CRIMEA BOOS PUTIN HOME

MOSCOW, March 28 (Reuters) - Russia has retaliated against expanded sanctions imposed by Western governments over its annexation of Ukraine's Crimea region, state-run news agencies cited the Foreign Ministry as saying on Friday.

The United States and European Union have imposed two rounds of visa bans and asset freezes on Russian officials, lawmakers and other allies of President Vladimir Putin to punish Moscow for what Western states say is the illegal seizure of Crimea.

"Naturally, such actions cannot be left without a reaction," RIA quoted Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich as saying. "The Russian side has taken measures in response, which in many ways mirror (the Western sanctions)."

He did not give details and no list of Western officials affected by the new sanctions was immediately available.

Crimeans voted to secede from Ukraine and join Russia in a March 16 referendum dismissed as a sham by Western governments that say it violated Ukraine's constitution and was held only after Russian forces seized control of the Black Sea peninsula.

COUPLE SPENT 1.56$ ON WEDDING DAY

A couple in Scotland spent less on their wedding day than most people dole out for their coffee every morning. Artist Georgina Porteous, 36, and 39-year-old singer-songwriter Sid Innes budgeted just $1.56 for their big day. Yep, you read that right. The pair are dedicated to recycling and self-sufficiency, according to the U.K.'s Metro News, so they vowed to keep the day they exchanged vows super simple.

So how did the couple throw a great fête for 70 guests for such a paltry price? Porteous and Innes said their "I do's" in a barn on their property behind their cottage. Porteous spent $1.56 on a vintage ivory wedding gown that she found on freecycle.org, a network of exchanges and gifting, while Innes wore an old tweed suit. The couple’s rings were handmade by Porteous using antlers she found in her garden. Her mother officiated the ceremony and a neighborhood reverend donated his services for free in order to make it all official.

IRAN SAYS U.S WILL SUFFER IF SYRIA IS ATTACKED

Iran will support Syria "until the end" in the face of possible US-led military strikes, the chief of Iran's elite Quds Force unit was quoted Thursday by the media as saying.
Iran is Syria's main regional ally and some analysts believe a wider goal of US President Barack Obama's determination to launch a strike against the Damascus regime is to blunt Tehran's growing regional influence and any consequent threat to Washington ally Israel.
"The aim of the United States is not to protect human rights ... but to destroy the front of resistance against isreal.

"We will support Syria to the end," Soleimani added in his speech to the Assembly of Experts.
He did not elaborate on the nature of the support and Iran has constantly denied allegations by Western powers that it has sent military forces to prop up President Bashar al-Assad's embattled regime.

IPHONE FINGERPRINT

Among all of Apple’s rumors this year the most popular is an iPhone fingerprint reader for the upcoming iPhone 5S. Now thanks to a newly leaked photo we get our first look at the highly touted piece of technology.
Leaked by Nowhereelse.fr the photo showcases the bare hardware component for the fingerprint reader.
The picture shows the home button flex cable but its a much more complex version of the same hardware that is found inside the iPhone 5.

As noted the new flex cable features a “mysterious square     element” which likely points to the iPhone fingerprint option.
While some reports have pointed to the home button being a finger print scanner.....So the question now is does this means only you is allowed to operate your phone.

RUSSIAN WARNS U.S

Russia warned Britain and America yesterday that they would be in “grave violation of international law” if they carried out air strikes against the Syrian regime without the approval of the United Nations.

Amid growing concern at home and abroad about the legitimacy and wisdom of the UK participating in an

attack on the Assad regime without UN authorisation, the Government’s most senior law officer will be asked to justify the Britain’s participation in strikes at a meeting of the National Security Council tomorrow.

However, there were no signs of Downing Street backing off from its  intention to join America in the use of military force. A Downing Street  source said they still expected action within two weeks while a spokesman for the Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg, said he was also fully behind a “proportionate” response to President Assad’s use of chemical weapons.
U.S Naval forces are repositioned in the Mediterranean, this leaves the option of an armed strike ready and waiting for the word from Washington. Obama met with advisors on Saturday to go over the feasible options following reports of the alleged chemical attack in Syria.
Russia suggests it was the Syrian rebels who may have carried out the attack, but assigning blame too soon would be a "tragic mistake.

MILEY CYRUS TWERKING

Former Hannah Montana sweetheart Miley Cyrus's gyrating bikini-clad performance at last night's MTV VMA awards left watching celebrities open-mouthed and set Twitter ablaze.

Cyrus, the daughter of Billy Ray Cyrus, the wholesome country and western singer with the "Achy Breaky Heart", has been raising eyebrows for the last four years as she moves further and further away from the teenage Disney channel character that set her on the way to becoming a $150m star aged just twenty years.

Her hyper-sexualised set, which included rubbing her butt into Robin Thicke's crotch and getting extremely personal with an oversized foam finger, drew criticism from feminists for degrading her sex and from some pundits for "picking the pocket of black culture".

Bursting out of an oversized teddy bear, Cyrus started off in a strapless one-piece leotard before stripping down to a flesh-coloured latex bikini and "twerking" her tiny frame all over the stage.

Twerking is nothing new. The provocative dance became part of hip-hop culture in the 90s when it was adopted by the New Orleans bounce music scene before being made popular by the strip clubs of Houston and Atlanta.

It has its roots in west Africa and was also popular in the Jamaican dancehalls before making it to the US.

Typically, women find ever more frenetic and acrobatic ways of "presenting" their bums to their male dance partners.

It has been claimed as an expression of women having power over their sexuality. This feels harder to swallow when it's a large part of the uber-masculine club scenes in Jamaica, west Africa and in some forms of US hip-hop.

Some of the criticism of Cyrus is typically Madonna-whore, with critics gleefully denouncing her for crossing the divide while secretly revelling in the fantasy that all "good girls" have a "slutty side" aching to get out.

EMINEM REVEALS NEW TRACK "SURVIVAL"

Eminem has unveiled a new song the track features in a trailer for the video game Call of Duty: Ghosts.
Survival is taken from Eminem's forthcoming eighth studio album, which hasn't yet been officially named. The follow-up to 2010's Recovery is expected to be released before the end of this year.

 

Eminem, 40, will headline next week's Reading and Leeds Festivals, which takes place between 23-25 August.

The rapper's DJ, alchemist  says that was Eminem "getting back on his feet" with his last two albums and that his next release will see the rapper return to form.
"I think [it will be] what you would expect, especially after the last go-round," he said. "He was just getting his feet back on Relapse and then Recovery just came with the smash hits and everything and I think now - he's Eminem."

According to Shady Records president Paul Rosenberg, Eminem is "far into the process" of recording his new album.
"He's been working on it for some time," said Rosenberg when talking to billboard earlier this year.
Both Kendrick Lamar and Big Sean are rumored to appear on Eminem's next album.