Giant Man Spotted At North Korea Funeral – In a sea of indistinguishable onlookers clad in black with their backs turned to the camera, one man stood out at Kim Jong Il’s funeral. Who is this giant? Could it be Ri “Michael” Myung Hun — North Korea’s NBA star — as some commenters have suggested? Thanks to North Korea’s strictly controlled and photoshop-happy media, rumors are certain to abound, and we may never know for sure. [huffers]

Are Twitter Followers Worth R20 Each? – An Internet company has sued one of its former employees, saying the worker cost the company thousands of dollars in lost business when he took 17,000 Twitter followers with him when he left the firm. Attorneys for the website, which reviews mobile devices like phones and tablets, said Kravitz owes them $340,000 (@ $2.50 per follower per month for eight months). [abc]

Zimbabwe MP Spends Christmas In Jail For Calling Mugabe Gay – A Zimbabwean MP has been freed after spending Christmas in jail for allegedly saying President Robert Mugabe had had gay sex, local media say. Lynette Karenyi, from the former opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), is said to have made the comments at a rally on 9 December. [bbc]

North Korea Vows No Change – North Korea is calling Kim Jong Un “Great Leader” as it hands another of Kim Jong Il’s titles to his son and heir. The commission also warned rival South Korea and the rest of the world not to expect any change after Kim Jong Il’s death. The tough message comes as Kim’s young son strengthens his position as supreme leader. [huffpo]

Michael Jordan Is Engaged – Basketball legend Michael Jordan has proposed to his longtime girlfriend Yvette Prieto. A spokesperson for the sports icon confirmed the news to GossipCop.com on Thursday. Jordan and the Cuban-born model began dating three years ago. The former star athlete has been married once before – he split from Juanita, the mother of his three kids, after 17 years of marriage in 2006. [starpulse]

The Price Of Petrol Goes Down On Wednesday – The retail price of petrol and diesel will drop next week. A litre of 95 ULP (unleaded) petrol in Gauteng would cost R10.61 from Wednesday. The price of 93 ULP (unleaded) petrol would decrease six cents a litre, while the price of 95 ULP petrol would drop five cents a litre. The price of diesel with a 0.05% sulphur content would drop 21 cents a litre. [mail&guardian]

99 Year Old Divorces Wife After Discovering 1940’s Affair – The Italian man, identified by lawyers in the case only as Antonio C, was rifling through an old chest of drawers when he made the discovery a few days before Christmas. Notwithstanding the time that had elapsed since the betrayal, he was so upset that he immediately confronted his wife of 77 years, named as Rosa C, and demanded a divorce. [telegraph]

2011 Safest Year For Air Travel – Only 401 Deaths – This year is on course to be the safest ever for commercial aviation, with roughly one passenger death for every 7.1 million air travelers worldwide. With only days left, 2011 appears set to eclipse the postwar record low rate of passenger fatalities, set in 2004 at one per 6.4 million passengers. This year also appears set to end with among the lowest total number of passenger deaths, at 401 to date. [wallstreetjournal]

Titanic Artifacts Up For Auction – More than 5,000 artifacts salvaged from the Titanic are to be sold in one lot at auction in New York, 100 years to the day after the luxury liner sank in the Atlantic with some 1,500 people on board. [afp]

Katy Perry And Russell Brand Not Wearing Rings – Katy Perry was spotted in Hawaii before Christmas without her wedding ring, which could be explained by the fact she was jumping around in the surf. But then husband Russell Brand stepped out on a London street Thursday, also without his wedding band. [cnn]

HQ Restaurant Throwing New Year Party – HQ and Caveau restaurants are teaming up with DJ Rene again this year, to celebrate New Year at Heritage Square in Cape Town. They have a variety of tickets available, including VIP and VVIP. To book, contact Cheryl on 021 4248154.

2011 Was Worst Year For Elephants – Large-scale tusk smuggling has reached a record high this year, with at least 2,500 dead elephants used for ivory. Organised criminals – particularly Asian syndicates – are increasingly involved in the illegal trade, according to environmental agency Traffic. Experts believe it has been the worst year for the endangered animals since sales of ivory were banned in 1989. [dailymail]

Sinead O’Connor Explains What Went Wrong – Troubled Sinead O’Connor told last night how she ended her fourth marriage after just 16 days because it was like “living in a coffin”. The singer, 45, insisted that she still loved drugs counsellor Barry Herridge, 38. But she admitted their marriage got off to a turbulent start when she nearly bought CRACK on a wild hunt for drugs on their wedding night. [thesun]

Teen’s Silent YouTube Goodbye Goes Viral – Eighteen-year-old Ben Breedlove died on Christmas Day after fighting a serious heart condition for most of his life. Shortly before his death, he posted a two-part video on YouTube, in which he silently describes his ordeal through cue cards. [mashable]

US Sells F-15 Jets To Saudi Arabia – The United States has confirmed the sale of nearly $30bn (£19.5bn) of fighter jets to Saudi Arabia. The US will send 84 Boeing F-15 jets to its key Middle Eastern ally, and upgrade 70 existing Saudi F-15s. The agreement is part of a $60bn arms deal covering 10-15 years, approved by the US Congress last year. [bbc]