BREAKING NEWS

Cote D'ivore/Manchester City player Yaya Toure has been named Glo/CAF African Player of Year 2013, beating Super Eagles and Chelsea midfielder John Mikel Obi & Didier Drogba of Cote D'ivore.  Super Eagles coach, Stephen Keshi, won African Coach of the Year

Watch out Victor Kwen, Sound Sultan  is busting out his inner model. New shoe line Midiva , presents its debut shoe collection with none other than Nigerian singer-songwriter Sound Sultan. Midiva is an indigenous style and quality conscious brand, producing creative, authentic and edgy shoes. They want to give you the right shoes for the right occasions and are presenting this collection featuring the Natural Something crooner. The debut collection is a mixture of luxury leather, velvet and rubber that creates a soft blend of unique shoes. The collection is inspired by colours, patterns, and a bit of menswear. It focuses on making the wearer look sophisticated, unique, comfortable, and stylish. Check them and him out. By Jennifer Obiuwevbi

The actress who was called the “Queen of Nollywood” by Stella Magazine , speaks to CNN correspondent  Vladimir Duthiers about her upbringing, career achievements, passion for activism and future plans. “I’ve reached a point in my life where I’ve realised I have to leave something. I have to have a legacy. I decided I will be an activist for Africa. My experience with the UN and other humanitarian organisations inspired me to want to speak out and say more and there’s so much you can just say with words. This was my motivation for singing.”

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“ The unexamined life is not worth living ” – Socrates On December 29, 2013, I had dinner with Tunde Leye and a couple of other contemporary Nigerian writers. It was a good opportunity to socialise with some great literary minds and share some fresh ideas. Our discussions during dinner covered one broad subject area: the art of writing and our individual projections for 2014. That meet up could be summed up in the above quote by the great Philosopher, Socrates. We were able to reflect on our experiences in 2013, while also deliberating on what we hoped to achieve in 2014 in this chosen, hallowed field. In the course of evening, Tunde Leye popped the question, “if you were to be relieved of your 8-6 job in 2014, how do you hope to make money from writing?” We all had different answers to the question, but of course, those answers came after some very deep thoughts. The time each person spent deliberating on the question before proffering an answer was a pointer to th...

2face and Annie Idibia have welcomed their second child together – a baby girl. Annie Idibia delivered a bouncing baby girl in the night of January 3, 2014 at an hospital in Atlanta, Georgia, US. Her manager Naomi Adenuga confirmed the news through her Twitter. ‘ Thank God for safe delivery …. Princess Idibia is here* ‘, she wrote a few hours ago. Annie travelled to the US back in November 2013. She has been in the company of her mother and four-year-old daugther Isabella. Meanwhile, NET has confirmed that 2face was not with Annie in Atlanta. The Pop singer who had a busy performance schedule during the Christmas/New Year festive period is currently in Lagos, Nigeria. A photo on Instagram shows him partying with friends at his newly opened Club Rumors night club located at FESTAC, Lagos. 2face is now blessed with seven children – two girls with wife Annie, two boys with baby mama Sunmbo Ajaba and two boys plus a girl with his other baby mama Pero Adeniyi. By Osagi...

The first baby to be born to transgender parents in Argentina was delivered via C-section in the province of Entre Ríos. The proud parents are 26-year-old Alexis Taborda and 28-year-old Karen Bruselario. Alexis was born a woman, but lives as a man and Karen was born a man, but lives as a woman. Because of Argentina’s Gender Identity Law passed in May of 2012, the couple have both been able to legally change their genders without gender reassignment surgery, which meant that when they got pregnant via natural means, it was the man, Alexis, who carried the baby.

Mariah Carey has come under fire after she was allegedly paid $1 million to perform for Angolan President Josè Eduardo Dos Santos a day after she performed at a Lagos gig for a Nigerian bank which recently laid off 200 workers. The ‘All I Want for Christmas is You ‘ singer gave a two-hour concert for authoritarian Angolan President Josè Eduardo Dos Santos on Sunday  December 15, 2013, in return for the huge amount, angering human rights groups. She had earlier performed in Lagos, Nigeria, for Access Bank which also allegedly coughed out $1m for her appearance. Her Lagos visit sparked criticisms because the bank had only recently disengaged 200 workers. Human Rights Foundation president Thor Halvorssen said: ‘ It is the sad spectacle of an international artist purchased by a ruthless police state to entertain and whitewash the father-daughter kleptocracy that has amassed billions in ill-gotten wealth while the majority of Angola lives on less than $2 a day.’

Chike Ike was recently conferred with a Chieftaincy title in Amoli Kingdom of Enugu state. The Nollywood actress was given the title of Akwa Ugo 1 of Amoli Kingdom for her contribution to the growth and development of the Igbo land as well as being a role model to women of Igbo land. For the ceremonious affair, Chika rocked her Aso-ebi best in a purple dress which features silver sequined bodice and purple lace skirt. You can now call her Chief Chika Ike 1 of Amoli Kingdom. by bellanaija.com

Iyetade Soyinka, a daughter of Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka, has died. Ms. Soyinka, who was born June 6, 1965, died at the University of Ibadan Teaching Hospital where she was being treated for an undisclosed ailment. The death was disclosed in a statement signed by Jahman Anikulapo, an aide to Mr. Soyinka, one of the world’s foremost dramatists and winner of the 1986 Nobel Prize in literature. The statement noted that the late Iyetade Soyinka was a student at the Staff School and Queens School, Ibadan before she studied Medicine at the University of Ibadan. Mr. Anikulapo’s statement described the deceased as “affable, intelligent and sometimes capricious,” adding that she “struggled with her health in recent years.” Despite her health woes, the late Iyetade Soyinka “greeted every day with a smile and doted on her two children.” The statement, which was issued on behalf of the deceased’s family, revealed that Ms. Soyinka “took ill quite suddenly and pas...

Arsenal came through a real test of their title mettle by claiming a 1-0 win at Newcastle United. The Magpies came into the game on the crest of a wave, having won seven of their last nine games, but a second-half goal from Olivier Giroud was enough to claim the three points for Arsene Wenger’s men. The first notable chance was carved out by Newcastle thanks to a raking ball from Yohan Cabaye, but Mathieu Debuchy did not do justice to the pass, as his first touch was awful and the ball ran away from him. Arsenal found openings tough to fashion in the first half, with the Gunners restricted to long-range shots from the likes of Jack Wilshere, Tomas Rosicky and Santi Cazorla which were no real threat to Tim Krul.

 The Federal Government has budgeted N1.52b for the maintenance of the 10 aircraft currently in the Presidential Air Fleet in 2014. The maintenance cost is slightly higher than the N1.5bn proposed as the initial deposit for the purchase of additional aircraft that will bring the number of aircraft in the fleet to 11. This is apart from the N747m earmarked for the purchase of aviation fuel for the aircraft already in the fleet. These figures are contained in the details of the 2014 Appropriation Bill presented to the National Assembly by President Goodluck Jonathan through the Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, penultimate week.

The Gunners moved back to the top of the table by beating West Ham 3-1 at Upton Park on Boxing Day, having gone behind at the start of the second half before Theo Walcott's double salvo and Lukas Podolski's crisp strike put the visitors back on course. There is, though, little time for Wenger's squad to revel in their lofty position as the hectic festive schedule continues at St James' Park on Sunday against a team fast closing in on the top four following the 5-1 win over of Stoke which was a seventh victory in nine Premier League games. "Newcastle are in full confidence, they are doing well and won again on Boxing Day with a big score," said Wenger. "Loic Remy is a very good striker, very quick and makes very good runs, so we have to keep him quiet. That will all be another test, but our team wants to do well, the character is great and our concentration is top." Arsenal will be without Wales midfielder Aaron Ramsey for the rest of the fes...

Full list of winners Best R&B Single Good Good Loving – Banky W Best Rap Single Man of the Year – Phyno Best Street-Hop Artiste Durosoke – Olamide Best Recording Of The Year This Year – Jaywon Best Collabo Ghost Mode – Phyno FT Olamide Best Rap Album YBNL – Olamide

The marriage of popular comedienne Princess has crashed. Nigerian Entertainment Today has confirmed that Princess (real names Oluwadamilola Adekoya ) and her hubby Shola have gone their separate ways putting behind them the 7 month-old rocky union. NET investigations reveal that trouble started about two weeks after the wedding in May, 2013. Insiders told NET that the marriage was characterised by endless disagreements, often requiring the intervention of friends and family. ‘It’s been  7 months of a series of efforts to mend the broken marriage until it was obvious that it was beyond repair’ one insider told us today. Speaking to a NET correspondent, Princess confirms the separation, saying  ‘Yes my marriage has ended due to irreconcilable differences’. She admitted to our reporter that the union has not been as blissful as many thought.  ‘We have been having issues since the wedding but we still remained together hoping that we would be able to work it out....

Mother of two Mariah Carey says she's done having kids and if her husband Nick Cannon wants more children, he will have to get pregnant and have the babies himself. During an appearance on Watch What Happens Live , the 44 year old singer was asked by a fan caller whether or not she and Nick were planning to have more children...

Luis Suarez's brace sent Liverpool top of the Barclays Premier League with a 3-1 win over Cardiff City at Anfield. The Liverpool striker, who signed a new long-term deal on Friday, made it 10 goals in four games. Suarez put Liverpool in front with a volley from outside the area after 25 minutes and then turned provider for Raheem Sterling three minutes before the interval. There was enough time for Suarez to grab a third, his 29th Barclays Premier League goal of the calendar year, before the break to put Liverpool firmly in control. Cardiff showed fight in the second half, with Jordon Mutch reducing the deficit just before the hour, but it was not enough as their winless away run in the top flight was extended to six matches. Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers made no changes from the side who beat Tottenham Hotspur 5-0 on Sunday. Suarez retained the captaincy after scoring eight goals in his previous three matches. The visitors made just one change from their 1-0 success o...

T he winners of the 2013 Future Awards Africa are: Young Person of the Year:  Ashish J. Thakkar, age 24 Prize in Advocacy and Activism:  Orode Uduaghan-Okpu, age 24 Prize in Community Action:  Ife Adebayo, age 30 Prize in New Media:  Kingsley Ezeani, age 23 Prize in Journalism:  Toyosi Ogunsey, age 29 years Prize in Business:  Saeed Jumah, age 28 Prize in Professional Service:  Kayode Temenu, age 29 Prize in Agriculture:  Precious Peter Nweke, age 31 Prize in Fashion & Style:  Aisha Bello, age 24 Continue...

Waje  is reaching for the stars. The Nigerian songstress who is described as “The Woman, The Voice, The Passion” covers the December 2013/January 2014 of  Urban Style Magazine  with R&B powerhouse  Darey Art- Alade . Waje glams up in a yellow long sleeve dress, a gold cuff, and a statement necklace. Darey is cool and suave in a white shirt, stripped blazer and dark shades. by bella naija

8 year old wonder kid AmarachiUyanne, winner of the first edition of Nigeria's Got Talent Reality Show has just released the video to her first single “Amarachi Dance”. T he video was Styled and Scripted By ToyinLawani, CEO of TiannahStyling. source:linda ikeji

Music superstars  Banky W  and  Tiwa Savage ‘s  Ebony Life TV  talk show –  The Banky & Tiwa Show , premiered on Tuesday night. On Monday 16th December 2013, a launch party was held at the swanky  Kudeka Lounge , Victoria Island, Lagos. If you missed the first photos from the event ( click here ) Stars were all out at the event including Ebony Life TV CEO  Mo Abudu  as well as  Toke Makinwa, Stephanie Coker, Julius Agwu, Frank Oshodi, Elohor Aisien, Debola Falana, Lynxxx, Wale Ojo, Andrea Manuela Giaccaglia, Olisa Adibua, Sam Onyemelukwe, Dolapo Oni, Iceberg Slim, D’banj, Tunde Demuren, Tee A, Ebuka Obi-Uchendu, Tee Billz, Nkiru Anumudu, Megha Joshi,  Kunle Afolayan,  Nikky Laoye, Sasha P, Layole Oyatogun, Anna Ebiere Banner, Tosyn  Bucknor  and  Toolz . Did you catch The Banky & Tiwa Show on Ebony Life TV? Let us know what you think. Check out photos from the launch party. source: bella ...

Small electronic devices, including tablets, smartphones and e-readers, can now be used on British Airways flights during take off and landing. Photograph: High Level/Rex Features From today, British Airways has become the first UK airline to take advantage of the new European rules allowing in-flight use of electronic devices during all phases of flight. The agreement with the UK’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), which lifted previous restrictions after an European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) ruling in November , allows passengers on BA flights to use their phones, tablets, e-readers and music players set to “airplane mode” throughout their entire journey, including take off and landing. “We know that our customers want to use their handheld electronic devices more, so this will be very welcome news for them," said BA flight training manager Captain Ian Pringle. BA estimated that the new regulations would provide an average of 30 min...

Facebook plans to sell 70 million additional shares of stock -- nearly 60% of which will be sold by founder Mark Zuckerberg. The company, in a Securities and Exchange Commission filing Thursday, said it will sell 27 million shares. And Zuckerberg will exercise an option to purchase 60 million shares and then sell 41.4 million shares to pay the taxes on that transaction. Other existing shareholders will sell the remaining 1.6 million shares. Zuckerberg also plans to donate an additional 18 million shares of Facebook, worth about $1 billion, to charity by the end of the year, according to the company. Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan were the second-biggest charitable donors in the United States last year, according to a ranking from The Chronicle of Philanthropy . Billionaire investor Warren Buffett was number one. The shares will be donated to the Silicon Valley Community Foundation, which also received 18 million shares from Zuckerberg last December....

A court in London has found two men guilty of killing a British soldier, Lee Rigby near a military barracks in Southeast London in May. In a verdict that took about 90 minutes to come at the Old Bailey court in London, the two were found guilty of attempted murder of a police officer. Michael Adebolajo, 29, and Michael Adebowale, 22, had pleaded not guilty to both charges. The two men are expected to be sentenced in January. As he was led out of court after the verdict, Adebolajo faced the media and kissed his Quran. Cell phone footage replayed in court at the trial showed Adebolajo, still clutching a meat cleaver in his bloody hands, ranting that the killing was “an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth” for British soldiers killing Muslims overseas. In a statement given outside the court, the soldier’s family gave their thanks for the “overwhelming support” they had received and for the help to get justice for Rigby. Read by Detective Inspector, Pete Sparks, the ...

The Federal Government has proposed a budget estimate of N4.6 Trillion for the 2014 fiscal year, one billion less than the 2013 figure. The budget, which was laid before the two chambers of the National Assembly by the Minister of Finance, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, also estimates that N268.4 billion will be spent on the Subsidy Re-Investment and Empowerment Programme (SURE-P). According to the minister, the budget supports the federal government’s drive to diversify the economy and create jobs. The National Assembly had deferred the presentation of the budget on a number of times which made President Goodluck Jonathan to direct the Finance Minister to submit the budget proposal to the National Assembly. The aggregate expenditure for the budget is put at N4.642 trillion. This excludes the Subsidy Re-Investment and Empowerment Programme, which is put at N268.37 billion for the Federal Government. The expected revenue is N3.73 trillion. The capital budget is N1.1 tril...

The great Nelson Mandela still lives on! Madiba was honoured yesterday Wednesday 18th December 2013 with a tribute concert – The Legacy Lives: A Tribute Concert at the Oceanview Restaurant, Victoria Island, Lagos. It was organized by Mo Abudu ‘s Ebony Life TV and coordinated by No Surprises Events . Our favourite superstars came out in full force to show their support. We are talking 2Face Idibia, Waje, D’banj, Tiwa Savage, Julius Agwu, Susan Peters, Cobhams Asuquo, Seyi Shay, Zaina, Ebuka Obi-Uchendu, Nikki Laoye, Darey Art- Alade and Olisa Adibua .

Idris Elba   will pay homage to the great   Nelson Mandela , using nothing but his vocal dexterity. The British actor of Ghanaian and Sierra Leonean parentage is set to release an album as tribute to Nelson Mandela in 2014. Idris plays the former South Africa president and human rights icon in the movie –   Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom . “The album will be called “ Mi Mandela “. I went back to South Africa and worked with some great musicians. I’m really proud of the album. I’ll wait until the film has died down so it doesn’t get muddled but I’ll release it in the new year. Basically it is a love letter from me to Mandela about me playing him.” He tells Daily Star UK. We are pretty sure a lot of ladies will swoon when they hear his album.   By BellaNaija.com

The Future Awards Africa 2013   officially kicked off with an exclusive event on Sunday 15th December 2013, celebrating the Best 100, which include past winners at State House, Abuja. BellaNaija   spotted a host of celebrities, business executives and top politicians including   Uche Jombo-Rodriguez, Stephanie Linus, Yaw, Joseph Benjamin,   Vice President   Namadi Sambo , Minister for Finance   Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Cobhams Asuquo   with his wife   Ojuola, Kemi “Lala” Akindoju   and Ben Murray Bruce .   By BellaNaija.com