5 THINGS AFRICAN ARTISTS SHOULD LEARN FROM SINACH

Sinach

1. Creating an international brand: The aspiration of many artist in Africa is to be known within and outside the borders of their nations and continent, but unfortunately very few African artist have succeeded in this area breaking the confines of their nations to the international community. Sinach is among the few successful ones who have an international brand that is respected. The world hears her because she writes songs that can be sung anywhere in the world regardless of the age and sex (she sings for the world not just Africans or Nigerians). An international brand can only be created with clear vision, passion, excellence and credibility.

2. Majoring on Live Performances: The bane of many of African artist is the lack of hard work and excellence in executing great live performances, or should I describe it as the fear of real live performance. Most of the artist major on CD live performances (so you hear parallel voices or two lead singers at the same time), that has become the norm and has weaken the drive of this artist to be great performers. Sinach has always been a performer and has gotten professional with it, this has increased her credibility nationally and internationally resulting in many performances with Pastor Chris, Pastor Benny Hinn and many more and recently she has been touring.

3. Maintaining her genre and style: Sinach had defined her genre and has faithfully stuck to it. Occasionally artists can come up with new sounds but it is good to have a signature sound and a genre you are good and known for. She has faithfully produced some of the most successful and popular worship songs. 

4. Having good publicity: Publicity is important in the music industry, most African artists don’t own an attractive and functional website. Most organization that pay artist to perform won’t bother if the artist doesn’t have a functional website (we can’t over-emphasis owning a good website). A website keeps people updated about you, and also she is active on social media, this helps build and maintain loyal fanship.

5.  Investing in Excellence and Quality: The production of her work shows excellence and hardwork, she just almost gets it right every time. If someone does what they are passionate about it is good to give their best and aim at self- improvement. It is worth making sure the production sound great whether in the studio or on the stage.

Sinach is an award winning songwriter, vocalist and one of the most anointed international worship leaders of our time. As a song writer she has written over 200 songs and won several awards. Many of her songs are sung by several churches and people all over the world. One of her most popular songs is 'I Know Who I Am'. Sinach has performed in several countries including South Africa, USA and Uganda. Her writings and music have ministered to millions all over the world bringing healing, hope, encouragement and strengthening their faith.

You can watch Sinach's latest video  'Way maker' here

The year 2015 was a great year for Sinach but I believe the best from Sinach is yet to come.

To know more about Sinach and to stay connected with her click here

Writer: Elijah Okon

linkelijahon@gmail.com

Mars recalls chocolate in 55 countries

Chocolate maker Mars has ordered a recall of chocolate products in 55 countries.

In the UK the products affected include funsize Mars and Milky Way bars and boxes of Celebrations.

In the Netherlands Mars and Snickers bars were also affected.

It comes after a customer in Germany found bits of plastic in a Snickers bar in January. The plastic was traced back to the Mars factory in the southern town of Veghel in the Netherlands.

A spokesperson for Mars said the recall only involved products manufactured at the Dutch plant.

The recall covers mostly countries in Europe and does not extend to the US, where Mars is based.

The company has not said how many bars are affected or how much the recall will cost.

The food giant said it has decided to voluntarily recall some products as a precaution.

"With this recall, we would like to prevent consumers who have purchased one of the above-mentioned products from consuming it," the company said in a statement.

The UK's Food Standards Agency (FSA) said: "Mars has just confirmed to the FSA that there has been UK distribution of products recalled in the Netherlands and Germany. We are awaiting full distribution details from the company and will publish advice shortly."

Products affected in UK

Brand	Product	Best before dates
Mars Funsize	250g bag	11 Sept 2016 to 2 Oct 2016
Milky Way Funsize	227g bag	2 Oct 2016
Variety Funsize	Family favourites	29 May 2016 to 14 Aug 2016
Variety Funsize	Party Mix	15 May 2016 to 7 Aug 2016
Celebrations	388g box	8 May 2016 to 28 Aug 2016
Celebrations	245g box	8 May 2016 to 28 Aug 2016
Snickers Miniature	2.5kg catering case	7 Aug 2016 to 14 Aug 2016

Mars says customers with one of the products above should contact its consumer care team:

Telephone: 0800 952 0084

Post: Mars R1, FREEPOST, Mars Consumer Care

Email: recall@uk.mars.com

Source: BBC

Zuckerberg is 'sympathetic' to Apple in its clash with FBI

Mark Zuckerberg made his comments during an interview at Mobile World Congress

Facebook's chief executive has said he is sympathetic to Apple's position in its clash with the FBI.

The FBI has ordered Apple to disable the security software on a dead murderer's iPhone but the tech giant has refused.

Mark Zuckerberg said he did not believe the authorities should have backdoors to bypass encryption protection.

However, a lawyer representing some of the gunman's victims has backed the federal bureau.

Stephen Larson, a former judge, said he intended to file legal paperwork next month telling Apple to co-operate.

"They were targeted by terrorists, and they need to know why, how this could happen," he added.

He declined to say how many of the victims he was representing, but did add that he would not be charging them a fee.

'Pretty sympathetic'

Mr Zuckerberg made his comments at the Mobile World Congress tech show in Barcelona.

"I don't think that requiring back doors to encryption is either going to be an effective thing to increase security or is really the right thing to do," he said.

"We are pretty sympathetic to Tim [Cook] and Apple."

He added that Facebook was committed to doing all it could to prevent terrorism but his company was in favour of encryption.

The social network had previously issued a statement saying that the court order could create a "chilling precedent".

Leaders at Google and Twitter also voiced support for Apple last week.

'Justice'

Fourteen people were killed and 22 injured when gunman Syed Rizwan Farook and his wife Tashfeen Malik opened fire in California last December.

Apple's chief executive Tim Cook has described the FBI's order as "dangerous" and "unprecedented".

He has said the firm would have to build a new operating system in order to comply.

"We strongly believe the only way to guarantee that such a powerful tool isn't abused and doesn't fall into the wrong hands is to never create it," the firm stated in a Q&A on the Apple website.

'Following a lead'

In a statement published in Sunday, the FBI Director James Comey said the demand was "about the victims and justice".

"We simply want the chance, with a search warrant, to try to guess the terrorist's passcode without the phone essentially self-destructing and without it taking a decade to guess correctly," the FBI director wrote.

"That's it. We don't want to break anyone's encryption or set a master key loose on the land.

"Maybe the phone holds the clue to finding more terrorists. Maybe it doesn't. But we can't look the survivors in the eye, or ourselves in the mirror, if we don't follow this lead."

Last week anti-virus creator John McAfee offered to unlock the iPhone for the FBI.

"It will take us three weeks," he told Business Insider, adding that he would eat his shoe on television if his team failed.

Source: BBC

Syria conflict: US-Russia brokered truce to start at weekend

The ceasefire call comes as government forces make gains around Aleppo in the north

The US and Russia have announced that a planned cessation of hostilities in Syria will come into effect at midnight on 27 February.

Their statement said the truce did not include so-called Islamic State (IS) and the al-Qaeda-linked Nusra Front.

World powers agreed on 12 February that a truce would come into effect within a week, but that deadline passed and scepticism remains over the new plan.

On Sunday 140 died in bombings in Homs and Damascus as the violence continued.

More than 250,000 Syrians have been killed in the conflict which began in March 2011.

Some 11 million others have been forced from their homes, of whom four million have fled abroad - including growing numbers who are making the dangerous journey to Europe.

Separately, Syria's government has called a parliamentary election for 13 April. The last was in 2012 and they are held every four years.

Assad 'ready'

The White House said that President Barack Obama had phoned his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin at Mr Putin's request to discuss the efforts to establish the cessation of hostilities.

After their phone call, the joint Russian-US statement was released.

The truce applied to "those parties to the Syrian conflict that have indicated their commitment to and acceptance of its terms", the statement said.

This excluded IS, Nusra and "other terrorist organisations designated by the UN".

Air strikes by Syria, Russia and the US-led coalition against these groups would continue, the statement read.

It said that armed opposition groups taking part would have to confirm their participation by midday on 26 February.

Russian and Syrian planes would halt any attacks on the armed opposition groups.

Russia and the US will work together to "delineate territory where groups that have indicated their commitment to and acceptance of the cessation of hostilities are active".

The deal also sets up a communications hotline and calls for a working group to monitor ceasefire violations.

Syria's main opposition grouping, the High Negotiations Committee, said it would accept the truce, but its commitment was conditional on the lifting of sieges, an end to attacks on civilians, the freeing of prisoners and the delivery of aid.

US Secretary of State John Kerry welcomed the deal, saying: "If implemented and adhered to, this cessation will not only lead to a decline in violence, but also continue to expand the delivery of urgently needed humanitarian supplies to besieged areas."

Russia and the US back opposing sides in the war; Moscow is President Bashar al-Assad's strongest ally.

On Saturday, President Assad had said he would be ready for a ceasefire, if what he termed "terrorists" did not take advantage of the lull in the fighting. But he had previously cast doubt on the success of a truce.

Government forces, backed by Russian air strikes, have been making advances against rebels around the northern city of Aleppo.

Analysts say there will be huge scepticism about the possibility of an effective ceasefire, given the current fighting and failure of the first deadline.

Air strikes will continue and it is unclear whether Kurdish forces, which have been making ground in the north, sparking artillery fire from Turkey, will abide by any truce.

The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said fighting and air strikes continued unabated on Monday, with IS fighters attacking the army's main supply route between Damascus and Aleppo.

Islamic State militants said they carried out the attacks in Homs and Damascus on Sunday.

Russia said the attacks were aimed at "subverting attempts" to reach a political settlement.

On Monday, a spokesman for the US-led coalition fighting IS in Syria, Col Steve Warren, said he believed that IS was "beginning to lose".

He said the number of Islamic State fighters in Iraq and Syria, previously placed at between 19,000 and 31,000, was now between 20,000 and 25,000.

"They have been able to replenish their forces at roughly the same rate as we've been able to kill their forces. That's hard to sustain," Col Warren said.

'Fractured state'

Meanwhile, the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Syriareported its findings on Monday. They include:

• Syria is a "fractured state on the brink of collapse"

• War crimes by the government and IS are widespread and rampant

• The conflict should be referred to the International Criminal Court in The Hague

• The international community must "curb the proliferation and supply of weapons to warring parties"

• "Indiscriminate and disproportionate attacks on the civilian population must end"

Source: BBC

Don Moen gives Frank Edwards a BMW 8i as valentine gift.

Frank Edward has been in the US for some weeks now recording some tracks with Don Moen which we believe will be part of their long anticipated collaboration. On the 14th of February; Valentines days, the celebrated gospel music singer and Rock town boss was blessed with a BMW 8i by the worship leader Don Moen . 

 You will recall that late last year, Frank Edwards gave out his Range Rover sport and his Mercedes to his manager and Mum respectively. He later bought a BMW x7 and now has a BMW 8i. This is real time blessings!

Chelsea thrash youthful Man City 5 - 1 Advance to FA Cup Quarters (All Goals & Highlights)

Chelsea swept aside a below-strength Manchester City team containing five teenage full debutants to reach the FA Cup quarter-finals.

City manager Manuel Pellegrini warned he would select a shadow side after the game was scheduled for late on Sunday, ahead of Wednesday's Champions League match against Dynamo Kiev in Ukraine.

And he was true to his word as most of City's big players were missing and defender Tosin Adarabioyo and young midfielders Manu Garcia and Aleix Garcia were selected, along with Bersant Celina and David Faupala.

Faupala actually gave City hope when he scrambled in an equaliser, after Diego Costa headed Chelsea in front 10 minutes before half-time.

The leveller was met with several coins being thrown onto the pitch from the Chelsea supporters' end.

The hosts, however, over-ran City after the break with Willian scoring from close range and Gary Cahill putting the result beyond doubt with a powerful finish from Fernando's poor clearance.

The excellent Eden Hazard curled in a free-kick and Bertrand Traore's header looped over dreadful City keeper Willy Caballero to complete an emphatic win for Chelsea, who were even allowed the luxury of seeing Oscar's penalty saved.

Man of the match: Eden Hazard (Chelsea)

Watch  Chelsea vs Manchester City 5-1 - All Goals & Highlights 2016

What the managers said

Chelsea manager Guus Hiddink: "Manchester City made changes but that doesn't make it easy because the youngsters that came in were dangerous. It was key that we started well in the second half, got an early second and third goal."

Manchester City boss Manuel Pellegrini: "We were forced to select that team, we couldn't play another day and didn't have any more fit players. We knew it was a difficult chance to carry on in the FA Cup. We cannot do anything more.

"If we play on Saturday, it is better for us, then we play in the Champions League for England. We have six players injured and cannot take any more risks. We played against a very good team and that's why they won."

The stats you need to know

• Guus Hiddink has never lost an FA Cup match with Chelsea (P6, W6), guiding them to the trophy in 2009
• Manchester City conceded five goals in an FA Cup game for the first time since January 2000 (2-5 v Leeds)
• David Faupala scored on his first ever senior appearance in English football
• Diego Costa has scored seven goals in his last seven games in all competitions at Stamford Bridge
• Eden Hazard has scored and assisted in both of his two FA Cup appearances this season (two goals, three assists in total)
• Hazard has assisted two goals in a game (all comps) for Chelsea for the first time since March 2014
• Chelsea (8) have scored more direct free-kicks than any other team in Europe's top five leagues (all comps)

• What next?

Chelsea travel to Southampton in the Premier League on Saturday, while Manchester City face a trip to Ukraine on Wednesday to play Dynamo Kiev in the Champions League. They then play Liverpool in the League Cup final at Wembley on Sunday.

​Kari Jobe and Cody Carnes Welcome First Child Canyon Morrison Caine Carnes born February 18

Kari Jobe and her husband Cody Carnes have welcomed their first child, a son named Canyon Morrison Caine Carnes. Canyon was born healthy at 9 pounds and 13 ounces, 22.5 inches tall on February 18.

The couple shared a picture of their son on social media, introducing their "sweet angel." Fans have been leaving their congratulations across facebook, twitter and instagram.

Kari Jobe married fellow worship leader Cody Carnes in November of 2014. The couple both leads worship at Gateway Church in addition to Kari's own successful solo worship recording career. Kari Jobe will be participating in the Outcry Tour 2016.