Naomi Campbell And Her Boyfriend Vladimir Doronin, Living The Yacht Life.

Naomi Campbell and her Billionaire boyfriend were spotted living their fabulous yacht life still down in Miami.

Majek Fashek Kidnapped .

Nigeria's reggae legend, Majek Fashek who is currently being managed by A-Plus Entertainment, a record company which rehabilitated him last year  is hospitalised at the moment. He was allegedly abducted recently by one of his friends who wanted to lure him into signing concert deals outside the shores of the country.

The CEO of the outfit, Hajia Oluremi Dangaji disclosed this ugly development to Showtime, during the week.

According to her, Majek who was due to drop his latest album this week, disappeared from his Gowon Estate apartment since last December without traces. However, after futile efforts to trace his whereabouts, the reggae legend  resurfaced few days ago, looking haggard, weak and pale.

Narrating Majek's ordeal, Hajia who claimed that her company had spent over N35 million to get the reggae master back on his track, said "This meeting is meant to formally intimate you with my company's project with superstar, Majek Fashek whose latest album is finally ready for the market.

*Majek Fashek

Unfortunately, just as we were getting ready for the release scheduled for this month, we got a shocker during the past holidays that he had been kidnapped and taken to an unknown destination by people suspected to be enemies of progress."

"While the nightmare lasted, Majek's former manager called to inform us that he was hospitalised in Lagos. But later, we found out that he was whisked away by one of his friends, to Ghana, who wanted to force him to sign concert deals outside the shores of the country without the consent of his management company."

Haija said, while in Ghana, Majek's conscience did not allow him to do the bidding of his captors, as he decided to return to the country.

At the moment,  she said, Majek has gone back to his old lifestyle. "He has become a shadow of his old self, breaking bottles and behaving very abnormal. In fact, he has not been himself since he returned to the country. Right now, he is hospitalised. We are trying to  stabilize his condition. That's why we deemed it fit to intimate you about the ugly development," Haija narrated.

Haija, a widely-travelled entrepreneur and philanthropist  who hails from Edo State has since resolved to resuscitate Majek's dwindling music career, as well as embarking on a musical tour of some European and American cities.

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Brymo Needs A Wife Ohhhhjjj ! !! .

Having come from a humble background, hip-hop sensation, Ashimi Olawale believes that education is very important because it helps to shape life positively. But he also believed that what he needed to learn about hip-hop was not available within the four walls of the university.

Popularly known as Brymo by his fans, Olawale abandoned his Zoology course at Lagos State University and decided to pursue music fulltime. That decision had translated to his blockbuster hits, Oleku and Ara.

The artiste who is signed to Chocolate City which parades other acts like Ice Prince, MI, Jesse Jagz, DJ Caise, and Pryse, opened up to The Entertainer on his childhood days, how he came into music, challenges, and what he looks for in a woman among others. Excerpts:

Background

I went to Akanji Aka Primary School and later went to Japual Primary School. I gained admission into Lagos State University to study Zoology but I left and went into music. For me, education is quite important, if I didn't take out time to learn, I wouldn't be able to speak English language as I am speaking now. But I do not think what I need to learn is within the four walls of the school because I can make it anywhere else. That was why I left. It was quite difficult for me to pay the school fees. Though, if I had stayed, my father would have strived to pay the fees. I knew that I could prosper if I had time to do what I wanted to do, which was music. Basically, I was sure that I wanted to become a musician, instead of going to school.

Childhood days

I grew up in Okokomaiko in Ojo, Lagos and I did not leave the area until I was 18 years old. It was after I became an adult that I went to other areas like Ikeja. Okokmaiko is quite a fascinating area. It is a place for the rich, the middle class and the poor. I had friends whose parents were rich and lived in duplexes and I also had friends whose parents stayed in houses consisting of so many people but we all lived together in the area. I used to go out to play basketball with my friends even though I was short. My mother used to tell me that as a child, I was very stubborn. If my father was not around, I could go out all day and play with my friends. I learnt a lot of things and made new friends in Okokomaiko. I still go to Okokomaiko to visit some of my friends, and get fond memories of the area. I was there last year for the street carnival that takes place every December.

Musical interest

In 1999, I was in JSS3/SSS1 and I used to write songs then. In 2002, I started to write music for my friends and later I got sponsorship. Basically, I started by singing for other students. During break time, I would go to other classes and while standing on the chair do some beats and sing for the students. I grew up in a home where my parents listened to a lot of Yoruba folk songs and it made me pick interest in music.

No! I grew up in the mosque. My father was a staunch Moslem. As I grew up, I had new ideas and I had deep love for singing and writing. My mother would listen to a lot of songs and put her own melodies in the lyrics and I grasped how she put words together, which has helped me in my career.

The Aliens

In 2002, a group of four boys came together and formed a musical group called, The Aliens. In 2003/2004, we recorded our first album and it was the first song that I ever wrote. We didn't get it right, we were down for a beat and we stopped rehearsing and later we started again. In 2004/2005, we started having problems and it became difficult for us to be together as a group. Some members of the group gained admission into the university and we stopped seeing each other and rehearsed less. So, I started writing more songs for myself. I went solo from there.

On Brymstone

Brymstone was my first solo album. I remember then that I had a lot of R&B influence and listened to a lot of songs by R. Kelly and Back Street Boys, so I wanted to go that line, to sing R&B. I recorded Brymstone but the album did not make waves in the industry. I thought that the most beautiful way to come out as an artiste was to sing the way R. Kelly sings. So, I did that and two things happened. Firstly, people in Okokomaiko whom I thought would not like the song, liked it and I had to do the distribution myself. I sold more than 2000 copies on my own within the first six months of release, so that spurred me into doing more. Even though the album was great, it did not make waves in the country then. That made me to know that if I wanted to do a good album, I really needed to go out there and introduce myself to the people. If people get to meet me, they would like my song. So, I waited until when the opportunity came. The Brymstone album was a risk that I took and it definitely paid off.

Chocolate City miracle

I met Denrele sometime in 2009. Later in 2010, he called and urged me to call M.I which I did. He asked me to see him in his office. When I got there, he asked me if I would like to feature in Jesse Jagz's track, Love, I agreed and joined them in the studio to record the track. Two weeks later, I attended the album launch of M.I and we got talking and he asked if I would like to join Chocolate City, I said 'yes'. We talked and later reached an agreement, which was beneficial to both parties. That was how I joined Chocolate City. Every time that I think about it, I do say to myself that is was a miracle and I am grateful.

On Ara

Ara simply means wonder but it is more of a slang and it is usually used when some things are happening. When somebody is doing something big or something big is happening to someone, religious people will say, 'Olorun dara lara re'. The song is quite old, it is like a folk song. At that time, I needed a single and I was skeptical and somebody said to me that he had a beat that he wanted to give me, I listened to it and I thought that if I should use it, it would be great. Eventually, it was successful because I needed it to be successful

My kind of music

There is an element of fuji in my songs, so also R&B and rock but it is easier for me to call it pop because of the medium of getting across to the people. Nobody will invite an artiste to come to a function and perform a sad song. But rather, you have to make people happy with your songs. With that, people will know if you are really good in what you do or not.

Challenges

The first challenge that I faced was being able to create a new song and made people know that the song was from me. People should be able to say that it is a nice song and it is different from the first one. There must be a story to back up the new song for people to know that there is a difference between the songs. Another challenge is how to sustain my voice. I don't take cold water or oily foods when I am to perform on stage because it stiffens my voice.

Lowest and highest moments

The lowest moment was in 2009 at a live performance on the Lagos Island. I was hoping to have a great show but when I got on stage, I lost my voice because of stage fright. On that particularly day, I couldn't start at all because the keyboardists were playing off-key, the drummer was playing too fast and the music was too fast. I couldn't pick the key and when I sang, I sang off-key. I started the performance again, and it was the same thing four times. Unfortunately, the show was aired live on Radio Nigeria and it was something that I worried about. It killed my morale for close to a month before I picked up and came out of that state.

My highest point was when I released Ara, because it came out at a time when I needed to decide if the chorus on Oleku was not a mistake considering the artistes that featured in that song. At that point, people knew that I could actually deliver. After the song, I started getting positive reactions and I was relieved that I had entered into another stage of my career. It was not just about choruses anymore but I could actually put out singles that people like.

On music industry

Nigerian music industry is emerging and I remember what the industry has done in the last 10 years. In 1999, we had musicians like Plantashion Boyz and they laid the foundation for pop music. One thing that we have failed to do is to realize that musicians that were before us were part of our history. There is a little more that we can do in terms of strengthening the music industry. Young artistes must know what happened to great artistes like King Sunny Ade, and the late Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, how they played their music and it must be structured so that we can learn about Nigerian music. That way, we will grow instead of teaching us about foreign musicians.

Relationship with other artistes

I have a good relationship with other young and upcoming artistes in the country. We do meet at different functions and clubs where we party together and have fun.

My female fans

Interaction with the opposite sex is quite unavoidable. I am a proper African man, I prefer women and interacting with the opposite sex is quite interesting. Female fans are quite amazing and they are more important than any other person. When a female fan listens to a song and she likes it, the reaction is encouraging. But men will suppress their reaction and that poses a problem. When women like your songs, it is most likely that you will have more than one girlfriend and father many children without getting married. That is the issue that we all deal with.

Single and searching

I am not married and I am not into any relationship. I am single and searching for a devoted partner that will be ready to carry my child. Children are to be taken good care of and their needs provided for, because we were once like them. I have soft spot for children. I will like to raise few children so that I can take good care of them.

My kind of a woman

There are a lot of ladies – short, fat, tall or slim – if I am going to have a basic idea of what my ideal woman would be then I am on a long thing! I will rather just meet them and see if it can work out no matter the physique of the woman.

Role models

Over the years, the number of my role models has increased. My mother once told me that 'Ogbon lo gbon, aki se ogbon' meaning 'nobody is smart, while wait for people to come and give you ideas when you can get ideas from people'. It is always easier to learn from other people but it is more difficult to learn if people need to teach you what you need to do. It is really difficult for me to say, this is my role model but everybody out there who is making waves in his/her field is my role model. Everybody that I have read about and is doing well is my role model.

How I relax

I stay at home and play video games, I watch a lot of movies and listen to songs and I hang out with friends, drink and smoke sometimes. I don't drink excessively, as much as I don't call myself a saint, I like moderation so that I can continue tomorrow and not have hangover for a few days.

Future plans

I intend to make more music as much as I can and perform before a large audience. If it is possible for me to play music for people living in Mars, then I will like to play music for them. I just want to make more music that people will love.

Boy, 13, steals father’s Mercedes and drives 600miles across Europe after row over his mobile phone bill

A 13-year-old runaway boy drove his father's Mercedes Benz more than 600m across Europe after rowing with his adoptive parents over a mobile phone bill.

The teenager left his home in the town of Montebelluna in northern Italy on Thursday afternoon and was finally picked up by German police near the border of his home country Poland today.

The boy, a keen go-kart racer, was apparently completely confident behind the wheel and managed to cross two international borders and fill up with petrol twice without raising alarm.

The teenager crossed two international borders during his 620mile trip from Montebelluna, northern Italy, to Moisburg in Germany

The boy had taken his high-powered Mercedes Benz and driven off towards Poland on Thursday afternoon (file picture)

'He looks like a 16-year-old, but still!' Eleonora Spadati, the head of local Carabinieri police in Montebelluna told the AFP news agency.

'He managed to fuel up and pass two borders. It's just incredible,' she added.

The boy, who had been adopted two years ago, was reportedly heading to his original home country Poland where is biological sister lives.

The teenager managed to get through two international check points and fill up with petrol twice before being stopped by police in Germany

He had argued with his parents after they confiscated his mobile phone as punishment for topping up its credit without their consent.

He left with just £160 and his passport in his pocket.

Having driven from Italy through the Alps into Austria, he proceeded to Germany where he was stopped in Moisburg, just 150km from the border with Poland, by police after his family had alerted Interpol.

He was said to be missing his sister who lives there and had been in touch with her via the internet, according to Italian media.

The teenager's parents are understood to have gone to Germany to bring him home.

Source DailyMail.com

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The £9 wrinkle-buster! Kim Kardashian Uses Bio-Oil For Her Stretch Marks And Wrinkles.

She's famous for her luxury lifestyle and love of the finer things in life. But it seems impending motherhood has dampened Kim Kardashian's passion for splashing the cash.

The reality TV star, who is 14 weeks pregnant, revealed that she uses cheap and cheerful Bio-Oil to keep her skin looking youthful and to fight off stretchmarks.

'It prevents wrinkles around my eyes and stretchmarks over my body,' the mother-to-be said of the £8.95 oil.

Yummy mummy: Kim Kardashian, with boyfriend Kanye West, is using Bio-Oil to keep stretchmarks in check

W

Beauty bargain: The £8.95 oil is unusually inexpensive for luxury loving Kim

And Kardashian isn't the only celebrity to admit to using the bargain beauty treat.

Saturdays singer Rochelle Humes has also revealed that she uses the oil.

Humes, who is four months pregnant with her first child, spent New Year in the Maldives with new husband, JLS singer Marvin.

Despite having a barely there bump, the singer is already putting a stretchmark prevention strategy in place, tweeting: 'Bio-Oil and I have a really good relationship.'

Other celebrities to have used Bio-Oil while pregnant include former Spice Girls singer Mel B, actress Alison King and singer Kym Marsh.

Mel B described the oil as a 'pregnancy tip for no stretchmarks' in a tweet, while Marsh added: 'I use Bio-Oil to reduce little surgery scars and to help my pregnancy stretchmarks.'

Fan: Saturdays singer, Rochelle Humes, seen here showing off her bump in the Maldives, also loves the oil

A-list approved: Both Spice Girls singer, Mel B, and model Jourdan Dunn (right) have confessed to using Bio-Oil

British model and young mother Jourdan Dunn also used the oil to keep stretchmarks away from her perfect skin, revealing: 'Mother is all about getting the right balance and being more organised than before.

'I still have to find time for myself and this can be difficult, but motherhood has been a lovely revelation to me.

'While I was pregnant I rubbed Bio-Oil all over my body, morning, noon and night.'

Bio-Oil contains a mixture of natural herbal oils and specially formulated PurCellin Oil, a dry non-greasy oil that helps active ingredients such as lavender and chamomile penetrate the skin.

Although you don't need to be pregnant to use it, the brand has rapidly become a must-have for mothers-to-be thanks to its reported success at tackling stretchmarks.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/

Black Teenager Punches Woman After She Calls Him A 'Smelly Nigerian.

This is the shocking moment a furious mixed-race teenager tried to hit a woman on the Tube after she made a racist remark.

The mobile phone footage posted on YouTube yesterday is entitled 'Racist Woman On London Train Gets What She Deserves!'

It begins a short way into their argument - after the 19-year-old aspiring recording artist had apparently stepped on the woman's shoe.

Violence: The female passengers, left, makes racist comments until the boy is so angry he lunges at her

Furious reaction: The 19-year-old is dragged away from the woman and told to 'relax' by fellow passengers, while the driver asks what is going on over the intercom

Race row: The pair trade insults in the run-up to the violence, with her calling him a 'smelly Nigerian' and him calling her a 'white princess'

The pair trade insults, with the boy shouting that the woman has been racist, and her then calling him a 'smelly Nigerian', before he compares her to an 'escort'.

Their expletive-littered argument then descends into violence, with the teenager lunging at the woman after accusing her of having hit him with a bottle.

Eventually, the Tube driver asks what is happening over the intercom, and the three-minute video comes to an end as the fight is broken up.

A Twitter user known as Cidz Carnage or @carnageofficial, thought to be the youth involved, tweeted on Tuesday: 'Oi some racist women was giving it to me today, then she hit me with a bottle then i f***ed her over dumb b****.'

He later added: 'Calling me a smelly african... Then having the audacity is hit me with a bottle.'

And yesterday he posted: 'Remember Racism is Disgusting and Totally Unacceptable'.

He later deleted the tweets.

British Transport Police believe the video was filmed on Tuesday and posted online the next day.

War of words: She accuses him of stepping on her toe and he asks if she thinks she is in America, before she apparently hits him with a bottle as the row escalates

A BTP spokesman said: 'There is an allegation of abusive behaviour by the woman towards the man, but that doesn't justify a violent response.

'The man and woman pictured in the images are seen arguing with each other on the video and we're keen to speak to both of them to get their version of events.

'We urge them or anyone who knows them, as well as passengers who were on the train at the time, to come forward so we can begin to build a full picture of what exactly took place.'

They are appealing for information about the incident, believed to have taken place on a southbound Northern line service between Old Street and Moorgate.

The footage begins with the woman, who appears to be in her 20s, saying: 'I wouldn't f***ing touch you. You are f***ing s*** on my shoe' and adding that her boyfriend is black, suggesting that this shows she was not being racist.

'He respects me,' she continues, after the boy had apparently insulted her appearance.

The teenager replies: 'OK white princess, queen, Kate Middleton!'

Tempers flare: The boy is seen apparently throwing punches, while other passengers look on in horror

He criticises her 'lunatic antics' and calls her a 'smelly p**** b****', adding: 'How old are you, 28? I'm only 19.'

She expresses concern that 'b******s like you will steal from me' and calls him a 'smelly f***ing Nigerian.'

He becomes increasingly angry at her lack of remorse, asking: 'So first I pushed you, now I've tried to rob from you?' He compares her behaviour to something that would happen in America.

A moment later, she says: 'I don't care what I look like', apparently in response to another insult.

As the train pulls in to Moorgate, a fight breaks out, with the boy seen lunging at the woman, shouting, 'You hit me on the head with a bottle... you racist b****... looking at you, you f***ing escort. There are witnesses. Everyone seen, everyone heard!'

He is pulled away from her as voices are heard saying 'relax' and 'let her go'.

He appears to leave, adding: 'don't you ever touch me, don't you dare touch me.'

The incident follows a recent spate of passengers filming rac 

Passengers Sight Python Hanging On Planes Wing.

Passengers on a Qantas jet flying over Australia got a shock when they spotted a 12ft python clinging on to a wing at 30,000ft.

The plane was around 20 minutes into its flight from Cairns in northern Australia to Papua New Guinea when a female passenger first announced she could see the reptile.

Those on board could only watch as the snake - thought to be a Scrub Python - spent the flight battling to survive in freezing conditions.

Bizarre: Passengers were shocked to see the snake - thought to be a Scrub Python - hanging from one of the plane's wings

Cold: Passengers could only look on as the reptile battled to survive during the flight from Cairns in northern Australia to Papa New Guinea

Fight: The snake is thought to have got into a landing gear cavity to keep warm before the plane took off

Unlike in the Hollywood movie, Snakes on a Plane, which featured a nest of vipers causing havoc when they escaped inside a jet - this reptile was more concerned about keeping itself alive

The snake fought to find some shelter from the 300mph wind as temperatures dropped to as low as  -12C°.

Passenger Robert Weber told the Sydney Morning Herald that people at the rear of the plane were totally focused on the snake and were asking how it could have got there.

'There was no panic,' he said, 'at no time did anyone stop to consider there might be others on board.'

Mr Weber said that at first the snake must have been tucked itself away in a small space near the wing but that the wind must pulled him 'straight out,' he told the newspaper. What followed, said Mr Weber, was a life and death struggle for the snake.

Worry: Even a pilot reportedly took a look at the python as it tried to pull itself to safety

Injured: The snake's battered body hangs limply from the wing after the plane landed in Papua New Guinea - with blood stains visible around it. It was nevertheless thought to be still alive

'I felt quite sad for it really,' he said, 'for the remainder of the trip he was trying to pull himself back into the plane.'

Despite the cold and wind, he said, the snake still managed to hang on, but each time it managed to pull itself back into a cavity, the wind forced it out again. 

HOW SNAKES SURVIVE THE COLD

Snakes - such as this Black Mamba - have cold blood, which could have helped the scrub python survive its epic plane journey

It is unclear exactly how the python survived his freezing plane journey to Papua New Guinea - but as a cold blooded (or 'poikilothermic') creature its ability to alternate its body temperature to cope with its environment would have helped.

Cold-blooded creatures are much more active in warm environments and slow down in cold environments.

Mammals, including humans, by contrast are homoiothermic, or 'warm-blooded' and try to maintain a constant body temperature.

At one point the pilot came out into the main cabin and took a look a the wing snake - which he said 'should be dead,' given the battering it had taken.

But, amazingly, when the plane touched down in Port Moresby the snake was still moving. It was not immediately known what happened to the reptile but passengers suspected it would have been destroyed by Papua New Guinea quarantine officials. 

Australian snake experts said it was a non - toxic scrub python, the longest snake species in Australia, which are common in North Queensland.

Paul Cousins, who represents an aircraft engineers' association, told the Herald the snake had probably crawled up inside the landing bay before crawling into the trailing ledge flap assembly.

'Nice and warm there,' he said, 'but [as] the plane later takes off, the flaps move back and he' s probably become shaken because of all the noise and vibration. Once he's moved,  he's become caught in the wind.'

 

EFCC Arrests Two Graduates, Six Others Over Alleged Fraud, Internet Scam

     

The unprecedented visit by stern-looking operatives of the Economic  and Financial Crimes Commission,  EFCC, at 1004 Housing estate, in Victoria Island, Lagos penultimate Tuesday, sent residents wondering.

But not long, the reason for the visit was discovered to be in connection with the arrest of two self-acclaimed  undergraduates of  a university in  Malaysia, and six others over allegation of fraud and internet scam.

A search conducted by the operatives at the upscale apartment of  the suspects , reportedly led to the discovery of   several items such as laptops, iPad, traveling documents, cheque books, flash drives, internet modem,  and three exotic cars;a Mercedes Benz Jeep, One 4Matic Mercedes Benz Car and a Range Rover Sport SUV.

Their arrest according to spokesman for the Commission, Wisdom Uwujaren, " was sequel to a petition by a concerned group  which alerted the Commission about  activities of  one Hope Olusegun and his co-travelers at the elite 1004 Housing Estate where they engage in fraudulent activities of obtaining money by false antics and forgery".

The operatives he informed, also downloaded over 80 implicating documents from the laptops recovered from Olusegun, adding that effort to track down other members of the syndicate was still on.

During investigation, it was gathered that the suspects pay  N30,000 a day for the rented apartment, an amount discovered to be more than their income as students.

But Olusegun in his statement, simple wrote:"I decided to stay away from the  Mainland in Lagos because of stress of friends when one returns from abroad."

Also asked how he got the exotic cars, 25-year-old Olusegun who hails from Ogun  said  it belongs to his sister who lives in the United kingdom. But on further investigation, it was discovered  that the car particulars   bore his name.

Identities of other suspects  are :  Tunde Wasiu, Badmus Akeem, Ajijola Oluwatosin Emmanuel, Adebesin Olalekan, Raji Resaq,   Ajibola Adeniyi and Adeboye Lamidi.

But Badmus in his statement said he only returned a week before his arrest. " I am a music producer and artistes manager . I decided to move to Malaysia to further my education while I do "Hot jobs" as well. I just got back a week ago before the festive period. But he could not explain what he meant by 'hot job'.

On his part, Sadiq  said one of  the recovered customized  Range Rover Sports cars belongs to his mother.

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Online Memorial For Late Mrs Mimidoo Lynda Ihyuman.

In memory of  our Friend,Sister,Wife and Colleague, Mimidoo Ihyuman,the Fabmimi Social Media Team has opened an online Memorial for Mrs Mimidoo Ihyuman where you can access and send a Candle,a Tribute,a Thought ,a Story,a Picture!a Song ,a Video and plenty images.
Mrs Mimidoo Lynda Ihyuman passed away on the 2 Jan 2013 ,left to mourn her are her husband Gande Ihyuman ,In laws and parents.She will be buried on January 12 2013.
May her soul rest in peace amen.
Click the link below to access the site and drop your tributes.




http://mimidoo.ihyuman.muchloved.com/frame.aspx?df=false

Venezuelans Pray For Their Sick President Who Is Battling With Cancer In Cuba..

Venezuela Leader's Hugo Chavez Health Condition Worsens As Supporters Pray For Him To Recover.

Posted by juliet mimiSunday, January 06, 2013

The change of mood in Plaza Bolivar could hardly be more dramatic. Less than three months ago, jubilant crowds filled the main square in Caracas to celebrate another election triumph for Hugo Chávez with chants of "Oo, ah, Chávez no se va" – Chávez won't go.

Now, however, supporters wait anxiously for any scrap of news from Havana, Cuba, where their president is fighting for his life after emergency cancer surgery.

"We are all very confused. We have no idea what to expect. I pray for his recovery but I am expecting the worst," said Joaquín Cavarcas, as he scanned the Ciudad CCS newspaper for the latest update.

Next Thursday, Chávez is supposed to be inaugurated for a further six-year term of office at a ceremony at the National Assembly, a short walk from the plaza. But the usually gregarious, publicity-loving president has not been seen or heard since his operation on 11 December, prompting speculation that he will not recover in time.

In the latest in a series of grave bulletins, the government said on Thursday that the president was suffering from complications brought on by a severe lung infection after surgery. Aides earlier described his condition as "delicate". The Bolivian president, Evo Morales, said it was painful to see his close political ally in this state. "The situation for our brother Hugo Chávez is very worrying," he said.

With information scarce, rumours abound. Spain's ABC newspaper claimed the president was in a coma and kept alive by a life-support system. Social networks are abuzz with speculation that he is already dead.

Source Guardian.co.uk

Plane Carrying Italian Designer Vittorio Missoni Missing After Take-off.

Italian fashion designer Vittorio Missoni is missing after a plane disappeared off the coast of Venezuela. Photograph: Daniel Dal Zennaro/EPA

Rescue crews used boats and aircraft on Saturday to search for a small plane that disappeared in Venezuela, while carrying the chief executive ofItaly's iconic Missoni fashion house and five other people.
Twenty-four hours after the BN-2 Islander aircraft disappeared from radar screens on its short flight from the resort island of Los Roques, no sign of the plane had been found, officials said.
"We have no other news" said Paolo Marchetti, a Missoni SpA official, when asked about the plane that was carrying Vittorio Missoni, the head of the company; his wife, Maurizia Castiglioni; two of their Italian friends; and two Venezuelan crew members. Marchetti spoke briefly to reporters as he left company headquarters in the northern Italian town of Sumirago on Saturday afternoon.
Missoni's younger brother, Luca, who is active in the family-run business, was reportedly traveling to Venezuela on Saturday to monitor search efforts.
The newspaper La Repubbica said Venezuelan aircraft, motorboats and helicopters had taken off at dawn Saturday to resume the search for the missing plane, which had been suspended on Friday night. The Italian news agency ANSA, reporting from Rome, said a specialized ocean-searching naval vessel also was being deployed.
Vittorio Missoni is the eldest son of the company's founder, Ottavio, who at 91 still follows the business. The Corriere della Sera newspaper reported that Ottavio and his wife, Rosita, were at their home in Italy, along with their daughter Angela, a chief fashion designer with the company, waiting for information about the search. Rosita Missoni designs housewears and Angela's daughter, Margherita, has been infusing the classic designs with fresh appeal.
The Missoni house, with its trademark zigzag and other geometric patterns in sweaters, scarves and other knitwear, is one of Italy's most famous fashion brands abroad. Vittorio Missoni has played a key role in marketing the Missoni family creations in Asia, especially in Japan, Hong Kong and South Korea as general director of marketing for Missoni SpA. He also spearheaded a push for the company's products in the United States and France. His efforts to expand the brand abroad led him to be dubbed the company's "ambassador".
On Friday, Venezuela's interior minister, Nestor Reverol, said the plane had been declared missing hours after taking off from Los Roques, a string of islands popular for scuba diving, white beaches and coral reefs, where the Missonis and their friends were on vacation.