Pope Francis names Pietro Parolin as secretary of state

Pietro Parolin was the Vatican's representative in Venezuela

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Pope Francis has named a new secretary of state, in what is seen as his most significant appointment since he became leader of the Catholic Church in March.

Archbishop Pietro Parolin, a 58-year-old Vatican diplomat, replaced Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, 79, who is retiring.

Cardinal Bertone, appointed by Francis' predecessor Pope Benedict, had been widely criticised over last year's so-called "Vatileaks" scandals.

Leaked documents revealed corruption and infighting at the Vatican.

The secretary of state heads the Roman Curia, the central administration of the Catholic Church, and is the Pope's chief adviser.

Archbishop Parolin, an Italian, is currently the Vatican's nuncio - or ambassador - in Venezuela.

The BBC's David Willey in Rome says his appointment marks the beginning of the replacement or dismissal of several former key members of Benedict's administrative team.

Pope Francis has also promised to stamp out abuses at the Vatican bank - officially known as the Institute for Religious Works.

Pope Francis has promised to put an end to Vatican scandals

Shortly after his appointment, he set up a commission to investigate the bank and report back to him personally.

He later he issued a decree to combat money-laundering.

The Vatileaks scandals erupted in 2012, when former Pope Benedict's butler, Paolo Gabriele, published confidential documents from Vatican offices alleging widespread corruption and mismanagement.

Gabriele was convicted and sentenced to 18 months in jail for stealing the papers, but he was subsequently pardoned by Benedict.

Holiday-makers beware

Most Dangerous City to live

Recife in Brazil

The city may be largely unheard of, but Recife in Brazil had 1,656 homicides in a city of 3,717,640 inhabitants. The city is the fifth-largest metropolitan area in Brazil and it is commonly referred to as the "Brazilian Venice", due to its many bridges and canals. So for a city that seems to have so much in its favor, why all of the violence?

via http://blogs.reuters.com/

Live Rich

Henley Mansion in Berkshire, England

This mansion is owned by a Russian billionaire with a value of $218 million. It's back sits on Thames River with amazing views, and it has two golf courses. The structure is 300-years old and holds numerous stories of it past, some of which are of hauntings!

via http://clicksomemore.blogspot.com/

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Sex is considered to be more physical for men and more emotional for women

Femi Fani Kayode responds to Bianca Ojukwu's threat to sue him

Femi Fani Kayode responds to Bianca Ojukwu's threat to sue him

Bianca Ojukwu's lawyers have written a letter to Femi Fani Kayode asking him to apologize and also retract the statement he made a few weeks ago claiming he dated her many years back or face a lawsuit. In the letter which was published in Thisday today, Bianca said she's never met FFK before! Femi has responded to the threat. Read the letter from Bianca's lawyers below and Femi's response after the cut...

“We have been briefed and our services retained by Ambassador Bianca Ojukwu, Nigeria’s Ambassador to Spain to demand from you an unreserved apology and a retraction of a false and malicious statement, which you published online and also caused to be published in the Leadership Newspaper of August 16, 2013.

"In the said article entitled, ‘Neither a Tribalist nor a Hater,’ you recklessly alleged, as follows: ‘I was not a tribalist when I had a long standing and intimate relationship with Miss Bianca Onoh…’, a statement, which you know is untrue and unfounded, but only calculated to lower our client’s esteem and damage her national and international reputation.

"Our client has never met you, does not know you in person and has never had any official or private relationship with you how much more ‘a long-standing and intimate relationship.’

“Our client is therefore, outraged by your bizarre and scandalous allegation and the numerous mails and telephone calls she has received from friends, relations and admirers who are equally embarrassed and who seek to confirm the veracity or otherwise of your false and reckless publication.

“Your apparent lame and half-hearted attempt, as published in the Leadership Newspaper of 17th August 2013, to clarify your false and malicious allegation falls far short of a retraction and does not sufficiently address the damage to our client arising from the widespread dissemination of your false publication and is therefore unacceptable to our client.

“In the circumstances, we demand, on the instruction of our client that you submit to her a clear and unqualified apology and retraction published in The Sun and Thisday newspapers in addition to having the retraction published online.

“Take note that should you fail to tender the apology and publish a retraction of your false and malicious publication, seven days next after your receipt of this demand notice, our further instructions are to seek appropriate redress in court. And that shall be without further recourse to you. Be properly guided.”



Chief Femi Fani Kayode's response via his spokesperson - Mr Bisi Lawal

This morning Cheif Femi Fani-Kayode woke up to find a letter that was published as an advertorial in Thisday Newspaper purportedly by Ambassador Bianca Ojukwu's lawyer threatening to sue him for mentioning her in his article and claiming that she has never methim before. She also said that he was being malicious. The matter has of course been reffered to Chief Fani-Kayode's lawyers who will now take it up.

Ordinarily he would have not have said a word about this matter because he sympathiseswith her for whatever she may have been going through. However now that she has put it in the public realm Cheif Fani-Kayode is compelled to formally respond. To the assertion thathe never knew her and that they were never friends he says this is false and he asks why would he lie? The public evidence is to the contrary. Chief Fani-Kayode would not want to say anything to embarrass her because that would be ungentlemanly.

He sympathises with her delicate situation and once again he expresses his regrets about the fact that his statement about her was misconstrued. We shall just leave it at that.

Signed by Mr. Bisi Lawal on behalf of Femi Fani Kayode

British Council is Mapping Nigeria’s Creative Economy

British Council is Mapping Nigeria’s Creative Economy

W*hat will this mapping do for you?* It will provide data that will: · Help you secure Nigerian and foreign investment as well as funding for your creative business · Make it easier for you to access intervention and funding from government · Put you on the Nigerian creative industries map which will be available online and accessible worldwide How will the mapping do this? Continue to find out... ** *How will the mapping do this?* The mapping will measure · contribution of the sector to national GDP, export revenue and job creation · ... more »

Awww, Davido tweets about being single again...

Awww, Davido tweets about being single again...

Less than two weeks ago, Davido showed off his girlfriend, a girl named Funmi Aboderin (pictured with him above and right) on his instagram page...but it seems that relationship is over because he's now talking heartbreak and being single again. See his Tweets after the cut...

'What made your man leave?' - Ali Baba gives relationship advise

'What made your man leave?' - Ali Baba gives relationship advise

* * *The comedian took to his Facebook page *yesterday to dish out relationship advice to women. Find it below..* * *Sometime back, in March, I was advising a babe on how to make a man stay. Some comments posted in reply to my status were that men are only controlled by their third legs, money, yansh, boobs, beauty and ego. I tried to highlight a very serious point that babes were missing. * ** * And that is, everyman wants better. We do not want to feel the one we let go was better.* *Not too long ago, I read some wild and wide criticism that greeted what Stella Damasus wrote... more »

Flood with Love Campaign: Teebillz Saves Tiwa Savage

Flood with Love Campaign: Teebillz Saves Tiwa Savage

Linda Ikeji at Welcome to Linda Ikeji's Blog - 10 hours ago

How many husbands are alive but dead with the guilt of not being able to save their wives? How many mothers clutched water as they struggled to grasp tiny hands of drowning kids? How many saw dead loved ones float past as they anchored themselves on rooftops? How much longer do you need to give N100 to help a flood victim? Teebillz swooped in and saved Tiwa. Let your love come like a tidal wave. Flood them with love. They lost all. Text FLOOD to 35388 now. Only N100. Love this campaign. Photos of Teebillz saving Tiwa after the cut...

Yes! Magazine explains the Genevieve Nnaji interview. It's an old one

Yes! Magazine explains the Genevieve Nnaji interview. It's an old one

The publishers of Yes! International Magazine have explained the mix up with the Genevieve Nnaji exclusive interview which the actress earlier today said was 'either false or as old as her career'. Well, you can't blame Genevieve for not remembering granting the interview because it's an old one...over 10 years old. Yes! Magazine explains; Like we professionally stated in our intro, it’s an old interview she had with our Publisher/Editor-in-Chief, Azuh Arinze, years back at Oceanview Restaurants, Victoria Island, Lagos. He only stumbled on the tape again and reproduced it. Abov... more »

M3riss just released these photos to promote his new single

Singer, song writer, and performer Yemi Jerry Tortor popularly known as M3riss just released these photos to promote his new single, Shomo, which is currently enjoying massive air play. The 21 year old Delta-state born musician is signed to Paris Entertainment and would be dropping the video for Shomo in a few weeks. More photos after the cut...

Oge Okoye goes blonde

Stowaway Boy

Boy found under Arik plane tyre hole thought he was going to the US

The 14 year old boy who beat airline and airport security at Benin airport on Saturday August 24th and flew in the tyre hole of a Lagos-bound Arik plane actually thought he was on his way to the US. Sources at Benin Airport said Daniel Ikehina ran away from home because he was being maltreated and was trying to escape from his parents when he joined the Arik flight. Unfortunately for him the plane wasn't flying to the US, it was flying to Lagos where the stowaway was immediately arrested as he alighted from the wheel well of the aircraft. Daniel is presently in the custody of th... more »