Colourful and oozing defiance, a sports-friendly version of the abaya gown was once considered a symbol of cultural rebellion in conservative Saudi Arabia, but it is fast becoming the new normal.

Pictures of female athletes running in the garb in the Red Sea city of Jeddah went viral last month, setting off a new debate on sartorial freedoms for women in a country where the typically all-black, body-shrouding garment is obligatory in public.

Some cultural purists vented fury online, calling it a breach of tradition, but opposition has been largely muted following recent comments from powerful Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman that the abaya any abaya is not mandatory in Islam.

Until a formal edict comes however, designers such as Eman Joharjy are cashing in on the growing popularity of the so-called sports abayas, as many women push back against traditional attitudes of equating chastity with dress code.

There is a big demand, Joharjy told AFP at her fashion studio in Jeddah.

Having them in different colours is empowering.

Akin to a zippered jumpsuit, sports abayas envelop a womans body but offer greater mobility for sporting activities, in contrast to the classic baggy version where tripping on the hem of the flowing garment is a common risk.

The 43-year-olds designs come in colours like pistachio green, beige and white more tolerable in the kingdoms scorching heat and she uses natural fabrics, including French poplin, that do not cling to a sweating body.

One of the early pioneers of the trend, Joharjy said she was branded a social outlier and jeered by some as batman when she began designing and donning sports abayas publicly in 2007.

There was a little bit of rebellion but I designed it for myself, because its practical, she said.

You zip up and are ready to go.

Soccer-themed abayas

Joharjy has defied a popular maxim in Saudi Arabia: If its not black, its not an abaya.

Abayas have evolved over the years, with new patterns, fabrics and embellishments, and they are sometimes worn in the kingdom with baseball-style caps over headscarves.

The latest fad is an eye-catching ensemble of soccer-themed abayas in the colours of the local teams, a new way for female sporting fans to cheer for their favourite players.

Such fashion trends are gaining momentum amid the kingdoms liberalisation drive, including a historic royal decree allowing women to drive from June and enter sports stadiums for the first time.

The government is also seeking to jump-start womens sports and is moving toward compulsory physical education classes for girls, after a ban was lifted in 2014.

Saudi officials recently announced that women would be able to participate next year in the Riyadh international marathon, previously a male-only event.

Women exercising in public were long a target for the kingdoms austere religious police, which has largely been neutered in recent years.

And the once-unthinkable idea of doing away with the abaya appears to now be gaining traction.

The laws are very clear and stipulated in the laws of Sharia: that women wear decent, respectful clothing, like men, Prince Mohammed told CBS Television last month.

This, however, does not particularly specify a black abaya. (It) is entirely left for women to decide what type of decent and respectful attire to wear.

Modest look

Muslim cleric Sheikh Ahmed bin Qassim al-Ghamdi added a new wrinkle to the debate when he dismissed the long-held view that black was the only colour for abayas permissible in Islam.

The cloak is meant for maintaining a modest look and it does not have to be black, the former chief of the religious police in the holy city of Mecca, told Saudi-owned Al-Arabiya television last month.

But the risk of a social backlash is real in a society steeped in conservatism.

They look like cleaners! a tweet said, in response to viral images of athletes dressed in sports abayas.

Their purpose is not sports. We have all been running in full body veil, tweeted another.

Back at Joharjys studio, a longtime client Marwa al-Hadi walked in wearing one of her designs with magenta sneakers.

Abaya is like the Indian saree, it is part of our identity, Joharjy told her, as they weighed in on the future evolution of the garment.

But at the same time, if God did not want women to do sports, we would not have muscles or a body.

Hadi nodded.

It is no ones business to stop and question what Im wearing, she said.

*AFP

Source: NAN

Source: NAN

South Africas former president Jacob Zuma is hugging the headlines again with reports that he has fathered a new baby from a 24-year-old woman.

She gave birth to his child in a Durban hospital last week Thursday on his birthday, News24 said.

TimesLIVE identified the woman as Nonkanyiso Conco and went further to say she is set to become Zumas seventh wife.

Zuma is 76 years old.

Yes we are getting married but that is all I can say. I need to consult before I give any interviews she said.

Conco is a director of the Pietermaritzburg-based Nomkhubulwane Culture and Youth Development Organisation aimed at protecting the cultural practices of young Zulu women.

Conco reportedly resides in the plush Ballito Estate Hilltop home to some of the citys most well-heeled residents.

According to News24, the woman delivered the child at the Busamed Hillcrest Private Hospital last Thursday Zumas birthday.

Zuma is a polygamist who has fathered 22 known children from at least 11 women.

News24 relying on three sources reportef thar that Zuma came to visit his baby under strict security on Thursday night.

They had to clear the maternity ward for other patients. Hospital staff made it clear that this was strictly confidential, a source with direct knowledge of the birth told News24.

Ray Zuma, who is related to the former president, confirmed to News24 that Zuma was going to wed a woman named Nonkanyiso Chonco.

When asked if Conco was the same woman who had given birth to a baby earlier this month, Ray Zuma responded by saying: So?

I cant see why you are interested. When he was still the president, you [the media] were terrorising him, and now you are all of a sudden interested in him.

When asked about the details of the wedding, he said he was not privy to the details.

No date has been set yet. Both families must come together to decide on the date. We are still in the pre-nuptial phases of the process.

Zumas son Edward told News24, when asked about the baby: We are not going to respond, or entertain any of that nonsense.

When News24 visited the hospital earlier in the week, an employee confirmed that Zuma had visited the facility.

Yes he was here last week. I saw him with his security. I do not know why he came through.

But other sources confirmed the baby was Zumas. Hospital staff were briefed to keep it a closely guarded secret and only told this is JZs child and a VIP delivery.

Hillcrest Private Hospital management declined to comment saying they would not divulge details of any patient.

Reported by News 24

Source: NAN

The Zimbabwe government has sacked all striking nurses at public hospitals after they turned down a government offer of 17.1 million U.S. dollars to improve their pay.

The government said in a statement on Tuesday that it regarded the industrial action as politically motivated, and that it would immediately employ new nurses and recall those who retired from the service to replace the sacked health personnel.

Following the decision by government yesterday (Monday) to accede to the demands made by the striking nurses, government regrets to note that the industrial action in this essential service sector has persisted.

What makes the whole action both deplorable and reprehensible is the fact that as agreed yesterday (Monday) government today (Tuesday) released and transferred a sum of 17.1 million (U.S. dollars) into the account of the Ministry of Health and Child Care for payment to the striking nurses.

While this demonstrated good faith from the government which has been effected against demonstrable economic challenges facing our nation, (it) has not, quite surprisingly, persuaded the nurses to go back to their work stations in the interest of saving lives and helping patients placed under their care.

Government now regards this lack of remorse as politically motivated and thus as going beyond conditions of service and worker welfare.

Accordingly, government has decided to discharge all the striking nurses with immediate effect, the statement said.

The number of nurses fired could not be immediately established.

Nurses at major public hospitals countrywide, including in the capital Harare and second city of Bulawayo, are on strike.

The strike by the nurses over better pay and working conditions was the second this year and followed a month-long strike by doctors last month.

Source: NAN

By Peter Ejiofor
In its continued quest to provide families with more healthier and delicious food choices, Nestl Nigeria has introduced its new breakfast cereal, GOLDEN MORN Puffs.

Introducing the product on Wednesday at a Media Executive Meeting in Lagos, Nestles Corporate Communications and Public Affairs Manager, Mrs Victoria Uwadoka, said it was made purely from grains and cereals.

GOLDEN MORN Puffs is proudly produced in Nigeria for Nigerians. It is fortified with vitamins and iron to contribute to the efforts to address micronutrient deficiency in the country.

Micronutrient deficiency is the lack of essential vitamins and minerals required in small amounts by the body for proper growth and development.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), 2 billion people in the world are affected by iron deficiency, which is the most common micronutrient disorder in sub-Saharan Africa, Uwadoka said.

The major health consequences of deficiency in essential micronutrients include impaired physical and cognitive development, which translates to reduced performance of school-aged children among others.

It is important to note that annually, Nigeria loses over 1.5 billion dollars in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) directly and indirectly to vitamin and mineral deficiencies.

Mr Aboubacar Coulibaly, Category Manager, Dairy, said that NESTL GOLDEN MORN Puffs, made from maize, millet, oats and soya, is fortified with GRAINSMART a unique combination of vitamins and iron.

Food fortification is a strategy that Nestl has adopted to help address the burden of micro-nutrient deficiency.

With 50 per cent of our portfolio already fortified with micronutrients, the introduction of Golden Morn Puffs breakfast cereal today is another step towards the fulfilment of our commitment to provide healthier, delicious food choices for all age groups, a journey we have been on for the past 57 years in Nigeria, he said.

Coulibaly disclosed that 94 per cent of the grains and cereals used in the production of Golden Morn Puffs is sourced locally.

We are very happy to announce to you today that the work we have been doing with local farmers for the past 7 years on capacity building and grain quality improvement is yielding results.

Ninety-four percent of the agricultural raw materials for the product we are launching today, Golden Morn Puffs was supplied by Nigerian farmers, he added.

He said that Nestl Nigeria would continue to invest in the development of nutrient rich delicious food to fulfil its purpose, which is enhancing quality of life and contributing to a healthier future.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Nestl Nigeria Plc began simple trading operations in Nigeria in 1961 and has grown into a leading food manufacturing and marketing company.

Nestl Nigeria is the biggest food company in West Africa and employs around 2,400 people and has three world class factories.

It manufactures and markets a range of high quality brands, including NESTL PURE LIFE, GOLDEN MORN, MILO, KITKAT, MAGGI and NESCAF.

Source: NAN

Source: NAN

By Joan Odafe

Prof. Njideka Okubadejo, Nigerias first female neurologist, says one person dies every two minutes from stroke in the Nigeria.

Okubadejo, of the University of Lagos, disclosed this at her Inaugural Lecture at the University in Lagos.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the lecture was titled Strokes of Movement and Trips: Strategic Opportunism as Am Approach to Improve Neurological Care in Africa.

According to her, the estimated stroke mortality rate in Nigeria is between 120 and 240 per 100,000 population.

Extrapolated to our current estimated population of approximately 184 million, according to www.population.gov.ng, this translates to about 281,520 deaths annually, she said.

Okubadejo said a stroke is a medical emergency in which the flow of blood to a portion of the brain stops suddenly.

Brain cells are dependent on oxygen within the blood and without this, start to die after a few minutes, hence the maxim, Time is Brain.

Stroke symptoms reflect the area of the brain that has been injured and although recovery is possible, particularly with early intervention.

Strokes can result in lasting brain damage, long-term disability or even death, she said.

She explained that there were two types of strokes; the Ischaemic, which the blood flow is blocked, and the Haemorrhagic, which the blood vessel breaks open or ruptures, leaking blood and damaging brain cells, due to pressure effect.

The neurologist explained on the sidelines of the lecture that addressing risk factors that cause stroke was the best way of preventing it.

The important thing to note is that some strokes will not give you the opportunity to get to the hospital.

But addressing the risk factors, particularly the strongest factor, hypertension, will reduce the number of people that die from stroke everyday.

If you have hypertension, pay attention to ensuring that your hypertension is treated and that your blood pressure is well controlled, she advised.

The don said that other factors that causes stroke included diabetes mellitus, heart disease and social factors like smoking, drug abuse and heavy alcohol consumption.

Source: NAN

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has raised the alarm over stunted growth of no fewer than 59 million children in Africa and another 10 million who are overweight.

The UN health agency also warned that Africas attempts to achieve health for all by 2030 could be threatened unless the continent address the twin challenges of under-nutrition and obesity.

Under-nutrition occurs when people do not get enough to eat, resulting in conditions such as wasting, which is when a child becomes dangerously thin.

On the other hand, people who are obese have body fat levels that may impair their health.

The WHO Regional Office for Africa called these two issues the double burden of malnutrition.

Together with diet-related non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as diabetes, they are leading to catastrophic costs for citizens, communities and national healthcare systems across the continent.

The health experts at a WHO meeting in Nairobi, therefore, pressed for action to address the double burden of malnutrition in Africa.

A 2016 study showed an estimated 59 million children in Africa were stunted, which is when a child is too short for their height: another condition caused by under-nutrition.

Additionally, 14 million children suffered from wasting, which the WHO Office said is a strong predictor of mortality among children under five.

Meanwhile, 10 million Africans were overweight, which is nearly double the number from 2000, WHO said.

The UN agency noted the rising cases of malnutrition problem, compared to a 2014 report, which estimated that five per cent of men and 15 per cent of women over 18-years-old were obese.

Dr Felicitas Zawaira, Director of the Family and Reproductive Health Cluster at the WHO Regional Office, stressed the need for healthy diets among African children.

Improving nutrition sustainably requires consideration of how to produce, deliver, and ensure access to healthy diets and essential nutrients, not just greater quantities of food, Zawaira said.

In 2015, Heads of State adopted the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which seek to bring about a more just and equitable world for all people and the planet by 2030.

SDG 3, which focuses on good health and well-being, calls for achieving universal health coverage by this deadline, among other targets.

Tackling all forms of malnutrition for the achievement of universal health coverage and the health-related SDGs requires remedial actions from multiple sectors and on many fronts, Zawaira stated.

Such measures include implementing policies and action to control the marketing and consumption of unhealthy foods, or to promote consumption of healthy foods through taxation and subsidies. (NAN)

Source: NAN

By Ifeanyi Nwoko

In a bid to create awareness for the prevention, early detection and control of cancer, the Founder-President, Wellbeing Foundation Africa, Mrs Toyin Saraki, hosted key stakeholders to a meeting to review the cancer assessment report.

The meeting which held in Abuja brought together Minister of State for Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire; the Vice-Chairman Senate Committee on Health, Senator Clifford Odiar; the West Africa Regional Director, Amref, Dr. Sylla Thiam; the Country Director, Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson and Johnson, Mitchelle Akande; among others.

The Rapid Assessment of the Prevention and Control of Cancer in Nigeria report, is a collaborative study undertaken by the Wellbeing Foundation Africa, with support from Amref Health Africa.

Speaking at the vent, Mrs Saraki who is the wife of the President of the Nigerian Senate, told the stakeholders that she was optimistic that the review meeting will proffer solutions that can key into the National Cancer Control Plan.

I want to thank everyone who has made this event possible, and I believe that those of us present can harness our wealth of knowledge to key into the National Cancer Control Plan.

We must teach our people and engage them to stop high risk behaviours, and to be best positioned to detect cancer at the early stage, when it is most cost-effective to treat.

The biggest challenge in development is transforming global goals and national goals into grassroots actions.

I would want to quote Margaret Meade in saying we must never doubt the power of a small group of people united with a common purpose; and our purpose is to prevent cancer, detect cancer, and provide infrastructures to be able to respond to the needs of our people in relation to all types of cancer.

I would like to again thank everyone present; Amref Health Africa for your partnership and the Federal Ministry of Health for giving civil society such a role in taking the traction from what you have begun, she said.

Mrs Saraki who was recently named by Devex as a Global UHC Champion and Global Goodwill Ambassador for the International Confederation of Midwives (ICM) urged the stakeholders to come up with recommendations that will help address the problem of cancer in Nigeria.

Also speaking at the opening of the meeting, the Minister of State for Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, said that the government was currently pushing to strengthen the training of cancer-related healthcare workers.

He said that it was the plan of government to improve infrastructure and strengthen service delivery for cancer care, including prevention and palliative care.

We welcome inter-sectoral collaborations, as well as partnerships with local and global stakeholders in order to improve awareness and information on preventive practices, as well as encouraging early diagnosis and management of all cancers, he said.

Dr. Sylla Thiam of Amref, she commended Wellbeing Foundation Africa for carrying out the study, stressing that the timing was very apt considering that the disease has taken a toll on the country.

Source: NAN

Miracle, has won again, emerged winner of the BigBrotherNaija (Double Wahala) final wager challenge.

The lucky BBNiaja housemate, had earlier emerged winner of the seasons Payporte arena games challenge with a prize of N1 million.

He also won the Pepsi Challenge carting away the sum of 1 million naira.

Miracle was again lucky to have won of N200,000 wager allowance after picking the box tagged number two.

Miracle won the cash in a contest with seven other housemates.

They were all instructed by BigBrother to pick a box each labelled 1- 10.

BigBrother, who presented the wager challenge as the simplest of the season, presented housemates with 10 suitcases with gift items in each of the boxes.

BigBrother said one of the suitcases contained a cash reward and instructed housemates not to pick the suitcase containing the cash reward.

He said if any of the housemates picked the suitcase containing the cash reward the housemate wins the cash reward but the house loses the wager.

Housemates were given two minutes to pick and open a box of their choice using the pin code 777.

Miracle picked the box labelled number 2.

Housemates lost the wager for the week while miracle got the N200,000 which was meant to be used as the house final week shopping allowance.

Miracle earlier wins fetched him a year supply of Pepsi products and an all-expense paid trip to Dubai for winning the Pepsi Refresh The Mix challenge.

The housemates were tasked with solving a puzzle which involved making up the missing pieces that will reveal the faces of different Pepsi Dj ambassadors.

Two time Head of House Miracle was the first to unravel the puzzle, revealing the picture of DJ Exclusive, one of the four Pepsi DJ Ambassadors.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Pepsi ambassadors, Dj Spinall and Dj Obi were in the BBNaija house to reveal to miracle his rewards for winning the Pepsi Challenge.

Miracle will travel with Pepsi DJ Ambassadors, DJ Cuppy, DJ Exclusive, DJ Spinall and DJ Obi to the One Africa music festival in June, 2018.

Miracle holds the record for most wins in the Payport arena games with three wins, therefore guaranteeing him another N1 million at the end of the current edition of the reality TV show.

Source: NAN