Ebola is real

Travel to and from #Ebola-affected countries is low-risk. Our infographic shows you what you need to know while travelling and at your destination

A Professor of Pharmacognosy, Maurice Iwu, whose publication about the potency of Garcinia (Bitter Kola) in reducing the replication of the Ebola Virus has become popular since the outbreak of the disease, has reiterated that the Bitter Kola is "not a cure for Ebola", as rumoured in some parts of Nigeria.
Since the outbreak of Ebola in Nigeria in July, Bitter Kola has become a commodity that many Nigerians want to have in their pockets or bags and eaten at intervals, as a result of the rumour that it could cure Ebola.

Ebola kills 84 in three days – UN

on August 19, 2014   /   in News 10:53 am   /   Comments

GENEVA – The Ebola virus killed 84 people in just three days, bringing the global death toll to 1,229, the World Health Organization said Tuesday.

The death toll, which passed the 1,000-mark over a week ago, soared higher from last Thursday to Saturday.

The number of confirmed infections jumped by 113 over the three days, bringing the total number of cases to 2,240, the UN health agency said.

The epidemic, which has hit four west African nations since it broke out in Guinea at the start of the year, is by far the deadliest since Ebola was discovered four decades ago in what is now the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Liberia was the hardest-hit country in the latest figures, with 48 new cases and 53 deaths.

That lifted its total count of cases to 834, with 466 deaths.

A sign warning of the dangers of ebola outside a government hospital in Freetown on August 13, 2014. AFP PHOTO

The new WHO toll predates an attack overnight Saturday on a quarantine centre in the Liberian capital Monrovia that caused 17 Ebola patients to flee who remain missing.

Sierra Leone recorded 38 new infections and 17 fatalities, the new WHO data showed.

As a result, Sierra Leone’s total case count increased to 848 and its death toll to 365.

Guinea counted 24 new cases and 14 new deaths. That lifted the total number of cases to 543, with 394 deaths.

Nigeria, meanwhile, recorded three new cases but no deaths.

All told, Nigeria has now seen 15 cases and four fatalities, the data show.

10 Ways to Make A Woman Fall in Love With You

After you meet a woman and start dating her, you get to know her better. You probably start feeling closer to her and may even find yourself falling in love. But her feelings may still remain a mystery to you.

You’re not even sure whether you’re doing things right. How can you get her to fall in love with you? Here are 10 ways how to woo your woman, and at the end of it, she’s sure to be crazy about you.

1. Display maturity. It’s always said that women mature faster than guys and are often found complaining about how immature they act. Impress her with the way you deal with situations and your outlook on the whole. Show her how responsible you are about finances, or serious you are about your career. And demonstrate your ability to think clearly and rationally when disagreements crop up or a conflict of interests presents itself.
TIP: Women love it when a guy takes interest in their likes, dislikes, interests, family, childhood and so many other areas. Talking to her about herself is the best way to make her fall in love.

2. Romance her. Make her feel good by keeping the romance alive in the relationship. You don’t have to spend a whole lot of money doing this. Sure, there isn’t a woman alive who doesn’t adore flowers and gifts, but you can also do things that don’t cost a lot but can still enhance your relationship. Write her little notes or send her a mushy card. Call her up just to tell her you’re thinking about her and can’t wait to see her again. Be attentive and make her feel cherished and truly special.

3. Be faithful. Don’t ever give her occasion to doubt you. Let her know that you have eyes only for her and the rest of the world takes a backseat. Let her sense your commitment to her and your relationship. Being able to trust someone and truly rely on him is a very powerful feeling. So many people profess deep feelings and then cheat on their partners. Don’t just tell her but show her that she can count on you. Women need to feel secure and once that is established, it takes the relationship to a higher level.

4. Time spent with her is precious. Make it clear that you really treasure the time you spend with her, irrespective of what you’re doing together. And prove it! For instance, if she suddenly tells you she’d like to meet you because she’s finishing work early and you had something else lined up, cancel it for her. That doesn’t mean you cater to her to the exclusion of everything else, just that you sometimes sacrifice something you care about to be with her. If she begs you to come see a movie and you had plans with your buddies, do it for her and let her know subtly that you did. She will surely reward you! Women also love it if you do some girly stuff with them like shopping for lingerie, and aren’t afraid of sacrificing your masculinity in the process. It just makes you more of a man in their eyes!

5. Compliment her. You don’t have to go over the top always telling her how good she looks or how gorgeous her hair is or what a lovely outfit she’s wearing. A compliment has more effect when it is sincere, well-timed and, often, out of the blue. While a woman always loves hearing that she’s looking good, you can’t keep telling her that. It will lose its charm eventually. A compliment is valued when there is a surprise element to it. Telling her how witty you find her, how her intelligence turns you on, appreciating how thoughtful and generous she can be, or her gentle nature, all these are deeper compliments, which, when paid sincerely, make the recipient feel ten feet tall.

6. Laughter. Use humor as your biggest ally. If she enjoys your company and looks forward to seeing you again, you’re rapidly becoming an addiction, and that’s just what you’re aiming for. It’s not about making her laugh over your one-liners and finding you hilarious. It’s more about being on the same wavelength and enjoying the other’s sense of humor too. Or finding humor in similar situations or having a favorite serial or sitcom, which you talk about and cracks you up. Finding the same joke funny, or sharing a smile, draws you closer and makes you feel like kindred spirits. It’s a great feeling!

7. Learn what turns her on. And use it to advantage. Find out just the kind of touch that excites her, how she loves to be kissed. Don’t ever push her for s*x or make her uncomfortable by coming on too strong. Let her see the effect she has on you, yet keep a strong rein on your passions if she decides she wants to call a stop to it. Let her set the pace, and ensure she understands that while your desires for her are strong, you will respect the limits she sets. Respect her and her body and she will appreciate you more for it. Women love it when they can see how much they turn you on and yet find you willing to take it slow for their sake. Also, when you make love to her, don’t always kiss her or caress her as a lead up to having s*x. Do it just to make her feel special and because you want to convey that to her, and she will adore you for it.

8. Give her space. Don’t be possessive and make her account to you regarding her whereabouts. Let her know you trust her. Don’t expect her to spend all her free time with you. Let her have her own life too. Often when in a relationship, people make the mistake of spending every waking moment that they can manage together, and in the process, alienate themselves from friends and even lose their identity. Let her be her own person.

9. Be thoughtful. You remember little things she told you, and remind her of it at opportune moments. It may be that she once mentioned she loves having chicken soup when she’s got a cold, and you land up with some when she’s got the sniffles. Or she’s told you how she adores a particular entrée at a popular restaurant and the next time you go there, you order it and surprise her. It makes her feel like you genuinely listen to her and take the trouble to act on it and make her happy.

10. “I love you”. And of course, while showing her should give her the message, there’s a lot to be said for saying it loud and clear. Tell her how important she is to you. You might want to think about when you’re first going to tell her those three words. If it’s too early in the relationship, she might be skeptical that you could feel so deeply so soon. And thereafter, it’s not just choosing the right moment, but making every small moment count. You don’t have to wait only till you’re kissing her, or in bed. Saying it when it’s least expected makes it all the more precious. She might be telling you something and the feeling just overwhelms you – tell her at that instant. She won’t mind being interrupted mid-sentence.

[MUST READ] 
How Boko Haram Is Funded Just over a year ago, armed men on motorcycles entered a national park in Cameroon, near the Nigerian border, and swiftly abducted a family of vacationing French tourists — a husband and wife and their four children, along with their uncle. Two months later, the kidnappers released the hostages along with 16 others in exchange for a cool $3.15 million. The transaction was made by French and Cameroonian negotiators, but it was not divulged who made the payments, according to Reuters. So landed another cash infusion into the coffers of Boko Haram, that has now gained worldwide infamy through the mass kidnapping of school girls in northern Nigeria. Long before its latest wave of attacks, the Islamist group has efficiently financed violent acts in the service of its mission to impose Shariah law through a combination of lucrative criminal enterprises, say experts who tracked the group. In addition to kidnappings, Boko Haram has secured financing through extortion, cooperation with international drug cartels and operating fake charities, these experts say. “What is certain about Boko Haram is that the organisation is very well funded; without an ever-increasing cash flow, the movement would have died out long ago,” reads a report from the Terrorism Research and Analysis Consortium, a research initiative of the reference publisher Beacham Group. About a decade ago, shortly after Boko Haram was founded, it drew the majority of its funds from people in surrounding communities who supported its goal of imposing Islamic law while ridding Nigeria of Western influences, according to a report from the National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (START) based at the University of Maryland. But that means of fundraising was inherently limited in a country in which 54 per cent of people are classified as “extremely poor” by the World Bank. In recent times, Boko Haram has broadened it’s funding by drawing on foreign donors, and other ventures such as fake charity organisations, extortion, and deals with global drug cartels, according to the START report. Its most recent foray — the kidnapping of 276 schoolgirls to sell on the black market as “wives” — is merely the outgrowth of a coherent strategy to find funds for expansion through whatever means necessary. The term Boko Haram translates to “Western education is forbidden,” in the local Hausa language of the predominantly Muslim region in northern Nigeria where the group is based. Since its formation in the early 2000s, the militia has been carrying out violent attacks around the country. Since 2009, when the group’s founding leader was killed and replaced by his second-in-command, the attacks have grown significantly more violent and intense, according to the START report. Last year, the US State Department officially designated the group as a “foreign terrorist organisation.” “What Boko Haram achieved in less than a year is quite remarkable,” wrote David Doukhan of the International Institute for Counter-Terrorism, in a 2013 report, citing their reign over many parts of northeastern Nigeria, the institution of Sharia law, tax collection and an Islamic education system to recruit youth to their cause. This expansion has required increasingly large sources of funding, which has apparently led Boko Haram to ratchet up its methods of raising money. “Perhaps less sophisticated than other tactics, kidnapping has become one of the group’s primary funding sources,” wrote Jacob Zenn, African and Eurasian affairs analyst at The Jamestown Foundation, in a recent report. But the group receives steady support from abroad, including from Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, according to the US State Department, while using links to that terrorist group to secure further donations from sympathisers in the United Kingdom and Saudi Arabia, along with weapons and training. An unnamed United States intelligence official last week told The Daily Beast that the Islamist group had received “strategic direction” from Osama bin Laden. Boko Haram cloaks its sources of finance through the crafty use of a highly decentralized distribution network, say experts. The group employs an Islamic model of money transfer called “hawala,” based on an honour system and a global network of agents that leaves no trace. “The very features which make hawala attractive to legitimate customers — efficiency, anonymity and lack of a paper trail — also make the system attractive for the transfer of illicit funds,” reads a report from the US Treasury Department. Other direct fundraising includes fake charities and nonprofits. Some have reported that the group receives regular payment from local leaders in northern Nigeria to protect their land. An untraceable flow of money plus loosely guarded borders has created an ideal environment for black market trade. The porosity of Nigeria’s borders offers the group a steady flow of weapons, training, radicalisation and funding. A 2012 report from the Inter-University Center for Terrorism Studies alleges that Nigerian terrorist groups are financed by drug cartels in Latin America. Lauretta Napoleoni, an Italian journalist and expert on terrorist finance, said this began to happen when the 2001 Patriot Act made it difficult to transfer drugs through the US to Europe. “Nobody wants to admit that cocaine reaches Europe via West Africa,” said Napoleoni. “This kind of business is a type of business where Islamic terrorist organizations are very much involved.” Beyond drugs, Boko Haram has joined other criminal groups in Africa in the billion-dollar rhino and elephant poaching industry, according to a recent report from Born Free USA, a wildlife conservation organization. “While impoverished locals are enlisted to pull the triggers, it is highly organized transnational crime syndicates and militias that run the poaching and reap the lion’s share of the profits, funding terrorism and increasingly war,” wrote New Scientist’s Richard Shiffman. Using these extensive networks, Boko Haram members can smuggle anything from sugar and flour to weapons or even people across international borders. This, plus kidnapping ransoms and donations from abroad, is one of the most important factors keeping them in business. Earlier this week, the U.S. State Department announced plans to further its efforts to counter Boko Haram, given the importance of Nigeria as an economic and political leader in Africa. “The US has a vital interest in helping to strengthen Nigeria’s democratic institutions, boost Nigeria’s prosperity and security, and ensure opportunity for all of its citizens,” according to a public statement. A major part of their plan includes a counter-terrorism finance program, that “aims to restrict Boko Haram’s ability to raise, move and store money.”

10 Big Physical Turn Offs that Guys Always Notice! (Ladies must read)

 10 Big Physical Turn Offs that Guys Always Notice! (Ladies must read)

                  

#1 Too much makeup. A little bit of makeup is absolutely fine. But don’t go overboard assuming you’ll impress the guy with the fancy artwork on your face. To most guys, too little makeup is always better than too much makeup which would make them visualize a clown while talking to you. A safe tip here, use makeup to enhance and accentuate your face, not to cover it up and hide it.

#2 Body odor. This isn’t something most of us think too much about because, let’s face it, we’re not smelly people. Most people aren’t. Of course, there may be an occasional day or two when you feel overwhelmed by an attack of anxiety and get a whiff of your own sweaty underarm after a long day’s work.

#3 Facial hair. When a guy’s cozying up with you on a date, he wouldn’t want to see facial hair sticking out over your upper lip. After all, if a guy prefers a girl with facial hair, he might as well date a dude. The same goes with unibrows, thick armpit hairs *even if they’re short and stiff* that stick out in sleeveless tops, and hairy arms or legs.

#4 Unkempt nails and hair. A guy may appear oblivious to the many things you do to make him notice you better, but when he clasps your fingers with his, one of the first things he’d notice are your nails *especially if they’re chipped or chewed*. And bad, messy hair that’s matted or dirty and need of a wash badly? Well, that’s another complete no-no.

#5 Oral hygiene. There are so many things you can do right to impress a guy during that first conversation. But if you’ve got food stuck in your teeth, or if you have bad teeth, a guy can’t help but feel awkward around you.

And if you’re suffering from bad breath, well, that’s one of the things that can really make a big difference to the way the date ends. If you think your throat’s dry and your breath smells, pop in a mint or a gum. It’s the least courteous thing you can do when a guy’s trying to pucker up for a kiss.

#6 Tramp stamps. Tattoos seem sexy, but most guys prefer to admire it from far away! Guys especially avoid girls with tramp stamps like big tattoos on their lower back or on a very visible part of their cleavage.

Tattoos can be sweet and nice when they’re discreet or small, but not when they’re screaming “look where I’ve got a tattoo!”. Most guys who see girls with big tattoos assume she’s too easy to get, and only see her as a flirty and easy lay, instead of trying to see her as a potential mate for life.

#7 Bad attire. It’s one thing to dress fashionable, but it’s a complete different thing to dress in an outlandish, fashionably unfashionable manner. Most guys don’t feel comfortable on a date with a girl who wears ill-fitting clothes that are too loose or too tight. Dress comfortably in a feminine manner, and you’d have a better chance of scoring points with him. After all, if a guy feels uncomfortable around you, he’s obviously going to have a bad time with you.

#8 Unhealthy appearance. Glowing skin is not just a sign of good health and good nutrition, it’s also a huge attention grabber. If you’re overworking or stressed out all the time, its effects would start showing on your face. You’d look older, your skin would look duller and you’d appear lifeless.

Evolution has programmed a man’s mind to fall for girls who look healthy, as opposed to someone who seems haggard. Enjoy life, relax and banish stress from your life. You could even work out and let those endorphins work their magic on your appearance. [

#9 Bad language. Guys find pushy girls who abuse and use bad language rather unattractive and unappealing. Swear at something if you must, but avoid starting or ending your sentences with cuss words. It’s just as bad as a girl who grabs a guy and manhandles him repeatedly on a first date. Guys hate that, even if they don’t say it out loud during the date. But of course, you’ll know he hated it soon enough when he doesn’t call you back!

#10 Not leaving anything to a guy’s imagination. When you’re on a date with a guy, don’t let your enthusiasm to catch the guy’s eye take you overboard. Don’t wear something that leaves nothing to his imagination. He’d either think you’re too easy to get and would try to get you into bed on the very first date *and forget all about you the next morning*, or he’d feel really awkward in public and appear distracted throughout the date. Either ways, if you’re looking for something serious with a guy, it’s definitely not going to work in your favor.