Welcome To Blaco Smiles Blog: January 2015

Saturday 31 January 2015

Alabaster Box makes Ghana proud at London Acappella Festival 2015

Ghana’s Alabaster Box made the country proud for the third time in months, appearing for the first time at the London Acappella Festival 2015.
The group was the first gospel act and first African music group to appear on BBC World Focus on Africa TV in April 2014. It then went on to chalk another first as the first Ghanaian act at the Experience Lagos in December last year, in front of a 500,000 strong audience.
Returning to London for the second time since April, Alabaster Box was the only African act on this year’s London Acappella Festival, which took off January 28 and is due to finish January 31, 2015.
The festival, jointly organized by the Grammy Award-winning vocal group, The Swingles and Ikon Arts Management, was held at the King’s Place and Cadogan Hall in London, and it features renowned acappella groups from London and around the world.

Communications Minister, Dr. Edward Omane Boamah, says the illegal business of SIMBoxing is far more lucrative than dealing in illicit drugs.

Persons involved SIMBox fraud, according to him, reap higher financial rewards than those involved in the drug trade.

This, he said, is the reason the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Police Service and SUBAH Infosolutions deserve commendation for their hard work which led to the arrest of suspected SIM box fraudsters this week.

A young mother in Washington state has been charged with attempted murder after authorities say she cut her children's throats in an attempt to keep them quiet.

Over the weekend, Christina Booth called 911 to report that her three children were crying non-stop and "needed medical attention," according to a recent probable cause filing.

The 28-year-old and her husband, Thomas Booth, have three children, a 2-year-old and 6-month-old twins.

Begoro Porn Saga Has Really Affected Us - SDA Church

The SDA church where the Begoro porn man fellowships says they are really affected by the actions of its church member, Yaw Offei.

Yaw Offei, a photographer by profession who is 50 years is the main character in sexually explicit films fast spreading in the world of social media.

Women between the ages of eighteen (18) and forty (40) years in their quest to have their photographs taken by him are now victims of his sexual escapades.

District Pastor of the Begoro branch of the Sabbath Day worshippers, Ohwefo Nana Yaw Afari-Dadzie has revealed that the actions of Yaw Offei who is also a choir leader at the church has really affected them as a church.

Scores of women suspected to be victims of the recently leaked sex tapes in Begoro in the Eastern region are fleeing the town, StarrFMonline.com has learnt.

Some of the women, according to our sources, are also threatening to commit suicide.

A number of sex tapes involving a local photographer and some 64 women, some of whom are married and have kids, are currently making waves in the media.

Begoro – Eastern region: A new sex tape featuring a local photographer and 64 women some of whom are married and have kids has hit the net.

In a small farming town of Begoro in the Eastern region, a middle-aged photographer who works out of his studio managed to convince 64 ladies into having sex with him inside his small shop while he rolled the tape.

The Photographer could to seen on the video having serious sexual bouts with the women after which he gives them some money.

Many of the ladies who appeared on the video are believed to be married.

PHOTO: Ex-GREDA Boss In Handcuffs...

An anti-fraud collaboration between the security agencies and telecom service providers in the country has led to the arrest of some persons involved in a SIM Box fraud syndicate in Ghana.

The operation which led to the arrest of the suspects which included the former President of the Ghana Real Estate Developers Association, (GREDA) Alex Tweneboah has been described as one of the major busts in recent times.

AMA removes Nigeria election billboards

The Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) has removed Nigerian national election campaign billboards after they popped up in some parts of the capital, Accra.
Billboards campaigning for Goodluck Jonathan to be elected president in Nigeria have popped up in Ghana.

The celebrated Ashanti Regional Police Commander, DCOP Kofi Boakye has revealed that he was once the lead police officer for former President Jerry Rawlings.

According to him, the position offered him the opportunity to be traveling with the former President while he was in office.

(CNN)U.S. President Barack Obama will travel to Saudi Arabia on Tuesday in order to meet the newly appointed monarch, King Salman, and pay his respects to the family of the late King Abdullah, the White House said Saturday.

Vice President Joe Biden was originally set to have led a delegation to Saudi Arabia on Obama's behalf.

However, the schedule for the President's departure from India has been adjusted to allow Obama to stop in Riyadh himself on his way home, White House press secretary Josh Earnest said.

The head of the Northern Territory Labor Party has left Australia intending on joining Kurdish fighters in the battle against Islamic State militants, the ABC has confirmed.

Matthew Gardiner was also the secretary of hospitality, childcare and emergency services union United Voice in the NT, as well as the treasurer of peak body Unions NT.

Mr Gardiner was stood down as president of the party and had his membership suspended on Sunday, according to a statement from Territory Labor.

Central African Republic minister kidnapped in Bangui: official

(Reuters) - Central African Republic's minister for youth and sport was kidnapped on Sunday by gunmen in the capital, Bangui, as he returned from church, an official said.

The seizure of Armel Ningatoloum Sayo follows the brief kidnapping earlier this week of a U.N. staff member and a French charity worker, highlighting insecurity in the country despite the presence of French and U.N. peacekeepers.

Tatiana Yangeko, Sayo's spokeswoman, said the minister was driving his wife and his brother back from church when four unidentified gunmen in a taxi stopped their vehicle in Bangui's 8th arrondissement, in the north of the capital.

A screen grab taken from a video released on You Tube in April 2012, apparently showing Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau (centre) sitting flanked by militants

Fighters from the Islamist militant group Boko Haram have launched an attack on the key city of Maiduguri in north-eastern Nigeria, reports say.

Fierce fighting was reported on the outskirts. The military is carrying out air strikes, and a curfew is in place.

Maiduguri is home to tens of thousands of people who have fled Boko Haram attacks and was visited on Saturday by President Goodluck Jonathan.

The night market at the University of Ghana, Legon has collapsed.

The ceiling of the market, which hosts food sellers and customers – mostly students of the University – caved in and dragged portions of the walls down during a short rainstorm Saturday evening.

When it comes to pregnancy, women usually fall into one of two camps: Those who love the experience (and have the bump photos to prove it) and those who spend every minute counting down the minutes to labour.

There are plenty of reasons to relish pregnancy: Conceiving a child with the person you love, anticipating a future family and marvelling in the fascinating bodily changes that occur. And for many women, being pregnant provides an opportunity to live in stretchy clothes and break from strict beauty routines.

Some Few Health Benefits Of Drinking Warm Water

Woman drinking glass of water in the morning

Most of us start our mornings with a fresh, hot cup of coffee or tea to warm our bodies after getting out of bed. When we drink water, we tend to prefer it cold, but according to Ayurvedic medicine, we have it all wrong. Regularly drinking very warm water, especially in the morning, can heal our bodies, providing digestive power and reducing metabolic waste that could have built up in our immune system.

“Physicians recommend drinking warm water in the morning, usually, with a polyphenol-rich lemon immersion, or with a tea shown to decrease free radical activity in the body,” Stella Metsovas, clinical nutritionist and media health expert in Food and Nutrition Sciences, told Medical Daily. The consumption of warm water increases the tightening of the intestines, which optimizes elimination. Unlike hot water, processed cold water is devoid of many essential minerals that could become very unfavorable to the digestive tract when consuming a meal. For cold water drinkers, Metsovas recommends refraining from drinking 20 minutes before eating — even if the source is natural spring water.

While drinking warm water may not suit your taste buds, it may be beneficial to put the caffeine and tea aside for your health's sake. Here are few reasons why:

Few Tips On Surviving The Harmattan

1. Bathe With Warm Water.

2. Don’t Sleep With The Fan On

3.Drink lots of water!!!

4.Avoid carbonated soft drinks. They dehydrate your skin quite bad.

5.Avoid antiseptic soaps during this weather. Use them only when you have a skin infection it is meant to treat. Use it even then for a short period and stop.

6.Keep the skin healthy by applying oily creams and wearing weather friendly clothing.

7.Use lip balms and apply Vaseline to the soles of the feet to prevent them from cracking.

Ahead of Nigeria's crucial 2015 general elections, supporters of the opposition party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), and its presidential candidate Muhammadu Buhari have erected campaign billboards in Accra, the capital of Ghana.

The billboards, which are visible in certain key points in Accra, do not only call on Nigerians to go home and vote for the APC, but also seem to present to the outside world the current situation in Nigeria. Security, corruption, unemployment and a slow rate of development top the list.

Can a lack of sleep affect the size of your brain? It’s possible, a recent study published in an online issue of Neurology suggests.

European researchers looked at 147 adults between the ages of 20 and 84. With two MRI scans, they examined the link between sleep problems like insomnia and the study participants’ brain volume. The first scan was taken before patients completed a questionnaire pertaining to their sleep habits. The second scan was done approximately 3½ years later.

Africa World Airlines has announced it will begin to schedule two daily night flights to Kumas from Friday January 23, 2015.

These night flights, according to a press statement released by the Airline’s corporate affairs unit “represent additions to AWA’s daily Acc-Kumasi flights, will, for the first time, allow same day connections from Europe to Kumasi via Accra. This is a travel option that has been long sought by the tourism industry”.

A powerful politician is reported by the Associated Press (AP) to have grabbed the property on which the playground is sited, thus attempts to evict the schoolchildren.

About 20 of some 80 hostages taken by Islamist militant group Boko Haram in Cameroon at the weekend have been freed, the BBC reports.

Cameroon's defence ministry said the hostages were freed "as defence forces pursued the attackers who were heading back to Nigeria".

Many of those kidnapped in the cross-border raid were said to be children.

It was one of the biggest abductions by Boko Haram outside Nigeria and raised fears that it is expanding its attacks.

The militant Islamist group has seized control of towns and villages in north-east Nigeria and has begun threatening neighbouring countries.

Germany has offered to help Ghana solve its energy issues as well as in the education sector.

President John Dramani Mahama is currently on a state visit in Germany hoping to strengthen the relationship with the European powerhouse.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel promised to help Ghana end the erratic power supply that has raged on for over a year after the two leaders went into a closed-door discussion. Their talk also touched on issues affecting the continent as a whole.

Adorable Baby Sister Joins Famous Toddler and Puppy for Daily Naps

In the eight or so months since we last checked in Theo and Beau, the adorable best friends who take daily naps together, a lot has changed for the boy and his pup. Beau turned 3, the Shyba family celebrated Theo's one-year adoptaversary, and the famous duo became a trio! With the birth of little Evangeline (nicknamed "Evvie") last September, Theo and Beau gained a new cuddle buddy to join them for their hour-long siestas.

Newlywed South African couple, Wamukelwa Memela and Wendy Campbell who got married this past December 2014 were killed by intruders at their home in Bryanston, South Africa on Thursday January 15th. The couple were strangled to death by the bandits who carted away only their electronic devices. Imagine! How so sad! Continue...

According to the father of the husband, Sandile Memela, police investigations carried out so far suggests that his 29 year old son argued with the intruders, who then hit him with a garden tool, dragged him to his bedroom and tied him up along with his wife.

Ghanaian Named Among Africa’s Millionaires Under 40

The Chief Executive Officer of AGAMS Group and the founder of electronic manufacturer, RLG Communications has been named among the 10 African Millionaire under 40, ventures.com Africa has revealed.

The 39-year-old Chief Executive Officer(CEO), has reportedly expanded his company’s presence to China, Gambia and Nigeria- where it established a $20 –million assembly plant- and Dubai, the location of its new global headquarters.

The Ghana Investment Promotion Centre’s Ghana Club 100 previously christened RLG as the Fastest Growing Company in Ghana, the Leader in Ghana’s ICT Sector and the Best Entrant to the Club 100.

President John Dramani Mahama has arrived in Berlin for a State Visit to the Federal Republic of Germany.
He will on Monday hold discussions with Federal President, Joachim Gauck, and the German Chancellor, Dr. Angela Merkel.
He will also address an Investment Forum on Tuesday and meet with other German officials, institutions and businesses.

Youth Of Today Only Work On "Whatsapp"...They've Lost Control Over Their "Common Sense"

NDC Communicator Dela Edem, has bemoaned the slothfulness of the 21st Century youth in Ghana.

Contributing on Peace FM's Morning programme "Kokrokoo", Dela Edem expressed disappointment in the Ghanaian youth for becoming overly hooked on social media.

According to him, it appears social media has highly impacted the lives of the youth to the extent that some have lost control over their "common sense."

If you’re rarely without your smartphone, then chances are that it’s teeming with bacteria - as seen in this collection of alarming photos.

In many cases, this bacteria is relatively harmless and comes from touching unclean surfaces or not washing your hands properly.

But in others, the bacteria found can lead to infections such as food poisoning, impetigo and even septicaemia.

To study the level of dirt on a person’s phone, students studying bacteriology at the University of Surrey imprinted their mobile phones on to so-called ‘bacterial growth medium’ in Petri dishes.

After three days, they studied the bacteria that had grown in the dishes - and were shocked by what they discovered.

On a number of occasions, the disease-carrying bacteria Staphylococcus aureus was discovered.

24-year-old Lassana Bathily, a Malian immigrant is set to become a citizen of France after he saved several lives during a terrorist attack on Friday, January 9.

He hid 15 people inside a freezer in a Kosher supermarket in Paris after armed gunman, Amedy Coulibaly had taken many others hostage in solidarity with the Charlie Hebdo attackers, Cherif and Said Kouachi. Bathily turned off the freezer and escaped to inform the police of what was going on in the store. Coulibaly killed 4 hostages before he was eventually gunned down by the police.

HOW TO EAT FRUIT CORRECTLY

Fruits and juices is one of the strategies to heal cancer. As of late, my success rate in curing cancer is about 80%. Cancer patients shouldn’t die. The cure for cancer is already found. It is whether you believe it or not? I am sorry for the hundreds of cancer patients who die under the conventional treatments. Very few can live for 5 years under the conventional treatments and most live for only about 2 to 3 Years. The conventional treatments do not make any difference because most cancer patients also live for about 2 to 3 years without undergoing any treatment. It is difficult to cure those cancer patients who have undergone chemo and radiotherapy as their cells are toxic and weak. When there is a relapse, the cancer will spread very fast as the resistance Is poor.

TWO LOVERS have been apprehended by the Tema Regional Police Command in connection with the alleged murder of a 46-year-old structural engineer at Bethlehem in Tema.

The two are Peter Mawuko, 30-year-old Information Technology (IT) specialist who resides at Community One, Site 20 and Confidence Feneku, a 27-year-old seamstress who also resides at Bethlehem, a suburb of Tema.

Suspects, who are languishing in the custody of the Tema Regional Police Command, were said to have abetted in the killing of the Managing Director of Panasty Construction Limited, John Kweku Duah Nsiah, a resident of Community 22, Tema.

Nursing students caught cheating in exams with Whatsapp

Results of the licensing examination of 56 nursing trainees of the Holy Family Nursing and Midwifery Training College in Berekum in the Brong Ahafo have been cancelled.

This is because the students were found to have cheated in the examination hall using the whatsapp platform on their phones during the examination.

They are said to have taken pictures of the question papers, sent them to an external collaborator who answered them and then sent the answers back to the students in the examination hall via whatsapp.

The college has been de-recognised by the Nurses and Midwives Council (NMC) as an examination centre for three years, while the students will not be permitted to write the licensing examination for two consecutive times.

Death trap on Tema Motorway

You are not likely to travel on any road in Ghana, especially Accra, which is the capital city without encountering a pothole. The worst of it all are the potholes on the Tema Motorway.

Our founder and first President, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, bequeathed to this country so many things; one of such monuments is the Tema Motorway, which was built with the future in mind.

Unfortunately, as it is with everything on earth, the motorway is deteriorating at a fast rate with the passage of time and nobody seems to care, at least those whose duty it is to ensure that the road is maintained have gone to sleep.

12-year-old girl possessed by man's ghost in Essikado

The ghost of a 29-year old man, Eugene Nana Asamoah is said to have possessed a 12-year girl only named as Jennifer at Essikado, and using her to cause uproar and anger in the community.

The deceased is said to have died a few months ago under mysterious circumstances.

The ghost of Asamoah reportedly possessed Jennifer and changed the accent of the girl to reflect his.

She mentioned four persons, who happened to be the relatives of the deceased, as being behind his death.

But a brisk 20 minute walk every day could cut the chance of dying early, it is claimed

A brisk daily walk of just 20 minutes could add years to your life, scientists said last night.

In a stark warning against couch-potato lifestyles, they said lack of exercise killed twice as many people as obesity.

The Cambridge University study of 334,000 people found that even a modest amount of activity prolonged life. And the least fit had the most to gain.

Twenty minutes of walking a day – or its equivalent – would cut their risk of premature death by almost a third.

Four armed robbers early Wednesday night stormed the Foresight Hospital in Ho taking away money and electrical gadgets.

The masked robbers attacked staff of the Hospital, seized their mobile phones before proceeding to ransack the Hospital.

Ms Elizabeth Asamoah, a Midwife, who spoke for management, told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) the gunmen stormed the facility at about 2100 hours when the place was less busy demanding that staff surrender all moneys.

12 Unexpected Reasons to Drink More Water This New Year

With the holidays finally behind us and healthy habits on our minds, many are trading pitchers of beer for glasses of water. Whether it’s a New Year’s resolution to drink more H2O or you’re still fending off that January 1st hangover, we’ve uncovered some convincing reasons to knock back more water in the New Year.

Water It Down—The Need-to-Know

Water is the second most popular beverage in the U.S. after soft drinks. This is a scary stat, since sugary soda is a huge health hazard, upping the risk of obesity, stroke, and other heart problems . However, these dangers can be avoided if people choose to drink water, which doesn’t have negative side effects. So help put the sugary stuff to the side and make water the number one drink of choice. The benefits really are endless. (Just take a look!)

The FBI has arrested a man in Ohio for allegedly planning to attack the US Capitol in Washington in an Islamic State-inspired attack.

Christopher Cornell, 20, is charged with attempting to kill a US government officer, according to court documents.

He came to the attention of the FBI after tweeting support for extremist groups like Islamic State.

The public was never in danger during this investigation, Cincinnati Special Agent in Charge John Barrios said.

Paul and Tunrayo Alagbe were married on September 3, 1998 and had their first child on December 29, 2014.Rita Okonoboh chronicles the couple’s journey through the years of trials to the unfolding of boundless blessings.I waited patiently for the LORD; he turned to me and heard my cry.

He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will seeand fear the LORD and put their trust in him (Psalm 40: 1-3).

The above Psalm verses aptly describe Mrs Tunrayo Alagbe’s testimony of the Lord’s goodness as she finally gave birth to a daughter at a few months shy of 60 years of age.

It was a sunny afternoon on Monday, January 5, 2015, and the atmosphere was radiantly purpled by the stylish outfits of many who had come to witness the naming ceremony of the lovely daughter of the Alagbes. The crowd was surprisingly large, even for the African setting, as many braced the burning rays beating down on the premises of the Women Missionary Union (WMU) headquarters of the Nigerian Baptist Convention (NBC), Total Garden area, Ibadan, just to show their solidarity with the couple.

Former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan has reminded Nigeria – as the country goes to the polls on Valentine’s Day this year – that the outcome of the elections will affect the entire Continent.

“What happens in Nigeria affects all of Africa,” Annan admonished President Goodluck Jonathan and 10 other presidential candidates vying for the presidency in Africa’s most populous country.

In the presence of Mr Annan on Tuesday January 13, 2015, President Jonathan, former President General Muhammadu Buhari and nine other presidential candidates, at an inter-party workshop, adopted an inter-party agreement on non-violence and the acceptance of the results of the upcoming elections on 14 and 28 February.

“I am pleased that all parties are participating in this responsible initiative,” said Kofi Annan.

Embattled broadcaster Kwasi Kyei Darkwah has been granted bail on humanitarian grounds by the Human Rights court hearing his case.

The court granted his bail to the sum of GHC 200,000 with two sureties to be justified Thursday Morning.

The fashion icon has been in police custody since December 27,2014 for allegedly raping a 19-year-old girl.

Founding President of IMANI Ghana, Franklin Cudjoe has fired a strong warning to the Minister of Agriculture, Fifi Kwetey and a communication member of the ruling NDC, Dela Coffie asking to be circumspect in their choice of words against him.
Raging of words emanated between the deuce-ace when Mr. Kwetey described members of #OccupyGhana [A pressure group Franklin Cudjoe is affiliated to] as “Hypocrites” with allegiance to the opposition New Patriotic Party [NPP].
Franklin Cudjoe's reaction to Fifi Kwetey’s ‘hypocrisy’ comment
Franklin Cudjoe, wrote on his Facebook wall on January 10, 2015; “The Minister for Agriculture says all the learned men in OccupyGhana are ‘hypocrites’. Without suggesting that he is quite clearly describing himself, I wonder how he would have earned his position had it not been for this line of thinking.
“…It is institutionalized it would seem. If I were him, I will be preparing my defense statements against a possible OccupyGhana legal notice/challenge to the financial mess his ministry has caused all taxpayers as a result of fraudulent deals with fertilizer subsidies and the fraud ongoing in the cocoa sector.

Comedian Bill Cosby performs onstage in New York on October 21, 2010

A woman who claims Bill Cosby drugged and sexually molested her in 2008 took her case to police Wednesday, said her lawyer, who added that he believes the actor could be prosecuted.
Chloe Goins was 18 at the time of the alleged incident at the Playboy Mansion, which could be the first case to fall within the statute of limitations allowing a prosecution to be brought, said lawyer Spencer Kuvin.
"That is up for the police to determine, but we believe that it does fall within the statute for California," Kuvin told AFP, while declining to say how long that statute would be for the alleged offense.
Speaking earlier after accompanying his client to Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) headquarters, he told reporters: "Miss Goins and I are here for two reasons -- for justice and for accountability.

The Secret Service has decided to remove four of its most senior officials while a fifth has decided to retire, the biggest management shake-up at the troubled agency since its director resigned in October after a string of security lapses, according to people familiar with internal discussions.

The departures would gut much of the Secret Service’s upper management, which has been criticized by lawmakers and administration officials in recent months for fostering a culture of distrust between agency leaders and its rank-and-file, and for making poor decisions that helped erode quality.
Acting Director Joseph P. Clancy on Tuesday informed the four assistant directors who oversee the Secret Service’s core missions of protection, investigations, technology and public affairs that they must leave their posts within 30 days.

How To Use Banana To Cure Deadly Diseases

Bananas contain three natural sugars – sucrose, fructose and glucose combined with fiber. A banana gives an instant, sustained and substantial boost of energy.

Research has proven that just two bananas provide enough energy for a strenuous 90-minute workout. No wonder the banana is the number one fruit with the world’s leading athletes. But energy isn’t the only way a banana can help us keep fit. It can also help overcome or prevent a substantial number of illnesses and conditions, making it a must to add to our daily diet.

10 Reasons Why You Should Stop Eating Instant Noodles

Instant noodles is a common food in most people’s kitchen, This is because its a fast, cheap and easy to cook food for the man on the go but it is important to note that this food can kill faster than known poison. Here is 10 Reasons Why You Should Stop Eating Instant Noodles

1. Nutrient Absorption : Noodles inhibit the absorption of nutrients for the children under 5.

2. Cancer : The ingredient in the instant noodles called “Styrofoam’, is a cancer causing agent.

3. Miscarriage : Women who are Eating instant noodles during their pregnancy causes miscarriage, because it affect the development of a foetus.

Corn is one of the common agricultural produce in africa. Every household depends on this grain for better living. Corn can be prepared in different cussines and served in countless delicacies. It can be eaten after boiled and can be grinded as pap. grilled and dried as custard or garment starch. In the light of these, Vibenigeria.com brings you top seven health benefits of Corn. Read them below

9 killed, 25 hurt after bus plunges into Brazil river bank

A bus has plunged off a mountain road in southern Brazil and into a river bank, killing 9 people and injuring at least 25 others, including children.

The bus company Reunidas says the driver was also killed in the Sunday accident after the vehicle veered off the road near the city of Alfredo Wagner and fell 165 feet (50 meters) down the bank. Seven people died at the site, including a boy, and two more perished later at the hospital.

Reunidas' lawyer Vinicius Marins says the cause is not known yet. The 25 people who were injured remained in local hospitals, he says.

The bus was traveling from the city of Posadas in Argentina to the southern coast of Florianopolis in Brazil. All of those killed and injured were Brazilian

10 Foods You Should Avoid Before Going to Bed

Some of us tend to worry over stressful situations, so our last meal of the day, should not be one of the reason for our sleepless nights. What we chose to eat before we go to bed can drastically affect our sleeping patterns. While, there are some foods, which can induce sleep, other foods, particularly junk food or fired food can give us sleepless nights. So if you are looking for a good night’s rest, here are our top 10 foods to avoid before bedtime.

(From left to right) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Malian President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, French President Francois Hollande, behind him former President Nicolas Sarkozy, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, European Union President Donald Tusk, Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas, and other members of state take part in a Unity rally Marche Republicaine on Sunday.

Dressed in black, world leaders, including French President Francois Hollande, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, stood at the front of a unity rally in Paris to show solidarity for the victims of this week's deadly attacks by Islamist extremists.

They were joined by hundreds of thousands of ordinary French citizens shocked and appalled by Wednesday's assault on the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo and Friday's siege of a Jewish supermarket. The two attacks left 17 people, and three assailants dead.

Lauren Frayer, reporting for NPR from Paris, says that "Hollande has called on French citizens to join him walking through the streets.

"Impromptu memorials have already popped up at some of the city's famed landmarks — Notre Dame cathedral, the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe," Frayer says.

Bill Gates Drinks Clean Water Made From Human Feces

Bill Gates has drunk a glass of water made from human faeces, to showcase technology he said could provide clean water in the developing world.

The Microsoft founder said he wanted to begin sending processing plants around the world after tests later this year.

The project was welcomed by WaterAid, which said that it could particularly help in urban areas.

According to the charity, some 748 million people worldwide lack clean drinking water.

In a video posted on his blog, Mr Gates watched as the human waste was fed into the processor, before drinking the end product from a glass.

Samsung Electronics has forecast a 37.4% fall in quarterly operating profit from a year earlier.

In its pre-earnings guidance, the firm forecast an operating profit of 5.2tn Korean won ($4.74bn; £3.14bn) for the three months to December.

Analysts had expected an operating profit guidance of about 5tn won.

Shares in the firm, which is the world's largest TV and mobile manufacturer, were up in early morning trade in South Korea on the news.

Andrae Crouch sings during service at the Christ Memorial

Andraé Crouch, a gospel musician who bridged the worlds of church and mainstream music for more than 50 years, died Thursday afternoon. The 72-year-old singer, songwriter and choir director had been hospitalized since Saturday at Northridge Hospital Medical Center in the Los Angeles area after suffering a heart attack.

Crouch, sometimes called "the father of modern gospel music," led the choirs that sang on such hits as Michael Jackson's Man in the Mirror and Madonna's Like a Prayer. As a songwriter, he wrote several gospel favorites, most notably The Blood Will Never Lose Its Power, My Tribute (To God Be the Glory) and Soon and Very Soon, a song sung at Jackson's public memorial service.

Hayat Boumeddiene: Female Suspect Called Wife of Alleged Terrorist 500 Times

PHOTO: In this 2010 file photo, Hayat Boumeddiene trains with an arrow gun in the Grenoble area of France, who is wanted in connection with the shooting of a French policewoman and for being involved in the hostage situation.

The whereabouts of a female suspect who has connections to at least one of the terror suspects and who is wanted in connection with the killing of a police officer remain unclear.

Hayat Boumeddiene, 26, is a suspect in the killing of a female police officer on Thursday. Another suspect in that death, Amedy Coulibaly, allegedly took hostages at a kosher market in Paris today.

According to the Paris Public Prosecutor's office, the pair was in a relationship and had spent the last year in contact with one of the gunmen believed responsible for the Charlie Hebdo massacre that killed 12.

Boumeddiene had exchanged 500 phone calls with the wife of Cherif Kouachi, one of the suspected Charlie Hebdo gunmen, according to the prosecutor's office.

The controversial former AIDS Ambassador, Joyce Dzidzor Mensah, has said she could not be compelled to conduct an HIV test.

The 27-year-old mother of two was on Thursday arrested by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Police Service over the recent scandal regarding her HIV status.

Dzidzor Mensah, who had been an ambassador for the Ghana Aids Commission (GAC) in the fight against discrimination and stigmatisation against people living with HIV, recently told News-Onethat she never tested positive for the disease.

Boko Haram militants opened fire on northern Nigerian villages, leaving bodies scattered everywhere and as many as 2,000 people feared dead, officials said.
"The attack on Baga and surrounding towns looks as if it could be Boko Haram's deadliest act," Amnesty International said in a statement.
Islamist militants sprayed bullets as they stormed in last weekend in trucks and armored vehicles, local authorities said Friday.
When they arrived, they unloaded motorcycles and pursued residents who fled into the bush, firing indiscriminately, said Baba Abba Hassan, a local district head.

The race to the altar has become more of a marathon than a sprint. And though younger generations might be slower to get there, marriage still offers a big draw: According to a new study, married people are happier than their single counterparts.
The research, which comes from the National Bureau of Economic Research in Canada, used combined data from the British Household Panel Survey, the United Kingdom's Annual Population Survey and the Gallup World Poll. Researchers controlled for pre-marital satisfaction -- up until now, no one's been able to prove that these people wouldn't be just as happy had they never tied the knot -- and they stillfound that married people were consistently happier than singles.

Ethiopian Airlines cargo aircraft with flight No. ET – AQV crashlanded at 11:05 am on Saturday January 10, 2015 at the Kotoka International Airport.

Though authorities have not confirmed the cause of the accident yet, it is believed to be due to the poor visibilty caused by the harmattan weather conditions currently prevailing in Ghana.

The crew of three(3) people on board the crash-landed Ethiopian cargo plane all survived the accident and are currently responding to treatment at the 37 Military Hospital in Accra.

Saturday 31 January 2015

Tuesday 27 January 2015

Sunday 25 January 2015

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Friday 16 January 2015

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Saturday 10 January 2015