Oromoni: Magistrate grants five Dowen students N1m bail each (Guardian)
A Yaba Chief Magistrates’ court in Lagos has granted bail to five students of Dowen College, facing a charge of conspiracy and homicide filed against them by the police.
The minors were charged following alleged murder of their schoolmate, Sylvester Oromoni, aged 12.
The court had on December 9, remanded them in a juvenile home over the death of the 12-year-old who was allegedly attacked in a case of bullying while in school.
Chief Magistrate Olatunbosun Adeola granted them bail in the sum of N1m each, after hearing their bail applications.
The magistrate also ordered the defendants to produce two sureties each in like sum.Read more
Bastion boosts health care in 5 public schools in Lagos (Vanguard)
As part of its plans to positively impact and bring about change in its environment, particularly healthcare in the education sector in Nigeria, Bastion Health, through its
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative kicked off and commissioned its outreach to rehabilitate and improve the standard of health facilities of schools in Lagos State, paying special attention to public schools.
The schools that benefited from the gesture are: Archbishop Taylor Memorial Nursery and Primary School, Victoria Island; Gbagada Comprehensive Junior High School, Gbagada; Araromi Nursery and Primary School, Gbagada; Victoria Island Junior School, Victoria Island; and Lanre Awolokun High School, Gbagada to commission renovated health infrastructure and donate medical materials to the schools.
Findings from the visits to several public schools in Victoria Island and Gbagada axis revealed that these schools required several essential health amenities and infrastructure to support as a first point of call in addressing basic healthcare needs. The absence of these basic amenities can be a hindrance to good healthcare administration for students. Read more
Husband allegedly abandons wife after delivery of twins, alleging taboo (Guardian)
Mrs. Nwamaka Chinwendu, a native of Ameka community, in Ezza South Local Council of Ebonyi State has claimed that her husband abandoned her after giving birth to twins.
The Guardian learnt her husband, Chinwendu Nwoko, who hails from Igbo Echie, in Echie Local Council of River State, abandoned her and her children because she gave birth to twins and through Cesarean Section (CS).
Narrating her ordeal at Mile 50, Abakaliki, yesterday, Mrs. Chinwendu, said when she was pregnant for her first child, her husband kept saying that it is a taboo for a woman to deliver through cesarean section in their place, but she was fortunate to deliver her baby without operation.
According to her, trouble started when she went to ultrasound at seven months of her pregnancy and was told that she was carrying twins.
She said when she came back home and broke the news to her husband he was very angry and told her to abort the pregnancy, but she refused. Read more
Kumuyi: one of our pastors almost died of COVID-19 (Nation)
The General Superintendent of the Deeper Life Bible Church (DLBC), Pastor William F. Kumuyi, has said from his observations, the COVID-19 virus is not fake.
Kumuyi referred to theories alleging that the virus was fake or politically motivated, but noted that the experiences of some DLBC members in Nigeria and abroad, showed that the virus is real.
The cleric spoke in Lagos at a meeting with the press ahead of the church’s global crusade which begins on Tuesday.
The event tagged ‘Great Miracle Explosion’, will run till December 26 at the Deeper Life International Conference Centre, Km 42, Lagos-Ibadan Expressway. Read more
Husband, wife become police commissioners as PSC promotes officers (Guardian)
The Police Service Commission has approved the promotion of two assistant inspectors-general of Police to the next rank of Deputy Inspectors-General; it also approved the promotion of six Commissioners of Police to Assistant Inspectors-General of Police and the elevation of seventeen Deputy Commissioners of Police to Commissioners of Police.
Husband and wife who joined the police the same day, Kehinde Longe and Yetunde Longe were among those who were promoted to Commissioners of Police.
According to PSC spokesman, Ikechukwu Ani, the Commission also approved the promotion of 24 Assistant Commissioners of Police to the next rank of Deputy Commissioners of Police; forty nine Chief Superintendents of Police to the rank of Assistant Commissioners. It also endorsed the elevation of seventy four Superintendents of Police to Chief Superintendents and eight hundred and sixty six Deputy Superintendents of Police to Superintendents.
The Commission took these decisions at its 13th Plenary Meeting which held in Abuja on Monday, December 20th and Tuesday, December 21st, 2021 before it adjourned to January 2022 to continue with further deliberations.
It also during the meeting approved the confirmation of 7,166 ASP11 to ASP1 and considered 24 promotion appeals relating to adjustment in promotion dates, seniority etc. Read more
Senate confirms Muazu Jaji Sambo as minister-designate (Guardian)
The Senate has confirmed the nomination of Muazu Jaji Sambo as minister-designate after he was screened on Tuesday.
President Muhammadu Buhari nominated Sambo as a ministerial nominee from Taraba State.
Sambo is to replace the former Minister of Power, Sale Mamman, who was sacked in September, along with Sabo Nanono, the former agriculture minister.
Sambo while fielding questions from lawmakers during his screening, expressed disappointment about the state of the Manbila power project, saying that the present state of the project is an embarrassment to the country. Read more
NOPPMAN solicits FG, states’ support in tackling double conversion rate, other challenges (Independent)
The National Onion Producers, Processors And Marketers Association of Nigeria (NOPPMAN) has appealed to both States and Federal government as a matter of urgency to facilitate enabling environment for the association in order to achieve its aims and goals in the area of contributing to the increment of Nigerian Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and creating job opportunities through effective and efficient onion production.
As the association also reiterated its commitment towards the promotion of the goals and visions of the Federal Government in implementing strategies that would facilitate the development of the non-oil commodity sector for job creation and for exportation.
The appeal was made by the National President of NOPPMAN, Aliyu Maitasamu Isah, during the inauguration of the executives of the west geopolitical zone at Hotel Poulson, Ikorodu Road, Ketu, Lagos.
The newly inaugurated chairmen of the six states of Lagos, Ekiti, Ogun, Ondo, Osun and Oyo are Alhaji Abdullahi Tukur, Alhaji Shuaibu Yusuf, Alhaji Usman Danbaba, Munzali Saffiyanu, Alhaji AddulMuminu and Alhaji Abdulaziz Ademola respectively and their other cabinet members. Read more
Ganduje eulogises former military gov Bako (ThisDay)
The Kano State Governor, Mr. Abdullahi Ganduje, has rained eulogies on the late military governor of the state, Police Commissioner Audu Bako, as an architect of sustainable leadership and worthy to be emulated by today’s leaders.
Ganduje further stated that late Bako was state governor during the General Yakubu Gowon’s administration (1966-1975).
He stated these yesterday while delivering an address at the presentation of a book titled “Kano Under the Administration of Audu Bako,” that was written by Aisha Ni’ima Shehu of the Department of History, Bayero University, Kano.
The governor said: “To me after reading the book, I think the book is much more than a historical document, it is much more than a text that contains signature projects for the development of Kano State and beyond, but it is also a documentation of what is meant by an authentic leadership that is focused; leadership with signature projects and leadership with sustainable arrangements. That is why we have gotten so many projects because of the inbuilt sustainability. We thank the author for this good work. Read more
Fireboy set to release ‘Peru’ remix featuring Ed Sheeran (VON)
Nigerian singer, Fireboy, has announced that the remix of his 2021 hit song, Pere, which will feature British singer Ed Sheeran will hit the airwaves on December 24 2021 just ahead of Christmas.
The snippet of the remix gives a different spice and creativity to the original song.
The audio and visuals of the remix will drop on 24th of December 2021, the singer said.
Fireboy DML topped charts with the original song, as it became one of the globally recognised jam. He hopes to bring back the “Peru Para” tune back to his fan’s playlist. Read more
Madonna teases new music for next year (MusicNews)
Madonna is back in the studio and will be releasing new music next year.
The 63-year-old hitmaker teased her 17m Instagram followers by letting them know she was in the studio alongside Swae Lee and Lauren D’Elia amongst others as they recorded “surprises for the new year.”
She captioned her post: “So great to be back in the studio making Music again. Surprises in the New Year @swaelee @laurendelia @jozzy @ burberry.”(sic).
The ‘Material Girl’ hitmaker – who has released 14 studio albums over her decades-long career – is reportedly re-recording her hit song ‘Frozen’ with the 28-year-old star after the song had a resurgence in popularity due to a viral remix on TikTok. Read more
Netflix sets “Perfect Strangers” adaptation as first arabic original film (THR)
Netflix is expanding its Arabic footprint.
The streamer has landed its first Arabic original feature, an all-star adaptation of Italian box office hit Perfect Strangers. The film, transplanted to Beirut, shot in early 2021 and stars an impressive array of Arabic talent, including actress and filmmaker Nadine Labaki, who wrote and directed Capernaum, plus Mona Zaki (30 Years Ago, Scheherazade: Tell Me A Story, Escaping Tel Aviv), Adel Karam (The Insult, Caramel, Netflix’s Live From Beirut), Eyad Nassar (The Looming Tower, Sons of Rizk 2, The Blue Elephant 2), Diamand Bou Abboud (The Insult, The Sculptor, The Fixer) and Lebanese legend, actor and playwright George Khabbaz (Under the Bombs, Ghadi, and co-writer of Capernaum).
Perfect Strangers — which is expected to release on Netflix globally Jan. 20, 2022 — could become a major talking point and push boundaries in terms of Arab films. Telling the story of a group of friends who play a game where they make all the calls and text messages on their phones available to one another, the film touches on subjects such as homosexuality and infidelity, still taboo in many Middle East countries (films including Eternals and West Side Story were recently banned from cinemas due to their inclusion of LGBTQ storylines).
Alongside taking Perfect Strangers, Netflix has also signed a first look deal for Arabic features with the film’s producer Front Row, the Middle East distributor that has been ramping up its production arm over the last few years. Read more
Kristen Stewart and David Cronenberg tease “Crimes of the Future”: Set in a world with no pain (IndieWire)
David Cronenberg has not wanted for work these last few years — with recurring roles in TV’s “Star Trek: Discovery,” “Slasher,” and “Alias Grace,” and a few short films in the can. But he hasn’t directed a feature since 2014’s “Maps to the Stars” won Julianne Moore the Best Actress prize at Cannes. He’s finally back behind the camera for “Crimes of the Future,” a speculative science-fiction film with a stacked cast including Kristen Stewart, Viggo Mortensen, Léa Seydoux, Scott Speedman, Welket Bungué, Don McKellar, and Lihi Kornowski. The film shot in Greece earlier this year.
As revealed in a new interview with Document (via The Film Stage), Cronenberg is currently in the edit on “Crimes of the Future” and working closely with Stewart (whom he cross-interviews for the piece) on the post-production. If all goes well, this should show up at Cannes next year.
“I wrote this script 20 years ago, so it was almost like a script that somebody else wrote. Except for some of the roles that I cast in Athens, with Greek actors, I had never heard any of the dialogue spoken before. So to hear Kristen start to speak the lines of this character, it was a shock! I was like, ‘Oh, my God, this is a living creature — out of control, in the sense that it has its life — and it’s coming to life right in front of me.’”
He continued, “I’ve been spending time with Kristen every day, but in the editing room. It’s a weirdly intimate relationship because you become so sensitized, as a director, to every hesitation, every body movement, every vocal inflection. So you have this strange relationship with an actor who doesn’t know that you’re doing that.” Read more
Joburg Ballet’s ‘The Nutcracker’ is going virtual this Christmas (TheSouthAfrican)
Following a sold-out season of The Nutcracker at the Joburg Theatre in October, Joburg Ballet will bring this beloved classical ballet to audiences at home from 22 December 2021 to 5 January 2022.
In the company’s enchanting production of The Nutcracker, “exquisite dancing, sumptuous sets and Tchaikovsky’s captivating music come together to create an unforgettable family treat”.
Produced and choreographed by artistic director Iain MacDonald and assisted by ballet mistress Lauren Slade and the artistic team, The Nutcracker transports audiences to the Land of Snow, the Kingdom of the Sweets and the realm of the Sugar Plum Fairy.
Commenting on Joburg Ballet’s first major streaming project, CEO Esther Nasser says:
“Since the onset of the pandemic, Joburg Ballet’s ability to perform for live audiences has been restricted by limits on the size of public gatherings. Online streaming makes it possible for us to reach out and bring the beauty of ballet to audiences at a time when COVID-19 is still such a prevalent part of our day-to-day lives.” Read more
Avril Lavigne steals her ex-boyfriend’s teeth in disturbing new music video for “Bite Me” (acoustic) (Louder)
Avril Lavigne has released a new version of her song, Bite Me, alongside an accompanying music video which sees her stealing the teeth of an ex-lover.
Originally released last month, Bite Me was produced by Blink 182 drummer Travis Barker, John Feldmann and Mod Sun, and followed the news of Lavigne’s signing to Barker’s label DTA Records.
The new acoustic version sees the Canadian pop-punk-rocker give a touching, gentle performance of the track against a backing of lightly-strummed guitar. Meanwhile, within the Mod Sun-directed video, Lavigne breaks into a dentist’s office, before pulling out her ex-boyfriends teeth for a makeshift necklace. Moral of the story? Don’t get on the wrong side of this girl, or she’ll break your heart… and your ability to eat toffee candy.
In a Twitter post, Lavigne noted: “This video was a special one to make because I got to make it with some of the same people who helped me create my new record, from start to finish. Read more
South African court allows Zuma to appeal return-to-jail order (Aljazeera)
A South African court has allowed former President Jacob Zuma to appeal a ruling that ordered him back to jail after being released in September on medical parole, meaning he will be able to spend Christmas at home.
Zuma, 79, was sentenced in June to 15 months in prison for contempt of court after ignoring instructions to participate in a corruption inquiry.
He handed himself in to begin his sentence on July 7, triggering some of the worst violence South Africa had seen in years.
Anger from supporters snowballed into broader outrage over hardship and inequalities that persist 27 years after the end of apartheid. Read more
Jury set to resume deliberations in Ghislaine Maxwell sex abuse trial (Global)
The jury in Ghislaine Maxwell‘s sex abuse trial is expected to resume deliberations on Tuesday, after three weeks of testimony from women who said the British socialite set them up for sexual encounters with Jeffrey Epstein when they were teenagers.
Maxwell, 59, is accused of recruiting and grooming four girls for the late financier between 1994 and 2004. She has pleaded not guilty to six counts of sex trafficking and other crimes.
In her closing argument on Monday, defense attorney Laura Menninger called Maxwell an “innocent woman” and sought to distance her from Epstein, who killed himself in a Manhattan jail cell in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex abuse charges.
Menninger argued that prosecutors were scapegoating Maxwell, a former girlfriend and employee of Epstein, for his alleged behaviour. Read more
Ruler of Dubai must pay ex-wife over $700 million in divorce settlement (USAToday)
A British court on Tuesday ordered the ruler of Dubai to pay his ex-wife and their children close to $730 million, in one of the most expensive divorce settlements in British history.
The High Court said Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum must pay $333 million to his sixth wife, Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein, and make ongoing payments for their children Al Jalila, 14, and Zayed, 9, underpinned by a bank guarantee of $384 million.
The total amount the children receive could be more or less than $384 million, depending on factors including how long they live and whether they reconcile with their father. The settlement includes $14.5 million a year to cover security costs for Princess Haya and the children while they are minors.
Judge Philip Moor said the family needed “water-tight security,” and that “absolutely uniquely,” the main threat to them came from Sheikh Mohammed, rather than outside sources. Read more
Aremu returns from injury Dec 26 (Punch)
St Pauli midfielder, Aremu Afeez, is set to return to training December 26 after recovering from a muscle injury.
Aremu picked up the strain after his side’s 3-2 win over FC Nuremburg in a Bundesliga II match.
He consequently missed the club’s next three games against Schalke 04, Fortuna Düsseldorf and Holstein Kiel.
The Nigerian, who has missed three weeks of action, in a chat with PUNCH Sports Extra said he hoped to return to training on December 26.
Although he is set to return to training soon, his first match for the club will be against Erzgebirge on January 15, with the league already on break for the year to celebrate the festive period. Read more
Mikel Arteta reacts to Charlie Patino’s Arsenal debut with fans already chanting his name (Metro)
Mikel Arteta says it was a ‘beautiful moment’ to see Charlie Patino score on his Arsenal debut in their 5-1 win over Sunderland.
The Gunners secured their spot in the Carabao Cup semi-finals as Eddie Nketiah’s hat-trick and Nicolas Pepe’s strike proved decisive.
Patino came off the bench with just 10 minutes to go and the highly-rated 18-year-old netted the fifth goal of the night in injury-time, converting from Pepe’s cross.
‘A beautiful moment. He is a kid that is coming through our system, a lovely kid,’ said Arteta. Read more
St Mirren’s game against Celtic in doubt as mystery surrounds Jim Goodwin’s last-minute pre-match changes (DailyRecord)
Mystery surrounds St Mirren’s clash with Celtic amid the ongoing Covid issues at the club.
The club stated last week they have been hit by “a number” of positive cases ahead of the Premiership fixture on Wednesday.
The Paisley side suspended training and were locked in talks with the SPFL regarding upcoming fixtures.
The Buddies are also currently scheduled to face Rangers at Ibrox on Boxing Day. Read more
Cristiano Ronaldo insists Erling Haaland must continue to ‘work hard and perform season after season to become great’ (DailyMail)
Cristiano Ronaldo says he is excited by the next generation of players and named Erling Haaland as one of the best young talents.
Haaland’s contract at Borussia Dortmund expires in the summer of 2023 and the German club are reportedly set to hold talks with Manchester United.
Ronaldo rates Haaland but insists the German star must continue to ‘work hard’ and keep doing what he has been doing ‘season after season’ to become ‘great’.
Ronaldo has scored 13 goals in 18 appearances since making his sensation return to Manchester United. However, his arrival has not changed the club’s plans regarding Haaland. Read more
Andy Murray on his big regret over not picking Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah (Tennis365)
Andy Murray has long been a passionate fantasy football player and he admits he made a big mistake when he picked his team at the start of this season.
The two-time Wimbledon champion spoke to Eurosport about a variety of topics, including his concerns for the future of the Davis Cup, while he also admitted he had a tough choice to make in his pre-season Premier League fantasy football picks.
Murray had the second selection in the draft he had with his friends and with Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes taken, Murray was left to decide whether to select Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah or Tottenham’s Harry Kane.
He opted for the latter and it has proved to be a poor pick, with the Spurs striker 13 goals behind Premier League top scorer Salah so far this season. Read more
Golf: Back-to-back events in Singapore in January to serve as Asian Tour finale (StraitsTimes)
Golf fans in Singapore are set to enjoy back-to-back weekends of top events with a new tournament, the Singapore International, to be held just be fore next January’s SMBC Singapore Open.
The US$1 million (S$1.37 million) Singapore International will be held at Tanah Merah Country Club (TMCC) from Jan 13-16. The US$1.25 million Singapore Open, postponed this year due to the pandemic, returns at the Sentosa Golf Club from Jan 20-23.
The two events will mark the close of the 2020-21 Asian Tour season. The circuit resumed at the end of November with back-to-back events in Phuket – after a 20-month hiatus caused by Covid-19.
The 2020-21 season has seen six events played so far. Australian Wade Ormsby won the first of those, the Hong Kong Open, in January last year and has led the Merit list since then. Read more
Hawks look to halt home slide vs. depleted Magic (Sportsnaut)
The Atlanta Hawks are scheduled to host the Orlando Magic on Wednesday night, depending on the current COVID-19 situation within each club.
Both teams had their last game postponed. Atlanta’s contest with Cleveland on Sunday was moved because of issues within the Cavaliers’ roster. Orlando’s game with Toronto scheduled for Monday was postponed because of an outbreak within the Magic.
Each team will be dealing with a different-looking roster.
Atlanta will be without Trae Young, the second-leading scorer in the NBA (27.3 points). Young, who was already dealing with a left ankle issue, entered the league’s health and safety protocols and will not play against the Magic. He had scored 25-plus points in 12 straight games. Read more