Mom's photo of 'perfect' post-baby body goes viral

What's sexier than a six-pack? Rocking a "flabby belly" and stretch marks, says mother of four and musician Kimberly Henderson. After fans told her she had a "perfect" body, Henderson bravely uploaded an "unedited" selfie of her bare belly to Facebook page for all to see.

She posted this on her page:

Everyone always compliments me on how I have such a "perfect" body after 4 kids. I decided to upload this pic and leave my belly "unedited" "unphotoshopped" because I used to struggle with accepting my body after kids. I used to have a six pack before my babies.. And now even though I work out I know its not going to make my loose skin tight.. Or my stretch marks disappear ever lol and I'm ok with... that because everyday I get to wake up to 4 beautiful smiling faces and I'm reminded that they are worth this flabby belly and they are worth these stretch marks. I still wear a bikini because being a mother makes me feel beautiful.. Not having a flat tummy. It took a long time to get there.. Because I struggled so much with my body. I struggled so much because I was young and all these girls my age had perfect bodies and I was in my one piece bathing suit trying to hide all my flaws. And I'm not trying to say I have it worse than anyone else or bad or anything like that just reminding you guys.. 

That your body is beautiful... BECAUSE we ARE moms and we ARE superheroes and we freakin ROCK and in my opinion that is sexier than any 6 pack!

"I wanted to show other women that I am just like them stretch marks, loose skin" but "I still wear a bikini because being a mother makes me feel beautiful."

This post got 235,044 likes and 23,282 shares.

Other women have followed Henderson's bold photo with some of their own, while comments generally sound something like this: "You inspire me. After having my first daughter I have been so hard on myself and accepting my body...I feel so ugly but posts like these make me stronger."

Henderson writes that one woman even told her, "Your story saved my unborn child."

And when a man wrote that he knew women with three kids and abs who "looked better," Henderson took the high road.

"That's awesome...but some women who have loose skin and stretch marks can't," she writes. "This post is about embracing your imperfections."

Ashley McTyre said:

I wanna like this a million times. I have 3 biological kiddos and they of course took a toll on my body. I have struggled for years to finally come to terms with my stretch marks and loose skin. It's taken me forever to love my body again (and even now I have my days lol). 

Kimberly Henderson said: I still have my days too!! But at the end of the day.. I think to myself.. This is MY body... I have 2 choices embrace it or spend my time being upset about it!
I chose to embrace it! We're not perfect.. Especially after having babies! That's normal:) remember... confidence is sexy, motherhood is sexy, not just flat tummies and being skinny! Love you guys!you're beautiful!

Naira falls to 225 against dollar

Naira and dollar notes | credits: www.osundefender.org

The naira tumbled against the dollar from 222 on Wednesday to 225 on Thursday, barely 36 hours after the Central Bank of Nigeria banned importers of rice, textiles, tomato paste and 38 other items from getting their forex needs from the nation’s forex market.

The regulator had said the new rule would help preserve the external reserves, facilitate the resuscitation of domestic industries and generate employment opportunities.

But the ban, which economists said would see about $5.7bn quarterly forex demand by importers of the items move from the official to the parallel market, is already fuelling scarcity of dollar at the black market and the Bureau De Change segment of the forex market.

Black market operators in Lagos, Abuja and Kano told our correspondent on Thursday that they had limited amount of foreign currencies for sale.

While many claimed that they did not have dollar for sale, a few who were ready to sell the currency quoted between N224 and N225 as the selling price.

The Acting President, Association of Bureau De Change Operators, Alhaji Aminu Gwadabe, said the dollar sold for between 224 and 225 on the street market because many of the operators were hoarding their stock of forex in anticipation of further rise in prices against the naira.

The hoarding, he said, followed the CBN’s new policy banning importers of 40 items from the forex market.

He said, “Most operators at the black market and a few at the BDC segment are hoarding their stock of forex in anticipation of further price increase. Most of them believe the CBN’s new policy will shift a lot of demand to the parallel market and the BDC segment, a situation that may make the naira to fall. So, rather than sell what they have, they are hoarding it. It is this artificial scarcity that is causing the price to rise.

“As of today (Thursday), the United States dollar is being sold for between N224 and N225. However, pounds and euro are still at 350 and 249, respectively. They may also rise in the coming days, while the dollar may sell for N230 by next week.”

The CBN had said that traders desirous of importing the banned items could do so using their own funds without recourse to the forex market.

Economists and analysts said the move would put the naira under further pressure as importers push more demand from the interbank forex market to the parallel market.

Trading on the interbank market, which is pegged around the central bank’s rate of N196.90 to the dollar, was at N199.40 on Thursday.

An economic and financial analyst at the WSTC Financial Services Limited, Mr. Olutola Oni, said the new forex rule would lead to inflation.

The Head, Research and Investment, Afrinvest West Africa, Mr. Ayodeji Ebo, said that the new policy would reduce the income of banks.

10-year-old girl found unconscious, dies after riding Six Flags roller coaster

Authorities say a 10-year-old girl who was found unconscious last week after riding a roller coaster at Six Flags Magic Mountain in Southern California has died at a hospital.

Coroner's Assistant Chief Ed Winter said Monday that Jasmine Martinez of Somis died Saturday at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.
An autopsy will determine the cause of death.

The Los Angeles County Fire Department said the girl and a parent were airlifted Friday from the park in Valencia.

The amusement park released a statement that said the girl was found breathing but unconscious after riding the Revolution.

“There is no evidence to suggest that this was in any way ride related,” the park said, according to the Los Angeles Times. “We do not know if there was a pre-existing condition.”

The 113-foot-high looping steel coaster reaches speeds of 55 mph during a two-minute ride.

The Revolution was cleared to reopen shortly after the incident but was shut down after it was announced the girl died.

The coaster has been at the park since 1976.

Man kills mother of his son in Lagos, turns himself in

Michael David, a 31-year-old from Delta state reportedly murdered his wife then and reported himself to the police after he confessed to the killing, stating that his actions was the handiwork of the devil.
The suspect was involved in a fight with the victim, Oyinyechi Dennis, when he allegedly stabbed her to death at Ojoku area of Lagos.

It was learned that Michael, a carpenter, was spreading untrue rumours about his wife which led to a confrontation between two.

He narrated what happened on the said day.

“Oyinye is the mother of my son, although I did not marry her legally but when she became pregnant for me, I went to her aunty and uncle who she was living with for introduction.

’We then started living together. But we had a misunderstanding and then she packed out of my house.

“On Tuesday morning, Onyinye came to my house, I thought she just came to visit me but I later saw her mood and knew something was wrong. She confronted me with an issue she heard. She said I was spreading rumour about her living a wayward life style and not sleeping at home.

‘’She asked me if I was behind the rumour and I told her yes, that I had noticed it since she left my place.

‘’Out of anger, she picked up a bottle, broke it and threatened to deal with me and we began to fight. While we were fighting, I overpowered her and took the broken bottle from her. She rushed again to where the knife was and picked the knife.

‘’Out of anger, I collected the knife from her and mistakenly stabbed her in the stomach with the knife, shortly after she died.

“After my action, I sat for sometime thinking of what to do, whether to run away or go to the police station to report myself. I then decided to report myself at Tolu Divisional Police Station.

A sister to the deceased who gave her name as Chika, claimed that the issue that led to her sister’s death started since the victim moved back to the family house.
She explained:

“When Onyinye moved her things back to the house. I asked her what was wrong, and she said nothing, that she does not want to continue leaving with Michael.

“Even a week before this incident, when Michael came to visit his son in the family house, immediately he entered, Onyinye walked out of the house. But I was surprised when he called me on Tuesday to inform me that Onyinye is dead and that he was at the police station.

‘’I immediately rushed down to the police station to find out if it was true and that was where I heard the whole story.

“What was even more surprising is the fact that on that same day,  after the incident, he called one of our neighbours to tell my other sister to bring his son which she did but after sometime, he returned the boy.

‘’Maybe he was thinking of running away with his son but God did not give him the courage to do so. All I just desire now is for the police to complete investigation into the matter and let the law deal with him accordingly.”

Liverpool must meet Carlos Bacca's release clause - Sevilla striker's agent

Carlos Bacca scored 20 La Liga goals last season.

Liverpool will need to meet Carlos Bacca'sreported £21.5 million release clause in order to sign the Sevilla striker, according to the player's agent.

Bacca, 28, has been linked with a number of European sides including Liverpool and Romaafter scoring 20 La Liga goals last season.

The forward, who is currently representing Colombia at the Copa America, is under contract at Sevilla until June 2018

His agent Sergio Barila told The Guardian: "We have had lots of interest but so far there has been no official approach.

"I spoke with Carlos on Wednesday night and we agreed we need a real solution. Clubs are telling him not to sign anything until they have made an offer but we are still waiting.

"Liverpool and another English club are among those that have shown an interest but there are also clubs in Italy. What is clear is that they must meet the release clause but at this stage nobody has."

This week, Sevilla sporting director Monchi said the club have not received any bids for Bacca, who joined the side two years ago from Club Brugge.

Barila outlined that Premier League club Liverpool were among the clubs Bacca would be open to joining this summer.

"Sevilla are a good team who will play in the Champions League next season so it wouldn't be a disaster to stay," he said. "Carlos has other options to earn a lot of money in places like China or the United Arab Emirates but that would not fit in with what he is looking for.

"We are really looking at three things -- number one is to have a happy family situation for his wife and son because he had a bad experience in Belgium. The second is to find a good team with a good project. Before he went to Chile [for the Copa America], we wrote down a list of clubs that fit that description and Liverpool was on that list.

"The third question is the contract. He has a good salary in Sevilla but we know how much clubs in England can pay."