Dr Femi Olaleye: Court bars journalists as alleged rape victim testifies (Vanguard)
Justice Ramon Oshodi of the Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court, Ikeja, on Wednesday ordered that the court should be vacated during proceedings in the trial of Dr Femi Olaleye charged with defiling his wife’s niece.
The prosecution had requested that journalists should be stopped from covering Wednesday’s proceedings as the alleged victim was billed to testify.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Oshodi ruled that the request of the prosecution for a closed hearing was in line with the 1999 Constitution and the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJL) as amended.
“I have carefully considered the request of the prosecution for a closed session, and the defence did not oppose. Read more
Actress Iyabo Ojo unveils lover on 45th birthday (Punch)
Nollywood actress, Iyabo Ojo, on Wednesday, clocked 45 years and to commemorate her special day, the actress also unveiled her lover to the public.
In her birthday post, Ojo revealed that the Chief Executive Officer of Upfront and Personal Management, Paul Okoye, popularly known as Paulo, was her lover.
Prior to her announcement, the actress had hinted at dating an Igbo man and had promised to unveil him when the time was right.
It appeared to be the right time on her 45th birthday as she shared an Instagram reel with videos and pictures of herself and Paulo. Read more
Copyright Commission to begin clampdown on illegal deejays (Guardian)
The Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) says it will soon begin the enforcement of the criminal provisions of the Copyright Act against any Deejay who is found to be in infringement.
The Director General of the commission, Dr John Asein, stated this on Monday at the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the Musical Copyright Society of Nigeria (MCSN) and Deejays Association of Nigeria (DJAN) in Abuja.
He said the move was in line with the Commission’s renewed drive to ensure respect for copyright and address all forms of copyright abuses.
The DG who was represented at the occasion by Mr Augustine Amadu, Director regulatory department at NCC, said the commission will be engaging with the DJAN to develop a regulatory framework and ensure that operators are properly accredited and identified when they carry out public performances. Read more
NAFDAC seizes N8m fake, adulterated wines in Lagos (Leadership)
The National Agency for Food Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC), on Tuesday, disclosed that it intercepted N8million worth of fake, unwholesome, counterfeit alcoholic and non-alcoholic wines from Lagos market.
In a press statement by the agency and a copy made available to LEADERSHIP, it said, the interceptions were done at the Apongbon market in Lagos.
According to the statement, many of the offending products were sold by merchants underneath the bridge and were mopped up by the enforcement officers and Federal Task Force (FTF) team of the agency.
The statement reads; “Enforcement Officers of the NAFDAC and its FTF team earlier this week visited the popular Apongbon market in Lagos as part of its effort to eradicate fake, unwholesome, and counterfeit alcoholic and non-alcoholic wines and drinks from circulation. Read more
Eastern rail corridor no longer feasible- FG (Sun)
The Federal Government has disclosed that delivering the Port Harcourt-Maiduguri Eastern Rail Line during the life time of the current administration is no longer feasible due to its inability to secure foreign loans that will make 85 per cent of the funds needed to execute the project.
Minister of Transportation, Mu’azu Sambo, made the disclosure while responding to a question on what is hindering the administration from delivering the project before May 29, 2023 as earlier promised.
Sambo had in September while inspecting the work done so far, disclosed that the contractor in charge of the project, China Civil Engineering and Construction Company (CCEC) had often complained of incessant attacks on its workers around the Abia State axis of the rail corridor.
He had said government was left with no choice but to halt the ongoing construction of the Port Harcourt-Maiduguri Eastern Rail Line due to insecurity and incessant vandalism. Read more
Ekiti Police arrest 4 robbery suspects in Lagos (ThisDay)
The Ekiti State Police Command extended its dragnet beyond the boundaries of the state to arrest four armed robbery suspects in Lagos after they had robbed a victim in the state.
The arrested suspects are Agboola Kunle (31 years), Balogun Waheed (29 years), Taiwo Islamiyya (19 years) and Adele Samuel (23 years).
They were alleged to have accosted and robbed a victim of one Suzuki mini bus and Itel phone along Aramoko Ekiti Road on 7th August, 2022.
According to a statement yesterday by the state Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Sunday Abutu, the four suspects were nabbed by the men of the Anti-Vehicle Theft Section of the State Police Command in Langbasa area of Lagos State on 14th December, 2022. Read more
DSS arrests suspected attackers of INEC offices in Imo (Nation)
The Department of State Services (DSS) on Wednesday said it has arrested two suspects over the attacks on Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) offices in Imo State.
The state director, Wilcox Idaminabo, said the agency has dislodged camps at Orsu from where the hoodlums launch attacks.
He spoke in Owerri at a meeting with the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Prof Sylvia Uchenna Agu.
According to him, the raids led to the arrest of a leader and financier of the hoodlums in Orsu. Read more
261 die in road crashes in Oyo (Guardian)
No fewer than 261 persons died while 1,700 others sustained injuries in road traffic crashes from January to November in Oyo.
The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) Sector Commander in Oyo, Joshua Adekanye, announced this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Ibadan.
Adekanye said the command recorded 609 crashes within the period.
He attributed the major cause of the crashes to speeding, wrong overtaking and tyre burst. Read more
Mariah Carey’s incredible paycheck for ‘All I Want for Christmas Is You’ revealed (Hello!)
Dubbed the ‘Queen of Christmas,’ Mariah Carey never fails to get fans into the festive spirit with her 1994 hit single, ‘All I Want for Christmas Is You’. A global success, the song has topped the charts and broken numerous records over the years, making it the best-selling holiday song by a female artist, and one of the best-selling physical singles in music history.
So, how much does Mariah Carey earn from ‘All I Want for Christmas Is You’ each year? The answer is pretty impressive…
According to The Economist’s calculations, ‘All I Want for Christmas Is You’ earns around $2.5 million (£2.1 million) per year, although the New York Post has reported that the figure could be as high as $3 million.
Back in 2017, it was also stated by The Economist that Mariah had already earned $60 million in royalties from the time it was first released in 1994. Read more
Jody Watley wows audience with electrifying Performance at Stevie Wonder’s House Full of Toys (Eurweb)
The audience at Stevie Wonder‘s 24th House Full of Toys concert received a REAL treat when Grammy-winning iconic artist Jody Watley stepped out on stage and gave a surprise performance at the show on Saturday, December 17th in the Microsoft Theater in Downtown LA.
Watley rocked the stage in a beautiful sequin dress, performing her classic blockbuster hit, “Real Love,” and critically acclaimed new jazzy holiday single, “Christmas Time Is Here.” Stevie Wonder’s musical director/longtime friend Rickey Minor and background singers and musicians for the evening’s concert were amazing.
Wonder’s guests along with Jody Watley included Gregory Porter and Trombone Shorty. And, of course, the one and only Stevie Wonder who took centerstage and was superb from beginning to end as he delivered a non-stop hit after hit performance. Read more
Famke Janssen and Rose Williams to topline Netflix’s psychological thriller Locked In (Deadline)
Famke Janssen (X-Men franchise) and Rose Williams (Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris) will topline Locked In, a contemporary psychological thriller from Netflix, which is currently in production in London and the UK. Others in the cast include Alex Hassell (Violent Night), Finn Cole (Animal Kingdom) and Anna Friel (Monarch).
The first feature directed by award-winner Nour Wazzi (The Last Bus) pits the unhappy newlywed Lina (Williams) against her brittle, damaged mother-in-law, Katherine (Janssen). An affair sets Lina onto a journey of secrecy, betrayal and murder — and a plot to seemingly destroy her. But who is the real victim, and who can she truly trust?
Rowan Joffé (28 Weeks Later, Before I Go to Sleep) wrote the script. Nicky Bentham (The Duke) is producing for Neon Films, with Alison Jackson (Tin Star, Damage) exec producing for Gaumont.
Best known for starring roles in the Taken and X-Men film franchises, Janssen has more recently been seen in series like Long Slow Exhale and the Emmy winners How to Get Away with Murder and When They See Us, among other projects. Among her other upcoming projects is the dystopian actioner Boy Kills World with Bill Skarsgård. Read more
Kate Winslet hits back at ”borderline abusive” Titanic fans (DailyMail)
Kate Winslet has blasted the “borderline abusive” bodyshaming she has suffered from obsessive fans of blockbuster movie Titanic.
The 47-year-old actress became a household name after starring as lovelorn Rose DeWitt Bukater alongside Leonardo DiCaprio as impoverished artist Jack Dawson in director James Cameron’s 1997 rendering of the early twentieth century disaster.
Winslet has since hit out against cruel trolls who claimed her weight was the reason DiCaprio’s character couldn’t get on the floating door with Rose to ensure they both survived the catastrophe, which claimed the lives of more than 1,500 passengers after the boat struck an iceberg.
Jack was instead forced to grimly accept his inevitable death in below freezing waters while his lover reamined safely afloat. Read more
The Specials’ Terry Hall diagnosed with cancer before his death, bandmate reveals (Sky)
The Specials singer Terry Hall was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer shortly before his death, his bandmate has said.
The band announced Hall’s death on Monday, saying the 63-year-old had suffered a “brief illness”.
In a Facebook post, bassist Horace Panter gave a touching account of Hall’s final days.
He said The Specials were due to record a new album in Los Angeles in November this year, which had previously been put on hold due to the pandemic, when Hall fell ill. Read more
Janelle Monae has a new album on the way (MusicNews)
Janelle Monáe has a new album in the works.
The 37-year-old actress-and-singer has promised fans a follow-up to 2018’s ‘Dirty Computer’ is on the way, joking that she has a clone that works away in the studio while she’s acting.
Asked in an interview with NME if new music is on the way, the ‘Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery’ star replied: “Actually, you will! You will get new music because I now have a clone. That clone does all of my music, and I have another clone for acting. I’m not going to tell you if it’s me or not. They’re in the studio right now!”
She added: “I just feel so humbled and super, super blessed to be doing anything. Doing something like this, you don’t take it lightly.” Read more
8 teenage girls charged with murder in Toronto stabbing death (Guardian)
Eight teenage girls who appear to have met on social media have been charged with second-degree murder over the death of a 59-year-old man who was stabbed in downtown Toronto.
Police allege that the girls assaulted and stabbed the man at a plaza near the main rail station in Canada’s largest city early on Sunday morning. Three of the girls are 13, three are 14 and two are 16, police said on Tuesday.
Police have not named the victim, but speaking at a news conference, Det Sgt Terry Browne of Toronto’s homicide unit said the man had recently moved into the city’s homeless shelter system.
“He does have a very supportive family in the area so I wouldn’t necessarily call him homeless, maybe just recently on some hard luck,” Browne said. Read more
Mbappe returns to training after W’Cup disappointment (Punch)
France star Kylian Mbappe returned to training with Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday just three days after he ended up on the losing side despite scoring a hat-trick in the World Cup final.
The 24-year-old cast a despondent figure in the aftermath of France’s loss to Argentina — led by his PSG team-mate Lionel Messi — in a penalty shootout, despite his goals twice bringing the 2018 champions level.
However, although PSG players have been given 10 days off Mbappe was pictured at the French champions training ground.
“Kylian Mbappe returned to training on Wednesday,” tweeted PSG. Read more
How Nigeria can surpass Morocco’s semifinal feat At 2026 World Cup – Yakmut (Leadership)
Former director-general of the defunct National Sports Commission (NSC), Alhassan Yakmut, believed with diligent planning and commitment to tactical preparation, Nigeria’s Super Eagles can surpass their Moroccan counterparts’ feat of reaching the semifinal of the just ended Qatar 2022 World Cup at the next edition of the global soccer fiesta that will co-hosted by in USA, Canada and Mexico.
Yakmut, who admitted that watching the Qatar 2022 World Cup was a bit difficult for him because the Super Eagles were part of the competition, said he didn’t see anything special about the first African team that made the semi-finals appearance at the World Cup from Nigeria football development trajectory.
“Already Morocco has set a record of fourth position in the World Cup. So, our target for the next World Cup can’t be fourth position again, but to surpass the feat by reaching the final or at least finish third. Read more
Arsenal ignore Brighton transfer message as Alexis Mac Allister deal targeted by Edu (Express)
Arsenal and Atletico Madrid are said to be among the clubs interested in signing Argentine revelation Alexis Mac Allister following his stunning World Cup campaign in Qatar. The Brighton maestro, who was already beginning to impress in the Premier League prior to the tournament, put his name up in lights by starring in Argentina’s historic triumph in the Middle East.
Mac Allister was able to nail down a starting berth and flourished on the international stage alongside the likes of Lionel Messi and Rodrigo de Paul.
His calming presence in the middle of the park and technical ability helped elevate Argentina’s midfield to a new level, something other clubs have seemingly taken note of.
According to Spanish newspaper AS, both Arsenal and Atletico Madrid are keen on signing Mac Allister. Read more
Italian Government rescues Serie A clubs from tax bill (FootballItalia)
The Italian Government has given a last-minute reprieve to Serie A clubs, allowing them to spread out a collective €500m in tax repayments, a decision that infuriated Napoli and Fiorentina.
The so-called ‘Salvacalcio’ amendment was shot down repeatedly by the Government, including Minister for Sport Andrea Abodi, who complained it would be insulting to the general public to see clubs given this extra help.
There were also sides like Napoli and Fiorentina who protested it would provide an unfair advantage to clubs who had not been able to balance the books.
It is essentially an extension of the option introduced during the COVID pandemic allowing sports clubs to spread out the payment of taxes and other contributions over a series of instalments rather than all in one go. Read more
Russia’s Natalya Antyukh stripped of London 2012 gold (BBC)
Russia’s Natalya Antyukh has been stripped of 400m hurdles gold from London 2012 on the basis of historical data from a Moscow testing laboratory.
Antyukh, now 41, is already serving a four-year ban after being named in a World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) investigation into cheating by Russia.
American Lashinda Demus will be promoted to gold in her place.
All three gold medals won on the track by Russian athletes at London 2012 have now been rescinded on doping grounds. Read more
The suspended owner of the Phoenix Suns and Mercury sells them to Mat Ishbia for $4b (NPR)
Mortgage executive Mat Ishbia has agreed in principle to buy a majority stake of the Phoenix Suns and Phoenix Mercury from the embattled owner Robert Sarver for $4 billion, the sides announced Tuesday.
The sale is expected to take several weeks to complete. Ishbia — who is chairman, president and chief executive of United Wholesale Mortgage, which bills itself as the nation’s largest mortgage lender — will be subjected to a vetting process by the NBA, and once that is complete, the league’s board of governors will have to approve the sale.
The board isn’t scheduled to meet until March, though it could convene virtually if the vetting process is completed beforehand.
Forbes recently listed Ishbia’s net worth at $5.1 billion. Ishbia is a former Michigan State player under coach Tom Izzo, and was a member of the Spartans’ NCAA championship team in 2000. Read more