Soursop Fruit Kills Cancer 100 Fold better Than Chemotherapy.

                              

Raymond Kirlew, Yvonne Kirlew of Discovery Bay, St Ann, and Florida radio host Dr Dennis Grant, hold leaves and a soursop from the soursop tree behind them.

ON THE verge of death Yvonne Kirlew was, nearly a decade ago. The chemotherapy to destroy her lymphatic cancer was apparently killing her too. But her husband, Raymond, was determined that she wasn't going to leave him. He nursed her through a dreadful time of pain and near-death moments, and the cancer went into remission.

But, alas, it came back. And Raymond's war on the cancer started all over again, and this time around he went to nature for help. He acted upon the information that the leaves, stem and bark of the soursop tree, found all over Jamaica, were more powerful and less debilitating than chemotherapy. Daily, he has been feeding Yvonne the drink extracted from the leaves and the bark of the soursop tree, and Yvonne has been cancer-free since January 2010.

WELL documented

Yvonne and Raymond Kirlew's story is well documented. The reaction to the articles was overwhelming. Readers from all over the world called or e-mailed seeking further information and to get in touch with the Kirlews. The last article was published in The Gleaner on Saturday, August 20, last year, but the fascination with their story cannot seem to die.

But the information on the healing properties of the soursop tree has long been in the public domain. It was sent to south Florida radio host, the Reverend Dr Dennis G. Grant, about five years ago, and he posted it on his home office wall. Dr Grant is the host of a very popular two-hour Saturday show called 'The Love Hour' on WAVS 1170.

In April, the native of St Mary, Jamaica, who has about 35 fruit trees in his yard in Florida, also began to boil the leaves from his own tree. "I started to take it (the drink) myself, figured it was working. My high blood pressure, my cholesterol are now normal without medication," he told The Gleaner.

Then someone sent him the August 20 article. "And when I looked at the article I saw your name - and that's when I picked up the phone and called you," he told this writer, whom he had met earlier this year at an event called 'Kingston Pon Di River', "and I started to do my own research, my own investigation, and I told my radio listeners about it."

TOTALLY Healed

Subsequently, Dr Grant began bottling the drink extracted from his own leaves. "On a Saturday, after my radio programme or during my radio programme, we don't have hands to get rid of it," he said, "and now we are getting testimonies: My insurance agent, diagnosed with gall bladder problems and prostate cancer, he's now totally, totally healed by drinking the soursop. So it has been working miracles. We have numerous, numerous testimonies."

Yet, there are skeptics. "A lot of people have read your article. I have emailed it to thousands of people. A lot of them don't believe that this is really factual. As a radio host, I wanted to come and meet the Kirlews myself," Dr Grant said. So, to remove some of the doubts, Dr Grant flew in from Florida last weekend to visit the Kirlews at their home at Dairy, Discovery Bay, St Ann.

But unbeknown to Dr Grant, the big soursop tree that seems to be sustaining Yvonne and keeping the Kirlews happy was blown over by Hurricane Sandy. Some of the roots are still firmly embedded in the ground, and the leaves are still fresh and green. It will be propped up soon by Raymond. Just as it was with Yvonne, death is not an option.

After a warm reception by the Kirlews, they gave Dr Grant a synopsis of their story, and some of the soursop portion from the fridge, which they drank on the spot. Then, it was time for Raymond, always the enthusiastic storyteller, to give anecdotes of people whose cancer was cured by the soursop tree, and those who chose chemotherapy over the soursop, and had since made the transition.

At 10 o' clock, via telephone, Raymond and Yvonne were interviewed live on Dr Grant's radio show. With the fallen soursop tree as the backdrop, Yvonne, Raymond and Dr Grant spoke for about 10 minutes. At one stage, a smiling Yvonne Kirlew exclaimed, "I feel great!" to which Dr Grant replied, "And you're looking wonderful! If they could just see how wonderful and healthy you look."

After the live interview, Dr Grant told The Gleaner, "I can go back and now say, I have met them, I have seen them. They have told me how it's done, what it has done. They have the medical records right there in the home. I am a believer.

I now believe even more that this soursop cured Mrs Kirlew, and it is a miracle drug. If my visit saved one life - this visit from Florida to Discovery Bay, Jamaica - just one life, it would have been worth it." Soot.Net.

Eko Photo Open Exhibition Rounds Off

                                  

VENTURES AFRICA – Eko Photo Club of Lagos (EPC) rounds off the maiden-annual-crossover international exhibition titled Eko Photo Open Exhibition (EPOE) 2012-2013. The official closing ceremony for EPOE 2012-2013 was held at the tranquil venue of the exhibition, Ember Creek, Victoria Island, on the 20th of January 2013.

It was graced with the presence of notable photographers such as Yetunde Babaeko,  Seun Akinsanmi, Body Lawson  and a host of others. Four certificates of recognition were awarded by the club to Yetunde Babaeko, Seun Akisanmi, Olawale Ajao, and Orelaja Akeem for their contributions to modern photography.

The exhibition opened on the 16th of December 2012 with 22 photographers displaying about 100 works called photo-arts. We call them photo-arts for they are photographs that can be used as art decorations for homes, offices, restaurants, hotels, etc.

Such a peculiar photography exhibition has never been recorded in Nigeria  before now, and all artworks have been up for sale by the photographers.

Although the official closing ceremony of the exhibition was the 20th of January 2013, due to demand, the photo-art exhibition continues till the end of February; works gradually leave the venue from this week. Those who still want a quick look, admiration, or purchase of the works can visit Eko Photo Club’s Facebook page.

The second edition for EPOE starts in December 2013 and as is characteristic of itself, spill into 2014. Call for entries will commence on September 2013.

Prevent Social Disorder Through Money-Making: The Economist

ALBERT HIRSCHMAN knew what he was talking about when he called one of his books “Essays in Trespassing”. He was an extraordinarily peripatetic practitioner of the dismal science. Born in Berlin in 1915, he fled the Nazis in 1933, studied in Paris, London and Trieste, joined the anti-Mussolini resistance, fought on the Republican side in the Spanish civil war, served in the French army until France’s collapse in 1940, helped to organise an “underground railway” for refugees, emigrated to America, joined the army and was a translator at Nuremberg. He applied the cosmopolitan spirit that he had acquired in these years to everything he wrote.

He made his reputation as a development economist, focusing on Latin America, but he soon found himself trespassing obsessively—not only into other sub-disciplines such as the theory of the firm but also into other disciplines entirely such as political science and the history of thought. Mr Hirschman was never awarded the Nobel prize in economics he so richly deserved, perhaps because his writing was hard to classify. However, as if by way of recompense, Princeton University Press is about to publish a 768-page biography by Jeremy Adelman.

Mr Hirschman’s most famous book, “Exit, Voice and Loyalty: Responses to Decline in Firms, Organisations and States”, remains as suggestive today as it was when it first appeared in 1970, for managers and policymakers as well as intellectuals. Mr Hirschman argued that people have two different ways of responding to disappointment. They can vote with their feet (exit) or stay put and complain (voice). Exit has always been the default position in the United States: Americans are known as being quick to up sticks and move. It is also the default position in the economics profession. Indeed, when his book appeared, Milton Friedman and his colleagues in the Chicago School were busy extending the empire of exit to new areas. If public schools or public housing were rotten, they argued, people should be encouraged to escape them.

Mr Hirschman raised some problems with the cult of exit. Sometimes, it entrenches the status quo. Dictators may rule longer if their bravest critics flee abroad (indeed, Cuba uses emigration as a safety valve). Monopolies may have an easier life if their stroppiest customers find an alternative. Mr Hirschman got the idea for his book during a ghastly train journey in Nigeria: he concluded that the country’s railways were getting worse because the most vocal customers were shifting to the roads.

Exit may also reinforce the cycle of decline. State schools may get worse if the pushiest parents take their custom elsewhere. Mr Hirschman worried that a moderate amount of exit might produce the worst of all worlds: “an oppression of the weak by the incompetent and an exploitation of the poor by the lazy which is the more durable and stifling as it is both unambitious and escapable.” (Mr Hirschman wrote better in his third language than most economists do in their first.) Exit may also entail costs. If you have invested heavily in a company that starts performing badly, then you may be better off agitating for a change in management rather than selling your shares at a loss.

Mr Hirschman overstated his case. Plenty of evidence suggests that choice can act as an energiser, not a soporific. The most comprehensive study of school choice, in Sweden in 1988-2009, by Anders Bohlmark and Mikael Lindahl, found that “free schools” (private schools that are paid for by the state) were not only good for their own pupils but also forced ordinary state schools to shape up. But Mr Hirschman’s overall point was not that exit is bad but that exit and “voice” work best together. Reformers are more likely to be able to fix an organisation if there is a danger that their clients will leave. The problem with Friedman et al was that they focused only on exit and not on how exit and voice could be used to reinforce each other.

Modern technology is adding to the power of both exit and voice. Consumers can abandon expensive middlemen for electronic commerce. They can also organise online armies to protest against poor service. But companies are also fighting back—making exit more difficult by persuading people to sign long-term contracts (particularly with teaser rates) and encouraging loyalty by offering rewards such as air miles. They are also adding their own voices to the hubbub via social media.

Squawk or go

Mr Hirschman wrote so much about so many different subjects that it is easy to see why his biography stretches to 768 pages. He challenged the conventional wisdom among his fellow development economists that poor countries need “balanced growth”; he argued instead that the “disequilibria” generated by unbalanced growth might do a better job of mobilising resources. He also challenged the conventional wisdom among sociologists and historians that the Protestant ethic prepared the way for capitalism. He suggested, rather, that the starring role should be given to a group of thinkers, such as Montesquieu, who argued that the best way to prevent social disorder was to channel people’s passions into moneymaking.

The Economist claims to engage in a “severe contest” with “an unworthy, timid ignorance obstructing our progress”. Mr Hirschman was an eloquent ally. In “The Rhetoric of Reaction” he wrote that purveyors of “timid ignorance” rely on three types of argument: jeopardy (reforms will cost a lot and endanger previous gains); perversity (reforms will harm the people they are intended to help); and futility (problems are so huge that nothing can be done about them). That certainly describes the current debates about global warming, illegal drugs and countless other topics. With luck, Mr Hirschman’s exit will not silence his voice.

Russia's Diplomacy: Vladimir Putin's Message on the Day of the Diplomatic Worker

The message says: "Russian diplomacy has a rich and glorious history and the centuries-long traditions of the diplomatic service are caringly preserved and creatively developed by the personnel of Foreign Ministry, embassies and other foreign missions, and representative offices in the regions of Russia."

"The efforts of diplomacy, our active cooperation with other countries are aimed primarily at creating favourable conditions for the consistent internal development of Russia, guaranteeing further social and economic growth and raising the standard of living of Russian citizens."

Putin expressed confidence that the authority and influence of Russia in world affairs will be growing and Russian diplomacy will continue serving the nation loyally and selflessly.

Nuclear talks between Russia and the United States

                              

                              
The United States is to send a top arms-control official to Moscow to convince the Russians to continue to decommission deployed nuclear weapons by saying it would save the two countries $8 billion a year, Kommersant reported citing an undisclosed source.

The initiative will target weapon categories not covered by the Russian-US agreement, which is called New START. The treaty pretends that strategic bombers can carry only a single warhead instead of up to 20 and does not consider weapons held in storage and smaller-scale tactical weapons.

A more drastic reduction would bring down the number of warhead by another third to some 1,000 to 1,100, according to the Center for Public Integrity, a nonprofit journalistic organization. The number would be sufficient to maintain US’ deterrence capability and would not require structural changes to nuclear forces, the consensus in Washington says.

White House officials reportedly believe that the approaching limit of 1,550 strategic deployed nuclear weapons, agreed upon in the 2010 New START agreement, could be brought down to 1,000 without compromising nuclear deterrence between the two powers.

Pyotr Topychkanov, a nonproliferation programme coordinator at the Carnegie Moscow Center, said that "in terms of its defence strategy, the US is shifting its focus toward conventional [non-nuclear] weapons, while Russia remains more nuclear-dependent. Therefore, it is easier for the US to talk about further nuclear arms reductions."

"Russia cannot keep up with the pace of these [conventional-weapon] developments and thus still heavily relies on its nuclear might," he added. "In contrast with the US, Russia also finds itself in a close vicinity of many other nuclear-weapon states, such as India, Pakistan and North Korea."

Israel Condemns Diplomacy with Iran

                

Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu heads the weekly cabinet meeting in his office in Jerusalem.

A powerful partner of Israel's prime minister says sanctions and negotiations will not stop Iran from pursuing its disputed nuclear programme.

Former Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman says North Korea's nuclear test was an "obvious example" of diplomacy failing to curb a nuclear programme.

Lieberman told Army Radio on Wednesday that "anyone who thinks sanctions or negotiations will stop Iran is wrong."

Iran, like North Korea, is under stiff sanctions and negotiations with the West over its nuclear program have stalled.

Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu often hints about a possible strike on Iran's nuclear facilities.

Lieberman stepped down from his post two months ago after he was indicted for breach of trust in a fraud and money-laundering case. But he remains a powerful lawmaker and Netanyahu's top political ally.

Lieberman has also reiterated that there can never be any peace accord with Palestinians since the last one signed in 1993. Lieberman is a complete hardliner.

President Obama is set to visit Israel. His visit will surely focus on Iran, peace with Palestine and the Syrian crisis.

Nigeria Must GO: Ghana sends Nigerians Packing

Ghanaian authorities renewed the siege against foreign traders, as the Ministry of Trade and Industry clamped down over 40 shops belonging to Nigerians. The shops located at Akanshie, about 200 meters away from the Mokola International Market were occupied by Nigerians, who traded in bicycle spare parts and other accessories.

According to one of the affected traders, Mr. Damien Uduba, their shops were stormed by some officials of the Ministry of Trade and Industry, who compelled them to pack their goods and thereafter had the shops under lock and key. The officials were reported to have secured the shops with their own padlocks, thereby making them inaccessible to the owners.

Business in the usually busy area has almost grinded to a halt, as only a few shops said to be owned by Ghanaians are open.

"Official of the Ministry of Trade and Ministry of Ghana came yesterday and asked us to close and pack our things. And afterwards, they locked up all the shops and asked us to go out of their markets. In fact we are all troubled, we started packing our things inside the shops, and they locked everything inside and took the keys away," Uduba revealed.

A written notice pasted on the doors of the sealed shops titled "Notice to Non-Ghanaians engaging in retail business," instructed them to regularize their businesses before they would be allowed to continue doing business.

A ruffled Uduba insisted that he had done all that was required by the Ghanaian law to do business in the country, "If you see in my hands, I have all the documents, we are obliged to obtain. This is the document from the Ghanaian government authorizing me to commence business in the country.

"You can see another document. This is my Resident Permit, allowing me to reside in the country. In fact I have all the documents. I pay VAT, IRS and other taxes. I pay everything and yet they closed my shop. They said I should move out of the market. I should pack all my things and go back to Nigeria," he said.

Another affected trader, Mr. Prince Uzokwu, who also recounted his ordeal at the ministry, said he was told that he would only be allowed into his shop to pack his goods out of the place. He was not allowed to continue trading in the area.

Uzokwu recollected that the area was transformed into a beehive of commerce by the Nigerian traders stating, "When we came to this place it was virtually empty, but you know Nigerians. I came and I brought somebody and that person brought another and within a period of time, the place blossomed into a market.

"So if I go to the bush or a village to establish again, maybe tomorrow, the place will also turn into a market and they will come and expel us again. So we don't know what to do about it. We are losing business and we have families to fend for," he blustered.

Uduba added that the conciliatory moves by ECOWAS Parliament that brought them some respite may have been disregarded by the Ghanaian authorities.

Mr. Joseph Obeng, the National Organizer of Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA) insisted that there was nothing like concession. The laws of the country must be implemented to the letter. In so far as their law had reserved retail business for Ghanaians alone it must be respected.

Oteng also reasoned that Ghana cannot forgo her laws when her nationals in other ECOWAS countries were subject to domicile laws.

The President of the Nigerian Union of Traders Association in Ghana (NUTAG), Deacon John Igwe Ukala, who expressed surprise at the latest intimidation of Nigerian traders, explained that he was unaware of any default on the part of their members that could have prompted the action taken by the Ghanaian authorities.

"I always tell our members to be law abiding and do as the law of Ghana says. Don't misbehave here, pay your tax, pay your VAT, and get your Resident Permit. To my greatest surprise, when I heard this news yesterday we were really shocked. I cannot understand the cause of this, because I know our members have complied with their laws," he posited.

Ukala said the closure was targeted at Nigerians, because other foreign nationals, especially the Lebanese were selling in the markets without molestation, stressing, "As I am talking to you now, when we go back to the other side of Akanshie, you will see some whites, especially Lebanese trading."

Ukala, who claimed that the traders felt abandoned, because they were regularly intimidated by the Ghanaian authorities decried the in- action of Nigerian government. He also asked that ECOWAS should come to their rescue once again.

A source close to the Ghanaian Trade Ministry, who preferred anonymity, explained that the country had adopted the posture in order to compel the Nigerian government to act on certain bureaucratic bottlenecks that were militating against their trade relations with Nigeria.

For instance, he cited the fact that some made in Ghana goods were prohibited by the Nigerian government, an action that was frustrating their bid to engage in more robust business with Nigeria. He also made mention of the fact that their traders were intimidated, harassed and extorted at the Nigerian border, which has limited Ghanaian penetration into the Nigerian market.

President John Mahama, when he was vice president regularly derided Nigeria, because of the bloated number of security checks at the border, insisting that inter-regional trade would not strive under such circumstances.

For those, who flagrantly disobey the Ghanaian laws, he had no words of reprieve for them, as he insisted that the government of Nigeria will not countenance lawlessness.

ICPC boss: Nigeria lacks the will to fight Corruption

The ICPC boss says that while Nigeria has laws to fight corruption, the will for execution of such laws is lacking.

The Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, Ekpo Nta, has said that Nigeria is not short of relevant laws to combat corruption. Mr. Nta said the major challenge is the will to execute the laws.

The ICPC chairman said this while delivering a lecture at the flag-off ceremony for the 50th anniversary of the Department of Political Science, University of Ibadan, identified the scourge as the fastest growing evil in the country.

"There had been corrupt practices decree, War Against Indiscipline, MAMSA, NOA, Foreign Exchange Decree, Money Laundry Decree, EFCC and ICPC Acts, Fiscal responsibility 2010, etc. We have more than enough laws that will stamp corruption out of our system but the problem is implementation. Implementing our laws is the problem," he said.

The ICPC boss defined corruption as abuse of trust and political power for private gains, insisting that except all Nigerians join hands together in the fight against corruption; it will continue to thrive in the country.

Delivering the lecture, entitled "Combating corruption in Nigeria: Prospect, Challenges and Strategies", he decried the art of plagiarism among lecturers, as well as falsification of records, sexual harassment, cultism, extortion, and false representation during accreditation in Nigerian universities.

Mr. Nta also disclosed that the commission depends majorly on information from petitions forwarded to it by members of the public for prosecution of suspects, adding that they have engaged in massive enlightenment campaign to sensitize the public on the evil of corruption to the society.

Head of Department of Political Science, Osisioma Nwolise, declared that corruption is wasting Nigeria's resources and sentencing a large number of the citizenry to the harsh side of life. He said corruption has reached the level that requires surgical operation. "It has adopted a dimension at which it should be declared as crime against humanity and treated as such," he relayed

"Some loot our money and still spit on our faces and attend ceremonies in pride and pomposity. People who should bury their faces in shame talk so loudly and with so much impunity that they deafen the ears of our collective conscience", Mr. Nwolise said.