James Bond actor, Roger Moore, dies at 89

The family of Roger Moore, a British actor best known for playing James Bond, has announced the passing of the 89-year-old star.

MTN Group could be acquiring MultiChoice Africa soon

MultiChoice Africa is reportedly in talks with the MTN Group over its possible acquisition.

With a presence in 49 African countries, MultiChoice is the company behind popular video entertainment and internet brands like DStv, GOtv, Africa Magic and MWEB, South Africa’s second largest internet provider.

It is not immediately clear why MTN would be interested in acquiring MultiChoice, given that the former has almost 50 times the subscriber base of the later. MultiChoice has a meagre subscriber base of only about five million while MTN has over 230 million subscribers (35% of which originate from Nigeria). However, MTN’s reach extends to only 20 African countries so this might present an opportunity to spread its tentacles quickly.

Beyond the potential wider reach for MTN however, there is also the more obvious content play opportunity. Just a few weeks earlier, Multi-Choice was reportedly working out a possible partnership with MTN towards providing content for smartphones. This is a more likely motivation for MTN to consider acquiring the company.

On the other hand, Naspers (the parent group behind Multi-Choice Africa) also has a strong motivation to sell — the opportunity to offload struggling content play operations in Africa, leaving room to refocus efforts on its more rewarding venture of investing in internet companies like Konga and OLX.

For now, all of this is still speculation. According to MyBroadband South Africa, which first broke news of the proposed acquisition, “MultiChoice and Naspers sidestepped the question on the potential sale, and instead confirmed it is in discussions regarding a content supply agreement with MTN”.

HISTORY OF OWERRI IN IMO STATE NIGERIA AND ITS ORIGIN

Owerri was founded about the 14th century by father Ekwem Oha.His mother's name was Arugo.
He fled from Umuori Village, Uratta in Owerri North Local Government Area of Imo State when his life was threatened by his younger brother Ndum. The threat to his life arose from the dispute over the sharing of the Funeral Cow slaughtered when their father Oha the aristocrat and embodiment of royalty died. The first son (Opara in Igbo) Ekwem was to provide the funeral cow as demanded by custom. He did not have the means to do so. He appealed to his younger brother Ndum popularly known as Ndumoha to buy the cow, which he did. Ndum asked for the head, heart and other parts of the cow that go to the first son in keeping with custom. His reason being that he Ndum, bought the funeral cow. Ekwem turned down his request and a quarrel ensued. The elders (Oha Uratta) were invited to settle the dispute. They did so by allowing tradition to prevail. Ekwem was'entitled to the aforementioned parts of the cow being the first son. Ndum did not take kindly to this and so planned to kill Ekwem in order to have his way. The plot leaked and Ekwem fled with his family at the dead of the night to Egbu a neighboring town (Community) taking with them some stores and domestic assistants. History has it that his sister was married at Egbu. His sister fearing that Ndum may look for him asked him to continue his journey to an unknown and uninhabited land for safety and settle there permanently. They set out during the night with the aid of owa (native torch) and arrived at a hill top now known as Ugwu Ekwema and settled there. They heaved a sigh of relief saying OWERELA IHE MARAYA AKA meaning HE HAS TAKEN WHAT IS HIS RIGHT or what rightly belonged to him. He sounded the drum (as he was told by his sister) to indicate his location. His sister was happy to locate him and his family the following morning. She returned to Egbu thereafter.
The morning broke and they took their first meal roast old yam together in a typical communion fashion (not served) with thanks to Almighty and merciful Father our Lord God for their safety, the thick forest in the area being infested with dangerous animals such as lions, tigers and snakes like pythons, vipers and cobras.

THE NAME OWERRI (OWERE)

The advent of the British saw the anglicizing of Owere to Owerri but pronounced as though it was spelt Owere. All the neighboring towns (communities) of Owerri were founded and existed on planet earth centuries or decades before Owerri came into existence. It is a God given land (DESTINY LAND being the slogan for Owerri Municipal) and has remained protected with all the people therein by the same God Almighty.
The British found them very clean people. Recall the presence of Nwaorie and Otamiri rivers flanking Owerri on the West and South respectively. Owerri people were caring, friendly and accommodating hence the choice of Owerri by the British Colonial Government as first, Divisional Headquarters; later Provincial Headquarters and today a state capital of Municipal status. It is sad to note what the so-called modern technology in culvert had done to both Nwaorie and Otamiri rivers at the creation of Imo state in 1976 when Owerri became the state capital. The fine bridges that flew across the rivers that once flowed with beauty were pulled down to give way to the culverts which were perhaps unprofessionally constructed. The rivers are now almost stagnant and would require millions of Naira to dredge. The influence of the two rivers on the culture of Owerri people is now historical.

THE FESTIVAL OR FEAST OF OWERRI INDGENES - ORU OWERE

Oru Owere the annual festival or feast of Owerri indigenes cannot be written without reference to the founding of Owerri. It has been mentioned earlier that the first meal of the founding father of Owere and his family was roasted old yam, which they ate with oil bean salad at Ugwu Ekwema (Ekwema's hill) Our ancestral home.
After breakfast on arriving and settling at Ugwu Ekwema, there was the need for water for obvious reasons. They knew that the source of Otamiri was at Egbu but were ignorant of the course of the river owing to forest(ie thick rain forest of the area. The communities or towns through which Otamiri flowed, were also known. It is common knowledge that peculiar sounds or noises are characteristic of running water from streams and rivers. That was Ekwem's experience that morning. He ordered his men to use the direction of the sounds/noise to see if any could be sighted. They obeyed his wish and by surprise stumbled on Otamiri river, close to where Emmanuel College Owerri now stands. They ran back in excitement to Ugwu Ekwema and broke the news of the presence of what they described as OGBU AMUMA - a pleasant early morning sunrise experience of flashing rays of the sun on the waters of Otamiri river reminiscent:of the historical account of the sighting of River Niger by the Scottish Explorer Mungo Park- GLITTERING IN THE MORNING SUN. OTAMIRI RIVER SIGHTED: Ekwem immediately commissioned his men to clear the route to the river -IKPU UZO. The route cleared after which he feasted them with corn porridge.

TWO REMARKEABLE EVENTS AND THEIR IMPACT ON OWERRI (OWERE) CULTURE

The roasting of old yams the first meal and the! corn meal entertainment developed into a cultural festival or feast ORU OWERE with which indigenes commemorate the founding of Owerri. These events tell the story of the founding of Owerri and the time or period of the year Owerri was founded viz the old yam and corn meal, which are commonly consumed at that time of the year, the rainy season. Worthy of note is the fact that the yam is old not new yam, as new yam had not yet been harvested. Therefore Oru Owere is not new yam festival.
ORU OWERE (ORU EZE)
Oru Owere is Oru Eze (the Eze's festival). The festival is marked by a period of the observance of peace, love, friendliness and togetherness, devoid of bitterness, quarrels, antagonism and physical confrontation, no weeping when death occurs during the period, no firing of cannon and a time to make up quarrels without third party intervention as stipulated by custom. However Oha Owere is the traditional institution responsible for its conduct and yearly observance. They determine the commencement of the period by a system handed down by our ancestors. The duration of the period is equally guided) by the same system. All the key events namely the beginning of the period, the roasting of the old yam, the corn porridge entertainment (MKPU KPU UZO) and the day marking the end of the period are Orie market days. The period begins in the month of June and lasts till mid August. Between the roasting of old yam (Oru Owere Proper) and the corn porridge meal is the GRAND FINALE characterized by a colourful procession of age grade formations in Owerri community through given routes in the Old City. The Civic procession assembles at Ugwu Ekwema Civic Center (the civic center of Owerri Community) from where it takes off and terminates at the end of the procession where invited guests are received and made to have a feel of Oru Owere with traditional dances displays and entertainment. The first item of entertainment after the breaking of kolanuts by Eze Ojwere is roast old yam. Ugwu Ekwema is our ancestral home which significance informed our choice of locating the Community Civic Center. Perhaps the reader may wish to know when Owerri indigenes are free to eat the New Yam. The eating of the new yam by Owerri indigenes begin the day immediately after MKPU KPU OZU which is the day that marks the beginning of the new calendar year in Igbo culture. Accordingly, it is pertinent to note that Owerri people; the indigenes of the capital of Imo state do not celebrate the New Yam.
When increase in population began, there was the need to expand to other fronts. The sons of Ekwem and their families moved away from the ancestral home at Ugwu Ekwema, to different directions within the confines of the two rivers close to each other with their families leading to the growth and development of the villages of Owerri which derived their names from the sons of Ekwem. The grave of Ekwem stands prominently on the grounds of Ugwu Ekwem Civic Center. Ikenegbu was the first son followed by Onyeche, Odu and their sister Oyima hence the villages namely;
Umuororonjo
Amawom Children of Ikenegbu Umuonyeche
Umuodu
Umuoyima
The villages were named after the sons and daughter of the founder. Information has it that about eight to ten villages emerged. Some were sacked and others migrated away to places far and near in Igbo Land, East and west of the Niger with Owerri featuring in the name of their new home towns as Owere in Diaspora. In recent times some persons who are not indigenes of Owerri, the state capital and who have never written or published for public consumption any historical account of the founding or origin of their home town or communities have become Owereologists who give unprecedented calculated false and hopelessly distorted account of the origin of Owerri as though Owerri town or community which was in existence centuries before the British expedition in 1901 had no known origin. Her indigenes are not by accident of birth but divine providence. Owerri is not a geographical expression. It has a local setting given by the indigenes. It is not a coming together or movement of people from different places coming together to settle in a place or a place mixed with occupiers and intruders or invaders. It is founded through one person and his family. Prior to the early eighties of the last century, Owerri people the indigenes of capital of Imo state did not inter-marry for the reason of one blood.
Owerri people are peace loving, very friendly, do not discriminate against any ethnic or tribal group and treat you in a way more affectionate than they do to their brothers and sisters. They are not criminal or violent by nature. Those who come to Owerri to work or find a source of livelihood come to stay and not to return from whence they came for her peace and security.
KNOWING MORE ABOUT OWERRI
If you are in Imo State without knowing something about Owerri, the State Capital, your knowledge of the State is hopelessly incomplete.
The facts to note. Owerrl i.e. Owerrl Municipal the capital of Imo State
A. The advent of the British - 1901
B. The Monarchy - the last quarter of the 17th century about 1670-1680.
The Title of the Eze of Owerrl - OZURUIGBO (The King whose authority spans a large area of Igboland).
The first king that is, the Eze-Eze Eke Onunwa
1. Eze Eke Onunwa
1690 - 1735
2. Eze Okorie Onunwa
1735 - 1788
3. Eze Iheancho Okorie Onunwa
1788 - 1845
4. Eze Njemanze Iheanacho Okorie Onunwa Ozurigbo the First
1845 - 1920
5. Eze Ihemeje Njemanze
1921 - 1931
6. Eze Onwuegbuchulam Njemanze
1931 - 1941
7. Eze Johnson Osuji Njemanze Ozuruigbo the 2nd
1941 - 1965
8. Eze Reverend Samuel Njemanze
1966 - 1970
9. Eze Reginald Anugwolu Njemanze Ozuruigbo the 3rd
1970 - 1976
10. Eze Alexuis Anumaku Njemanze Ozuruigbo the 4th 1976 - 1988
11. Eze Emmanuel Emenyonu Njemanze Ozuruigbo the 5th is now on the throne as Ozuruigbo the 5th by title, the 8th Njemanze on the throne and 11th king of Owerrl, was crowned on the 11th of November 1989 (11/11/89) About 1840-1850, the kindred's of Eke Onunwa and Okorie Onunwa agreed to leave the crown permanently with the Njemanze family and became the kingmakers of Owerrl who decide the Njemanze that wears the crown. The oldest man from the lineage of Akalonu Okorie kindred crowns the Eze of Owerri.
C. The British Occupation: The peace with friendliness of Owerrl people was encouraging. The British settled and built;
a. Military Hospital later named African Hospital which thereafter was renamed General Hospital and today is the Federal Medical ; Centre Owerri. The Owerri General Hospital is relocated to New Owerrl in Owerri Municipal.
b. Government School in 1906 and added the secondary wing now Government Secondary School Owerrl in 1935 and moved the Primary School to Wetheral Road Owerrl as Owerri Township School in 1952.
Owerri not only Divisional Headquarters but became the provincial headquarters of the Old Owerrl Province was what is now Imo, Abia plus Afikpo up to Diobu in the Rivers State. The need to have a seaport informed the building of Port Harcourt from Owerri; the Provincial headquarters. When Port Harcourt was finally built, Delta province was carved out of Owerri Province with Port Harcourt as its headquarters. Note that Port Harcourt was built from Owerri as Port Harcourt never existed before the advent of the British. Physical Features:- Owerri is a land approached as you descend hills. There are two rivers:- Nworie on the West flank while Otamiri Is on the Southern flank. The two rivers influenced the culture of the people. Owerri people do not fish in Nworie River but do so in Otamiri River, they do not eat fish from Nworie River. The source of Nworie river had a deposit of Emerald a precious solid mineral but not in commercial quantity. There is also Lake Nwebere at Imo State University, Owerri.
Owerri people were subsistence farmers but have since abandoned farming when it became a State capital in 1976 and the arable lands acquired by government for other development projects.
Owerri is a well planned city and is listed by the Federal government as one of the planned cities in Nigeria. It was planned by Mr. Tetlow being the headquarters of Owerri province and later by a Swiss Consortium - Finger Hooth and Partners who designed New Owerri an idea conceived by the first military Governor the then Commander Ndubuisi Kanu now Rear Admiral Rtd. which is indeed an extension of Owerri Urban.
Education:- Embraced education abinitio with schools such as the Government School, Government Secondary School Owerri and schools both primary and secondary built by the missionaries - Anglican, Catholic, Methodist, Baptist etc. and later the Alvan Ikoku College of Education Owerri the Federal government Girls' College Owerri; many private and other missionary secondary schools. Today there is Imo State University Owerri and the Federal Polytechnic and the Federal University of Technology Owerri in Owerri West Local Government Area.
All the missionaries have cathedrals e.g the Anglican, Catholic and Methodist and the Pentecostals while the Moslems have a Central Mosque, and the Cherubim and Seraphim all in Owerri.
The Monarchy Revisited: All Traditional Institutions in Owerri are hereditary and do not rotate. There are no ruling houses. The institution stands in one family. The hereditary system is not necessarily father to son but to a fit and proper son of the royal family.
The Njemanze / Owerri dynasty is a first class institution and has been involved in Nation Building and took part in the 1958 Constitutional Conference that ushered independence to Nigeria where Ozuruigbo of Owerri HRH Eze Johnson Osuji Njemanze represented the Old Owerri province of the former Eastern Nigeria as part of the delegation led by late Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe as did the North and the West led by the late Ahmadu Bello and late Chief Obafemi Awolowo respectively.
Eze Njemanze Ihenacho of Owerri was the Vice chairman of the Council of the Traditional Rulers of the former Oil River Protectorate with Calabar as its headquarters. The Obong of Calabar was the Chairman of the Council Diplomatic Ties: Owerri monarchy had diplomatic ties with Arochukwu, Nkwere and the Benin Kingdom.
Oil Prospecting in Nigeria: This began in Owerri before the second world war. The Second World War broke out and it was suspended. The war ended and shell D'arcy returned to Owerri in the forties of the last century to continue the oil prospecting hence the shell camp in Owerri. Shell was in Owerri up to the early sixties before moving to Port Harcourt when their level of technology could not strike oil in Iho in Ikeduru L.G.A of Imo state a few Kilometers away from Owerri. However, today there is a Chevron Rig in Owerri but not yet commissioned.
Culture: As subsistence farmers; had implements for farming, practiced crop rotation, built barns for the storage of yams, built native wooden bridges (Igbo) across the rivers to link their farm land across the rivers Nworie and Otamiri, had their cultural dances, songs, moonlight songs, musical instruments, the wooden xylophone, opi or oja and odu as wind instruments, drums and percussions made of wood and animal skin, clay pot instruments etc. marriage rites, birth ceremonies and funeral ceremonies. Punishment for crimes depending on the scene of the act.
Mbari Culture had its root in Owerri: It is now a thing of the past as religion had engrossed the arts and crafts etc.
Generally; religion/Christianity in the main dominated the culture of owerri people.

Corruption: A Lagos house is worth more than Obama’s earnings in 15 years

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The Bush Sisters Wrote the Obama Girls A Letter

Malia and Sasha, eight years ago on a cold November day, we greeted you on the steps of the White House. We saw both the light and wariness in your eyes as you gazed at your new home. We left our jobs in Baltimore and New York early and traveled to Washington to show you around. To show you the Lincoln Bedroom, and the bedrooms that were once ours, to introduce you to all the people—the florists, the grounds-keepers and the butlers—who dedicate themselves to making this historic house a home. The four of us wandered the majestic halls of the house you had no choice but to move in to. When you slid down the banister of the solarium, just as we had done as 8-year-olds and again as 20-year-olds chasing our youth, your joy and laughter were contagious.

In eight years, you have done so much. Seen so much. You stood at the gates of the Robben Island cell where South Africa’s Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for decades, your arms around your father. You traveled to Liberia and Morocco with your mom to talk with girls about the importance of education—girls who saw themselves in you, saw themselves in your parents, saw who they could become if they continued to study and learn. You attended state dinners, hiked in national parks, met international leaders and managed to laugh at your dad’s jokes during the annual Thanksgiving turkey pardon, all while being kids, attending school and making friends. We have watched you grow from girls to impressive young women with grace and ease.

And through it all you had each other. Just like we did.

Now you are about to join another rarified club, one of former First Children—a position you didn’t seek and one with no guidelines. But you have so much to look forward to. You will be writing the story of your lives, beyond the shadow of your famous parents, yet you will always carry with you the experiences of the past eight years.

Never forget the wonderful people who work at the White House. Our greeter as 7-year-olds at our grandfather’s Inauguration was Nancy, the White House florist, who ushered us in from the cold. She helped us make colorful bouquets of winter flowers for our grandparents’ bedside. Twenty years later, Nancy did the flowers for Jenna’s wedding. Cherish your own Nancy. We stay in touch with our Secret Service. They were part of growing up for us: there for first dates, first days and even an engagement and a honeymoon. We know it wasn’t always easy—the two of you and the two of us were teenagers trailed by men in backpacks—but they put their lives on hold for us.

Enjoy college. As most of the world knows, we did. And you won’t have the weight of the world on your young shoulders anymore. Explore your passions. Learn who you are. Make mistakes—you are allowed to. Continue to surround yourself with loyal friends who know you, adore you and will fiercely protect you. Those who judge you don’t love you, and their voices shouldn’t hold weight. Rather, it’s your own hearts that matter.

Take all that you have seen, the people you have met, the lessons you have learned, and let that help guide you in making positive change. We have no doubt you will. Traveling with our parents taught us more than any class could. It opened our eyes to new people as well as new cultures and ideas. We met factory workers in Michigan, teachers in California, doctors healing people on the Burmese border, kids who lined the dusty streets of Kampala to see the American President, and kids with HIV waiting to get the antiretroviral drugs that would save their lives. One tiny girl wearing her finest lavender dress looked young, which she was not. She was little because she was sick. Her mom admitted that she might not live to see these drugs work, but her brothers and sisters would. After meeting this girl, Barbara went back to school and changed her major, and her life’s path.

You have lived through the unbelievable pressure of the White House. You have listened to harsh criticism of your parents by people who had never even met them. You stood by as your precious parents were reduced to headlines. Your parents, who put you first and who not only showed you but gave you the world. As always, they will be rooting for you as you begin your next chapter. And so will we.

Inside The ‘Modest’ $4.3 Million Home American Obama Will Move To After He Leaves Office

The ‘Modest’ $4.3 Million home Obama will move to – President Obama and first lady Michelle Obama have leased a spectacular 8,200 square-foot home in one of DC’s most elegant neighborhoods as their first post-White House dwelling. The $4.3 million home features plenty of room for the Obamas to stretch out – with separate dressing rooms and his and her bathrooms, entertaining space, and a tranquil garden.
The home was built in 1928 and features nine bedrooms and eight and a half baths, according to Politico, which first reported the address. The Obama’s area leasing the house from Joe Lockhart, who served as press secretary to Bill Clinton.

The home in Kalorama puts the Obamas in one of the capital’s most upscale neighborhoods

The house is decorated in muted pastel shades and the living room looks out onto the garden

The fireplace is the centerpiece of the living room and can be used in winter

One of the reception areas opens on to the gardens, which feature a manicured lawn, it’s unclear if it’s a rose garden

The bright living room occupies much of the ground floor and has a classic yet more modern feel to the apartments at the White House

The house boasts a large reception area, ideal for Barack and Michelle to do a spot of entertaining post presidency

stairs

Both the Obamas are known for keeping fit and are likely to take advantage of the exercise room on the upper floor

Ready for guests: One of the nine bedrooms, which has its own bathroom to the left

Sasha and Malia are unlikely to need a playroom, so the Obamas are unlikely to keep the configuration of this room, set up for young children

One room is currently configured as a home office. Both Barack and Michelle will likely want one each

One of the rooms is likely to be used by Obama to write the memoirs he is expected to start when he leaves office

Bathroom

There are eight bathrooms in the property with the latest mod cons with virtually all the rooms ensuite

One of the bedrooms is currently set up for younger visitors, perhaps friends of their daughters Sasha and Malia

One of the bedrooms, which is currently in use for younger children

The master suite features a dressing area with extensive closet space, which could be handy for Michelle’s fashion sense

Mrs Obama will have her own bathroom, which is decorated with images of the first president and his wife

This will be the Obamas’ post-presidential bedroom. It also has a sitting area and two bathrooms

A butler’s pantry is off the living room to allow for guests to be catered for

As well as the public kitchen for entertaining, there is a second kitchen with its own fridge, stove and oven, as well as a washer and dryer

The stove boasts two ovens and six burners, making entertaining simple

The gourmet kitchen has a large island for a breakfast bar – but perhaps not room for White House kitchen staff

The Lockharts have a young daughter and had left some of her toys out while the property was being photographed

A dining room with wood flooring can serve as an entertainment space, or a place for ‘kitchen table’ discussions about the family budget

The living room includes a more intimate look, ideal for political chit chats.

22-year Gambian president loses election, ‘concedes’ like Nigerian Jonathan

President Yahya Jammeh of Gambia has lost the 2016 presidential election to Adama Barrow, candidate of the opposition party.

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Nigerian genius amazes the world by breaking record in Japan

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Nigerian surgeon removes baby from mother's womb, operates on her tumor & returns her back

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Why Iceland is the best place in the world to be a woman

Since 1975, the Nordic country has blazed the trail in gender equality and now, from infancy to maternity, women and girls enjoy a progressive lifestyle. But how did they achieve it.

Rebekka is so tiny that, even on her tiptoes, arms aloft, she cannot reach. So her teacher lifts her up to the unvarnished wooden monkey bar. “One, two, three,” her classmates count. She hangs on, determinedly. When she reaches 10, she jumps to the ground. “I am strong,” she shouts proudly.

It’s an ordinary morning for this single-sex class of three-year-olds at Laufásborg nursery school in Reykjavik. No dolls or cup-cake decorating on the lesson plan here. Instead, as Margrét Pála Ólafsdóttir, the school’s founder, tells me: “We are training [our girls] to use their voice. We are training them in physical strength. We are training them in courage.”

It’s a fascinating approach to education. And a popular one. In a country of only 330,000 people, there are 19 such primary and nursery schools, empowering girls from an early age.

For the past six years, Iceland has topped the World Economic Forum’s gender gap index and looks likely to do so again this week. The Economist recently named Iceland the world’s best place for working women – in comparison, the UK came in at No. 24. Ólafsdóttir’s philosophy seems to sit well with the nation’s progressive accomplishments, but her network of schools has been going for less than 20 years. So, if preschoolers trained in feminism aren’t the reason for this gender success story, what is?

History may provide us with clues. For centuries, this seafaring nation’s women stayed at home as their husbands traversed the oceans. Without men at home, women played the roles of farmer, hunter, architect, builder. They managed household finances and were crucial to the country’s ability to prosper.
Facebook Twitter Pinterest The Daughters of Reykjavik are a feminist rap collective who rap about gender issues. Photograph: ITV News

By 1975, Icelandic women were fed up. It wasn’t just that they weren’t being properly paid for their labour, they also were sick of their lack of political representation: only nine women had ever won seats in parliament. So, against the backdrop of the global feminist movement, Iceland’s women decided to take things into their own hands.
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An outpouring of women on to the streets was, by then, a well-trodden form of activism. In 1970, tens of thousands of women had protested on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan. In the UK, that same year, 20,000 women marched in Leeds against discriminatory wages. But what made Iceland’s day of protest on 24 October 1975so effective was the number of women who participated. It was not just the impact of 25,000 women – which, at the time, was a fifth of the female population – that gathered on the streets of Reykjavik, but the 90% of Iceland’s female population who went on all-out professional and domestic strike. Teachers, nurses, office workers, housewives put down tools and didn’t go to work, provide childcare or even cook in their kitchens. All to prove how indispensable they were.

Thordis Loa Thorhallsdottir, CEO of a tourism company, was on the streets that day: “I was 10 at the time, and I remember it very clearly, standing there with my mother, fighting. I can still feel the crowd and the power that was there. The big message was that if women don’t work, the whole community is paralysed – the whole society.”

Grassroots activism at such a scale unsurprisingly had a significant material impact. Within five years, the country had the world’s first democratically elected female president – Vigdis Finnbogadottir. Now in her 80s, this steely-eyed powerhouse tells me of the impact that day of protest had on her own career trajectory.

“I would never have been elected in 1980 if it hadn’t been for the women’s day of action … because when my predecessor announced that he was not going to stand again, the voices were immediately heard: now we have to have a woman among the candidates.”
‘Iceland is a good place to be a woman.’ Photograph: Loftur Ásgeirsson/Reykjavik City Museum

Other landmarks soon followed. An all-female political party – the Women’s Alliance – was established. More women were elected to parliament; by 1999, more than a third of MPs were women.

And then, in 2000, parental leave legislation came into effect: whichevery person I spoke to highlighted this moment as key to Iceland’s march to the top of the gender-equality table. Today, every parent receives three months’ paid leave that is non-transferable. Parents then have an additional three months to share as they like.

Because the pay is significant – 80% of salary up to a ceiling of £2,300 a month – and because it’s on a use-it-or-lose-it basis, 90% of Icelandic fathers take up their paternal leave. This piece of social engineering has had a profound impact on men as well as women. Not only do women return to work after giving birth faster than before, they return to their pre-childbirth working hours faster, too. Research shows that, after taking the three months’ leave, fathers continue to be significantly more involved in childcare and do more housework. Sharing the parental responsibilities and chores from the beginning, it seems, makes a difference.

“It’s a good place to be a woman,” says Thorhallsdottir. And it is. Almost 80% of Icelandic women work. Thanks to mandatory quotas, almost half of board members of listed companies are now women, while 65% of Iceland’s university students and 41% of MPs are female.

Yet, women I met on my journey were also clear that the country has a long way to go. They still have less economic power than men – only 22% of managers are women; only 30% of experts on TV are women and, overall, men earn 14% more. Iceland’s record on all of these fronts is better than most countries; in the UK, women’s hourly pay is 18% less than men.

It is the gender pay gap that puzzles me the most. How can it be that it is still so significant given the huge efforts the state has put into mitigating the “mummy penalty”? Not only when it comes to parental leave, but with heavily subsidised nursery schools and after-school care?

Explanations vary: from women going into less well-paid professions, to the penalty paid for working part-time that we’ve found in the UK as well, to the time it takes for employers’ implicit gender biases to shift.

Iceland: the world's most feminist country

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Steiney Skuladottir, one of Reykjavíkurdætur (or the Daughters of Reykjavik) – a feminist rap collective who rap about gender issues – puts the blame in part on women’s reluctance to ask for sufficient pay compensation. Fellow rapper Bloer Johanusdottir concurs. “It’s like we can’t be cocky. We are supposed to be modest.”

Back at the school, Ólafsdóttir has this to say: “If you are learning from a young age that you are not getting your rightful share, if you are taught and trained in waiting, what do you expect?”

The Icelandic government has pledged to close the gender pay gap by 2022. And the women of the country continue to be highly organised and socially aware; an astonishing one- third of Iceland’s women are members of a Facebook group – ironically named Beauty Tips – in which they actively discuss gender issues.

History teaches us that progress doesn’t come about in a vacuum and that grassroots pressure plus investment in politics is a very powerful catalyst for change. In Iceland, it seems that they have both. In spades.

Black Doctor Says Delta Air Lines Staff Didn't Believe She Is A Doctor.

When a man fainted for the second time mid-flight flight attendants asked if there was a doctor on-board.

Nigeria confirms release of 21 girls kidnapped in Chibok by Boko Haram.

Boko Haram Islamist have released 21 of more than 200 girls kidnapped by Boko Haram Islamists in 2014 in the northern town of Chibok, the Nigerian government said on Thursday.

Outcome of negotiations between the administration and the Boko Haram brokered by the International Red Cross and the Swiss government," a presidency statement said. "The negotiations will continue."
Around 270 girls were taken from their school in Chibok in April 2014. Dozens escaped in the initial melee, but more than 200 are still missing.
The kidnapping triggered worldwide outrage promoted by a Twitter hashtag #bringbackourgirls.
The presidency gave no details on the deal, saying only that the 21 girls were very tired and would first rest in the custody of the national security agency.
Afterwards the girls would be handed over to Vice President Yemi Obinsajo, the statement said. President Muhammadu Buhari will travel to Germany on Thursday.
Authorities said in May that one of the missing girls had been found and President Muhammadu Buhari vowed to rescue the others.
Boko Haram's seven-year insurgency to create an Islamic state in the northeast has led to the deaths of 15,000 people and displaced more than two million.
The Nigerian military has been carrying out a large-scale offensive in the Sambisa forest, Boko Haram's stronghold, in the last few days.
The jihadist group, which last year pledged loyalty to the militant group Islamic State, controlled a swathe of land around the size of Belgium at the start of 2015.
But under Nigeria's army, aided by troops from neighbouring countries, has recaptured most of the territory that had been lost. The group still stages suicide bombings in the northeast, as well as in neighbouring Niger and Cameroon.
Boko Haram published a video in August apparently showing recent footage of dozens of the girls. In the video they said some of the girls were killed in air strikes.
Boko Haram has kidnapped hundreds of men, women and children but the kidnapping of the Chibok girls brought worldwide attention to the group.
In the last few months Buhari has said his government was prepared to negotiate with Boko Haram over the release of the girls.

British Officer Tiger Hunting lead Him Found This Strange Cave, And You Won’t Believe What’s Inside!

Simply amazing. It really makes you wonder what other secrets may still be hiding out there, waiting to be discovered by adventurous souls!

In April of 1819, British officer John Smith was pursuing a tiger through the jungle outside of Mumbai when he stumbled upon a strange cave entrance hidden in the brush.

Something seemed oddly deliberate about the cave entrance and so he decided to abandon his hunt to investigate further. He soon discovered what appeared to be ornate carvings in the rock. Little did he know that was just the beginning.

In 1819, British officer John Smith was hunting a tiger in the forest outside of Mumbai when he stumbled across a strange cave.




Inside were what appeared to be man-made carvings. But that was just the beginning.



Further investigation revealed an entire system of shrines and monuments carved directly into the rock.


And 30 different caves.



Experts believe that they were constructed around 200 BCE as a retreat for Buddhist monks during the terrible monsoon season.



Each of the caves is unique, with its own intricately designed entrances and interiors.



The caves were largely abandoned by the 7th century, but remained a sacred place for locals.



Many of the carvings depict the life of Buddha and his many incarnations.




There are also a large number of paintings, many of which are remarkably well-preserved.



It’s amazing how much color and detail still remains after all those years.



One of the more popular theories surrounding the caves is that they were built to align with the solstices and other cosmological events.



Caves 19 and 26 do actually align perfectly with the winter and summer solstices, respectively.



On their designated days, the sun shines straight through holes in their roofs, illuminating the religious displays within.


Even after centuries, the interiors are still absolutely stunning.



The effort and precision required to build these elaborate structures is truly mind-boggling.



Especially considering they had to do it with comparatively limited tools.



We may never know exactly how they managed to build these incredible caves.