Must Read:The Misery Behind Sleep

We know we need it. If we don't get it, we're cranky, have trouble concentrating, tend to overeat and are more likely to make mistakes.  Yet, with the crush of demanding schedules, bad habits, or sleep disturbances, we don't always get enough.

So what is happening during those precious hours when we're asleep?  Is it really a time of restoration for our brains?  And is it possible that it's more than that?

What happens in our brains while we're asleep is a question neuroscientist Penelope Lewis is trying to answer.

Lewis directs the Sleep and Memory Lab at the University of Manchester in England. In her new book, The Secret World of Sleep: The Surprising Science of the Mind at Rest, she discusses how sleep makes memory stronger, provides what she terms "spring cleaning" for the brain, and plays a role in depression.

How Sleep Strengthens Memory

Have you ever had an experience in which you're practicing a particular skill, say playing the piano, a golf swing or a new language? You go to bed tired and wake up to find you seem to have improved. You're able to play the piano piece more smoothly, your golf swing has straightened out or the words in the new language come more easily.

What happens when we sleep, Lewis says in an interview on National Public Radio, is that "the neural responses in your brain that are associated with things you've recently experienced are spontaneously replayed, or, we say, 'reactivated' while you're asleep."

And it is this reactivation that occurs during sleep that strengthens our memory.  Our brains are, in effect, practicing while we sleep.  Take playing the piano, for example. If during the day you moved your fingers to play a particular piece, the associated motor areas of your brain would become active while you sleep.

According to Lewis, neuroscientific inquiry is beginning to determine which skills improve with sleep and how such consolidation occurs in the brain.

What is "Spring Cleaning" for the Brain?

During our waking hours, we encounter a huge array of sensory information. We are constantly hearing, seeing, smelling, feeling and tasting.  And we have thoughts and feelings about this wide range of sensory experiences. For example, on any given day, by breakfast you may have heard your alarm and thought to yourself that it's too loud; felt the warmth of the shower and noted a need to buy more soap; scrubbed the tiles or fixed a dripping faucet.  You may have noted the feel of certain clothing and had any number of thoughts about your closet and the clothes available to you, all while listening to the radio, taking in news stories, noting a favorite song and mentally rehearsing for what the day ahead entails.

The point is that we are bombarded with sensory information all day long. According to Lewis in the interview on National Public Radio, "while we're busy doing things, experiencing things, seeing things, hearing things, learning things, processing different kinds of information, the connections between neurons in the brain get strengthened because they're trying to retain all of this information. And an awful lot of it is garbage; it's stuff you don't want to remember or don't care about — what you had for breakfast, or the color of a stain on the cover of a book or something. It's really not useful or interesting."

If we don't filter out some of this information, our brains become overloaded.  We must have a way to sort through the information we receive during the day, storing and consolidating what is important and letting the rest go.  That process, Lewis says, happens during sleep.  During the deep stage of what is called slow-wave sleep, synapses get downscaled again, according to Lewis.  This allows us to recall the salient aspects of our day, without being overwhelmed by unimportant details.

Sleep and Depression

Sleep, specifically REM sleep when we dream, has recently been connected to depressive episodes.  REM sleep is associated with strengthening emotional memories.  When someone is depressed, their emotional experiences during the day tend to be sad, miserable and depressed.

According to Hornung and colleagues, people who are depressed show drastic increases in REM. These depressed people also are biased toward negative memories. Recent research on antidepressant drugs has found that antidepressants correct the imbalance of REM sleep, while at the same time improving mood.  The correlation between improved mood and suppression of REM sleep suggests that negative memories strengthened during REM sleep may play a role in maintaining depression.

We spend as much as a third of our lives asleep.  Understanding what happens during sleep, how our brain processes information during sleep and how it serves a restorative function can help us to improve how we learn and determine how to treat emotional and cognitive problems that may be related to sleep.

Must Read:The Misteries Behind Sleep

We know we need it. If we don't get it, we're cranky, have trouble concentrating, tend to overeat and are more likely to make mistakes.  Yet, with the crush of demanding schedules, bad habits, or sleep disturbances, we don't always get enough.

So what is happening during those precious hours when we're asleep?  Is it really a time of restoration for our brains?  And is it possible that it's more than that?

What happens in our brains while we're asleep is a question neuroscientist Penelope Lewis is trying to answer.

Lewis directs the Sleep and Memory Lab at the University of Manchester in England. In her new book, The Secret World of Sleep: The Surprising Science of the Mind at Rest, she discusses how sleep makes memory stronger, provides what she terms "spring cleaning" for the brain, and plays a role in depression.

How Sleep Strengthens Memory

Have you ever had an experience in which you're practicing a particular skill, say playing the piano, a golf swing or a new language? You go to bed tired and wake up to find you seem to have improved. You're able to play the piano piece more smoothly, your golf swing has straightened out or the words in the new language come more easily.

What happens when we sleep, Lewis says in an interview on National Public Radio, is that "the neural responses in your brain that are associated with things you've recently experienced are spontaneously replayed, or, we say, 'reactivated' while you're asleep."

And it is this reactivation that occurs during sleep that strengthens our memory.  Our brains are, in effect, practicing while we sleep.  Take playing the piano, for example. If during the day you moved your fingers to play a particular piece, the associated motor areas of your brain would become active while you sleep.

According to Lewis, neuroscientific inquiry is beginning to determine which skills improve with sleep and how such consolidation occurs in the brain.

What is "Spring Cleaning" for the Brain?

During our waking hours, we encounter a huge array of sensory information. We are constantly hearing, seeing, smelling, feeling and tasting.  And we have thoughts and feelings about this wide range of sensory experiences. For example, on any given day, by breakfast you may have heard your alarm and thought to yourself that it's too loud; felt the warmth of the shower and noted a need to buy more soap; scrubbed the tiles or fixed a dripping faucet.  You may have noted the feel of certain clothing and had any number of thoughts about your closet and the clothes available to you, all while listening to the radio, taking in news stories, noting a favorite song and mentally rehearsing for what the day ahead entails.

The point is that we are bombarded with sensory information all day long. According to Lewis in the interview on National Public Radio, "while we're busy doing things, experiencing things, seeing things, hearing things, learning things, processing different kinds of information, the connections between neurons in the brain get strengthened because they're trying to retain all of this information. And an awful lot of it is garbage; it's stuff you don't want to remember or don't care about — what you had for breakfast, or the color of a stain on the cover of a book or something. It's really not useful or interesting."

If we don't filter out some of this information, our brains become overloaded.  We must have a way to sort through the information we receive during the day, storing and consolidating what is important and letting the rest go.  That process, Lewis says, happens during sleep.  During the deep stage of what is called slow-wave sleep, synapses get downscaled again, according to Lewis.  This allows us to recall the salient aspects of our day, without being overwhelmed by unimportant details.

Sleep and Depression

Sleep, specifically REM sleep when we dream, has recently been connected to depressive episodes.  REM sleep is associated with strengthening emotional memories.  When someone is depressed, their emotional experiences during the day tend to be sad, miserable and depressed.

According to Hornung and colleagues, people who are depressed show drastic increases in REM. These depressed people also are biased toward negative memories. Recent research on antidepressant drugs has found that antidepressants correct the imbalance of REM sleep, while at the same time improving mood.  The correlation between improved mood and suppression of REM sleep suggests that negative memories strengthened during REM sleep may play a role in maintaining depression.

We spend as much as a third of our lives asleep.  Understanding what happens during sleep, how our brain processes information during sleep and how it serves a restorative function can help us to improve how we learn and determine how to treat emotional and cognitive problems that may be related to sleep.

Chelsea Player Walks Out On National Team, Leaves Team Hotel After Disagreement.

New Chelsea signing Samuel Eto'o has walked out on the Cameroon national team after their 1-0 victory over Libya. The forward told his team mates that he was leaving the group and he didn't return to the hotel with the rest of the squad.

Their win over Libya today meant they clinched the final qualifying spot for the play offs for next year's World Cup in Brazil. French newspaper L'Equipe reported that Eto'o had told the team he was leaving the squad for personal reasons and he wouldn't be coming back with them. According to L'Equipe he wanted the national coach to select players he felt should be in the team but the manager didn't back down. The situation was so bad that they had to bring in the country's sports minister to solve the problem but to no avail.

It has been reported the player hasn't trained all week with Cameroon as they prepared for the crucial game against Libya. It's not known if this is the end for Eto'o and Cameroon but it's certainly not the first time he's had disagreements with those in charge of the national team.

He's even been quoted slating team mates. In October, Sky Sports found quotes of him reacting badly to being compared to Alex Song and suggestions there was a rivalry between the pair "We are not involved in a conflict between two star players.

"I am among the best players in the world and Song is not even among the best players in Cameroon."

If this is the end for Eto'o and Cameroon, and that would be unlikely with the World Cup on the horizon, then it could suit Chelsea. What could suit both is him only being available for matches he wishes to play in, dependent on what Cameroon would make of that. Whether they'll let him pick the team, as he seems to think he should be able to, is another matter entirely.

Mikel, Moses To Miss Burkina faso Friendly

John Mikel Obi and Victor Moses will not be part of Tuesday's friendly international against Burkina Faso in Kaduna.

Both players asked for permission and were excused by coach Stephen Keshi after Saturday's 2-0 win over Malawi.

The duo were not part of the squad that left Calabar on Sunday morning for Kaduna via Abuja.

It is unclear as yet if Keshi will call up any replacements or stick with the 21 players currently en route to Kaduna.

Moses recently joined Liverpool on loan from Chelsea

What Parent's Need To Know About Childhood Drepression

One of the biggest myths about childhood depression (also known as pediatric depression) is that it doesn't exist.

However, depression is a real illness that affects both adults and kids. In fact, kids as young as 3 years old can have depression.

Depression can even affect babies, who tend to exhibit symptoms such as unresponsiveness, lethargy, inconsolable crying and feeding problems, writes Deborah Serani, PsyD, a clinical psychologist who specializes in mood disorders, in her new book Depression and Your Child: A Guide for Parents and Caregivers.

Below, she revealed what pediatric depression looks like, along with what you can do if you spot these signs.

Signs & Symptoms of Pediatric Depression

Depression tends to manifest differently in kids than it does in adults. "For the most part, children and teens experience fatigue and irritability and other physical complaints," such as aches and pains, Serani said.

Kids also may seem bored and withdrawn and experience loss of interest. In her book Depression and Your Child, Serani writes, "This is called anhedonia, and children show this deflated disposition in play, with sports, friends, in school, and in other previously loved hobbies or activities."

Hopelessness and helplessness can manifest as negative self-talk with phrases such as "I am bad" and "I can't do anything right," she said.

Because depression distorts thinking, it can shrink a child's self-worth. Kids may "feel worthless or unlovable, useless or stupid," Serani writes in her book.

Another sign is behavior change, she said. A child who typically does well in school might start getting failing grades. They also might give away beloved toys or start sleeping more, said Serani, also author of the book Living with Depression.

In addition, kids might hide or sequester themselves, she said. "Young children who experience depression like to tuck themselves in their room when they're sad or to avoid family or social interactions."

When she was depressed as a child, Serani had a secret hiding place near the basement boiler that made her feel safe. "It was quiet and warm there, and I could just rest without anyone asking anything of me."

What Caregivers Can Do

If you notice the above signs, Serani suggested the following:

Pay attention to the duration of the symptoms.

"Is this just a bad day, or has it been a few bad days in a row?" For instance, your child might be struggling with something serious if their fatigue, irritability and sadness last longer than one or two weeks and permeate different parts of their lives, she said.

Take your child for a full medical checkup.

Many conditions can look like depression, Serani said. "For example, diabetes, anemia, mononucleosis or a simple streptococcus infection can mimic depressive symptoms." That's why ruling out medical conditions first is key.

Get a comprehensive evaluation from a mental health professional.

If there's no medical condition that accounts for the symptoms, take your child to a practitioner who specializes in mood disorders. An extensive assessment will help determine if your child has depression, and what treatments are best. It'll also let you know if your child is struggling with subclinical issues, which Serani calls "a low boil." This means that your child has symptoms of depression but doesn't meet the diagnostic criteria for the disorder. This is important to know because you "can learn what kinds of interventions can be used to prevent a full-blown disorder from developing."

Get effective treatment.

Depression doesn't go away on its own. "It's a chronic illness that can't be willed away or brushed aside with a change in attitude. It won't go away if a parent yells, gets extra strict or ignores the problem either." Play therapy and family therapy are helpful for toddlers and preschoolers. Individual talk therapy is helpful for teens. Medication also may be necessary for some kids.

"My best advice is for parents to become well read on the subject of pediatric depression and find an experienced professional team to work with."

Having a child who's depressed is challenging, Serani said. But there's also insight and growth that can come from managing this illness, she said.

"I was a child who had depression, and though I have to contend with taking medication for the rest of my life, there is so much more to who I am than my depression. And in fact, I'd say that what I've come to appreciate in life has happened not in spite of having depression, but, in truth, because of it."

PHOTO:'ZOE' The Zebra With a Golden Strip

This Zebra named ZOE was given birth to in 1998 with a golden strip on it's body instead of black and blue eyes instead of black.So Incredible!!

Realmadrid Boss 'Upset'After Players Revolt Over Mesut Ozil To Arsenal

lorentino Perez quite often appears to not to 'get' things, it would seem that he has trouble understanding others and showing empathy toward Real Madrid players. According to El Confidencial, well connected to Real Madrid, the club president is upset at the reaction of players to the departure of Mesut Ozil. The same newspaper looked like it had been used to do the groundwork for the transfer, Ozil was accused of acting up to get a huge pay rise and even fabricating interest from other clubs in order to pressure Perez.

It didn't work, much as it looked like Real Madrid were trying to turn people against Ozil, there was still a huge reaction to his exit. The situation has put Perez and new signing Gareth Bale under pressure. If the move doesn't work out then the discontent at losing Ozil and paying twice as much for Bale is only going to grow, and Perez doesn't like it. Arsenal are still in a state of delirium and it's no problem for Wenger, but it must be nice for fans of the London club to know how much Madrid misses Ozil.

El Confidencial insist that Real Madrid players knew all about the tactics being used by Ozil to try and get a big pay rise and therefore say that Perez has been shocked by the reaction of the dressing room. The plan from the boardroom at Real Madrid clearly didn't work and now they just want everyone to keep quiet and get on with things.

The better Ozil does at Arsenal then the worse it will be for Perez to insist he did the right thing, unless Bale is an instant success. 

Niggas In Paris:D'banj spotted At Henessy's Home

D'Banj is apparently in France on the invitation of Hennessy. The Nigerian pop star is the sole headliner for this year's Hennessy Artistry and he has already released the theme track for this year's project. He arrived France this morning from the US where he attended Davido's sister's wedding.

According to his people, he is already in Cognac (The home of Hennessy) where he's staying at the Chateau De Bangolet. Others on the visit are his manager Tony Nwakalor, Hennessy Brand manager Lere Awokoya, Marketing Manager Moet Hennessy Nigeria David Hourdry, Bolaji Kekere-Eku of 37th State and Ayeni Adekunle of BHM. D'Banj is staying in the same room where General Charles De Gaulle stayed when he visited the Hennessy mansion

Like Ferguson! Like 'Obj'

Readers might be wondering what former Nigerian President, Olusegun Obasanjo and former Manchester United supremo, Sir Alex Ferguson have in common?
Apart from both of them having the word "former" attached to their names, they both played big parts in choosing their successors.

However, while we all know what became of Chief Obasanjo's own protégé, Ferguson's own is still a work in progress. But if what has transpired in the past few days is anything to go by, then United fans have a right to harbour fears over Fergie's choice of David Moyes to succeed him in the hot seat.

In the space of a few days the feel good factor that the 50-year-old had with his opening day win over Swansea and gritty performance against Chelsea has dissipated first with his defeat at Anfield and then United's quite frankly abject display in the summer transfer.

While Ferguson suffered his own share of setbacks at Liverpool many will question Moyes selection and tactics in arguably the biggest match of his pledging United reign.

For instance, why did he start Ryan Giggs for a match of such magnitude and then opt to leave him on and replace Ashley Young, who at the time of his replacement has been one of United's better players?

But if this was annoying, United's transfer dealing (or lack of it) is the one to set the alarm bells ringing. Is it that because of Moyes United has now lost the ability to attract players to Old Trafford?   

Whatever be the reason United fans are clearly unhappy and worried with the fact that marquee players have not brought into the club. Even Moyes' fixation with Belgian midfielder, Marouane Fellaini has raised some eyebrows with a number of experts questioning the rationale pointing out that the former Everton man is not what United needs right now. "Fellaini, while a fine player, does not appear to be the identikit of the sort of midfield player needed to reinvigorate a department of United's team that is in urgent need of repair.

"He will provide power, aerial threat and goals. Fellaini will also provide an element of enforcement but will he really provide the element of craft and creation United's midfield needs?" wrote BBC's Chief football writer, Phil McNulty in his column.

Only time will tell if Ferguson's hand will end up like Obasanjo's or if it will turn out to be the move of the century – but until then, I suspect that we (United fans) are in for a nerve wracking, nail-biting season!

Figo Visits Zimbabwe

Real Madrid and FC Barcelona legend Lius Figo quietly sneaked into Zimbabwe on Thursday and left the following day on a visit believed to be for mining interests.

The 40-year-old's cover was blown up by airport workers at Bulawayo's Joshua Nkomo Airport, with some posting pictures on social media sites after posing with him. This created media hype and the Portuguese former star could not escape the press on his departure on Friday.

He was in the company of South African mining magnate Gayton Mackenzie and he promised to return to Zimbabwe soon and set up a charity foundation.

"Zimbabwe is a nice country and I enjoyed my brief stay here," Figo told an army of journalists who swarmed him.

"If an opportunity arises I would love to invest here just like any other business man and also expand my charity foundation here."

Mackenzie, however, said Figo's visit was a test-run to bring more high profile footballers to Zimbabwe.

Zimbabwe is well known for being rich in minerals like gold and diamonds, and Mackenzie ruled out any mining interests by the former World Footballer of the Year.

"I am planning to come with (Lionel) Messi, Cristiano (Ronaldo), (Zinedine) Zidane and Raul for a charity match against the Warriors legends. This is a pan at an advanced stage and am returning next week to try and talk to Zifa," Mackenzie said.

Former Manchester United striker Andy Cole used to run a charity organisation in Zimbabwe.

An Ethiopian Reporter Claims To Have Discovered The World's Oldest Living Man

Retired farmer Dhaqabo Ebba claims to have clear memories of Italy's 1895 invasion of the country. In an interview with regional Oromiya TV, he provided so much detail on the changes of power in his local area that reporter Mohammed Ademo has become convinced that Dhaqabo must be at least 160 - 46 years older than the oldest ever recorded man.

'When Italy invaded Ethiopia I had two wives, and my son was old enough to herd cattle,' he said at home near Dodola. He went on to recount his childhood eight-day horseback ride to Addis Ababa - a journey of a few hours today.

There is no way of verifying Mr Dhaqabo's age, but Mohammed Ademo notes that in an oral society like the Oromo, "every time an elder dies, a library is lost. Ebba is one such library from whom so much can still be preserved".

Kenya Says Nigeria's Dangote To Build $400m Cement Plant In Kenya

NAIROBI (Reuters) - Africa's richest man, Nigerian Aliko Dangote, plans to invest $400 million in a cement plant in Kenya, the east African nation's president's office said.

Dangote owns various businesses under the umbrella company of Dangote Group, among them, Dangote Cement (DANGCEM.LG), which said in May it was investing $5 billion to build cement plants on the African continent.

He was part of a business delegation that was visiting Kenya with Nigeria's President Goodluck Jonathan. The countries signed bilateral deals in sectors including tourism, agriculture and oil and gas.

"(President Uhuru Kenyatta) particularly cited the ... the decision by Nigerian tycoon Aliko Dangote to invest $400 million in a cement processing plant as an indicator that an "exciting journey has begun"," Kenyatta's office said in a statement late on Friday.

The statement did not give details on timelines, or the plant's capacity. There was no immediate comment from the company.

Dangote Cement, Africa's biggest, said earlier this year it would expand its pan-African production capacity to 55 million tons by 2016, without giving a comparable figure.

Other countries the cement company has previously said it planned to venture into include Cameroon, Ethiopia, Zambia, Tanzania, Senegal and South Africa.

Cement companies already operating in Kenya include Bamburi Cement (BAMB.NR), ARM Cement (ARM.NR) and East African Portland Cement (PORT.NR).

Kenya produced 412,529 tons of cement in July, up from 402,621 tons a month earlier, according to the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics. Cement consumption stood at 332,009 tons, from 341,942 tons a month earlier.

UK's Richest Man ALISHER USMANOV Sell's His Facebook Share For $528M



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UK's richest man Alisher Usmanov sells his Facebook stake for $528m

6 September 2013 | By Shruti Tripathi



Britain's richest man Alisher Usmanov has sold his last 14.2m shares in Facebook for $528m after the stock price soared this year.

Usmanov sold his shares in July and August through his London-listed Mail.ru Group vehicle after the social network's stock increased 57% this year and returned to its initial public offering (IPO) price. The sale is reportedly equivalent to a 0.6% stake.

In 2009, Mail.ru spent $200m for an unknown stake in Mark Zukerberg's venture. At the time of the IPO, the group sold 20 million shares getting a $745m windfall. It then divested 23 million shares in October last year and reportedly netted around $460m.

Back in May, Usmanov saw more than £250m added to his £11.6bn fortune after Russian telecom Megafon announced dividend payouts.

Usmanov is also the richest man in Russia and owns a 30% stake in Arsenal Football Club. He owns a £48m London mansion as well as Sutton Place, the former Surrey home of the late oil baron J Paul Getty

WORLD OF PSYCHOLOGY:How To Refresh Your Relationship Today

Relationships — like everything we do in life — don't really operate as well as we think they do on auto-pilot. While everything may seem fine on the surface, dig a little deeper and you'll find two people who are unhappy, but just don't know how to broach the subject.

Let's face it, sometimes our romantic relationships can just become stagnant.

It's time to reignite the flame and restore the passion that you and your partner deserve.

How do you do it? Click through to find out!

Be social. Look for healthy couples to hang out with. Summer is almost over, but there's still time for barbecues, pool parties, camping, picnics in the park, and going to the beach. Socializing with other couples will bring about new adventures to add to your list.

Make your partner feel special. Let him or her know that your relationship is at the top of your priority list. Brainstorm different ways that you can show them daily.

Learn to be an effective communicator. Being a good communicator means being a good listener. Most couples listen with the intent to reply. Instead, listen with the intent to understand.

Play nice. It's not always going to be fun and games. There will be times that you and your partner don't get along. Watch your tone. No name-calling, no degrading, and no blaming. Before you speak, ask yourself, "is this helping or hurting the relationship?" If you slip up, don't forget to apologize.

Volunteering at a church, soup kitchen, women's shelter, animal shelter, Red Cross, or nursing home is a great way to give back to the community and will leave you and your partner with a sense of accomplishment.

Break up the routine from time to time to make things more exciting.

Learn to accept your partner for the things that you like and don't like. Respect each other's differences. Allow your partner to be themselves. If we mold our partner to be what we wish they were, then we only love the reflection of ourselves.

Everyone needs alone time. Take a personal day and enjoy being with yourself. Go for a walk, have a spa day, hit some balls on the golf course, or whatever else you find relaxing.

Surprise your partner. Try a card to let your partner know how much you appreciate him or her, a smiley face balloon to brighten a tough day at work, a bouquet of seasonal flowers, or a gourmet box of chocolates to share while watching a romantic movie. Surprises can also come in other forms. Straightening up the garage or cleaning up the kitchen can be a great gift.

Intimacy not only means physical affection, it also means emotional affection. Take time to talk to your partner about your emotional and physical needs. Discuss how you can improve in these areas and follow through.

Equally divide chores. Evenly distributed chores could equal more intimacy.

Experience something new.

Picture Of An Hungry 2face Eating

Innocent Idibia also known as 2baba, The singer of the popular song 'African queen' was busy eating his lunch after a stressful day with his homies at festac when he was secretly pictured by fans.

Arsenal, Chelsea, Man city, Realmadrid, Barcelona News.

Manchester City winger Jesus Navas believes Iker Casillas would fit in perfectly at the Etihad.

City's current No.1 Joe Hart has been inconsistent so far this season, and Navas has encouraged the club to move for the Real Madrid star.



Gary Cahill says there is no chance of John Terry returning to international duty for England.

The Chelsea captain would be welcomed back in to an England defence that's lacking experience, but Cahill confirmed Terry's international career is "done and dusted".

Marouane Fellaini has said that it felt like the right time to leave Everton after sealing a £27.5m move to Manchester United.

Fellaini handed in a transfer request in order to force a deadline day move to Old Trafford, insisting it's time he started winning trophies.

Arsene Wenger has found himself short of players after releasing a plethora of talent this summer.

Arsenal have only named 21 senior players in their Premier League squad despite being allowed to name up to 25.



Gareth Bale's parents were made millionaires overnight after their son completed his move to Real Madrid.

As co-directors of Bale's company Primesure Limited, Frank and Deborah Bale pocketed £2m of the world record fee.

Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi has finally settled his tax dispute with the Spanish authorities after agreeing a £4.2m 'corrective payment'.

The Argentinian was accused of hiding up to €4m by filing incomplete returns between the years 2006 and 2009, but has brought the issue to a close by paying the fine.

Iceprince Set To Drop New Single 'I SWEAR' Featuring French Montana## Postpones Album Release Date

Unfortunately Ice Prince will not be dropping his new album, Fire Of Zamani on saturday (7th of September 2013) anymore but not to worry, the fans will get something almost as good on the 9th.

He will be releasing one of the anticipated singles off the album, I Swear which features American artist, French Montana. The gist came out in July that the 2 were working on a track together and now we get to see and hear the product in a few days.

Produced by ChopStix, so you know the beat is fire.

Definitely cant wait for it to drop… I'm sure you guys cant either.

Strange:Baby Born With Ear Under Its Chin

Birth defects are quite common around the world, some more than others. Every once in a while we see one that just catches our attention and makes us think back to whether or not we've seen it before. In this case, it appears to be a rare deformity that caused a baby born with ears under its chin. The image, taken from the popular photo site Imgur shows a newborn baby who was born with a few cranial birth defects, such as a deformed mouth and jawline, but more prominently the placement of the ears stands out.

The placement of the ears in this case is somewhat reminiscent of where gills would be on an aquatic animal, or fish. Perhaps they simply failed to migrate to the side of the head after they were formed. In the first trimester of pregnancy, the ears form along the jaw line out of cartilage. At some point during the second trimester the ears typically migrate to their correct place on the side of the head. This is the normal process that appears to have failed during the second trimester, which resulted in the low placement of the ears as well as the deformed jaw line. The Mayo Clinic states that by 18 weeks of gestation, a fetus should be able to hear, as well as have fully formed ears.

In the case of the child in this picture, it is not known if the child was born prematurely or if it survived post-birth. Details about when and where this child were born are still unclear, as not much information appears to be public aside from this picture.

Lady Gaga's Monsters Beg Her For 'Sex Dreams'

Lady Gaga is going democratic for the release of her second single off of her upcoming ARTPOP album, asking fans to weigh in via Twitter and Facebook and choose which of four jams will be released to the masses next.

On Sunday (September 1), Lady Gaga unveiled seven songs from ARTPOP at the iTunes Festival in London, including her first single, "Applause," which the world has already heard and seen via the music video and her performance at the 2013 Video Music Awards.

Late last night (September 3), Gaga took to Twitter and Facebook to poll her fans post-iTunes fest, asking: "OK MONSTERS! Now that you've seen some of ARTPOP Live, what would be YOUR pick for 2nd Single?" Gaga is letting fans choose between "MANiCURE," a rock 'n' roll update of "I'm Gonna Wash That Man Right Out Of My Hair"; "Sex Dreams," a sweaty, sultry jam about touching oneself; "Swine," Gaga's Nine Inch Nails-esque, industrial rocker; and "Aura," a growling, exotic, dark tune with an edge of violence.

On Twitter, Gaga asked fans to vote via RTs and favorites. Currently, "Sex Dreams" is in the lead with nearly 30,000 votes, followed by "Swine" with around 20,000, then "Aura" with around 19,000 and "MANiCURE" with nearly 17,000. On Facebook, Gaga's post about the songs has racked up almost 40,000 comments.

Although "Sex Dreams" is currently in the lead, some fans had concerns about the choice. @JudyTheUnicorn tweeted, "NO SEX DREAMS CANT BE A SINGLE NO RADIO WILL PLAY IT ITS TOO DIRTY."

Other Twitter users are quick to remind Gaga that "MANiCURE," although trailing in fan votes, has one big supporter: Adele. The Grammy-winning singer tweeted after the iTunes fest: "@ladygaga mermaids for life! Brilliant as always thank you for a wonderful night! #MANiCUREisthebest."

@ladygaga MANiCURE for the 2nd single! This song is amazing and will blow the radios! ADELE KNOWS THE SHIT! What more u need?

— . (@andrepoison) September 4, 2013

Naturally, some fans took the opportunity to riff on runner-up "Swine" — @Danarazzi tweeted: "@ladygaga you SWINE! That's my choice. ;p"

@ladygaga you SWINE! That's my choice. ;p

Samsung And Qualcomm Make Foray Into SmartWatch Market

By Harro Ten Wolde and Miyoung Kim

BERLIN/SEOUL (Reuters) - Samsung Electronics Co Ltd and Qualcomm Inc unveiled smartwatches on Wednesday, tapping a potential "wearables" market worth an estimated $50 billion as the high-end mobile phone market becomes saturated.

The companies launched the devices at nearly simultaneous events in Berlin and San Diego, and some analysts immediately questioned whether the devices were too costly, with expected prices near $300.

Samsung's Galaxy Gear smartwatch works as an accessory to its market-leading Galaxy smartphone, with a small screen offering basic functions such as photos, hands-free calls and instant messaging.

Qualcomm's "Toq" smartwatch can play music and handle phone calls and messages. It will be the first smartwatch with a touch-enabled "Mirasol" color screen that can be viewed easily in bright sunlight.

The launch by Qualcomm, which dominates the global market for applications processors for smartphones and tablets, is seen not so much as a hot seller but as a "reference" design or device to show off the Mirasol screens, in hopes the display technology will be more widely adopted as wearables of all types take off.

Samsung, which is the world's top handset maker, hopes the Galaxy Gear will boost the appeal of its range of Android-powered smartphones, as it battles to maintain supremacy against arch rival Apple Inc.

Its launch, timed to coincide with the start of the IFA consumer electronics trade show in Berlin, also signals that the South Korean giant is more than just a fast follower in innovation behind Apple, which is preparing to release a new iPhone next week but has yet to go public with any wearable devices.

"I believe it will become a new fashion icon in the world," J.K. Shin, Samsung's co-chief executive and head of mobile business, said at its "Unpacked 2013 Episode 2" event.

The market potential for wearable devices is significant. Leveraging advances in voice technology, biometrics, communications, cloud storage and power consumption, smartwatches and other wearable devices could be a $50 billion market by 2017, according to Credit Suisse.

Apple Inc and Google Inc are also widely believed to be working on "wearables" such as wrist-worn devices, in what analysts expect to be the next phase of the mobile communications boom. The exploration of such wearable-computing devices has accelerated in recent years as smartphone growth tapers off.

Samsung's smartwatch features a 1.63-inch (4.14-cm) screen as well as a basic camera, and will connect to Samsung's latest Galaxy Note 3 smartphone via wireless Bluetooth technology. It will make calls, display messages, record videos and snap photos, all while the user's phone stays in their pocket or handbag.

Clunky, earlier versions of Samsung's smartwatch in 1999 and 2009 didn't go down well with consumers. But the success of the company's latest release will be measured as much in how it affects sales of high-end Galaxy smartphones as in sales of the device itself.

"We had smartwatch-type products before, but they were mainly for making phone calls. What's different with the Gear is it's got far more useful functions. It's usability has increased significantly and design is not bulky," Shin said.

NOT REVOLUTIONARY

The Gear will go on sale later this month for $299 while Qualcomm's Toq will begin selling in the fourth quarter. Qualcomm did not specify a price. Tech blog Cnet reported it will sell for $300.

"The real question is, will this app enhancement make the purchase of yet another smart device worth it?" said Brian Proffitt, author of several books on mobile technology and an adjunct instructor of management in the University of Notre Dame.

"It's great to have hands-free capabilities to take notes or snap a picture, but is it $299 great? That's going to be the real test for the Galaxy Gear."

FASHION ITEM

Both devices don't have a flexible or curved display that some industry watchers had hoped to see on Samsung's newest products.

The Gear's OLED touch screen features half the picture quality of high-end smartphone displays and the camera nestling in the strap has only 1.9 megapixels - compared with a 13-megapixel rear camera on the Galaxy S4.

"People are really ready for flexible. As the smartphone market matures, brands are looking for something to break through new technology that will bring new opportunities to the market," said Sweta Dash, director Display Research and Strategy at IHS Electronics and Media.

"But the technology is not ready for the mass market because it is too expensive."

Samsung's smartwatch will not be a game changer, CCS Insight analyst Ben Wood predicts.

"Samsung will do a great job in raising the profile of this new category, but I don't think we will see a massive shift."

"I think it will only really come alive if Apple would push into it real hard, because they would then make it a fashionable item. Because a watch is a fashion item. It really is."