25 Best Foods for Your Skin

 How to get a radiant glow, banish wrinkles, and keep skin supple and soft--one bite at a time n
By Jessica Girdwain, Prevention
You already know that filling your diet with power foods--like dark leafy greens, dark chocolate, citrus--can help beat chronic conditions like heart disease and diabetes. But did you know that certain foods can also work wonders on your skin?
"There's a growing body of research showing that diet really does affect your complexion," says Jessica Wu, MD, a dermatologist in Los Angeles and author of Feed Your Face. "What you eat can affect your hormone balance, cause acne, and create or lessen inflammation, which is associated with skin aging."
In fact, what you eat can be as important as the serums and creams you apply on your skin, says Dr. Wu. That's why we rounded up 25 foods that are good for you--and fantastic for your skin. Here's to you, gorgeous!

PLUS: Avoid these 8 Diet And Exercise Mistakes That Age You.
Olive oil
When researchers in a 2012 study in PLOS ONE analyzed the diets of 1264 women, they found that a higher consumption of olive oil (more than 8.4 grams or 2 teaspoons a day) was associated with 31% fewer signs of aging compared to people who ate less than 3.8 grams (about 1 teaspoon). Olive oil beat out the other oils tested, including sunflower and peanut. Why? About 75% of the fat in olive oil is monounsaturated fatty acids, which may play a role in the youth boost. The antioxidant polyphenols in olive oil could also quench damaging free radicals.

Tomatoes

Nick Cannon comes for Kanye West on twitter

 

 Kanye has been on a media blitz ranting about how he's a genius and the most impactful artist of this generation...blah blah blah. Nick Cannon took to Twitter to point out to Kanye that real geniuses don't have to announce it...

Trivia: They've both dated same women, super model Selita Ebanks and reality star Kim Kardashian. See more Tweets after the cut...

A Bra to Make You Slimmer? Microsoft Invents It

 Software Giant, Microsoft, have designed a prototype bra for ladies that detects when they have had too much to eat. The sensors are in the cups of the bra which comes with aspect panels that detect changes in heart rate, pores and skin temperature and stress levels all causes of over eating.  All of the knowledge is then streamed via Bluetooth to a Smartphone application offering genuine-time ‘mood-brought on eating’ alerts.

The bra alerts the wearer when they are most likely craving comfort food, thus warns against it. The bra has joined the league of other bizarre inventions targeted at women such as the Invisible Panties and the Va j-j Visor.

Church of England To Allow Church Blessings For Gay Couples

  Under consideration: The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, said the Church will now consider the recommendations
 The Archbishops of Canterbury and York yesterday published the Report of the House of Bishops Working Group on Human Sexuality.
And according to it, gay couples should be allowed to have their relationships blessed in church.

DailyMail reports that the report, written by former civil servant Sir Joseph Pilling and a team of senior churchmen and women, was published seven months after the Church first indicated it is looking at ‘accommodations’ for same-sex couples and four months after the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Reverend Justin Welby, told Church leaders that ‘we must accept there is a revolution in the area of sexuality.’

OUTRAGE: How 409 Nigerians Are Being Discriminated in South African Prisons.....

The House of Representatives has come out to condemn the ill-treatment and discrimination against Nigerians living in South Africa, stressing that over 409 convicts were currently serving jail terms there.

Mrs. Abike Dabiri-Erewam, the Chairman of the House Committee on Diaspora, disclosed this in a statement issued after the committee’s visit to two prisons in South Africa. She described the increasing number of Nigerians in foreign prisons as “ridiculously embarrassing.”
The representative of Ikorodu Federal Constituency in Lagos State, Dabiri-Erewa, who visited the prisons alongside two members of the committee, Ajibola Famurewa and Umaru Shidanfi, consular officers of the Nigerian Embassy and executives of the Nigerian Union in South Africa, disclosed that over 400,000 Nigerians were currently living in South Africa.

During her interaction with some inmates, the lawmaker explained that some of them confessed that they had been denied their freedom, despite completing their jail terms.

“The inmates complained of extreme discrimination by the prison authorities in South Africa. The law enforcement officers always maltreat citizens of Nigeria for unjustifiable reasons. Sometimes, the authorities tore into pieces their Nigerian passports among several other allegations and refused to grant them bail, while others from other countries that committed similar bailable offence were granted bail.” 

North Korea says U.S. citizen Merrill E. Newman is a criminal, arrested for hostile acts

U.S. citizen Merrill E. Newman puts his thumbprint on a piece of paper, after being taken into custody by North Korea, after entering North Korea as a tourist, at an undisclosed location in this undated photo released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) in Pyongyang on November 30, 2013. North Korea said on Saturday it had arrested Newman for ''hostile acts'' against the state and accused him of being ''a criminal'' who was involved in the killing of civilians during the 1950-53 Korean War.

  North Korea said on Saturday it had arrested U.S. citizen Merrill E. Newman for "hostile acts" against the state and accused him of being "a criminal" who was involved in the killing of civilians during the 1950-53 Korean War.

Newman "masterminded espionage and subversive activities against the DPRK and in this course he was involved in killings of service personnel of the Korean People's Army and innocent civilians," the North's official KCNA news agency said.

DPRK is short for the North's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. North Korea is technically still at war with the South and the United States as a truce, not a peace treaty, was signed to end the Korean conflict.

"He admitted all his crimes and made an apology for them," KCNA said.

"I was forced to masturbate in front of teammates" - David Beckham

Retired footballer David Beckham recently revealed that he was forced to masturbate in front of his teammates as part of his initiation into Manchester United's youth team in 1991.

Beckham, who opened up about the incident in a documentary titled The Class of ’92, said the incident happened when he was just 16 years old. He said he was forced to stare at a calendar photo of eighties Reds soccer player Clayton Blackmore (pictured right) and pleasure himself, while his teammate watched, as part of an embarrassing hazing ritual.
“Everyone had an initiation that you had to go through on the youth team, that was one of the most uncomfortable ones. The fact that I had to look at Clayton Blackmore’s calendar and do certain things. I was embarrassed when I was saying it on camera let alone talking about it more. But it’s something that we all had to go through. It was definitely something I wouldn’t like to go through again!' Beckham said
The Class of ’92, is a documentary about the generation of Manchester United stars who came of age two decades ago.

Man Leaves Secret Fortune Worth $187.6 Million to Wash. Charities

A Washington state man has left a fortune worth $187.6 million to charity, after spending his life keeping his wealth a secret by coupon clipping and riding the bus.
Jack MacDonald, who died at age 98 in September, left his fortune to Seattle Children's Hospital, the University of Washington School of Law and the Salvation Army. MacDonald's family says few people outside his immediate family knew he was wealthy.
"Our family has lived with the 'secret' of Jack's generous fortune for more than 40 years, all while being amazed at his frugal lifestyle and modest demeanor," said Regen Dennis, MacDonald's stepdaughter. "He was quirky and eccentric in many ways, and always stayed true to himself by acting on his convictions to do the most good with his wealth."
MacDonald, who worked as an attorney for three decades, was able to amass his wealth by investing money he inherited from his family. He had no biological children of his own and his wife, whom he married in 1971, died in 1999.

What Michelle Obama Really Thinks About Facebook

• 

First lady Michelle Obama doesn't want her two young daughters to have a big presence on Facebook yet, she told ABC News' Barbara Walters in an interview.
"I still am not a big believer in Facebook for young people…particularly for them, because they're in the public eye," Mrs. Obama said. "Some of its stuff they don't need to see and be a part of… So we try to protect them from too much of the public voice."
Barbara Walters' exclusive interview with President Obama and first lady Michelle Obama airs on a special edition of "20/20," "Walters at the White House," on Friday, Nov. 29, at 10 p.m. ET.
Sasha, 12, isn't old enough to be on the social networking site yet, Obama said, and 15-year-old Malia's access to social media is still limited.
For the first time since Chelsea Clinton, the White House now has teenaged (and pre-teen) residents. But it comes at a time of unprecedented public access to high-profile figures through Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and other social networks.
Still, the Obamas say they encourage their daughters to grow personally while their father is commander-in-chief.
Malia Obama, a sophomore in high school, is allowed to date - though her parents won't say whether she is seeing anyone now - and they frequently have sleepovers and pajama parties on the White House's third floor.
"You know, we think about not just her life here, but her life after. Because she's gotta be an independent, strong, smart, capable woman in the world," Michelle Obama says of Malia. "So she has to get her training now."
"She can't wait until this light has dimmed to start becoming a person," she added.

Kanye's call for boycott of LV fails miserably. Fashion brand sells out

 
It seems like quite a number of people don't like Kanye and they spent their money to prove it. A few days after he called for a boycott of giant fashion brand Louis Vuitton, the exact opposite of what he was hoping for happened. Louis Vuittion sold out and a new record was even set for online sales.
After Kanye West told people to not buy any Louis Vuitton until after January the company took action and sent an e-mail to their best customers who responded in a huge way. The company says that sales surged this week and when final numbers came in that a new record was set for online sales and that customers responded to the attack by Kanye by coming to the brand for the first time and there were many small transactions by people who wanted to show their support for anything that is anti-Kanye." CDN reports
During that radio interview Kanye said "They think I don't realize my power." Guess he's not as influential as he thinks he is.

Cowboys wear regular blue jerseys at home for first time in more than 40 years

 For decades, the Cowboys wore their regular navy blue jerseys only when necessary.

They've been considered bad luck since the team started bucking the NFL trend and wearing white at home. The Cowboys' site said the team hadn't worn its normal blue jerseys at home since it played in the Cotton Bowl, and that hasn't happened since 1971.

But, wanting to do something different on Thanksgiving, the Cowboys busted out the blue. For Thursday's game against Oakland they wore the normal blue uniforms at home for the first time for that since they've played in the Cotton Bowl, which was two stadiums ago for the franchise. The whole "blue jersey/bad luck" superstition probably went through some fans' minds when the Cowboys fumbled the opening kickoff and Oakland returned it for a touchdown.


The Cowboys have worn throwbacks on Thanksgiving recently, with a while helmet and blue jerseys with white sleeves. But the NFL said teams couldn't use a different helmet for a throwback uniform starting this year, which nixed Dallas' normal throwback look because it had to stick with its silver helmets.

Here's the normal Cowboys' Thanksgiving throwback:The Cowboys still wanted to do something different for the holiday, so it went with the seldom-used blue jerseys.

It was not a throwback jersey, but it was certainly something the fans in Dallas hadn't seen for a long, long time.

German policeman 'kills and eats' another man

The body parts were found at this location in the mountains near the Czech border

Police in Dresden say they have arrested a 55-year-old police officer on suspicion of murder after the body of another man was found in the Erz mountains in eastern Germany.

They say there are indications that parts of the victim may have been eaten.

The dead man lived in Hanover and had been reported missing.

Police believe that the two men met via an internet site for those interested in sex with torture.

They say that the victim was tortured, killed and dismembered, and that his body parts were buried on a piece of land in the mountainous region which belonged to the alleged killer.

Stella Oduah’s armoured cars will buy 51 police patrol vehicles' -Gov Fashola

 During the 7th annual Town Hall Meeting on Security held in Lagos, Governor Fashola said the two BMW cars bought for Stella Oduah will purchase 51 patrol vehicles for the Nigerian Police.

“It is sad to know that the Federal Government that allocate three patrol vehicles for one state police command of 370, 000 police men, is unable to resolve how N255 million was used to purchase 2 saloon vehicles for one officer. It is a very grave irony. The cost of average vehicle needed to patrol the state is just N5 million. And with such fund, we will have put at least 51 patrol vehicles on the road, patrolling the streets of Lagos.”
"In spite of all this, they resist the idea of a state police. The money from the fund was in the last one year used to provide vehicles for the Nigerian Prison Service, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, Special Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS, National Security and Civil Defense Corps, NSCDC and indeed the airport wing of the Nigerian police, is funded from this money. And it is the same aviation ministry that manage the airport that we had this very odious car scandal of N255 million.”

Dr Fashakin arrested by the SSS for criticizing President Jonathan?

 

 

When did President Jonathan start arresting people for criticizing him?

China military sends air patrols through new defense zone

  China sent several fighter jets and an early warning aircraft into its new air defense zone over the East China Sea, state news agency Xinhua said on Friday, raising the stakes in a standoff with the United States, Japan and South Korea.

Japan and South Korea also flew military aircraft through the zone, the two nations said on Thursday, while Washington sent two unarmed B-52 bombers into the airspace earlier this week in a sign of support for its ally Japan. None of those aircraft informed Beijing.

China last week announced that foreign aircraft passing through its new air defense zone - including passenger planes - would have to identify themselves to Chinese authorities. The zone includes the skies over islands at the heart of a territorial dispute between Japan and China.

The Chinese patrol mission, conducted on Thursday, was "a defensive measure and in line with international common practices", Xinhua cited air force spokesman Shen Jinke as saying.

The aircraft, including Russian-designed Su-30 fighter jets, conducted routine patrols and monitored targets in the zone, Shen said.

"China's air force is on high alert and will take measures to deal with diverse air threats to firmly protect the security of the country's airspace," he said.

NATO-led force in Afghanistan to probe airstrike said to have killed child

 The NATO-led force in Afghanistan said it would investigate Thursday's airstrike in Helmand that local officials say killed a child and has further aggravated a stand-off between the Afghan president and the U.S. government.

"ISAF deeply regrets any civilian casualties caused by this airstrike," the force said in a statement.

President Hamid Karzai said the killing demonstrated the United States did not respect the lives of Afghan civilians and if such attacks continued, he would not sign a bilateral security pact.

Wrangling over the deal has lasted about a year. The pact aims to shape a U.S. military presence in Afghanistan after 2014, when most foreign forces are due to leave the country. Without a pact, U.S. officials have warned the United States could pull out all of its troops.

Obama pens letter to schoolteacher, says health care ‘wasn’t the smart political thing!’

A Texas schoolteacher who wrote a letter highly critical of President Obama’s health care law was surprised when the president himself wrote back defending his policies but admitting that health care “wasn’t the smart political thing!”
Just like every commander in chief before him, Obama has his share of critics. And in the Internet age, those critics have been given a bigger voice than ever before.
But what do you when the president writes back? The New York Post reports that fifth-grade schoolteacher Thomas J. Ritter was shocked to receive a handwritten response from Obama that reads in part:

“I believe that health care reform will be the right thing for the country . . . It certainly wasn’t the smart ‘political’ thing! And I hope that in the months to come, you will keep an open mind and evaluate it based not on the political attacks but on what it does or doesn’t do to improve people’s lives. Sincerely, Barack Obama.”
It’s not the first personal letter someone has received from President Obama that made headlines. In 2012, Obama famously wrote to a 10-year-old girl to answer questions about same-sex marriage . And in 2009, the New York Times wrote about how Obama has instructed White House staff to select 10 personal letters a day for him to read in order to help him stay outside of the “bubble” that inoculates so many public figures.
Still, the letter is a strangely personal exchange between the president and Ritter, 49. After all, Ritter’s letter is emotional and contains some questionable assertions.
Ritter wrote:
“This bill has caused such a divisive, dirisive [sic], and toxic environment … The reality is that any citizen that disagrees with your ­administration is targeted and ridiculed. I hesitated to write for fear of some kind of retribution. I watched you make fun of tea baggers and your press secretary make fun of Ms. Palin which was especially beneath the dignity of the White House.”
The abrasive tone of Ritter’s letter makes it all the more unusual that Obama would respond. And in responding, Obama even borrows Ritter’s phrasing of “tea baggers” to describe members of the tea party.
In his reply, Obama acknowledges the “toxic political environment” that Ritter writes about in his letter, then continues, “I do have to challenge you, though, on the notion that any citizen that disagrees with me has been ‘targeted and ridiculed’ or that I have ‘made fun’ of tea baggers . . . [I] defend strongly the right of everyone to speak their mind — ­including those who call me ‘socialist’ or worse.”
So, did a personal, handwritten note make an impression on Ritter, helping him get past his political differences with the leader of the free world?
Not exactly.
Ritter is trying to make the best of the situation but only in the most literal sense. He’s put the letter up for auction, asking for minimum bid of $24,000.
“I am selling the letter because I am just so disappointed, and this ObamaCare bill is wrong,” Ritter told the Post. “The president told me what he thought I wanted to hear. The letter is just words on a paper. It doesn’t mean anything to me because Obama doesn’t mean any of it.”

U.S. affirms support for Japan in islands dispute with China

 The United States pledged support for ally Japan on Wednesday in a growing dispute with China over islands in the East China Sea and senior U.S. administration officials accused Beijing of behavior that had unsettled its neighbors.

U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel assured his Japanese counterpart in a phone call that the two nations' defense pact covered the small islands where China established a new airspace defense zone last week and commended Tokyo "for exercising appropriate restraint," a Pentagon spokesman said.

China's declaration raised the stakes in a territorial standoff between Beijing and Tokyo over the area, which includes the tiny uninhabited islands known as the Senkaku in Japan and the Diaoyu in China.

The United States defied China's demand that airplanes flying near the islands identify themselves to Chinese authorities, flying two unarmed B-52 bombers over the islands on Tuesday without informing Beijing.

It was a sharp reminder to China that the United States still maintains a large military presence in the region despite concerns among U.S. allies that President Barack Obama's "pivot to Asia" strategy has borne little fruit

Lamar Odom reportedly demands $10m to end his marriage to Khloe

 
This report is from National Enquirer so maybe y'all should take it with a pinch of salt..:-). They are  claiming Lamar is demanding $10million in hush money from Khloe plus he wants his ring back..

Lamar Odom is demanding $10 million to end his 4-year marriage to Khloe Kardashian!
Sources say the troubled NBA star has also taken a page out of his fellow hoopster Kris Humphries’ playbook by demanding Khloe’s $875,000 engagement ring back before he’ll agree to zip his lips about the K-clan’s secrets. Humphries got Kim Kardashian to return her $2 million engagement ring as part of their divorce agreement following their 72- day marriage in 2011. Odom, 34, laid out his conditions after “momager” Kris Jenner ordered Khloe, 29, to sit down with their attorneys and hammer out a divorce deal, an insider says.

Latvia PM resigns after supermarket roof collapse that killed 54

  Latvia's PM Valdis Dombrovskis has announced his resignation, and thereby the fall of his government, over the deadly collapse of a Riga supermarket.

He made the announcement at a meeting with President Andris Berzins.

"Considering the tragedy and all related circumstances... a new government is needed that has the clear support of parliament," Mr Dombrovskis told reporters.

At least 54 people died when the Maxima supermarket collapsed last Thursday.

President Berzins earlier described the disaster as "murder" and called for foreign experts to investigate what had happened.
read more and see pics after d cut....

MicoStarMall.com: America biggest sale of the year (on Nov. 29)

MicoStarMall.com is ready for this week US  biggest sale in 2013. All stores in America will be having the biggest sale (Black Friday Nov.29 and Cyber Monday Dec. 2) of the year this week.Some stores in US have already started their sales while others will start their Black Friday Sales on Thurs. evening Nov.28.

The Cyber Monday (Online only) is on Dec.2 and some stores will have it for the rest of that week.
MicoStarMall.com will be giving customers in Nigeria and other African countries the best deal on all items purchased directly from US through MicoStarMall.com. Continue...

Jennifer Love Hewitt Is a Mom and (Surprise!) a Wife

New parents Jennifer Love Hewitt and Brian Hallisay are also newlyweds.
Jennifer Love Hewitt did it again!
The 34-year-old actress surprised fans back in June when it was revealed that she was both pregnant and engaged to "Client List" co-star Brian Hallisay. Now, Hewitt has revealed that she and Hallisay have welcomed a daughter and, oh yes, tied the knot!

Hewitt's rep tells omg! in a statement that, "Jennifer Love Hewitt and her husband Brian Hallisay are thrilled to announce the birth of their daughter. Autumn James Hallisay was born on November 26th."

The baby girl is the first child for both Hewitt and Hallisay, 35, who began dating in the spring of 2012 and got engaged in May.

Hewitt, who had romances with John Mayer, Carson Daly, and Jamie Kennedy before settling down with Hallisay, gushed about her impending motherhood in July.

"I think most people, when they're getting ready to be a mom, they go, 'Oh my gosh, I have to have all of the answers right now," she dished to Us Weekly. "But every kid is different, every parent is different, and every child and parent relationship is different, so you just sort of have to wait until you're in it and do the best that you can to try and be Zen in the middle of it all."

As for the wedding, a source told Us that the couple "got married recently in private."

PHOTO: Female Fan Poses Topless to Olamide’s Gunman Pose

 OLAMIDE DON COZ GOBE OOOOH!!!!
see more pics after d cut...

China says it monitored U.S. B-52s that flew through its new air zone

  Tensions are running high in the skies between China and Japan -- and the United States is refusing to stay on the sidelines.
After Beijing upset the region by declaring a new air defense zone over a large part of the East China Sea, Washington responded by flying two unarmed B-52 bombers through the area.
The U.S. aircraft ignored China's new demands that planes that fly through the zone identify themselves and submit flight plans to Chinese authorities.
The delicate situation is a test of how China's increasingly assertive approach beyond its borders will play out against the U.S. government's promise to focus more on Asia and uphold commitments to its allies.
"China is busy designing and implementing a bolder foreign policy in light of an anticipated U.S. decline," Stephanie Kleine-Ahlbrandt, director of Asia-Pacific programs at the U.S. Institute of Peace, writes in a commentary  this week.

We Have Returned The $700m Abacha Looted To Nigerian Government – Swiss Envoy

The Government of Switzerland has disclosed that it had returned to the Nigerian government about $700m looted by late military Head of State, General Sani Abacha.Switzerland Ambassador to Nigeria, Dr. Hans-Rudolf Hodel, made this known in Abuja recently at a press briefing ahead of a two-day seminar on Anti Money Laundering and Combating Financing of Terrorism.

The envoy asserted that the Swiss government was ready to reopen the case if Nigerian government presents concrete evidence of any other money still being held in any Swiss bank, noting that Switzerland had no interest in withholding illicit funds. He said his country had returned about $1.7bn to their countries of origin in the last 15 years.

“Switzerland and Nigeria agreed to request the World Bank to participate in the review of the use of funds, in the framework of a budget control process of various welfare projects,” he said.

He disclosed that his country was yet to receive any request for information on the November 4 Berne Declaration report: Swiss Traders Opaque Deals in Nigeria, which allegedly accused the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation of conniving with some Swiss-based oil firms of fraudulent deals, worth $6.8bn.

“I have no knowledge that we have been contacted by the authorities. In case they will start proceedings and they will need our help; of course, with international legal cooperation, we will help them if they approach us. But until now, they have not approached us,” he said.

Teen cartel killer released in Mexico, goes to US

A 17-year-old U.S. citizen who acknowledged being a killer for a Mexican drug cartel finished his three-year juvenile-offender term for homicide, kidnapping and drug and weapons possession and returned to the United States.

The interior secretary of southern Morelos state, Jorge Messeguer, said Edgar Jimenez Lugo had been released, though he added it wasn't clear if the teen had been rehabilitated.

"Being able to say whether he's been rehabilitated, that would be risky. I wouldn't really dare say that, because obviously the crimes he committed were so severe," Messeguer said.

Kanye West Scraps Nike Deal For Adidas: 'I'mma Be Bigger Than Wal-Mart'

Yeezus rapper says he's ending his long-held partnership 'to provide for my daughter.'

Just last week, between verbal cannons fired at the Video Music Awards, "pretty motherf---er" Bruno Mars and the fashion industry, Kanye West told the crowd at the Brooklyn stop on his Yeezus Tour that "I signed my deal a week and a half ago." No one really knew who Kanye West was talking about during the fiery tirade, but on Monday (November 25) he sat down with New York's Hot 97 to explain.

Speaking with Angie Martinez, Kanye confirmed that he's ending his longheld partnership with Nike to ink a deal with shoe rival Adidas. Why would 'Ye leave a relationship that spawned such creations as the Air Yeezys? Well, it's all about Baby North
.

Remy Cointreau hit by China slowdown

 
French spirits group Remy Cointreau has said that its full-year operating profits will see a "double-digit" decline after slower growth in China.

It blamed the fall on China's "sharp slowdown", together with an "uncertain economic environment" in Europe.

Shares in the firm, whose brands include Remy Martin cognac and Cointreau liqueur, fell more than 9%.

Meanwhile, German fashion house Hugo Boss has said the slowdown in China is a "particular concern".

'Disappointing growth'

Remy Cointreau said sales for the six months to 20 September fell to 558m euros ($756m; £467m)."Strong momentum" in the US and Europe failed to offset weakness in China, the firm said, where distributors were still trying to run down high stock levels.Sales of Remy Martin cognac fell 10% in the half-year to 327.2m euros, mainly as a result of the problems in China.

Kanye calls on fans to boycott Louis Vuitton after the company's VP snubbed him

 Kanye West is mad that the Vice President of Louis Vuitton (pictured left) snubbed him & has asked his fans to boycott the giant fashion brand. Yeah right, Kanye!

Explaining what happened during a radio interview yesterday, Kanye said LV vice-president Yves Carcelle refused to meet with him recently in Paris when he made a request to see him.
"I was made for this moment. What happened was while I was out in Paris I wanted to meet with the head of Louis Vuitton, he said I don't understand why we need to meet with you. 'I said, "let me explain to you why you need to meet with me."
'Everybody in New York City right now don't buy any Louis Vuitton until after January.
Referring to the LV boss Kanye said 'Now do you want to meet with me? Now do you want to meet with me? Influence. They think that I don't realise my power.'
Lol, Kanye! No be only boycott, na girlcott. But Mr Carcelle used to hang out with Kanye, I wonder what happened? Hmmm. But would the LV boss have turned Jay Z down? Just asking! *runsaway*

Kobe Bryant on $48.5 million contract extension: 'This wasn't a negotiation'

 Between his signature on a two-year, $48.5 million contract extension and a cross-country flight to the East Coast on Monday, Kobe Bryant was left befuddled and bemused by those who declared him greedy and uncaring about chasing championships.

"This was easy," Bryant Said "This wasn't a negotiation. The Lakers made their offer with cap and building a great team in mind while still taking care of me as a player.

"I simply agreed to the offer."

Britney Spears Opens Up About Boyfriend David Lucado: "I'm in Love," "I Adore Him"

 Britney Spears didn't have to wait long after her split from Jason Trawick for love to come knocking at her heart again. The "Work Bitch" singer stepped out with David Lucado in March -- after announcing the end of her engagement to Trawick in January -- and eight months later, the two are stronger than ever. In a new interview with Entertainment Tonight, airing Tuesday, Nov. 26, the 31-year-old pop star opens up about her relationship with her Southern-born beau.

"I'm in love," she tells Rob Marciano of Lucado. "I like the fact that he's very stubborn and he's stuck in his ways. He's just a simple man. I adore him. He's really funny and he's really passionate. I love the fact that anything he's involved in he's passionate about, and it's contagious."

'A memorable week in his finest year to date' Goal's World Player of the Week Cristiano Ronaldo

World Player of the Week

Cristiano Ronaldo   AGE 28 POSITION Forward PLAYS FOR Portugal/R Madrid WEEK IN NUMBERS APPS (GOALS SCORED) 2(4) TIME ON PITCH 143 PREVIOUS WINS 2

Sweden	2-3	Portugal
Almeria	0-5	Real Madrid

The two-legged World Cup play-off between Sweden and Portugal had been portrayed as a grudge match between Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Cristiano Ronaldo and while Ibrahimovic bagged a double, it was Ronaldo who stole the show with a devastating display of attacking football.

His four goals over the two legs, including a second-leg hat-trick ensured Paulo Bento's men qualified for the World Cup in Brazil next year and consigned the 28-year-old to the history books, equalling the national Portuguese record for goals scored at international level.

Not content with sending his national team to Brazil 2014, Ronaldo then set Real Madrid on their way to an emphatic victory over Liga side Almeria.

Goal's Spanish expert Ben Hayward says: "Although he ended up with a slight injury after scoring the opener for Real Madrid at Almeria on Saturday, this was a wonderful week for Cristiano Ronaldo.

The Portuguese fired his nation to Brazil 2014 almost single-handedly as he hit a brilliant hat-trick in Solna on Tuesday to deny Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Sweden, having also netted the winner in the sides' first-leg play-off match in Lisbon the previous Friday.

Those goals saw him draw level with Pauleta as Portugal's all-time top goalscorer (on 47 international strikes) and the 28-year-old now has 67 goals for club and country in 2013. With Ballon d'Or voting extended to the end of the month, he is also now the big favourite to claim the prestigious prize ahead of Bayern Munich's Franck Ribery and Barcelona's Lionel Messi.

A memorable week for Ronaldo, then, in what has been the finest year of his career to date.

Congratulations to Cristiano Ronaldo, Goal's 237th World Player of the Week winner!

Blackberry shakes up senior management

Blackberry once dominated the smartphone market but has struggled recently
Struggling smartphone maker Blackberry has shaken up its top management as part of its on-going reorganization.
The firm's chief financial officer, Brian Bidulka, will be replaced by James Yersh who has previously served as controller and head of compliance.
The chief marketing officer and chief operating officer will leave the firm with no replacements announced.
This comes just weeks after the firm appointed a new interim chief executive as it shelved a plan to sell itself.
Blackberry named John Chen as the interim chief executive officer (CEO) as it announced it had abandoned a planned sale to its biggest shareholder, Fairfax Financial Holdings.
The management changes are the first major move made by Mr Chen.
'Working more closely'
Blackberry once dominated the smartphone market, but has seen its fortunes dwindle in recent years,
It has been hurt by the success and popularity of smartphones launched by rivals such as Apple and Samsung. Its attempts to boost its market share have not yielded the desired results.
In September, it reported a net loss of $965m (£597m) for the second quarter, blaming poor sales of its new smartphone, the Z10.
The firm has also announced a plan to cut 4,500 jobs, or 40% of its workforce, to reverse the giant losses.
Mr Chen said the management changes were aimed at refining the company's strategy "to ensure we deliver the best devices, mobile security and device management".
"I look forward to working more directly with the talented teams of engineers, and the sales and marketing teams around the world to facilitate the BlackBerry turn-around and to drive innovation," he added.

China to launch first moon mission next month

China is launching its first lunar probe in early December, state-run Xinhua news agency reported Tuesday, just over a decade after the country first sent an astronaut into space.
The Chang'e-3 probe -- which will blast off from a Long March 3B rocket in Sichuan province located in southwest China -- is expected to land on the moon's surface in mid-December, a spokesman for the China's State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defence told Xinhua.
The unmanned mission marks China's first attempt at a soft-landing on the lunar surface and the first soft-landing on the moon since the Soviet Luna 24 probe in 1976.
China sets course for lunar landing this yearOn landing, the spacecraft will release Jade Rabbit (called Yutu in Chinese) -- a six-wheeled lunar rover equipped with four cameras and two mechanical legs that can dig up soil samples, a designer for the rover told Xinhua earlier this month. A public poll determined the the solar-powered robot's name, which comes from the white pet rabbit of the Chinese moon godess Chang'e. The slow-moving rover will patrol the moon's surface for at least three months, according to Xinhua.
Timeline: China's race into space
China is yet to announce the probe's preferred landing site, but researchers say an impact crater named Sinus Iridum, or Bay of Rainbows, is its likely destination. In 2010, China's previous lunar mission captured images of the crater while scouting potential landing sites for the 2013 probe.
In the United States, scientists are concerned the Chinese mission could interfere with a NASA study of the moon's dust environment. Chang'e-3's descent is likely to create a noticeable plume on the moon's surface that could skew the results of research already being carried out by NASA's Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE), Jeff Plescia, chair of NASA's Lunar Exploration Analysis Group told Space.com, a space news site.
The mission constitutes the second phase of China's moon exploration program which includes orbiting, landing and returning to Earth. Earlier missions included plotting a high-resolution, full-coverage lunar map.

Babyface admits he was never in love with ex-wife Tracey Edmonds

In his Next Chapter interview with Oprah Winfrey, R&B singer and songwriter Kenneth 'Baby Face' Edmonds admits he and ex-wife Tracey were never really in love...

Baby Face tells Oprah,
"The reality is that there was a connection that wasn’t really there. We loved each other but we weren’t really in love with each other. It was more the idea of it falling apart and me holding onto the image of what I thought we were.
"I don’t feel like we were supposed to be together forever. I’m okay with it because I think she’s okay."
The two met in1990, when Tracey auditioned for a music video. They married in 1992 and have two sons. Thirteen years later, in 2005, Tracey filed for divorce citing irreconcilable differences. 13 years and they were never in love? Guess not every marriage is built upon 'love.

Royal Bank of Scotland faces more damage to its reputation

Royal Bank of Scotland faced more damage to its reputation on Monday after the government handed regulators a report claiming that the state-rescued lender forced small firms to default.Compiled over the past six months, it focuses on claims against the bank’s Global Restructuring Group (GRG), which deals with risky loans.

The report alleges that the bank hit seemingly healthy businesses with unmanageable charges and rates before it seized their assets at a knock-down price.

Reacting to the report’s findings, Royal Bank of Scotland insisted that “GRG successfully turns around most of the businesses it works with” but said that “not all businesses that encounter serious financial trouble can be saved”.

It added in a statement: “We are already committed to an inquiry to investigate how customers are treated by RBS when facing financial difficulties and ensure that we provide them with appropriate support.”

Business Secretary Vince Cable handed the report, written by Lawrence Tomlinson from the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, to the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA).Picture taken on June 14, 2013 a sign outside a branch of the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) in London …

The report’s author noted: “From the cases I have heard, it is clear that a perception has arisen that the intention is to purposefully distress businesses to put them in GRG and subsequently take their assets… at a discounted price.”

“There are many devastating stories of how RBS has wrecked good businesses and the ruinous impact this has on the lives of the business owners,” it said.

Cable called the allegations “very serious”.

“I am however confident that the new management of RBS is aware of this history and is determined to turn RBS into a bank that will support the growth of small and medium sized businesses,” he added.

RBS — 81 percent owned by the state following its near collapse during the 2008 financial crisis — recently announced plans to create an internal ‘bad bank’ to run down £38 billion ($62 billion, 46 billion euros) of high-risk assets as the government looks to return the rescued lender to the private sector.

See love! Angelina Jolie buys Brad Pitt an Island for his 50th birthday

What do you give a man who has almost everything? An Island! According to new reports, Angelina Jolie just dropped $19million for a secluded heart shaped Island located in Lake Mahopac, 50-miles away from New York City, which she reportedly plans to present to her partner Brad Pitt on his 50th birthday on December 18th.

Angelina paid a recent visit to Petra Island where she discovered two sprawling properties designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, who is Brad's favorite architect. She reportedly paid for one of the properties.

    "As soon as Angelina heard the island was on the market she arranged a viewing. She was really impressed. The house is perfect for romantic getaways or as a family retreat," a source told the Daily Mirror U.K. "It's very private and Angelina knows the fact the island is in the shape of a heart will mean so much to him," the source explained.

The 11-acre Island boasts panoramic views, a helicopter pad, the famous Massaro house and a cottage.

I Used Condoms To Prevent Urine Dripping From Michael Jackson’s Pen*s- Doctor

 Dr Conrad Murray is out of prison and has decided to spill. Conrad in a new interview with The Mail said, Michael was a drug addict who never fathered any of his kids. He also said, he had to wear a condom on his joystick every night because urine kept dripping from there. His words from the interview below;
read more and see pics after d cut...

REVEALED: 9ice Didn't Know His Father Until He Was 22

Popular Naija musician, 9ice, says he is back and better. In a recent with Punch's Nonye Ben Nwakwo, he also revealed certain issues about his personal life that many do not know about him. Brief excerpt below:

Now that you are back, should these small artistes making waves be scared?
We are not on the same level. They are in the river and I am in the ocean. Let them just do their thing. I am on a different level. They are making money. That is nice. They don’t disturb me and I don’t disturb them either

Why did you deny you had twins when they were born?
I did say I didn’t have twins then because I believe it was personal. If I have N1m, I think it is only my account’s officer that should know how much I have. In fact, he wouldn’t even have the right to check my account unless I ask him to do that. He couldn’t just cull up my account details and start checking how much I have. This is not a car we are talking about, these are human beings.

When they grow up, do you think they will forgive you when they read that you once denied them?
I will tell them the reason I did that. It was the same way my father gave me his own reasons. I didn’t know him until I was 22. I got to know my mother when I was 18.

They gave me their reasons for doing what they did. I asked my father where he was all the time I was growing up and he told me where and how and when he was a part of my life. If my kids grow up to ask me why I did what I did, I would certainly explain to them. I didn’t say I didn’t have kids just because I wanted to lie, No. I had my reasons. I had my life to live.

Tonto shows off her gold plated, diamond studded iPhone5s + Rolex watch

Having a gold plated phone is a big deal, but Tonto took it up a notch by adding diamonds. And is she showing it off with a middle finger? Lol. She also showed off her new 18k yellow gold Rolex with customized bezel diamond big face. See the pic after the cut...

Belgian model puts Jay Z on blast, claims he spent thousands of dollars on her & her friends

 
You know what they say, politeness has become so rare that some people mistake it for flirtation. Jay Z bought drinks for a Belgian model and her friends at a nite club and the lady did an interview about it like he's trying to leave his wife for he...
Jay Z is said to have bought drinks for a beauty queen amid rumours about his marriage to Beyonce. The rapper spent more than $8,000 on champagne while partying with gorgeous model Claudia Scheelen in Antwerp’s Magic nightclub last month.
Claudia, 27, told the Mirror: “I was with my girlfriends and he sent over a drink to us – he had this huge bottle of Ace of Spades champagne, it must have been six or ten litres.
“He told me ‘I’ve been all over the entire world, but the girls in Antwerp are the prettiest girls.’”Claudia says Jay Z didn’t talk about his wife or one-year-old daughter when they met. “He didn’t mention Beyoncé or Blu once,” she added.

On 50th anniversary of JFK death, Dallas holds first memorial

 
Dallas will observe the 50th anniversary of President John F. Kennedy's assassination with its first official memorial on Friday, as the rest of the nation pauses to remember the event that changed history.

At Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia where Kennedy is buried, family members laid a wreath at his grave, where Jackie Kennedy and two of their children also are buried.

At dawn, Attorney General Eric Holder made a gravesite visit to honor Kennedy, bowing his head and placing a Justice Department commemorative coin at the stone. Holder then walked a short path to the grave of Robert F. Kennedy, who had served as attorney general under his brother, bowed his head and left another coin.

In a late morning ceremony in Dallas, Kennedy will be remembered with prayers, a speech by Mayor Mike Rawlings and military jets flying over the city's Dealey Plaza, where Kennedy was shot.

The ceremony starts at 11:30 a.m. (1730 GMT), to coincide with the time that Kennedy's motorcade had passed through packed downtown streets, 50 years ago. Only 5,000 people will be able to view ceremonies in Dealey Plaza but video screens will be set up throughout downtown.

For previous anniversaries, conspiracy theorists who say there was a plot to kill Kennedy have usually taken over Dealey Plaza, denouncing the official line that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone and fired three shots at Kennedy from the sixth floor of the Texas School Book Depository building.

They have come to Dallas in force this year but will not be part of the official event.

Who has seen the new 100 dollar bill? (See photo)

This new 100 dollar bill went into circulation on October 8th this year and features a better portrait of former US president Benjamin Franklin and other improvements. See the old and new after the cut 

Dbanj Dumps Polo Boss Daughter, Jennifer Obayuwana After Long Romance

The talk of the town hot and steamy relationship between Polo Boss' daughter Jennifer and Nigeria's number one serial playboy/bachelor Dbanj has fizzled out. The former lovers reportedly parted ways amicably and are still friends,however having sex has been ruled out of their friendship for now....not sure oh.

Jennifer Obayuwana is the fashionista daughter of the very stylish Mr. John Obayuwana, the MD/CEO of one of Nigeria's topmost Luxury company, known to all as POLO LTD. In fact Jenny or J-Wonder, like most who know her prefers to call her, is the very hardworking, globe-trotting Executive Director of the 5-star company. Since she took up more powerful executive role in her father's company (which includes CAT Construction), which in a way she practically runs now, it has been an upward swing unprecedented for the brand, with many world renowned watch brands the likes of Rolex, Breguet, Cartier, Hublot, Gaga Milano etc coming on board and having very strategic relationship with Polo Ltd, all of these successes kudos to the gorgeous & hardworking Jennifer. All the while she was having great successes on the business front, she was also seemingly having fun on the love front then with her then beau D Banj.Since Dapo Oyebanji aka D banj, aka Banger Lee, the only Eja Nla in Nigeria let it slip sometime ago that he & Jennifer were in a love relationship, loads & loads of media frenzy followed the revelation. To some then, it was like it was a match made in heaven; With D banj being the most visible Nigerian entertainer in the world and an eligible bachelor at that, whilst Jennifer, is also an eligible bachelorette, one that is being primed to take over her father's multimillion dollar rated company. Everyone was thinking it would be like one of those happily ever after love stories we get to read about in all those novels. With many openly exclaiming how wow it was that finally, someone of Jennifer's pedigree was the one, that had finally won the heart of such a player as D banj.
read more and see more photos after d cut...

Unbelievable! Watch two little girls cuss each other using really bad language

This video is so sad to watch. It features two little girls probably about 5/6 years old cussing each other out, using really foul language. You will cringe when you hear some of the words coming out of these little girls mouths. They are talking about s**king d**ks!!! I blame their parents. Watch...

Samsung to pay Apple $290m (£180m) for copying phones

A California jury found that Samsung used Apple designs in 13 older products
A Silicon Valley jury has ruled that Samsung must pay $290m (£180m) to Apple for copying iPhone and iPad features in its devices.
This verdict comes after a previous jury found Samsung owed Apple $1.05bn for copyright infringement.
However, US District Judge Lucy Koh ordered a retrial because she said that jury miscalculated the amount Samsung must pay.
Samsung is expected to appeal.
Apple said in a statement: "For Apple, this case has always been about more than patents and money. It has been about innovation and the hard work that goes into inventing products that people love.
"While it's impossible to put a price tag on those values, we are grateful to the jury for showing Samsung that copying has a cost."
The jury's ruling covers 13 of the 26 Samsung devices that Apple had argued copied its technology. These are mostly older Samsung tablets and smartphones.
The $290m figure comes on top of the $550m Samsung owes Apple as a result of the initial verdict. In total, Apple has now been awarded close to $930m in the case.
Apple shares traded slightly higher on the news. Samsung closed down slightly earlier in the day.
'Beautiful and sexy'
Samsung had argued that Apple should not have ownership over technology like what Samsung said was the "basic rectangle" shape of smartphones.
"Apple doesn't own beautiful and sexy," Samsung lawyer William Price told the jury during the proceedings.
However, the jury in the courtroom - which is located just 15 minutes away from Apple's headquarters in California - thought otherwise, awarding close to the $380m Apple sought. Samsung said it owed just $52m.
Samsung was found to have infringed Apple patents, including one that allows users to "pinch and zoom" on smartphone and tablet screens.
A separate trial to determine whether or not current Samsung devices violate Apple's patents is scheduled for March 2014.
Apple has also asked Judge Koh to consider a sales ban against all of the older Samsung models that used Apple's technology.
While Judge Koh has previously refused to issue such an injunction, a separate US Appeals Court asked her to reconsider this week.

Fed tapering unease rattles shares, dollar jumps

Renewed talk of an early cutback in the U.S. Federal Reserve's stimulus sent the dollar back above 100 yen on Thursday while driving government bonds yields higher and world shares lower.

Surprisingly weak data from China and the euro zone added to the downbeat tone, outweighing confirmation by the Bank of Japan that its massive stimulus will continue and signals that the European Central Bank was considering easing its policy further.

Minutes of the last Fed policy meeting released on Wednesday showed officials felt they could begin scaling back the bank's massive bond purchase program at one of their next few meetings if economic conditions warranted it.

Many in the markets took that to mean the program could be trimmed earlier than consensus forecasts, which had been pointing to March.

"I think December is now more likely (for Fed tapering) than was previously the case," said Simon Smith, chief economist at FXPro, adding this was largely due to the Fed having made clear tapering did not necessarily mean rate hikes would follow.

That shift in perceptions caused a big spike in U.S. bonds yields, boosting demand for the dollar which hit a four-month high of 100.83 yen, up 0.8 percent on the day.

German 10-year bond yields rose 6 basis points to 1.77 percent, tracking the rise in U.S. Treasury note yields, which reached 2.8 percent on Wednesday.

The dollar gains and prospects that the flow of Fed dollars could soon slow also had a major impact on gold, which saw its biggest drop in seven weeks on Wednesday to settle near $1,249 an ounce.

STOCKS ROCKED

Egyptian troops die in Sinai attack

 Egypt's military launched an offensive against militants in Sinai in September
At least 10 Egyptian soldiers are reported killed and several more wounded in a car bomb attack near the North Sinai city of el-Arish.

Al-Masri al-Youm newspaper said a convoy of buses carrying infantry soldiers was hit by a roadside bomb as it moved through the Kharouba area.

The death toll was likely to rise, a security source said.

Attacks on security forces in the Sinai have increased since Islamist President Mohammed Morsi was ousted in July.

The peninsula has grown increasingly unstable since the overthrow of former President Hosni Mubarak nearly three years ago.

In September security forces launched an offensive against Islamist militants there, but have suffered a spate of deadly bombings.

Map

Wednesday's attack, which took place at around 07:45 local time (05:45 GMT) on the road from Rafah to el-Arish, is thought to be the bloodiest against the military since Mr Morsi was deposed.

Twenty-six soldiers were wounded in the explosion, al-Ahram website reported.

The attack is reported to have targeted Egypt's Second Field Army, which has been deployed in Sinai and has been involved in an operation to destroy tunnels along Egypt's border with Gaza.

The soldiers were on their way back to Cairo on leave, reports said. Some of the most seriously wounded victims were being airlifted to hospital in the capital.