(TONY KARUMBA/AFP/Getty Images) Last Male Northern White Rhino Dies From Age Related Complications We were extremely sad to learn that the world’s last male northern white rhino , Sudan, died this week in Kenya. According to NBC News reports , researchers announced the news Tuesday that Sudan had passed from “age-related complications,” saying he “stole the heart of many with his dignity and strength.” A statement from the Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya said the 45-year-old rhino was euthanized on Monday after his condition “worsened significantly” and he was no longer able to stand. His muscles and bones had degenerated and his skin had extensive wounds, with a deep infection on his back right leg. We hope he didn’t suffer too much. At least he wasn’t hunted down by some evil colonizers for his horn though. Sudan was born in Sudan before being taken to a Czech zoo where he lived for some time before being transferred to Kenya in 2009 with the three other remaining fertile northern white rhinos at the time. They were placed under 24-hour armed guard and fed a special diet. “However, despite the fact that they were seen mating, there were no successful pregnancies,” the conservancy said. Sudan was part of an effort to help rescue the Northern Whites from extinction after years of being targeted by poachers. His daughter Najin, and her daughter, Fatu are the surviving females at Ol Pejeta. Researchers are now focused on using in vitro fertilization to keep the subspecies alive, using stored semen from other dead rhinos, eggs extracted from Najin and Fatu and surrogate Southern white female rhinos. “He was a great ambassador for his species and will be remembered for the work he did to raise awareness globally of the plight facing not only rhinos, but also the many thousands of other species facing extinction as a result of unsustainable human activity,” said the conservancy’s CEO, Richard Vigne. Pretty sad stuff right? There are still around 20,000 southern white rhinos in Africa, but a hundred years ago they were under threat of extinction, numbering less than 100. South African conservationist Ian Player played a huge role in increasing the number of the animals thanks to efforts he initiated in the mid 20th century. Before their numbers dwindled, northern white rhinos could be found in Chad, Sudan, Uganda, Congo and the Central African Republic but the conflicts across the region also posed a significant danger for the animals as well. Southern white rhinos and black rhinos continue to be hunted by poachers who sell their horns on the black market. In 2016 it was estimated that rhino horn sold for up to 60,000 USD per kilogram — more than gold or cocaine!!!
Image via Andy Katz/Pacific Press/LightRocket/Jack Taylor/Getty Supreme Court Rules In Favor Of Most Of Trump’s Travel Ban Policy Temporarily We’re sure it’s just a matter of time before Donald hops his happy orange azz on Twitter to pat himself on the back for his “accomplishment”. According to the WashingtonPost , the Supreme Court has ruled to allow significant portions of Donald’s Muslim-targeting travel ban to take effect. In the fall, the court will decide more broadly on the President’s power to restrict immigration based on religion. The court did add a caveat, however: The court made an important exception: it said the ban “may not be enforced against foreign nationals who have a credible claim of a bona fide relationship with a person or entity in the United States.” In the unsigned opinion, the court said that a foreign national who wants to visit or live with a family member would have such a relationship, and so would students from the designated countries — Libya, Iran, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen — who were admitted to an American university. Not that this is anything to cheer about, but at least students can feel some relief that they will be allowed to move freely without impunity. What this ultimately means is that in 72 hours, there will be a 120-day restriction on all refugees who are attempting to enter the U.S. as well as a strict ban on travel from the 6 aforementioned countries into the states. The ruling also gives “executive officials” power to decide if a foreign nationals relationship to an American entity is sufficient enough to make an exception. Sounds like we can expect more protests and demonstrations in cities and airports around the country. If you’ve made travel plans to go anywhere, foreign or domestic, you might want to read some liter-, reconsider…
I figure if you’re going to book a black model, you might as well go for the darkest shade you can find, because all those light skinned girls are just playing, you know trying to be accessible to the white market as their ethnic friend who isn’t too ethnic that they will get stared at…when what really matters is finding a girl straight from Sudan, who looks like she from another fucking era, that really taps into any white industrialist’s fetish of taking over Africa back when white people took over Africa, where they bang the tribal women along the way… I mean, I think this girl looks like a work of art. Classy, elegant, and not like someone in line at walmart, with diabetes being candies…I’m talking amazing..and this shoot is great too, but I could just be saying that because I love tennis and the idea of seeing naked girls play tennis is porn to me., or maybe I just like her long legs and tight African booty…it’s just so different and reminiscent of my youth jerking off to National Geographic tits, back when porn was unattainable… I’m in love. This is one of the best fashion shoots to happen in a long fucking time.
Welcome to THG’s Week in Review! Below, our staffers look back at the stories, stars and scandals that made the last seven days some of the craziest ALL MONTH. If you don’t already, FOLLOW THG on Twitter , Google+ and Facebook for 24/7/365 news. Every day, week and year, let us be your celebrity gossip source! Now, a rundown of the week that was at The Hollywood Gossip : The Bachelor Finale: Ben Flajnik Proposes to Courtney Robertson The Bachelor season finale revealed the inevitable proposal, shrug. The only surprise: Ben is still engaged to Courtney Robertson . George Clooney was arrested in a protest over Sudan crimes. Russell Brand was arrested for less humanitarian reasons. Liar Jermaine Jones got the boot from American Idol. Some hacker leaked pics of Heather Morris nude . Donald Trump Kids Go Hunting, Kill Elephant (Photos) Donald Trump’s kids were criticized over these hunting pics (above). Kim Kardashian and Jon Hamm are engaged in a random feud. Cops are investigating an alleged Lindsay Lohan hit-and-run . Britney Spears is reportedly still in talks to join The X Factor . Elle features Jessica Simpson nude on its cover this month. Nicki Minaj posed for Allure , almost as revealingly. Meghan McCain (above) is featured in Playboy this month. Just an interview. The cover of Playboy , meanwhile, features Bruno Mars. Yes, Bruno Mars . Nick Gordon and Bobbi Kristina Brown are now dating, apparently. The Real Housewives of OC are all certifiably insane. Bear Grylls got fired from the Discovery Channel. Charlize Theron is adopting a baby boy! The first pic of Robert Pattinson in Breaking Dawn Part II leaked (cue squeals). And Kristen Stewart as a vampire in the same film, too, for good measure. Rihanna spoke out about her decision to collaborate with Chris Brown. Dharun Ravi was convicted of hate crimes in the Tyler Clementi case. Piers Morgan really doesn’t like Kate Moss or Madonna. Rick Santorum hates porn . Like a lot. The Hunger Games Clip: Crushing on Katniss The countdown to The Hunger Games (preview clip above) continues … The Jersey Shore Season 5 finale ended with tears, sex and pranks. Jennie Garth and Peter Facinelli split after 10 years of marriage. Jaycee Dugard opened up to Oprah about her 18-year ordeal. THG readers picked their favorite celeb couple (not a shock). The trailer was released for Johnny Depp’s Dark Shadows … Dark Shadows Trailer What was the highlight of the week for you? Did we leave anything out?
Everyday on the CitizenTube channel (and @CitizenTube on Twitter), along with our curation partners @storyful , we look at how the top news stories are covered on YouTube. Each week we post a weekly recap of the top news stories of the week, as seen through the lens of both citizen-reported footage and professional news coverage. We witnessed devastating scenes from Afghanistan, as 16 civilians were… Broadcasting platform : YouTube Source : Broadcasting Ourselves Discovery Date : 16/03/2012 17:08 Number of articles : 2
This Academy Award winner isn’t too Hollywood to let his voice be heard The Hollywood actor and sometime political activist, George Clooney, was cuffed with zip-ties and taken away in a police van after being arrested during a protest outside the Sudanese embassy in Washington DC. Clooney, who has long campaigned against the government in Khartoum, had intended to be arrested when he planned the protest, which took place on Friday morning. oined by his father, journalist Nick Clooney, US Representative Jim Moran of Virginia and NAACP president Ben Jealous, the actor blocked the entrance to the Sudanese embassy. Clooney and the others were given three orders to disperse by the police and refused to do so. “I’m just trying to raise attention,” Clooney told reporters as he was led away. With his hands tied behind his back, he addressed the plight of “innocent children” in Sudan. “Stop raping them and stop starving them,” he said. “That’s all that we ask. As he was led into a police van an onlooker shouted, “Thank you, George!” “It’s actually a humiliating thing to be arrested no matter what you do, but I’m glad to be standing here with my father,” Clooney added. For those that may scoff at this as an attempt to gain publicity, rest assured that Clooney mean business when it comes to Sudan. Clooney has been in the capital since returning from a tour of Sudan two days ago. On Wednesday he testified in front of the Senate foreign relations committee on the subject of violence in the Nuba mountains in South Kordofan, a state in Sudan near its border with newly independent South Sudan. He told the senators: “We found children filled with shrapnel, including a nine-year-old boy who had both of his hands blown off.” Clooney accused Sudanese president Omar al-Bashir, government official Ahmad Harun and defence minister Abdelrahim Mohamed Hussein, of orchestrating systematic killing in the area. Clooney has called on US officials to pressure the Chinese government to force the government of Sudan to open the southern region of the country to relief efforts. As the rainy season approaches, large numbers of the region’s inhabitants could face starvation. On Wednesday, Clooney met President Barack Obama to express his concerns for the people of Sudan. Clooney said he left the meeting optimistic that Obama would pressure Chinese president Hu Jintao to seek a resolution to the region’s ongoing conflict at an upcoming meeting. Ol’ George is definitely ’bout that life! Images via SplashNews Source More On Bossip! Underrated Cakes: The Ladies With The Backs You Might’ve Mistakenly Missed Out On! Forbidden Fruit: A List Of Celebrities Who Were Spotted Playing Freaky Kissy Face With Family Members Nicki Minaj Flossin’ Her Cakes In A Pink ‘Kini On The Beaches Of Hawaii For New Music Video Solange Knowles Keeps Her Natural Hair, Vintage, Hippy, Hella Colorful Steez Alive On The Cover Of Time Out New York Magazine
Beverly Bond brings Black Girls Rock back to BET for it’s second airing, a night filled with beautiful women with honorable achievements. This year’s Black Girl’s Rock 2011 honorees included many familiar faces and new ones also. To help keep track, we’ve complied a list of who received an honor and what it was for continue reading to learn more! 1. Taraji Henson : Star Power Taraji won an award for her ‘star power’ and brought the room to tears during her acceptance speech. She touched on being a single mother in Hollywood and leaving a legacy as a black actress. Taraji grew up in Washington, DC and worked a part-time job to put herself through college and in 1995 she graduated Howard University. After acting in moving films such as “Baby Boy,” “Hustle and Flow,” “The Karate Kid,” “A Family That Preys,” and “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” throughout her roles she is able to connect viewers to screen easily, making her more than perfect fit for this years award. 2. Laurel J. Richie : Shot Caller As a graduate of Dartmouth College, Laurel J. Richie, is the face of female basketball, as the president of the WNBA and currently resides in NYC. Richie was selected as president because of her undeniable skill to create award-winning campaigns that transform brands and drive business while maintaining the day to day tasks of operations. Before winning the courts Laurel was the Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer for the Girl Scouts of the America where she was in charge of the brand, marketing, publishing and the overall revitalization of the brand. Not only has she been honored by Black Girls Rock , Laurel was named as one of the 25 Influential Black Women in Business by the Network Journal, is a YMCA “Black Achievers Award” recipient, a Ebony Magazine’s “Outstanding Women in Marketing and Communications” recipient. 3. Tatyana Ali : Young, Gifted And Black Tatyana, who was born in Brooklyn in 1979, was honored for her talents as a young actress turned scholar/education activist and showcased her killer new haircut during her acceptance speech. It was after her time on “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” that Tatyana applied to college and was accepted into Harvard University where she completed her Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and African-American Studies. Since finishing college, Tatyana has gone on to advocate for our youth speaking at many schools encouraging education and leadership for the past 15 years. Her passion for acting still burns as you can catch her in the third season of TV One’s “Love That Girl” which airs Monday’s at 8pm. 4. Imani Walker & Malika Saada Saar : Trailblazer Imani Walker and Malika Saada Saar are co-founders of “The Rebecca Project.” “The Rebecca Project for Human Rights” is a national policy and legal organization that fights for public policy reform and justice for unfortunate families. They work on many areas of reform on a state and national level, they work towards addressing the prison system on women who give birth incarcerated. This dynamic duo believes that families should have the right to raise their children with dignity and work nationally and locally to accomplish this among many other issues for our community. 5. Pastor Shirley Caesar : The Living Legend Award Pastor Shirley Caesar, birth name Shirley Ann Caesar, has served as a minister for over six decades and boasts a voice that is distinct and powerful. She is a native of Durham, North Carolina, and began her career touring with the female group, the Caravans.While singing lead in the group on hits like “I Won’t Be Back” and “Holy Boldness” she then found her own group, Casear Sings and occasionally performs with former members of Caravan and Reveland Cleveland over the years. In 1982 Shirley was inducted in the Gospel Hall of Fame and was the first woman to sing Gospel at Harvard University. Shirley has won 11 Grammy’s, 18 Dove Awards and 14 Stellar Awards in addition to the Living Legend Award from Black Girls Rock to name a few honors. Paster Casear is a Delta Sigma Theta and married to her husband since 1963 and currently pastors Mount Calvary Holy Church Word in Raleigh, NC. Beauties, how can you rock any harder than this!? Black Women Shine At Black Girls Rock! Ceremony [PHOTOS] 6. Angela Davis : Icon Angela Yvonne Davis, activist, author, and lecturer, born in 1944 in Birmingham, Alabama and is a respected civil and human rights activists and was a member of the Black Panther Party and Communist Parties in the 1960s and 1970s. During her time with the Black Panthers, she was once placed on the FBI’s “Ten Most Wanted” list for kidnapping and murder and had to live as a fugitive before being captured and serving a number of months in jail, she was found “not guilty” in 1972 by the jury during her trial. Angela is also the founder of “Critical Resistance” which fights to abolish the “prison-industrial complex” a speech in that was given in 1997 and recorded as an audiobook which was the premise to her book with the same title. The prison-industrial complex seeks to address the abuse of companies use to private prisons as remedy to job employment among other issues it serves. She also believes in social justice and now teaches at the University of California Santa Cruz as the Professor Emerita of History of Consciousness; an interdisciplinary Ph.D program, and Professor of Feminist Studies. Angela’s legacy and fight for justice expands beyond this and we highly recommend reading her books to learn more about the revolutionary; “Angela Davis–an autobiography,” “Are prisons obsolete?,” and “Abolition democracy: Beyond empire, Prisons, and Torture.” This revolutionary rocks! M.A.D (“Making A Difference”) Girls are young ladies who are using their youth as a prime time to affect their communities and the communities of others. Check out the M.A.D Honorees: 1. Leanna Archer Leanna, Haitian-American, is an entrepreneur, philanthropist and motivational speaker all at the age of 15 while living in Islip Long Island, NY! When you see Leanna, you instantly want to ask what products are used for her shining and long tresses; in response you will find that she’ll direct you to Leanna’s Inc, her line of her natural hair products. It all began when her great-grandmother made a special pomade for her hair at 9 years young and after getting an overwhelming response on how tamed her curls where she began to sell the pomade independently. To this day, Leanna still shipment from Haiti for the natural ingredients (oils and essences of avocado, sweet almond, rosemary and hibiscus) because after she once she tried ordering from Hawaii and her customers immediately knew the difference. In 2010, she was able to have sales over 100,000 dollars and took her profits to launch a foundation that feeds over 120 kids in Haiti daily. With the growth of her business her father quiet his job to help her make seminars and meeting and the business benefits from the help of family and friends whenever they can. Thanks for being a black beauty who rocks! 25 Women To Know: Beverly Bond 2. Dyci Manns An Atlanta native, Dyci Manns, did more than just study and complete example while attending University of Georgia, she began a non-profit, MODEL26 and organization “Book Bags With the Basics.” Her organization “Book Bags with The Basics” came from her study abroad experience in Belize where she witness children reusing composition books because they could not afford to buy another. Dyci was ready to help change the fate of underprivileged kids by reaching out to family and friends for school supplies and after six months, the Dyci was able to collect book bags with school supplies for over than 1,000 students in Nicaragua, Uganda and the U.S. Wait, Dyci didn’t stop there, she created MODEL26 (Making Opportunities by Developing Emerging Leaders.) The number 26 stands for Article 26 from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which states everyone has the right to education. MODEL26 a program that helps gives college students financial assistance, counseling and access to volunteer programs abroad and is now in Louisiana State University, Clark Atlanta University, the University of Maryland, the University of Florida, Hope College, Purdue University and the University of Central Florida. This is why Dyci Manns is a M.A.D girl who rocks! 3. Mari Malek Born in Wau, South Sudan Mari, twenty-four, is the co-founder the “Southern Sudan Initiatives” which was created to help the lost boys and girls who had to flee Sudan country during the civil war. The issues in Sudan became popular to many after the film, “Lost Boys of Sudan,” was released in 2003 which showcased Sudanese boys who walked for weeks to Ethiopia to refugee camps which were eventually attacked and fled again to Kenya bfore they were able to come into the US. “Southern Sudan Initiatives” provides clean water, access to health care and educational assistance which are essential for a wholesome way of living. Mari is living in NYC today working as a fashion model and club DJ.The this is how she is rebuilding the Southern Sudan, thanks for sharing your talents and being a beauty that ROCKS! 4. Eden Sanaa Eden Sanaa Duncan-Smith, who you can find on YouTube singing songs by Etta James or “Perfect” by P!nk , is only 11 years old but that hasn’t stopped her from Making a Difference. She’s an actress/singer who played as Nala in the Lion King and played Raynell Maxon in Fences on Broadway alongside Denzel Washington and Viola Davis. But, it was after she unfortunately lost Shannon “Skye” Tavarez, her Lion King co-star, to leukemia that she decided to develop a project in memory of her dear friend. Eden created a network called “Angel in the S.K.Y.E” to raise money for leukemia research and is a “pay it forward” is a philanthropic program that honors those who have done acts of kindness for their community, family or friends, by doing unexpected acts of kindness for them in return. Additionally, she developed a program to purchase Broadway tickets for kids who can’t afford to see live shows. This little Broadway star ROCKS!
What’s better than doing a good deed while getting in some good quality entertainment? The homies at Virgin Mobile gave us a heads up about Gerard Butler’s new film “Machine Gun Preacher” which opened this weekend in NYC and L.A. The movie is putting a close lens on the devastation caused by the warfare and genocide in Sudan, one of the most serious international issues in recent years that hasn’t gotten nearly enough attention. Here’s a short synopsis of this powerful film: Machine Gun Preacher is the inspirational true story of Sam Childers, a former drug-dealing criminal who undergoes an astonishing transformation and finds an unexpected calling as the savior of hundreds of kidnapped and orphaned children. Gerard Butler delivers a searing performance as Childers, the impassioned founder of the Angels of East Africa rescue organization in Golden Globe-nominated director Marc Forster’s (Monster’s Ball, Finding Neverland) moving story of violence and redemption. When ex-biker-gang member Sam Childers makes the life-changing decision to go to East Africa to help repair homes destroyed by civil war, he is outraged by the unspeakable horrors faced by the region’s vulnerable populace, especially the children. Ignoring the warnings of more experienced aide workers, Sam breaks ground for an orphanage where it’s most needed–in the middle of territory controlled by the brutal Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), a renegade militia that forces youngsters to become soldiers before they even reach their teens. But for Sam, it is not enough to shelter the LRA’s intended victims. Determined to save as many as possible, he leads armed missions deep into enemy territory to retrieve kidnapped children, restoring peace to their lives–and eventually his own. Check out the trailer below: In the spirit of the movie Machine Gun Preacher, which tells the true story of an American ex-con who saves the lives of hundreds of orphaned children in war-torn Sudan, Virgin Mobile is donating four water wells to help orphans in Sudan have access to clean, safe water. Please spread the word of the Machine Gun Preacher by taking two actions: 1. Visit Virgin Mobile’s Machine Gun Preacher Page on Facebook to sign-up and pledge to see the movie. Everyone who signs up will have their name engraved on a well donated by Virgin Mobile to recognize their support of this cause. 2. Watch and share the Machine Gun Preacher trailer with friends on Facebook and Twitter. Props to Virgin Mobile for getting involved, they made it that much easier for the rest of us to do our part! “Machine Gun Preacher” Opened this weekend in LA and NY and is scheduled for wider release Sept. 30. See showtimes and theatres HERE
There’s a theoretical sweet spot to be found for Machine Gun Preacher — that of the multi-quadrant film, as the marketers say. It aims to be a hard-charging actioner that’s also a based-on-a-true-story tale of rebirth and uplift; an earnest, somber look at conflicts in Sudan that’s simultaneously a faith-centric, family-oriented redemption song. Directed by Marc Forster (of, appropriately enough, Quantum of Solace and Finding Neverland ) from a screenplay by Jason Keller (who’s also credited as one of the writers on Tarsem Singh’s upcoming take on Snow White ), Machine Gun Preacher always seems aware that it’s working off ripe material, but can’t fit it into beats that work on-screen.
Time to update your African map again. Congratulations to the brothers and sisters in South Sudan — who have finally gained independence after decades of civil war. The United States on Saturday recognized the Republic of South Sudan, the world’s newest nation, as a sovereign and independent state. President Barack Obama said in a statement that, “This historic achievement is a tribute, above all, to the generations of southern Sudanese who struggled for this day.” South Sudan became independent after civil wars that spanned more than 50 years. Millions of people died in the conflicts as the black African tribes from the south battled the mainly Arab north for independence. The warring sides reached a peace deal in 2005. The country’s flag was officially raised for the first time over Juba, South Sudan’s capital, on Saturday after the speaker of the legislature made a formal proclamation of independence from Sudan.. Obama said the people of South Sudan and Sudan “must recognize that they will be more secure and prosperous if they move beyond a bitter past and resolve differences peacefully.” “Lasting peace will only be realized if all sides fulfill their responsibilities,” he said. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said the U.S. will remain a “steadfast partner” as South Sudan seeks to build a free, democratic and inclusive society. “The strong ties between our peoples go back many decades, and we are committed to continuing to build on the partnership we have already established in the years ahead,” she said. Clinton commended the government of Sudan on its decision to be the first to recognize South Sudan’s independence. It’s been a long time coming but independence is finally here for South Sudan. This year has seen so many drastic changes across the world. We hope that violence and bloodshed can be a thing of the past in South Sudan and wish the people a prosperous start for their new nation. Check out photos from the celebrations below: Source
