Welcome To Echo Blog

It’s important to acknowledge how vital friendships are, says Alistair Williams, a coach and founder of A Clear Path Ahead.  “Psychologists talk of the importance of ‘relatedness’, ‘affiliation’ or ‘community’ as not only being at the heart of a contented life but also crucial to our physical and mental wellbeing.” How to widen your circle: 1. Think about what you need from a friendship. To help you streamline your search, think about what area of your life a new friend might fulfil. “It could be linked to a particular interest – whether foreign language films, a certain sport or trekking in the mountains,” says Williams. “As our interests grow, we develop too and may find that we have nobody to share them with. Often it's simply around basic human connection – wanting someone to talk to, someone who is interested in you, as you are in them.” 2. Deepen your everyday conversations. “If you find yourself regularly talking about work or other mundane topics with a colleague you could

  The Guardian Gunmen abduct ex-Edo lawmaker. Former Edo State House of Assembly member, Festus Edughele, was, yesterday, kidnapped by suspected gunmen in Ubiaja, while on his way from Orhionmwon to Benin City, the state capital. This is coming three days after 31 passengers waiting to board a train from Igueben station in the Igueben Council of the state to Warri in Delta State were kidnapped by suspected herdsmen on Saturday evening. ThisDay Buhari in Yola, Canvasses Support for Tinubu, Binani, Other APC Candidates. Tells Adamawa people Tinubu/Shettima can be trusted to deliver   Urges them to make history by electing first female governor  Vanguard Ojota Fracas: Rally turns bloody as Yoruba Nation agitators, Police clash A rally organised by Yoruba Nation agitators, yesterday, turned bloody, following a clash between the protesters and the Police, which left a yet-to-be-identified man dead, in the Ojota area of Lagos. Scores of others, among who were two policemen, sustained varying

THE CHOPSTICKS: Are you a lover of Chinese food? Guess you had no idea that chopsticks were developed about 5,000 years ago in China.                                          Chopsticks THE COMB Ever thought about where that comb came from? Egyptians were among the earliest, if not the earliest, to develop combs circa 5500 BCE.  A Comb SHOES The oldest known leather shoe, about 5500 years old, was found in Armenia. MIRROR Bronze mirror, New Kingdom of Egypt, Eighteenth Dynasty, 1540–1296 BC, Cleveland Museum of Art (U.S.) Would you believe the above image is a Mirror? In the Bronze Age, most cultures were using mirrors made from polished discs of bronze, copper, silver, or other metals. The people of Kerma in Nubia were skilled in the manufacturing of mirrors. Remains of their bronze kilns have been found within the temple of Kerma. In China, bronze mirrors were manufactured from around 2000 BC, some of the earliest bronze and copper examples being produced by the Qijia culture. Such m

Edo State is in the news as scores of travellers waiting to board a train from Igueben in Igueben Local Government Area of the state to Warri in Delta State, were kidnapped by suspected herdsmen, declared the Edo State Police Command on Saturday night. The Command, in a press statement endorsed by its spokesman, Chidi Nwabuzor, at about 9.55pm, stated that the unfortunate incident happened at about 4.00pm on Saturday. The text of the statement reads: “This is to inform the gentlemen of the press that today, 7th of January, 2023 at about 1600hrs, unspecified number of Herdsmen armed with AK 47 riffles attacked the train station at Igueben, Edo State and kidnapped unspecified number of passengers who were waiting to board the train to Warri. “The kidnappers who shot sporadically into the air before kidnapping some passengers left some persons with bullet wounds. The Area Commander Irrua, DPO Igueben Division, and men have visited the scene of crime with members of Edo State Security Netw

Kylie Jenner and Travis Scott have ended their romantic relationship again, inside sources have reportedly revealed to US Weekly. They were spotted holding hands at Coachella in early 2017, where the news of their love story began. Their daughter, Stormi, was born in Feb. 2018, and they separated in late 2019. However, a few months later, in early 2020, they reunited, and they welcomed their son, whose name has not been formally announced, in February 2022. The couple has had an on-and-off relationship. "Kylie and Travis are off again, they were supposed to spend the holidays together, but she went to Aspen to be with her family and friends up there,” the insider says of the former couple. “This has happened so many times before, they’re known to be on again and off again, but always remain friends and great co-parents,” said a source to US Weekly.  They will remain amicable, co-parenting Stormi and her brother.

On Friday, the Nigerian Security Printing and Minting (NSPM) Plc, responsible for printing the naira notes, explained why the new Naira notes leave ink when rubbed on plain white surfaces. In a statement on Friday, signed by NSPM’s Managing Director, Ahmed Halilu, as regards various clips, skits, concerns and comments on diverse platforms regarding the quality of the redesigned notes. Ahmed Haliru said that; “It is, therefore, basically the same as the other notes in circulation,” he explained. “It is, however, important to note that new banknotes are generally light when issued, then become heavier in circulation on getting in contact with dirt and moisture,” Halilu added. “In addition, the second stage of currency printing (intaglio) requires a heavy deposit of special inks with fairly large particles to give a tactile feeling of the portraits as well as other raised prints by way of design. “One of the properties of intaglio inks is non-solubility in water and ease of transfer (ligh

Khloe Kardashian did a cover shoot for Sorbet magazine, a quarterly publication out of Dubai.The reality star posted a number of these photos to her Instagram handle.            Kloe Kardashian, Image credit: justjared Many compared Kloe Kardashian's to Taylor Swift in the images thanks to her beautiful slim long legs and the clip-on blunt bangs she had on. While others noted that she no longer looked like her former self. Others felt that the pictures were heavily retouched. Khloé Kardashian nonetheless, will not let rumors diminish all the hard work she’s put into cultivating her fit physique. Kardashian finally responded in a since-deleted comment,  “I openly talk about my nose job and anyone who ‘looks up’ to me must know I’ve lost over 60 pounds over the years. So recently the only change is the bangs.” She added, “I didn’t know I had to do a running list.”  Kloe added; “Either way, attacking someone is sad in my opinion. Unprovoked is the saddest part. If you are offended or

Prince Harry is about to release his book "Spare." He claimed that he will finally be able to talk about his life struggles in his upcoming book 'Spare.' However, this did not go down well with Megyn Kelly. Prince Harry  The former Fox News anchor is of the opinion that this will not be the first time that Harry openly talks about his relationship with the rest of the Royal Family after stepping down along with his wife Meghan Markle back in 2020.                                     Megyn Kelly Megyn Marie Kelly an American journalist and media personality didn't hesitate to ridicule the idea, she said; "Let's shift gears to somebody who isn't a victim but thinks he is and that is Prince Harry who is finally going to tell his story," Kelly said, sarcastically, on her SiriusXM programme 'The Megyn Kelly Show'. "Finally, he is going to come out with it in his autobiography after the gazillion interviews he and his wife have given about

Music superstar, David Adedeji Adeleke with the stage name Davido, has paid the bride price of his fiancée Chioma Avril Rowland aka Chef. Davido and his family members, reiterated their intentions to marry Chioma by paying her bride price in full, in the presence of her entire family. Photos from Chioma's bride price payment have surfaced online. Chioma's dad can be seen in photos taking charge of things at the meeting. The yams, drinks, and other items were presented.  

Gunmen on Monday attacked the convoy of Ikedi Ohakim, a former Governor of Imo State. Ikedi Ohakim's convoy was said to have been attacked at Oriagu in Ehime Mbano Local Government Area of the state. Ohakim, escaped narrowly, however his backup vehicle was attacked. The gunmen attacked his convoy and threw explosives at it when they could not capture Ohakim. Four of the ex-governor's police details were reportedly killed in the attack. According to the Punch, Ohakim was with two of his children and was returning from a visit when the gunmen struck. Police reinforcement from Owerri later escorted the former governor to his house.

                                         Image credit: Shutterstock Ozempic, a drug produced by the Danish company Novo Nordisk, is an injectable drug that regulates blood sugar levels and insulin. It’s usually prescribed to adults suffering from Type 2 diabetes, the most common type of diabetes. The diabetes drug is facing shortages worldwide and causing health concerns as social media users boast its properties as a “wonder” weight loss hack. The drug’s active ingredient, semaglutide, also mimics a hormone called glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) that targets areas of the brain that regulate appetite and food. Because it makes users feel full faster, it can lead them to lose weight. As a result, Ozempic has been touted on the Internet as a miracle diet drug. On TikTok, the hashtag #Ozempic already has over 360 million views and counting. The TikTok weight loss trend has caused a global diabetes drug shortage - and health concerns. Off-label prescriptions of several antidiabetic drugs l

Hope keeps us invigorated. Hope, for a new day. Hope for success. Hope inspires. Hope uplifts. Hope enlightens. Hope is here! A New Day, A New Year! Hope, for, a better beginning. Stay on Hope's lane. Hope against Hope! You will achieve! Anything you do, do not lose Hope! Keep Hope alive! Have a Blessed Year Everyone.

 Soccer Icon Pele dies at the age of 82 on Thursday at the Albert Einstein Israelite Hospital in Sao Paulo, after a lengthy battle with colon cancer. Pele's daughter, Kely Nascimento, confirmed the news on Instagram, writing, “Everything we are is thanks to you. We love you infinitely. Rest in peace.” The three-time World Cup winner was lauded as a god-like figure in Brazil. Brazilians mourn the death of the soccer great on Thursday night, as fans paid tribute.  Iconic monuments in Brazil like the Christ the Redeemer and the Maracana stadium were lit up in honour of Pele, as they honour soccer's greatest star.  Rest on Pele!

THIS THING CALLED POVERTY! A DIRE SITUATION! Written By Janet Odidi Obuotor. The Nigerian saying; "Poverty a bastard!" Is so so true. Hello Poverty, t he vast majority of Nigerians have fallen into your cruel embrace. Suddenly, without a warning, you made them sign the dotted lines of 'UNHOLY' wedlock.  Morning In Africa, An African Mother Going About Her Business For The Day - To Provide Food For Her Family.  Our Dear Elected Leaders, Poverty is real. There is hunger in the land, many are impoverished.  The dichotomy between the 'haves' and the 'have not' is widening. There is an upsurge in job loss among the working class.  The business sector is also not spared, it suffers from; 1. A hostile business environment, made up of a lack of technical know-how and an extremely high cost of financing businesses. 2. A lack of funds for starting and sustaining businesses. 3. Poor electricity supply.  Simply put, basic infrastructure is absent. Furthermore, cor