Gemology uses precious stones to make creams -Chiedu

More and more men suffer from things like high blood pressure, hypertension, cancers, heart attack and stroke at younger ages than was previously found, Tokunbo Chiedu.

Lawyer turned Beauty entrepreneur, and Consultant, with a bias for international business, Mrs Tokunbo Chiedu talks to Jane Kolade about her foray into the world of international business, becoming a beauty entrepreneur, and her world view. She also shares her passion for training, and how she brings that to bear in the running of her business, and day spa, which advocates the Gemology premium brand, and lots more. Excerpts:

What is your take on the craze of Nigerian women with bleaching their skins?

I’m not sure I can pinpoint why people bleach, because people have their different reasons for choosing to do that, but it may have to do with what you are exposed to, whether as a child. It might also have something to do with how you feel about yourself , and how they define beauty, or who is defining beauty. So I’m sure there are a myriad of reasons why people do that, I can’t speak for them.  But I think it’s important that you have to know that you are beautiful the way God made you.

Of course, you know that there are people who suffer from skin conditions like acne; terrible ones that didn’t actually want to bleach their skins but some of the chemicals in the products used in treating their skins have that side effect and before they knew it, the entire skin colour has changed. Some people have a problem of having vey reactive skins, many people struggle with that, because it’s  a confidence thing that many people suffer from, which is why I don’t want to judge anyone. Having said that there are people choosing to bleach their skins, they are saying that they don’t like their black colour, and it is not a beautiful sight. We really don’t have that many experts who can advise, even going way back. Many people are seeking information on what to use, and end up using the wrong things on their bodies that are downright dangerous, and highly detrimental in the long term. But I think the ultimate advice is to say “you only have one self, and you have the responsibility to get the right information to ensure that you are not endangering yourself, because there are all sorts of chemicals in these products.

Why do you think that Gemology is the better way to go?

Gemology is actually from France and they are leaders in that sector, they are more natural than chemical because the formulations in products in the range are botanical. Gemology is a mineral based skin care brand formulated with trace elements from precious and semi-precious stones. The active ingredients in it are nature’s gifts to us, and trace elements are actually nutrients, the skin tends to absorb more when applied directly to the skin. Trace elements are the source of nutrients that you find in the food you eat, except that you find that when you ingest, your skin is the last part to gain from it. Technology now informs us that actually directly applying nutrients on your skin is more beneficial. There are a lot of health and anti-aging benefits attached to that because your skin gets to absorb the nutrients directly. So its undiluted, and it is not the residual form of the nutrient but the full essence.

We advise a beauty prescription to start with, of course, our company represents the brand, and we work with trained therapists who have been trained by the brand. The brand is about education, its about elevating the standards in terms of the quality of care that consumers will see in the spa, and also the quality of products used on the skin. It’s a premium brand, one associated with luxury, and it is fantastic.  I have really reactive sensitive skin, and struggled with my skin for the better part of my adulthood, even from my teens, I have always had acne and blemishes. My dream is not to wear makeup, and now I can. I’m really happy with that. I am happy to not have to do make-up, but I am a

Tell us a bit about the Gemology wellness weekend? The Gemology weekend will hold on the twelfth and thirteenth of November, twelfth is the men’s event, and thirteenth the women’s event. The Gemology Wellness weekend is actually our way of raising awareness about a good skincare regimen. We have set aside two days in November when we are just going to talk about wellness. It is about empowering people with information, during the programme there will be some services being delivered to the attendees. So they can have their shaving done, haircut, facial massage, body massage, manicure/pedicure. And we are working with professionals; therapists, barbers, beauty consultants who can advise. Day one will focus on male grooming, health, and fitness. We will have a medical doctor coming in who is an expert in the prevention of certain life threatening ailments; cancers, and so on. Especially because sometimes we don’t pay attention to these things, but it has become more important as increasingly people more and more suffer from things like high blood pressure, hypertension, cancers, heart attack and stroke at younger ages within the male gender than was previously found. Doctor Femi Olaleye is well known in that area and will talk to men about taking care of themselves, early detection signs and so on, while Gemology will talk about skin care.

Day two is about women it’s the same thing- the doctor will be here to talk about the different ailments that women are plagued by, and steps to take to avoid those health pitfalls. The Nigerian woman is very much into great presentation, the average Nigerian woman loves and takes care of herself. We pay attention to personal branding, and sometimes the attention goes more on one thing than on the things that are most vital, so you get women who love hair, and pay attention to their hair, but don’t use anything particularly great on their skin. However, as a beauty entrepreneur I ask people to take a long term view, your skin is an asset and you should take good care of it.

You presently have multiple interests in products and services that have to do with hair and skincare, how did that come about?

Our core business is international trade and we are the go to brand for companies looking for access into the Nigerian market. We get invited to a lot of international events for the beauty sector. So we get to interact with international brands, at least on an annual basis. When we are approached for access into the Nigerian market, we typically look into the idea; some of the initial market intelligence was to advise the brand. And actually Gemology did some work to see if there was anything similar within the marketplace and all of that. That is our core business. We are a market entry market penetration international trade consulting firm. We have access to brands, and do all that is necessary to help promote them, and give them market access when they are ready for it. Prior to that, we provided advise to companies, and actually represent quite a number of brands in different sectors/ subsectors in the beauty industry.

Do you care to mention any? Design Essentials is one. They are a leading brand, but they are also a training brand, which means that as a professional brand they provide training to support their stylists. They are the leading brand, both at home and abroad. We represent a food and beverage brand called Fosters Traditional Food, UK. They are a leading supermarket supplier, and also a leading brand supplying to the well known chains in the UK; Tesco, ASDA. They took an interest in the Nigerian market about three years ago, and we have done some work to try and support them, especially with NAFDAC registration, finding sub-distributors for the distribution of the brand, because we don’t actually distribute brands, though a brand we represent does. So we have affiliates for the brands we have worked with. Our work with brands is certainly interesting, quite a departure from the usual with firms which is more corporate. Usually developing international connections for brands, we went into the beauty sector because of the demand, as Nigeria is developing as an exciting place for lifestyle brands.

Tell us about your educational background?I have a degree in Law and Social sciences, and a Masters in International Development. Both from institutions in the UK.

So where are you from? I am a proudly Ijesha lady, married to a Deltan. Ijeshas are entrepreneurial by nature, intellectual, and we are trades people.

How did you become a Beauty Entrepreneur? We organize international exhibitions, and it became a platform for brands. And the brands we represent found us because of the work we had done. It just became a natural progression for us to take an interest in representing some of the brands that have approached us. Especially because Nigeria is a big market, we like to have the best. We like to be on the same page as the rest of the world, and like to have access. The face of lifestyle here is changing so that we on par with a lot of global business destinations. Nigeria is welcoming a lot of business, and is involved in different sectors of the economy. These people who are coming into Nigeria with their business interests have needs, and some of them can be satisfied with what we have.

Tell us the secret of your trim build and youthful looks in spite of being a mum in her forties.

I think its my genes, I have good genes. Thank my mummy and daddy. And thank God. And then i love to eat. I really don’t believe in diets. But I like to eat good food, and also like to eat well. I have a sweet tooth as well. So I like my cakes and all that. But my work is very demanding, and I do a lot of things. I am an active worker, I wish I could exercise more, but I love swimming, and dancing; Salsa especially and it keeps you fit. But apart from that I would say exercise.

Do you have a beauty routine? Oh yes, I do.Please share it. I have always have problematic skin, which I think is more hormonal.  So my skin tends to be reactive, even to touch. I discovered Gemology a year ago, I used it on myself and the result was amazing! Transformative actually. I wear make-up most days, so at night I remove my make-up with the Gemology Make-up remover, then I use the foam cleanser , then I use the toner. After that I apply a serum, during the day I apply an anti stress serum, and at night I use the calming serum. There are a bunch of serums, the anti stress serums, brightening serums, calming serums, those for sensitive skins and so. I love the fact that there are options to tally with what you might be going through. Your skin might be dealing with stress, too much aircondioning, dryness and so on. So it’s a beauty product tailored to what your skin is going through, although we usually don’t think of what the skin is going through. So if you are feeling tired, your skin maybe tired. At different times I use a repairing serum when my skin is going through stuff and needs repair so I use that. At times, I use the Diamond cream because my skin is dull, and diamond is known to be luminous, and it helps in oxygenating the skin, and makes you naturally radiant. It actually depends on what my skin tone is saying. So its good to keep a regimen, but introduce certain products at different times to address relevant concerns.

At the Gemology stand during the last Beauty Africa conference, I noticed they did something called ‘face mapping’ tell us a bit about it?

It really is facial skin analysis using a magnifying glass to look at your skin in a way that the natural eyes can’t to determine likely present, and future concerns. For instance, whether you are likely to lose skin elasticity because of your skin type. It is more like a deeper skin study in order to recommend the appropriate product, or what to do; like drink more water. It can prompt your beautician to ask you the right questions so they can help you. Many people don’t know about this, they just ask what their friends are using , and use same, simply taking recommendations from friends.

So where can one get Face mapping done?A good spa, or beauty consultant should be able to help with that. And we offer the service in our day spa. The Gemology day spa offers it as the first step in determining your beauty prescription.

You carry a head of beautiful, natural hair, have you had any challenges with weaves like traction alopecia  to prompt going natural?

I struggled with my hair because I have coarse hair. But I generally tended to reach for the more protective styles like weaves because I don’t have too much time on my hands to be sat in a place for too long. My hair kind of went natural because I was always in protective mode, but I love hair, whether relaxed or naturally textured. I think women should do whatever works for them.

You wear so many hats, CEO, Director, yet you are a wife and mum. How do you manage your business with being a home maker?

I think I’ve always had great family support. And I’m not just talking about just today as a married woman. But it goes way back to when I was a girl, my father was very supportive. He was a major influencer of who I am now, my mom too. My mum was extremely entrepreneurial, and strong. But I’m saying that whatever you able to do now is not just about today, but where you are coming from, what you have had put into you. So even from within my family, I had a lot of family support, like my siblings. People are always rooting for me. If I had to pin point what helped me do what whatever I have done, its because people were rooting for me, that’s my main driver. After God who propels me. And there is nothing more humbling and inspiring to have people who believe in you. And my husband is my biggest fan. He supports me a lot, and believes in me a lot. I also have a great team at work.

Tell us some of your challenges starting out? Many. I’ve dropped many balls.  I made many mistakes, and have not picked my battles. I am very heady, and Nigeria doesn’t take kindly to that.

In women, or everyone? Everyone. I just think that you have an opinion, not that you are being rude. And you believe in something.

Are you completely satisfied with your life and career right now?

I’m happy with all the highs and lows of my career. I’m happy with every part of the journey. I embrace everything, I embrace all my achievements and learning curves, I won’t say  mistakes because I think it’s a part of learning. Its an opportunity to learn how to and not to do certain things. In business you go through so much, sometimes there is no script. You have a business plan, but it doesn’t mean anything beyond that, it’s just that, a plan. And how responsively you react to what comes determines your survival. There are things you will go through that you would want to do differently should the opportunity arise, everyone has that. I do too, its part of my journey.

What prompts your giving back to society?I’m a people person, I love people. I think that God has given me a lot. And I am not talking about material means. I’m talking about my intellect, and gifts. Everyone has gifts, I like to share that. Share my ideas and be part of forward thinking and progress. Its our Nigeria, and life is really not well lived until we’ve shared, until you’ve made a difference, until you’ve touched somebody. I think it was Maya Angelou that said “Its not what you say that people will remember but how you made them feel.” That is always going to make a lasting impression because people won’t forget what they hear, its authentic. Its real. We want to be able to do more.

If a young lady walked up to you and said, “I would like to be like you” what would you advise?

I would tell her to be herself. You don’t know the pain, you only see the glory.  I learnt that you have to be comfortable with your pain to be truly successful. You have to overcome it. I say pain, but it could be difficulty, or challenge. Its not going to go away, you to master it and conquer it. If they say, “I want to be like you”. I would say, “Which you? You don’t know anybody.” If they say, “I aspire to do …” I can live with that, but not be like you. In life we assume that we are all writing the same test, but everyone has a different question paper. My journey is so different from yours, some challenges I have faced others won’t face. Life is so personal and experiential. We can’t duplicate our experiences. Our responses to the same experience will be so different. We can be in the same situation, yet our reactions will be so very different because we are different. I would offer the young lady the few words of wisdom I could muster, the first would be find yourself because when you know you it’s the beginning.  To know what you know  what you want and what you don’t.

What are the things her not to do or stay away from?

I would say that you have to know yourself, and how certain things impact you, don’t throw yourself into situations. Don’t take anything for granted. Learn from anything going on around you. Be aware of predators, not everyone around you wants the best for you. You have to ascertain who is for you, and who isn’t.  Its about being in touch with the world.

40 years after his father, Canada PM Trudeau travels to Cuba

Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau heads to Cuba Tuesday as the breakthrough in US relations with the communist regime hangs in the balance following Donald Trump’s presidential election win.

The prime minister’s official visit comes 40 years after his father Pierre Elliott Trudeau committed to a lifelong friendship with Fidel Castro during a three-day trip to the Caribbean island.

According to his office, the goal is to “renew and strengthen” the bilateral relationship.

The visit will also provide an opportunity to “collaborate more closely on sustainable economic growth, inclusive governance, security, climate change, and gender equality,” a statement said. It is also possible to rile Washington.

Trump has sent mixed messages about the thaw in US-Cuba relations which was started two years ago by his predecessor.

He gave it a lukewarm welcome at first saying “50 years is enough,” before vowing to reverse the new policies unless Cuban President Raul Castro agrees to democratic reforms and other demands.

Because US President Barack Obama used executive authority to enact the rapprochement, Trump could change course just as easily to reinstate financial, trade and travel restrictions.

While observers note that Cuba will probably not be a priority for Trump, it remains unclear how he would view a Trudeau-Castro photo opportunity.

The visit is primarily “symbolic,” John Kirk, a politics professor and Cuba expert at Dalhousie University in Halifax, told AFP.

Canada, he noted, is the only country in the Americas, along with Mexico, to have maintained diplomatic ties with Havana after the revolution, “despite significant pressure from Washington” over the years.

Ottawa also remained steadfastly opposed to the American embargo, which remains in place due to the US Congress’s rejection of Obama’s signature Cuba rapprochement.

– Personal journey – During a 30-hour stopover en route to Peru for an Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) leader’s meeting, Trudeau is to meet with Raul Castro, who succeeded his ailing brother Fidel in 2008.

Officially, no meeting is planned with Fidel Castro, but “there’s a chance” they will see each other, Cuba’s ambassador to Canada, Julio Garmendia Pena, told Canadian media.

Kirk said the journey is a personal one for Trudeau who is retracing his father’s footsteps, as well as a reminder to Washington of Canada’s support for ending Cuba’s isolation.

The Cuba visit will be the first by a Canadian leader since Jean Chretien in 1998.

Over the past decade, bilateral ties reached a historic low with former Conservative prime minister Stephen Harper often siding with Washington in seeking to isolate Cuba on the international scene.

Yet it was also Harper who hosted secret talks between American and Cuban officials in 2014 aimed at ending half a century of discord.

Pierre Elliott Trudeau became in 1976 the first leader of a NATO country to break with allies and meet with Castro during the “Cold War,” against Washington’s expressed wishes.

Photos from the era show Fidel Castro in his trademark olive-green revolutionary uniform, holding in his arms Justin Trudeau’s baby brother Michel, who died in an avalanche in 1998.

Decades later, Fidel Castro would be an honorary pallbearer at the funeral for Pierre Elliott Trudeau in Montreal.

Today, Cuba continues to welcome a huge influx of Canadian vacationers each year (1.3 million or nearly 40 percent of all Cuba tourists), but bilateral trade remains modest at less than US$1 billion annually.

Despite their warm diplomatic ties, many Canadian companies do not invest in Cuba over fear they will be blocked from the US market as a result.

Lachi beans peelers

sponsored. OLD WAYS HAVE PASSED AWAY…LIFE IS NOW MADE EASY WITH LACHI BEANS PEELER.

The era of peeling beans manually or with unconventional equipment is over! LACHI beans peeler is an innovative, revolutionary beans peeling machine for homes, hotels, and restaurants that desire and promote healthy living through consumption of delicacies made from peeled beans, but want to eliminate the stress and reduce the time involved in peeling the beans.

There is currently no suitable method or device for peeling beans and separating the hulls (skin of the beans) from the peeled beans in domestic or home applications. Many times peeling of beans manually leaves one wondering if all the work was worth the effort. Since peeling the entire outer skin of the beans is a step many deem essential in the pursuit of making different delicacies that encourage the consumption of beans, it therefore becomes virtually mandatory to find a way to perform the task in an almost effortless manner.

LACHI Beans Peeler provides the solution and is useful in every home, restaurants, and hotels where recipes made from peeled beans are enjoyed e.g. moi moi, akara, and gbegiri, made from black-eyed beans and red beans, popular in Nigeria, Ghana, Mali, and African counties; lentil soup made from lentil beans popular in India and Asian countries; mung bean cake made from mung beans popular in China; humus made from chickpeas (garbanzo beans) popular in the Middle Eastern countries; soymilk made from soya beans, popular worldwide.

It saves time, saves effort, it is compact and portable, and promotes eating fresh. Consumption of legumes helps maintain good health and a balanced diet since it is rich source of protein. Legumes are digested slowly, which helps keep blood glucose stable, and may curtail fatigue and irritability.

With LACHI Beans Peeler, it’s Healthy Meals…… STRESS FREE. For more please visit -> http://www.lachibeanspeeler.com

Exercise helps cope with stress at work

Unfortunately, for many of us, crazy demands by our bosses or colleagues often result in reaching for a takeaway or perhaps drowning our sorrows in the pub.

But if the demands of your job are getting you down, it might be wise to go for a jog, swim or visit the gym, researchers now suggest. This is because being fit helps you cope when work gets stressful, a new study has found.

The study by the University of Basel together with Swedish researchers studied 200 employees – 51 per cent men, 49 per cent women with an average age of 39. They tested their fitness on an exercise bike and measured various risk factors for heart and blood vessel disease including blood pressure, body mass index, cholesterol, triglycerides – a form of fat – and glycated haemoglobin. Having high triglycerides can be a sign of diabetes, as can high levels of glycated haemoglobin.

The authors found stressed individuals had higher levels of most of the risk factors for heart and circulatory system disease.The researchers found the perception of stress and risk of heart disease is affected by fitness.

Stressed employees with a high fitness level had much lower levels of the factors for heart disease than the medium fit or the low. Being fit may do wonders for one’s waistline, and energy levels, but scientists found it is when the going gets tough at work that being fit really comes into its own. Levels of ‘bad cholesterol’ and other indicators that can signal a greater risk of a heart attack or stroke were found to spike in people with low fitness – but stay at lower, safer levels in those who stay trim.

Researchers at Basel University and Gothernburg Hospital in Sweden studied how stressed a group of employees felt at work. They tested fitness levels of 200 workers on an exercise bike.

While the fit and unfit people may have been equally stressed, the unfit people produced higher levels of ‘bad’ LDL cholesterol in their blood during the difficult times. When stress levels were low, there were far smaller differences observed between people with high and low fitness levels.

The study by the University of Basel together with Swedish researchers studied 200 employees – 51 per cent men, 49 per cent women with an average age of 39.

They tested their fitness on an exercise bike and measured various risk factors for heart and blood vessel disease including blood pressure, body mass index, cholesterol, triglycerides – a form of fat – and glycated haemoglobin.

Having high triglycerides can be a sign of diabetes, as can high levels of glycated haemoglobin. Stressed individuals had higher levels of most of the risk factors for heart and circulatory system disease, the authors found.

The research showed that the perception of stress and risk of heart disease is affected by fitness.Stressed employees with a high fitness level had much lower levels of the factors for heart disease than the medium fit or the low.

Two artists’ views on contemporary ceramics

Two prominent African contemporary artists working in the ceramics genre, present their bodies of work to the Lagos art audience. Ato Arinze (Nigeria) and Djakou Kassi Nathalie (Cameroon) explore the transcendental and universal characteristics of ceramics and pottery to fashion contemporary aesthetics.

The art of pottery is as old as time. Civilisations have found it as a means of expression even when the more visible and basic aspect of it-functionality, seems to be eclipsing.

Ceramics as a valid medium for art creation is being pushed to the limit by some artists working in both the traditional and contemporary styles, although ceramics remains less visible in the contemporary art space in comparison with forms of art like sculpture and painting.

Ato and Djakou are adding their creative impetus to the future of ceramics that go beyond functions so that it may partake boldly with its unique easthetics in the new found glory of contemporary African art. Ato Arinze graduated as ceramist from Oko polytechnic before proceeding to the Yaba College of Technology, Lagos where he majored as sculptor in 1991. Ever since, he has been practicing ceramics but he incorporates it in sculpture in seamless style.

His virtuosity in both artistic forms allows him to create hybrid works. With over 20 years of studio practice and an abiding love for the clay medium, his mastery of his has endeared him to the Art patrons around. Arinze has participated in many exhibitions within and outside the country.

Apart from his studio engagements, he was a visiting ceramics instructor at the Creative Art Department of the University of Lagos. He has many awards to his credit including the Society of Nigerian Artists’ Distinguished artist Award. Nathalie holds a degree in ceramics and taught art for some years in Cameroon where she introduced material technology to her students.

Upon going into professional practice, she handled some major projects in her country which include the mosaic design at the altar of the Yoko church and co-renovation of the central post office both in Yaoundé among other commissions. For her competence and talent, Djakou is a recipient of many awards including first prize, African Creativity in the international exhibition of Handicrafts of Ougadougou in Burkina Faso (SIAO) and the excellence Diploma from Ministry of craft Yaoundé.

She has participated in several group exhibitions. Nathalie is currently living and working in Porthacourt, Nigeria. In Africa, ceramics and pottery in its traditional sense is receiving less visibility and patronage in contemporary exhibitions.

Perhaps, because, ceramics is known mainly for its functional part, on one hand, the influx of cheaper ceramic products from china and on the other hand, the proliferation of materials such as metal, plastics, melamine which has reduced demand for local products. This is the perspective Arinze and Nathalie have taken to correct by creating works of ceramics that defy traditional notions in order to bring it to the fore of contemporary art practice from the periphery.

Arinze’s sojourn in Oko community near Igbo-Ukwu, the town where some ancient bronze pots tradition where excavated, inspired him to appreciate the beauty of pots which he has been using to frame his concepts to make metaphorical statements.

“I see art as an esoteric activity, for the chosen few, for the good of others. I use my art to enrich the minds of others, to remind us of the great need for us to be awake to record events for historical purposes,” Arinze said. Arinze’s hybrid forms conveys meanings and identities.

They relay the identity of pots as container of liquid, grains or cremains, they speak about the human forms which he sometimes combines with the forms of a tree. Atos’s pots carry messages on their surfaces too.

Common forms on his pots are relief modeling of far reaching roots on pots surfaces, rhythmic trunks merging with pots which become formal canvas for the messages that the artist seeks to project. In “I love Syria” the pot is transformed into oceanic waves with the lifeless body of a little boy at the centre of the waves.

Waves, tree-trunks, human forms, roots, branches exude sexuality, conjugal love, fertility as well as speak of current news and happenings around the world. For Nathalie, she transforms traditional images into forms that evoke modernity in their renderings. Her inspiration comes from life situations especially happenings around her immediate environment.

“The power behind my work is my insistence on working my clay to its limit of expressive quality, I want my clients to ask if it is clay or something else,” she explains. Beyond Functions holds at Moorehouse Hotel, Ikoyi, Lagos. The exhibition opens today Saturday November 12, 2016 and runs till November 19.

World Cup 2018: South Africa stun Senegal as Uganda beat Congo Brazzaville

South Africa defeated Senegal and Uganda beat Congo Brazzaville as qualifying continued across Africa for the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
South Africa stunned Senegal with a 2-1 victory in Polokwane to go to the top of Group D.
It was Senegal’s first competitive defeat since their loss to Algeria during the group phase of the Africa Cup of Nations in 2015.
Uganda beat Congo Brazzaville 1-0 in Kampala to move top of Group E.
South Africa coach Ephraim ‘Shakes’ Mashaba knew that anything less than a win against Group D pacesetters Senegal would increase the pressure on him, after Bafana Bafana failed to qualify for the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations in Gabon.
The hosts took the lead in the 43rd minute after a contentious penalty was awarded for handball.
Thulani Hlatshwayo confidently shot past Abdoulaye Diallo to successfully convert the spot-kick and put South Africa 1-0 up.
Just minutes later, Bafana Bafana doubled their lead on the stroke of half-time thanks to an impressive individual goal from Thulani Serero to leave Senegal facing an uphill task.
Senegal grabbed a consolation goal 15 minutes from time through Cheikh Ndoye, but they could not find a path through a stubborn South African defence, to taste a competitive defeat for the first time in almost two years.
In Kampala, Uganda’s recent resurgence continued as they picked up three more points in Group E with a 1-0 win over Congo Brazzaville.
A goal from 18-year-old forward Farouk Miya in the 18th minute was enough to give the Cranes a vital victory which takes them to the top of the group on four points.
Miya, who plays for Standard Liege in Belgium, controlled the ball effortlessly to shoot past Congolese goalkeeper Mongondza Ngobo, and add another goal to his growing international tally.
Uganda had a wealth of chances for both Miya and captain Geofrey Massa, but the hosts failed to make the most of their opportunities in front of goal.
They were almost made to pay late on in the match when their Congolese opponents had a clear shot on goal, only for the Ugandan defence to clear it off the line.
Veteran Cranes midfielder Tony Mawejje was visibly upset when stretchered off with an injury midway through the second half, an incident that clouded an otherwise impressive afternoon for the hosts.
On Friday, the second round of group games got underway in Algeria where the Group A match between Libya and Tunisiatook place on security grounds.
A penalty from Sunderland’s Wahbi Khazri was enough to give Tunisia a 1-0 victory and take them to the top of Group A with two wins out of two.
Libya are bottom of the group after two consecutive defeats.
The other Group A game pits Guineaagainst the Democratic Republic of Congo – one of two African 2018 World Cup qualifiers on Sunday. The other Sunday fixture is between Egypt and Ghana in group E.
Only the five group winners will qualify for Russia 2018.

Health benefits from watermelon

Watermelon is an extremely popular fruit. While we all enjoy eating this sweet refreshing fruit, we usually discard the tiny seeds scattered in it without realising or rather knowing of their health benefits. These seeds are loaded with nutrients including fatty acids, essential proteins and lots of minerals. These seeds are rich in vitamin B like thiamine, niacin, folate and minerals like magnesium, potassium, manganese, iron, zinc, phosphorus and copper. Besides, they are a great source of calories with 100 grammes of watermelon seeds providing around 600 grammes of calories.
Watermelon seeds, also called as ‘tarbooj ke beej‘ in Hindi are used in Asian and Middle Eastern cuisines.  Roasted watermelon seeds are served as a snack or used to garnish salads. In Nigeria, they are used in certain soups. Watermelon seed oil is extracted from these seeds which are beneficial for your hair and skin. To say the least, watermelon seeds are edible and can be a healthy option.
As stated earlier, watermelon seeds are a rich source of nutrients and minerals and therefore, should not be discarded. These seeds have a hard outer covering so they should be chewed before swallowing to get their nutritional content. Some of the health benefits of watermelon seeds are given below.
Your body requires amino acids but there are some essential amino acids such as arginine and lysine which the body cannot produce on its own and these have to be provided from food sources. Watermelon seeds contain some of these essential amino acids such as tryptophan and glutamic acids. Lysine helps in calcium absorption to facilitate the formation of collagen and connective tissues in the body whereas arginine improves the body’s metabolism, cardiovascular system and sexual health. Watermelon seeds are good sources of magnesium with 100 grammes of seeds providing 139 percent of the recommended daily requirement. Magnesium is vital for normal heart functioning, maintenance of normal blood pressure, supporting metabolic process and protein synthesis. It is also beneficial in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases and hypertension besides controlling blood pressure and diabetes. Watermelon seeds contain lycopene which is good for your face and also helps in improving male fertility. These seeds are excellent sources of multivitamin B and can replace some of the supplements. Vitamin B present in watermelon seeds comprises of niacin, folate, thiamine, riboflavin, vitamin B6 and pantothenic acid. B vitamins are vital for maintaining healthy blood, nervous system and effective immune response. These seeds can be used for treating diabetes. Boil a handful of watermelon seeds in 1 litre water for 45 minutes, keeping the pot covered. This concoction should be taken every day like tea. Watermelon seeds are effective in recovering health after illness and sharpening your memory. Almost half of the watermelon seed contains oil which comprises of 20 percent saturated fat and the rest monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fat including omega-6 fatty acids. One cup of dried watermelon seeds contains around 50 grammes of fat which constitutes about 80 percent of the daily recommended value. Thus, watermelon seeds are an important source of calories and energy.

Relief for Muslims world wide as Trump changes his mind

​– Donald Trump’s team has deleted the statement on his website to ban Muslims from entering the US – It is not the first time the Trump aides have scrubbed unwated pages from his websites

In December this year the Republican demanded a “total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States until our country’s representatives can figure out what the hell is going on.” Although later Mr Trump and his allies specified that the ban would focus on countries with a proven history of terrorism and not on discrimination against religion, the call was widely condemned. 

Videos and speeches defending the ban remained on the Trump campaign website until Wednesday, November 9. The day after America chose Donald Trump their president there were found no mention of his contoversial statement regarding a ban. The page now redirects to his page encouraging voters to donate to his campaign. The Trump team are known for editing information and scrubbing  pages from its websites.

Thumps allegedly removed treat of deporting all Nigerians from USA

The media team of US president-elect Donald Trump’s team has reportedly removed the statement on his website to deport Nigerians from the country if he becomes president. This comes even as his team also deleted the statement on his website to ban Muslims from entering the US. Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Whatsapp It was gathered that the page now redirects to another page encouraging voters to donate to his campaign, New Telegraph reports. Trump and his allies had consistently defended the ban, insisting the measure was about Americans’ “safety” and not about discriminating against religion. The said post was made on December 7, 2015 on his website.