Kim Kardashian and Kanye West announce name of their newborn son

TV&Showbiz



Kim Kardashian and Kanye West's God complex has reached a divine new level.
The reality star, 35, and the rapper, who also goes by Yeezus, have named their newborn son Saint West.
The couple are already parents to two-year-old daughter North.
In a post titled 'To Our Fans' on her subscription based website kimkardashianwest.com, the reality star wrote simply: 'Saint West, 12.05.15, 8 pounds 1 ounce.'

A heavenly name!: Kim Kardashian and Kanye West have named their son Saint West. They are pictured here in October

A heavenly name!: Kim Kardashian and Kanye West have named their son Saint West. They are pictured here in October

It was accompanied by four emojis, depicting their family.

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Saint West: Do you like Kim Kardashian and Kanye West's name choice for their son?

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Within minutes of the announcement, memes poking fun at the name began circulating on Twitter and Instagram.
One showed a painting of Mary and Joseph kneeling over baby Jesus's manger, with photos of Kim and Kanye's faces pasted onto the faces of Mary and Joseph.
Following suit, another meme placed the baby emoji - the same one used by Kim in her name announcement post - onto a painting of a saint, while one showed Kanye as Jesus, cradling the baby emoji.
One even jokingly suggested that Kim was smoking marijuana while picking out the names of her two children.
Kim revealed last week on her website that she was having trouble settling on a suitable moniker for her little boy.

When asked what she currently 'dislikes' in a Q&A, she answered: 'All baby names I am hearing. We need to think of a good name. This is so hard!'
While it was widely assumed that Kim and Kanye would pick out another unusual named for their second-born child, the Keeping Up With The Kardashians star said calling the baby South (to go with North) would be the 'stupidest thing ever'.
She told NPR in June: 'I don’t like South West, though, because North will always be better and she has a better direction. So I wouldn’t do that. I don’t think we’ll go with another direction.
She added: 'Everyone keeps on saying South, and I think it’s so stupid. It’s the stupidest thing ever.'
Kim also revealed to Ellen DeGeneres during an interview in September that she was a fan of the name Easton, but added: 'I don't think my husband likes that name, but I do like it.'

'To our fans': The reality star announced the baby's moniker via her subscription based website

'To our fans': The reality star announced the baby's moniker via her subscription based website

Growing family: Kim and Kanye are pictured here with two-year-old daughter North West in April

Growing family: Kim and Kanye are pictured here with two-year-old daughter North West in April
Another celebrity to pick the unique baby name is Pete Wentz, who welcomed son Saint Laszlo with girlfriend Meagan Camper in February 2014.
And fans didn't forget this, with one creating a meme mocking Kanye's interruption of Taylor Swift's MTV Video Music Awards acceptance speech, showing Pete as Kanye and Kanye as Taylor.
'Imma let you finish but Pete Wentz named his son Saint over a year ago,' the post read, while also showing the baby emoji on the head of the moonman trophy.

A tough choice: The reality star, pictured here in October, said last week that she was finding it 'so hard' to pick out a name.

A tough choice: The reality star, pictured here in October, said last week that she was finding it 'so hard' to pick out a name
Kim is still in hospital in Los Angeles following Saint's birth, and is staying in a $4000-a-night birthing suite.
Her big sister Kourtney is said to have been by her side during the labour, and she has also received visits from Khloe and mom Kris Jenner.
On Monday, TMZ claimed that Kim's birth was a long and painful one. 
The star allegedly had placenta accreta, a serious pregnancy condition in which the placenta grows too deeply into the uterine wall. This can cause severe blood loss after delivery.  

A C-section is often advised with the condition, but Kim still managed to have a natural birth, the website added.
During an interview with C Magazine in August, the Keeping Up With The Kardashians star revealed that she may have to undergo a hysterectomy after the birth of her second child.
'They think I'll have placenta accreta again, so if the placenta grows a little bit deeper than it did last time, then they are prepared to have my uterus removed, which is a little scary for me,' she shared. 

Here comes auntie Khloe: On Monday, Kim's sister was pictured arriving at the hospital where Kim is staying in a $4000-a-night birthing suite

Here comes auntie Khloe: On Monday, Kim's sister was pictured arriving at the hospital where Kim is staying in a $4000-a-night birthing suite
'I think we're just gonna go day by day, see how overwhelming it is, and see how the delivery goes.'
The star had further complications during her pregnancy as her baby was manually moved from the breech position to avoid a C-section.
She told her fans on kimkardashianwest.com: 'They don't give you any pain medication, and let me tell you: This was soooooo painful. Probably more painful than childbirth. BUT it worked!!!' 

Double visit: The 31-year-old's estranged husband Lamar Odom is being treated in the same LA hospital

Double visit: The 31-year-old's estranged husband Lamar Odom is being treated in the same LA hospital
Kim also used her website to announce the birth of her second child on Saturday morning, sharing a photo which showed her and Kanye's hands with their fingers intertwined.
'To our fans: Kanye and I welcome our baby boy! Kim Kardashian West and her husband, Kanye West, welcomed the arrival of their son this morning. Mother and son are doing well,' the post read.
Saint was born three weeks before his Christmas Day due date. This would have made Kim around 37 weeks pregnant - which is considered full term by medical professionals. 
Before going into labour the previous evening, the social media fanatic posted a selfie while revealing her bare baby bump to Instagram, along with the caption: 'Ready whenever you are lol.'

Sharing their joy: Kim and Kanye announced the birth of their son on Kim's website on Saturday morning

Sharing their joy: Kim and Kanye announced the birth of their son on Kim's website on Saturday morning
Kim also told her fans that she gained 60lbs during her second pregnancy, and said she would be in no rush to lose the baby weight after giving birth.
Meanwhile, it seems the celebrity couple will have to splash the cash if they want to acquire the rights to saintwest.com.
TMZ reports that the website domain and all multimedia rights to it are owned by San Diego based company Saint West Filmworks.
The company’s co-founder Matt Jensen told the website that he acquired the rights three months ago, but would be willing to negotiate a deal with Kim and Kanye for usage rights.
Kim and Kanye married in May 2014 after two years of dating

Kim's delivery: Khloe Kardashian heads to hospital

 
Khloe Kardashian couldn't wait to meet her new nephew on Saturday, Dec. 5 – the reality Khloe Kardashian headed straight to Cedars-Sinai hospital in L.A. just hours after Kim Kardashian and Kanye West's baby was born.
It's the same Los Angeles hospital where Khloe's estranged husband, Lamar Odom, has been recovering since he was discovered unconscious in Nevada brothel in October.
Khloe, 31, initially spent more than three weeks by Odom's side and has since been a constant visitor, even bringing the NBA star a home-cooked Thanksgiving meal. She was also spotted arriving at the hospital on Friday, Dec. 4, to visit Odom, hours before her big sister Kim was admitted to give birth.
PHOTOS: Khloe and Lamar's Whirlwind Romance »
"I know these hospital halls way too well," Khloe tweeted on Saturday. "Hop[p]ing from one room to another."
Kim, 35, announced the birth of her son – her second child with West – in the early hours of Saturday morning, tweeting, "He's here!"
PHOTOS: North West's Fabulous Life »
A statement on the reality star's website reads, "Kim Kardashian West and Kanye West welcomed the arrival of their son this morning. Mother and son are doing well

Ongoing fuel scarcity: the Debt Management Office's factor

Following the approval by the National Assembly of the supplementary budget, which includes a provision for the payment of subsidy arrears, petroleum product marketers are expecting the issuance of Sovereign Debt Notes by the Debt Management Office for the settlement of the debts.
The delay in the payment of the subsidy debts to the marketers fuelled the latest round of fuel shortages in many parts of the country, similar to what was experienced in May this year.
On Thursday, long queues of motorists were seen in several filling stations in Lagos, with many struggling to get petrol in jerrycans.
President Muhammadu Buhari had in November sent a supplementary budget of N465.6bn to the National Assembly. The National Assembly reviewed the amount upward to N574bn, stating that the addition would help to offset the fuel subsidy for the last quarter of the year, which was not captured in the 2015 budget.
A breakdown of the approved supplementary budget showed that N522.2bn would be used for fuel subsidy payment.
Some marketers told our correspondent on Thursday that they expected the issuance of the SDNs to be a fast process in order to facilitate the importation of petroleum products into the country and end the current scarcity.
The Executive Secretary, Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria, Mr. Obafemi Olawore, said, “They have approved the subsidy arrears, which is a very big thing, but the money has not reached our hands. We expect to get the money in a couple of days.”
Olawore, in a telephone interview with our correspondent, said the DMO had prepaid the SDNs a long time ago, but was waiting for approval to give them out.
“Now that the approval has been given, all that they need for them to start issuing the notes is a letter from the National Assembly to the Ministry of Finance that the subsidy arrears have been approved,” he added.
The Executive Secretary, Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association, Mr. Olufemi Adewole, said, “We are expecting the DMO to start the issuance of the Sovereign Debt Notes soon, which we will take to our banks.”
He explained that few marketers had been issued the SDNs before it was discontinued when it was realised that there was no budgetary approval for the payment of the subsidy claims.
Adewole stressed the need for the Central Bank of Nigeria to make foreign exchange available to enable the marketers to import petroleum products, saying all hands must be on deck to put an end to the current scarcity.
A sovereign debt note, which serves as a security against any delay in the payment of subsidy for imported cargos, can be discounted for cash. With it, marketers that do not get their payment within the stipulated 45 days can take the instrument to their creditor banks as cash to pay for their loans.


Copyright PUNCH

Cameroonian troops capture, kill Boko Haram terrorists

YAOUNDE, Cameroon -- Cameroon's government spokesman says troops have freed 900 hostages held by Nigeria's Boko Haram extremists, killed more than 100 fighters and arrested 100 others.
Issa Tchiroma Bakary said Wednesday that Cameroonians, Chadians and Nigerians held by the Islamic extremists were freed in an operation from Nov. 27 to 29 from several camps by joint forces from Cameroon, Nigeria, Chad and Benin. He said they are being reunited with families.
Bakary said troops killed more than 100 fighters and also arrested one of the group's leaders along with about 100 other fighters in Boko Haram strongholds in the Sambisa Forest, which straddles northeastern Nigeria and Cameroon, and the Lake Chad area.
Boko Haram's 6-year uprising has killed 20,000 people. The Islamic extremist group has expanded attacks into Cameroon, Chad.
AP

Despite wide consumption bans, this newlyweds had a cigarette-themed wedding

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2015



Have you ever heard of a cigarette-themed wedding, darlings? Because when Mary-Kate Olsen, 29, got hitched to her beau of three years, Olivier Sarkozy, on Black Friday 2015, this was her choice of decor.

Eschewing the traditional peonies, roses, and twinkling lights, the happy couple chose a rather different theme for their intimate ceremony: lung cancer.
“There were bowls and bowls filled with cigarettes, and everyone smoked the whole night,” revealed one guest who is probably now suffering from emphysema.
This mystery source also mentioned that the vow exchange and subsequent dinner party were both held at a private residence and guests were required to turn in their cell

Now, yes, Olivier is a Frenchman (the brother of former French President Nicolas Sarkozy to be exact) and at 46 years old, is from a generation where it was considered tres chic to chain smoke. BUT COME ON — this is just revolting and nauseating on SO. MANY. LEVELS! Weddings should smell of cake, fresh floral arrangements, and possibilities — not thick, stale clouds of toxins and decay.
And may we please discuss how these two reside in a $13 million brownstone in NYC and clearly choose to destroy it with cig smoke? I mean, do you people even bother to use a proper toilet or do you just do your business right there on the hardwood floors? Really, what is the difference?
Gossip Girl

For his new daughter, Mark Zuckerberg wants to,give away 99 percent Facebook shares

Mark Zuckerberg, his wife Priscilla and their baby girl called MaxImage copyright Getty Images Image caption Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla with their baby girl called Max
Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan say they will give away 99% of their shares in the company to good causes as they announce the birth of their daughter Max.
Mr Zuckerberg made the announcement in a letter to Max on his Facebook page.
He said they are donating their fortune to the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative because they want to make the world a better place for Max to grow up in.
The donation amounts to $45bn (£30bn) at Facebook's current value.
However the shares will not be donated to charity immediately, but over the course of the couple's lives.


Were Mr Zuckerberg to give away 99% of his shares immediately, he would still possess hundreds of millions of dollars. Ms Chan's worth has not been documented.
Max was born last week, although her birth was only made public on Tuesday.
In his letter Mr Zuckerberg said the aim of the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative is "to advance human potential and promote equality for all children in the next generation".
Its initial areas of focus will be personalised learning, curing disease, connecting people and building strong communities.
Priscilla Chan and Mark ZuckerbergImage copyright Reuters Image caption Both Ms Chan and Mr Zuckerberg are taking parental leave.
"Your mother and I don't yet have the words to describe the hope you give us for the future," Mr Zuckerberg said at the start of his letter to Max.
"You've already given us a reason to reflect on the world we hope you live in," it added.
Where should Zuckerberg put his money?
Cellan-Jones: How Mark Zuckerberg (wisely) my advice.

Billionaire investor Warren Buffet congratulated Zuckerberg and Chan, proclaiming that when it comes to giving away your fortune, "30 is the new 70".
No longer should billionaires wait to die before handing over money to a different generation, Buffet said, in a gushing approval of Silicon Valley's newest and most influential power couple.
Everything Mark Zuckerberg does is eyed with intense scrutiny, not least due to the nature of Facebook's business of making money from personal data.
But while the 31-year-old's previous charitable efforts have been criticised for being too focused on building Facebook's user base, this latest pledge appears to leave the Facebook business to one side.
It's a continuation of what we've seen developing over the past six months, where Zuckerberg appears at ease hosting heads of state as he does in the company of his own development team.
The days of Mark Zuckerberg being seen as a nerdy, awkward tech dork are well behind us.
His ambition now is clearly to be a significant figure on the global political stage.

The letter highlighted the important role of technology in achieving the couple's goals of advancing human potential and equality.
"Many of the greatest opportunities for your generation will come from giving everyone access to the internet," Mr Zuckerberg wrote to his daughter.

He said more details about the donation will be released once he and Ms Chan return from paternity and maternity leave.
Mr Zuckerberg said he will remain chief executive of Facebook for "many, many years to come".
In a filing to the US Securities and Exchange Commision, Facebook said that Mr Zuckerberg "plans to sell or gift no more than $1bn of Facebook stock each year for the next three years and that he intends to retain his majority voting position...for the foreseeable future."
BBC

Chris Brown denied visa into Australia because of Rihanna

Chris Brown has yet another reason to rue the infamous day he physically assaulted Rihanna, also a singer and his former girlfriend.

Reports coming in says Brown has been denied entry visa into Australia where he is scheduled to perform as part of his global tour because of his epic violent encounter with Rihanna. As a result of the development, Breezy, as he's called by fans, is forced to cancel all his appearances in Australia.

The singer has dealt with huge criticisms due to his altercation with Rihanna on the eve of the 2009 Grammy Awards as they were returning together from rehearsals where they were scheduled to perform together at the ceremony. As a result, they could not perform as slated especially as Rihanna was still hospitalised.

Since then, Brown has been involved in many brawls across several US states. He is yet to finish his legal woes resulting from the Rihanna incident. At some point, he trashed his hotel room after he was extensively grilled about it during a promotional media chat for his new album in 2012. Lately, he made headlines for his tumultuous breakup with another girlfriend, now ex, Karruche Tran.

BREAKING:One of the Neville brothers becomes Valencia's new coach

One of the famous Neville brothers who ruled Manchester United during the halcyon days of David Beckham has just landed,a coaching contract.

Gary Neville, brother of Neville, has just inked a contract to be the new manager of Valencia FC in the Spanish La Liga.

The Neville brothers are tight childhood friends with Beckam; they graduated from Man. Utd. youth football academy together, played for the club's senior team and were permanent fixtures in English national team, all at the same time.

Meet the 2015 most popular musical artistes

The world now knows the new power personalities in contemporary music for 2015.

According to Spotify, Drake is the most popular US artiste as he was streamed 1.8 billion times in the outgoing year.
His former girlfriend, Rihanna, occupies the female slot as the most popular female artiste in 2015.

Across the atlantic, Ed Sheeran, the British musician, is the mist popular artiste of all time with over 3 billion of his songs streamed since 2008.

Gwen Stefani tearfully performs,new breakup single about ex-husband, new boyfriend gives standing ovation

Coach Gwen Stefani taught her contestants a lesson in performing on Monday, Nov. 30. The Gwen Stefani, the No Doubt frontwoman, 46, and The Voice coach took to the flower-covered Voice stage in a white gown to belt out her new ballad, “Used to Love You.”
The breakup anthem was written about her headline-making summertime split from her ex-husband, Gavin Rossdale. Us Weekly recently broke the news that Rossdale had been cheating with the family’s former nanny Mindy Mann.

Gwen Stefani gave an emotional performance on The Voice. Credit: Trae Patton/NBC 
Stefani had tears in her eyes as she belted out lyrics like, “I don't know why I cry / But I think it's cause I remembered for the first time / Since I hated you / That I used to love you.” After it was over, coaches Pharrell Williams and Blake Shelton were shown giving her a standing ovation.
Stefani and Shelton confirmed to Us they were dating last month via Stefani’s rep.

Pharrell Williams and Blake Shelton gave a standing ovation. Credit: Trae Patton/NBC 
“Wow... @gwenstefani.... Such an amazing performance. #respect,” the country crooner, 39, tweeted on Monday night.
Us Weekly

Kim Kardashian's foetus forcibly turned as she prepares for childbirth

The baby has turned! Kim Kardashian, who's currently pregnant with her second child, revealed in a new update on Tuesday, Dec. 1, that her baby son has turned from his breech position in her womb.
The Keeping Up With the Kardashians standout, 35, penned a blog post on her website titled, "Baby West Update: All Turned Around!" in which she detailed how doctors got the little one into the proper position for birth.
"So I wanted to give you guys an update on my pregnancy since my last post," Kardashian wrote. "This weekend, I checked into the hospital and underwent a procedure called an ECV (External Cephalic Version, or a Version), which is done to manually turn the baby from a breech position to a head-down position. They gave me an IV with medication to relax my uterus, and then three doctors attempted to work together to turn the baby."

The second-time mom-to-be revealed last Tuesday, Nov. 24, that her baby son was breech and would require a C-section if he didn't turn by his birth time. The star, currently in her 37th week of pregnancy, shared with fans that she really didn't want to get a C-section, which would require doctors to cut incisions on her belly. "Obviously, if it's an emergency and for the safety of my son, I will get a C-section—but if I don't need one, I'd rather not," she wrote.
According to Kardashian, she was ready to get a C-section this weekend if anything went awry with the ECV. "There was a risk that my water might break or the baby's heart rate could drop—in which case, an emergency C-section would then take place. I went in with my sisters and my husband [Kanye West]. I was prepared for it all!" the mom to North West, 2, wrote on Tuesday. "They don't give you any pain medication, and let me tell you: This was soooooo painful. Probably more painful than childbirth."

However, all went according to plan. "It worked!!! My baby is in the right position and it feels so good to not have the stress of thinking I need a C-section," Kardashian continued. "I'm so thankful for my doctors!"

Like her sister Khloe Kardashian (who is recovering from a staph infection), Kim has been struggling with several health issues of her own. "I now have a cold and sinus infection, so I have to fight through this and get better!" she shared with fans. "I'm going to have North have a sleepover with her cousins for the next two days so I can really sleep and get better. She loves sleepovers and I really need this time to get better. I haven't been able to sleep and just need to catch up."
ashian's due date is around Christmas.
Us Weekly

Adele tops the charts! Sells 3.38 million copies of new album in week of release

Ladies and gentlemen, we have a number.

Adele's blockbuster 25 has sold a record-shattering 3.38 million copies in its first week, according to Nielsen Music. It easily bests early projections of 2.5 million made more than a week ago.
Adele performs on the "Today" show on Nov. 25 to promote her latest release, "25." The album sold a record-breaking 3.38 million copies in its first week.
As Billboard reports, that's the largest sales week since Nielsen started tracking album sales in 1991. It's the first album to ever sell more than 3 million copies in one week and only the second to pass 2 million (the first was NSYNC's No Strings Attached, with 2.416 million sold in 2000).
Already, 25 is the biggest selling album of the year so far (nearly doubling the 1.8 million copies Taylor Swift's 1989 has moved in 2015). It will debut atop the Billboard 200 album chart this week, making it Adele's second No. 1 album after her similarly mammoth 21. For comparison, 21 started with 352,000 copies sold its first week in March 2011, going on to sell more than 11 million in sales.

Ice T and wife Coco welcome baby girl

Here's something to be thankful for!
Coco Austin and husband Ice-T welcomed their new baby girl, Chanel, into the world with an adorable Instagram debut.
"Surprise!!! Look who came early," Coco captioned the photo. "Welcome the new arrival of Chanel Nicole. A beautiful healthy 5.7 pound and 18 inch baby girl. Ice and I are so proud! I cried while she was coming out I was so excited to meet her!"
What a cutie.
It's currently unclear when the baby was born, but only hours before uploading the photo above, a very pregnant Coco posted a pic of herself standing next to a Christmas tree. In the caption, she described what the pregnancy has meant to her and revealed she had a feeling Chanel might arrive earlier than expected. 
"My 37 week bump!!..This baby is coming early 😉  - a mothers intuition 🎀#ChanelNicole is trying to make her appearance," she wrote. "Strange thing is I will miss her inside of me..I really enjoyed the experience. My goal was to make pregnancy look positive, fashionable, cute, fit and healthy every step of the way. There were a lot of unbelievers along the way but honestly I'm used to that..Thanks to all the lovers that have been interested with my journey from the beginning and also a true 'Coco Fan'.. I wish I could hug everyone of you."

Earlier this week, Coco, never one to shy away from a revealing photo shoot, shared a photo of herself wearing a plunging leopard print sports bra and matching leggings. You know, typical mom stuff.

The talk show host has documented her growing belly on Instagram throughout her pregnancy, as well as blogging for E! about why she's excited to have a baby girl.
HuffPost

Did police actually erase evidence in cop's killing of teen?

A Chicago Burger King manager who accuses police of erasing surveillance video in the case of a black teenager shot last year by a white officer said Saturday he testified before a federal grand jury investigating the shooting.
Jay Darshane told the Chicago Tribune that the FBI also took the video recorder containing all of the fast food restaurant’s surveillance images.
The allegations of tampering has fueled the anger of protesters who say the city, police and local prosecutors have botched the case of Laquan McDonald’s death. After months of refusals, the city released police squad car footage of the shooting Tuesday in response to a judge’s order.
Both the police chief and the Cook County state attorney deny the Burger King video was altered.
The Burger King is yards from where McDonald, 17, fell when the first few rounds from Officer Jason Van Dyke struck him. It took minutes for police to demand the restaurant’s password-protected video, Darshane said.

"I was just trying to help the police with their investigation," Darshane said. "I didn't know they were going to delete it."
He said that when the officers left, almost two hours later, there was an 86-minute gap in the recording, including the time surrounding the shooting.
Darshane told the newspaper he testified about the missing video before a grand jury earlier this year.
The Cook County state's attorney this past week announced a state-level charge of first-degree murder against the officer.
McDonald was shot 16 times after being pursued by police responding to a complaint about car break-ins. He was carrying a knife. The officer's attorney says his client fired because he feared for his life, and that he acted lawfully and within police department guidelines.
At a news conference announcing the charge, State's Attorney Anita Alvarez said forensic testing found no evidence that anyone intentionally erased the Burger King video. Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy called the allegation "absolutely untrue."
The Associated Press contributed to this report

Recovered stolen funds is now with CBN

Public funds that have so far been returned by some past government officials who looted the treasury while in the saddle are currently with the Central Bank of Nigeria, SUNDAY PUNCH has learnt.
It will be recalled that President Muhammadu Buhari had while speaking during an interactive session he had with members of the Nigerian community in the Islamic Republic of Iran disclosed that some past government officials who stole public funds had started returning parts of their loot to government coffers voluntarily.
Buhari did not disclose the identities of the former government officials who have so far returned parts of the looted fund or the amount returned to the public treasury.
But SUNDAY PUNCH’s investigation revealed that the money is with the CBN, although the amount could not be immediately ascertained at the time of filing this report.
It was also not certain yet the purpose for which the money would be utilised.
Although there are speculations that the return of the monies could be part of a plea bargain arrangement that will see the ex-officials returning their loot quietly without being prosecuted, it was also learnt that the President might not have made up his mind on the matter.
When contacted on Saturday, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, confirmed that the looted fund was being returned to government coffers through the CBN.
He said only the apex bank could speak on how much had been returned to the government.
He said, “The looted fund is being returned through CBN. Only the bank can speak on the procedure, and how much has been returned so far.”
When further asked if the President was considering pardoning those who have returned their loot or they will still be prosecuted, Adesina replied, “The President has not made a declaration on whether those who returned money voluntarily would still be prosecuted or not.”
The Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, had told journalists at Friday’s Federation Accounts Allocation Committee meeting in Abuja that the Federal Government had yet to put a specific figure to the amount of money so far returned by those who looted the treasury, saying the process was still ongoing.
According to her, when collated, the funds would be returned to where they were stolen from.
The minister said, “There is no figure on the funds being returned yet. The process is ongoing. When it is completed and the accounts are available, they would be returned to where they were stolen from. We haven’t come to that yet.”
Copyright PUNCH

Chris Brown sings with Rihanna in new album

Breezy surprised fans with 34 new tracks album yesterday.
Brown’s upcoming album Royalty was originally slated to drop Friday (Nov. 27), but its release was mysteriously pushed back three weeks to Dec. 18. But don’t worry, #TeamBreezy, your boy’s come through and given you the next big thing: a whopping 34-track mixtape.

Though Brown Named His Album After His Daughter, But His New Single Isn’t Quite Kid-Friendly.

Before The Party dropped Friday afternoon and boasts an impressive guest roster, including Tyga, Wale, French Montana and Fetty Wap. Brown also teams up with ex Rihanna, Wiz Khalifa and Kelly Rowland on the tape’s opening track, “Counterfeit."

As if 34 new tracks wasn’t enough to keep fans happy, Brown also released a new music video for “Fine By Me,” which finds him getting into an intense dance-off with some demonic dancers. It ends on an obvious cliffhanger, so it looks like this saga may be continued soon.

 Between this and Lil Wayne’s No Ceilings 2, hip-hop fans should have plenty of new tunes to last through the holidays.

Post-splits, from recent partners, Gigi Hadid and Zayn Malik is a couple?

Gigi Hadid and Zayn Malik Credit: Xposure/AKM-GSI

Hadid has him hooked! Fresh off her split from Joe Jonas, Gigi Hadid is now dating recently single Zayn Malik, Us Weekly can exclusively confirm.

"It’s a very new thing. They're just seeing where it goes," a source tells Us.

"I wouldn't call them boyfriend and girlfriend," another insider adds. "But seeing each other? Definitely. He's chuffed."

Xposure/AKM-GSI

Indeed, the model, 20, and Malik, 22, seem to be enjoying each other's company. The pair were spotted getting cozy while partying in West Hollywood on Sunday, Nov. 22, after Hadid attended the 2015 American Music Awards, where Malik's former One Direction mates picked up two awards.

"Gigi was leaving The Nice Guy," an eyewitness tells Us. "Gigi went out the front, though. She walked down the street and jumped into the car where Zayn was waiting to pick her up."

Hadid — who previously romanced Cody Simpson — is newly single after splitting from Jonas earlier this month. The exes called it quits after four months of dating. (Jonas, 26, also walked the AMAs red carpet with his band, DNCE.)

"It was just due to busy schedules," an insider told Us at the time. "They are just going to be friends for now, but it wasn’t [due to] anything serious."

Xposure/AKM-GSI

Malik, meanwhile, called off his two-year engagement to Little Mix singer Perrie Edwards this past August.

Reps for Hadid and Malik had no comment. 

Us Weekly

Models Slam Kendall Jenner At VS Fashion Show: ‘She’s Not A Nice Girl’

Getty Images

Kendall Jenner may be the world’s latest it-model, but that doesn’t mean the 20-year-old hasn’t made her fair share of enemies along the way.

According to In Touch, Jenner received a chilly welcome from the angels during the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, which taped last week.

“Most of the girls winked or high-fived when they passed each other on the runway,” an onlooker noted to the publication, adding, “nobody did that with Kendall.”

Sources close to the situation shared that most of the Victoria’s Secret angels look down on Jenner for being associated with the Kardashian Klan.

“The other girls think that Kendall became a famous model solely because of her family,” one insider told In Touch.

To make matters worse, Jenner’s allegedly icy personality also rubs most models the wrong way.

“Kendall is just not a nice girl,” the source said. “[She’s] getting a really bad reputation in the model world.”

As Radar previously reported, Jenner was bullied by models during New York Fashion Week in February this year, many of whom called her “entitled.”

RadarOnline

Vatican trial opens for 2 journalists, 3 others

Italian journalists-writers Gianluigi Nuzzi, right, and Emiliano Fittipaldi arrive for the first day of their trial at the Vatican on Tuesday. The Vatican has placed the two Italian journalists under investigation in its probe over leaked documents that revealed waste, greed and mismanagement at the highest levels of the Roman Catholic Church.

 (Ettore Ferrari / European Pressphoto Agency)

Tom Kington

 

At the first hearing in a controversial Vatican trial of five people accused of leaking Holy See documents, judges have thrown out a request by one of the defendants to drop the case because it violates human rights.

Emiliano Fittipaldi, one of two authors on trial who published confidential reports of greed and corruption at the Vatican, told the court he was incredulous to find himself on trial for “simply having published news.”

Fittipaldi faces up to eight years in jail, alongside fellow Italian author Gianluigi Nuzzi, for publishing findings from a Vatican committee set up by Pope Francis in 2013 to weed out waste and wrongdoing at the Vatican.

Also facing trial for violating Vatican laws against leaks are three members of the committee accused of releasing the information: Spanish priest Angel Lucio Vallejo Balda, who is currently locked up in a Vatican cell, his assistant Nicola Maio and Italian public-relations expert Francesca Chaouqui. All five were present in the courtroom Tuesday.

After asking to address the court, Fittipaldi said: “I feel I must express above all my incredulousness at finding myself a defendant before a court which is not that of my country, even though I wrote and published in Italy the book for which I have been incriminated.”

Fraud, greed and corruption — new books depict skulduggery in the Vatican

He would not be prosecuted in Italy, he added, because he was not accused of publishing “false or defamatory news, but simply of publishing news — activity protected and guaranteed by the Italian Constitution, by the European convention on human rights and the universal declaration of human rights.”

Fittipaldi added it was “unacceptable” that the Vatican court had not specified which leaked documents he was being tried for publishing, leaving him unable to defend himself in court.

Speaking during a break in the trial, Nuzzi called the trial “Kafkaesque.”

More leaks at Vatican? Authorities arrest two in latest probe

“We are not martyrs, just journalists,” he said. “But there are principles that must be defended.”

The Vatican’s indictment, published Saturday, stated that both authors “solicited and applied pressure, especially on Vallejo Balda, to obtain secret documents and information.”

Addressing the court, Vatican prosecutor Roberto Zannotti argued that the two authors were not on trial for publishing the information, but for the pressure they used to obtain it. The court was not under obligation to specify which documents they were accused of publishing, he added, since the reference was obviously to those contained in their books.

The panel of four lay judges, led by Judge Giuseppe Dalla Torre, then retired to deliberate before ruling that the trial would continue.

The trial has provoked broad opposition from journalists’ associations and rights groups, including the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. “Journalists must be free to report on issues of public interests and to protect their confidential sources,” Dunja Mijatovic, the organization’s representative on freedom in the media, said Monday.

The Vatican legislation on leaks was introduced by Francis in 2013 after former PopeBenedict’s letters were provided by Benedict’s butler to Nuzzi, who published them. The butler, Paolo Gabriele, was given 18 months for stealing the letters but was later pardoned. It is not clear whether the Vatican would be prepared to ask for the authors' extradition from Italy if they were convicted. The Vatican, though set in Rome, functions as an autonomous state.

In the new indictment, the Vatican claims Balda, Chaouqui and Maio created “an organized criminal association” aiming at “divulging information and documents concerning the fundamental interests of the Holy See and the State.”

Chaouqui has blamed Balda for the leaks and did not address him in court Tuesday. Balda appeared protective toward a nervous-looking Maio, at one point placing his hand on his knee to calm him.

Speaking to reporters during the trial, Balda said he was being treated well by his custodians at the Vatican jail and felt “protected.”

The defendants have been compelled to appoint lawyers who are registered at the Vatican, prompting Nuzzi and Balda to ask if they could appoint lawyers of their choosing who were not registered. Nuzzi later said the request had been turned down.

Giulia Bongiorno, a lawyer representing Chaouqui, said she was not allowed to attend the trial.

“This is extremely serious,” she said. “In another trial a few months ago, I was allowed to work at the Vatican even though I am not on their list. What is the difference now?

“I am thinking of taking this to the European Court of Justice,” she added.

Nuzzi said he had only seen the 10-page prosecution case on Tuesday morning. “Italian justice is slow, but Vatican justice is a bit too fast,” he said.

The trial will resume Monday with testimony from the defendant.

LA Times

Chelsea youngsters must fight for first-team action: Mourinho

Football - Chelsea Press Conference - Sammy Ofer Stadium, Haifa, Israel - 23/11/15 Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho during the press conference (Reuters)

Chelsea's academy players should fight to break into the first team, manager Jose Mourinho has said, while defending the way in which he is using the youngsters.

The Blues, who currently have 33 players out on loan, have had many young players under contract in recent years, most of whom were out on loan and were eventually sold, and 34-year-old John Terry is the last academy graduate to win a regular place at Stamford Bridge.

Mourinho, who is expected to name an experienced team for Tuesday's Champions League clash against Maccabi Tel-Aviv, said 19-year-old Ruben Loftus-Cheek has to do more to get regular game time.

"Sometimes young players can argue that the chances were not too many for them. Ruben is the last one who can complain about that," Mourinho told a news conference on Monday.

"He is a player who we have lots of hope for but, sooner or later, he -- him, not me -- has to give one step forward to be more stable in the first team.

"It's easier to get chances in smaller clubs. At big clubs, not many players his age have the opportunities he has had to start matches in the Premier League, Champions League and the cups, to be on the bench for lots of matches consecutively, living and learning with top players.

"So he is having everything."

Mourinho also dismissed suggestions he neglects his academy players in his starting line-ups and highlighted the emergence of 21-year-old Kurt Zouma as proof that the Blues do give a chance to their young players.

"In the first-team squad we have seven under-21 players who have 26 starts and 12 substitute appearances this season, and 43 appearances on the bench (when they were) not used," Mourinho said.

"Zouma is in his second season at this level and is unleashing himself as a top player. When he came here, he was not the player he is now.

"I remember the first two matches he played for us in pre-season in 2014. He was very bad. But now he's a player, fighting with Terry and (Gary) Cahill hand to hand."

ahramonline.com

Benue govt. confirms Tor Tiv's death

image: http://cms.dailytrust.com.ng/cms/gall_content/2015/11/2015_11$largeimg24_Nov_2015_161824068.jpg

Ben state governor, Samuel Ortom

Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue state has confirmed the sudden demise of the paramount ruler of Tiv nation, Dr. Alfred Akawe Torkula IV.

Ortom while answering questions from journalists today on the news the state about the death of the royal father replied that details of the death and formal announcement would be made public soon as the Tiv traditional council formally meets with him.

"As am talking to you now, members of the Tiv traditional council are on their way coming from Gboko to Makurdi to formally announce the passing away of the paramount ruler," he said.

The Tor-Tiv who assumed throne on April 21, 1991 was chairman of the Benue state council of Chiefs and was aged 71.

He held the position of Pro-Chancellor of Michael Okpara University, Umudike in Abia state until his death. 

The late royal father's spokesman had debunked rumours of the death making the round on Monday in the state, saying that the news was being peddled by mischief makers.

Daily Trust

BREAKING: APC to replace late Audu with another candidate in Kogi poll

Following the sudden death of Abubakar Audu, the Kogi state's former governor and gubernatorial candidate in the state's recent poll, his party, All Peoples' Congress (APC) has expressed its resolve to field another candidate in his stead in the upcoming elections. The recently-held November 14 gubernatorial poll was inconclusive though Audu was leading.

More details to follow...

China beats Hollywood by producing Tupac Shakur biopic

Until the End of Time centres on a Chinese student who meets up with an ex-girlfriend of the rapper for a project on American civil rights history

 Thug life after death ... The real Tupac Shakur. Photograph: Chi Modu

The success of the hip-hop biopic Straight Outta Compton at the US box office this summer has reignited hopes that a film based on the life of the late rapper Tupac Shakur could finally get the greenlight. Now it’s emerged that Hollywood has been beaten to the punch by a little-known Chinese film-maker named Steven Sheng, with the distinctly unauthorised Tupac-themed movie Until the End of Time.

The trailer intersperses scenes in which actor Dean Xue, as the student, discusses his project with Tupac’s rather young-looking “ex-girlfriend” in China, with mock flashback scenes featuring Baptiste as the rapper.Complex Magazine reports that the film has been banned from social media by Chinese authorities, but Baptiste himself has been enthusiastically promoting the movie via Facebook.A trailer for the new film, which features American actor Tsalta Baptiste as Tupac, has hit the web. According to Maxim the bizarre-looking movie is set for a first-run release at Chinese film festivals early next year. The plot centres on a young hip-hop influenced college student in China who is asked by his professor to research American civil rights and activism. “In choosing renaissance man Tupac Shakur, he finds himself learning more than expected,” reads the film’s blurb. “After meeting a former girlfriend of Mr Shakur in China, things take a turn from just another class project to a life changing event.”

Boyz N the Hood director John Singleton was at one point lined up to direct a Tupac biopic but walked away in April claiming the film’s producers had shown a lack of respect for the rapper, who was murdered in 1996. Singleton was replaced by Carl Franklin, the director of Devil in a Blue Dress, Out of Time and recent episodes of Homeland and House of Cards, but little has been heard of the film in the intervening months.

Actor Marcc Rose, who played Shakur in Straight Outta Compton, said in Augustthat he and Singleton are currently in talks to bring their own Tupac biopic to life. F Gary Gray’s biopic of the pioneering LA hip-hop group NWA has reignited interest in rap movies after pulling in more than $200m (£133m) on a budget of just $28m this summer.

Guardian UK

Fuel scarcity persists despite increase in supply

The nationwide fuel scarcity has forced the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation to dispatch about 96.61 million litres of petrol within three days, a development which the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, says is above the corporation’s normal delivery capacity.
But long queues for fuel have persisted at a few filling stations where petrol is being sold in major cities across the country.
The daily dispatch reports of petrol to filling stations by the corporation at the peak of the fuel scarcity problems showed that over 95.61 million litres of petrol was distributed between Monday, November 16 and Wednesday, November 18, 2015.
An analysis of the reports showed that on November 18, a total of 83 stations got 3.266 million litres of petrol from Suleja Depot; 25 stations received 991,007 litres from Kaduna Depot; 113 stations got 4.974 million litres of fuel from Kano Depot; seven outlets in Minna got 280,987 litres, while Gusau Depot dispatched 1.534 million litres to 38 stations.
Other depots that dispatched products on the same day included Mosimi, distributing 5.554 million litres of fuel to 160 filling stations; Satellite, 520,070 litres to 15 stations; Ilorin, 285,000 litres to eight outlets; Ore, 471,018 litres to 13 stations; Ibadan, 1.037 million litres to 30 stations; Gombe Area, 3.495 million litres to 89 stations; Benin, 243,999 litres to seven outlets; Port Harcourt, 32,900 to one station; Makurdi, 580,994 litres to 14 stations; and Enugu dispatched 2.272 million litres to 55 filling stations.
In all, 658 petrol stations got about 25.54 million litres of petrol from 15 depots on November 18, 2015, the report stated.
On November 17, a total of 753 filling stations received 31.79 million litres of petrol from 13 depots, while 16 depots supplied 38.278 million litres of petrol to filling stations across the country on November 16.
Kachikwu, who doubles as the Group Managing Director of the national oil firm, told journalists in Abuja that “the trucks that had been moved around over the last three days are in excess of 4,000, whereas the total normal utilisation yield is about 2,500 trucks. Again, there are people who store products and the Department of Petroleum Resources has sealed a lot of such stations in the last one week.”
He noted that the “NNPC has been the one supplying the country and it is almost 100 per cent when most typically, we should be doing 50 or 55 per cent.”
The NNPC had on Monday absolved itself of being responsible for the prolonged fuel scarcity across the country.
According to the corporation, it has kept its bargain by making fuel available to depots that receive supply from its subsidiary, the Pipelines and Products Marketing Company.
The Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, NNPC, Mr. Ohi Alegbe, told our correspondent that the firm had made it clear that Nigeria had enough fuel that would keep the country wet for this month.
He stated that the country was also expecting products before the end of November, adding that when the products arrived, there would be enough petrol that would last for more days.
When asked to explain why there was still scarcity despite claims of available products, he said, “I’m going to send you the daily supply to all the stations nationwide. This is to let you know that we are fulfilling our own part of the bargain. So if there is any case of fuel diversion observed by anybody, then we can go to town with that.”
Meanwhile, our correspondent observed that the queues for fuel in some parts of Abuja, Nasarawa, Ilorin and Kaduna continued on Friday.
The situation was not different in Lagos, Abeokuta and other cities in the South West.
The Federal Government recently approved the payment of N413bn to marketers for the subsidy debt owed them.
President Muhammadu Buhari has requested the approval of the National Assembly on the supplementary budget of N465.64, from which the subsidy arrears will be paid. This will help resolve the current fuel shortages and close the book on debts owed importers from 2014 to date.
Subsidised imports account for about half of Nigeria’s petrol needs and firms bringing in the product have not been paid since Buhari came to power at the end of May this year.
The marketers said they were struggling to finance their purchases with low dollar availability and shrinking credit lines.
Copyright PUNCH

Is there any Nigerian involved in Malian attack?

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has said that no Nigerian was involved in the terror attack at Radisson Blu hotel, Bamako, Mali last Friday in which 19 people were killed.
The ministry’s spokesperson, Ahmedu Ogbole-Ode, said the ministry did not have information that Nigerians were killed or injured in the attack by Islamist militants who stormed the luxury hotel and held 170 hotel guests hostage.
“No Nigerian was involved in the attack, we don’t have any information that Nigerians were affected by the incident,” he said on Saturday.
Initially, there were speculations that multi-billionaire businessman, Aliko Dangote was in the hotel, but the industrialist in a tweet said he left the hotel on Thursday, 24 hours before the attack.
Most of the hotel guests and workers were freed when Malian and French special forces, and off-duty US servicemen stormed the hotel to end the siege.
Two militants were killed by the special forces who freed dozens of trapped guests.
Meanwhile, President Muhammadu Buhari has commiserated with the United States President, Barack Obama; Russian President, Vladimir Putin and the President of Mali, Ibrahim Keita, over the death of their nationals in the attack.
The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, in a Facebook post on Saturday, said Buhari and Nigeria joined other peace-loving nations of the world in condemning the attack.
The post said, “President Buhari assures President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita and the people of Mali of the full support and solidarity of the Federal Government and people of Nigeria as they mourn those who lost their lives in the attack and strive to bring the surviving perpetrators to justice.
“The President also extends heartfelt condolences to the governments and people of China, Russia, the United States and Belgium, whose nationals sadly lost their lives in the heinous and callous attack.’’
Adesina’s post further stated that against the background of persisting atrocities in Nigeria and other countries across the world, President Buhari again called for increased cooperation among countries against all known terrorist organisations, their collaborators and sponsors.
Buhari stated also that Nigeria, under his leadership, remained committed to deploying all necessary resources and working with friendly nations, regional, continental and global organisations to speedily overcome the continuing threat of terrorism to world peace and security.
Copyright PUNCH

Boko Haram overtakes ISIS as the deadliest terror group in the world

With its reign of terror in the Middle East, its claim to have brought down a Russian passenger jet and now, the atrocities in Paris, ISIS has commanded global headlines as the world's most dangerous terror group.
But another militant Islamist organization overtook ISIS to become the world's deadliest terrorist group last year, according to a new report.
Boko Haram, the Islamic extremist group based mainly in Nigeria's northern states, was responsible for 6,644 deaths in 2014, an increase of 317% from the previous year, according to the Global Terrorism Index, released Tuesday.
By contrast, ISIS, the terror group to which Boko Haram reportedly pledged allegiance in March of this year, was responsible for 6,073 deaths.
Between them, the two groups were responsible for more than half (51%) the deaths attributed to terrorism, in the deadliest year on record for terror, according to the report.
Internationally, deaths from terrorism experienced a "dramatic rise" in 2014, increasing by 80% from the previous year, according to the study by the Institute for Economics and Peace. 
There were 32,658 people killed in terrorist attacks last year -- nine times more victims than there were in 2000, it says.
Boko Haram, whose name means "Western education is forbidden" in the local Hausa dialect, gained international notoriety for its raids on schools, in which hundreds of girls have been kidnapped.

An estimated 276 teenage girls were snatched from a boarding school in Chibok in Nigeria's Borno state in April of last year, sparking the #bringbackourgirls campaign on social media.
CNN