The star’s lawyer says he is “alarmed and disturbed” by the allegations and is determined to clear his name.

R&B singer R Kelly has “unequivocally” denied a report which claims he is holding a group of young women in a “cult” atmosphere.

Everybody feels stressed out and under pressure from time to time in our jobs – it means that the work is challenging.

A LOT us may have the phrase ‘works well under pressure’ on our CVs, but how many of us can actually work effectively under a lot of pressure on the job? The phrase is one of the most generic things an employer may read on your CV or cover letter. What evidence have you got to show how well you’ve dealt with a lot of work in a short space of time? If you’re not entirely sure, or you need some help in getting to grips with working well under pressure, then read my tips here.

Typical signs of not working well when under pressure in your job involve panicking, being tense, not communicating properly, and ultimately not meeting the deadline that needs to be met. Or if you do meet the deadline, you know that the quality of work you’ve produced isn’t up to your usual standard (which won’t go unnoticed). Everybody feels stressed out and under pressure from time to time in our jobs – it means that the work is challenging.

The outcome isn’t the main focus

The overall goal you’re trying to achieve is important to be aware of, but ideally you need to be concentrating more on the task and not the big picture. Have a look at the steps you need to take to get the task done. Break the task down into smaller bitesize chunks of work and the overall job will appear to be more manageable and less daunting. If you keep thinking about letting your colleagues down or looking like a bad employee, this will only hold you back in doing what needs to be done.

Don’t procrastinate

If you know that what needs to be done is looming, get it out of the way as soon as you can. People feel under pressure at work because they’re doing a task which is of big importance but they haven’t given themselves enough time to do it. Avoid procrastinating or putting the task off because you’re just asking for more pressure than you actually need. Make a list of the most important tasks you need to complete for the day and deal with these first. Sometimes in your job this isn’t always possible to achieve. After all, another reason why you’ll be under pressure is because a task has suddenly come out of nowhere and you have to complete it without feeing prepared. The only thing you can do in this situation is to not try to put it off.

What’s the worst that could happen?

What will happen if you don’t meet the deadline or complete the work to the standard that’s required? Realistically, what will actually happen? If the outcome you’re thinking of occurs, how will you deal with it? Can it be dealt with? If you realise that actually the worst case scenario isn’t too bad, you may feel less pressurised with the task at hand.

You’ve done this before, right?

It’s very likely that you’ve been under pressure before in another scenario and you’ve managed to get through it. How did you get through it last time? I’m sure it actually went okay. Think of what you’ve achieved in the past from being under pressure and use these examples in your head to get through what’s in front of you. Knowing that you’ve been okay in the past when being under pressure may reassure you that what’s happening at work isn’t so frightening.

Drown out the distractions but don’t isolate yourself

Something that a lot of people do when they’re under pressure is that they go really quiet and shut themselves away from others to avoid being distracted. This is a good thing to do when you need to crack on with your task but at the same time you don’t want to shut yourself away completely. If you need help, you must ask for it otherwise you’re putting yourself under pressure for no reason. If there isn’t any way of getting extra help then try listening to music. This can calm you down as well as drown out the outside noise that may be making you feel worse. You can also try taking a physical break from the task that’s causing you stress. Take a quick walk away so you can reorganise your thoughts. Try working on something else for five minutes before returning to the task again. This short break can help you gain a little perspective on what you need to do when you return to it.

Slow things down

Just because you’re under pressure doesn’t mean that everything needs to be ramped up to 500 miles per hour. Keep your cool and slow down your thoughts without getting frustrated. We want the answers quickly, but sometimes we need to think slower to get to those answers quicker. If your brain is going crazy you can’t focus on the solution and you’ll end up cutting corners to get the job done. Ultimately this means the quality of your work won’t be as good. Taking a minute or two to calm down and focus is only that – two minutes. It’s nothing!

Pressure and stress are two separate things. When you’re under pressure this in turn causes stress but you can learn to train yourself not to be so easily beaten by the stress. If you can delegate some of the work to ease the stress, or negotiate the deadline then this can prevent a meltdown from happening. The stress may even follow after you’ve completed the task because you’re worried about the quality of work you’ve produced or you’re worried that you’ve let your colleagues down. Just be completely and utterly honest.

If you’re faced with the task and there’s no way out, then you need to deal with it in the easiest way possible. Before you know it the task will be over and in the past

-engineering-jobs.theiet.org

Age, ultimately is a measurement of time lived, not things achieved or difficulties overcome.

 I I remember times when I was job searching, I’d see jobs that I knew I could do, and do well, yet I had no chance of getting it simply because I didn’t have the necessary years of “experience”. You might have seen the same thing.

Equally, when you turn eighteen, you are able to vote, at sixteen you are able to drive. Legally speaking, a mere 24 hours before your birthday, you weren’t equipped or experienced enough to vote or drive. We sometimes accept age equals experience.

But I’d rather be driven by a sixteen year old who drives a long distance every day, than a forty year old who only drives occasionally. I’d trust an eighteen year old who has studied the policies of each politician on the ballot to vote more responsibly than a fifty year old who votes on a whim.

If it’s not about the years of experiences, what are the true indicators of ability?

Imagine you’re an employer, and in front of you are two prospective employees. One is relatively young, but in their time they have overcome a number of challenges, they show drive and determination, they demonstrate good knowledge and skill, yet they haven’t worked in this industry for very long; the other is about a decade older and they’ve spent a number of years in a similar job, they have experience for sure, but very little else.

I think most of us would go with the younger employee.

Age, ultimately is a measurement of time lived, not things achieved or difficulties overcome.

Let us consider Elon Musk,¹ he is a self made billionaire, the co-founder of Paypal, the CEO of SpaceX, Tesla, and numerous other companies. Were he to have joined a tech company and waited until he had the right amount of experience, then without a doubt, he would have achieved none of this.

Though, as you’d imagine he was an computer prodigy (at twelve he designed, programmed, and sold a video game), his life wasn’t easy. His parents divorced at an early age, and at school was bullied remorselessly. Yet, after achieving two bachelor degrees in Canada, and dropping out of a Ph.D, his success was immediate and meteoric.

In short, he overcame a great deal of personal problems, but due to his drive, passion and talent, was able to achieve great success. Success ultimately achieved without years and yearsin the tech industry gaining experience (indeed, he studied physics and economics in university).

It’s about how many challenges you have gone through, not how many years you have lived through.

At Lifehack, when we recruit new team members, we are not concerned about the number of years a candidate has in the field. During a job interview, we ask candidates about their concrete experiences over the past time. For example, what have they achieved and how did they do that? What obstacles have they come across and how did they get over them?

We’ve seen plenty of candidates who have 10 years or more work experience in the field, yet they can’t really tell us their journey of growth.

Deep down, you don’t grow with years, you grow with challenges.

I believe we need to reconsider growth and experience. You grow with things faced and battles won (or lost).

Think of your greatest accomplishments, I imagine after accomplishing them you felt stronger and more effective than you did after working at a place for a year.

Because of this, I think deciding to wait for a few years, until you start working on your dreams is potentially disastrous. If you wait for a eureka moment where your brain tells you that you’ve gained enough experience, then I’m afraid you’ll be waiting forever.

We should begin to consider growth as something that comes from developing skills, improving your intelligence, and mindset, and not something that just sort of…happens after being alive for a while.

If you want concrete proof of your growth, don’t wait, but seek out challenges and take risks.Even if you fail, you still had the strength to try, and have the strength to try again, this matters more than any amount of experience. – By Leon Ho

– lifehack.org

Marcelin and Francine Dumoulin disappeared in August 1942, but their seven children never gave up hope of finding them.

THE “perfectly preserved” bodies of a couple who went missing 75 years ago have been found on a shrinking Swiss glacier.

The sports star-turned-actor who’s served almost nine years for armed robbery and kidnapping could be freed from jail in October.

OJ Simpson will today ask a US parole board to agree to his release from prison.

The 70-year-old sports star-turned-actor has served almost nine years of a maximum 33-year sentence for armed robbery and kidnapping at a Las Vegas Hotel in 2008.

If he is granted parole at the hearing – which will be televised live – he will walk free from prison on 1 October.

Simpson remains an American cultural icon as much for his infamous tangles with the law as his exploits in American football and Hollywood.

The rise and fall of “The Juice” has reached a whole new audience in recent years with the documentary series OJ: Made in America and drama The People v OJ Simpson.

He was found guilty of charges relating to the theft at gunpoint of sporting memorabilia from a collector. He claimed the items belonged to him and that he was reclaiming them.

He was found guilty 13 years to the day after his acquittal in what had become known as America’s trial of the century.

In 1995, Simpson was cleared of the murders of his former wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman.

The pair had been stabbed to death outside of the Simpsons’ marital home in Los Angeles.

The verdict, which was watched by an estimated 100 million people, remains one of the most significant moments in American television history.

A jury in the civil trial later found that Simpson was responsible for the deaths and ordered him to pay $33.5m in damages.

There has long been a suspicion that the prison sentence for the Las Vegas robbery, considered harsh by many, was an attempt by the Nevada legal authorities to right the perceived wrongs of his murder trial in California.

The parole hearing will take place in Carson City in Nevada. Simpson will give evidence by video link from the Lovelock Correctional Centre where he is serving his sentence.

Officially listed as inmate 1027820, he is said to have been a model prisoner and has worked in the jail’s gymnasium. He was granted parole on some of the 10 charges at a hearing in 2013.

American broadcasters, including sports networks, are planning extensive live coverage of the hearing in Nevada’s state capital, a testament to Simpson enduring fascination for the US.

Laurie Levenson, a law professor at Loyola Law School who covered Simpson’s murder trial, said: “It’s a little bit different because he’s OJ Simpson.

“These commissioners know the whole world is looking at them.

“That’s a little bit of pressure.”

The man at the centre of one of America’s most significant television moments will be back on their screens with his liberty on the line.

ZION Harvey (10), the first child to undergo a bilateral hand transplant, throws out the ceremonial first pitch before the game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Arizona Diamondbacks at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California.

A United States boy who made history as the world’s first child to have a double hand transplant is now swinging a baseball bat well, his doctors say.
It is two years since Zion Harvey, who is now 10, was given new hands, and his doctors say they are amazed by and incredibly proud of his progress.
Zion can now write and feed and dress himself, as well as grip a bat.
Although his hands came from a donor, his brain has accepted them as his own, medical tests show.
Dr Sandra Amaral, a member of the team treating Zion at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, said Zion continues to make significant progress.
“He is able to swing a bat with much more co-ordination, and he can write his name quite clearly.
“His sensation continues to improve. It’s amazing.
“Now he can pat his mother’s cheek and feel it.”
Dr Amaral said there was evidence that his brain had rewired to take account of his new hands.
The team has published medical notes about his remarkable story in The Lancet Child and Adolescent Health journal.
Zion was born with two hands but when he was aged two, doctors had to amputate them.
In his own words: “When I was two I had to get my hands cut off because I was sick.”
Zion had sepsis, a life-threatening infection. Doctors removed both his hands at the wrist, and his legs below the knee because they were dying. His kidneys also failed.
At the age of four, after two years of dialysis, Zion had a kidney transplant using a kidney donated by his mother Pattie Ray.
It was another four years before the boy from Baltimore got his new hands.
Zion’s hand operation in June 2015 was a big deal. Although not the first ever double-hand transplant — that was in 1998 — he was the youngest to ever have the procedure.
His doctors say Zion’s medical story, along with his positive personality and determination, made him a great candidate.
Transplant patients need to take lifelong anti-rejection drugs and these can have bad side-effects, which means the benefits of the surgery must outweigh the risks.
Zion was already on this medication for his kidney and after 18 months of close assessment, the medical team was confident a double-hand transplant could benefit him.
Next came the wait for a donor of the right size, skin tone and blood group compatibility.
Three months later they found a donor.
A team of 40 medical staff, including 10 surgeons, operated through the night and into the early hours of the morning to fit Zion’s new hands.
One of the biggest challenges was connecting up all the tiny blood vessels that would keep the hands alive.
Dr Benjamin Chang, co-director of the hand transplant programme at the hospital, recalls: “We wanted to really make sure that this was going to work for our patient and work for a lifetime.”
Two years on, Zion is doing well.
There were a few times in the first year after the transplant that Zion’s doctors feared his body was starting to reject the new hands. Thankfully, tweaking his medication helped.
His doctors say one of the most promising things they have seen during the recovery period is how well Zion’s brain has responded “despite the absence of hands during a developmental period of rich fine motor development between the ages of two and eight years”.
Speaking about Zion last year, lead surgeon Dr Scott Levin said: “His brain is communicating with his hands. His brain says for his hands to move and they move. And that in and of itself is remarkable.” –bbc.com

OJ Simpson granted parole after Las Vegas robbery

O.J. Simpson was granted parole Thursday after more than eight years in prison for a Las Vegas hotel heist, successfully making his case in a nationally televised hearing that reflected America’s enduring fascination with the former football star.

With the ruling, the 70-year-old Simpson, who was convicted in 2008 of an armed robbery involving two sports memorabilia dealers in a Las Vegas hotel room, could be out of prison as early as Oct. 1 after serving the minimum nine years of a 33-year sentence.

When the final vote to grant parole was read after parole commissioners deliberated just over 30 minutes, Simpson lowered his head and then raised it up with a big smile.

“Thank you, thank you, thank you,” an emotional Simpson said while his sister, Shirley Baker, wept and hugged Arnelle Simpson, his daughter.

Then, as he was led down a hall, the former athlete raised his hands over his head in a victory gesture and said, “Oh, God, oh!”

All four parole commissioners cited his lack of a prior conviction, the low risk he might commit another crime, his community support and his release plans, which include moving to Florida.

Simpson appeared before the parole board hearing via video conferencing from Lovelock Correctional Center.

“I’ve spent nine years making no excuses about anything. I am sorry that things turned out the way they did,” Simpson said in his closing remarks during the hearing. “I had no intent to commit a crime. … I’ve done my time. I’d just like to get back to my family and friends — believe it or not, I do have some real friends — and I tried to be helpful to everybody.”

The hearing was chaired by Connie Bisbee, with Tony Corda, Adam Endel and Susan Jackson also in attendance via video conferencing from Nevada Board of Parole Commissioners headquarters in Carson City, Nevada. They voted 4-0 to grant his early release.

Simpson’s sentence had been scheduled to end Sept. 29, 2022.

Had a unanimous vote not been reached, Parole commissioners Ed Gray and Michael Keeler, who were monitoring proceedings from Las Vegas, would have weighed in.

Under terms of the parole, Simpson is permitted to drink alcohol, but not to excess. If tests show he has a blood alcohol content of .08 or higher, that will be considered excess.

Simpson, appearing as inmate No. 1027820, was accompanied by lawyer Malcolm LaVergne, prison caseworker Marc La Fleur, close friend Tom Scotto, Baker and Arnelle Simpson.

The same four commissioners watching from Carson City granted him parole during his last public appearance in 2013 on some of his 12 charges, leaving him with four years to serve before reaching his minimum term.

Before the hearing concluded, one of the two memorabilia dealers Simpson robbed, Bruce Fromong, said the former football great never pointed a gun at him during the confrontation, adding that it was one of Simpson’s accomplices. Fromong said Simpson deserved to be released so he can be with his children.

“He is a good man. He made a mistake,” Fromong said, adding the two remain friends.

Simpson was asked by Endel during the hearing how he would be better off in the community rather than in prison.

“Well, you know, I do have four kids,” Simpson said. “I’ve missed a lot of time with those kids — like 36 birthdays with my children … My reputation has always been that I’m open to the public, I’m open to everybody. Right now, I’m at a point in my life where I can spend as much time with my children and my friends.

“… Wherever I’ve been there’s been a crowd. That’s not new to me. … I’m pretty easily approachable. I’ve dealt with it all my life, and I don’t foresee any problem dealing with the public now, at all.”

Arnelle Simpson choked back tears as she spoke in defense of her father.

“He’s like my best friend and my rock,” she said. “And as a family, we recognize that he is not the perfect man, but he is the man and the father that speaks to his overall character, which is to be positive no matter what.”

“… On behalf of my family, his friends, we just want him to come home.”

Early in the hearing, Bisbee mistakenly read that Simpson recently turned 90 years old before correcting herself, and Simpson seized the opportunity to make a joke.

“Feels like it though,” he said as laughter filled the room, helping to break the tension before Simpson was asked to recount his details about what happened during the 2007 armed robbery.

He was convicted of enlisting some men he barely knew, including two who had guns, to retrieve from two sports collectibles sellers some items that Simpson said were stolen from him a decade earlier.

As he did four years ago, Simpson told the parole board he kept a promise to stay out of trouble during his time in prison.

“I’m no danger to pull a gun on anybody,” Simpson told the board. “I’ve never been accused of it in my life. I’ve never done it in my life.”

He later told the board that he completed an “Alternative to Violence” course while incarcerated and believes it should be mandatory for all inmates.

“I’m pretty much a guy who’s always gotten along with everybody,” he said. “… I’ve basically spent a conflict-free life.”

Simpson has earned sentencing credits and time off for good behavior, cutting his 33-year maximum sentence by more than half. He has requested to live in Florida if he were to be released.

“I could easily stay in Nevada, but I don’t think you guys want me here,” Simpson joked.

Answered Bisbee with a smile: “No comment, sir.”

Capt. Shawn Arruti of the Nevada Division of Parole and Probation said he has reached out to counterparts in Florida prior to the hearing to see if they would agree to supervise him, adding that Florida parole officials have up to 45 days to investigate but the acceptance rate is high when there’s family in the area.

The Florida Department of Corrections said in a statement that as long as Simpson “meets all criteria, Florida must accept the transfer.”

The 2008 conviction was a new low for Simpson, whose celebrity spanned sports, movies, television and advertising before his fall from grace during his highly publicized murder trial in 1995.

An electrifying running back dubbed “The Juice,” Simpson won the Heisman Trophy as the nation’s best college football player in 1968 and went on to become one of the NFL’s all-time greats.

The handsome and charismatic athlete was also a Monday Night Football commentator, sprinted through airports in Hertz rental-car commercials and built a Hollywood career with roles in the “Naked Gun” comedies and other movies.

All of that came crashing down with his arrest — for which he was found not guilty — in the 1994 killings of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman.

His trial, a gavel-to-gavel live-TV sensation, transfixed viewers with its testimony about the bloody glove that didn’t fit and stirred furious debate over racist police, celebrity justice and cameras in the courtroom.

In 1997, he was found liable in civil court for the deaths and ordered to pay $33.5 million to survivors including his children and the Goldman family.

Goldman’s family believes Simpson got away with murder in Los Angeles, and many people felt the stiff sentence handed down in Las Vegas wasn’t just about the robbery.

Ron Goldman’s father and sister, Fred and Kim, were not part of Simpson’s parole hearing. A spokesman on Wednesday said the family was apprehensive about how, if Simpson were to be released, it “will change their lives again.”

espn.com

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

The Sorry singer stayed by the injured photographer’s side for about 10 minutes until paramedics arrived to take him to hospital.

JUSTIN Bieber has hit a photographer with his pick-up truck after trying to leave a church in California.

The superstar inadvertently struck the paparazzo with the front right tyre of his Dodge Ram outside the Saban Theater in Beverly Hills on Wednesday evening.

Footage from TMZ shows Bieber kneeling down and tending to the injured man – asking the press pack to step back “and give us space”.

He stayed by the photographer’s side until he was stretchered away by paramedics, and Bieber then had a brief chat with police officers at the scene.

Lt Scott Dowling, from Beverly Hills Police, said the photographer was taken to hospital with injuries that are not life threatening.

He added: “The driver of the vehicle completed the investigation on scene and was released.”

On Tuesday, Bieber announced the sudden cancellation of remaining dates on his world tour – and said he needed to rest after being on the road for two years.

In a message to fans, the singer added: “I love you guys, I think you guys are awesome. I’m sorry for anyone who feels, like, disappointed or betrayed, it’s not in my heart or anything and have a blessed day.”

His manager Scooter Braun also apologised for the abandoned gigs in North America and Asia, but said the Canadian-born star’s “soul and well-being” come first.

Bieber has had several run-ins with the law after shedding his clean-cut teen image – and last week, he was banned from performing in Chinafor “bad behaviour”.

In 2013, the 23-year-old raised eyebrows after he was filmed being carried up the Great Wall of China by his bodyguards.

He also stripped on stage to reveal his torso and rode around shirtless on a Segway in Beijing. news.sky.com

An article described casting directors giving money to poor children, only to take it away again as an acting exercise.

ANGELINA Jolie has hit back at accounts of her giving children money and then taking it back from them.

Chaka Chaka concert to benefit disabled children

WALVIS Bay-One of Africa’s most successful songstresses and Unicef Goodwill Ambassador Yvonne Chaka Chaka graced the coastal town of Walvis Bay on Friday evening to raise much-needed funds for the Sunshine Centre.
The Sunshine Centre deals with the rehabilitation of disabled and mentally challenged persons and celebrated 21 years in existence on Friday.

Chaka Chaka also launched a song, titled Kulila, that she recorded with the children of the Sunshine Centre on Friday evening. She last year during a Unicef conference in Swakopmund spotted the kids during a performance and immediately decided to record a song with them.

Kulila is also featured on her latest album that will be launched within the next two weeks. The song was written by Gerson ‘Dollar’ Mwatile, an artist and songwriter currently volunteering at the Sunshine Centre.
Mwatile said the song describes the hardships he encountered whilst being raised by a single mother, whose husband was died before Mwatile was born.

“I can relate to the struggles of these kids and many others who experience hardships in their quest for a better future,” said Mwatile, who stayed with Chaka Chaka and her family in Johannesburg for a week to record the song. Chaka Chaka noted that the song embodies the struggles and challenges that children living with disabilities must
endure.

“These children have the right to play and reach their full potential, but it also shows us that art and culture play a critical role in achieving this,” she said.

She said she was humbled by the fact she could have the opportunity to visit and work with the children of the centre. “It is indeed an honour to lend my voice and contribute to the realisation of the rights of all children in Namibia,” Chaka Chaka said. www.newera.com.na

Other shows including Ballers and Room 104 have also been leaked in a “disruptive, unsettling, and disturbing” attack.

HBO has suffered a cyber attack which saw a Game Of Thrones script stolen and leaked online.

The network said 1.5 terabytes of data were stolen, including episodes of popular TV shows Ballers and the Duplass brothers’ new comedy Room 104.

Hackers breached HBO’s systems on Monday and threatened to return for more.

“HBO recently experienced a cyber incident, which resulted in the compromise of proprietary information,” the company said in a statement.

“We immediately began investigating the incident and are working with law enforcement and outside cybersecurity firms. Data protection is a top priority at HBO, and we take seriously our responsibility to protect the data we hold.”

In an anonymous email published by website Entertainment Weekly, a group claiming to be responsible for the attack wrote: “Hi to all mankind. The greatest leak of cyber space era is happening.”

“What’s its name? Oh I forget to tell. Its HBO and Game of Thrones……!!!!!! You are lucky to be the first pioneers to witness and download the leak. Enjoy it & spread the words. Whoever spreads well, we will have an interview with him. HBO is falling.”

The network is the latest victim in a line of attacks targeting Hollywood studios, which has included Disney and Netflix.

In April, a hacker penetrated Netflix to release episodes from season 5 of Orange Is the New Black and, in May, hackers claimed to have stolen Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales.

“Any intrusion of this nature is obviously disruptive, unsettling, and disturbing for all of us,” said HBO CEO Richard Pepler.

“The problem before us is unfortunately all too familiar in the world we now find ourselves a part of. As has been the case with any challenge we have ever faced, I have absolutely no doubt that we will navigate our way through this successfully.”

No episodes of Game Of Thrones have yet been released in video format and it is unclear which episode scripts have been leaked. news.sky.com

Jay-Z and Kanye West Perform ‘Otis’ on 2011 MTV VMAs: Watch | Billboard

They’re two of music’s best-selling artists with dozens of hit records and millions of fans worldwide.

Though after watching the British documentary Public Enemies – Jay-Z vs Kanye on Channel 4 on Monday night, fans took to Twitter to accuse New York rapper Jay-Z of ‘using’ his former protegee.

The Channel 4 film followed followed the friendship turned feud between hip-hop’s brightest stars, which left viewers divided on their allegiance.

And after gaining an insight into the backgrounds of music royalty, viewers overwhelmingly appeared to be sympathetic to the Chicago rapper ahead of Jay-Z.

Billed as an exposé of their turbulent relationship, the TV show asked childhood friends to a glimpse into what both men were like growing up.

In one such scene, Kanye’s childhood friend Eugene McNair showed audiences the rapper’s bedroom where they all used to record tracks together.

Opening the door to a messy room, still littered with musical equipment and posters of famous rappers, Eugene explained what the ‘lab’ was like during those formative musical years.

‘Using’ Kanye: After gaining an insight into the backgrounds of music royalty, viewers overwhelmingly appeared to be sympathetic to Chicago rapper Kanye ahead of Jay-Z

‘We went to his crib, he had all this African s*** throughout the house, he had crates of records everywhere, he had an extensive porno collection, he had fresh clothes.’

There was no disputing that the duo were destined for greatness, but it was Jay-Z who acted in a mentor role to get Kanye to the top.

Some viewers argued that producer turned rapper Kanye was the more talented of the two, with one viewer posting: ‘Kayne over Jay-Z, the man is a genius.’

Another, Tammy Cuff, said: ‘I love both Jay-Z and Kanye for different reasons – but College Dropout [Kanye’s debut album] is perfection and Jay-Z came across as a user.’

The ‘user’ theme was repeated often by frustrated Twitter fans, with one person even suggesting Jay-Z bullied his ‘little brother’ Kanye.

Meanwhile, another user pointed out that as a producer, Kanye was responsible for some of Jay-Z’s biggest hits.

Despite the sympathy towards Kanye, some in turn went on the defensive of Jay-Z, dubbing the New York man’s maneuverings ‘just business’.

One user, directly referring to Kanye, said: ‘Kanye I love you bro but you are venting at the wrong person. Jay-Z gave you the formula and you lost it.’

Another, tellingly, said: ‘To be honest, Jay-Z using Kanye is just business.’

Chrome Hitz continued the defense of Jay-Z by suggesting that without the New York rapper’s help there would be no Kanye West.

Richie Yemie seconded this posting: ‘You know Jay-Z is one of the major reasons Kanye West made it right?’

Meanwhile others took a more diplomatic stance praising the documentary for shedding light on two of the most complex and gifted artists of their day.

Nathan Meyer suggested he could not pick between the two rappers.

While another user said both men were ‘talented’ and ‘absolute icons’.

The pair formed an all-conquering partnership in 2011, when their platinum selling joint album Watch The Throne preceded a sold out world tour.

But before the critically acclaimed albums, awards, controversy, celebrity marriages and global fashion range, Kanye was an art-school dropout from Chicago.

And in a music genre built on rivalries, his relationship with Jay-Z started out in an unusually harmonious manner.

Jay-Z, already a bonafide star with his own Roc-A-Fella Records music label, first encountered the cocky upstart Kanye shortly after the Chicago star had moved to New York to find fame.

Given the chance to play his beats to Jay-Z, he left the New York icon so impressed that the majority of Jay-Z’s next album had Kanye’s fingerprints all over it.

Jay Z and Kanye West

Before long Kanye was signed to Roc-A-Fella and then – fearing he was being pigeon holed as a producer – showed his prolific rapping prowess on The College Dropout – a critical and commercial success which propelled him to stardom.

A string of best-selling albums followed until the star reached Jay-Z levels of fame.

Eventually their partnership peaked with Watch The Throne – a global juggernaut described as a ‘celebration of black excellence’.

But following his marriage to reality TV superstar Kim Kardashian and a string of high-profile outbursts, the pairs’ relationship started to break down.

Recently, Kanye was filmed onstage attacking his former friend in a bizarre rant.

Midway through his performance in Sacramento, U.S. Kanye stopped to shout: ‘Jay-Z call me bruh, you still ain’t call me. Jay-Z I know you got killers. Please don’t send em at my head. Just call me [sic]’

Before taking aim at Jay-Z’s wife, Beyonce: ‘Beyonce I was hurt, cause I heard you wouldn’t perform unless you won video of the year over me and over “hotline bling”

 Get ready to have a field day press. Get ready – because the shows over.’

The rapper then dropped the mic and left the stage much to crowds frustration.

In the meantime, Kanye has been recovering from a nervous breakdown and has reportedly begun making new music again for his next album.

While Jay-Z released his own album 4.44 last month, providing a striped down, more reflective version of himself appearing to apologise to Beyonce for his alleged infidelities.  dailymail.co.uk

The 57-year-old star – who has three-year-old son Eric with Lauren Silverman – is keen to work into his 80s or 90s because it upsets him to think he could one day fill his days by playing golf.

LOS ANGELES – Simon Cowell has insisted he will never retire because he’d much prefer to “drop dead” while at work in his 90s than play golf all day.

The 57-year-old star – who has three-year-old son Eric with Lauren Silverman – is keen to work into his 80s or 90s because it upsets him to think he could one day fill his days by playing golf.

He said: “I’d rather drop dead at my job than retire. The idea of just playing golf makes me want to jump off a bridge. I’m going to work in my 80s or 90s if I can.”

Simon is clearly expecting to live a long life and always has some vegetables on hand if he requires a snack.

He said: “Once you eat enough vegetables you start to crave them. That’s why I keep carrots on my desk.”

Before becoming a big-time music mogul, the X Factor boss worked as an estate agent in London’s Mayfair but he “hated” the job and the company.

He is quoted by the Daily Star newspaper as saying: “I was an estate agent for eight months and it was the most miserable time of my life.

“I worked for this really snotty company who hated me – and I hated them.”

Simon has previously revealed his mum told him his estate agent job was making him “depressed”.

He said: “I was so upset that my mum actually said to me ‘I’ve never seen you so depressed.’

“And luckily I was offered a job back at the music publishing company. I’m glad I tried it because it was horrible.” – ewn.co.za

Music superstar, Oliver Mtukudzi

LOCAL music superstar and UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Oliver Mtukudzi who celebrates his 65th birthday in September  will this year headline the annual Gwanda Gospel Festival.

The 64 year-old legendary musician who is regarded by many as a social evangelist due to his music which is replete with messages that touch on different issues in society, has been chosen to lead a field of other gospel artistes because of  his impressive discography which contains both gospel and secular music.

“This year we have got Oliver Mtukudzi, Zimpraise, Mahendera Brothers, Mbungo Stars, Tolakele, Knowledge Nkiwane and Judith from Gwanda, among an array of musicians who are billed to perform on the weekend of September 1-3,” said Festival founder and sponsor, Justice Maphosa.

Last year, the Gwanda Gospel Festival used Tuku’s soulful song, Hear Me Lord (I Am Feeling Low), as a signature tune as well as for branding during the three-day concert.

The fact that Tuku has made a mark in his long career mostly on the back of music not synonymous with gospel was never a subject.

Hear Me Lord meaning and deep thought-provoking messages did not escape Maphosa, whose Bigtime Strategic Group, decided that the lanky musician would be the main act for this year’s gospel music jamboree.

“Oliver Mtukudzi, in the song Hear Me Lord, which is part of the reason why we have billed him to perform as the headline act,  shows that he is not only in that genre; he is indeed a Christian in his mind and in his heart.

“It comes across like that. And if you ask him, the way he explains it in that song, he says all of us go through trials and tribulations. And at that’s point you realise …this is a meeting (Gwanda Gospel Festival), an appointment with God.

“You understand that everybody, whether you are in mbira, rhumba, or whether you are in kwaito or whatever kind of genre, deep down in your heart it’s printed anybody needs God. And people need God much more when they hit trouble and we are saying let’s not wait for that time to need God when we hit trouble,” said Maphosa.

Gwanda Gospel Festival, since its launch in 2015, has attracted the interest of both Gwanda residents and diverse Zimbabweans drawn from different provinces.

And the Bigtime Strategic Group founder has been encouraged by the heartening increase in the number of people who have attended the last two editions.

Maphosa wants to make Gwanda a religious tower, attracting the saved and those from the world, as part of fulfilling the long held desire of uniting people through song and dance in the town he grew up.

“Gwanda is an altar now. We want Gwanda to be the altar for the whole of Zimbabwe where the whole of Zimbabwe converge for free.

“We are bringing the best instruments, we are bringing the best fireworks and we are bringing the best musicians across the genres.

“We are trying to say for those people (like Tolakele, Nkiwane and Judith all from Gwanda) where else will they be seen by 30 000, 40 000 people? Where else will they be seen on national television by millions of people, the answer is nowhere.

“So we are providing an opportunity where every child of God comes to this altar. We don’t care where you come from. You get in for free and you worship our very same own God who is for all of us,” said Maphosa.

“Accessing and evaluating information through channels such as Facebook could mean the difference between life and death.”

PEOPLE smugglers who offer to illegally transport people into Europe are advertising their services openly on Facebook, researchers have found.

Picture and video testimonials from successful migrants are posted on social media as smuggling operations compete to be seen as the safest way to enter Europe.

Researchers are using this information to analyse the networks behind people smuggling operations in the Mediterranean.

Syrian communities displaced by the civil war are especially close users of Facebook. The country had a functional education system before the war and Syrian migrants have on average a higher level of education and digital literacy.

A team led by Paolo Campana, an expert in criminal networks at the University of Cambridge, has pored over a vast range of information to investigate how migrants choose their smugglers and border crossings.

“As everywhere, education matters,” Dr Campana said.

“Accessing and evaluating information through channels such as Facebook could mean the difference between life and death.”

Facebook has shifted its focus toward video in recent years

Facebook groups are used by people smugglers to compete for ‘customers’

More than 885,000 illegal border crossings took place along the East Mediterranean route in 2015 – a 1,641% increase on 2014.

Dr Campana did not know how many of these transactions would have been negotiated on the internet, but told Sky News social media must have played a major role.

The smugglers’ focus on reputation is a product of smuggling humans into Europe being a “quintessential free market”, according to Dr Campana. –skynews.com

Kanye West

KANYE West’s tour firm is suing Lloyd’s of London for nearly $10m (£7,5m) over the cancellation of the rapper’s concerts.

Very Good Touring said in legal papers filed with Los Angeles federal court on Tuesday that one of London’s oldest insurance firms has refused to pay a claim.

The company alleges Lloyd’s has implied it can refuse to pay out by claiming West’s marijuana use is responsible for his medical condition.

West, 40, cancelled 21 dates of his Saint Pablo tour last year with a promise that tickets would be refunded.

He was subsequently treated at a psychiatric centre in LA, according to the lawyer for the tour firm.

At the time, it was reported that West cut short his Sacramento gig on 19 November after playing just three songs and engaging in an extended rant.

In the days before, he had also told an audience he would have voted for Donald Trump, if he had cast a ballot, prompting criticism from some in the hip hop community.

The artist spent “hundreds of thousands of dollars” insuring the tour against cancellation but he is yet to receive any money, the court papers allege.

Lawyer Howard King wrote: “Nor have they provided anything approaching a coherent explanation about why they have not paid, or any indication if they will ever pay or even make a coverage decision, implying that Kanye’s use of marijuana may provide them with the basis to deny the claim.”

Mr King, who represents West’s firm, dismissed any allegation that the use of cannabis resulted in the rapper suffering a “serious, debilitating medical condition”.

He described any such contention as “unsupportable”.

West spent eight days in a neuropsychiatric centre at UCLA during which it was decided he could not go on with the tour, the court documents say.

Mr King also accuses Lloyd’s of providing news outlets with confidential information about West to intimidate him into not taking legal action.

Very Good Touring is claiming alleged breach of contract and wants more than $9,861,000 (£7,464,000) in damages, as well as interest. – news.sky.com

The singer says he has “let bitterness, jealousy and fear” run his life and that he now wants to start a new chapter.

JUSTIN Bieber has shared a message on social media where he explains why he is “taking time” from his career.

Two weeks after cancelling the remaining 14 days of his Purpose tour, the Baby singer has once again shocked his Beliebers with a surprise announcement.

“I’m so grateful for this journey with all of you,” he wrote on Instagram.

“I’m grateful for the tours but most of all I am grateful I get to go through this life WITH YOU! Learning and growing hasn’t always been easy but knowing I’m not alone has kept me going.

“I have let my insecurities get the best of me at times, I let my broken relationships dictate the way I acted towards people and the way I treated them! I let bitterness, jealousy and fear run my life!!!” it says.

In the note, the 23-year-old also thanks people who “in the past few years help me build my character back up reminding me of who I am and who I want to be”.

“My past decisions and past relationships won’t dictate my future decisions and my future relationships,” he wrote.

“I’m VERY aware I’m never gonna be perfect, and I’m gonna keep making mistakes.

“I wanna be a man that learns from them and grows from them!! I want you all to know this tour has been unbelievable and has taught me so much about myself.

“I am reminded of how blessed I am to have a voice in this world. I’ve learned the more you appreciate your calling the more you want to protect your calling.”

After cancelling shows in the US and Asia, there were rumours online regarding Bieber’s reasons for doing so, with website TMZ claiming the singer had “rededicated his life to Christ”, showing a new cross tattoo on his face.

The rumour was fuelled by Bieber’s recent posts with celebrity pastor Carl Lentz, who TMZ says is the singer’s “new mentor”.

Now, Bieber says the real reason behind his decision to drop out of the tour was that his lifestyle had grown unsustainable.

“Me taking this time right now is me saying I want to be SUSTAINABLE,” he wrote.

“I want my career to be sustainable, but I also want my mind heart and soul to be sustainable so that I can be the man I want to be, the husband I eventually want to be and the father I want to be.

“This message is just an opportunity for you to know my heart.

“I’m not expecting anyone to understand, but I do want people to have an opportunity to know where I am coming from!” news.sky.com

Kim Kardashian

LIKE everyone with a pulse, Kim Kardashian has some regrets. Like everyone under the age of 35, a lot of those regrets have to do with online behavior.

Kiki was recently a guest on beauty vlogger Patrick Starrr‘s YouTube channel, and she got down and dirty about the Instagram post she regrets most in this life.

It has to do with this engagement photo she posted from San Francisco after Kanye asked her to be his One and Only Wifey.

The regret doesn’t have to do with showing off the enormous rock that would later be stolen in Paris, but rather that her nails are not up to par.

“One of my biggest photo regrets is when I got engaged and I had the shortest nails when I showed my picture. It would have looked so much better with long nails.”

She says, though, that long nails are not her thing, and that she can’t function with them on like her sisters, and so, hey. That’s life! Also, a shitty photo of Kim’s nails are what my nails look like on an AMAZING day, so again. That’s life, and we’re all living it. – cosmopolitan.com

The UK will be able to fine companies 4% of their global turnover if they breach users’ privacy under new laws.

GOOGLE and Facebook could face fines stretching into billions of pounds if they breach users’ privacy under a new law.

The singer is urging people not to “forget our brothers and sisters affected by this disaster”, which is linked to 12 deaths.

BRUNO Mars has pledged to donate $1 million from a concert in Michigan to aid those affected by the Flint water crisis.

The Grammy-winning singer made the announcement at a show in the state on Saturday night.

Mars said he and tour promoter Live Nation would redirect funds from the performance at Auburn Hills to the Community Foundation of Greater Flint.

The charity in part supports residents affected by lead-contaminated drinking water, which led to a state of emergency being declared in 2014.

Experts also linked 12 deaths from a Legionnaires’ disease outbreak to the improperly treated water.

In a statement, Mars said: “I’m very thankful to the Michigan audience for joining me in supporting this cause.

“Ongoing challenges remain years later for Flint residents, and it’s important that we don’t forget our brothers and sisters affected by this disaster.”

Mars, who was born and raised in Hawaii, is currently travelling across the US for his 24K Magic World Tour. His latest album 24K Magic recently achieved double platinum status.

The Flint water crisis began in 2014 when the source of the city’s water supply was switched to the Flint River. Due to insufficient water treatment, it was later found to contain dangerous levels of lead.

A state of emergency was declared in January 2016 and residents were urged to drink bottled water instead. Replacement of lead pipes is not expected to be completed until 2020.

US President Donald Trump commented on a visit to the midwestern state: “It used to be that cars were made in Flint and you couldn’t drink the water in Mexico.

“Now cars are made in Mexico, and you can’t drink the water in Flint. That’s terrible.” –news.sky.com