Archive May 14, 2025

The African Union (AU), in collaboration with the All Africa Music Awards (AFRIMA), has announced Lagos, Nigeria, as the host city for the 2025 edition of the music awards.

The announcement was made at the AU headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, by the Head of Culture at the African Union, Angela Martins. 

The awards ceremony, along with side events, including the vibrant Music Village Festival, is scheduled to take place from November 25 to 30, 2025.

Martins describes this year’s theme, “Unstoppable Africa,” and the choice of Lagos as its host, as a reflection of the vibrancy, brilliance, and dream of modern African music, which the city represents.

“Music is not merely sound, it is a strategy. From Dar es Salaam to Acrra and other parts of the world, music flows like a river through our culture, and it connects, heals, and moves us forward,” Martins said, explaining the AU’s enduring partnership with AFRIMA.

The AFRIMA 2025 calendar starts with a call for entries on May 20, inviting submissions from African artists across the continent and the diaspora. 

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Artists can submit works across various categories and genres as part of this celebration of musical excellence, an initiative aligned with the AU’s Agenda 2063, which champions culture as a driver of development in Africa.

AFRIMA has served as a powerful platform for cultural exchange and continental integration.

AFRIMA’s President, Mike Dada, reiterated this mission, saying that AFRIMA is a rallying point to further integrate the continent. 

“This is to ensure we have an enduring platform called AFRIMA to be used as a rallying platform to integrate the continent, for peace, job creation, and for telling our own stories,” Dada said.

The road to AFRIMA 2025 will also include events in other African countries, including Morocco, Tanzania, and Côte d’Ivoire, and will also make stops in London, UK, and Paris in France.

Lagos Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, had in April declared the state’s readiness to host Africa and the world for the 2025 edition of the AFRIMA.

Speaking when he received a high-powered delegation from the African Union and the AFRIMA International Committee in his office, Sanwo-Olu stated that Lagos’ acceptance to host AFRIMA 2025 aligned with his administration’s vision to make the creative and tourism industry a major pillar of the state’s development drive.

The governor said, “One of the key pillars of our administration’s development agenda is the creative industry. Since I took office, we’ve been intentional about building a vibrant creative ecosystem supporting film, music, fashion, photography, and cultural tourism.

Nancy Birtwhistle, an author and regular figure on ITV’s This Morning, shared her advice on Instagram

Flies can be a nuisance to deal with, especially when they buzz around the house during summer. But one expert believes their lesser-known hack may keep them at bay – and it’s surprisingly straightforward.

Nancy Birtwhistle, an author and regular figure on ITV’s This Morning, shared her ideas on Instagram this week. All you need are egg cups plus two ingredients you probably have lurking in the cupboard.

“Keeping the flies out,” she said, standing in her kitchen. “Two egg cups, lemons. Cloves, stick them in [to the lemons].” Nancy panned the camera down to show herself placing individual cloves into each segment of a halved lemon.

The 2014 Great British Bake Off winner continued: “Insects hate the smell of cloves, not too fussed about lemon, whereas we love the smell. I keep one in my pantry [and I] keep flies away from my houseplants.”

She popped another lemon into a squeezer and went on: “Or use your lemon [first and] add your cloves.” Nancy certainly isn’t alone in using this trick.

Citrus fruits have long been used as natural insect deterrents in various cultures. Recent research suggests this may be due to the fruits’ phytochemicals, including limonene, citronellol, and citral, which produce scents that may be off-putting to unwanted houseguests.

However, it’s crucial to note this isn’t a foolproof method. Another study, which explored using lemon oil and other aromatic products to repel spiders, found that they did not affect them.

While its scientists, therefore, classed its spider-repelling properties as bogus, they did acknowledge that its use had been referenced in more than one million Google hits. And for flies, at least, Nancy’s followers also claimed the trick worked.

Amidst a wave of comments, one fan wrote: “My goodness it works. It’s a beautiful day so my doors are open. They’re flying in and within seconds flying out. Thank you.” Meanwhile, another added: “My fruit flies gone! Just like that! Thank you.”

While flies are annoying, they also pose a potential health hazard, especially when buzzing around food. Species like fruit flies are not only attracted to your dinner, but also take a liking to faeces, rotting products and manure.

This means they may carry a wealth of bacteria as a result, including Salmonella, E. coli, and Listeria, which can make you very ill. Previous advice from Pest UK has warned: “They like to live, feed, and breed in warm, damp spaces such as drains, cleaning cloths, mops and buckets, waste disposals, bins, or anywhere there is ripe, rotting, decayed fruit or empty beer and wine bottles and food tins.

“An adult female fruit fly can lay up to 2,000 eggs on the surface of anything that’s moist and rotting. Within 30 hours, tiny maggots hatch and start to eat the decayed food. Within two days, they’re all grown up and ready to mate, too.”

Cooling blankets have gone viral as the perfect way to stay cool during the heatwave – and Oodie have just released a load of new colours and patterns that are stylish and practical

If you’re looking for a solution to the rising temperatures this spring heatwave, look no further than Oodie’s range of cooling blankets. The newly available Oodie Cooling Blanket, thanks to its lightweight composition, is ideal for those seeking the comfort of a blanket without overheating.

The Cooling Blanket is a fantastic addition for warm evenings at home or even for taking on summer holidays. Available in both single and queen sizes, it accommodates all bed dimensions, so it’s a great choice whether you’re looking to stay cool as you doze off or if you’d like to curl up in its chilled embrace while relaxing on summer afternoons.

Furthermore, Oodie has just released a range of new colours and patterns, ensuring that style need not be sacrificed for functionality and comfort.

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Now available in a trendy leopard-print design, dusty blue waves, bright pink check or lilac pastel waves, as well as the original plain blue, purple and grey, the Oodie Cooling Blanket is up for grabs from £99.

This cooling blanket promises to offer superior comfort for those who tend to overheat while they snooze, aiming to manage body temps and maintain coolness. The blankets are made from breathable, moisture-wicking fibres and claim to absorb excess body heat while helping to regulate the body temperature, feeling two to five degrees cooler than the person actually is.

Reviews for the Oodie Cooling Blanket on Trustpilot are glowing, with one shopper saying: “The new cooling blanket is absolutely amazing. The material is so soft and cool to the touch. It’s perfect for a hot night. You still have the feeling of a blanket, but it keeps you cool.”

Unfortunately, one customer wasn’t fully satisfied with their purchase, explaining: “The Oodie cooling blanket is also very comforting. I bought a single and then a Queen size. My only criticism is that they are smaller than expected.”

However, another pleased purchaser shared: “After suffering with menopause for six years, to finally find an item of clothing that is cooling and comfortable is a lifesaver. Just helps so much.”

Cool to the touch and soft on your skin, the Oodie Cooling Blankets are perfect for reducing heat and moisture for refreshing, year-round comfort, especially useful now as the spring heatwave seems to be here to stay. With summer fast approaching, these lightweight, chic and comfy blankets promise to keep you cool no matter the rising temperatures outside.

Silentnight sells a similar Restore Cooling Throw, which is lightweight and perfect for various home uses. It currently has £10 off, bringing the price down to £35.