By Okechukwu Okugo There are a lot of misconceptions about Africa. In fact many people think that there is a country called Africa, such that all Africans come from the same place, with the same way of life. Africa is not a country, but a continent made up of many different countries. Some of the important facts about Africa: 1. Name: The name Africa has a meaning. Many people, outside Africa, have attributed many names to Africa. But it is logical that only Africans can say the true meaning of the name "Africa." The best description of the meaning of the name comes from the ancient Egyptian language "Afri-uka," which means "Motherland." This is according to Race and History website. "Afri-uka," which is an ancient Egyptian language that means motherland shows that Africans have a root and come from a land where they love being hospitable, where they love welcoming visitors, where they love displaying their cultures and their pec...

By Okechukwu Okugo Do you really long to wine, dine, lodge and lounge inside a natural tree? Most especially on one of your most important and memorable days on earth: your wedding day? Yes, it is a realizable dream. Not in a fictional movie setting or anywhere else, except in Africa. This place is called The Sunland Big Baobab Tree Bar in Modjadjiskloof, in Limpopo Province, South Africa. A place which made the front page of the Wall Street Journal, sometime ago. Yes, right here, you can have the opportunity to dine inside the largest Baobab tree in the world carbon dated to have been around for over 1700 years, on the mango farm Sunland. The inside view of the bar space, inside the world's biggest Baobab tree located in South Africa. (Note: All photo credits in this post: http://www.bigbaobab.co.za) The farm and the bar is owned by Doug and Heather Van Heerden who bought the place in 1989 and primed it to the attraction of thousands of tourists and visitors ev...

By Okechukwu Okugo In today's world, everyone is afflicted. It doesn't matter one's background, social status, educational attainment or whatsoever great accomplishment one has made in this world. Each and everyone of us; every single face you encounter in the street, in the TV, in the books, magazines etc., all can recount one or two things that can stir up a negative or bitter feelings in their hearts. People's problems are diverse: emotional, psychological, financial, spiritual; in fact there are uncountable number of traumatic experiences. A lot of people are undergoing pains as a result of various kinds of sicknesses, family problems: problems with the spouse or the children and even both. There are other numerous kinds of relationship travails. Others are in a deep financial quagmire as a result of job loss, unemployment, effects of natural disasters or even war. In the midst of all these distresses, many have committed suicide, or going the extent o...

By Okechukwu Okugo Describing corruption: 1. Corruption is like fever. Just as fever is not a sickness, but a symptom of a certain illness; corruption has a root cause. Unless it is tackled from the grass root, it may be like treating a fever without diagnosing the main sickness. 2. Corruption is like plantain. When you cut the plant down, as far as its root is still in the ground, it germinates again and again. 3. Corruption is like hydra. Though it may be seen as a single problem, it affects so many other branches. 4. Corruption is like tumor. When it starts as a single harmless spot, and it is winked at, tolerated or clapped for, it grows out of proportion, becomes malignant and may be near impossible or too hard to get rid of. Corruption is the root of all societal evil.

By Okechukwu Okugo Jehovah's Witnesses, age-long, have been known to champion the cause of bloodless surgeries, though they are not a scientific or medical group, rather because of their religious belief; today, it seems that scientists and doctors have come to agree with their conviction. Recently, Madison Mason (pictured up; photo credit: CBS News.) who was born with down syndrome and a heart condition to parents who are Jehovah's Witnesses, and had sought the "best care" with the best positive outcome, for their daughter, which would require that the risks associated with blood transfusions be eliminated completely, in performing the open heart surgery needed to solve her medical case. Their efforts and that of the medical team of Englewood Hospital led to a ground-breaking achievement for the hospital. In the history of the hospital, they have never carried out a highly successful heart surgery to a child her age, without any form of blood transfusion. ...

By Okechukwu Okugo Would you like to go to the moon or be able to see the space? Many would answer in the affirmative, but going to the space was reserved exclusively for only astronauts. One man is here, today, to change the story. British billionaire, Richard Branson owner of Virgin Galactic, a space tourism company is making it possible for civilians or all classes of people, who can afford it, to get out of our earth, feel and see what it would be like in the space, just the way astronauts do. On Friday, 19th of February, 2016, he unveiled an upgraded version of a spaceship, ready to be subjected to a series of tough tests, to make sure it's fit hovering safely customers to and fro the earth and our universal space. This jet-like commercial spacecraft named SpaceShipTwo, constructed by a team of 650 engineers, would make going to space a matter of tourism, by taking at most a crew of 2 and six passengers, "To the edge of space, more than 62 miles (100 kilomet...

SOURCE: YAHOO! NEWS Heartbreaking Photos Of Starving ‘Witch’ Boy Prompt Huge Donations Heartbreaking photos of a starving boy in Nigeria have garnered over a £100,000 in donations and highlighted the issue of superstition across the country.  The boy, dubbed Hope, was found emaciated and abandoned after being accused of being a witch. View gallery . Anja Ringgren Lovén, an aid worker from Denmark, shared the photos to Facebook, saying, “Thousands of children are being accused of being witches and we’ve both seen torture of children, dead children and frightened children. “This footage shows why I fight. Why I sold everything I own.”  After adding that Hope was in hospital and that donations were being accepted to help his recovery, over 1 million Danish kroner (around £103,000) was donated in two days.  The full story of what happened to Hope is not clear, but it seems that he is one of many young children in the country who are accused of be...

SOURCE: YAHOO! NEWS Female Customer Unhappy With Haircut 'Goes Back To Shoot Barber’ Anthony Pearce's Blog A woman who was angry about her haircut is alleged to have returned to the barbers shortly after and attempted to open fire – only for her gun to jam.  Adrian Blanche Swain is reported to have walked back into a salon an hour after a trim, brandishing a firearm.  The incident happened in a San Diego, California, hairdressers – but the weapon malfunctioned and she was forced to the floor.  Barber Manny Montero said that on Swain’s first visit she had given him a $20 tip on top of her $20 cut. The 29-year-old is alleged to have returned with a different haircut, holding the gun and shouting, “Look what you did to my hair!” Adrian Blanche Swain (Facebook) “She came in with a bald spot on the side, and I am like, ‘I didn’t do that’,” he told NBC. She then is alleged to have pointed the gun at the barber, puling the trigger three times – but the gun ...

SOURCE: AFP Girl falls victim to rare Australian case of deadly snakebite A young girl has died in Australia after being bitten by a feared brown snake, officials said on Monday, a rare fatality even though the country is home to some of the planet's deadliest species. The death of the six-year-old prompted emergency services to warn people to be on their guard against brown snakes, whose bite is often painless. They are known as nervous reptiles that strike with little hesitation. Police in New South Wales state said the girl was bitten on Friday on a rural property near Walgett, some 660 kilometres (409 miles) northwest of Sydney. She was taken to a local hospital and given anti-venom before being flown to Sydney Children's Hospital on life support. But her condition worsened and she died on Saturday. According to official estimates there are about 3,000 snakebite cases in Australia every year, with 300-500 needing anti-venom treatment. Only an average of two...