'The Hamilton Series' introduces Steeltown to visiting students

Every world traveler wants a taste of local flavour, and students are no exception. To satisfy the most insatiable global learners at McMaster International Student Services recently launched "The Hamilton Series" — a hands-on program that exposes visiting students to the city's unique history and popular attractions.

The initiative consists of educational workshops and off-campus excursions throughout the fall term, and was designed to help visiting students get the most out of their time in Hamilton. Organizers received a $4,700 Student Life Enhancement Fund grant to finance the pilot project.

"For international and exchange students, they don't really know what the city's history is like, or where we come from as people," said Jenna Levi, education abroad coordinator, International Student Services.

"International students often remain on campus, even well into their second and third years."

To help familiarize newcomers with their adopted home, Levi and her team focused on a number of key areas related to Hamilton, including: the arts, the changing economy, local history, urban attractions and natural resources. The goal was to offer well-rounded, informative and fun sessions to students from all over the world.

To date, the seminars have included participants from Brazil, China, Australia, Singapore, Japan and numerous countries in Europe and the U.K.> "What's the point of going abroad if you don't truly know where you're living? We want these students to learn all about the city's industrial heritage, but also get a sense of the beautiful, natural resources in their backyard, including Hamilton Harbour and Cootes Paradise," said Levi.

Ron Hermenau, a 23-year-old exchange student from Atlenburg, Germany, has already attended two of the fall sessions — one at the Art Gallery of Hamilton, and another in scenic Cootes Paradise. He says the Hamilton Series is a great opportunity for newcomers to feel connected with the city in a more meaningful way.

"You can only learn so much by reading," said Hermenau, who's studying chemical biology at McMaster during his six-month exchange. "I wanted to gain a deeper insight into the culture and environment in Hamilton, and also understand what it looked like in the past. I would definitely recommend this series to anyone Interested."

Upcoming Hamilton Series events are as follows:
"A Town Called Hamilton: A Historical Perspective" — Friday, Oct. 11
Speaker: Margaret Houghton, Local History & Archives, Hamilton Public Library
Excursion: Dundurn Castle

"Neighbourhood Watch: A Look at Hamilton's People & Communities" — Friday Oct. 18
Speaker: Terry Cooke, Hamilton Community Foundation
Excursion: TBA

"Progress from a Steeltown: Hamilton's Economy" — Friday Nov. 8
Speaker: Jennifer Patterson, Economic Development
Division, City of Hamilton
Excursion: TBA

Story by:
Andrew Baulcomb, Dail Mail, McMaster University.

DJ Switch emerges Winner of the 2013 Glo X Factor – Photos & Scoop of the Finale

And the winner of the Africa’s debut X Factor show is DJ Switch.

29 year old rapper DJ Switch (real name - Obianuju Catherine Udeh) has been crowned winner of the 2013 Glo X Factor singing competition. The finale show was recorded on Wednesday 18th September 2013 and just aired today Saturday 21st September 2013.

DJ Switch who is a geology graduate from the University of Port Harcourt, Rivers, beat out the two other finalists Ethel Eshun and Victoria “Vicky” Gomoti in the last round of voting. She wins a cash prize of N 24 Million and a recording contract with Sony Music. Just before the announcement, there were performances by UK X Factor winner Alexandra Burke as well as Efya and Flavour. The finalists – DJ Switch, Vicky Gomoti and Ethel Eshun also took to the stage to give their farewell performances.

Spiro Damaskinos (Sony Marketing Director), Alexandra Burke, DJ Switch & Bella Disu

DJ Switch & Her Mum

The first runner-up  Ethel Eshun as well as the second runner Vicky Gomoti, both won a cash prize of N 1 Million. Glo ambassadors Chee and Omawumi were also present at the event.

Check out more photos from the event

Ethel Eshun

Victoria Gomoli

Courtesy: BellaNaija

Ghana can earn $300m from cashew if production increases – Association

The prospects of Ghana’s cashew production is high because the country can rake in between $300 and $400 million if she increases her cashew production from the current 50,000 metric tonnes to 200,000 tonnes annually. 

Mr Windfred Osei Owusu, President of the Ghana Cashew Industry Association, who made the observation on Tuesday, added that the country could attain the goal if 90 per cent of the raw cashew nuts were processed. He was speaking in Accra at the launch of the World Cashew Festival and Expo 2013 in Africa, on the theme: “Value Chain and Gains-Focusing on the Potential to Leverage Profit in Each Sector of the Cashew Industry and in New Markets.” The event, which is expected to come off between September 16 and 19, would be organised by the African Cashew Alliance’s (ACA), to assist players in the industry to develop the value-chain process. The four-day programme would also provide a platform for cashew farmers, processors, traders, exporters, service providers, retailers, equipment manufacturers, bankers and other stakeholders to fashion out innovative ways to improve and sustain the industry. Mr Owusu called on the Government to roll out the Cashew Development Project and similar policy interventions to sustain the industry. He was optimistic that if the players received Government support, similar to those enjoyed by cocoa, palm and mango farmers, the cashew business would thrive. 

Mr Owusu appealed to Government to make funds available to cashew farmers through the Export Development and Agricultural Investment Fund. He called on the farmers to join associations and apex bodies to access technical support to build their capacity to sustain their businesses. Mr Owusu said increased investor interest in the industry was a positive indication that the sector had much to offer in terms of job creation, poverty alleviation and income generation. He said one of Brazil’s leading cashew businesses, was in the process of setting up a 35,000-metric-tonne capacity facility at Prampram, in the Eastern suburb of Accra. Mr Owusu said he was hopeful the project would create 2000 direct jobs and other auxiliary employment opportunities and called on the media to sensitise the public on the economic and the nutritional value of cashew products. 

Mr Ahmed Yakubu Alhassan, Deputy Minister of Food and Agriculture expressed Government’s commitment to partner ACA to ensure that the cashew industry became vibrant. He discredited speculations in the media that the cashew production in the country was dwindling. Speaking on the upcoming Cashew Festival, Mr Roger Brou, Managing Director of ACA, said the event would give farmers the platform to explore innovative business prospects in the industry. Beekeeping and production of cashew-apple juice are some new markets farmers could discover. Ghana is said to have produced more than 20,000 metric tonnes of raw cashew nuts in the year 2012, with its production largely centered in the Brong-Ahafo Region. 

The country is considered to be the hub for trading cashews from neighbouring countries, including Cote d’Ivoire and Burkina Faso. In total, more than 80,000 metric tonnes of raw cashew nut was exported in 2011. On the processors side, Ghana has an installed processing capacity of about 18,000 metric tonnes.

Story by: 

Ghana Business News 

Mary of Nazareth, Epic Film on the Mother of Christ in Theaters this October, 2013

This fall’s must-see Catholic movie?  Fr. Donald Calloway got an early look and raved:

The most stunning portrayal of the Virgin Mary on film. It will make you want to love her more than ever. An absolute masterpiece! Yes, my friends, I can assure you that we finally have a movie that gets Mary totally right! Trust me, I am super hard to please when it comes to any portrayal of Mary in film, but this one nailed it entirely!

(Um…Father, is “nailed it” really the way you want to describe a movie about the mother of Jesus?)

Anyway…check out the trailer.

Courtesy: 
Catholic News Agency

Ghana's National Chief Imam praises Akufo-Addo

Sheikh Dr Osumanu Nuhu Sharubutu, National Chief Imam, has applauded Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, 2012 Presidential Candidate for New Patriotic Party (NPP) for helping to maintain national peace. He gave the commendation when he led a delegation to pay a courtesy call on Nana Akufo-Addo in Accra. 


The delegation made up of Imams, Muslim Chiefs and Islamic Scholars thanked Nana Akufo-Addo for accepting the Supreme Court verdict on the election petition filed by the NPP challenging the election of President John Dramani Mahama in the 2012 general election. Sheikh Sharabutu said the decision of the NPP flagbearer helped in sustaining peace and stability. He said it is important for Ghanaians to preserve the country’s peace towards national development. 

“There is the need for us to unite, preserve and sustain the peace that Ghana is enjoying,” stressed. He said political tolerance is the only means by which Ghana could consolidate the gains of democracy and called on the citizenry to be tolerant and promote tranquillity. 

Sheikh Sharabutu appealed to Muslim religious leaders to remain as peace ambassadors, to ensure national development. Nana Akufo-Addo said the NPP would not seek a review of the Supreme Court’s ruling, observing that Ghana’s election would never be the same again. He also said the NPP had set precedence for generations to follow. 

Read more in Ghana Business News

September 10th 'should brighten everyone's day': Apple announce launch date of new iPhone 5S that will reportedly come in a variety of colors

Apple has officially announced that September 10th will be the date it launches its much anticipated new iPhone 5s. The event will take place at 10 a.m. Pacific time at the Apple Campus in Cupertino a week today and according to rumors will see the unveiling not only of new and improved smartphone but also for the low-cost iPhone, dubbed the 5C.

The 5S will reportedly come with a new and improved camera and in different colored options, while the iPhone 5C will feature a plastic backing but remain essentially the same technology-wise as the iPhone 5. The firm sent out invites today to the press featuring the phrase, 'This should brighten everyone's day' along with a graphic depiction of multi-colored dots, which has led some to suggest indicates the new iPhone 5 will come in a variety of colors.

Walmart Slashes iPhone 5 Price to $98 Ahead of 5S Launch in September, 2013

With the Apple iPhone 5S expected to launch in just a few short weeks, retailers are looking to clear the stock of Apple's current flagship handset any way they can. To that effect, Walmart slashed the cost of the iPhone 5 today, dropping it $100 below its price at launch. The mega-retailer is now selling the device in-store for just $98 with a two-year contract on AT&T, Sprint and Verizon.

This isn’t the first time Walmart has cut the price on the iPhone in recent memory. Back in June, the company started offering the handset for $129 (down from $189.97). It also started selling the iPhone 4S —which may be discontinued if Apple unveils two new smartphones next month—for just $39 at the same time (down from $99).

With the iPhone 5S launch so close, there’s no real reason to take Walmart up on its offer. In a few weeks, the iPhone 5 will naturally drop to $99 on-contract as Apple rolls out a new flagship handset. At that point you’ll have a choice between the 4-inch iPhone 5 and the updated 5S, which is expected to feature a more powerful processor, a larger battery, possibly a built-in fingerprint scanner, but no noticeable external changes.

Story by
Jacob Kleinman

Source: TechnoBuffalo / WALMART

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos Buys 'The Washington Post' for $250 Million

In a surprise move, Jeff Bezos, the CEO and founder of Amazon, has purchased The Washington Post and various other newspaper assets from The Washington Post Company for $250 million, it was announced at an all-hands meeting at The Washington Post's offices on Monday afternoon.

Bezos is acquiring WaPo as an individual, not by Amazon, the company confirmed in an e-mailed statement.


Courtesy: 
Lauren Indvik,mashable.com

'SimCity' Coming to Mac Aug. 29

SimCity is finally being released for Mac on Aug. 29, five months after being released for PC, EA announced Monday.

The newest city-building game from EA and Maxis will be a cross-platform game, which means gamers who downloaded it for PC will be able to get a Mac copy for free through Origin, EA's download service.

Courtesy: 
Chelsea Stark, mashable.com

In Memory of a King | Ghanaians Look Back at their Loss as they Celebrate one year of the Death of Former President John Evans Atta Mills

Today, Ghana remembers its year-old loss. At 14.05 GMT last year, the then President, now Late President John Evans Atta-Mills passed away. Ghanaians look back into his life and miss him. Throughout the country, people have been given the chance to express themselves as to what they want to be done in his memory. 

A planning committee was setup to ensure that activities to mark the 1st Anniversary of the Late President John Evans Atta-Mills are made special. Car-parking arrangements have also been decided on towards the 'wreath-laying ceremony' in memory of the Late President. This is scheduled to take place today, Wednesday, 24th July, 2013 at the Asomdwee Park.

"We miss him very much and pray he has eternal rest where ever he is."

Bangladesh Islamist Ghulam Azam found guilty of war crimes

Some believe anything less than a death sentence is not a worthy 
verdict, says the BBC's Mahfuz Sadique

A war crimes court has found Islamist Ghulam Azam guilty of five charges relating to Bangladesh's 1971 war of independence with Pakistan.

Ghulam Azam was sentenced to 90 years in jail for his involvement in mass killings and rape during the war. Supporters of Bangladesh's main Islamist Jamaat-e-Islami party, which he led from 1969 until 2000, clashed with police ahead of the verdict.

It is the fifth sentence passed against current and former party leaders. The court found Mr Azam, 90, guilty of five charges including conspiracy, incitement, planning, abetting and failing to prevent murder.

He faced more than 60 counts of crimes against humanity for his role in setting up militia groups which carried out atrocities during the war.

Mr Azam has denied the charges, which his supporters say were politically motivated.

Mr Azam remained stony-faced as the verdict was read out in the courtroom

The prosecution had been seeking the death penalty.

But the three-judge panel said that while Mr Azam deserved capital punishment, he received a prison term because of his advanced age.

Spiritual leader

The mood in Bangladesh is tense, with police on all major streets of the capital and security beefed up around the country, the BBC's Mahfuz Sadique in Dhaka says.

Before the verdict was announce, police reportedly fired rubber bullets to disperse Jamaat-e-Islam supporters protesting in Dhaka and several other cities on Monday.

Journalists were among a number of people hurt in the violence in the Dhalpur district of Dhaka, police say.

On the eve of the verdict there were sporadic clashes in different parts of the capital with reports of some injuries, he adds.

Previous verdicts for former Jamaat leaders have led to deadly protests involving party supporters.

More than 100 people have been killed since January in political violence sparked by verdicts handed down by the International Crimes Tribunal.

Pro-government groups have also taken to the streets demanding death sentences for those being tried, accusing the tribunal of being too lenient.

Continue reading the main story

In February, thousands staged vigils in Dhaka demanding the death penalty for Abdul Kader Mullah, who was sentenced to life for crimes against humanity.

Jamaat leader Delwar Hossain Sayeedi and the party's assistant secretary-general, Muhammad Kamaruzzaman, were both indicted and sentenced to death by the tribunal earlier this year.

The International Crimes Tribunal in Bangladesh was set up by the current Awami League-led government in 2010 to try alleged collaborators of the Pakistani army during Bangladesh's war of independence.

Human rights groups have said the tribunal falls short of international standards.

Mr Azam's defence lawyers say the charges are based only on newspaper reports of Mr Azam's speeches at the time, and none have been proved.

Jamaat has called for a general strike in protest.

Mr Azam was the party's leader from 1969 until 2000 and is seen by many as its spiritual leader.

Described by party colleagues as a writer and Islamic thinker, Mr Azam was strongly opposed to Bangladesh's independence from Pakistan, arguing at the time that it would divide the Muslim community.

The exact number of people killed during Bangladesh's nine-month war of secession is unclear: official Bangladeshi figures suggest as many as three million people died, but independent researchers suggest the death toll was around 500,000.

Story by:
BBC News

JK Rowling revealed as author of The Cuckoo's Calling

Speaking in 2001, JK Rowling said she found the idea of writing under a pseudonym "appealing"

JK Rowling has secretly written a crime novel under the guise of male debut writer Robert Galbraith.

The Harry Potter author was acclaimed for The Cuckoo's Calling, about a war veteran turned private investigator called Cormoran Strike.

The book had sold 1,500 copies before the secret emerged in the Sunday Times. Within hours, it rose more than 5,000 places to top Amazon's sales list.

Rowling said she had "hoped to keep this secret a little longer".

The author described "being Robert Galbraith" as a "such a liberating experience".

'Sequels plan'

"It has been wonderful to publish without hype or expectation, and pure pleasure to get feedback under a different name," she said in a statement.

Rowling said her editor, David Shelley, had been "a true partner in crime".Continue reading the main story

"And to those who have asked for a sequel, Robert fully intends to keep writing the series, although he will probably continue to turn down personal appearances," she added.

One reviewer described The Cuckoo's Calling as a "scintillating debut", while another praised the male author's ability to describe women's clothes.

A clue that Rowling was behind the novel was that she and "Galbraith" shared an agent and editor.

The book was published by Sphere, part of Little, Brown Book Group which published her foray into writing novels for adults, The Casual Vacancy. Crime writer Peter James told the Sunday Times: "I thought it was by a very mature writer, and not a first-timer."

While crime author Mark Billingham, who reviewed the book ahead of its publication in April, said he was "gobsmacked" at the revelation. Rowling also caught out others with her new guise.

Turned down

Kate Mills, fiction editor at Orion Books, admitted she had turned down the crime novel, which she described as "well-written but quiet".

"So, I can now say that I turned down JK Rowling. I did read and say no to Cuckoo's Calling. Anyone else going to confess?" she tweeted. Sales of the novel have rocketed since the true identity of its author was revealed. The "Movers and Shakers" section of Amazon, which charts gains in sales by the hour, says sales of the book are currently up by more than 507,000%.

A spokesman for Waterstones booksellers said: "This is the best act of literary deception since Stephen King was outed as Richard Bachman back in the 1980s." In a tweet, its Oxford Street branch joked: "SPECIAL OFFER: For today only, ALL of our books were written by JK Rowling!" Others also took to Twitter to react to the news.

Comedian Michael Moran posted: "Idea for publishers: 1: Reveal that ALL books were written by JK Rowling. 2: Sales of all books soar by 150,000%. 3: Industry saved."Author Ian Rankin wrote: "So a debut novelist, garnering good quotes from famed authors for the cover plus good reviews, can expect to sell only a few hundred copies."

Sales of the book are soaring at online outlets, while bricks-and-mortar booksellers replenish their stocks

While an account named Dumbledore's Beard TM posted: "JK Rowling is a genius and proper badass."

And another named the Dark Lord tweeted: "JK Rowling secretly wrote a book under a different name. How very Half-Blood Prince of her."

The fictitious Galbraith was supposed to have been a former plain-clothes Royal Military Police investigator who had left the armed forces in 2003 to work in the civilian security industry. In previous interviews, Rowling has said she would prefer to write novels after Harry Potter under a pseudonym.

Another Cormoran Strike book by Robert Galbraith is in the pipeline, to be published next year.

Story by:
BBC New

Co

Obama urges 'calm reflection' after Zimmerman verdict

Protester: "If it had been a white boy who had been murdered, and a black guy who had murdered him, would they have acquitted him?"

Continue reading the main story

US President Barack Obama has called for "calm reflection" after Florida neighbourhood watchman George Zimmerman was cleared of murdering black teenager Trayvon Martin.

Mr Obama said Mr Martin's death was a tragedy for America, but that it was "a nation of laws and a jury has spoken".

The case sparked a fierce debate in the US about racial profiling.

The Department of Justice says it is investigating whether a civil case can now be brought against Mr Zimmerman.

Mr Zimmerman, 29, was cleared of all charges in relation to Trayvon Martin's death at the trial in Sanford, Florida on Saturday.

Prosecutors had argued that Mr Zimmerman shot Trayvon Martin dead on 26 February 2012 because he had racially profiled him as he walked through his neighbourhood wearing a hooded sweatshirt.

Trayvon Martin was African-American. Mr Zimmerman, who was carrying out area patrols after a spate of break-in, identifies himself as Hispanic.

The defence said he had killed Trayvon Martin in self-defence after the teenager punched their client, slammed his head into the pavement and reached for Mr Zimmerman's gun.

'Jury has spoken'

On Sunday, Trayvon Martin was remembered in many church services across the country. Protests also continued, with those taking part saying justice had not been done.

Trayvon Martin's relatives say they are "hurt" and "disappointed" over the verdict

In his statement, Mr Obama said the death of Trayvon Martin "was a tragedy. Not just for his family, or for any one community, but for America."

He acknowledged the case had elicited "strong passions", but said: "We are a nation of laws, and a jury has spoken."

He said all Americans should respect the call for calm reflection from the Martin family and should reflect on how to prevent future tragedies.

"We should ask ourselves if we're doing all we can to stem the tide of gun violence that claims too many lives across this country on a daily basis... As citizens, that's a job for all of us.

"That's the way to honour Trayvon Martin."

Mr Obama had commented on the Zimmerman case in March last year, saying: "If I had a son, he'd look like Trayvon."

On Sunday, the Department of Justice said it was evaluating the evidence to see whether Mr Zimmerman could face prosecution under federal criminal civil rights statutes, and whether such action would be "appropriate in accordance with the Department's policy governing successive federal prosecution following a state trial".

Civil rights groups in the US have also called for calm, though have expressed their dismay at the verdict.

The department of justice must intervene to take this to another level." He said "the American legal system has once again failed justice". But he also appealed for calm, saying anyone seeking to "compound our pain with street justice" would do "damage to the innocent blood and legacy of Trayvon Martin". Rights activist Al Sharpton said the verdict was "a slap in the face to the American people".

He compared the case to the beating of African-American man Rodney King by police in 1991, which sparked widespread rioting.

A petition launched by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), demanding that the department of justice open a civil rights case against Mr Zimmerman, had received more than 350,000 signatures by midday on Sunday. Protest marches were staged in US cities including San Francisco, Philadelphia, Chicago, Washington and Atlanta. In Oakland, California, some protesters started small fires and smashed windows. Mr Zimmerman's family and representatives have said they are afraid he could fall victim to revenge attacks. His brother, Robert said he had received frequent threats on social media and there was "more reason now than ever to think that people are trying to kill him".

"He's going to be looking over his shoulder the rest of his life," he said. His lawyer, Mark O'Mara, told ABC News on Sunday that Mr Zimmerman had no regrets about having carried a gun on the night of 26 February 2012.

He said his client would now be entitled to have his weapon returned to him and to carry it, saying there was "ever more reason now, isn't there? There are a lot of people out there who actually hate him, though they shouldn't." Jorge Rodriguez, a friend of Mr Zimmerman's, said he had told him of his relief. He told Reuters he did not understand the anger at the verdict.

"Everybody asked for justice, and they got it. Everybody asked for George to be arrested, and they got it. Everybody asked for George to be tried, and they got it. Everybody asked for a fair trial, and they got it."

"It was nothing about racism. It was about the community being robbed and broken into, and one man stood up," he said. "The state should be giving this man an award, and instead they took him to trial."

BBC News

Aboagye and others for Black Stars: FA President

Ghana FA boss Kwesi Nyantakyi has confirmed there are about four players penciled out from the Ghana U20 team that could earn an immediate call up to the Black Stars.

Clifford Aboagye was named the third best 
player of the 2013 FIFA U20 World Cup.

Ghana coach Akwasi Appiah was on scouting mission in Turkey during the 2013 FIFA U20 World Cup.

The Black Stars boss had earlier on revealed he has identified about four players from the Black Satellites team that finished third in the World Cup who could be drafted into the Black Stars.

Coach Appiah without revealing the identities of the said players however added he will continue to monitor these players before taking a final decision as to whether they will join the Black Stars set up soon enough.

Ghana FA boss Kwesi Nyantakyi has now confirmed these players are in line for an immediate call into the Black Stars.

“Apart from the placing, in terms of performance, it gave an opportunity to our national handlers at the senior level to see at first hand some of the budding talents that we will need for the senior team,”he confirmed

“And haven spoken to the Black Stars coach, I am very happy that he has discovered three or four players that he can make a quick call up to take part in the national team towards team building.”

Ghana has profited immensley from the past to such progression of players from the junior teams to the Black Stars.

Most of the players in the 2001 Ghana U20 team that won silver at the World Cup played in the 2002 Nations Cup and formed the nucleaus of the team that qualified Ghana to its maiden senior World Cup finals in Germany 2006.

Again the Black Stars relied heavily on the 2009 U20 World Cup winning squad at the 2010 Nations Cup in Angola with many of them now commanding regular spots in the current Black Stars squad.

Players such as Seidu Salifu, Ebenezer Assifuah and Clifford Aboagye are the most talked of players touted to join the Black Stars following their impressive displays at the World Cup.
While Assifuah emerged top scorer of the tournament, the immense talent of the diminutive Aboagye was recognized with the bronze ball award as the third best player of the tournament with Salifu als likened to Michael Essien for providing the solid backbone of the Ghana U20 midfield.

Story by: 
myjoyonline.com