Would-be Chicago backpack bomber gets 23 years

CHICAGO (AP) ? A judge raised the specter of the Boston Marathon on Thursday as he sentenced a young Lebanese immigrant to 23 years in prison for placing a backpack he believed contained a powerful bomb along a bustling city street near the Chicago Cubs' baseball stadium.

Everyone at Sami Samir Hassoun's sentencing in a crowded courtroom in Chicago could not help but think of the bombs that went off a month ago concealed in backpacks on the East Coast, killing three people and wounding hundreds more, U.S. District Judge Robert Gettleman said.

"Let's give the elephant in the room a name: It's called the Boston Marathon," he said. "What would have happened had (Hassoun's) bomb been real would have made Boston look like a minor incident."

Earlier, prosecutor Joel Hammerman held up the ominous-looking but harmless device fashioned from a paint can that Hassoun put in a trash bin near Wrigley Field, placing it in front of the judge. Hassoun was told by undercover FBI agents, the prosecutor said, that it would destroy half the city block and kill dozens of people.

Minutes before the sentence was announced, Hassoun, a 25-year-old one-time Chicago baker and candy-store worker, apologized for what he'd done in a five-minute statement. Crying, he asked the judge if he could address his family and friends, and then turned to look at them on a nearby bench.

"I am sorry for the actions that I made and the shame I brought on you," Hassoun said, struggling to keep his composure. "I promise I will become a better person ... and make it up to you."

His mother sobbed aloud and when Hassoun finished, she said in an audible voice to her son, "I love you!"

Gettleman said he accepted the defense depiction of Hassoun as a uniquely gullible youth and that an informant may have been eager to please his FBI handlers by leading him on ? though the judge said that was no excuse for Hassoun's crime.

During the hearing, prosecutors played secret video recordings of Hassoun during the sting in which he talks about killing people. He explains that one reason to stage the attack along bar-strewn Clark Street is that late-night revelers will be so drunk they wouldn't notice him dropping a bomb into the trash bin.

In another chilling video shown in court, Hassoun smiles and hums a tune to himself on the night of Saturday, Sept. 18, 2010 ? moments before heading off to what he thought would be a major terrorist attack.

"You feel good?" an undercover agent asks.

"Yeah, I'm (doing) great man," Hassoun responds.

In another video, Hassoun rambles incoherently about then-Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley and the need to overthrow him in a revolution.

"When you see Mr. Hassoun on these tapes, all you can think of is that ? this guy is really out to lunch," Gettleman said before turning to look at Hassoun. "I don't know what was going through your mind ? and maybe you didn't know either."

Prosecutors also played a surveillance video of Hassoun, wearing a black hoodie, dropping the device into a trash bin at about 12:20 a.m. on Sept. 19, 2010 ? while people crowded the sidewalk and music blared from area bars. FBI agents arrested him moments later.

As part of an agreement with the government, Hassoun pleaded guilty last year to two explosives counts. In return, he faced a sentencing range of 20 to 30 years, rather than a maximum term of life in prison.

One of Hassoun's attorneys, Alison Siegler, argued in court Thursday that the difference between two decades and three decades behind bars was enormous ? and that a sentence of around 20 years would give Hassoun the chance to start a family, to go to school and see his parents as a free man again.

After court adjourned, Hassoun appeared to express relief as he smiled and hugged his attorney.

Before Thursday's sentencing, Hassoun also apologized in a seven-page letter to Gettleman. He also insisted he's worked hard at becoming a better person, including by doing yoga in jail.

The Beirut-born Hassoun blamed his actions in part on childhood trauma living in Abidjan, Ivory Coast. During civil strife there, Hassoun, then 11, witnessed machete killings from an apartment balcony, he wrote.

His family moved from Lebanon to the U.S. in 2008.

To dampen his lingering emotional pain, he wrote that he drank alcohol "all day, every day" for months before the would-be stadium attack in 2010. He favored whole bottles of Johnnie Walker Black, he wrote.

The defense suggested investigators may have come close to entrapping Hassoun, arguing the informant egged Hassoun on to acquiesce to ever-more ominous-sounding plots.

"(The informant) preyed on Sami's fantasies ... and agents helped make that fantasy come true," another of Hassoun's attorney's, Matthew Madden, told the court Thursday. "If left to his own devices, nobody would ever have heard of Sami Hassoun."

Prone to boasting and eager to impress, Hassoun even made absurd claims he could make a gun out of two pieces of wood and a spring, and a bomb out of baking soda, Madden said.

But so inept was Hassoun, he bought a backpack, walkie-talkies and some batteries agents asked him to buy and the FBI then incorporated it into the dud bomb fashioned at its lab in Quantico, Va., he added.

Prosecutors concede Hassoun did waffle about his plans, allegedly talking about profiting monetarily and then broaching the idea of poisoning Lake Michigan or assassinating Daley.

But prosecutors say Hassoun himself concluded that maximum damage could be inflicted by a blast next to the popular Sluggers World Class Sports Bar, just steps from Wrigley Field.

Undercover agents also repeatedly asked Hassoun if he wanted to back out, telling him there would be no shame in doing so. But he repeatedly declined, saying he wanted to press ahead," Hammerman told the court Thursday.

"It was his understanding that in 15 minutes (after placing the backpack in the bin), there would be death and carnage all over Clark Street," the prosecutor said.

___

Follow Michael Tarm at www.twitter.com/mtarm

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/chicago-backpack-bomber-gets-23-years-215440754.html

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Android antiviral products easily evaded

May 30, 2013 ? Think your antivirus product is keeping your Android safe? Think again. Northwestern University researchers, working with partners from North Carolina State University, tested 10 of the most popular antiviral products for Android and found each could be easily circumnavigated by even the most simple obfuscation techniques.

"The results are quite surprising," said Yan Chen, associate professor of electrical engineering and computer science at Northwestern's McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science. "Many of these products are blind to even trivial transformation attacks not involving code-level changes -- operations a teenager could perform."

The researchers began by testing six known viruses on the fully functional versions of 10 of the most popular Android antiviral products, most of which have been downloaded by millions of users.

Using a tool they developed called DroidChameleon, the researchers then applied common techniques -- such as simple switches in a virus's binary code or file name, or running a command on the virus to repackage or reassemble it -- to transform the viruses into slightly altered but equally damaging versions. Dozens of transformed viruses were then tested on the antiviral products, often slipping through the software unnoticed.

All of the antiviral products could be evaded, the researchers found, though their susceptibility to the transformed attacks varied.

The products' shortcomings are due to their use of overly simple content-based signatures, special patterns the products use to screen for viruses, the researchers said. Instead, the researchers suggested, the products should use a more sophisticated static analysis to accurately seek out transformed attacks. Only one of the 10 tested tools currently utilizes a static analysis system.

The researchers chose to study Android products because it is the most commonly used operating system in the United States and worldwide, and because its open platform enabled the researchers to easily conduct analyses. They emphasized, however, that other operating systems are not necessarily more protected from virus attacks.

Antiviral products are improving. Last year, 45 percent of signatures could be evaded with trivial transformations. This year, the number has dropped to 16 percent.

"Still, these products are not as robust and effective as they must be to stop malware writers," Chen said. "This is a cat-and-mouse game."

A paper about the research, "Evaluating Android Anti-Malware Against Transformation Attacks," was presented earlier this month at the 8th ACM Symposium on Information, Computer and Communications Security (ASIACCS 2013).

The research has been featured by numerous tech news outlets, including Dark Reading, Information Week, The H, Security Week, Slashdot, HelpNet Security, ISS Source, EFY Times, Tech News Daily, Fudzilla, and VirusFreePhone, as well as the German IT website Heise Security. It has also attracted the attention of several antivirus software manufacturers interested in the testing system, Chen said.

In addition to Chen, Vaibhav Rastogi, a PhD candidate at Northwestern, and Xuxian Jeng of North Carolina State University authored the work.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/computers_math/information_technology/~3/3ZHVIWrTGUs/130530132539.htm

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Apple joins other foreign brands in raising prices in Japan

TOKYO (Reuters) - Apple Inc hiked prices of iPads and iPods in Japan on Friday, becoming the latest and highest-profile brand to join a growing list of foreign firms asking Japanese consumers to pay more as a weakening yen squeezes income.

The yen has fallen more than 20 percent against the U.S. dollar since mid-November when then-opposition leader Shinzo Abe prescribed a dose of radical monetary easing to reverse years of sliding consumer prices as part of a deflation-fighting policy, dubbed "Abenomics."

The Bank of Japan, under a new Abe-backed governor, in April promised to inject $1.4 trillion into the economy in less than two years to achieve 2 percent inflation in roughly two years.

Price rises are rare in Japan, which has suffered 15 years of low-grade deflation. A few other foreign brands have also raised prices on products, providing an early sign of inflation for Abe and an indication that these companies feel consumer demand is strong enough to withstand the increases.

Still, price rises would have to spread much more widely, especially to lower-end discretionary goods, to show that Abe's aggressive policies are helping reflate the economy.

Apple, one of the most visible foreign companies in Japan, raised the price of iPads by up to 13,000 yen ($130) at its local stores. The 64 gigabyte iPad will now cost 69,800 yen, up from 58,800 yen a day ago, an Apple store employee said. The 128 gigabyte model will cost 79,800 yen compared with 66,800 yen.

Apple also upped prices of its iPod music players by as much as 6,000 yen and its iPad Mini 8,000 yen.

Mobile phone network operators SoftBank Corp and KDDI Corp, which offer iPhones and iPads at their stores, said they had not yet decided on whether to ask its customers to pay more.

By raising prices amid a weakening yen, Apple joins luxury jewelry maker Tiffany & Co, which recently raised its prices even as sales jumped by 20 percent in Japan in local currency terms during the first quarter.

More recently, German appliance maker Miele raised prices of some products, such as its dishwashers, because of the weaker yen. Volkswagen AG, the biggest foreign car company in Japan, this month also increased the recommended prices of 14 car models by an average of 1.5 percent.

Pressure too is mounting on Japanese companies that shifted production overseas under a stronger yen and now import products to sell at home.

Speaking to investors on Thursday, Kazunori Takami, the head of Panasonic Corp's appliance business, said his company would have to consider shifting production of washing machines and other appliances sold in the domestic market back to Japan if the yen-dollar rate weakened to beyond 105 yen.

($1=100.92 yen)

(Reporting by Mari Saito and Tim Kelly; Additional reporting by Hideyuki Sano; Editing by Matt Driskill and Neil Fullick)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/apple-joins-other-foreign-brands-raising-prices-japan-072740861.html

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Healthy lifestyle choices mean fewer memory complaints

May 30, 2013 ? Research has shown that healthy behaviors are associated with a lower risk of Alzheimer's disease and dementia, but less is known about the potential link between positive lifestyle choices and milder memory complaints, especially those that occur earlier in life and could be the first indicators of later problems.

To examine the impact of these lifestyle choices on memory throughout adult life, UCLA researchers and the Gallup organization collaborated on a nationwide poll of more than 18,500 individuals between the ages of 18 and 99. Respondents were surveyed about both their memory and their health behaviors, including whether they smoked, how much they exercised and how healthy their diet was.

As the researchers expected, healthy eating, not smoking and exercising regularly were related to better self-perceived memory abilities for most adult groups. Reports of memory problems also increased with age. However, there were a few surprises.

Older adults (age 60-99) were more likely to report engaging in healthy behaviors than middle-aged (40-59) and younger adults (18-39), a finding that runs counter to the stereotype that aging is a time of dependence and decline. In addition, a higher-than-expected percentage of younger adults complained about their memory.

"These findings reinforce the importance of educating young and middle-aged individuals to take greater responsibility for their health -- including memory -- by practicing positive lifestyle behaviors earlier in life," said the study's first author, Dr. Gary Small, director of the UCLA Longevity Center and a professor of psychiatry and biobehavioral sciences at the Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior at UCLA who holds the Parlow-Solomon Chair on Aging.

Published in the June issue of International Psychogeriatrics, the study may also provide a baseline for the future study of memory complaints in a wide range of adult age groups.

For the survey, Gallup pollsters conducted land-line and cell phone interviews with 18,552 adults in the U.S. The inclusion of cell phone-only households and Spanish-language interviews helped capture a representative 90 percent of the U.S. population, the researchers said.

"We found that the more healthy lifestyle behaviors were practiced, the less likely one was to complain about memory issues," said senior author Fernando Torres-Gil, a professor at UCLA's Luskin School of Public Affairs and associate director of the UCLA Longevity Center.

In particular, the study found that respondents across all age groups who engaged in just one healthy behavior were 21 percent less likely to report memory problems than those who didn't engage in any healthy behaviors. Those with two positive behaviors were 45 percent less likely to report problems, those with three were 75 percent less likely, and those with more than three were 111 percent less likely.

Interestingly, the poll found that healthy behaviors were more common among older adults than the other two age groups. Seventy percent of older adults engaged in at least one healthy behavior, compared with 61 percent of middle-aged individuals and 58 percent of younger respondents.

In addition, only 12 percent of older adults smoked, compared with 25 percent of young adults and 24 percent of middle-aged adults, and a higher percentage of older adults reported eating healthy the day before being interviewed (80 percent) and eating five or more daily servings of fruits and vegetables during the previous week (64 percent).

According to the researchers, older adults may participate in more healthy behaviors because they feel the consequences of unhealthy living and take the advice of their doctors to adopt healthier lifestyles. Or there simply could be fewer older adults with bad habits, since they may not live as long.

While 26 percent of older adults and 22 percent of middle-aged respondents reported memory issues, it was surprising to find that 14 percent of the younger group complained about their memory too, the researchers said.

"Memory issues were to be expected in the middle-aged and older groups, but not in younger people," Small said. "A better understanding and recognition of mild memory symptoms earlier in life may have the potential to help all ages."

Small said that, generally, memory issues in younger people may be different from those that plague older generations. Stress may play more of a role. He also noted that the ubiquity of technology -- including the Internet, texting and wireless devices that can result in constant multi-tasking, especially with younger people -- may impact attention span, making it harder to focus and remember.

Small noted that further study and polling may help tease out such memory-complaint differences. Either way, he said, the survey reinforces the importance, for all ages, of adopting a healthy lifestyle to help limit and forestall age-related cognitive decline and neurodegeneration.

The Gallup poll used in the study took place between December 2011 and January 2012 and was part of the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index, which includes health- and lifestyle-related polling questions. The five questions asked were:

(1) Do you smoke?

(2) Did you eat healthy all day yesterday?

(3) In the last seven days, on how many days did you have five or more servings of vegetables and fruits?

(4) In the last seven days, on how many days did you exercise for 30 minutes or more?

(5) Do you have any problems with your memory?

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/~3/5qdFDYjjT4s/130530170050.htm

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Xi, Obama look to strike up relationship at summit

BEIJING (AP) -- President Barack Obama and Chinese President Xi Jinping face weighty issues when they meet at a private estate in California next week, but their most important task may simply be establishing a strong rapport.

Tucked away at a mansion with a private golf course on the edge of the Mojave Desert, Obama and Xi will search for the kind of personal chemistry that has eluded their predecessors for the past several decades. With the bilateral relationship growing ever more critical and complex, how well the leaders click matters even more now.

Distrust has grown between the world's sole superpower and the rising Asian giant. Beijing sees Washington as trying to thwart China's ascendancy. The U.S. accuses China of widespread computer hacking and unfair trade. Meanwhile, there's worry their militaries might be drawn into conflict as China tries to elbow aside U.S. allies Japan and the Philippines over disputed, remote islands.

"There are a lot of problems between China and the U.S. that aren't going to be easy to solve. The hope, therefore, is that a way can be established so that at the times of crisis, dialogue will prevail based on trust and the personal relationship between the two leaders," said Zhu Feng, deputy director of the Center for International and Strategic Studies at Peking University.

The June 7-8 get-together at the private Sunnylands estate of late publishing tycoon Walter Annenberg is the first face-to-face meeting between the presidents since Obama's re-election and Xi's promotion to Communist Party chief last November. Under China's dual party-government system, Xi didn't officially assume the title of president until March.

The summit comes months before the two leaders had been originally scheduled to meet, highlighting a perception on both sides that the leaders need to refocus on the U.S.-China relationship following their political transitions and amid myriad distractions at home and abroad.

The accelerated timing constitutes "a clear message that China wants to emphasize the importance of U.S.-China relations for the future," said Cheng Li, a Chinese politics expert at the Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C.

It's not clear yet how big the two delegations will be or whether Xi and Obama will meet one-on-one, something Xi's stiff and formal predecessor, Hu Jintao, was unwilling to do, Li said.

But there are hopeful signs that the two men will gel. Xi already has a warm relationship with Vice President Joe Biden, whom he accompanied to western China on a visit in 2011. Xi also boasts a greater familiarity with the U.S. than any of his predecessors, having visited frequently and maintained his ties to families he stayed with in Muscatine, Iowa, while a visiting provincial official in 1985. He also sent his daughter to Harvard.

The two men share a love of sports: swimming and football on Xi's side, basketball and golf on Obama's. Both are married to glamorous, high-profile wives who have played a strong role in shaping their images.

Xi's wife, People's Liberation Army songstress Peng Liyuan, was for many years better known to the public than her husband. Chinese media and Internet users closely followed her activities during the couple's first formal state visits to Russia and three African countries earlier this year.

"It will be interesting to see how the chemistry will develop. It's important, because particularly in China, personal relationships always carry a lot of weight in state-to-state relations," said the Brookings Institution's Li.

Xi has already proved himself a different leader by his pragmatism. With relations edgy, he was willing to forgo the pomp of an official White House visit for the lower-key meeting in California.

Trust between the countries has dwindled over the decades. After U.S. planes bombed the Chinese Embassy in Yugoslavia in what Washington says was an accident during the Kosovo war in 1999, angry Chinese protesters nearly breached the U.S. Embassy in Beijing. In the discord, Chinese President Jiang Zemin refused a call from the White House. Two years later, when a Chinese fighter jet collided with a U.S. surveillance plane off southern China, Beijing held the American crew and waited for an acceptable apology from the U.S.

In 2009, the U.S. Navy accused Chinese sailors of harassing one of its ocean floor mapping vessels in a game of high-seas chicken.

The trust gap was further underscored by newly publicized claims Tuesday that China employed cyberattacks to access data from nearly 40 Pentagon weapons programs and almost 30 other defense technologies ranging from missile defense systems to the F-35 joint strike fighter.

The disclosure was included in a Defense Science Board report released earlier this year, meaning U.S. officials knew of it before planning for the summit began. The disclosure's public release allows U.S. officials to highlight an issue of concern without necessarily overshadowing the summit.

China's Defense Ministry on Thursday called the accusations faulty and said they underestimated both the Pentagon's ability to protect its secrets, and the capabilities of China's domestic defense industry.

"China is entirely capable of producing the weaponry needed for national defense," spokesman Geng Yansheng told reports at a monthly briefing, pointing to recent domestic technological breakthroughs such as the country's first aircraft carrier, new generation fighter jets, large transport planes and the Beidou satellite system.

China has consistently denied claims its military is engaged in hacking, including those in a report by U.S. cybersecurity firm Mandiant that traced the hacking back to a People's Liberation Army unit based in Shanghai.

Other likely agenda items include the North Korean and Iranian nuclear programs, conflict in Syria, climate change and expanding bilateral military ties. China will likely press its claims of business discrimination in the U.S. market, along with its deep discomfort over Washington's shifting of military assets to Asia and renewed emphasis on its regional alliances, moves seen by China as part of an effort to contain its rise.

The perception of U.S. decline and Chinese ascendancy forms much of the subtext to the current relationship, with Beijing seeking greater international influence commensurate with its status as the world's second-largest economy. Many in China see the U.S. as a waning power weakened by the economic crisis, partisan feuding and the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.

In their latest contribution to diplomatic argot, Chinese leaders now say they are seeking a "new model of major country relations" in their dealings with Washington. Assistant Foreign Minister Zheng Zeguang defined that Wednesday as "different from the old model featuring confrontation and conflict."

"We believe a new model of major country relations between China and the United States should be based on mutual trust, equality, inclusiveness, mutual learning and win-win cooperation," Zheng said at a Wednesday briefing.

Xi and Obama first met early last year when Xi, then China's vice president, visited the White House on a trip to meet key American political players and introduce himself to the American public. The visit afforded Xi a chance to show his human side, reconnecting with his old Iowa friends, chatting with students at a school in Los Angeles and even catching part of a Lakers basketball game.

The two presidents give off different vibes but share abundant confidence and varied interests. The portly, soft-spoken Xi is known as a capable but highly cautious administrator, in contrast to the forceful and hard-charging Obama.

Known primarily for his pedigree as the son of a communist elder, Xi is seen by many observers as a strong nationalist willing to press territorial claims and what Beijing broadly proclaims as the "great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation."

Unlike former President Hu, who often seemed uncomfortable outside official settings and stuck closely to his official talking points, Xi appears at ease around foreign visitors and is known for speaking without notes and allowing sessions to run well over their scheduled time limits.

"On a personal level, he's confident, he's on top of his brief and you get a very distinct sense that he has a roadmap in his head in terms of where China needs to go. He's not only a very adroit political operator, but he's also a realist," said former U.S. Ambassador to China Jon Huntsman.

___

Matthew Pennington reported from Washington, D.C.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/xi-obama-look-strike-relationship-125528456.html

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'Fast 6' drives record-breaking box-office haul

LOS ANGELES (AP) ? "Fast & Furious 6" raced to the top of a record-breaking weekend at North American movie theaters, and the sixth installment in the street-racing franchise also delivered a turbo-charged performance overseas.

The film debuted atop the holiday weekend box office, collecting $117 million domestically and $158 million internationally ? the biggest opening yet for a Universal Pictures release.

Ticket tallies over the four-day weekend also set a Memorial Day record with $314.2 million.

"This just obliterated the 2011 record, which was $276.75 million," said box-office analyst Paul Dergarabedian of Hollywood.com.

More than a third of the take belonged to "Fast & Furious 6" which stars Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Michelle Rodriguez and Dwayne Johnson, along with an international supporting cast. The film follows the muscle-car crew as they join with police in a worldwide hunt for a terrorist, battling a plane and a tank along the way.

"It's amazing how this franchise was considered all but dead after the third film, but the filmmakers and the studio did a great job of convincing the original cast members to come back, giving it a different feel and really expanding its scope," said Dave Karger, chief correspondent for movie site Fandango.com.

The film's international cast and settings also contributed to its appeal.

"It's no coincidence that the movie takes place overseas," Karger said. "That was, I'm sure, a very calculated decision."

Nikki Rocco, Universal's head of distribution, attributes the success of "Fast 6" to its broadened scope.

"It's so much more than what it was," she said. "You have to give credit to all of us and the filmmakers for taking it to the next level."

Though a proven box-office winner, with its six films cumulatively collecting $1.9 billion so far, the "Fast & Furious" series hasn't quite reached the level of other powerhouse action franchises such as "Harry Potter," ''Transformers" and "Iron Man." The five Potter films have earned $7.7 billion worldwide. The three Transformers films have a worldwide gross of $2.67 billion. The third "Iron Man" film was released last month, and the franchise has claimed $2.36 billion worldwide so far.

Yet Karger notes the success of "Fast & Furious" is "pretty remarkable" considering the franchise was "kind of created out of thin air 12 years ago."

A recent Fandango survey shows that 93 percent of "Fast 6" ticket buyers are already anticipating the seventh installment, set to star Jason Statham.

The top 20 movies at U.S. and Canadian theaters Friday through Monday, followed by distribution studio, gross, number of theater locations, average receipts per location, total gross and number of weeks in release, as compiled Tuesday by Hollywood.com, are:

1."Fast & Furious 6," Universal, $117,036,995, 3,658 locations, $26,620 average, $117,036,995, one week.

2."The Hangover Part III," Warner Bros., $50,262,366, 3,555 locations, $11,722 average, $62,051,829, one week.

3."Star Trek: Into Darkness," Paramount, $47,187,313, 3,907 locations, $9,545 average, $83,701,981, two weeks.

4."Epic," Fox, $42,820,971, 3,882 locations, $8,638 average, $42,820,971, one week.

5."Iron Man 3," Disney, $24,693,407, 3,424 locations, $5,644 average, $337,661,977, four weeks.

6."The Great Gatsby," Warner Bros., $17,027,318, 3,090 locations, $4,383 average, $90,682,832, three weeks.

7."Mud," Roadside Attractions, $2,508,660, 712 locations, $2,727 average, $11,656,971, five weeks.

8."42," Warner Bros., $1,709,316, 915 locations, $1,376 average, $88,816,627, seven weeks.

9."The Croods," Fox $1,634,258, 1,008 locations, $1,210 average, $177,024,785, 10 weeks.

10."Oblivion," Universal, $1,038,730, 572 locations, $1,521 average, $85,588,010, six weeks.

11."Oz the Great and Powerful," Disney, $853,079, 401 locations, $1,625 average, $231,351,161, 12 weeks.

12."Pain & Gain," Paramount, $787,933, 1,003 locations, $641 average, $46,712,183, five weeks.

13."Frances Ha," IFC, $684,211, 60 locations, $9,163 average, $137,398, two weeks.

14."G.I. Joe: Retaliation," Paramount, $548,675, 346 locations, $1,272 average, $120,522,043, nine weeks.

15."The Iceman," Millennium Entertainment, $479,120, 258 locations, $1,425 average, $762,885, four weeks.

16."Tyler Perry Presents: Peeples," Lionsgate, $419,911, 485 locations, $644 average, $7,867,757, three weeks.

17."Escape from Planet Earth," Weinstein Co., $336,059, 346 locations, $735 average, $55,612,398, 15 weeks.

18."Before Midnight," Sony Pictures Classics, $305,975, 5 locations, $49,383 average, $$305,975, one week.

19."The Big Wedding," Lionsgate, $282,842, 265 locations, $861 average, $20,308,188, five weeks.

20."Love Is All You Need," Sony Pictures Classics, $272,163, 63 locations, $3,450 average, $477,134, four weeks.

___

AP Entertainment Writer Sandy Cohen is on Twitter: www.twitter.com/APSandy .

___

Universal and Focus are owned by NBC Universal, a unit of Comcast Corp.; Sony, Columbia, Sony Screen Gems and Sony Pictures Classics are units of Sony Corp.; Paramount is owned by Viacom Inc.; Disney, Pixar and Marvel are owned by The Walt Disney Co.; Miramax is owned by Filmyard Holdings LLC; 20th Century Fox and Fox Searchlight are owned by News Corp.; Warner Bros. and New Line are units of Time Warner Inc.; MGM is owned by a group of former creditors including Highland Capital, Anchorage Advisors and Carl Icahn; Lionsgate is owned by Lions Gate Entertainment Corp.; IFC is owned by AMC Networks Inc.; Rogue is owned by Relativity Media LLC.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/fast-6-drives-record-breaking-box-office-haul-211911385.html

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Connected Data to merge with Drobo, bring Transporter features to Drobo products

Connected Data, maker of Transporter, just announced that it's entered into a merger agreement with Drobo. As a refresher, Transporter is a cloud-based file sharing appliance that provides Dropbox-like functionality without the recurring subscription costs. Drobo's best known for its Ethernet, Thunderbolt, FireWire and USB-based multi-drive storage devices which offer seamless expandability. Presumably we'll start seeing some of Connected Data's file sharing features in upcoming Drobo products. The two companies have 30 days to finalize the merger process and perhaps even come up with a clever new brand -- we vote for DroboPorter ourselves. PR after the break.

Filed under: Storage, Internet

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Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/qI9bKB8GePY/

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Neighbors accuse Bieber of reckless driving

5 hours ago

Justin Bieber may be living life in the fast lane, but when it comes to his home turf, folks literally want him to slow down.

On Monday evening, police visited the singer's Los Angeles home in response to calls complaining about Biebs' alleged reckless driving.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department confirms to E! News that cops went to the "Beauty and a Beat" crooner's house, but no other information was disclosed.

A source, meanwhile, tells E! News that police received numerous calls on Monday complaining of Bieber's alleged driving while in the neighborhood.

The complaints stated that the star was reckless and drove too fast while children were outside.

This wouldn't be the first time Bieber's faced off with the folks in his 'hood: In March, the 19-year-old was accused of threatening a neighbor and spitting in his face after the two got into an alleged altercation.

E! News has reached out to Bieber's rep for comment.

Source: http://www.today.com/entertainment/justin-bieber-accused-reckless-driving-neighbors-6C10077835

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Adam Levine Posts Definition Of 'Joke' After 'I Hate This Country' Backlash

Maroon 5 singer was criticized for his comment, made after two of his 'Voice' contestants were sent home.
By Gil Kaufman

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1708178/adam-levin-hate-this-country-joke.jhtml

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Website: Phila. police use of force to be examined

PHILADELPHIA (AP) ? A website says Philadelphia's police commissioner has asked federal authorities to take a look at the police department's use of deadly force.

Commissioner Charles Ramsey tells Philly.com (http://bit.ly/12gM5dm ) that he is seeking the review due to the rising number of police-involved shootings.

Philadelphia police shot 52 suspects last year, killing 15 of them. In 2011 police wounded or killed 35 people.

Officers shot and killed a man Saturday, the fourth police-involved shooting in as many days and the third resulting in a suspect's death.

Ramsey says the number of shootings "gets people wondering if they were all justified."

He says police have been looking at the issue since December and the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice "agrees this is a good course of action."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/website-phila-police-force-examined-034108443.html

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Family trees | Kiwiblog

May 28th, 2013 at 10:30 am by David Farrar

After I blogged about my family link to Hedy Lamarr, a reader checked out an online genealogy site and e-mailed me the graphics below.

That should surely qualify me for a knighthood or something.

?

But Comrade Marx is a closer relative!

Tags: DPF, genealogy, John Key, Karl Marx

This entry was posted on Tuesday, May 28th, 2013 at 10:30 am and is filed under DPF. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.

Source: http://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/2013/05/family_trees.html

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How Republicans could win back the Senate in 2014 (Washington Post)

Share With Friends: | | Politics - Top Stories News, RSS Feeds and Widgets via Feedzilla.

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/308478037?client_source=feed&format=rss

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How would you change HP's Envy Sleekbook 6z?

Intel's Kirk Skaugen was relaxed about "me too" thin-and-light devices trailing behind Ultrabooks like Remoras. Perhaps it's because of our lukewarm reception of devices like HP's Envy Sleekbook 6z, which we found to be a little lumpen. While we liked its understated design, the sluggish AMD internals and flaky trackpad meant we weren't feeling particularly fondly on this piece of hardware. This is where you come in. Why not dream up a budget laptop that could hit the same price point but without the flaws -- the more imaginative, the better.

Filed under: Laptops, HP

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Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/rB-4FyeFEhc/

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Big Brother Africa Season 8: The Chase is ON! Meet the 28 ...

Big Brother Season 8, tagged ?The Chase? is on!? The official opening ceremony started with the performance of? the jam of all jams Khona performed by Mafikizolo. Nigerian online personality and the host of the show, IK Osakioduwa came in on a power bike. He was fully kitted in leather and the crowd cheered thunderously. Comedians, Tumie Morake from South Africa and ChurchHill from Kenya were invited on stage to go into both houses to give us a sneak peek! We got a chance to see the houses before the housemates got in.?Tumie helped herself to the shower and got to popping champagne while in the tub. Tumie went into the Diamond house and Churchill gave us the first insight into the Ruby house. The first Big Brother Africa was in 2003 and 10 years later, Big Brother Africa still has the power to hold Africa spellbound.

As soon as the housemates were settled in the house, IK reminded them to start getting to know one another immediately because the first set of evictions is next Sunday. We can?t wait for the game to begin.

BellaNaija promises to give you all the interesting scoop on the housemates and their time in the house as the show goes on.

Pokello ? Zimbabwe

Pokello ? Zimbabwe

Harare-born Pokello has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Media and Communications and owns a luxury shoe boutique. She enjoys pasta, spaghetti bolognaise and prawn cocktail.

She describes herself as ?dynamic, captivating, intelligent, beautiful & hilarious? and says that the best thing about her is that she?s head-strong and a woman of real substance. ?When I speak, I speak with depth and confidence,? she says. She admires people who are selfless and filled with humility and modesty, disliking disloyalty and betrayal.

Asked what viewers can expect from her, she says: ?I am beautiful, intelligent, controlling and entertaining. I am funny and witty and I say the most humorous things.

Pokello says if she wins the USD 300 000, she?ll buy a big house for her son and herself, send him to a full-time soccer academy in London and invest in her business.

LK4 ? Uganda

LK4 ? Uganda

Towering over the rest of the housemates at 6 feet 5 inches, professional basketball player LK4, is from Kampala. Outside of his achievements on the basketball court, LK4 also has a CPA and a Degree in Marketing.

LK4 was inspired to enter Big Brother by his teammates and friends and says he is excited to have Africa watching him. He says that viewers can expect him to make all the ladies fall in love with him, make viewers laugh. If he wins the grand prize, he?ll start building his basketball academy.

He describes himself as ?compassionate, sexy, conscious, comical and athletic? and his favourite personal quality is his confidence, saying that he?s ?the direct reflection of God?s creation?. He likes people who are loyal, humble, confident, honest and intelligent, but dislikes ?disloyal, jealous, envious individuals?. His proudest achievements so far are winning the national championship with his team in 2010 and representing his country in Olympic Qualifiers.

Selly ? Ghana (In a relationship)

Selly ? Ghana

Selly is an actress from Tema in Accra. She entered Big Brother because of ?the mouth-watering prize package? that she says would change her life, and also because she wants more drama in her life to ?spice it up more?.She enjoys watching Fashion Police, SpongeBob Squarepants and Keeping Up With The Kardashians. Selly says her boyfriend has influenced her life because he is extremely optimistic about life and has taught her to believe in herself.Describing herself as ?spontaneous, kind, sensitive, no-nonsense and adventurous?, Selly dislikes back-biting, fake people and sycophants. She says viewers can expect dancing, cooking and entertainment from her. If she wins the grand prize, she?ll further her education, buy her mom a car, throw a huge party, start her dream business, renovate her mother?s house and buy herself a car.

Bassey ? SierraLeone

Bassey ? Sierra Leone

Student, actor and model Bassey is from Freetown, and is single. His favourite foods include rice, cassava leaves and pasta with tomato sauce. His favourite musicians are Rihanna, Beyonce, LMFAO and Justin Bieber.

Bassey?s role model is Michael Jackson, ?because of the way he handled his career?. His two proudest achievements are graduating from University ? and becoming the first of his siblings to do so ? and also being nominated in the Youth Excellence Awards.

He entered Big Brother for the fame and money, believing that ?Biggie changes lives?. He says it?ll be ?weird? having so many people watching his every move on TV. If he wins, he?ll buy a house for his family, his dream car, invest in business and produce a movie.

Dellish ? Namibia

Dellish ? Namibia

Windhoek-born Dellish is a third year Psychology student with a passion for seafood. She describes herself as ?caring, fun, troublesome, loving and adventurous?. Dellish says her best quality is the fact that she?s ?very real and straightforward?. She values caring and considerate people and dislikes those who are selfish and lazy.

She entered Big Brother because she?s been a fan of the show for some time and promised herself that she would enter as soon as she was old enough. Dillish says it?s a bit scary to know that Africa will be watching her 24/7, but says she?s excited to share her private life and lifestyle with the continent.

Dellish says the best thing about Africa is the diverse cultures and ?our unity?. Her favourite place in Namibia is Swakopmund and says even though she hasn?t travelled much, a trip to Nigeria last year was ?the best ever?. Her grandfather is her role model. ?He raised my mom and five of his grandchildren ? including myself. He is my hero,? she says.

Angelo ? South Africa (Said he can never be faithful to one woman)

Angelo ? South Africa

Dance teacher Angelo Collins entered Big Brother because he realised that life is too short and ?one shouldn?t limit the things you want to do?. If he wins the grand prize, he will start a small business, help an orphanage and help his mom and family with a better life.

Angelo describes himself as ?tall, dark, adventurous and handsome? and attributes his confidence to being relaxed and comfortable in his own skin. He dislikes arrogant, self-centred and rude people, preferring people who are confident and know what they want in life. Viewers can expect ?a lot of craziness? from him, believing he has a funny personality and will make people laugh.

The best thing about Africa? The people, sunsets, mountains and how different, yet how similar cultural values are. Outside of his home country, he says he loves Mozambique, where he visited some amazing islands.

Fatima ? Malawi

Fatima ? Malawi

TV presenter and MC Fatima is from Lilongwe. She enjoys seafood and her favourite book is Dan Brown?s The Da Vinci Code and her favourite TV shows are Game of Thrones and Sex in the City.

Fatima lists her father as her role model because he is her source of inspiration and the most honest, straightforward person she knows. The achievement she?s most proud of is giving birth to her daughter. ?There is absolutely no feeling in the world that can top bringing another human into the world,? she says.

She describes herself as ?unique, daring, nurturing, fun and loud? and says she makes friends very easily. Fatima is looking forward to the exposure offered by Big Brother and believes that appearing on the show will be an important stepping stone in her TV presenting career.

Nando ? Tanzania

Nando ? Tanzania

Student Nando says he has never watched Big Brother before and says it feels ?normal? that the continent will be watching him 24/7. His friends encouraged him to enter and he says that if he wins the grand prize, he?ll ?build an empire?.

Aside from the cash, Nando says he wouldn?t mind picking up a few endorsements on the back of his appearance on the show.

Describing himself as ?young, ambitious, fun and loving?, Nando says he?s never thought about his best quality, but likes people with good personalities. His favourite place in Tanzania is Arusha, and globally, Brazil, because he loves football. He eats everything, likes good music and his favourite TV show is 1000 Ways To Die. His favourite actors are Scarlett Johansson and Martin Lawrence.

Huddah ? Kenya

Huddah ? Kenya

Huddah is a model with a Diploma in Programming. She loves Chinese food, ugali and fish.

Huddah?s favourite place in Kenya is Mombasa, and she says the best thing about Africa is the diversified cultures and natural resources. Her favourite place outside Kenya is Miami, because it?s a beautiful place and she loves tropical weather.

Her role model is Marilyn Monroe, because ?she was intelligent, a go-getter, a sexy woman with a charming smile and also very popular?. Huddah entered Big Brother because she believes it?s a once in a lifetime experience and she felt she really needed to be part of it. ?Plus it has brought a lot of opportunities in life for a lot of people,? she says.

She says having Africa?s eyes on her 24/7 will make her feel like a star, because she loves the attention. She says that if she wins the USD 300 000, she?ll double the money, expand her brand and build a business empire.

Bimp ? Ethiopia

Bimp ? Ethopia

Bimp is from Addis Ababa sees himself as ?honest, loyal, dependable and responsible? and says his family are excited to see him on TV. If he wins the big prize, he?d like to open a club or bar in Addis Ababa and triple the money! He?d love to travel and start a TV series about his adventures. Bimp is looking forward to gaining and sharing experiences on Big Brother.

He says the best thing about Africa is the people, who he describes as ?friendly, fun, welcoming and loving?.

He hopes that Africa learns something from watching him 24/7. He wants to represent his country and continent well and do them proud.
Motamma ? Botswana (Miss World tourism)

Motamma ? Botswana

Scientific researcher and student Motamma has a BSc in Agriculture and is currently studying further. She says it feels ?great? that Africa?s eyes will be on her 24/7. She hasn?t watched previous Seasons of Big Brother, but her friends and colleagues have always kept her up to date.

Her favourite foods include pasta dishes and sorghum cooked in milk. Her favourite books are Secret of Fascinating Womanhood by Helen Andelin and Letters to My Children by Jonathan Jansen.

Motamma says her favourite place in Botswana is Maun. The best thing about Africa? The fact that it?s rich in resources! Her favourite place outside Botswana is Mauritius, because it appears peaceful and suitable for a romantic getaway.

Neyll- Angola

Neyll ? Angola

Neyll describes himself as ?fun, entertaining, unforgettable, intense and unique?. He has a daughter and is single. His favourite actor is Tom Cruise, because he identifies with him. No surprise then, that one of his favourite movies is Mission Impossible!

His favourite place in Angola is Mussulo Island because it?s a nice place to have fun and be with family and friends. Neyll says the best thing about Africa is its strong culture that can?t be compared to any other. His role model is his father because he was the person who inspired him and taught him to be a man.

Neyll entered Big Brother because ?I know how to play the game?. He says viewers can expect surprises from him and will get the chance to see the real Neyll. If he wins the big prize, he?ll give some money to charity and help his family.

Beverly ? Nigeria

Beverly ? Nigeria

Beverly is a model from Lagos. She describes herself as ?smart, sexy, humble, loyal and crazy?. One of her favourite qualities is her sense of humour. In other people, she values ?consistency, cleanliness, truth and humility? and dislikes unkept promises, lies and pretence.

Beverley says that viewers can expect ?a total packaged African young diva to command the right qualities and characteristics of a blunt, sexy go-getter?. She doesn?t really have any role models, choosing rather to take unique attributes from different people. Asked who has influenced her life most, Beverley says ?who I want to influence me all depends on the situation at hand?.

Her favourite musicians include John Legend, Kelly Rowland, Phenom and Rihanna.

Sulu ? Zambia

Sulu ? Zambia

Businessman Sulu is single and comes from Lusaka. He describes himself as ?a guy that loves people? and says his best traits are his character and his enjoyment of the company of others. He values wisdom and intelligence in others, but dislikes negativity, gossip and evil.

He entered Big Brother because ?there is a lot to learn about ourselves? and promises viewers lots of fun and life-changing lessons. If he wins, he?ll help young people realise their potential and invest in real estate. Sulu is humbled about the fact that so many people will be watching him on the show, but says that it?s ?great? at the same time.

He says the best thing about Africa is its potential for development and says his favourite place in Zambia is Livingstone. Outside of his home country, he says America is his favourite place, because it?s ?too much fun?.

Cleo ? Zambia

Cleo ? Zambia

Cleo is an artist and musician from Lusaka. Single with a daughter, she is currently looking to further her studies. She entered Big Brother because it?s something she?s always seen herself doing. ?I have been trying to enter Big Brother since I was 21,? she says. ?It looks fun, but it?s clear to see that only the strong personalities and characters go far?.

Her proudest achievement is making it into the Big Brother house, because she has always known it would be the biggest step she would make toward reaching her goals and realising her dreams.

Cleo describes herself as ?friendly, loud, caring, blatant and loyal?, citing her favourite qualities as her patience, tact, obedience, domestication, humility and respect. She dislikes backstabbers, liars, immaturity and disrespectfulness and promises viewers ?a lot of realness, a bit of comedy, a lot of singing and rapping, a lot of ME to the fullest?.

O?Neal ? Botswana

O?Neal ? Botswana

ONeal is a radio personality and TV host. He describes himself as ?fun, imaginative, entertaining, shocking and unforgettable?. ONeal values consideration in others and thinks his best quality is his imagination. He dislikes dishonesty and declares himself an entertainer at heart.

ONeal says his favourite place in Botswana is his house ? in particular his couch ? and says that the best thing about Africa is its people?s emotional strength. He was inspired to enter Big Brother because of ?the lack of me in that house? and a need to increase his follower base outside his home country. ONeal has a younger brother and says it will be a privilege to have Africa?s eyes on him 24/7, but also acknowledges how tough it will probably be.

If he wins the grand prize, he?ll build his mom her dream house.

Maria- Namibia

Maria ? Namibia

Radio presenter and model Maria is single, has a Public Relations Diploma and is from Ondangwa. She lists spaghetti and chicken wings as her favourite foods and 50 Shades of Grey as her favourite book. Maria entered Big Brother in the hope of getting exposure which will boost her broadcasting career.

She promises viewers ?a lot of blonde moments? and also says she?ll ?be real?. If she wins the grand prize, she?ll buy a new car and pay off her house ? and probably give the rest to charity.

She lists a friend that is currently battling cancer as her role model. The achievements she?s most proud of so far are having her own radio show and being chosen to host the Namibian Music Awards.

Maria says her favourite personal trait is her kind and compassionate heart and she values honesty and respect in others. She hates gossip-mongers and promises viewers: ?I am the real deal?.
Melvin ? Nigeria

Melvin ? Nigeria

Melvin is a model and actor from Delta State with a BSc in Chemistry. Melvin enjoys listening to Nicki Minaj, Rick Ross and R Kelly.

His favourite place in Nigeria is Lagos and he says the best things about the continent as a whole are the culture and people. Outside of Nigeria, he enjoys spending time in South Africa and the USA because ?these are places where you can relax and relate to people conveniently?.

His friends and family inspired him to enter Big Brother. He has always been a fan of the show and has previously come out tops in two other reality shows. He is hoping to use all his experience and charm to go all the way on Big Brother. If he wins the grand prize, he?ll invest it, but he?s also hoping to make his country proud and use this experience as a platform to achieve other things in his career.

Natasha ? Malawi

Natasha ? Malawi

Self-employed mom Natasha hails from Lilongwe. She entered Big Brother because she looks at it as being social, educational, entertaining and a platform for fame.

She describes herself as ?fun, adventurous, flirtatious, crazy and sweet? and says that the qualities she likes most in herself are her patience, calmness, jokes and tolerance. She values patience, tolerance and kindness in others too, but despises control freaks, liars and unfaithfulness.

Her favourite musicians include Mampi, Zahara, Celine Dion, Mariah Carey and Kenny Rogers and her favourite actors are Julia Roberts, Richard Gere, Eddie Murphy and Martin Lawrence.
Her favourite part of Malawi is Livingstonia Beach and she believes the best thing about Africa is its unity, peace and friendliness of its cultures.

Biguesas ? Angola

Biguesas ? Angola

Biguesas from Luanda is single and doesn?t have any children. He describes himself as ?handsome, intelligent, extroverted, playful and talkative?. He values sincerity in others and says if he wins the grand prize, he?ll share some of the money with his family, donate some, pay for university and buy a house. He?s also excited by the prospect of fame, as he?s always wanted to be a TV presenter.

His favourite foods are ?pap?, hamburgers and fries. Biguesas says the best thing about Africa is the fauna & flora and his favourite place outside of Angola is Pretoria in South Africa. Biguesas says he is proud to be finishing University soon, a first for his family of 9 siblings.

Feza ? Tanzania

Feza ? Tanzania

Recording artist Feza is from Arusha and has a certificate in IT. A fan of French fries and Ugali na Maziwa. She loves Big Brother and says that people always do well after appearing on the show, something she feels is vital for her career. She says that if she wins the grand prize, she?ll invest some, take her son to Disneyland and possibly buy a house.

Feza describes herself as ?fun, bubbly, loyal, kind and strong? and thinks her best trait is her humility. She enjoys people who are honest, caring and fun, but dislikes those who are liars. She promises viewers ?a lot of dance, a bit of noise and lots of laughs too?. She?s hoping to get exposure and growth from her time in the house.

Her mom is her role model, whom she cites as ?the strongest, most beautiful and humble person I know. She has an older brother and sister, and one younger brother.

Elikem ? Ghana

Elikem ? Ghana

Betty ? Ethiopia

Betty ? Ethiopia

Tailor and actor Elikem is single and hails from Accra. Denzel Washington and Samuel L Jackson are his favourite actors ? the former because he?s bold, confident and a natural and the latter because ?he has made the black man proud?.

Elikem entered Big Brother for three things: the money, the exposure and the game play. He says it?s great that Africa will be watching him 24/7 because he?ll get a chance to show the continent who he is and what he can do and promote himself as a tailor and actor.

He has grand plans for the big prize. He says he?ll host a fashion fundraiser, open 3 retail stores in Accra ? and 3 more abroad ? as well as shoot a star studded movie before putting what?s left into investments and bonds.

Bolt ? Sierra Leone

Bolt ? Sierra Leone=

Freetown-born Bolt is a businessman with a Diploma in Computer Science. He loves Africa because it?s natural, and says his favourite place outside of Sierra Leone is the USA, because ?it is a land full of opportunities? and he has family there.

Bolt will enjoy having the continent?s eyes on him, saying that it will make him feel like he?s ruling the world. If he wins, he?ll invest the money, start a music label, and give his daughter a quality education. His role model is R Kelly, because ?he is a genius in music and is best at whatever he does?. With 4 brothers ? one older and three younger ? he says his mom has played a massive role in his life.

Bolt sees himself as a leader and says he is also frank, transparent and a supporter. He enjoys people who are open-minded, friendly and spontaneous and dislikes pretence, being ignored, people who are full of fear, and taking advantage of people?s weakness to destroy them.

Annabel ? Kenya

Annabel ? Kenya

Student and fashion designer Annabel says she doesn?t have any children ? but considers her pets to be her babies. She enjoys reading philosophical literature. Her favourite foods include Ethiopian, Nigerian, Oriental and Italian and she lists her favourite TV show as Big Brother.

Annabel?s favourite place in Kenya is Mombasa, because she loves the water and says it?s the only place she finds peace and tranquillity. Outside of Kenya, she loves Greece or Rome because of the way they have preserved the artefacts and culture through the generations. ?I love art and I?d kill to live there!? she says.

Annabel says she loves attention and is looking forward to having Africa?s eyes on her 24/7. ?It makes me feel like the princess I?ve always been,? she says. Her family is happy she?s going to be on the show and she says they can?t wait to tell everyone they?re related to her.

Denzel ? Uganda

Denzel ? Uganda

Denzel is a radio and TV show host from Kampala. Asked to describe himself in 5 words, he says ?I am very eccentric?. He says his best quality is his optimism and he likes a great sense of style and humour and open-mindedness in others. He dislikes negative people and smelly feet.

He entered Big Brother for the money, fame and adventure and ?could care less? that Africa will be watching him so closely. ?People are always watching me, by virtue of my job,? he says. ?In entertainment, you forfeit your right to privacy?. If he wins, he?ll ?party?.

He lists himself as his own role model, because of what he has achieved despite what he has gone through. He is the youngest of 4 children and says his proudest achievement is that he makes the world?s best-tasting noodles.

Koketso ? South Africa

Koketso ? South Africa

Johannesburg-born Koketso is an entrepreneur, currently studying towards a Law degree. She enjoys eating ?most African dishes, but to watch my weight I eat Thai for indulgence.

Koketso says the best thing about Africa is its potential ? ?It?s like a young bright kid with endless possibilities?. Her favourite place in South Africa is Coffee Bay and away from home, Dakar, citing it as the only place outside of South Africa she has felt at home.

Koketso entered Big Brother because of her ?new-found fearlessness?. ?I am now not afraid to take risks and live my life for me,? she says. ?I wanted to see how far I can take this. I needed a new challenge and I wanted something to help me build a brand I can capitalise on?.

She says she?s nervous to have the continent?s eyes on her. If she wins the USD 300 000, she?ll start her foundation for young girls in her township and explore investment opportunities in other African countries.
Hakeem ? Zimbabwe

Hakeem ? Zimbabwe

Hakeem is a model from Harare. He entered Big Brother because he is a huge fan of the show and passionate about the experience. ?I like the idea of taking simple and exceptionally talented people like me and thrusting them into stardom,? he says. ?Also, I?m a model and aspiring actor seeking bigger opportunities?.

He says the best thing about Africa is the people, the culture, resources and history, which is ?so rich, authentic and intriguing?. His favourite place in the world outside of his home country is Jamaica, because of the food, drink and climate ? ?and the parties are out of this world?.

Hakeem?s role model is Tyson Beckford because he was the first black male model to become a supermodel. ?He was picked from the streets, yet so humble, ambitious and composed,? says Hakeem. If Hakeem wins Big Brother, he?ll invest in property, pay tithes, go to college, take care of his son and own the biggest model agency in Africa to help open doors for others.

Photo Credit & Bio of housemates: bigbrotherafrica.dstv.com

Tags: Big Brother, big brother africa, Big Brother Africa 2013, churchill, Khona, Mafikizolo, The Chase, Tumie Morake

Filed under: News & Features

Source: http://www.bellanaija.com/2013/05/26/big-brother-africa-season-8-the-chase-is-on-meet-the-28-housemates-for-2013/

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