attack in a broadcast on its radio late on Thursday.

photos of the victims...

 

 

 

 

See Mariah Carey's $7.5million engagement ring

Mariah Carey who got engaged to beau, James Packer, got this amazing 35-carat rock which experts have estimated is in excess of $5million and could even be up to $7.5million based on the quality of the cut. More photos after the cut...