Fans and charity protest against Nicki Minaj show in Angola

Nicki Minaj has caused controversy and upset fans and a charity, after she announced she will headline a concert in Angola.

The 33-year-old rapper is due to headline a Christmas festival in the capital of Luanda on Saturday (19.12.15), titled Show Unitel Boas Festas.

But Angola’s government has been accused of oppression, intimidation and imprisoning supporters of democracy, and the Human Rights Foundation has written to the the ‘Anaconda’ singer to ask her to cancel her performance.

Thor Halvorssen, head of the non-governmental organisation, recently wrote in a letter to the star: “Ms. Minaj, you are well known for being involved with charities such as the Get Schooled Foundation, which helps motivate young people to graduate from high school and succeed in college. If you move forward with this performance for the dictator and his family, you will be in league with the people stealing educational resources and opportunity from young Angolans.”

Halvorssen also highlighted the case of Angolan hip hop artist Luaty Beirao, who was arrested in June after attending a meeting that discussed democracy in the country.

And since Angola’s President Jose Eduardo dos Santos has been accused of corruption in the past, fans have rallied together and protested against the singer’s decision to accept the country’s invitation to play.

One wrote via her official Facebook page: “Dear Nicki Minaj, could you please postpone your visit to Luanda until democracy is born in Angola?”

Top 2015 Google searches: Paris attacks, Lamar Odom

Terror attacks in Paris topped the global ranking of Google searches in 2015 — alongside the public debut of transgender celebrity Caitlyn Jenner and the downfall of ex-NBA star Lamar Odom.

The single most popular overall search for an individual targeted Odom, the former basketballer and estranged husband of reality TV star Khloe Kardashian found unconscious in a Nevada brothel in October.

But the city of Paris — traumatized by deadly attacks in January and November — dominated search queries across categories, according to the Google trend ranking released for the 15th year.

“Charlie Hebdo,” the French satirical magazine attacked by Islamic extremists in what triggered a global outpouring of solidarity, was the second most frequent global search overall, while “Paris” came fifth.

For news, Charlie Hebdo and Paris were also the top two queries.

“Within two minutes of the deadly attack on Paris in November, the French capital was searching for information on the assault underway in their city,” Google said on its blog Wednesday.

“Less than 10 minutes later, the rest of the world started searching. As of today, we’ve seen more than 897 million searches about the city as the world came together to ‘Pray for Paris.'”

Paris was followed in news searches by the record-breaking storm Hurricane Patricia, ISIS (an acronym for the Islamic State organization), and Nepal.

Third on the overall list was the Agar.io online action game, and fourth came “Jurassic World,” the science fiction thriller film released around the world in May and June.

Among individuals, Odom was followed by the martial-arts star Ronda Rousey and by Caitlyn Jenner, the transgender Olympian formerly known as Bruce Jenner.

“Across the globe, she was searched more than 344 million times, and her story helped give a new voice to the transgender community,” Google said.

The number-four celebrity search was for pop singer Adele, and fifth was actor Charlie Sheen, who revealed last month that he is HIV-positive.

The top global sporting-event searches were about the Copa America football tournament, the Wimbledon tennis championship, the Tour de France cycling race, the Rugby World Cup and the American football Super Bowl.

For consumer technology, the iPhone 6S, released this year was the top item, followed by the rival Samsung smartphone Galaxy 6S, the Apple Watch, iPad Pro and the LG G4 smartphone.

In music, Adele was followed by the Australian singer Sia and the Eagles of Death Metal — the US rockers who were performing at the Paris club that attacked by jihadists last month.

Fourth and fifth, respectively, were British singer Sam Smith and American singer-songwriter Meghan Trainor.

Top film searches were for “Jurassic Park,” action film “Furious 7,” war picture “American Sniper,” erotic drama “Fifty Shades of Grey” and the animated 3D movie “Minions.”

L.L. Cool J to host Grammy Awards for the fifth time

L.L. Cool J is to host the Grammy Awards for the fifth consecutive year in 2016.

The 47-year-old star is “honoured” to have been asked to front the star-studded music ceremony once again and he cannot wait for another “incredible night” at the event on 15 February at Los Angeles’ Staples Center.

He said: “The performances and moments that take place on the Grammy stage are awesome in so many ways for the audience and artists alike.

“I’m honoured once again to host Music’s Biggest Night as we celebrate the talented music creators of today. It’s going to be an incredible night and I’m excited to share this experience with the world.”

Recording Academy president Neil Portnow is pleased L.L. – whose name stands for Ladies Love Cool James – is returning to host the event for a fifth year, and praised his “dynamic personality” and “charismatic energy” while presenting the previous Grammy Awards.

He said: “We are delighted to welcome back the very talented L.L. Cool J as our host for the 58th Grammys.

“His unique expertise, both as a Grammy-winning recording artist and accomplished actor, allows him to connect with both his musical peers and the fans at home, and his dynamic personality and charismatic energy set the perfect tone for our show.”

There were several highlights from the Grammys in February, including Kanye West jokingly crashing Beck’s Album of the Year acceptance speech after he beat Beyoncé Knowles to the prize.

Neil later described the stunt as a “fun moment”.

PHOTO’S: Yaliyojiri kwenye show ya XXL AFTER SKUL BASH

Hizi ni baadhi tu ya picha nilizokuchukulia kutoka Escape 1 kwenye show ya XXL After Skul Bash iliyofanyika tarehe 12 Dec 2015. 

Kwa steji ni Young Dee

Pichani wanadada aliyevaa kofia ni msanii wa bongo fleva anajulikana kwa jina la Ruby akiwa pamoja na marafiki zake

Young Killer Msodoki

Bill Nas

Jux

Joh Makini

G Nako

World’s first washable smartphone to debut in Japan

Tired of those unsightly smudges and other dirt on your bacteria-laden smartphone?

A Japanese firm says it has the solution with what it describes the world’s first smartphone that can be washed with soap and water.

Waterproof smartphones have been on the market for a while. But telecom company KDDI says its new “Digno rafre” phone — to be launched in Japan next week — is the only one that can withstand a soapy bath.

“Our development team washed the smartphone more than 700 times to test its durability,” a company spokesman told AFP.

An online commercial aimed at proving its credentials features a child dropping the phone onto a plate of food topped with ketchup.

His mother assures her shocked family that those red globs are nothing to worry about as she soaps up the phone under a running tap.

The 21,600 yen ($175) gadget is mainly aimed at parents who want to keep their smartphones clean for their small children, a KDDI spokesman said.

But he also cautioned that only certain types of foamy soap could be used on the device, which will only be sold in Japan for now.

Beyonce, Oprah on the 2015 list of 12 most powerful women on the planet

According to Business Insider, there are 12 women who currently command the most influence and authority in the world! The list was taken from top leaders in politics, business, technology and entertainment. Their influence was evaluated based on metrics in areas such as economic power, command , impact and newsworthiness.

12. Isabel Dos Santos

Age 42

Businesswoman and investor, Angola

11.Meg Whitman

Age 59

CEO of Hewlett Packard Enterprise, chair of HP Inc. USA

10. Hillary Clinton

Age 68

Former US Secretary of State, 2016 presidential candidate, USA

09. Beyoncé

Age 34

Singer from the USA

08. Ginni Rometty

Age 58

CEO of IBM , USA

07. Park Geun-hye

Age 63

President of South Korea

06. Oprah Winfrey

Age 61

CEO, OWN from USA

05. Christine Lagarde

Age 59

Managing Director of the IMF from France

04.Dilma Rouseff

Age 67

President of Brazil

03. Abigail Johnson

Age 53

CEO of Fidelity

02. Janet Yellen

Age 69

Chair of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve. USA

01.Angela Merkel

Age 61

Chancellor of Germany

Will Smith admits his marriage has been “excruciating” at times.

Hollywood star Will Smith has confessed his marriage has been “excruciating” at times.

The 47-year-old actor has been married to fellow Hollywood star Jada Pinkett Smith since 1997, and has revealed their relationship has been “grueling”.

He shared: “We’ve been married 20 years and we’ve been asking ourselves [what’s the secret to marriage] and really at the end of the day it’s just not quitting.

“You can’t expect it to be easy. It’s like our marriage was the most difficult, grueling, excruciating thing that we have ever taken on in our lives. And you know we’re just not quitters.”

Will also revealed what he considers to be the secret to maintaining a good marriage.

The actor – who shares 17-year-old son Jaden and 15-year-old daughter Willow with his wife – told Entertainment Tonight: “I would say is that we never went into working on our relationship.

“We only ever worked on ourselves individually, and then presented ourselves to one another better than we were previously.”

The duo have been the subject of numerous divorce rumours in recent months and in August, Will took to Facebook to rubbish the speculation.

He wrote: “So, in the interest of redundant, repetitious, over & over-again-ness… Jada and I are…NOT GETTING A DIVORCE!!!!!!!!!!!!! (sic)”

Indonesian district to ban condoms in convenience stores

A staunchly Islamic district in Indonesia plans to ban the sale of condoms in convenience stores in a bid to halt premarital sex, an official said Tuesday, but activists criticised the move as misguided.

The local administration in Luwu on central Sulawesi island will soon send a notification to convenience stores, giving them a week to remove condoms from their shelves, district head Andi Mudzakkar said.

“We are concerned that premarital sex is on the rise among teenagers,” he told AFP from the district capital Belopa.

A week after the letters are sent, the government will raid the dozens of convenience stores in Luwu, and those caught violating the rule could be shut down, Mudzakkar said.

He said that he took the decision after noticing that condoms were sold openly in the stores and could be easily bought by youngsters.

Condom sales would still be allowed in the remote district in pharmacies but only for customers aged above 17, he said.

In many rural parts of the archipelago, convenience stores are the only retail outlets offering a sizeable range of goods.

Yakub Gunawan, an activist from the Red Institute, an NGO focusing on HIV, said the ban would not tackle “risky sexual behaviour”.

“The Luwu government should be promoting early sex education instead so teenagers will know how to be responsible and protect themselves,” he said.

Regulations to crack down on behaviour viewed as “immoral” and against Islam have multiplied across Indonesia — the world’s most populous Muslim-majority country — in recent years, amid signs of growing conservatism in many sectors of society.

Conservative clerics have long denounced official campaigns to encourage condom use, claiming that they encourage sex before marriage.

Earlier this year Indonesia’s top Islamic clerical body spoke out against the sale of condoms following reports that the contraceptives were being sold together with chocolate to mark Valentine’s Day.

Coffee-drinkers less likely to die from certain diseases

People who report drinking three to five cups of coffee per day are less likely to die prematurely from heart disease, suicide, diabetes or Parkinson’s disease, US researchers said Monday.

Both caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee were shown to have benefits, said the study by researchers at the Harvard University Chan School of Public Health published in the November 16 edition of the journal Circulation.

The study compared people who don’t drink coffee, or drank less than two cups daily, to those who reported drinking “moderate” amounts of coffee, or up to five cups daily.

The study did not prove a cause-and-effect for coffee and the reduced likelihood of certain diseases, but uncovered an apparent link that aligns with previous research, and that scientists would like to probe further.

“Bioactive compounds in coffee reduce insulin resistance and systematic inflammation,” said first author Ming Ding, a doctoral student in the Department of Nutrition.

“That could explain some of our findings. However, more studies are needed to investigate the biological mechanisms producing these effects.”

No protective effect was found against cancer in this study. Some previous research has pointed to a link between coffee consumption and a lower risk of certain cancers.

The study was based on data gathered from three large, ongoing surveys including some 300,000 nurses and other health professionals who agree to answer questionnaires about their own medical conditions and habits at regular intervals over the course of 30 years.

“In the whole study population, moderate coffee consumption was associated with reduced risk of death from cardiovascular disease, diabetes, neurological diseases such as Parkinson’s disease, and suicide,” said the findings.

Researchers also accounted for potential confounding factors such as smoking, body mass index, exercise, alcohol consumption, and diet. But the fact that the research relied on surveys, which use self-reported behavior, could raise questions about its reliability.

And experts warned that coffee — a substance adored by many devotees — may not be right for everyone.

“Regular consumption of coffee can be included as part of a healthy, balanced diet,” said senior author Frank Hu, professor of nutrition and epidemiology at Harvard.

“However, certain populations such as pregnant women and children should be cautious about high caffeine intake from coffee or other beverages.”

NAVY KENZO TRAILBLAZING, NOMINATED FOR NAIJA AWARDS, TOPPING CHARTS ACROSS AFRICA

African (Tanzanian based) hit maker duo Navy Kenzo, composed of songstress Aika and Producer Nahreel have been nominated for best group at the Top Naija Music Awards that will take place on the 26th of January. Navy Kenzo will be up against such acts like Dupi 2, Connect Music Group (CMG), Ace Republic, DP-Kings and Betrose

Navy Kenzo, having joined forces with MTV MAMA Nominee and AFRIMA winner Vanessa Mdee with their latest single Game have managed to stir interest and a nomination. The heavy hitting club banging collabo has already been number one on various music charts across Africa such as Trace African charts,  Sound City and even the MTV Base Official African Chart to name a few… And also across the world!

Game – a cat and mouse love song – about a guy who chases a girl waiting for the day she stops playing hard to get, has earned Navy Kenzo a nomination at the Naija awards for a group that comes from outside of Nigeria.

Although this is their fifth single together they have had previous hits such as Bokodo, Viza and Moyoni. But it was with Game that Navy Kenzo managed to cross over to the international market.  With a video shot in South Africa and Directed by Justin Campos

Navy Kenzo is a duo led by amazing vocals of the group’s songstress Aika and Kilimanjaro Tanzania Music Award winning producer Nahreel that has made beats for a number of hits such as Diamond Platnumz’s Nana, Joh Makini’s  Nusu Nusu and Vanessa Mdee’s Nobody But Me, Never Ever and Hawajui,

Voting has started and will end on Thursday, December 31, 2015. Winners will be announced on January 2, 2016 and the award presentation ceremony will take place on Tuesday, Jan 26, 2016 in Lagos.

To vote for Navy Kenzo as Best Group at the Top Naija Music Awards please visithttp://topnaijamusicawards.com/vote/bestmusicgroup/

SIKU YA MWISHO YA RAIS KIKWETE IKULU

Rais wa Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania Dkt. Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete akifanya kazi ofisini kwake Ikulu jijini Dar es salaam kwa mmara ya mwisho leo Novemba 4, 2015 kabla ya kukabidhi madaraka kwa Rais wa awamu ya Tano anayetarajiwa kuapishwa kesho Dkt John Pombe Joseph Maguful

Rais wa Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania Dkt. Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete akitoka ofisini kwake Ikulu jijini Dar es salaam baada ya kufanya kazi katika siku ya  mwisho leo Novemba 4, 2015 kabla ya kukabidhi madaraka kwa Rais wa awamu ya Tano anayetarajiwa kuapishwa kesho Dkt John Pombe Joseph Maguful.

Picha na IKULU

Top 10 Most Expensive Footballers’ Cars (2015)

1.Christiano Ronaldo




2. Karim Benzema



3.Zlatan Ibrahimovic



4.Obafemi Martins



5.Maria Balotelli



6.Frank Lampard



7. Mesut Ozil



8. Emmanuel Adebayor



9. Neymar



10. Wayne Rooney

PHOTOS – Inside Will Smith’s $2.5 Million Luxurious Double Decker Trailer

Will Smith is not your everyday actor. He is well paid… very well paid, and unlike his colleagues who do with motels or cheap accommodation between sets, Will does not compromise.

When he was filming “Men in Black 3,” “Ali,” and “The Pursuit of Happiness,” the actor was quite comfortable in his one-of-a-kind, two-story trailer nicknamed “The Heat.”

The 1,200-square-foot mobile home rests on 22 wheels, features 14 TV screens, has $30,000 worth of leather, and $100,000 – $125,000 worth of technology.

The cost for the entire trailer on steroids? A whopping $2.5 million.

He rents out ‘The Heat’ for a meagre $9000 a week.

Some time back, it was feature on ‘Celebrity Motor Vehicles’.

Check it out.