South Africa marks one year since death of Mandela

South Africa marked the one-year death anniversary of Nelson Mandela with cricket, blasting vuvuzelas and other tributes from a long list of admirers of the global icon of hope.

PRETORIA: South Africans on Friday (Dec 5) marked one year since the death of Nelson Mandela with services, blasting vuvuzelas and a cricket match to honour his enormous legacy as an anti-apartheid icon and global beacon of hope.

An interfaith service kicked off the day's events in Pretoria, at the Freedom Park amphitheatre dedicated to the country's liberation heroes. "Twenty years of democracy has been possible because of Mandela," tribal chief Ron Martin said as the sun rose over the Pretoria hills and the smell of herbs burning in spiralled antelope horns wafted over the ceremony.

"Any sense of pride was frowned upon by apartheid," he said, "but we are reclaiming that today." Veterans of the anti-apartheid struggle attended a wreath-laying ceremony at the base of a 5m statue of a smiling Madiba, the clan name by which South Africans affectionately call their nation's favourite son.

"The body gave in but Madiba's spirit never, never changed, it was always the same until the end," Mandela's widow Graca Machel said before laying a huge wreath of white flowers with pale pink roses at the base of the statue. She then joined hands with members of Mandela's family for a prayer.

"Madiba is, in spirit, the same even today," said Mrs Machel. "I know Madiba is smiling, Madiba is happy because he is amongst the family he chose to build." She was "numb" when her husband died, but said she now remembers him as "tall and proud."

During the service, bells tolled for three minutes and seven seconds - followed by three minutes of silence: a six-minute and seven-second dedication to Mandela's 67 years of public service. His old comrade, Ahmed Kathrada, imprisoned with him on Robben Island, also paid tribute to his "elder brother".

"I miss him not only as a political leader, I miss him as an elder brother," said Mr Kathrada, his voice shaking. "When Madiba died, I asked who should I turn to, I am still looking to somebody."

A long list of other events dedicated to Mandela were set to take place into the weekend and beyond, including motorcycle rides and performances. South Africans were also finding their own ways of remembering the former president who led the country out of the dark days of apartheid after 27 years in prison. Tattoo studios for example have reported an ever-growing demand for Mandela-inspired ink.

Fellow Nobel Peace Prize laureate Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu called on South Africans to emulate Mandela's example in a statement to mark the anniversary. "Our obligation to Madiba is to continue to build the society he envisaged, to follow his example," Mr Tutu said. "A society founded on human rights, in which all can share in the rich bounty God bestowed on our country. In which all can live in dignity, together. A society of better tomorrows for all."

MOTORBIKES FOR MANDELAThe iconic leader passed away at the age of 95 last year after a long illness. Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa led the three-minute silence in the morning, followed by a friendly cricket match, dubbed the Mandela Legacy Cup, between South Africa's national rugby and cricket teams.

At the weekend, artists and performers will hold centre stage at the Nelson Mandela Foundation, which has launched an exhibition in honour of the life and work of its namesake. Motorcyclists across the country have also been called on to dedicate their traditional Sunday morning rides to the anti-apartheid hero. A 5km Nelson Mandela Remembrance Walk will be held in Pretoria on Dec 13, passing some of the city's historic landmarks, including the Union Buildings, South Africa's seat of government. The next day, the city's inaugural marathon will dedicate its last mile to Madiba.

Mandela's death was met with a worldwide outpouring of grief. He set South Africa on a course towards reconciliation after he emerged unbowed from nearly three decades in prison in 1990 and became the country's first president to be elected by universal suffrage in 1994.

His one-time jailer FW de Klerk, who shared the Nobel Peace Prize with Mandela in 1993, called on South Africans to honour his legacy. "Although Nelson Mandela is no longer physically with us his legacy remains to guide us," he said in a statement.

FDA cautions Ghanaians about unwholesome foods as Christmas approaches

Consumers must endeavour to ascertain the expiry dates of products before they purchase them to avoid the consumption of unwholesome products.

Mr Matthew Gyang Nkum, Brong-Ahafo Regional Director of Food and Drugs Authority (FDA), who gave the advice in an interview with Ghana News Agency (GNA), in Sunyani, said a lot of expired goods; especially food items, flood the market towards Christmas.

Mr Nkum observed that such unwholesome products, particularly drinkables and ready to eat foods, enter the market through unapproved routes before and during the Christmas festivity.

When these foods are consumed, he said, they could cause infections, poisoning and other health impairments.

He said some shop owners save their unsold food products mainly patronised on festive occasions like Christmas, for the following occasion, explaining that improper storage conditions could destroy the content of the product.

Mr Nkum stressed the importance of food storage, saying that food items exposed directly to sunlight and rain should not be patronised even if their prices are reduced drastically because they could be contaminated.

He, therefore, advised consumers that besides checking the expiry dates of products, they should check the packaging for freshness, bloating, rust, leakage and the instructions on the label, and reject labels that are not written in English.

All products must be labelled in English language in conformity with the nation’s law on products certification to prevent fake products from entering the market, he said.

Mr Nkum entreated store owners to separate edible items from inedible ones because edible foods could easily be contaminated by other harmful products.

Shop operators should also ensure cleanliness in their shops to prevent rodents and insects from entering to contaminate their goods, he said.

He gave the assurance that the FDA would use all possible means to ensure that only wholesome goods are sold to protect and guarantee the safety of consumers.

Mr Nkum warned that sellers and shop owners arrested with unwholesome goods would have their products destroyed and could also be prosecuted.

Ghanaians have no sympathy for suicide victims – Psychologist

Dr Joseph Osafo, Lecturer, Department of Psychology, University of Ghana, says Ghanaians lack sympathy for suicide victims.

He said generally these people did not usually want to die but want to alert those around them that something is seriously wrong with them and often try to draw the attention of people around them to their plight. However, Dr Osafo said, in Ghana their threats of ending their lives were often met with, “if you want to end your life, who cares?”

Dr Osafo said this in Accra during the climax of the Plan Parenthood Association of Ghana’s (PPAG) Youth Action Movement (YAM) MYX six-week project.

The YAM MYX Project aims at ensuring access to information and service for young people with special needs and in restricted environment.

It provides free comprehensive counseling, sexual and reproductive health information and medical services to young people of the Osu Remand Home.

He said anyone was capable of being a suicide victim and urged Ghanaians to pay attention to people who threaten to end their lives and take them to counselors such as pastors for help.

Dr Osafo said the reasons people commit suicide were depression, perceived failure in life, hearing of voices or satanic influences, parental neglect and image problem.

Others are bedwetting, breakup in relations, committing abominable acts, poverty and financial problems, and witchcraft accusations.

Dr Osafo mentioned that people trying to commit suicide usually exhibit symptoms such as sleepless nights, giving out their previous belongings, restless behaviours, unwarranted searching and withdrawals.

He said some people in an attempt to commit suicide survived but had to live with the injuries they had inflicted on themselves.

He urged Ghanaians not condemn or insult suicide victims but rather sympathy with them, and help them to come out of their predicament.

Mr Peter Tweneboa-Kodua, Deputy Director, Department of Social Welfare, urged parents to treat their children well, so that in their old age, the children would be willing to give them the needed support.

Mr Michael Tagoe, PPAG Project Officer and Public Relations Consultant, called on Ghanaians to desist from stigmatizing children living in remand homes and other people living in restricted areas.

Ms Vida Adjei, a student of South Labone Girls Vocational Training Centre and a beneficiary of the YAM MYX project expressed her gratitude to PPAG for the programme, which according to her, had empowered them to have high self-esteem of themselves.

UNCEF data shows 1.1 million HIV child infection averted

An estimated 1.1 million HIV infections among children under 15 have been averted, as new cases declined by over 50 per cent between 2005 and 2013, according to data released by UNICEF ahead of World AIDS Day which falls December 1, each year.

According to a statement from UNICEF to the Ghana News Agency on Tuesday in Accra, this extraordinary progress is the result of expanding the access of millions of pregnant women living with HIV to services for the prevention of mother to child transmission (PMTCT), including lifelong HIV treatment that markedly reduces the transmission of the virus to babies and keeps their mothers alive and well.

The statement said, “if we can avert 1.1 million new HIV infections in children, we can protect every child from HIV – but only if we reach every child.”

According to the statement, Anthony Lake, Executive Director for UNICEF said “We must close the gap, and invest more in reaching every mother, every newborn, every child and every adolescent with HIV prevention and treatment programmes that can save and improve their lives.”

The sharpest declines took place between 2009 and 2013 in eight African countries: Malawi (67%); Ethiopia (57%); Zimbabwe (57%); Botswana (57%); Namibia (57%); Mozambique (57%); South Africa (52%) and Ghana (50%).

It said the global goal of reducing new HIV infections in children by 90 per cent between 2009 and 2015 is still out of reach. Only 67 per cent of pregnant women living with HIV in all low- and middle-income countries received the most effective antiretroviral medicines for PMTCT in 2013.

Disparity in access to treatment is hampering progress. Among people living with HIV in low- and middle-income countries, adults are much more likely than children to get antiretroviral therapy (ART). In 2013, 37 per cent of adults aged 15 and older received treatment, compared with only 23 per cent of children (aged 0-14) – or less than 1 in 4.

AIDS mortality trends for adolescents are also of significant concern. While all other age groups have experienced a decline of nearly 40 per cent in AIDS-related deaths between 2005 and 2013, adolescents (aged 10-19) are the only age group in which AIDS-related deaths are not decreasing.

It said that UNICEF’s Statistical Update on Children, Adolescents and AIDS provides the most recent analysis of global data on children and adolescents from birth to 19 years of age

Photos: Alex Okosi, Waje, Dakore, others gather for Shuga launch

Let me start with pics of this fine man. I hear he's still not married. All you Lagos girls be slacking anyhow...lol.
Anyway, The MTV Staying Alive Foundation and MTV Base have revealed that they are creating a new season of Shuga. The award-winning sex and relationships drama and multimedia campaign, now in its fourth season, will kick off in Nigeria in early 2015, in partnership with NACA, PEPFAR, and The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
The launch, which held yesterday, Tuesday, December 2, 2014 at the Villa Medici Restaurant had guests from the media, music and film industries. See the pics after the cut..

Mario Balotelli's Controversial Instagram Post Prompts League Investigation

Italian soccer star Mario Balotelli is in trouble with football authorities after posting a racist picture to Instagram.

Balotelli, who currently plays for Liverpool in the English Football Association, seems to have intended the racist image to convey an anti-racist message. But it was poorly received and sparked an outcry.

The original post: Balotelli initially defended the post. "My Mom is jewish so all of u shut up please," he wrote in a response. But pressure continued to mount, and he took down the image after about 15 minutes.

Later, he posted this reply:

Balotelli may recognize the error of his ways, but that doesn't mean his problems stemming from the post are over. The post is a violation of the English Football Association's social media guidelines for players, and the league has launched an investigation into the matter.

Balotelli has until Friday to respond to the league's inquiry, but he could be facing a minimum five-game suspension.

The Professional Footballers' Association also weighed in on the matter.

"The situation regarding Mario Balotelli's Instagram post... highlights how vigilant players need to be in all of their dealings with social media," said the PFA in a statement.

Pics: See what drinking Coke everyday for 30 days did to this man

Me that I am a Coke drinker. No wonder I no longer have a flat tummy..choi! Lol. 50 year old George Prior wanted to show what drinking too much soda does to the body and used himself as experiment. The result is scary.

George said he drank 10 cans of Coca Cola a day for 30 days to see how the sugar content will affect his physical health. It did! He gained over 20 pounds in that one month...mostly in his stomach area. Above is the before and after photos. He documented it all on his website, 10 Cokes A Day.