LaNUBlog™

More than 200 years since she first put pen to paper, Jane Austen remains a phenomenal brand - with more than 70 re-workings of her six completed novels in print. The author's works - which have long been out of copyright - are constantly being revisited, in books and on screen.

Publishers, like film studios and broadcasters, have been trading off literary hits for decades. And 2013 was another bumper year of literary reinvention. Earlier this month, a writer was hired to pen a fourth instalment to The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo - Stieg Larsson's hit trilogy that has taken the book - and film - worlds by storm.

Nigerian Agriculture Minister Akinwumi Adesina has been named Forbes African of the Year for his reforms to the country's farming sector. "He is a man on a mission to help Africa feed itself," said Forbes Africa editor Chris Bishop.

An explosion at a train station in the southern Russian city of Volgograd has killed at least 13 people, reports say. A female suicide bomber was responsible for the blast, which injured 50 people, Russia's anti-terrorism committee said.

An Italian student suffering from a rare disease has denounced death threats she received after defending medical experiments on animals. Caterina Simonsen said more than 30 "death wishes" and 500 abusive messages were sent to on her Facebook page.

*. After one year, your risk of a heart attack is half that of a smoker *. After five years, your risk of stroke is significantly reduced to the same as a lifetime non-smoker *. After 10 years, your risk of developing lung cancer falls to half that of a smoker. They are also at greater risk of developing memory problems and dementia. The new campaign goes live on 30 December and offers support, advice and a range of toolsfor anyone looking to stop smoking. 'Not all doom' Chief Medical Officer Prof Dame Sally Davies said:

A new public health campaign in England is highlighting the toxic damage tobacco smoke does to vital organs such as the brain, as well as the lungs. The TV adverts warn how smoke makes blood "dirty and thick with toxins" which then circulate in the body, increasing the risks of a stroke. "If you could see the damage, you'd stop", say the adverts, aimed at encouraging smokers to quit. Smokers are twice as likely to die of stroke as non-smokers.

Lee Rigby was a British soldier who had gone to war for his country. The men who murdered him called themselves soldiers of Allah. They thought their war was on the streets of Woolwich. Michael Adebolajo and Michael Adebowale had been waiting for a soldier to kill. That soldier was Lee Rigby, and

Prince William revealed in a voicemail to his then girlfriend Kate Middleton that he almost got himself shot after getting lost on a night time training exercise in Aldershot, the Old Bailey heard.

THESE ARE BASICALLY 7 TYPES OF GIRLS THESE DAYS. 1. HARD DISK GIRLS: Remember everything for ever, they'll always come back for good time. 2. RAM GIRLS: Forgets about you the moment you turn her off or an upgrading version of your hardware/ software is available. 3. SCREEN SAVER GIRLS: Just for looking, beautiful but don't even think of dating them, you'll have high blood pressure, not their fault but it's due to popular demand.