South Africa arrests over xenophobic attacks in Durban

    

South African police have arrested 17 people and opened murder cases after attacks on foreign nationals in Durban.

The violence comes in the wake of alleged comments by the Zulu king telling migrants to go home - although the he says he was mistranslated.
But Home Affairs Minister Malusi Gigaba has called on traditional leaders to stop making remarks that "could result in a loss of life".
At least 62 people died in xenophobic attacks that swept the country in 2008.

Nigerian refugees: U.N. appeals for $174M for victims of Boko Haram

The United Nations is appealing for $174 million to help Nigerian refugees who've fled to neighboring nations following militant attacks.

Boko Haram has killed thousands in the nation's northeast by attacking villages, schools, churches and mosques.

It has also kidnapped students, including more than 200 schoolgirls abducted in April last year. A majority of them remain missing.

The militants have attacked relentlessly for six years, sending 192,000 people seeking shelter in Cameroon, Niger and Chad.

"Displaced people in northeastern Nigeria and across borders are in a very dramatic situation, they fear for their lives and are at this point unable to return to their homes," said Liz Ahua, who's coordinating Nigerian refugee efforts for the U.N.

Aid agencies are scrambling to provide the refugees with clean water, shelter, food and access to education.

"In the refugee camps, thousands of school-age refugee children cannot attend school because of lack of classrooms and teachers," Ahua said.

Mental health needs are crucial to help the survivors of physical attacks and those who've witnessed violence, according to the U.N. Some children are separated from their parents amid the trauma.

"The conflict has had a devastating impact on children, including many who were forcibly recruited by the insurgents in Nigeria," Ahua said.

The appeal encompasses the needs of 23 agencies and nongovernmental organizations helping the refugees.

"Adequate funding is crucial to make sure aid agencies can improve the living conditions for refugees in asylum countries and respond to their protection needs," Ahua said. "We relocate refugees away from the conflict border areas, and establish additional refugee camps where needed."

The Islamist group has said its aim is to impose a stricter form of Sharia law across Nigeria, which is split between a majority Muslim north and a mostly Christian south.

An additional 1.2 million people are displaced within Nigeria as a result of the insurgency.

Entertainment Live: 10 April 2015 This page automatically updates

After Garissa attack, grief and questions in Kenya

  

I watched mothers, fathers, other relatives and friends break down in tears at Chiromo mortuary in Kenya's capital, Nairobi, as coffins of their young sons and daughters were handed over.

There could not have been a more poignant moment to witness the deep pain and grief suffered by families of those who perished in the Garissa University College attack last week.
They are taking their children home to the hills and valleys of this beautiful land for burial.
Everyone has been touched by the gruesome attack.
While I was at the mortuary, I saw Kenya's Foreign Affairs Minister Amina Mohamed break down in tears at the scale of personal loss all around usThe question that comes to mind is - why? Why were those young people targets for the Somali-based al-Shabab militants?
And why Kenya? The simplistic answer is that Kenyan troops are serving in the African Union mission in neighbouring Somalia and the insurgents are striking back.

WHO: Ebola survivors at risk of eye and joint problems

Many Ebola survivors are likely to face further health issues including eye and joint problems, the World Health Organization has warned.

And a recent case may have caught Ebola through sexual contact with someone who had recovered, experts said.
The WHO has decided the crisis still constitutes as a public health emergency of international concern.
But said there had been "real, substantive progress" in the drive to end the outbreak in the last few weeks.

Health aftermath

Officials announced they are attempting to set up clinics in Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea to monitor the health consequences Ebola survivors face.
Patients have reported problems with their vision, joints and on-going fatigue.
But Dr Bruce Aylward, assistant director general of the WHO, admitted not much was known about the long-term implications of the virus.
He said the information gathered at these clinics would help the mental and physical health needs of people recovering from the disease.
Experts from the organisation also said a recent Ebola patient was "likely to have been infected following sexual contact involving a survivor some months after his recovery".
Meanwhile reports suggest Liberian medics have been investigating whether a patient may have contracted the disease in this way.
WHO scientists are now considering whether it would be feasible to offer screening to check if the virus is still present in semen 90 days after male survivors have been declared Ebola free.
Current WHO advice says survivors should practice safe sex for three months following recovery as the virus can linger in these bodily fluids.

Vatican silent over French gay ambassador

The Vatican has declined to comment on reports that it has not accepted a new French ambassador because he is gay.

The French government proposed the senior diplomat Laurent Stefanini for the post in January.
It normally takes about a month for an appointment to be approved, but three months on the Vatican has kept a diplomatic silence.
Media reports in France say the French government is refusing to back down over the appointment.
In 2007, France proposed an openly gay diplomat to be its ambassador at the Vatican but was forced to choose another after months of silence.
The French Catholic newspaper La Croix reports that the Vatican has indicated the posting is unacceptable.
Mr Stefanini is openly gay and was posted to France's Rome embassy between 2001 and 2005.

Morocco bus crash: Children among 33 dead in collision

Schoolchildren returning from a sports competition were among at least 33 people killed in a head-on collision between a bus and a gas tanker in southern Morocco, officials say.

The bus burst into flames after the crash on Friday morning near the city of Tan-Tan in the district of Chbika.
Nine people were injured and taken to hospital but two later died.
Local media said the children had been taking part in an athletics competition and were travelling with their coaches One survivor said, "We were sleeping, most of us were sleeping. We heard the explosion, followed by the burning."
Some reports said they were travelling from the capital, Rabat, to Laayoune, which is in the Western Sahara.
"A majority of the victims are children aged eight to 14," an official from the regional sports and youth ministry told the AFP news agency.
Hassan Issengar, a well-known athlete, was travelling with the children and is among the dead, reports said.
King Mohamed VI has sent a message of condolences to the families and said he would pay for the burials as well the hospital fees for the injured.
Road accidents have been on the rise in Morocco as car ownership has nearly doubled over the past 15 years, according to Reuters news agency.
An average of 10 people are estimated to die every day in road accidents.

Hillary Clinton 'to announce 2016 presidential campaign'

  

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is to announce she is running for president on Sunday, various US media report.

Mrs Clinton is expected to make the announcement on social media.
The 67-year-old will then travel to Iowa and New Hampshire, two early primary contests in the 2016 race.
The former first lady previously ran for president in 2008 and is already considered a strong contender for the Democratic presidential nomination.
Mrs Clinton is expected to release a video outlining her campaign themes but will put off a large, formal speech.

Kanye West compares his ego to an umovable table in his home

                                                The analogy is funny...and deep! Speaking with New York Times' T magazine, Kanye compared his big ego with a table he hated that was in his home and credits Kim and his daughter for taming his arrogance. He said;

"I feel like now I have an amazing wife, a super-smart child and the opportunity to create in two major fields. Before I had those outlets, my ego was all I had.'

"I have this table in my new house. They put this table in without asking. It was some weird Nouveau riche marble table, and I hated it. But it was literally so heavy that it took a crane to move it. We would try to set up different things around it, but it never really worked. I realized that table was my ego. No matter what you put around it, under it, no matter who photographed it, the douchebaggery would always come through.'

Breast cancer survivor Debbie Osarere reveals she's been diagnosed with bone cancer

            So sad. You guys remember Debbie Osarere Idiagbonya? She battled breast cancer for years and we even raised money for her on LIB some years ago (read here) and I kept you guys up to date with her progress. Debbie beat breast cancer but was later diagnosed with liver cancer. While she was dealing with that, she was hit with another bad news. She now has bone cancer. The very lively Debbie took to instagram to break the news to those following her progress. Read what she wrote below..

'The Oba’s Words Matter' - Chimamanda Adichie's response to Oba of Lagos

              

A response to the Oba of Lagos over his threat to Igbos from award winning writer, Chimamanda Adichie. Chimamanda says the Oba’s words are quite disturbing. Read below...

A few days ago, the Oba of Lagos threatened Igbo leaders. If they did not vote for his governorship candidate in Lagos, he said, they would be thrown into the lagoon. His entire speech was a flagrant performance of disregard. His words said, in effect: I think so little of you that I don’t have to cajole you but will just threaten you and, by the way, your safety in Lagos is not assured, it is negotiable.

John Singleton pulls out of Tupac Shakur biopic

Oscar-nominated film director John Singleton has pulled out of the forthcoming biopic of the late rapper Tupac Shakur.

I am not in Rivers state to rig the governorship election - Patience Jonathan

First Lady Mrs Patience Jonathan has refuted claims by Governor Rotimi Amaechi that she is in Rivers state to strategize on how to use the Resident Electoral Commission and the security apparatus in the state to rig the governorship election in favor of Mr Nyesom Wike, the state PDP governorship candidate. The First Lady, who arrived Rivers state on Wednesday April 8th, has refuted allegations by Amaechi in a statement released by Director of Information in her office, Ihuoma Priscilla today April 10th. See it after the cut...

FFK comes for APC for alleging GEJ was working to rig Lagos Gov polls

                       Femi Fani-Kayode has released a statement calling out APC for alleging that President Jonathan was in Lagos to rig the state governorship election in favor of PDP's Jimi Agbaje. The statement below..

Sina Rambo releases hot new promo photos + two new singles

                                      The HKN Music artiste who rose to fame back in 2012 featuring on his cousin (Davido)'s debut album - OBO The Genesis, releases hot new promo photos and two new single.see more photos and listen to the new songs after         t 

The GBT auditions in Lagos

LoudNProudLive Series celebrated the birthday of one of its music platforms the GBT Auditions with a special 1st Anniversary edition

Igbo Community Takes Cultural Festival To Lagos

                     

Sponsored post. Forget it – The Igbos are not leaving Lagos anytime soon. Threaten to drown or deport them, it’s clear these enterprising Nigerians are here; to stay for good.

Claiming their place in the most commercial state in Nigeria, last weekend as #AkioluGate was unraveling, the people of Arondizuogu, a popular Igbo community in Imo state Nigeria were celebrating their most significant festival- The Annual Ikeji Arondizuogu Festival at the National Stadium Surulere, Lagos.

The festival, which is normally celebrated in far away Okigwe town Imo state, attracted over 10,000 Igbo indigenes and their families and friends at the Lagos state monumental venue.  The Igbo community raised their flag as they took over the stadium with their cultural music, masquerades and other festivities all day long.

Funky nail art in 4 easy steps

           Now more than ever, it's time for your beauty look to make a statement.

More than ever, it's time for your beauty look to make a statement. The reverse French manicure can do just that for you.

You need to rock an avant-garde manicure just for this purpose.

While the precise lines of this design might make you nervous, don't fret.

Use a striping brush to make the lines sharp, but for the wobbly-handed among us, firmly planting your lower arms on the table as you paint.

"You're less likely to shake when you rest your elbows and wrists on a table — this will give you a sturdy foundation," Mimi explains.

Here's all you will be needing to know.

Step 1: Base colour

After applying a base coat, apply two layers of a cotton-candy pink to all of your nails.

Step 2: Accent colour

Using one coat of a turquoise lacquer, paint a circle that goes no further than halfway up the nail. You don't have to be neat with this step! It'll mostly be covered by the next color.

Step 3: Details

Next, take a striper brush and a beige nail polish, and create two shapes on your nail. A semicircle and an upside-down V. The semicircle should be about a fifth of the way down your nail from the cuticle, and the V should cut out a triangle on your blue circle.

Step 4: Fill

Using the beige lacquer's brush, fill in your semicircle and the outer sides of the V until only a triangle of blue and a crescent of pink appear on your nail.

Finished look

Slap some clear nail polish on to protect your carefully created work, and you're ready to roll!

View each step in gallery

How to use egg mask for fast hair growth [Video]

From nourishing to shine, length and texture egg mask is a great way to strengthen the hair, watch how to DIY.

It's necessary to cater to the hair just like the rest of the body.

From taming them for perfect growth, to a desired length, texture and more it's important to give them proper attention.

Preparing an organic or natural hair mask at home for instance will give a lot of life to the hair.

From nourishing to shine/lustre, length and texture egg mask is a great way to strengthen the hair, it works as a conditioner for moisture, growth and stimulates it well.

You should strive to do an egg homemade hair mask at least once a month, it is the most common and simple hair mask that suits all hair types.

Egg is the best source of protein and the egg yolk is rich in fat and protein which are brilliant for the hair,if you don't know how to before now, this guide is a life saver, watch it above.

Kidnapper-Nanny demands N15m

A nanny, Mary Akinloye, who allegedly kidnapped three kids in the Surulere area of Lagos State has demanded N15m from the victim’s parents

A nanny, Mary Akinloye, who allegedly kidnapped three kids in the Surulere area of Lagos State has demanded N15m from the victim’s parents.

It has been discovered that the Orekoya family had posted information on OLX, an online sales portal, seeking the service of a nanny.

Our correspondent reported that Akinloye indicated interest and gave the Orekoyas the contacts of two people who she said were her relatives.

It was reported that the family agreed to formalilse documentation with the purported relatives before the week ran out.

After the 23-year-old resumed for work on Tuesday, she was said to have taken the three children Aderomola (11 months old), Adedamola (4 years old), Demola (6 years old)  out, while their parents were away and she hasn't returned since.

A family friend, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the kidnappers contacted the family and demanded N15m on Thursday.

Efforts to reach the family were abortive as they continued to reject calls made to their lines.

They also did not reply to three text messages sent to them on the matter.

The Police Public Relations, Kenneth Nwosu, said investigations were on.

He said, “Investigations are on and that is all I can say for now.

“There are things you do that can jeopardise investigation.

“What is important in a case like this is to ensure that the children are returned hale and hearty. There are information you may have and if you disclose it, you could break the line of communication. So, we are still on the matter to ensure the safe return of the kids.”

In Oshodi : 2 feared dead as APC, PDP supporters clash

The trouble in the area started on Thursday, April, 9, 2015, due to a clash between supporters of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and members of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP).

Two persons are said to have died in the Oshodi area of Lagos State after violence erupted in the area.

The trouble in the area started on Thursday, April, 9, 2015, due to a clash between supporters of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), New Telegraph reports.

Fighting is said to have broken out between the warring parties after an APC rally held in the area ahead of the April 11 governorship and State House of Assembly elections.

One of the deceased victims was said to be a popular “area boy”, known as Baba Esin, who had reportedly defected from the PDP to the APC.

Reports say the police in the state foiled a fresh attempt at violence in the area on Friday, April 10.

The State Commissioner of Police, Kayode Aderanti, has deployed additional troops to the area to maintain law and order.