Sean Paul Calls out Drake, Kanye, Justin Bieber and Major Lazer for Appropriating Dancehall Culture.

 

Sean Paul has called out artists including Drake, Justin Bieber, Major Lazer, and Kanye West for appropriating dancehall without crediting its roots, in a new interview with the Guardian. Paul, who says he’s a Drake fan, also questions the rapper’s use of patois. He adds that it’s galling to see dancehall’s massive influence when many Jamaican artists can’t get U.S. visas. Paul says: It is a sore point when people like Drake or Bieber or other artists come and do dancehall-orientated music but don’t credit where dancehall came from and they don’t necessarily understand it. A lot of people get upset, they get sour. And I know artists back in Jamaica that don’t like Major Lazer because they think they do the same thing that Drake and Kanye did – they take and take and don’t credit. Talking about his new album, he adds: Dancehall is back but this time it’s also infused with Afrobeat, with hip-hop, with trap, and that’s fine with me. Sure, I would like what we do in Jamaica, that authentic dancehall, to be on top, but it simply isn’t. So I want this album to bridge that gap.

Sean Paul Calls out Drake, Kanye, Justin Bieber and Major Lazer for Appropriating Dancehall Culture.

 

Sean Paul has called out artists including Drake, Justin Bieber, Major Lazer, and Kanye West for appropriating dancehall without crediting its roots, in a new interview with the Guardian. Paul, who says he’s a Drake fan, also questions the rapper’s use of patois. He adds that it’s galling to see dancehall’s massive influence when many Jamaican artists can’t get U.S. visas. Paul says: It is a sore point when people like Drake or Bieber or other artists come and do dancehall-orientated music but don’t credit where dancehall came from and they don’t necessarily understand it. A lot of people get upset, they get sour. And I know artists back in Jamaica that don’t like Major Lazer because they think they do the same thing that Drake and Kanye did – they take and take and don’t credit. Talking about his new album, he adds: Dancehall is back but this time it’s also infused with Afrobeat, with hip-hop, with trap, and that’s fine with me. Sure, I would like what we do in Jamaica, that authentic dancehall, to be on top, but it simply isn’t. So I want this album to bridge that gap.

Sean Paul Calls out Drake, Kanye, Justin Bieber and Major Lazer for Appropriating Dancehall Culture.

 

Sean Paul has called out artists including Drake, Justin Bieber, Major Lazer, and Kanye West for appropriating dancehall without crediting its roots, in a new interview with the Guardian. Paul, who says he’s a Drake fan, also questions the rapper’s use of patois. He adds that it’s galling to see dancehall’s massive influence when many Jamaican artists can’t get U.S. visas. Paul says: It is a sore point when people like Drake or Bieber or other artists come and do dancehall-orientated music but don’t credit where dancehall came from and they don’t necessarily understand it. A lot of people get upset, they get sour. And I know artists back in Jamaica that don’t like Major Lazer because they think they do the same thing that Drake and Kanye did – they take and take and don’t credit. Talking about his new album, he adds: Dancehall is back but this time it’s also infused with Afrobeat, with hip-hop, with trap, and that’s fine with me. Sure, I would like what we do in Jamaica, that authentic dancehall, to be on top, but it simply isn’t. So I want this album to bridge that gap.

Beyonce New Music Video - Hold Up (Beyoncé - Hold Up)

Top Queen B Video 

Buhari Warns Niger Delta Militants, Says Defeating Them Won’t Be Tough

Buhari Warns Niger Delta Militants, Says Defeating Them Won’t Be Tough

President Muhammadu Buhari has vowed to deal decisively with the seeming resurgence of oil theft, vandalism of pipelines and insecurity in the Niger Delta.

Declaring that the Nigerian Armed Forces had already dealt “deadly blows” on Boko Haram, Mr. Buhari said the activities of oil thieves and vandals would soon be brought to an end, according to a statement by his spokesperson, Garba Shehu, on Tuesday.

“The oil thieves and abductors are a less problematic target. We will re-organise and deal with them,” he was quoted as saying.

Speaking Tuesday in Abu Dhabi, the president warned telecommunication companies operating in Nigeria not to place their desire for huge profits above the security needs of the country.

Speaking at an interactive forum with members of the Nigerian Community in Abu Dhabi, President Buhari said the war against terrorism can only be won with the collective effort and commitment of everyone.

Remarking that the registration of all mobile phone users without exception will help the security agencies to pre-empt terrorist attacks, the president said telecommunication companies operating in Nigeria must adhere to the rules and guidelines of the Nigerian Communications Commission in this regard.

President Buhari assured Nigerians at the session that his administration’s war against corruption will continue to be vigorously pursued.

The president pledged that more persons who have abused the public trust will be exposed and brought to justice soon, adding that his government was committed to re-establishing former standards of accountability and probity in the management of public funds which were jettisoned under past administrations.

The president appealed for more patience and understanding from Nigerians as his administration takes steps to safeguard the economy from the shock of falling oil prices.

“In the face of our new economic reality of dwindling oil prices, there are a number of things we can really do without to preserve our economy.

“We must develop the capacity to feed ourselves and we should be spending our resources on real development projects, not luxuries,” he said.

Referendum: EU High Representative Replies Biafra,Organization of Emerging African States

Federica Mogherini, European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security has replied Biafra agitators and the Organization of Emerging African States (OEAS) over their call for a referendum.


The OEAS had earlier requested that the European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security utilizes their good office to help bring about a referendum for Biafra’s independence.

The OEAS also called for release of all Biafran political prisoners, a stand down of Nigerian forces, and a snap referendum to be held within 90 days.

In response to their request, Mogherini replied Dr., Jonathan Levy, OEAS Chief Administrative Officer, stressing that, the European Union’s official position is that while it has strong diplomatic and economic ties with Nigeria, “protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms remains a priority for the EU and we encourage the authorities [Nigeria] in every occasion to respect such rights.”

The EU went on to advise the OEAS and Biafrans that self-determination and border changes must be in accordance with established international law. The OEAS has called for an internationally recognized referendum on Biafra independence or autonomy. The EU has indicated it will only recognize a Biafra born via international law and not armed secession.

To achieve a referendum, the OEAS advises all nonviolent means should be utilized including general strikes, economic boycotts, work actions, demonstrations, lawsuits, and civil disobedience. Nigeria is a member of The International Labor Organization (ILO). The ILO recognizes the right to engage in general strikes and the right to strike is also recognized in the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights of 1966 (Article 8(1)(d)).

Source: saharareporters.com

Man Catches Wife In Bed With His Friend, Crushes His Friend’s Testicles And Drags Him By His Manhood

Naija, Catches Wife In Bed With His Friend

Police have arrested a gold panner from Zhombe who allegedly crushed his friend’s balls and battered his manhood after catching him having sex with his wife.

Blessing Gwara of Mahobo village was on Tuesday arraigned before Kwekwe magistrate, facing indecent assault charges. Gwara pleaded not guilty and was remanded in custody till Friday.

For the State, Mr Brain Mzemba said sometime last month on a date unknown to the prosecutor, the complainant, Mr Brian Munemo approached Gwara’s wife (whose identity is not known) and asked to have sex with her on the payment of US$10. After the woman agreed, the two (Munemo and Gwara’s wife) decided to use Gwara’s matrimonial bedroom for the hanky-panky.

Mr Mzemba told the court that all hell broke loose when Gwara unexpectedly returned home only to find his friend and his wife having sex on his bed. The court heard that Gwara’s wife escaped from the scene leaving her sex-partner to face the music. Mr Mzemba said Gwara then pulled the complainant’s manhood before smashing his two balls with a fist.

The court heard that Gwara went on to twist Munemo’s ‘sexual spitting cobra’ while assaulting him with open hands all over the body. Mr Mzemba said Munemo went and reported the matter to the police leading to Gwara’s arrest. Munemo sustained internal injuries on his private parts.

See What Remains of Shiite centre after it was allegedly destroyed by Nigerian Army

In this photos you will see what is left of the centre of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria after it was allegedly destroyed by the Nigerian Army. See another photo after the cut..

Chinese spend £10 Million Pounds building 500-foot loop of steel that does absolutely nothing

China is building a new landmark in the northeast of the country that defies the notion that size doesn’t matter. Taking shape in the city of Fushun in Liaoning province is a gigantic steel loop dubbed the Ring of Life. The 500-foot ring is made of a whopping 3,000 tonnes of steel and will glow at night with a phenomenal 12,000 LED lights. The landmark, which is equivalent to a 50-storey building, cost nearly £10 million and has been designed by the same architect behind the Oriental Pearl TV Tower in Shanghai. According to Fushun Municipal Government’s officials, the iconic structure has been built simply to serve as an viewing platform. Up to four elevators will take visitors to the top

What is you thought for this Ring Steal as i may call it?

As always will be happy to read all your comments.

Obama not to seek access to encrypted user data, FBI irked

CUPERTINO (California): The Obama administration has backed down in its bitter dispute with Silicon Valley over the encryption of data on iPhones and other digital devices, concluding that it is not possibleto giveAmerican law enforcement and intelligence agencies access to that information without creating an opening that China, Russia, cybercriminals and terrorists could alsoexploit. 

With its decision, which angered the FBI and other law enforcement agencies, the administration essentially agreed with Apple, Google, Microsoft and a group of the nation's top cryptographers and computer scientists that millions of Americans would be vulnerable to hacking if technology firms and smartphone manufacturers were required to provide the government with "back doors," or access to their source code and encryption keys. 

That would enable the government to see messages, photographs and other data now routinely encrypted on smartphones. Current technology puts the keys for access to the information in the hands of the individual user, not the companies. 

The first indication of the retreat came on Thursday, when the FBI director James B Comey told the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee that the administration would not seek legislation to compel the companies to create such a portal.But the decision, made at the White House a week ago, goes considerably beyond that. 

While the administration said it would continue to try to persuade companies like Apple and Google to assist in criminal and national security investigations, it determined that the government should not force them to breach the security of their products. 

In essence, investigators will have to hope they find other ways to get what they need, in terms of encrypted data.

Top News: Chinese Billionaire Arrested After Bringing Millions In Cash Illegally On Private Jet

Ng Lap Seng, a real estate billionaire from the Chinese controlled territory of Macau, was arrested in Manhattan in September. Ng is being held without bail on charges of lying to customs officials about the purpose of $4.5 million in cash he brought into the U.S. over a two-year period. Ng is also a part of a continuing U.S. federal bribery probe into billionaire Sheldon Adelson's Las Vegas Sands Corporation.

The target of that probe was not made clear, however Ng's name has come up again and again in a private lawsuit against Las Vegas Sands Corp.

Ng is the head of Macau based Sun Kian Yip Group and has made the bulk of his $1.8 billion fortune through developments in the Chinese gambling territory. His properties include the Fortuna Casino as well as Windsor Arch, a residential complex overlooking the Cotai Strip.

Ng and his assistant, Jeff Yin, were arrested for allegedly erroneously claiming that $4.5 million in cash they brought into the U.S. from China between 2013 and 2015 was intended to buy antiques, art, or real estate as well as be used for gambling.

However, after his arrest, Yin allegedly told authorities that the money was actually to pay people "to engage in unlawful activities."

Ng was previously tied to U.S. investigations into foreign money that may have been given to the Democratic National Committee before the 1996 Presidential elections. The DNC was working to reelect President Bill Clinton at the time. A 1998 report from the U.S. Senate said that Ng was in bed with Arkansas restaurateur, Charlie Tries, to funnel foreign funds amounting to hundreds of thousands of dollars into the Democratic National Committee.

Tries pled guilty to the scheme while Ng stayed out of the U.S. for five years while the probe was active. As a result, Ng was never charged.

Ng is also tied to a 2010 lawsuit against Las Vegas Sands Corp by Steven Jacobs, former CEO of Sheldon Adelson's Macau casinos. Macau is the only place it is legal to gamble in China, and Sands China, Ltd., a subsidiary of Las Vegas Sands, is one of six licensed casino operators in the territory.

Sands Corp believes that the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act investigations by the Justice Department and U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission were a direct result of Jacobs' lawsuit.

Jacobs states that he was fired from Sands Corp after he refused to give in to Adelson's demands to rehire attorney Leonie Elves. Elves, a Macau legislator, is also a close contact of Ng. It was Elves who allegedly told Sands Corp that Chinese officials would resolve issues related to a $1.4 billion real estate deal for a payment of $300 million.

There is no evidence that this payment to Chinese officials was ever made and Sands Corp denies any wrongdoing. Sheldon Adelson testified earlier this year and said he does not know Ng, had never sent any messages to him, and, in fact, had never heard his name until Jacobs' lawsuit.

News + Video: Watch Nigeria Air Force bombs Boko Haram's bunkers

In the continued onslaught against terrorism in the North East, Nigerian Air Force pilots smoked out Boko Haram elements from their fortified bunkers deep inside Sambisa Forests at the weekend.

PRNigeria, an agency that distributes press statements on behalf of the Nigerian security agencies, quoted reliable security sources as saying the raids were part of efforts aimed at ensuring that the marching orders issued by President Muhammadu Buhari for the military to annihilate the deadly terrorists and their activities in the next three months is complied with.

In a video clip made available to PREMIUM TIMES by the agency, Alpha jets and attack helicopters were seen raining explosives on some targeted locations hidden under trees and open warehouses.

Unlike the standard bunkers that are fortified chambers built below the ground with reinforced concrete, some of the fortifications destroyed by Nigerian Air Force were not set below the surface of the ground but were mostly covered by logs and tree trunks.

The mission is being executed by the recent deployments of fighter jets and attack helicopters in the North-East.

A senior fighter pilot said “The Nigerian Air Force pilots are in high spirit as they even compete to fly the aircraft to defend their fatherland in their aggressive and patriotic determinations to end the Boko Haram ‘rubbish’ as soon as possible.”

It was further gathered that the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshall Sadique Abubakar, had challenged NAF pilots to prove their worth by displaying their skills and expertise in combating enemies from the air.

While addressing the pilots recently, Mr. Abubakar said the raid would be sustained consistently and aggressively until the insurgency was brought to an end in Nigeria.

The Air Force raids commenced after weeks of reconnaissance by surveillance aircraft in the mission area.

The deployed F-7NI, Alpha jets and attack helicopters are intended to degrade the fighting capacity of the terrorists.

Watch video

Source Premium Times

Clues to curbing obesity found in neuronal 'sweet spot' («Science-News»)

Preventing weight gain, obesity, and ultimately diabetes could be as simple as keeping a nuclear receptor from being activated in a small part of the brain, according to a new study by Yale School of Medicine researchers.

Published in the Aug. 1 issue of The Journal of Clinical Investigation (JCI), the study showed that when the researchers blocked the effects of the nuclear receptor PPARgamma in a small number of brain cells in mice, the animals ate less and became resistant to a high-fat diet.

"These animals ate fat and sugar, and did not gain weight, while their control littermates did," said lead author Sabrina Diano, professor in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences at Yale School of Medicine. "We showed that the PPARgamma receptor in neurons that produce POMC could control responses to a high-fat diet without resulting in obesity."

POMC neurons are found in the hypothalamus and regulate food intake. They are the neurons that when activated make you feel full and curb appetite. PPARgamma regulates the activation of these neurons.

Diano and her team studied transgenic mice that were genetically engineered to delete the PPARgamma receptor from POMC neurons. They wanted to see if they could prevent the obesity associated with a high-fat, high-sugar diet.

"When we blocked PPARgamma in these hypothalamic cells, we found an increased level of free radical formation in POMC neurons, and they were more active," said Diano, who is also professor of comparative medicine and neurobiology at Yale and director of the Reproductive Neurosciences Group.

The findings also have key implications in diabetes. PPARgamma is a target of thiazolidinedione (TZD), a class of drugs used to treat type 2 diabetes. They lower blood-glucose levels, however, patients gain weight on these medications.

"Our study suggests that the increased weight gain in diabetic patients treated with TZD could be due to the effect of this drug in the brain, therefore, targeting peripheral PPARgamma to treat type 2 diabetes should be done by developing TZD compounds that can't penetrate the brain," said Diano. "We could keep the benefits of TZD without the side-effects of weight gain. Our next steps in this research are to test this theory in diabetes mouse models."

Other Yale authors on the study included Lihong Long, Chitoku Toda, Jin Kwon Jeong, and Tamas Horvath.

The study was funded by the National Institutes of Health (RO1DK097566)

Powdered Alcohol Is An Official Product Approved By U.S Government

A week, the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) approved 7 flavors of Palcohol, a powder-based alcohol.

    This is the description of Palcohol:

What do you think of this new product? Will people get used to this white powder form, or would such a form just encourage greater use of existing illegal white powder substances? 


We've been talking about drinks so far. But we have found adding Palcohol to food is so much fun. Sprinkle Palcohol on almost any dish and give it an extra kick. Some of our favorites are the Kamikaze in guacamole, Rum on a BBQ sandwich, Cosmo on a salad and Vodka on eggs in the morning to start your day off right. Experiment. Palcohol is great on so many foods. Remember, you have to add Palcohol AFTER a dish is cooked as the alcohol will burn off if you cook with it...and that defeats the whole purpose.

5-years old hackers selection of Microsoft's Xbox Live Security Gap

Kristoffer Von Hasse, a 5 year old boy from San Diego managed to find a gap Security Microsoft Xbox Live. With this vulnerability, anyone can enter the Xbox Live without having to use a password. Excerpted from The Hacker News (04/04), initially, Kristoffer parents do not know if his son often went into his father's Xbox Live account without a password. Kristoffer discovered after his parents saw Kristoffer playing Xbox Live and when asked by his father, Kristoffer says that he wears his father's account and write down any password then press the space bar and he was able to get in and start playing. The parents who know about it then contact Microsoft for reporting this vulnerability. The above findings, Microsoft gave gifts to the youngest hacker with lots of exciting games, cash and Xbox Live free for a year to him. find security holes in Microsoft's Xbox Live system password.

Happy Birthday to An Incredible First Lady:

Behind every great man there's a great woman!

    Michelle Obama Celebrate her birthday in style

Kardashian Files For Divorce From Lamar Odom

Khloé Kardashian, 29, today filed for divorce from her husband of four years, Lamar Odom, 34.

In the Los Angeles Superior Court petition, Kardashian cites "irreconcilable differences" for the reason behind the split. The couple has a prenup, so the division of their assets should be fairly tidy.

Friday's filing caps months of drama rife with reports of drug abuse, infidelity, and even forgiveness, and ends a marriage that once seemed too good to be true.

The two had a whirlwind romance, and shocked everyone when they tied the knot in September 2009 after just one month of dating.

But Kardashian and Odom appeared to to have a genuine connection, as they immortalized in the (much-lampooned) ad for their unisex fragrance, Unbroken.

"There is a beauty of believing that one cannot exist without the other, that sometimes the bond between two souls is truly unbreakable," the couple said in the commercial.

Still, people definitely had their doubts about the marriage. Infidelity rumors dogged Lamar, and Khloé's well-publicized struggle to become pregnant put additional strain on the union. Regardless, the couple appeared to be solid despite any negative tabloid headlines that would occasionally pop up about their relationship.

However, those rumors became faces over the summer when multiple women claimed to have had affairs with the NBA player. In the meantime, Odom's substance use had gone from recreational to worrisome following the NBA season last April. On Aug. 30, he was arrested for a DUI after he was seen driving his white Mercedes SUV erratically on an L.A. freeway just before 4 a.m.

[Related: Lamar Odom Caps Especially Bad Week With DUI Bust]

In what appeared to be a step in the right direction, Odom checked into rehab in early September ... however, he checked right back out after only one day. With Odom refusing to get help, Khloé reportedly kicked the NBA player out of their shared home. The two began living separate lives as he stayed at his apartment in downtown Los Angeles while Khloé hid out at her mom's.

Despite putting on a brave face on social media, Khloé made some not so subtle changes to her monikers. On Sept. 4, the "Keeping Up With the Kardashians" star dropped "Odom" from her Instagram name, going simply by "Khloé Kardashian." The following day, Lamar broke his silence on the social media platform defending the Kardashians and slamming his father.

Kardashian has not been photographed wearing her wedding ring since Nov. 23, and went back to posting cryptic messages on Instagram and Twitter. On Thursday, she shared a picture with the quote, "I am strong because I've been weak. I am fearless because I've been afraid. I am wise because I've been foolish."

The marriage was the first for both.

 Source: yahoo.com

Ukraine protests: Key things you need to know

Ukraine has been hit by protests during the past few weeks, as the country finds itself split between the rest of Europe and Russia.

 What sparked the protests

The protests began in November, when Ukraine's president, Viktor Yanukovych, did a U-turn over a trade pact with the European Union that had been years in the making.
Yanukovych refused to sign the agreement, which would have strengthened cooperation with the European Union, opting instead for closer ties with neighboring Russia.

Since November 21 hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians have taken to the streets of Kiev to demand that the EU deal be signed. The epicenter of the protest has been in the city' central Maidan Square.

The demonstrations are the biggest the country has seen since the Orange Revolution which toppled the country's government nine years ago. Protesters in Ukraine see the demonstrations as a way of choosing between Europe and Russia.

CNN contributor David Frum says the stakes are even higher now than they were in 2004-05: "Upholding Ukrainian independence is a deep concern, not only to the Ukrainians, but to all the free countries of Europe -- and thus to the United States... What's at stake in the streets of Kiev is the future of the European continent."

Why did Yanukovych refuse to sign the EU deal?

Viktor Yanukovych, who has been in power since 2010, said he could not sign the trade and political association deals with the EU because of Ukraine's "complex economic situation."
He said Ukraine could not afford to sign the deal, alluding to economic pressure from Russia, which had threatened its neighbor with trade sanctions.

"The Ukrainian government will suspend the negotiations for signing the Association Agreement with the EU, until we find a solution for the situation is found and when the drop in industrial production and our relations with CIS countries are compensated by the European market, otherwise our country's economy will sustain serious damage," said Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Yuriy Boiko when the EU deal was suspended.


Why did Yanukovych refuse to sign the EU deal?

Viktor Yanukovych, who has been in power since 2010, said he could not sign the trade and political association deals with the EU because of Ukraine's "complex economic situation."
He said Ukraine could not afford to sign the deal, alluding to economic pressure from Russia, which had threatened its neighbor with trade sanctions.

"The Ukrainian government will suspend the negotiations for signing the Association Agreement with the EU, until we find a solution for the situation is found and when the drop in industrial production and our relations with CIS countries are compensated by the European market, otherwise our country's economy will sustain serious damage," said Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Yuriy Boiko when the EU deal was suspended.
The EU offers a token package, which is not of any interest to the Ukrainian government," Alexei Pushkov, head of the Foreign Affairs Committee in Russia's Parliament, told CNN's Hala Gorani, who was sitting in for Christiane Amanpour.

Tymoshenko was found guilty of abuse of office in a Russian gas deal two years ago, and sentenced to seven years in prison in a case widely seen as politically motivated.
On Thursday December 12th, The EU's foreign policy chief, Catherine Ashton, spoke to Yanukovych and told CNN afterwards that he "still wishes to sign the association agreement with the European Union."

Pushkov said he was not so sure.
"He never actually rejected the possibility of signing a deal with the European Union," he said. "But he said on many occasions that he is not happy with the content of the deal."


Why is Ukraine torn between the EU and Russia ?

Ukraine is the biggest frontier nation separating Russia and the EU. Once part of the Soviet Union, the country gained its modern Independence in 1991 following the fall of the Berlin Wall.
Since then, Ukraine has made an effort to move towards Western ideals when it comes to politics and human rights, but the nation is still ranked 144th out of 177 countries in Transparency International's corruption index.

The Ukrainians who have taken to the streets in recent weeks say they want to see a better-governed, less corrupt and politically liberal country, more closely aligned with its western neighbours.

"People see a prosperous, well-governed EU next to their borders -- in sharp contrast with their own economic and political misery," wrote Speck, in his piece for CNN. "That's why they are on the streets now, in Kiev and elsewhere."

Under Soviet rule, many Ukrainian farmers lost their lands and homes, and many ethnic Russians settled in the Ukraine. Under Soviet Rules the country's people their language and culture all suffered.
"No nation suffered more from Soviet communism than the Ukrainians," wrote Frum in his recent piece for CNN. "Ukrainian farmers lost their lands and homes to Soviet collectivization... millions died in the man-made famine that followed... their language and culture were stunted under Moscow rule; their intellectuals and writers were suppressed, banished, murdered, and defamed."
This caused a split which still exists in the Ukraine today, where a strong east-west divide remains, with the East of the nation being mostly Russian-speaking, with a large ethnic Russian population, and the West of the country being Ukrainian.

Ukraine's economy has been slow to follow its western neighbours who were also under Soviet control-- Poland, for example, where the economy has grown exponentially.
Poland was not part of USSR, but can say "also part of the Soviet Union or under Soviet control -- for example, Poland, where the economy has grown exponentially."
By contrast, Ukraine's economy has deteriorated further and has suffered its worst years since the fall of the Soviet Union..
Many Ukrainians hope that an EU deal would offer the chance of economic recovery.


Why is Russian gas a key issue?

Ukraine with a population of over 45 million is heavily dependent on Russian gas to keep the country running during its bitterly cold winters. Its geographic location it is also a key transit country through which gas flows to many countries in Europe.

This puts Russia in a commanding position -- energy is a lever the Russians have used in the past, either by cutting off supplies in mid-winter (most recently in 2009) or by promising price cuts or increases.
Ukraine, with a population of 45 million, is heavily dependent on Russian gas to keep the country running during its bitterly cold winters.

How does the situation affect the rest of the region?
The West -- the EU, together with the US -- has been working on its relations with former Soviet Bloc countries for over two decades, with the aim of restoring democratic rule and improving quality of life for Ukrainians.

It views the decision by Ukraine, the largest of the former republics, not to partner up with the EU as bowing to Russian pressure.
Ukraine is something of a pawn between Russia and the West. For the West, the deal would mean its reach would spread further east; by contrast, the Russians see the Ukraine as key to holding on to their turf.

When asked about the situation in Ukraine, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov insisted it was a "domestic issue" and that it is the prerogative of the government to decide whether to sign the agreement.

Source: http://edition.cnn.com

N Korea: 'News comes as a shock to us in South Korea

The once-powerful uncle of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has been executed after being purged for corruption, state news agency KCNA reports.

Chang Song-thaek was dramatically removed from a Communist Party session by armed guards earlier this week.

Professor Jung-Hoon Lee told BBC News that the news "comes as a shock".

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk

Twitter backtracks on blocking changes

There have been concerns over the rise in the number of cases of trolling on Twitter

Twitter has reversed changes it made to how people block other users, less than a day after they were introduced.

The changes allowed blocked users to continue to see tweets and interact with accounts that had blocked them, leading to an outcry.

Twitter said it was reverting to old rules, under which users are not able to follow an account once blocked.

Blocking is used by people to stop trolls and rude online commentators from interacting with them.

"We have decided to revert the change after receiving feedback from many users - we never want to introduce features at the cost of users feeling less safe," Michael Sippey, Twitter's vice-president of product,said in a blogpost.

"Any blocks you had previously instituted are still in effect."

"Any blocks you had previously instituted are still in effect."

'Post-blocking retaliation'

There have been calls for Twitter to do more to counter cyberbullying following a number of high-profile cases of trolling, where users of the social networking site were bombarded with threats and abuse.

The firm recently introduced a "report Tweet" button to try to combat the problem.

Mr Sippey said that Twitter's initial decision to change the way blocking works was a further attempt to prevent abuse, by ensuring that users did not know they had been blocked by someone.

He said blocked users - and sometimes even their friends - often retaliated against the people who had blocked them, resulting in increased bullying.

"Some users worry just as much about post-blocking retaliation as they do about pre-blocking abuse," he explained.

He added that Twitter "will continue to explore features designed to protect users from abuse and prevent retaliation".

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk