Angelina Jolie has ovaries removed after cancer scare

Husband Brad Pitt flew back from France to be with the actress who took the decision two years after undergoing a preventative double mastectomy due to her family history of cancer

                          

Angelina Jolie has described the difficult decision to have her ovaries removed after a cancer scare.

The Hollywood star, who had a preventative double mastectomy two years ago, underwent the operation to remove her ovaries and fallopian tubes in recent days and her husband, Brad Pitt, flew back from France to be her by her side. The operation will put her into forced menopause.

Miss Jolie, 39, carries a mutation in the BRCA1 gene that gave her an 87 per cent risk of breast cancer and a 50 per cent risk of ovarian cancer. Her mother, grandmother and aunt all died from cancer.

In an article for the New York Times headlined "Diary of a Surgery" the actress said she had been planning preventative surgery to remove her ovaries for a while but thought she had time in hand.

                     

Then, two weeks ago, she received a call from her doctor saying there were markers that could be a sign of early cancer.

Miss Jolie wrote: "I told myself to stay calm, to be strong, and that I had no reason to think I wouldn't live to see my children grow up and to meet my grandchildren.

"I called my husband in France, who was on a plane within hours. The beautiful thing about such moments in life is that there is so much clarity. You know what you live for and what matters. It is polarising, and it is peaceful.

"That same day I went to see the surgeon, who had treated my mother. I last saw her the day my mother passed away, and she teared up when she saw me: 'You look just like her.' I broke down."

The actress and UN envoy described how she needed to wait five days for results, which passed in a "haze" while she did things such as watching her children's football game.

When her scan came back it was clear but she chose not to wait any longer to have her ovaries removed.

Miss Jolie said she decided to share her experience to make good on a promise to follow up with information for other women at risk of cancer, having previously written about her double mastectomy.

She wanted to encourage women to seek advice about health issues, adding: "Knowledge is power."

She wrote: "I did not do this solely because I carry the BRCA1 gene mutation, and I want other women to hear this. A positive BRCA test does not mean a leap to surgery.

"The most important thing is to learn about the options and choose what is right for you personally. In my case, the Eastern and Western doctors I met agreed that surgery to remove my tubes and ovaries was the best option."

                 

The actress gave details of the procedure she underwent which was called a laparoscopic bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy.

She wrote: "I am now in menopause. I will not be able to have any more children, and I expect some physical changes.

"But I feel at ease with whatever will come, not because I am strong but because this is a part of life. It is nothing to be feared. I know my children will never have to say, 'Mom died of ovarian cancer'."

Passenger plane carrying 148 people crashes in the French Alps en route from Spain to Germany

A plane carrying 142 passengers and six crew has crashed in the southern French Alps en route from Spain to Germany. 

The Airbus A320 disappeared from radar in the Alpes de Hautes Provence after sending a distress signal at 10.47am local time (9.47am GMT).

Debris from the jet, operated by Lufthansa's Germanwings budget airline, has been found scattered over a wide area near Barcelonnette.

French president Francois Hollande said that he did not expect there to be any survivors. 

He said: It's a loss, a tragedy which has happened on our soil. 

'I am seeking information about homes in the area it came down. It's difficult place to access. In the meantime solidarity must prevail.' 

                           

Mr Hollande said he would be meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and the King of Spain, visiting Paris for three days.

The cause of the crash was not immediately known, with weather conditions described as good in the region and the airliner flying at an altitude high above the Alps.

French Prime Minister Manuel Valls said he understood between 142 and 150 people were on board and feared dead.

The plane was travelling from the Spanish coastal city of Barcelona to the German city of Duesseldorf when it went down in the Barcelonnette area in southeastern France. 

A spokesman for the DGAC aviation authority said the airplane crashed near the town of Barcelonnette about 100 km (65 miles) north of the French Riviera city of Nice.

German media reports say there is a wide field of debris visible. 

According to flight data from FlightAware 24, at 09.30 UTC (10.30 GMT) the aircraft was cruising at 38,000 feet at 532mph.

It started losing altitude to 37,975 by 10.31am with the speed reportedly increasing to 548mph.

But 10.41am, the last reported radar returns had the aircraft descending to 6,800 feet at 434mph. 

The aircraft plunged 31,200 feet in just ten minutes, according to the data.

                     

Lufthansa's Germanwings unit said it was as yet unable to verify reports of the crash.

The company tweeted: 'We have recently become aware of media reports speculating on an incident though we still do not have any own confirmed information.' 

The crashed A320 is 24 years old and has been with the parent Lufthansa group since 1991, according to online database airfleets.net.  

The local La Provence newspaper said the Airbus A320 was carrying 142 passengers, two pilots and four cabin crew, citing aviation officials. 

Lufthansa were not immediately available for a comment. Airbus had no immediate comment. 

Germanwings today is the low-cost subsidiary of German national carrier Lufthansa, and was first branded in 2002. 

The company’s history can be dated back to 1997, however, when it was known as Eurowings.

                       

The airline’s main hubs are at Cologne Bonn Airport, Stuttgart Airport, Hamburg Airport, Berlin Tegel Airport and Dusseldorf Airport with further bases are Hannover Airport and Dortmund Airport.

Lufthansa have announced that Cologne-based Germanwings will be going back to its roots and re-branding back to Eurowings in autumn this year.

There are a total of 81 aircraft in Germanwings’ fleet, with an average of 9.2 years, flying to 86 destinations around the world. The fleet includes the Airbus A319, Airbus A320 and the Bombardier CRJ900.

There had never been a fatal crash in Germanwings’ history until the reports of today’s tragedy.

Back in December 2010, a Germanwings flight was said to be ‘moments from crashing’ after the pilots were overcome with fumes on landing at Cologne. 

The plane had 150 passengers on board, and officials accused Germanwings of ‘playing down the incident’ to ‘avoid investigation’. 

The first flight of an Airbus A320 took place in February 1987 in Toulouse, France, watched on by Prince Charles and the late Diana, Princess of Wales, who were guests of then French Prime Minister Jacques Chirac.

More than 1,400 people attended the opening at the French company’s headquarters.

The first delivery of the aircraft was to Air France on March 26, 1988.

Airbus A320 aircraft have been part of Lufthansa fleet, including its subsidiaries, since 1989.

Ballot papers arrive states tomorrow

                 
ABUJA—Ballot papers for this Saturday’s presidential and National Assembly elections are to be moved from Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN vaults from tomorrow, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC has said. - See more at: 

Mr. Kayode Idowu, chief press secretary to the INEC chairman, told Vanguard yesterday that already, all the non-sensitive materials have been distributed while the ballot papers where kept in the vaults of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) branches across the country.

Mr. Idowu also dismissed any effect on the election arising from the theft of a card reader in Zamfara State as he said that the particular reader stolen had not been configured and will be useless to the thieves.

He also confirmed that the ballot papers for the different positions and locations had been customised in such a way that it will be difficult to be faked by anybody.

The commission he said, is ready with the logistics that will enhance a free, fair and credible polls across the country.

“The non-sensitive materials have long been sent to locations for onward distribution to polling units for the polls while the sensitive materials which are the ballot papers have been at the Central Bank vaults, and by this Wednesday, they will be distributed to the states. From the state offices they will be taken to the local government offices on Thursday and from there we distribute to ward levels on Friday. And by 5 am on Saturday people will move them from the wards to the polling units,” Mr. Idowu said.

“So the commission is ready for the polls, we have concluded the training of the staff that will man the various polling units, so we anticipate a very successful outing this weekend.” Idowu stated.

Nigeria, others, have world’s worst energy access

                                         
Nigeria and other countries of the Sub-Sahara African region have the world’s worst access to electricity, the International Energy Agency, IEA, said in its latest report. - See more at:

The report said that the sub-region has 13 percent of the world’s population, but 48 percent of the share of the global population without access to electricity. The only other region with a similar imbalance is South Asia, with 23 percent of the world’s population and 34 percent of the people without access to electricity. This means that almost 600 million people in sub-Saharan Africa lack access to electricity.

Only seven countries—Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Gabon, Ghana, Namibia, Senegal and South Africa, have electricity access rates exceeding 50 percent. The rest of the region has an average grid access rate of just 20 percent. Moreover, even when there is access to electricity, there may not be enough to go around, the report said.   Nigeria is the most populous country in Sub-Sahara Africa.

It explained that as regards consumption, Africa’s rates are far below other emerging markets. Average electricity consumption in Sub-Saharan Africa, excluding South Africa, is only about 150 kilowatt-hours per capita. This is a fraction of consumption rates in Brazil, India, and South Africa. According to the report, sub-Saharan Africa has an extraordinary opportunity but will have to do a lot of work to take advantage of it.

The report noted that Sub-Saharan Africa is starved for electricity, as the region’s power sector is significantly underdeveloped, from the point of view of energy access, installed capacity, or overall consumption. “The fact that Sub-Saharan Africa’s residential and industrial sectors suffer electricity shortages means that countries struggle to sustain GDP growth. The stakes are enormous. Indeed, fulfilling the economic and social promise of the region, and Africa in general depends on the ability of government and investors to develop the continent’s huge electricity capacity,” it said.

“Countries with electrification rates of less than 80 percent of the population consistently suffer from reduced GDP per capita. The only countries that have electrification rates of less than 80 percent with GDP per capita greater than $3,500 are those with significant wealth in natural resources, such as Angola, Botswana, and Gabon. But even they fall well short of economic prosperity. Whether people can obtain electricity (access), and if so, how much they are able to consume (consumption) are the two most important metrics that can indicate the degree to which the power sector is supporting national development,” the report said.

It also projected that Sub-Saharan Africa will consume nearly 1,600 terawatt hours by 2040, four times what was used in 2010. “The forecast is based on a number of important factors, including a fivefold increase in GDP, a doubling of population, electricity-access levels reaching more than 70 percent by 2040, and increased urbanisation.

Kerry Washington Accepts the Vanguard Award at the 2015 GLAAD Media Awards & Delivers a Powerful Speech – Watch

Hollywood actress Kerry Washington was the recipient of the Vanguard Award at the recently held 2015 GLAAD Media awards and as she was presented the award the gorgeous actress gave a powerful speech.

The 38-year-old actress started off her speech by saying:

On Monday morning, people are going to click a link to hear what that woman from Scandal said at that awards show, and so, I think some stuff needs to be said. Women, poor people, people of color, people with disabilities, immigrants, gay men, lesbians, bisexuals, trans people, intersex people…have been pitted against each other and made to feel like there are limited seats at the table for those of us who fall into the category of other. We need more diverse LGBT representation [in the media]. And this is big — we need more employment of LGBT people, in front of and behind the camera. We can’t say that we believe in each other’s fundamental humanity and then turn a blind eye to the reality of each other’s existence and the truth of each other’s hearts.

                                      

                                     

Actress Ruth Kadiri Looks Stunning In New Pics As She Turns A Year Older

                                        

                                       

                                 

Unborn baby shown grimacing in womb as mother smokes

                                 

The researchers are hoping the images will encourage mothers who are struggling to give up smoking

Unborn babies appear to grimace in the womb when their mother lights up, scientists have shown, demonstrating the harmful effects of smoking during pregnancy.

The tiny movements were captured in the faces of the foetuses during using 4D ultrasound scans.

Pregnant women have long been urged to give up cigarettes because they heighten the risk of premature birth, respiratory problems and even cot death.

Now researchers believe they can show the effects of smoking on babies in the womb - and use the images to encourage mothers who are struggling to give up.

^{Foetuses whose mothers smoked (left) continued to show significantly higher rates of mouth movement and self-touching than those carried by non-smokers (right)}

Dr Nadja Reissland has studied moving 4D scan images and recorded thousands of tiny movements in the womb.

She monitored 20 mothers attending the James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough, four of whom smoked an average of 14 cigarettes a day.

After studying their scans at 24, 28, 32 and 36 weeks, she detected that foetuses whose mothers smoked continued to show significantly higher rates of mouth movement and self-touching than those carried by non-smokers.

Foetuses usually move their mouths and touch themselves less as they gain more control the closer they get to birth.

                                                  

The pilot study, which Dr Reissland hopes to expand with a bigger sample, indicated that babies carried by smokers may have delayed development of the central nervous system.

The research, conducted by Durham and Lancaster University, is published in the journal Acta Paediatrica.

Dr Reissland, from Durham's Psychology Department, said: "A larger study is needed to confirm these results and to investigate specific effects, including the interaction of maternal stress and smoking."

She believed that videos of the difference in pre-birth development could help mothers give up smoking.

But she was against demonising mothers and called for more support for them to give up. Currently, 12 per cent of pregnant women in the UK smoke but the rate is over 20 per cent in the Durham, Darlington and Tees area.

                                          

^{Fetus of a mother who smoked up to 14 cigarettes a day (left) and fetus of a non-smoking mother (right)}

All the babies in her study were born healthy, and were of normal size and weight.

Dr Reissland, who has an expertise in studying foetal development, thanked the mothers who took part in her study, especially those who smoked.

"I'm really grateful, they did a good thing," she said. "These are special people and they overcame the stigma to help others."

Co-author Professor Brian Francis, of Lancaster University, added: "Technology means we can now see what was previously hidden, revealing how smoking affects the development of the foetus in ways we did not realise.

"This is yet further evidence of the negative effects of smoking in pregnancy."

Last year the number of women smoking in pregnancy fell to its lowest in eight years, but more than one in 10 still struggle to kick the habit.

Smoking not only impacts pregnancy but stops women conceiving.

Studies have shown that lighting up reduces sperm count, harms egg quality, hastens the menopause and increases the dangers of premature birth and the need for caesarean sections.

It also reduces the chances of a woman becoming pregnant because it undermines the ability of fertilised eggs to implant in the lining of the womb, according to research to be published today.

The Department of Health is hoping to reduce the percentage of women smoking in pregnancy from 12 per cent to 11 per cent by the end of the year.

10 Wise Ways to Redefine Yourself

                           

Life consists of ups and downs. Sometimes you may face a moment when you feel that your life has hit a brick wall and you’re unable to feel happy until the main concepts of your life are changed for better. From time to time it’s desirable to set new priorities that will fill your life with interesting adventures and events. Moreover, new directions will bring new friends and acquaintances into your life.

The process of redefining your life can heal various mental problems and conditions and can stimulate your personal growth. Unfortunately, many people lose valuable opportunities, because they treat life changes as something unidentified and unsafe. I hope these pieces of advice will help you become a person you have always dreamt to be.

1. Get rid of one bad habit

Nowadays bad habits are peculiar to every personality. If you want to start a new stage of personal development, you should rid yourself of bad habits. Bad habits are the weak points of your character. Plus, they can be a silent killer of your body. I realize that it’s very hard to break all bad habits at once, but you can conquer one of your worst bad habits and say “goodbye” to it. It will give you the motivation to fight other bad habits.

2. Cultivate new qualities

I’ve found that cultivating new qualities is one of the most effective ways to redefine yourself. This step will develop all the qualities you would like to have. First of all, you need to create the list of qualities that you think will improve your personality. Some people want to become more active, while others prefer to be more brave and determined. This list will help you embody all desired qualities. Those people who know what they really want to become in their life usually have more chances to reach their goals.

3. What defines you?

There are many life factors that define you. You are the only one who can decide what changes you need. Some people believe that the family is the main priority in their life. Others find career the main defining factor. Take a moment and realize what things define you. You should focus more on the areas and directions that can change your inner world. These thoughts can create new interests that will inspire you to set new standards and help you enjoy your life with a smile on your face.

4. New friends

It’s not surprising that people can change the life of others both positively and negatively. If your current friends and acquaintances oppress you and fill you up with constant negativity, then you should break this cycle and change the circle of your contacts. The change of the atmosphere will make you feel free and refreshed. Furthermore, new people can help you become what you want to be and make your common dreams come true. If you have no idea where to find these people, you may try to join social networks. You should believe in something wonderful and people around will do their best to help you succeed in your actions.

5. Follow your old passion

Don’t say that you’re too old to follow your passions. I’m sure that everyone has an old dream that is forgotten due to the lack of opportunity to fulfill it. Now it’s high time to recollect those old passions and do all possible things to make them come true even if it requires you to step out of your comfort zone. Try to redefine your life with a help of your old passions. Life is too short to postpone your happiness for tomorrow all the time. You should understand that your old passions and dreams can open a new page in the book of your happy life.

6. Visual plan

Redefining yourself is a challenging thing, so you need to create a visual plan in order to achieve your desired changes gradually. This visual plan will motivate you to follow the instructions until you succeed. You can put this visual plan in front of your eyes. It will remind you about it every day.

7. Do what you love

The greatest pleasure in life is doing what you love to do. Unfortunately, life is so hectic and busy that you often find compromises and avoid things that make you happier. Take a sheet of paper and create a list of things that make your eyes shine with delight. Maybe you would like to work as a florist? Maybe you want to join a sports club? Don’t waste time dreaming and just do it! Don’t worry too much only about the size of your incomes. Just like Marsha Sinetar once said, “Do what you love and the money will follow.” If you do your job properly, you will succeed without a doubt.

8. Be realistic

When you decide to redefine yourself, you shouldn’t go into extremes. Changing the circle of contacts doesn’t mean that you should burn all bridges with the people around you. It’s better to change the atmosphere around you step by step in order to avoid stress both for you and your family. If redefining yourself means going in for sports then you should develop a realistic vision of the situation. Don’t overload yourself with hard and exhausting exercises. Try to do new things in a sensible manner.

9. Don’t mind what others think

Life is better when you care less about what others think and say about you. People will always judge you, because they have to react your actions. You need to ignore their comments and focus on your inner world. It will help you reach new goals and satisfy your needs. If you stop listening to the destructive criticism of others, you’ll live in harmony with yourself. Don’t even try to please people around you since it’s just a waste of time.

10. Try to be positive

One of the most effective ways to redefine yourself is to fill your life with positivity. If you want to be on the positive wave all the time, then you should make positivity a habit and replace negative thinking by a positive one. Soon, you’ll notice nice changes of both your life and your personality. Furthermore, it will be easier to find new friends, because nowadays people tend to communicate with interesting and positive personalities.

A frank desire to redefine yourself can overcome all barriers. Unfortunately, many things cannot be changed in a moment. You should be patient enough to wait and face all possible difficulties on your way. Have you ever tried to redefine yourself? What are your secrets to make a positive change?

Read also 

7 Reasons Why It’s So Important to Love Yourself

'The bed bangs up against the wall!' Kim Kardashian reveals her mother Kris Jenner's is keeping her awake with toyboy Corey Gamble

                      

She called time on her 23-year marriage to husband Bruce last year and it seems Kris Jenner is in no hurry to walk down the aisle again.

As her romance with toyboy beau Corey Gamble was seen heating up on Keeping Up With The Kardashians, Kris assured daughter Khloe she was not rushing into another serious relationship.

'We're just hanging out right now,' the Kardashian family matriarch said coyly when asked by Khloe if they were dating. 'I don't think I will ever get married again.'

You can f*** whoever you want, just don't get married right now,' Khloe advised.

The state of Kris's love life was on everyone's lips on Sunday's episode of the hit reality TV show.

Speaking to Kylie Jenner, Scott Disick said: 'She's newly single. We've got to get her in the playing field. I just don't know what kind of man she expects or is going to want at this point.'

'I think the same age, but I don't think she thinks the same age,' Kylie quipped.

'She thinks the "same age" is 40 and she's not 40,' Scott laughed.

'She's a cougar,' Kylie said.

A horrified Kris caught Scott, Kylie and Kendall looking through her text messages to see who she had been flirting with.

'It must be very difficult to jump back into the dating world 23 years later, but if she's sexting with other guys it's very odd because 20 years ago I don’t think you were getting laid over text messages,' Scott said.

'I don't know if Kris googled "how to be sexy over text" but she's doing it and it's inappropriate and very uncomfortable.'

As Kim expressed concern that her mother was ignoring her advice to take it slow, Scott pointed out: 'Didn't you get married both times after a couple of months?']

But the self-confessed 'Lord' Disick was left open-mouthed when Kim revealed she had heard some strange noises coming from her mother’s bedroom.

'The bed bangs up against the wall. I was literally trying to pass out and I woke up and I swear I thought I heard moaning,' she said.

'That’s disgusting. I have the worst visual,' Khloe said.

Kris, who was later seen getting cosy with Corey in a Las Vegas nightclub, said she was feeling exasperated at all the questions about her love life.

'I can't do anything right,' she told Khloe, who pointed out a bruise on her neck and said: 'You got the hickey right though.'

'It's not a hickey,' Kris protested.

It's so annoying that my family is being so judgmental because all I really want to do is live my life.

'Everybody wants to know what the title is, everybody wants answers. It's like a bunch of haters.'

'We just want you to be happy and have fun,' Khloe reassured her mother.

'Life is about having fun,' Kim added.

Kourtney, meanwhile, managed to upset Kim by kicking up a fuss when her sister asked if she would appear as a character in her Glu Mobile video game.

'I just don't get why they use our name and likeness but don’t pay us,' she said.

'Kourtney's always difficult,' Kim told the cameras. 'When we were first starting our careers I would do anything to help them out.'

Kourtney doesn't have to lift a finger, she doesn't have to do anything. She should do this for me with no questions asked.'

During a heated row with her sister, Kim said Scott had advised her to buy Kourtney a pair of shoes to sweet-talk her into taking part.

Kim said: 'I said to Scott 'I'm not buying her a pair of shoes, I bought her a f***ing career. It's just lame to not do me a favour.'

But the mother-of-one was left stunned when she received a cease and desist letter from Kourtney, ordering her to stop pressing her about the game.

'Obama has a character and Kourtney Kardashian is being difficult,' Kim laughed.

But she eventually decided to apologise to her sister for not simply asking her for a favour and told her she had managed to negotiate a fee.

'I appreciate the apology and I'm happy to do it,' Kourtney said.

''I'll get your check over a.s.a.p.' Kim replied.

While Kourtney and Kim were rowing over video games, Khloe and Scott attended a Halloween party in Ottawa, Canada dressed as a cat and a Saudi Prince.

Khloe upset her Instagram followers when she posted a photo and captioned it 'Sheik p***y.'

'I have to be more aware of what I write, even if it's tongue in cheek,' she later admitted.

Scott confessed he was finding it hard to attend meet and greet events where everyone was drinking around him.

'Doing events and parties is one of my jobs, so I don't want to mess that up and I feel like I can't go to these things and act like an animal. I just don't want to not be able to drink at all because then all I think about is drinking,' he said.

                            

                            

                            

JOHN LEGEND ON CHRISSY TEIGEN NUDE PICS: 'WE DON'T MIND SHOWING OFF OUR BODIES'

John Legnend has no problem with wife  Chrissy Teigen taking off her clothes. Especially when he does it, too. Teigen was recently photographed in the nude by paparazzi as she participated in a photo shoot, and Legend reveals he was posing for the camera, too.

“We don’t mind showing off our bodies,” he tells “Entertainment Tonight.” “We just feel like there’s no problem being natural and nude when you’re with the right photographer and it’s done the right way. We weren’t shy about it.” Legend explains, “We were working with Bruce Weber, who’s one of the greatest photographers on the planet. We wanted to do some great stuff.”

The singer goes on to laugh, “Some lucky paparazzo caught wind of it. But Bruce’s presentation will be a lot better.” So, where was Legend when the paparazzi captured Teigen naked? “I think when they caught some of that stuff I was back there changing, so I wasn’t able to guard her properly apparently,” he says. The finished pictures will appear in an upcoming issue of DuJuour.

                        

Rob Kardashian appears to compare sister Kim to psychotic Gone Girl murderer as he shares still of Rosamund Pike's character splattered with blood

                                             

It looks as if there could be some deep anger among the Kardashian siblings.

Rob, the son of Kris Jenner and the late Robert Kardashian, made a disturbing Instagram post on Sunday where he drew a parallel between his sister Kim, 34, and the cunning villain of the 2014 drama Gone Girl, played by Rosamund Pike.

'This is my sister Kim, the b**** from Gone Girl,' the 28-year-old E! star wrote in his caption.

                                      

                             

The comparison is far from flattering as Pike played a ruthless Manhattan trust fund beauty who went to great lengths to put her cheating husband, played by Ben Affleck, in a terrible light.

The character lied, faked her death and even murdered an ex-boyfriend (played by Neil Patrick Harris).

This post signs that the chill has gotten even stronger between Rob - who has not been seen in public in months - and Kim, who is more famous than ever now that she is married to Kanye West and has his child, North, aged one.

                     

Sister Khloe Kardashian, 30, is concerned that younger brother Rob is suffering from social anxiety.

The beauty admits that Rob is not at his 'happiest place' but maintains hope that he will get there soon.

It was announced in June 2014 that Rob wanted nothing more to do with the E! reality TV show that made sisters Kim, Kourtney, Kendall and Kylie, as well as mum Kris and step dad Bruce Jenner, famous. 

                                    

After a significant weight gain and a falling out with Kim about her wedding to Kanye West, it was decided that Rob would no longer receive an ongoing storyline in the show and is now rarely ever seen.

Speaking to WonderWall this week, Khloe said: 'I just feel, especially over the last year, Rob has become very introverted and has a kind of social anxiety.

'He’s definitely not at his happiest place that he once was, and I know he can get to that happy place and he will.

'We all kind of get to a place where you don't know where to go in life or whatever, so I think it's important for him to know that he always has people to lean on and it's not unnatural for people to not know where to begin. It's a growing process. I will always be his No. 1 supporter.' 

Khloe was speaking as she hosted a party at Las Vegas’s 1 OAK nightclub, something the confident blonde is now familiar with. 

                                                        

And while his sisters continue to dominate the headlines and the magazine covers, Rob has faded increasingly into the shadow of their high profile lives in the last year.

Last week, family rallied around on social media to wish their brother a very happy birthday as he marked his 28th.

Posting a sentimental snap to Instagram, Khloe wrote: 'Happy birthday @robkardashian!!!!!! Never will I ever meet another man as great as you! I know this is the year where you will find your happiness again! 

                                    

'I will be right by your side, holding your hand, every step of the way!!! I adore you my one and only brother!! Happy Happy Happy birthday!!' 

To his birthday party, Radar Online reports that Rob only invited sisters Kourtney and Khloe, along with nieces North West and Penelope Disick.

Mother Kris meanwhile, appeared to be away for the week in a paradise location, accompanied by actress Melanie Griffith. 

                

Rob is said to have fallen out with big sister Kim around the time of her wedding to Kanye, with whom she has daughter North West.

At the time, reports by In Touch Weekly claimed Rob had been 'self-medicating with strong prescription painkillers, doing heavy drugs and taking Sizzurp, a combination of prescription-strength cough syrup and sugary soda.'

                           

Gareth Bale suffers another chastening night for Real Madrid

Real Madrid's world-record signing is in desperate need of some luck - and four other lessons from the 2-1 Clasico defeat against Barcelona

                            

This was a huge night for The World's Most Expensive Footballer. And what we learned in the Nou Camp was that, no matter how inflated your transfer fee, there are times when everything just goes horribly wrong. There was little amiss with Bale's work-rate, endeavour or attitude: he showed for the ball, took defenders on and kept trying to make things happen, particularly in the first half.

But the golden touch which marked Bale in big games last season appears to have deserted him, replaced by a streak of cruel fortune. Never was that more evident than towards the end of the first half, when Bale slid in to turn home a cross from the left that Cristiano Ronaldo had flicked on towards him. The ball nestled in the corner of the net and Bale was off in celebration...only for an offside flag to smother his joy.

What at first seemed a questionable decision - Bale was not offside when Ronaldo nodded on - was actually vindicated when the Portuguese was shown to be marginally ahead of play when the ball was played in.

From then on, Bale suffered a hugely frustrating night: he missed a wonderful chance moments later, squeezing a shot past the post from 10 yards out after Barca failed to clear, and in the second half was almost completely squeezed out of the action, with his teammates apparently unable - or unwilling - to bring him into the game: he touched the ball just 14 times after the interval.

The questions over his suitability for the biggest club in world football are unlikely to disperse after a bad night.

                     

Before tonight, there was a suspicion brewing that Luis Suarez - for all his obvious gifts - had lost his knack of rising to the big occasion.

The former Liverpool striker was not enduring a popularity slump in Catalonia, despite his relative lack of goals: indeed, if anything, Suarez's appetite for hard work and selflessness made him even more appreciated by fans accustomed to watching Messi and Neymar's more self-interested endeavours.

Still, every great striker needs goals in great games, and Suarez duly delivered tonight. His crisp right-footed finish past Iker Casillas midway through the second half not only gave Barca a precious advantage, but was a pointed reminder that this most effective of Premier League goalscorers has not lost his edge.

                

By the standards of CR7, March had been a barren month for the Ballon d'Or winner. And while one goal in three matches might be a perfectly respectable strike-rate for most mortals, for Ronaldo it simply won't do.

But nothing jolts the Portuguese back to form quite like a trip to the Nou Camp: he had scored nine goals in his previous 11 visits to the stadium and tonight provided a 10th in 12. A slick move involving Luka Modric and a lovely backheel from Karim Benzema set him up in the area and he only needed one touch to send the ball skimming into the corner.

It was far from a vintage performance from Ronaldo - the days when he would single-handedly take a big game in a chokehold and bend it to its will are becoming rarer - but it was confirmation that there are few players more clinical when the moment arrives. It was also an emphatic way to underline his credentials as Real's undisputed totem, in the wake of suggestions he could be considering his future in Spain.

                    

There was a time when the Clasico became almost unwatchable thanks to its predilection for diving, rowing, referee harrassment and generally unpleasant behaviour. Strangely, after Jose Mourinho left the Bernabeu, the match had rediscovered some of its old swagger...until tonight's instalment, at least.

There were two dreadful examples of playacting which rubbed some of the sheen off this blue-chip occasion: Ronaldo's dive over Gerard Pique's 'challenge' in the 37th minute, which was quite rightly rewarded with a booking from a very brave referee, Antonio Mateu Lahoz, and a horrible bit of gamesmanship from Javier Mascherano in the second half when he collapsed theatrically in an attempt to earn Ronaldo a second yellow card.

               

Leaving aside the rash of playmakers and wingers in the Clasico, it now seems clear that Karim Benzema is the undisputed king of La Liga's out-and-out strikers.

He may not deliver as many goals as his more feted peers, but there is no more effective forward in Spanish football: the Frenchman is not just a willing workhorse, ready to bend defences out of shape with his constant movement - he is also one of the shrewdest around. His backheeled pass to Ronaldo was a thing of technical and intellectual beauty, requiring anticipation, spatial awareness and sublime co-ordination.

He deserved a goal himself but was denied by a superb save from Claudio Bravo and, while he tired as the second half wore on, he still looked the man most likely to get Real back into the game.

7 Reasons Why It’s So Important to Love Yourself

              

Loving yourself and narcissism or selfishness are absolutely different things. Love is all about giving and receiving and if you can give enough care, attention and sympathy to yourself, most probably you can give it to others as well. You must have heard the old truth that we cannot love others if we cannot love ourselves. Love flourishes when we give it to other people, but love always starts with ‘me’. We are the only ones responsible for our life, choices and deeds so we just have no right to be neglectful of ourselves. However, I’ve never thought about why it’s so important to love yourself even though I completely agree with the statement. The reasons stated below show that loving yourself is really essential.

1. When you love who you are, you accept who you are

Indeed, I know perfectly well all my positive and negative sides and I accept them. It doesn’t mean I’m satisfied with all my traits. Loving yourself doesn’t mean that you should stop improving yourself. It just helps you realize that you are the only one, with your unique traits, qualities and potentialities. It gives a great sense of confidence. When you accept who you are, you feel no need to counterfeit someone or compare yourself to others. And this is the most powerful and inspiring feeling ever.

2. It gives you confidence and approval

We all love confident and charismatic people. This is our inner subconscious desire and you cannot do anything with it. Compassion is also important but when people need to talk to someone, they usually address a strong confident person. People who love themselves are more likely to get a better job, promotion and more friends and admirers. I think it’s a crucial reason to love yourself.

3. You will avoid self-reproach

Self-reproach, sorrow and sense of shame are the worst things a person can experience. Loving yourself means being less anxious and depressed and also less inclined to stresses and self-torture. A friend of mine was always dissatisfied with her weight, even though she was really a beautiful girl. She stuck to numerous diets and lost so much weight that she was forced to see the doctor. It’s a terrible yet common situation that shows lack of love to yourself.

4. When you love yourself, you look better

It’s really simple. You can concentrate on your strong points instead of bothering about your weaknesses and imperfections. Everybody has imperfections but most people don’t care about them. For example, I’m short and will never change it. Moreover, I hate high heels, can you imagine it? I’ve been obsessed with this problem for years and I couldn’t see that I have a nice body, beautiful eyes and kind heart. But when I accepted that imperfection about myself I became even more beautiful.

5. If you love yourself, you are more likely to have a better family life

When you love yourself, you know what you deserve. In this sense I’d like to follow my mom’s example. My parents still have a very tender and warm relationship, even though they’ve been married for more than 25 years. I’ve never noticed the slightest sign of contempt or lack of respect between them. I know perfectly well that my mom wouldn’t stand such a treatment. When you love yourself you will never be ill-treated. And this is very important for a healthy family life.

6. …and happier children

Children always try to copy their parents’ behavior, manners, views and literally everything. The ability to love is one of the crucial things your kids should adopt. But it will be impossible if the parent can’t display this ability. When you love yourself, you set a healthy and vital example for your kids. The researches have proved that a child’s success and happiness are largely determined by the experience he received in his childhood. That’s why if you want to teach your kids to love themselves, you should learn to love yourself first.

7. When you love yourself, the world around you changes

When we fall in love everything around us becomes more beautiful and appealing. Falling in love with yourself is no exception. It enables you to look at things, people and life from another perspective, better perspective. But the most important thing is that all these changes are about your perception only. Thus you can choose whether you love yourself and this world or not.

Self-love can make you a better person. It improves your physical, psychological and emotional state. Give it a try and you’ll see that you attract more good people and circumstances into your life. Do you agree with my list of reasons why it’s so important to love yourself? Share your thoughts, please.

Read also 8 Easy Ways to Know If Your Relationship Is Over

6 Warning Signs You Are Unconsciously Comparing Yourself to Others

                     

Many of us are prone to compare ourselves to other people. Comparing yourself to others has its advantages and disadvantages. When you compare yourself to your friend or coworker once in a while, there’s nothing wrong with it, as such a comparison helps you become stronger, better and stay motivated to reach your goals. However, if you are constantly comparing yourself to others, it’s a red flag. From personal experience I can tell you that comparing will get you nowhere. You won’t live a better life and you won’t be happier. Comparing can ruin your life and you won’t even notice the reason why you are so miserable. Take a look at a list of the signs you are unconsciously comparing yourself to others and a few tips on how to stop it.

1. You dwell on your past

If you compare yourself to a previous time in your life and you believe that your past was better than your present and your exes or friends are happier than you are now, it’s a sure sign you are unconsciously compare yourself to others. First, your past was not as better as you may think now, and there definitely were hard times and problems. Second, your ex or friend may not be as successful and happy as you think. Don’t believe in illusion and stop dwelling on your past. Focus on your present and enjoy new happy and bad moments in your life instead of past ones.

2. You often judge others

The major problem of a modern society is that people become more selfish. We often judge others, we don’t respect people around us and think that we are better than they are. If you have a habit of judging other people, you should break it. It’s an obvious yet overlooked sign of comparison. You simply defend yourself and you are trying to boost your self-confidence by judging others. It’s a huge mistake!

3. You project your anger onto others

People who are constantly comparing themselves to others are unhappy. Unhappy people tend to project their feelings of anger onto people they respect and love. No, they don’t hurt them or make them unhappy. They just do it unconsciously. Start breaking your habit of comparing yourself to others with letting go of your anger.

4. You are constantly thinking about money

Are you satisfied with your financial situation? Do you want to make more money because your friend has a higher paycheck than you? You don’t notice those things you already have and you are not satisfied with your overall life. You think that your neighbors, friends, siblings and coworkers have a better life because they can afford to buy a new car, a new phone or expensive clothing. But, are you sure that they really can afford all those things? After all, they might have lots of debts and financial problems. Moreover, money will never make you happy, remember it.

5. You don’t love yourself

If you don’t love yourself, it’s one of the warning signs you’re unconsciously comparing yourself to others. Probably you often say something like ‘Your hair is more beautiful than mine’ or ‘You’re so slim and I’m so plump since I can’t drop those extra pounds.’ You should never ever say such things. Learn how to love your body, accept yourself and love yourself. You are special and you are absolutely beautiful no matter your age, weight and height. I don’t need to see you to write these words. I believe everyone is beautiful but in their own way. We all have flaws so no one is perfect.

6. You want to move out

If you want to move to another city because you can’t see and be happy for your friend’s success, coworker’s happiness or neighbor’s earnings, think twice. It’s not the reason to move out. First of all, learn how to love yourself. Once you accept yourself, you will give up on the idea to move to another city/country. If someone makes you unhappy, that’s one thing. But if you think that everyone makes you unhappy, that’s another thing. The same goes for your job. Don’t quit your job because of your coworker’s success. It’s not a smart thing to do.

Many of us are trying to stop comparing ourselves to others, but at the same time many of us don’t even know that we have such a bad habit. Comparing breeds insecurity and makes us miserable. Remember, no one is perfect. Stay grateful, love yourself and enjoy your present life. Do you think comparing yourself to others is a bad habit?

Read also

The Most Important Reasons to Stop Dwelling on the Past