BlackBerry stock rose Monday after Canada's flagship technology company said its board has launched a formal review of its "strategic alternatives" � including the possibility of selling the smart phone company.



The company says the review could result in BlackBerry forming joint ventures, strategic partnerships or a sale of BlackBerry. It didn't specifically mention going private, an idea that has gained favour recently according to recent reports.

However, the long-anticipated formal strategic review � which will seek to get the best deal for BlackBerry shareholders � pushed up BlackBerry share prices.

RIMTimeline: Research in Motion's rise and fall
BlackBerry shares were rose more than 10 per cent, or $1.08, to close at $11.13 on the Toronto Stock Exchange, which is about $8 below the high in January when the stock was boosted by optimism for its BlackBerry 10 smartphones.

The rising stock is a sign of shareholder frustration, according to equity analyst Troy Crandall, of the Montreal-based investment firm MacDougall, MacDougall and MacTier.


The BlackBerry 10 has not met expectations since its debut in January and the company has long talked about turning around its sagging fortunes.

But investors "haven't really seen much come forth from management," Crandall told CBC News. "It's about time they did something."

BlackBerry also announced Monday that Prem Watsa, the head of Canadian insurance company Fairfax Financial and one of BlackBerry's key shareholders, has resigned from the BlackBerry board due to potential conflicts.

Fairfax Financial, which owns 9.9 per cent of BlackBerry, is reported to be in talks with private equity investors to find ways to take BlackBerry private and his departure is taken as a sign of potential interest.

Others who may want to buy the company could include the Canada Pension Plan, which has previously expressed interest, and private equity firm Silver Lake Partners, which reportedly has been in talks with the company on possible collaboration.

Buyers would have been easier to find a few years ago during the company's heyday, said Crandall, when Microsoft, Oracle and other big names were thought to be interested.

"But things have changed and [those companies] are not so interested from what we can tell," he said.

Watsa joined the Blackberry board in early 2012 as part of attempts to revitalize the company, previously called Research In Motion, as its previous long-time co-CEOs stepped aside and installed Thorsten Heins as chief executive.

"I continue to be a strong supporter of the company, the board and management as they move forward during this process, and Fairfax Financial has no current intention of selling its shares," Watsa said in a statement issued by BlackBerry.

The announcement comes amid unconfirmed reports that the Waterloo, Ont.-based company may go private � a move that could result in one or more investors buying out other shareholders and delisting the stock.

Last month, the company laid off 250 employees at its new-product testing facility, and in 2012 shed 5,000 jobs as it sought to regain its footing in the highly competitive smartphone market.

Heins said there are "compelling long-term opportunities" for the company's products including a new generation of BlackBerry smartphones, the BlackBerry Enterprise Server and a new secure global data network.

Source:www.cbc.ca/news/
http://www.naijaedugist.blogspot.com/2013/08/blackberry-to-explore-possible-sale-of.html?m=1

A 39-year-old female Inspector of Police, Mary Igah, had pleaded with an Igando Customary Court in Lagos to dissolve her 19-year marriage because of threats to her life.
She told the court that her husband, Emmanuel, who is also a policeman, threatened to deal with her, and that soon after that, she saw her pant and brassiere in his bag.

She said: �My husband took my underwear without my consent. I saw my pant and brassiere in his hand bag when he wanted to leave for work. I am scared of staying with him, I no longer feel safe in his house.�
Igah alleged that her husband was fond of disgracing her in public, including her place of work, saying, �My husband always comes to embarrass me at my place of work. He will drag me out of my office with beatings, calling me a prostitute.�
The respondent, 46-year-old Emmanuel Igah, who is also a police officer, denied the allegations levelled against him by his wife.

He alleged that his wife was promiscuous. �I heard about my wife�s infidelity, so I went to her office to find out and fortunately for me, I met her with the man. �I did not embarrass her.
I only excused her outside and asked what she was doing with the man and she started shouting. �I did not beat her. In short, I have never raised my hand against her since I married her 19 years ago,� he said.
He begged the court not to grant his wife�s wish because he still loved her. The court president, Mr. R.I. Adeyeri, adjourned the case to August14, 2013 for judgment.
http://www.naijaedugist.blogspot.co.uk/2013/08/see-reasons-why-this-policewoman-wants.html?m=1

 Actor, Leo Mezie, tells ’Nonye Ben-Nwankwo about his style
How has your career been?
It has been very challenging. The jobs have been very slow and not flowing as they used to. Investors are now scared of their investments. At this point, we are stuck, we can’t go front or back and the government is not doing anything to look into this sector and it is affecting the business.

If it is affecting the business, how have you been surviving?
The movie industry is just a stepping-stone for me. I ventured into it because I liked it. I see it as a hobby and not a profession. Even while I was doing the movies, I was still feeling I was a government person. I do about two movies in a month, I come back and rest. I am good in PR and events packaging. I started running an events and PR outfit for some government agencies. It has been very interesting. Despite the fact that there is competition, my popular face has sort of given me an edge.

What does style mean to you?
Style means everything. I had the opportunity to be with one modelling agency when I started my career in the late 90s. I came to realise that everybody is addressed by the way he is dressed. Your style depicts the kind of person you are. If you step into an office, your dressing will either get you a, ‘Welcome sir’ or a ‘Can I help you?’ I can’t imagine putting on full agbada regalia and attending a baby’s one year birthday. My style depends on where I am going. It is very important to me.

So you were once a model?
Oh yes. That is one area of my life that I have not really talked about. I started with modelling before I became an actor. I was with Modella. Then, I started going for auditions and it was taking my time. I didn’t have time again to attend rehearsals for modelling.

Why did you go into acting, was it that you wanted to be more prominent?
It wasn’t anything like that. I didn’t like the way we walked in the modelling world. Our walk was just the way the females walk. I was told that the walk on the runway was different from the way you walk on the streets. And then, each time I went for movie audition, I got a role. I decided to quit modelling.

As a showbiz personality, don’t you take out time to look good?
Looking good is good business.  I hardly attend events because I always feel it means my looking for something to wear. At last year’s Africa Movies Academy Awards held in Lagos, it took my wife and I three straight days to choose from six different attires that I could wear. We finally decided on two. She chose one and I chose another. On the day of the event, I went with what she chose but just as we got outside, I went back to the house and undressed and I wore what I wanted to wear and she liked it.

Have you made a fashion mistake before?
I have made such mistakes a couple of times. I went for an event at Oriental Hotel in Lagos. My colleagues called me and told me about an event and said I should come around. I got to the hotel and I saw my colleagues, then I realised I was seriously over dressed.  They didn’t tell me it was a jeans affair. I refused to attend the event. I just had to go and wait for them at the pool side. I have also been to another event where I was underdressed. I think it was in Delta State. I was filming and somebody invited me for a dinner. He gave me the impression that it was a casual event. I got there and people were formally dressed. I refused to enter the hall. I insisted on going back to my hotel and changing into something more befitting for the occasion.

What is the most expensive fashion item that you have?
It is my wedding ring. It is not all about how much it costs. But the thing is that I buy a new wedding ring every wedding anniversary. Last month was our wedding anniversary; I woke her up with a new wedding ring and renewed our vow. That is the most expensive fashion item that I have.

Can you count the number of shoes you have?
I can’t count them. I am not saying that I have so many but I can tell you that there are shoes I have not worn for one year.

What can you not leave home without?
Of course, I can never leave home without my wedding ring. Even if I forget it, I always go back home. It makes me feel responsible and makes me feel fully dressed. It also makes me feel very comfortable in the midst of ladies.

You sound as if you have always been faithful to your wife since you got married to her.
I will not like to deceive myself. However, to an extent, I have been faithful. I meet ladies every day. I have a lot of admirers, fans and friends. But at each point, I don’t see anything unique about them. The only reason I can date another woman is if the person is better than my wife. Friends ask me if I am the first person to get married because of the way I behave. I always tell them that the ladies can never do to me what my wife will do to me. It has not been a challenge for my wife letting me go where I want to go. She knows I will find it difficult to get anyone who will do five per cent of what she does.

But you were a ladies’ man before you got married…
I was a ladies’ man on the street and not in the hotel or my house. I have more female friends than male friends.

Do you wear boxers or briefs?
I wear boxers. But I love briefs. But since I got married, my wife loves me to wear boxers. Even when I want to go out, I would want to wear briefs but she would insist I wear boxers. She said she is turned on each time I wear boxers.

Are you a perfume freak?
No, I am not. I just wear perfume because I don’t want to have an offensive odour at any time. If I am going to stay out a whole day, I would wear a perfume or body spray. But if it is just to hang out with friends for just an hour or two, I used roll on and wear my shirt. Naturally, I don’t like the smell of perfume. It chokes me.

What do you love wearing on a normal day?
I love to wear causals. I love jeans and Tee-shirt any day.
Source: Punch 
http://naijaedugist.blogspot.com/2013/08/i-wear-boxers-because-they-turn-my-wife.html

Lionel Messi has dealt with the problem of having annoying neighbours by simply buying their house, like a boss.
By Adrian Collins
It’s not often we hear of Lionel Messi doing something extravagant with all his money, but it seems like he might have done just that by purchasing his neighbour’s house.


According to a report in Spanish paper El Mundo Deportivo, Messi is currently living in the Pedralbes area of Barcelona with his wife and son, where they bought an apartment a little over a year ago. However, they are only there as a temporary measure while their house in the Castelfedells neighbourhood is being renovated.
His neighbours, who were having problems meeting the demands of their mortgage, offered to sell their house to Messi, but the Argentine wasn’t interested.

As a result, the neighbours poor behaviour increased, including a lot of noise and loud music at all hours, but that wasn’t the worst of it. To make a bit of extra cash, they started renting out the house to interested fans and celebrity spotters who wanted to get a look at the football superstar.

When he built a wall to stop this from happening, they threatened to report the Messis for making the wall too high.
As a result, Messi decided to just take their house, as they originally suggested, just to get some peace and quiet for the price of about a million euro. It’s a tough aul life all the same. 
http://naijaedugist.blogspot.com/2013/08/read-how-lionel-messi-bought-his.html