Hollywood actress, Jennifer Garner says she embraces her body changed after giving birth to three children.
The “Yes Day” star appeared on the “Happy Mum, Happy Baby” podcast, where she told host Giovanna Fletcher that despite what people may think, she doesn’t have a “bounce back” bod.
“There are some incredible women whose bodies just, no matter how many babies they have, they bounce right back to that slim-hipped, no stomach,” Garner said. “It’s incredible. I have so many girlfriends who have that physique, and I’m so happy for them. I am not one of them. That is not my gig.”
Garner, who shares daughters Violet, 15, Seraphina,12, and son, Samuel, 9, with ex-husband Ben Affleck said that for the rest of her life she will look like a woman who’s had kids and doesn’t mind it one bit.
“I can work really hard, and I can be really fit and I will still look like a woman who’s had three babies, and I always will,” she said.
She also addressed the constant pregnancy rumors surrounding her, saying that she’s definitely not.
“It’s still happening. I’m 48, and I’m single. And it’s still happening, so you might as well take that bull by the horns,” she said, adding, “It’s just a body. Be grateful to it. It carried you this far. It carried babies for you. What else do you want? My goodness.”
Lou Ottens, the Dutch engineer credited with inventing the audio cassette tape, has died aged 94.
An estimated 100 billion cassette tapes have been sold around the world since they were introduced in the 1960s.
Ottens’ invention transformed the way people listened to music, and there has even been a resurgence of the cassette in recent years.
The engineer died in his hometown of Duizel last weekend, his family announced on Tuesday.
Ottens became head of Philips’ product development department in 1960, where he and his team developed the cassette tape.
In 1963, it was presented at the Berlin Radio electronics fair and soon became a worldwide success.
Ottens struck a deal with Philips and Sony that saw his model confirmed as the patented cassette, after a number of Japanese companies reproduced similar tapes in a number of sizes.
On the 50th anniversary of its creation, he told Time magazine that it was a “sensation” from day one.
Ottens was also involved in the development of the compact disk, and more than 200 billion of those have been sold worldwide to date.
In 1982, when Philips showed off a production CD player, Ottens said: “From now on, the conventional record player is obsolete”.
He retired four years later. When asked about his career, he said his biggest regret was that Sony and not Philips had created the iconic cassette tape player, the Walkman.
According to the Official Charts Company in the UK, the sale of cassettes in the first half of 2020 increased by 103% compared to the same time period the previous year.
And in the US, according to Nielsen music, sales of cassette tapes grew by 23% in 2018 compared with the previous year.
Louis Vuitton paraded its fall collection in a virtual tour of the Louvre Museum on Wednesday, closing out Paris Fashion Week’s online shows by framing designs that echoed the sculptures on display.
Vuitton was among several luxury brands that paid homage to cultural institutions shut down by the pandemic, which has also put live runway shows on hold.
Christian Dior, which like Vuitton is owned by the LVMH conglomerate, earlier this week filmed its own show at the 17th century Palace of Versailles.
Vuitton’s parade of ruffled skirts and futuristic, oversized jackets was accompanied by a pumping Daft Punk soundtrack, just weeks after the after the celebrated French electronic music duo announced it was splitting.
Models wore boots with a cowboy edge to them, with zippers down the sides.
Vuitton’s signature monogrammed handbags featured images of Greco-Roman busts and lithographs inspired by the engravings of Italian artist Piero Fornasetti.
A 91 year old Ohio man reportedly went into shock after receiving two shots of the covid-19 vaccine in one day.
Victor Smith, had gotten his first ever vaccination shot on January 22, after which he collapsed from extreme fatigue. Smith who is an amputee, then had to be hospitalized and transferred to a rehabilitation facility in Hamilton, Ohio.
Smith, was scheduled for a second shot while still in rehabilitation and took it at a county vaccination site on Februaury 25.
According to his daughter Dawn Theodore Smith, she had spoken to him after his first shot of the day and he had said that he was fine. Mr smith was later re-injected in a mix-up, as inmates in his facility where scheduled to be vaccinated that same day.
The 91 year old was vaccinated for the second time in 4 hours that day and immediately Smith’s body went into shock and he developed low blood pressure. “They pretty much told me he was not going to make it,” his daughter said
Fortunately, smiths condition did improve and he is said to be recovering well.
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Femi Gbajabiamila has urged Nigerian workers under the aegis of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) to rally the support of their respective lawmakers with a view to kill the controversial bill which seeks to remove the Minimum Wage from the Exclusive Legislative List to Concurrent Legislative List.
The Speaker who spoke through the Majority Leader, Hon Ado Doguwa, during the peaceful protest held by the organised labour on Wednesday, also demanded the reversal of the recent hike in the pump price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) and electricity tariff.
Earlier, members of the Nigeria Labour Congress and Trade Union Congress had embarked on a nationwide protest after the bill which is sponsored by Honourable Garba Mohammed of Sabon Gari Federal Constituency, Kaduna State passed its second reading at the House of Representatives.
While expressed the House leadership’s readiness to defend the interest of Nigerian workers, Hon Gbajabiamila said: “Mr President, may I say on behalf of my Speaker and the entire members of the House of Representatives that we are also by extension members of the organised labour; we are your employees. By this implication, we have no case whatsoever to shy away from the interests and yearnings of Nigerian workers. When you are happy we are happy.
“I, therefore, say on behalf of the Speaker and the House that we have accepted the letter written and signed by the president of the organised labour and we are going to give it the right treatment. There would be an opportunity to come and address us through public hearings. That initiative is only an opinion. The recommendation of that Bill is only a proposal. From what I am seeing now it is clear that organised labour are against that Bill. I want to assure you that the House of Reps would give a listening ear to your message.
“We will still invite you to come and engage with the relevant committee of which I am a member. You will come and make your position fully. Your position will be heard at the committee level and when we come to the plenary to consider the bill, members that are representing your respective communities, engage with them to do justice to that Bill and I can understand that the only justice would be to kill the bill. I want to advise please lobby members that you elected that you do not want the bill and members will make sure the bill is killed.”
The protesters for the first time had unfettered access to the National Assembly arcade where they were received by representatives of the Senate President, Senator Abdullahi Sabi, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Ado Doguwa, Majority Leader, who were booed when mentioned.
The protesters who displayed various placards also demanded the recall of the lawmakers, who sponsored the anti-workers bill.
Some of the placards read: ‘’El-Rufai, Abbass Tajudeen, Datti Muhammed, agent of anarchy, don’t destabilise Nigeria’; ‘Progressive lawmakers, rise like in the past and defend workers rights’; ‘Give us our new minimum wage now’; ‘No minimum wage, no work from November 6th’; ‘Minimum wage willingness to pay and not about to pay is the challenge’; ‘National minimum wage protects unskilled and the vulnerable, leave it on Exclusive List’; ‘River State people should recall dishonourable Bob Solomon from Abua Odual/Ahoada East constituency for sponsoring a bill to remove minimum wage from Exclusive List’; ‘President Buhari no room for fifth columnists, stand with Nigerian workers, keep minimum wage on Exclusive List’; ‘Wage theft: Crime agent workers, crime against humanity’; ‘Upward review of minimum wage would not trigger inflation’; ‘Removing national minimum wage from Exclusive List is a declaration of war on Nigerian workers’; ‘No wage poverty, yes to living wage,’ among others.
While addressing the lawmakers and the massive crowd during the rally, NLC President, Comrade Ayuba Wabba who warned against compounding the woes of average Nigerian workers, maintained that the issue of the national minimum wage was encapsulated in the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and of international best practice.
While urging the 9th Assembly to jettison the proposed bill, by maintaining the status quo, Comrade Wabba threatened that the Labour Movement will not hesitate to paralyze all business and government activities across the country, if the National Assembly continues with the consideration of the anti-people’s legislation.
The workers also demanded a reversal of the recent hike in the pump price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), electricity tariff.
In the same vein, the unions demanded full autonomy of Local Government Councils across the country as part of efforts aimed at deepening democracy in the country.
National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) foreign trade data released on tuesday shows Nigeria’s external imbalance continues to widen as the trade deficit for 2020 hit N7.38 trillion.
Of the total yearly foreign trade value of N32.42 trillion, export accounted for N12.52 trillion (or 39 per cent) as against N19.89 trillion import bills.
According to the data, the 2020 figure was 10.3 per cent lower than the 2019 record.
“On an annual basis, total trade was valued at N32, 420.7 billion in 2020 or 10.3 per cent less than the value recorded in 2019. The value of total imports in 2020 stood at N19, 898 billion, or 17.3 per cent higher than in 2019 while total exports were valued at N12, 522.7 billion or 34.8 per cent less than in 2019. The annual merchandise trade deficit in 2020 was recorded at -N7, 375.3 billion,” the report noted.
Nigeria’s total foreign trade for the fourth quarter (Q4) of 2020 rose to N9.12 trillion, representing an increase of 8.88 per cent compared to N8.38 trillion recorded in the previous quarter.
Crude oil has continued to dominate the country’s exports by a disturbing margin as it accounted for 9.44 trillion last year, an equivalent of 75 per cent of the total value of export.
South Africa’s economy recorded its first annual contraction in 12 years in 2020 due to the pandemic but it extended its rebound in the last quarter, official data showed Tuesday. The country’s gross domestic product shrank by 7.0 percent in 2020 compared to a 0.2 percent expansion a year earlier, statistics agency StatSA said in a statement. The drop was “primarily led by decreases in manufacturing, trade, catering and accommodation,” it said. It was the first recession since 2009, when GDP fell by 3.2 percent. But the economy — already in recession when it was hit by the virus — showed signs of resilience despite Covid-19 restrictions and grew by 1.5 percent in the final quarter of 2020, with annualised growth of 6.3 percent. The GDP growth between October and December was driven mainly by a boom in the manufacturing and trade sectors, said StatSA. It is an extension of a recovery that started in the third quarter — when it posted a 13.5 percent quarter-on-quarter growth — after the pandemic handed Africa’s second-largest economy a record slump. In annualised terms, the statistics agency’s preferred measure, third-quarter growth reached 66.1 percent, after falling back by 51.7 percent between April and June. The economy picked up pace in the third quarter when containment measures were loosened following falling infection numbers. A resurgence of infection fuelled by a more contagious variant of the coronavirus meant a reimposing of some of the restrictions but industries put up a brave face. Sectors such as the hospitality and tourism industries were hardest hit as a night-time curfew and alcohol ban forced restaurants to close early. The government imposed a strict lockdown in late March to stymie the rising virus cases, but it also stifled the economic outlook. Africa’s most industrialised nation has counted more than 1.5 million cases of Covid-19 of which slightly over 50,000 have been fatal, representing nearly half of the total deaths on the continent.
With standards cut across chemical technology, electrical/electronics, food/agriculture, textile/leather and services. The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) Governing Council has approved 96 new Nigerian Industrial Principles for national use. The approval, follows the appointment of Mallam Farouk Salim as the Director-General, increased the total number of standards approved by SON last year to 264. The Council had earlier approved 168 standards. Chairman of the Council, Dr. Nasir Sani-Gwarzo, commended the new SON helmsman for convening the council meeting a few months after his appointment despite the challenge of the pandemic; While stating the newly-approved standards were significant given the scope of their coverage. The Chairman, listed the approved standards to include those that are essential for the production of medical and other supplies required for the management of the Covid-19 pandemic, health and safety measures for tourism and hospitality establishments – post COVID-19 resumption amongst many others. Dr. Sani-Gwarzo assured that the new SON Chief Executive of access to a rich and diverse knowledge, expertise and experience in the Council to support his aspiration of making SON a high-impact organisation in support of the country’s socio-economic growth and development.
March 5, 2021 will always be cherished by the people of Agege, Lagos state, southwest Nigeria. It is significant to them because that is the day attention shifted from every other place in Lagos to their own area.
People from all walks of life including the international community were present to open the much awaited 1.4 kilometer Agege, Pen Cinema Flyover Bridge.
LN247 News reports that the occasion was graced by the presence of the Lagos state governor, Babajide Sanwo-olu, Deputy Governor Obafemi Hamzat, Speaker Mudashiru Obasa and the National Leader of Nigeria’s ruling party (All Progressives Congress), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.
In his speech, the Lagos state Governor was grateful to all stakeholders for the making the project which was started by ex Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, a reality.
Also speaking to the teeming crowd, Party leader, Bola Tinubu admonished the youth to shun violence in all they do.
Chairman of Agege local government was excited, but asked the government to do more.
Locals who spoke to our reporter said they were grateful to previous Governors of Lagos state and the present Governor for making trade and commerce easier in their vicinity.
The bridge is presently open for vehicular movement.
The house of representatives has asked the federal government to halt the disbursement of £4.2m James Ibori loot.
The United Kingdom, on Tuesday, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Nigeria to return £4.2 million assets stolen by Ibori, former governor of Delta state.
Subsequently, Abubakar Malami, attorney-general of the federation (AGF), said the loot will be used to fund three infrastructural projects, including the second Niger bridge.
The resolution of the house was passed during the plenary session of Wednesday after the adoption of a motion of urgent public importance sponsored by all the lawmakers from Delta state.
While moving the motion, the lawmakers said the sum of £4.2m being proceeds of crime recovered from Ibori “is being transferred to the coffers of the Federal Government of Nigeria for appropriation without recourse to the Delta State Government and or Parliament in two weeks time”.
According to the lawmakers, “the said recovered looted funds belongs to the good people of Delta State and as such ought to be refunded to the coffers of the Delta State Government for developmental purposes”.
The lawmakers said if the the federal government is allowed to utilise the funds it will deprive the Delta government of their legitimate resources to improve the economy of the state.
The lawmakers said the total sum is £6.2 million, and not £4.2 million as being reported.
“From all indications and information to Delta state indicate that the actual money is £6.2m and federal government should ensure that the total of £6.2m is credited not £4.2m as stated,” they said.
After a unanimous adoption of the motion, the house asked the federal government to stop “forthwith further appropriation and/or disbursement of recovered loot of 4.2 million pounds pending the final determination of the matter by the House”
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