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MUSICIAN CHAKA CHAKA DECLINES BARBIE DOLL HONOR

  • Yvonne Chaka Chaka has revealed she twice passed the offer to be the first African woman to have a Barbie Doll made in her likeness. Did she stand up against a symbol of Eurocentric beauty?

  • It is deemed a great honour by most to have a Barbie Doll made in their image, however, popular South African musician Yvonne Chaka Chaka declined that “honour” twice.

    The doll was made as part of 60th Anniversary Barbie Shero campaign, an effort to inspire girls to be heroes. According to the campaign, Sheroes are given the Barbie brand’s highest honour, a one-of-a-kind doll made in their likeness in celebration of their roles in expanding the possibilities for girls everywhere.

    Yvonne was approached as one of the few African women to grace the campaign with a Barbie modeled in her likeness.

    According to Sunday World, Yvonne Chaka Chaka confirmed that she was approached by the company and loved the idea. However, she was not happy with the final product as the doll looked nothing like her.

    “They showed me the doll and I told them I’m not up for it if the said dolls will look nothing like me. This is simply because I was promised something that will look exactly like me. I respect myself that much,” reports Sunday World.

    Sunday World reported that doll looked slimmer and did not resemble her facial features. The attempt to portray a slimmer model is seen as reinforcement of Eurocentric beauty ideals which focus on slim models.

    Meanwhle, the doll has been given South African singer Lira. Lira became the first African to have a Barbie doll made in her honour. From the twitter post, the doll is a splitting image of Lira.

    She could not contain her excitement as she shared the amazing news with her fans.

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ORDER EFCC TO RELEASE MY $40M WORTH OF JEWELRY- DIEZANI ALISON-MADUEKE TELLS LAGOS COURT

Diezani Alison-Madueke, a former Minister of Petroleum Resources, has filed an appeal at the Federal High Court Lagos for the reversal of an interim order secured by the EFCC for the interim forfeiture of her 2,149 pieces of jewellery and a customised gold iPhone all valued at $40m, seized by the antigraft agency last month.

Recall that on July 5th, the agency secured an interim order to confiscate the former Minister’s jewelries and iphone which is believed to be proceeds from acts of corruption perpetrated while she was in office.

In an application filed by her counsel, Professor Awa Kalu, Diezani who is currently in the United Kingdom, accused the EFCC of entering her apartment illegally and taking the items without any court order. She said the anti-graft agency violated her fundamental “right to own property and to appropriate them at her discretion,” under sections 43 and 44 of the Constitution.

She urged the court to reject the prayer by the EFCC to permanently forfeit the jewellery and the gold iPhone to the Federal Government.

According to the court papers, the jewelleries categorised into 33 sets, include “419 expensive bangles; 315 expensive rings; 304 expensive earrings; 267 expensive necklaces; 189 expensive wristwatches; 174 expensive necklaces and earrings; 78 expensive bracelets; 77 expensive brooches; and 74 expensive pendants.”

The former Minister argued that the entry into her apartment by EFCC operatives was illegal as it was without a court order.

Justice Nichola Oweibo adjourned the case till August 29.

 

 

Credit: LIB

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KATIE HOLMES AND JAMIE FOXX SPLITS AFTER BEEN TOGETHER FOR 6 YEARS

Hollywood couple, Katie Holmes and Jamie Foxx have split after dating for six years.

PageSix reports that after pictures emerged showing the Oscar winner partying in Los Angeles on Friday night with much-younger singer Sela Vave, news outlets speculated that Foxx, 51, was cheating on Holmes, 40.

Reports also say that while hanging out with her friends, Kattie Holmes revealed to them that she doesn’t really care about what Jamie does with his life as they haven’t been together for months now.

PageSix also reports that the couple actually broke up in May 2019. Jamie Foxx and Katie Holmes started dating back in 2013 a year after she ended her marriage to Tom Cruise. The two kept their relationship away from the prying eyes of the public.

Even though they tried keeping their relationship away from the public, it was a known fact they were in an exclusive relationship.

Even though they tried keeping their relationship away from the public, it was a known fact they were in an exclusive relationship. [GettyImages]
Even though they tried keeping their relationship away from the public, it was a known fact they were in an exclusive relationship. [GettyImages]

They finally appeared together in public for the first time at Clive Davis’ Pre-Grammys Gala in New York in 2018, and they walked a red carpet together for the first time at the Met Ball this year.

 

 

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MEET THE KENYAN CHEF WHO COOKED FOR 75 HOURS TO BREAK GUINNESS WORLD RECORD

Kenyan chef Maliha Mohammed is the new Guinness world record holder for the longest cooking chef. The Mombasa-based chef cooked for 75 hours non-stop, breaking the previous record held by Rickey Lumpkin from California, USA, who cooked for 68 hours 30 minutes and 1 second non-stop in December 2018.

 “I have always loved cooking. My greatest joy is in coming up with exciting dishes both local and international cuisine, I will forever be grateful to Pwani Oil for their sponsorship and helping realize my dream,” she said in a press briefing at the event.

“I will continue perfecting my cooking skills and look forward to surpassing this record in future. I encourage young people with various talents to aim for the sky and show the world what they have to offer,” she added.

In preparation for the cooking event, Maliha took two trial sessions. She took the first trial in June where she cooked for 36 hours and 100 recipes. The second trial was in July where she cooked for 54 hours and prepared over 200 recipes. She later participated in a competition supervised by officials from Guinness World Record. Her support team worked in 9-hour shifts.

Maliha will be in the Guinness World Records upon confirmation. She will join other Kenyans such as Kimani Maruge who became the world’s oldest pupil in 2004 at 84, Joseph Love who milked 30 cows by hand in 24 hours in 1992, and the athletes Paul Tergat, Tegla Lorupe, and Samuel Wanjiru who have broken records in the athletic sector.

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RWANDA; THE MODEL AFRICAN COUNTRY WHERE WOMEN ARE IN THE MAJORITY OF THE PARLIAMENT

On the occasion of International Women’s Day (IWD) celebrated this March 8 around the world, several voices are rising to claim better places for women. In most countries, it is difficult to find a parity. But in Africa, there is one exception: Rwanda.

With more than 61% of women in the Chamber of Deputies, the country is at the top of the world rankings. A country that remains a model in several fields.

But in the case of women’s representation in the Assembly, it is a reference case. While they already had a respectable place in some key institutions, women saw their numbers increase in recent elections in 2013.

Of the 80 seats in the Rwandan Parliament, 51 are occupied by women. Since 2008, Rwanda has been at the top of the IPU (Interparliamentary Union) world ranking of women in national parliaments.

An important place reserved for women which is the fruit of several initiatives taken for decades. After the 1994 genocide that killed 800,000 people, several laws that have been adopted, go in favor of parity.

For illustration, the new Constitution adopted in 2003 establishes as a fundamental principle the equality between men and women with “the attribution of at least 30% of the posts to the women in the decision-making institutions of the State”.

Since then, the electoral system has been respected to the letter with 24 seats reserved for women. These are chosen, in theory, on non-partisan bases, by colleges and councils at the local and national levels.

Despite prejudices, it must be recognized that it was the Rwandan women themselves who had to struggle to win.

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“FROM NOW ON, WE WILL NO LONGER SAY EBOLA IS INCURABLE” -SCIENTISTS

 

According to The Guardian, the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases said that ZMappwhich was used during the massive Ebola epidemic in Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea, has been dropped along with Remdesivir after two monoclonal antibodies, which block the virus, had substantially more effect, said which was a co-sponsor of the trial.

“From now on, we will no longer say that Ebola is incurable,” said Prof Jean-Jacques Muyembe, the director general of the Institut National de Recherche Biomédicale in DRC, which has overseen the trial. “These advances will help save thousands of lives,” Muyembe added.

“Now that 90% of their patients can go into the treatment centre and come out completely cured, they will start believing it and building trust in the population and community,” he added.

Photo Credit: ChinaFotoPress/Getty Images

 

 

Credit: Bella Naija

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“I LOCKED HIM IN A DOG CAGE BECAUSE HE BROKE MY SIDE MIRROR” – WOMAN IN VIRAL VIDEO ASSAULTING 10-YEAR-OLD BOY SAYS

24-year-old Onyinye Mbadike, pictured above, who was arrested by men of the Lagos state police command over the viral video showing her assaulting a 10-year-old boy, Chibike Eziamaka, has said that she meted out the unjust treatment on the little boy because he smashed the side mirror of her car with a stone.

Spokesperson of the state police command, Bala Elkana, said this in a statement he released today August 15, confirming her arrest.

According to Bala, the little boy who is an orphan, was brought to Lagos by Onyinye’s mother who is his aunt. The 24-year-old told the police that she assaulted the boy who is her cousin and locked him in a cage because he was misbehaving.

Read the statement from Bala confirming her arrest below

 


On 14th August, 2019, a team of detectives from the Gender Unit, Command’s Headquarters Ikeja, arrested one Onyinye Mbadike ‘f’ 24yrs of No 7 Trimnell Street, Aguda for assault and child abuse. This followed a viral video on the social media showing the suspect torturing one Chibike EziAmaka ‘m’ 10years old of same address.

The video also showed the suspect locking the boy up in a dog’s kennel, sharing space with dogs. The video was widely condemned by well meaning Nigerians. The Commissioner of Police Lagos State, CP Zubairu Muazu mni ordered the Gender Unit of the Command to identify the Woman in the video, rescue the child and make the suspect face the full weight of the law. Domestic and Sexual Response Team (DSVRT), Alausa Ikeja also added its voice to the call for investigation with a petition addressed to the Commissioner of Police to that effect.

The Gender Unit traced the suspect to Chumpe Liquor Store, Surulere and her residence at Aguda. The 10 years old Boy was rescued and taken to a secured shelter. The suspect admitted that she is the one on the viral video flogging the child with belt, but she denied locking the survivor in a cage with dogs. That she only locked him in an empty dog kennel where bags are kept. She  claimed  to have  locked up the Boy  for few hours before bringing him out.  She alleged that the Boy took a hot drink in their refrigerator and was misbehaving. That the suspect smashed the side mirror of her Toyota Camry with stone which made her to detained him in the dog kennel.

Investigation revealed that the survivor lost his parents and was brought to Lagos in 2012 from Anambra State by the Mother of the Suspect along with his two siblings. The suspect and the survivor are cousins. The suspect’s mother is the elder sister of the survivor’s  father.

The suspect will be charged to Court. The Command reiterated its commitment towards protecting the rights of Children and other vulnerable members of the society from all forms of violence and abuses.

 

 

Credit: LIB

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SEVEN-YEAR-OLD RIHANNA LOOKALIKE LANDS MAJOR MODELING GIG WEEKS AFTER HER PICTURE WENT VIRAL ON INSTAGRAM

Rihanna’s seven-year-old doppelganger has landed her first major modeling contract, just weeks after earning viral fame when the singer posted her picture online.

Ala’a Skyy Baytops, seven, has been signed up by natural hair care company The Mane Choice, less than one month after Rihanna shared her photo with followers on Instagram, where it received a staggering 7.4 million likes.

The job is no doubt the first in a long line of opportunities for the Roanoke, Virgina-based tween, who wowed dozens of A-listers with her remarkable resemblance to the 31-year-old singer – including supermodel Tyra Banks, who launched a search to track Ala’a down, while promising to help her launch her career.

Ala’a was recently announced as an ambassador for The Mane Choice, a hair-care brand focused on natural texture.

The photogenic youngster attended Beauty Con in Los Angeles with the brand over the weekend, where she met fans and posed for selfies while promoting the company’s products.

At the event, she also debuted a knotted bun hair style, referencing a look worn by Rihanna just last week in Barbados.

‘Not only does she have an amazing attitude and work ethic at such a young age, she also loves her hair,’ The Mane Choice CEO and founder Courtney Adeleye told Allure. ‘She understands the benefits of using great products. It’s amazing!’

Sharing the news to Instagram, where she has attracted over 140,000 followers in the blink of an eye thanks to Rihanna’s endorsement, Ala’a thanked the singer for helping launch her modeling career in the first place.

 

 

Credit: dailymail.co.uk

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TANZANIAN GOVERNMENT TO START PUBLISHING NAMES OF MARRIED MEN TO PROTECT SINGLE WOMEN

Tanzanian Government is reportedly considering publishing the names of married men in the country to limit cheating and protect young women from “unnecessary heartbreaks.”

Speaking on Monday August 12, Dar es Salaam regional commissioner, Paul Makonda said the proposal was considered after he received complaints from several young women in the country who claimed they were being preyed on by married men.

 

“Men have been promising to marry them, then later, they ditch the ladies and this is something that is humiliating.

“These cunning men have left many women nursing heartbreaks and emotional bruises. You’ll find a young man successfully wooing a woman, making her leave every other thing that she does, hoping that the man will marry her, not knowing that he is, indeed, conning her.

“If you look at the laws that we have in the country, there is a clause that protects women, who were promised marriages, only to be used and dumped. We want to use that clause to bring sanity in relationships,” the regional commissioner said.

 

The proposal if adopted, will require all married people to register their marital statuses with the region’s database agency. The information will reportedly be accessed by citizens of the country.

 

“I cannot say I am a leader, when the people I look after are hurting. One of the ideas that we have is to have all the married people register their marital statuses with the region’s database agency. This will help young women promised marriages. It would be easy for them to access the database and find out whether the men who have promised to marry them are people’s husbands or not. In that database, all the marriages, including Christian, customary, Muslim, those filed at the registrar of marriages, will be registered.

“We want to reduce the cases of men conning women in the name of love and marriages. We are planning to meet the State agency in charge of the citizens’ database. Once that meeting is done, you, who lied to a woman that you will marry her, but ended up using and dumping her, be prepared, we are coming for you” he said.

 

 

Credit: LIB

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ZIMBABWEAN BORN, VIMBAI CHAPUNGUHE BECOMES FIRST BLACK WOMAN TO WIN MISS LONDON TITLE

Zimbabwean born Vimbai Chapungu has been crowned Miss London 2019 and is noted to be the first black woman to hold the title.

A Masters student at a top university in London, Vimbai has a passion for learning about the world and the people in it.

She hopes to use her platform to raise awareness about development issues and hopes to empower communities.

Vimbai, aged 24, recently took part in the Miss England Final held in Newcastle where the contestants underwent everything from a Sports Round and Talent Round to an eco-wear round and even a general knowledge quiz.

She qualified as one of the 50 finalists out of other 20,000 women that entered this year’s competition.

The winner was Bhasha Mukherjee, a 23-year-old junior doctor from Derby, who will now go on to compete at Miss World which is this year being held in London on Dec. 14.

As the first Black woman to have the Miss London title, Vimbai took advantage of this by wearing her natural hair during the Miss England finals to highlight natural beauty to the audience, where she was placed in the top 3 of 55 for the bare-faced model title.

Her Master’s thesis is about the Natural Hair Movement, which is a social phenomenon that seeks to empower Black women to wear their hair in its natural state, as opposed to chemically processing/relaxing their hair which has adverse health issues.

She also highlights in her dissertation, the negative connotations regarding natural hair in institutions, stating “Black hair is still being policed in today’s society, and it is only now that people are talking about it, thanks to the few women who have fought for the normalization of natural hair”.

Vimbai is also a co-director of a charity known as Blessed to ReachOut – which is currently working on a school-feeding programme and dormitory building project here in Zimbabwe. She hopes the children around the world have better access to education as “the most important thing is to provide a better chance for every child to make a difference in the world in his or her own way”.

 

 

 

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