Facebook Founder Zuckerberg To Donate $25Million To Combat Ebola

Facebook Inc. Chief Executive, Mark Zuckerberg, announced on Tuesday that he and his wife, Priscilla Chan, would donate $25 million to the Centres for Disease Control Foundation to fight Ebola.

The money will go to the CDC Foundation, the charitable organization that raises and distributes funds on behalf the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention to public health organizations.

“We need to get Ebola under control in the near term so that it doesn’t spread further and become a long term global health crisis that we end up fighting for decades at large scale, like HIV or polio,” he said in a post on Facebook.

“We believe our grant is the quickest way to empower the CDC and the experts in this field to prevent this outcome.”

The death toll in the outbreak, first reported in Guinea in March, has reached 4,447 from a total of 8,914 cases, World Health Organization Assistant Director-General, Bruce Aylward said on Tuesday.

The United States had its first fatality from the current Ebola outbreak when Thomas Eric Duncan died in a Dallas hospital last week.

One of the nurses who treated him has also been diagnosed with the disease.

Nigeria is the only country to have successfully contained the outbreak of the Ebola virus.

According to the CDC, Nigeria reported their first case on July 20 when Patrick Sawyer travelled from Liberia to Lagos, Nigeria.

He exposed 72 other passengers with the virus. Nigerian health officials found everyone who had been in contact with Sawyer and developed a mobilization plan.

They reached more than 26,000 households in this process. Nigeria also established the Ebola Management Centre in the process.

Nigeria has not reported new cases since August 31.

Boko Haram’s “Representative” In Ceasefire Talks Bogus, Says Salkida

Ahmad Salkida, a journalist with access to some top leaders of Boko Haram, has alleged that a man named Danladi Ahmadu, who reportedly represented the Islamist group in ceasefire negotiations with the Nigerian government, is bogus and an impostor.

Mr. Salkida, who is currently in self-exile, asserted that Mr. Ahmadu was not authorized to speak on behalf of Boko Haram or the group’s leader, Abubakar Shekau. He added that the Nigerian government was caught in the hoax of negotiating with an impostor.

According to him, it is the Islamist sect that ought to announce a ceasefire and not the Nigerian government since it was Boko Haram that declared war on the Nigerian state.

Mr. Salkida made these assertions in a series of tweets in his twitter handle monitored by our correspondent in Abuja. “Where in the world will a government say they killed Shekau, two weeks later, met a delegation sent by the same Shekau to discuss a ceasefire? If we are Chinese, some people claim Shekau is a title and ‘Boko Haram’ always finds his look-alike to assume Shekau each time they kill him? Haba! When we said Shekau was alive two weeks ago, we were nearly crucified here. Now the Federal Government agrees Danladi Ahmadu speaks for Shekau? Is Shekau mutating?” he wrote on twitter.

Buhari, Atiku Vows To Sack ‘Corrupt, Disastrous’ PDP Government In 2015

Critical stakeholders of All Progressive Congress (APC) in Northern Nigeria that includes General Muhammadu Buhari, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, governors of Kano, Borno, Yobe, Zamfara, senators, members of House of Representatives and state assemblies today unanimously agreed to team up with the rest of the country to vote out Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2015.

 In a communiqué issued in Kaduna after their meeting, the top brass of the APC vowed to vote out PDP led government they described as corrupt, disastrous and clueless government.

The resolution sent to SaharaReporters by one of its national official from the region read in part:

 “The meeting after extensive and lively deliberations on the state of the nation, the party and the upcoming 2015 elections affirmed as follows:

“Its commitment to the unity and continuous existence of Nigeria as a democratic, progressive nation committed to the wellbeing of all Nigerians. The commitment of all stakeholders on sustaining and strengthening the unity of the APC as the political force in the country and resolved as follows:

“Work closely and diligently with all members of the party across the country to ensure the ousting of the corrupt, disastrous and clueless PDP government in the 2015 elections. To provide a level playing field to all those who aspire to contest for public office on the platform of the party through its internal democratic processes.”

It also reiterates what APC government will do for the country, “That the incoming APC government in 2015 will make security of life and property of all citizens, respect for the rule of law and good governance its top most priority.”

10 Qualities That Make A Great Leader

Having a great idea, and assembling a team to bring that concept to life is the first step in creating a successful business venture. While finding a new and unique idea is rare enough; the ability to successfully execute this idea is what separates the dreamers from the entrepreneurs. 

However you see yourself, whatever your age may be, as soon as you make that exciting first hire, you have taken the first steps in becoming a powerful leader. When money is tight, stress levels are high, and the visions of instant success don’t happen like you thought, it’s easy to let those emotions get to you, and thereby your team. Take a breath, calm yourself down, and remind yourself of the leader you are and would like to become. Here are some key qualities that every good leader should possess, and learn to emphasize.

Honesty

Whatever ethical plane you hold yourself to, when you are responsible for a team of people, its important to raise the bar even higher. Your business and its employees are a reflection of yourself, and if you make honest and ethical behavior a key value, your team will follow suit.

the crowdfunding platform for entrepreneurs and small businesses I co-founded, try to make a list of values and core beliefs that both you and your brand represent, and post this in your office. Promote a healthy interoffice lifestyle, and encourage your team to live up to these standards. By emphasizing these standards, and displaying them yourself, you will hopefully influence the office environment into a friendly and helpful workspace.

Ability to Delegate

Finessing your brand vision is essential to creating an organized and efficient business, but if you don’t learn to trust your team with that vision, you might never progress to the next stage. Its important to remember that trusting your team with your idea is a sign of strength, not weakness. Delegating tasks to the appropriate departments is one of the most important skills you can develop as your business grows. The emails and tasks will begin to pile up, and the more you stretch yourself thin, the lower the quality of your work will become, and the less you will produce.

The key to delegation is identifying the strengths of your team, and capitalizing on them. Find out what each team member enjoys doing most. Chances are if they find that task more enjoyable, they will likely put more thought and effort behind it. This will not only prove to your team that you trust and believe in them, but will also free up your time to focus on the higher level tasks, that should not be delegated. It’s a fine balance, but one that will have a huge impact on the productivity of your business.

Communication

Knowing what you want accomplished may seem clear in your head, but if you try to explain it to someone else and are met with a blank expression, you know there is a problem. If this has been your experience, then you may want to focus on honing your communication skills. Being able to clearly and succinctly describe what you want done is extremely important. If you can’t relate your vision to your team, you won’t all be working towards the same goal.

Training new members and creating a productive work environment all depend on healthy lines of communication. Whether that stems from an open door policy to your office, or making it a point to talk to your staff on a daily basis, making yourself available to discuss interoffice issues is vital. Your team will learn to trust and depend on you, and will be less hesitant to work harder.

Sense of Humor

If your website crashes, you lose that major client, or your funding dries up, guiding your team through the process without panicking is as challenging as it is important. Morale is linked to productivity, and it’s your job as the team leader to instill a positive energy. That’s where your sense of humor will finally pay off. Encourage your team to laugh at the mistakes instead of crying. If you are constantly learning to find the humor in the struggles, your work environment will become a happy and healthy space, where your employees look forward to working in, rather than dreading it. Make it a point to crack jokes with your team and encourage personal discussions of weekend plans and trips. It’s these short breaks from the task at hand that help keep productivity levels high and morale even higher.we place a huge emphasis on humor and a light atmosphere. Our office is dog friendly, and we really believe it is the small, light hearted moments in the day that help keep our work creative and fresh. One tradition that we like to do and brings the team closer is we plan a fun prank on all new employees, on their first day. It breaks the ice and immediately creates that sense of familiarity.

Confidence

There may be days where the future of your brand is worrisome and things aren’t going according to plan. This is true with any business, large or small, and the most important thing is not to panic. Part of your job as a leader is to put out fires and maintain the team morale. Keep up your confidence level, and assure everyone that setbacks are natural and the important thing is to focus on the larger goal. As the leader, by staying calm and confident, you will help keep the team feeling the same. Remember, your team will take cues from you, so if you exude a level of calm damage control, your team will pick up on that feeling. The key objective is to keep everyone working and moving ahead.

Commitment

If you expect your team to work hard and produce quality content, you’re going to need to lead by example. There is no greater motivation than seeing the boss down in the trenches working alongside everyone else, showing that hard work is being done on every level. By proving your commitment to the brand and your role, you will not only earn the respect of your team, but will also instill that same hardworking energy among your staff. It’s important to show your commitment not only to the work at hand, but also to your promises. If you pledged to host a holiday party, or uphold summer Fridays, keep your word. You want to create a reputation for not just working hard, but also be known as a fair leader. Once you have gained the respect of your team, they are more likely to deliver the peak amount of quality work possible.

Positive Attitude

You want to keep your team motivated towards the continued success of the company, and keep the energy levels up. Whether that means providing snacks, coffee, relationship advice, or even just an occasional beer in the office, remember that everyone on your team is a person. Keep the office mood a fine balance between productivity and playfulness.

If your team is feeling happy and upbeat, chances are they won’t mind staying that extra hour to finish a report, or devoting their best work to the brand.

Creativity

Some decisions will not always be so clear-cut. You may be forced at times to deviate from your set course and make an on the fly decision. This is where your creativity will prove to be vital. It is during these critical situations that your team will look to you for guidance and you may be forced to make a quick decision. As a leader, its important to learn to think outside the box and to choose which of two bad choices is the best option. Don’t immediately choose the first or easiest possibility; sometimes its best to give these issues some thought, and even turn to your team for guidance. By utilizing all possible options before making a rash decision, you can typically reach the end conclusion you were aiming for.

Intuition

When leading a team through uncharted waters, there is no roadmap on what to do. Everything is uncertain, and the higher the risk, the higher the pressure. That is where your natural intuition has to kick in. Guiding your team through the process of your day-to-day tasks can be honed down to a science. But when something unexpected occurs, or you are thrown into a new scenario, your team will look to you for guidance. Drawing on past experience is a good reflex, as is reaching out to your mentors for support. Eventually though, the tough decisions will be up to you to decide and you will need to depend on your gut instinct for answers. Learning to trust yourself is as important as your team learning to trust you.

Ability to Inspire

Creating a business often involves a bit of forecasting. Especially in the beginning stages of a startup, inspiring your team to see the vision of the successes to come is vital. Make your team feel invested in the accomplishments of the company. Whether everyone owns a piece of equity, or you operate on a bonus system, generating enthusiasm for the hard work you are all putting in is so important. Being able to inspire your team is great for focusing on the future goals, but it is also important for the current issues. When you are all mired deep in work, morale is low, and energy levels are fading, recognize that everyone needs a break now and then. Acknowledge the work that everyone has dedicated and commend the team on each of their efforts. It is your job to keep spirits up, and that begins with an appreciation for the hard work.

Air Force Captain's Proposal To NFL Cheerleader Is The Definition Of All-American Sweetness.

The big winner at Sunday night's Arizona Cardinals vs. Washington Redskins game wasn't one of the teams or even one of the football players. It was one lucky NFL cheerleader and her romantic Air Force Captain boyfriend.

During the game, Cardinals cheerleader Claire Thornton was surprised beyond belief when her boyfriend Eric Straub -- who had just returned home from his Middle East deployment the night before -- appeared on 

the field in his flight suit.

Luckily for Straub, the public proposal paid off. Thornton said "Yes!" and the crowd, which had been watching on a jumbo screen the entire time, went wild.

"It was pretty amazing,I was shaking really bad. He's like 'Put the ring on!' And I'm like, you put it on me!' The best part about everything is that my whole family was there and his whole family was there, and I was doing what I love with the people that I love. It was the epitome of the best day ever.''

Here's the happy couple after the fact:

ConocoPhillips’ Deepwater Exploration Uncovers Oil

The North American shale production is driving most of ConocoPhillips' growth these days, the company isn't just relying on shale to fuel its future. Instead, the company is exploring for oil around the world so that it can fuel its growth once shale production slows down. One of the places it's looking for oil is Senegal, which isn't yet known as an oil hub. That could change as the company and its partners have announced a deepwater discovery 60 miles offshore.

Drilling down into the recent discoveryConocoPhillips recently announced that it discovered oil at its FAN-1 well. While it isn't yet sure if the well will prove to be commercially viable, the company said that preliminary results were encouraging. The exploration well was drilled to a total depth of 16,164 feet and in 4,700 feet of water.

Source: ConocoPhillips Investor Presentation 

While the company needs to continue to evaluate the results of this well, that's not stopping it from working on a second well as it plans to now focus on drilling the SNE-1 well also located offshore Senegal. If both wells prove to hold economically viable oil then this could open up an exciting new energy producing region for the company and the industry.

Spreading its betsWhile Senegal could eventually become ConocoPhillips' next big growth area, the company isn't putting all of its efforts into that one area. It's also not putting all of its efforts into deepwater exploration for that matter. As the following slide shows, ConocoPhillips is spreading its exploration dollars around the world and across many different types of potential energy sources.

Source: ConocoPhillips Investor Presentation

As the above slide notes, ConocoPhillips is investing in deepwater exploration projects in the Gulf of Mexico, Angola, and Norway this year. On top of that it's also looking for oil and gas through conventional means in Alaska, the North Sea, and in Asia. Finally, it's exploring for unconventional resources in North America, Poland, Australia, and Colombia. By diversifying its exploration efforts ConocoPhillips not only is reducing its risk, but should be able to discover a balanced mix of opportunities that will fuel its growth over the next decade.

That being said, some areas are starting to emerge and could deliver growth before the end of this decade. Topping that list is the Gulf of Mexico where ConocoPhillips and its partners have made four recent discoveries. Another area investors should keep an eye on is the company's unconventional exploration and appraisal efforts in North America, especially in Canada and the Permian Basin, as these shale plays have the potential to add near-term development opportunities that could provide a production boost over the next few years. Finally, ConocoPhillips recently doubled its investments in Alaska as it focuses on growing its conventional production in that state as its taking advantage of some unique new opportunities in the state. Combined these opportunities should allow the company to continue growing its production at or above its current growth rate of 3%-5% each year.

Investor takeawayConocoPhillips really has a balanced approach when it comes to growth. Not only does this spread the company's risk so that any one failure won't be a big blow, but it allows the company to make early discoveries so that it can establish a dominant position in a new play before many of its peers. It's a strategy that should continue to deliver strong returns for investors as it will keep the company's already generous dividend growing for years to come.