Officials Rule France’s Burqa Ban Official – France’s plan to ban the burqa and other Islamic face coverings in public places is legal, top constitutional authorities in France ruled Thursday, clearing the final hurdle before the ban becomes law.In September the French senate approved the law – making France the first European country to nationally impose such a measure. Quite a vibe – let’s keep an eye on that. [cnn]

Michelle Obama Is The Most Powerful Woman In The World – Michelle Obama has been named as the world’s most powerful woman, ahead of the likes of Hillary Clinton, Angela Merkel and Oprah Winfrey. The Queen, however, did not even make the top 10, which is unfortunate. You’re in my top 10, Liz, and don’t forget it 😉 [independent]

London Gallery Selling Naomi Campbell Blood Diamond Piece – Thursday night, London’s Scream Gallery will sell a portrait of Naomi Campbell to benefit a charity that campaigns against blood diamonds. The sale has every mark of a cunning publicity stunt, except for some possibly poor planning: Campbell, known for her fiery temper and an unfortunate affiliation with those conflict sparklers, is apparently unaware of the sale. Hilarious! [dailybeast]

Obama Praises Tutu – US President Barack Obama says Archbishop Desmond Tutu is a “moral titan” who will be missed as he formally retires from public life on Thursday on his 79th birthday.Obama says the Nobel Peace Prize laureate has been a voice of principle, an unrelenting champion of justice and a dedicated peacemaker. I doubt the same will be uttered by Bob Mugabe who often refers to Tutu as , “That evil little bishop.” [news24]

Weezer Offered $10 Million To Break Up – If someone doesn’t like a band or artist, they would usually just ignore their music, but James Burns hates Weezer so much he’s willing to raise millions to get them to hang it up for good. Seattle native Burns launched an online fundraiser to collect $10 million in hopes of sending Weezer to early retirement. Genius. [popeater]

Facebook Launches New ‘Groups’ Vibe – Yes, Facebook already has Groups, but that feature is going away as you know it. In its place will be a more open structure, where anybody can add other users to a group, no approval required. The goal, Facebook hopes, will be to create social clusters that evolve naturally, like they do in real life. Losers, cool kids, haters, freaks, old friends, new friends, fake friends, etc.. [pcworld]

Baby Dies After Being Snatched By Monkey – A newborn baby died after being snatched by a monkey from her family’s living room in central Malaysia, an official said Thursday. The monkey took the infant to the roof of the single-story house and then dropped her after possibly mistaking her for food. The girl, who had been left alone in the room, had bite marks on her neck and face. Not ideal. [associated]

The DA Applauds Malema – No, you are not dreaming. It is reported that Julius Malema, in a moment of rare clarity and cogency, has advocated nationalising South Africa’s mines in order that they might subsidise the costs of tertiary education. Brilliant.The DA would like to know why no one has thought of this before. [timeslive]

Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg Takes Staff To Watch– The Social Network- Facebook cofounder Mark Zuckerberg recently took his staffers to see The Social Network, the movie about his life. After the screening, Zuckerberg, 26, who is portrayed as as back-stabbing, arrogant and socially awkward in the movie, then treated his staff to apple martinis, the same drink actors Jesse Eisenberg and Justin Timberlake sipped during their first meeting in the film. [usmagazine]

Oprah Reveals Her Favourite iPad Apps – Oprah Winfrey, who gave each of her O magazine staffers an iPad earlier this year, shared her favorite iPad apps at the annual American Magazine Conference Tuesday, according Ad Age.Check out her favorite apps for getting the news, keeping entertained while on the treadmill, and expressing herself creatively in the following slideshow. [huffers]

Gawker.com Is The Most Valuable Blog In The World – The value of many of the most significant blogs have increased in the past year as advertisers were willing to pay more to reach audiences online.All of the blogs on the 24/7 Wall St. list are private companies, as has been true in all four of the earlier lists. None are owned by larger media companies or other businesses which do not have the blog or blog network as their primary operation. [247wallst]

It’s The Battle Of The Bakkies – In sheer volume terms, the South African bakkie market has been dominated for one nameplate for almost as long as we can remember: the Toyota Hilux. But now, there’s a new contender on the block. It hails from Germany, but is built in Argentina, of all places. And it means business – serious business. [dailymaverick]

Ashton And Demi Have ‘Open Marraige’ – Ashton Kutcher told his alleged mistress Brittney Jones that he and wife Demi Moore shared an open relationship and regularly had threesomes,Jones, who says she had sex with Ashton, 32, in his home while an unsuspecting Demi, 47, was away says the affair was part of the Hollywood hunk taking advantage of his open marriage. She also mentioned threesomes.. [radar]

92% Of US Toddlers Have Online Presence – According to a recent international survey of 2,200 mothers, 81% of children under the age of two currently have some form of online presence — ranging from a single photo uploaded and shared by their parents, to a full-fledged profile on a social networking site. A full 92% of children in the U.S. have an online presence by the time they are two, compared to 73% in western Europe. Quite a vibe. [mashable]

World’s Smallest Apartment Goes On The Market For R500,000 – A former porter’s closet, which is being said to be the world’s smallest apartment, has now gone on the market for a cool £43,000 ($68,490 at the time of writing). The central Rome apartment measures a mere five square meters (55 sq ft) and is located on the Piazza di Sant’ Ignazio in the heart of the Italian capital. You gotta see this place.. [bornrich]

DesignNow! Week At The Trendy Cape Quarter Lifestyle Village With VISI – True to the Cape Quarter Lifestyle Village’s love and heritage in design, DesignNow! is a collaboration with VISI Magazine and sees week-long exhibitions, product displays and a mini film festival dedicated to furniture, decor & design enthusiasts on 27 – 31 October. Besides finding never-before-seen pieces, interior decor products and new furniture, you’ll even find VISI’s chosen coveted items on display across the various design outlets! [capequarter]