Massmart Shareholders Approve Wal-Mart Deal – Massmart shareholders on Monday approved an offer from Wal-Mart to acquire a 51% share of their business. At the meeting held in Johannesburg, 97.67% of shareholders present and entitled to vote, voted in favour of the deal that amounts to a sale of R148.00 per share for the stake. Massmart CEO Grant Pattison described the approval as “an important milestone”, and said he is looking forward to closing the deal. I bet he is. [businessday]
Goldman Sachs Halts Facebook Offering In US – Goldman Sachs Group Inc. halted an offering of Facebook Inc. shares to U.S. investors on concern that “intense media attention” on the deal may violate rules limiting marketing of private securities.Instead, the sale, first reported Jan. 2, will be restricted to non-U.S. investors, the New York-based bank said in an e-mailed statement today. Goldman Sachs and funds it manages had agreed to buy $450 million of closely held Facebook before the bank began seeking investors. [businessweek]
Johannesburg Flood Havoc – A fireman has drowned and countless other people are missing after massive flooding around Gauteng on Monday. The fireman, Henry Knox (42), and his colleague were in their canoe on a search-and-rescue operation in the Centurion area when they hit a violent rapid. At least seven people seen being swept away by the floods in the area had not been found by Monday afternoon. [mail&guardian]
Steve Jobs Takes Sick Leave Again, Stirring Questions – Steven P. Jobs, the visionary co-founder and chief executive of Apple, is taking a medical leave of absence, a year and a half after his return following a liver transplant. The leave raises questions about both his long-term prognosis and the leadership of the world’s most valuable technology company. Mr. Jobs, 55, who recovered from pancreatic cancer after surgery in 2004, has has looked increasingly frail in recent weeks. [newyorktimes]
Banksy To Be Unmasked – UK artist Banksy is the subject of an eBay auction. At press time, the winning bidder is offering one slim dollar shy of a million. Bidding started at $3,000; the auction has had 38 bids. In the listing, the seller states, “I have uncovered [Banksy’s] identity by matching up the prices of his sold pieces to corresponding tax records. I will reveal no more details… I give you 100% assurance that it is most certainly the full name of the street artist known as ‘Banksy.’” [mashable]
Dewani Might Return To SA Voluntarily – The husband of slain honeymooner Anni Dewani might be prepared to return voluntarily to South Africa to stand trial. Bristol businessman Shrien Dewani, who is accused of ordering his wife’s murder in Cape Town’s Gugulethu township last year, has so far resisted attempts to extradite him. A friend of Shrien Dewani reportedly told BBC’s Inside Out West that the 31-year-old had not ruled out returning to South Africa to clear his name if “certain guarantees” were given. [timeslive]
Ricky Gervais Blacklisted? Apparently Not – Ricky Gervais may have set a record for dishing out insults during his second stint hosting the Golden Globe Awards, but reports that the schtick earned him a spot on Hollywood’s blacklist are “utter rubbish,” his rep has exclusively told the Daily News. Gervais was absent for much of the second half of Sunday night’s Globes telecast, sparking rumors he’d been chastised by the Hollywood Foreign Press. [nydailynews]
Fashion On The Golden Globes Red Carpet – There were quite a few distinct looks that popped up on the Golden Globes red carpet. Pink, green, flowers and more! Sparkles and flowers dominated, though some elegant minimalism was thrown into the mix. And the shoulders! Oh, how we love those shoulders. Check out the rundown of the Golden Globes red carpet trends in this slideshow. [styleite]
2011 Golden Globes The Full List Of Winners – The 2011 Golden Globes were handed out Saturday night at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills. The Social Network, Glee, Boardwalk Empire, and The Kids Are All Right were among the night’s big winners. The complete list of winners follows. [newsbrief]
Warhol Portraits Of Charles And Diana Go On Sale – Two matching portraits of princess Diana and Prince Charles by pop art icon Andy Warhol have gone on display for the first time since 1982, ahead of being sold. The paintings show Charles in naval attire against a blue background. His first wife Diana wears a formal dress and is pictured against a pink background. They were made using synthetic polymer and silkscreen ink on canvas and marked the couple’s wedding in 1981. [luxuo]
India Opens Bank With No Locks – The United Commercial (UCO) Bank has opened the country’s first lockless branch at Shani Shinganapur in Maharashtra. Shani Shinganapur is a small village whose presiding deity is Lord Shani. “We took note of the general belief and faith of the people. Ever since the most revered temple came into existence several years ago, the village has not witnessed a single crime. All houses in the entire village have no doors.” Baking! [timesofindia]
Pac-Man Reality Show Coming Soon – Waka waka waka! Pac-Man, is headed to reality TV. Merv Griffin Entertainment has teamed with leading game maker Namco Bandai Games America, which owns the Pac-Man brand, to develop an unscripted series based on the hugely popular video game. This marks the first major foray into TV for Pac-Man whose only previous TV presence was a short-lived animated series in the early 1980s. The project also coincides with the 30th anniversary of the best-selling game and 1980s pop culture icon. [deadline]
Scientists Find Hangover Cure – Scientists have confirmed what millions have suspected for years if you want to soothe a tired head – simply take some caffeine and a painkiller. They found the caffeine in coffee and the anti-inflammatory ingredients of aspirin and other painkillers reacted against the chemical compounds of ethanol, or pure alcohol. Ethanol brings on headaches thanks to a chemical acetate it can produce and even low doses can affect some people more than others, said the study. [telegraph]
Oprah Winfrey And Her New Cable Channel – Who is Oprah Winfrey and what does she want? What does she want that she doesn’t already have? And what does she want for us that we don’t already have? None of these questions are new, but, with Winfrey having embarked on an extraordinary venture—starting a cable channel, the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN), that is meant to be entirely in her own image—they are worth asking. [newyorker]
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