Wednesday 31 December 2014

New Year Celebrations around the globe



New Year's Eve around the world



After a turbulent year marred by terror woes, Ebola outbreaks and a horrific series of airline disasters, many could be forgiven for saying good riddance to 2014 and gratefully ringing in a new year.

Across the globe, revelers converged on the beaches of Brazil, the shores of Sydney harbor and New York's Times Square to welcome 2015.


SHANGHAI (Reuters) -

In Shanghai, a stampede killed at least 35 people and injured 43 during New Year's Eve celebrations in Shanghai, on the city's famed waterfront tourist strip known as the Bund, authorities said.

The Shanghai government said that large crowds started to stampede in Chen Yi Square on the Bund just before midnight, with authorities working to rescue and aid the wounded.




 BAGHDAD

In Iraq's war-scarred capital, Baghdad authorities ordered a one-off lifting of the overnight curfew in force for more than a decade to allow the city's revelers to stay out late on the streets.

Traffic was unusually heavy starting shortly after sunset and authorities closed commercial streets to vehicles in the city's center as a precaution against possible suicide bombings by militants of the Islamic State terror group.

SYDNEY


In Sydney, More than 1.5 million revelers crowded along the shores of the city's harbor in warm summer weather to watch the vivid eruption of light over the Harbour Bridge, Opera House and other points.

At midnight, the crowd cheered as a 12-minute firework display was launched. A tribute to two hostages killed in the December siege inside a downtown cafe was displayed on the pylons of the Harbour Bridge during the main fireworks display.






Jennifer Lopez: Famed and Rich But Loveless at 45

Chunk of Jennifer Lopez net worth came from her successful films including biopic “Selena,” “Anaconda,” “Out of Sight,” “The Wedding Planner,” “An Unfinished Life” and more.
 Jennifer Lopez . (Photo : getty images)



Inspite of Jennifer Lopez net worth today of $300 million according to Celebrity Net Worth, she has remained alone after her failed relationships. The most recent break up was with her dancer and choreographer Casper Smart.

The "bootylicious" singer-dancer-actress also married Criss Judd for a year in 2001 and after two years, JLo married her longest relationship with Marc Anthony that started in 2004 and ended in a divorce this year. She and Marc Anthony have twins, Max and Emme.

But amidst all her love, JLo admitted in Today Show with Maria Shriver that her biggest heartbreak was with Ben Affleck in 2004 when she was already engaged with the actor-director.

The 45-year-old singer also admitted that she fall in love easily and has a bad habit of entering into new relationship without self introspection.

Jennifer Lopez net worth ramped to its height in 2012 where she was ranked no#1 by Forbes during her "American Idol" times as judge. She received a huge amount of $12 million yearly. This year, as her love life seemed troubled, her earnings fell landing her at 33rd place in the Celebrity 100 list by Forbes.

Chunks of Jennifer Lopez net worth came from her successful films including biopic "Selena," "Anaconda," "Out of Sight," "The Wedding Planner," "An Unfinished Life" and more.
Aside from films and singing career, Jennifer Lopez net worth was also formed by her business engagements including her clothing line JLo and her first fragrance "Glow."

With Jennifer Lopez net worth of $300 million, she remained loveless after series of heartbreaks. The actress- singer stated, "I think it's better to just be on my own for a minute and learn more about myself."

Sunday 28 December 2014

George Weah wins Liberian Senate seat

George Weah in a file photo.
George Weah
George Weah political struggle to win election in Liberia has finally paid off as he won a seat in Liberia’s Senate to represent the capital. Mr. Weah won the Montserrado County seat that includes the capital Monrovia with 78 per cent of the vote, defeating Robert Sirleaf, the son of President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf,

Mr. Weah, leader of the country’s largest opposition party, the Congress for Democratic Change, lost the 2005 presidential election to Ms. Sirleaf and lost again in 2011 when he was a vice presidential candidate. He is expected to stand again in 2017
REUTERS

Friday 26 December 2014

Rice ball, a different way to enjoy rice this season

Rice and chicken is a must this season, I think Christmas will be complete with it. Rice comes in a variety of ways, jollof rice, fried rice, rice and stew or sauce, but what is not common is rice ball.

Add, this recipe to your list of different ways to prepare rice.

What you need:

1. 1 deric of rice

2. Pepper

3. Tomatoes

4. Onion

5. salt

6. Thyme

7. Canned beef

8. Eggs (2)

9. Groundnut oil for frying.



Method

Boil rice until soft but not mushy.

Saute pepper, tomatoes and onion.

Add the pepper mixture and corned beef to the rice season well

Bind rice mixture with some beaten egg.

shape on a floures board

Coat in beaten egg

Fry in hot oil

Thursday 25 December 2014

Celebrating the light of the world.

Christmas is an annual festival celebrated among billions of people around the world to commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ. Christmas is widely observed on December 25 as a religious and cultural feast. Christmas Day is a public holiday in many of the world's nations,
Nativity tree2011.jpg
depiction of the Nativity of Jesus with a Christmas tree backdrop
Today as always, christians turned out en mass to celebrate the child that was born to be the light of the world, the prince of peace.

Merry Christmas to all. Have a fun filled celebration.
Adoration of the Shepherds by Gerard van Honthorst depicts the nativity of Jesus

Tuesday 23 December 2014

An Argentinian town bans beauty contests

Making a stand: Beauty pageants are popular in the South America but one city has decided they won't hold the competition anymore
Beauty contestants
Beauty contest is one event that attracts poms and pageantry world over, there have been commendation and condemnation of the event, many countries are rising up and trying to make changes in the way it is being organised

However, a town in Argentine, the city of Chivilcoy became the first to ban beauty contests calling them sexist and discriminatory. They say the practice is damaging to women as it forces them to live up to a 'stereotypical' ideal of beauty which can lead to them developing eating disorders like anorexia and bulimia.

The ruling has caused heated debate in the country where beauty pageants are a common element in regional festivals where a 'queen' is chosen to represent the town for a year.

This decision was supported by the mayor of Chivilcoy and several NGOs, and passed by the local council. Outlining the reasons for its decision the councillors said such contests 'reinforce the idea that women must be valued and rewarded exclusively by their physical appearance, based on stereotypes'.

They added that they are 'a discriminatory and sexist practice', and an 'act of symbolic and institutional violence against women and children.'

Also, the French government banned beauty contests for girls under the age of 16 on grounds that participants are subjected to hyper-sexualisation.

Sunday 21 December 2014

Elton John marries long time lover

Elton John and David Furnish
Elton John and David Furnish               (Instagram)

Sir Elton John and his long time partner David Furnish have finally tie the knot of marriage to become husband and husband.

Elton John who opened an Instagram account to post invitation and pictures of the event was very happy, the event was made possible as a result of the legalization of same-sex marriage in Britain. According to him, "I'm very proud of Britain and the laws that we've seen come into existence since we've been together,"

They had a civil partnership ceremony in 2005, after 12 years together.

They have two children — Zachary Jackson Levon Furnish-John and Elijah Joseph Daniel Furnish-John

Mr Omoruyi Uwuigiaren, Cartoonist & Writer

Author's Hangout with Zizi Mr Omoruyi Uwuigiaren, popularly known as Ruyi, is a former freelance cartoonist at Vanguard Newspapers.  He ...