Yoruba Nation rally: Sowore, lawyer slam police over killing (Punch)
The presidential candidate of the African Action Congress, Omoyele Sowore, has knocked the police over the killing that occurred during the unrest in the Ojota area of Lagos.
Sowore, who took to his social media handle on Monday, wrote, “Bloodthirsty Nigeria Police Force reportedly killed two Yoruba Nation agitators at a peaceful rally in Ojota, Lagos today. I totally condemn this unprovoked murder of peaceful demonstrators. ”
However, the Lagos State Police Command Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, only confirmed one person dead in the fracas, adding that some of the rallying individuals had attacked the police.
The PUNCH reports that the self-determination group “Yoruba Nation” gathered at Ojota, Lagos for a rally earlier today, and in the course of this, there was an unrest that led to a fracas between the group and the police. Read more
If elected, we will revisit women bills rejected by NASS – Peter Obi (DailyTrust)
The Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, has vowed to give special attention to women if he becomes president.
He made the promise while responding to questions at the People’s Townhall 2023 organised by Channels Television on Sunday.
Obi vowed to revisit all the bills relating to women which were rejected by the 9th National Assembly.
Five gender equality bills were all rejected by the National Assembly in March 2022.
The rejected proposals which seek to alter the Constitution are Bills 35, 36, 37, 38 & 68 which are: bill to provide for special seat for women in the National and State Assembly, a bill to expand the scope of citizenship by registration, bill to provide for affirmative action for women in political party administration, bill to provide criteria for qualification to become an indigene of a state in Nigeria and bill to give women a quota in the federal and state executive councils or ministerial and commissionership seats. Read more
Yoruba Nation: OPC not involved In Ojota fracas – Gani Adams (Vanguard)
The Aareonakakanfo of Yoruba land, Gani Adams, on Monday, dismissed media reports that members of the Oodua People’s Congress (OPC) were involved in the crisis that erupted in Ojota, Lagos on Monday.
Speaking against the backdrops of the information making the rounds that members of the OPC were part of the groups that organized the rally, Adams, in a statement by his Special Assistant on Media, Kehinde Aderemi,sl said the Ojota rally came as a surprise, adding that none of his member were part of the crisis.
He said: “Let me clear the air on the crisis that had engulfed Ojota this morning.There were unconfirmed reports linking members of the OPC to the mayhem.I want to state it clearly that none of our members were at the scene of the incident.
“OPC is not against the liberation of Yoruba race, however,it is a fact that the struggle for the liberation of Yoruba race is an inalienable right of all Yoruba to champion self determination.We are not part of the peaceful rally held in Ojota. Read more
I never called Bode George a liar, we have mutual respect for each other – Jandor (Independent)
Governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for Lagos State in the 2023 general elections, Dr. Abdul-Azeez Olajide Adediran (Jandor) has described as falsehood claims that he called Chief Olabode George, a former Deputy National Chairman of the party a liar in a recent interview.
In a statement signed by Gbenga Ogunleye, Head, Media & Communications, JANDOR4Governor Campaign Organization, Jandor said the blog report is the handiwork of some disgruntled elements who are desperately trying to create a wedge in his relationship with George.
The statement reads “Our attention has been drawn to a blog post, deliberately misrepresenting some statements made by the Lagos PDP Governorship candidate, Dr. Abdul-Azeez Olajide Adediran (JANDOR) during a live interview on Your View with Morayo, a breakfast show on TVC earlier today”. Read more
Hoodlums raze Anambra police station (Channels)
Some hoodlums have burnt down the Umuchu Police Station, along the Umuchu-Achina road in Aguata Local Government Area of Anambra State.
It was gathered that the hoodlums invaded the police station in the early hours of Sunday setting the facility ablaze.
Channels Television reports that the station was recently renovated through communal effort, more than two years after it was destroyed by some agitators during the #EndSARS protest.
The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Tochukwu Ikenga, confirmed the incident to Channels Television on Monday. Read more
Lord Mayor of Leicester visits Envoy Nation, lauds Osunmakinde (ThisDay)
At a surprise visit to Envoy Nation, Lord Mayor of Leicester, George Cole eulogised the Senior Pastor Dele Osunmakinde, lauding him for his commanding biblical teachings.
Cole, who is Leicester’s First Citizen, walked into the Sunday service which was held at Mercure Leicester The Grand Hotel in the United Kingdom and told the stunned congregants and pastor that he had a great urge to fellowship with them.
“For some unknown reason yesterday,” he began, “I had this great urge to come to this church. The Lady Mayoress would have been with me but she is recovering from an operation. But she does ask me to pass on her good wishes and blessings. Now she is a church-goer and it is my expectation that you will see her here at least once and it will be up to you then to persuade her.” Read more
Poly Ibadan students storm Oyo Govt Secretariat, protest payment of N15k ‘‘Hostel Refusal’’ fee (Tribune)
Several gates of the Oyo State Secretariat, Ibadan, are under lock and key owing to an ongoing protest by students of The Polytechnic, Ibadan.
The students, in their hundreds, rebuffed hindrances to their entry as they ensured they made their way into the Secretariat and to the gate of the governor’s office.
The students stated that their protest was against the mandatory payment of Hostel Refusal fee of N15,000 before they could pay their tuition fee.
They stressed the refusal fee was recently increased to N15,000 from the initial sum of N5,000. Read more
Cate Blanchett can’t imagine her life without Lydia Tár (WMagazine)
Cate Blanchett’s performance in the film Tár as Lydia Tár, the world-renowned composer-conductor, is so convincing and utterly poetic that she had many audiences fooled into thinking Tár was a real person. In fact, the EGOT-winning (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony Award), very first conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic in Todd Field’s drama is a fictional character. But Blanchett breathes so much fresh life into her that she feels all too real. And critics have taken notice—the Australia native received a Golden Globe and Critics Choice Award nomination and is now a serious contender for this year’s Best Actress Oscar (it would be her third Academy Award). Lydia Tár is painted as a cruel conductor, whose selfish behavior ultimately leads to her downfall. But her deeply human complexities and nuances have been carefully considered by Blanchett who was so engrossed by the character she says she’s now unable to envision her life without Lydia: “I can’t imagine a time before, actually.”
Lydia Tár is brilliant but remarkably careless about human emotion.
And she has misophonia. That is an acute sensitivity to sound, and it can send people into a deep rage. The sound of air-conditioning would have driven her to distraction.
She also has perfect pitch.
A lot of conductors do. I was speaking to a conductor who I really admire, Simone Young, and she has perfect pitch but with that gift comes the downside that she hears the dog whistle noises that most humans don’t. Read more
Producer Jason Blum says RRR will win Oscar for best picture (Outlook)
With 32 critics’ and industry prizes handed out thus far, the Oscar nomination voting is just a few days away. SS Rajamouli’s RRR is certainly on the slate of hopefuls despite Steven Spielberg semi-autobiographical The Fabelmans being one of the leading contenders. In fact, it would not be wrong to say that SS Rajamouli’s latest blockbuster is making all the right noises in Hollywood.
Now adding to the excitement, film producer Jason Blum, the founder of Blumhouse Productions has predicted that RRR would win the coveted Best Picture honour at the Academy Awards. “I’m going with RRR winning best pic. You heard it here first. Mark it down, please. If I’m right, I am awarding myself my own Oscar,” Jason tweeted.
Coming to RRR, the film’s lead cast Ram Charan and Jr NTR are touring the United States. NTR Jr and Rajamouli were welcomed with rounds of applause by members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences at a special screening in Los Angeles of their much talked-about film RRR. Read more
Piers Morgan apologises to Ed Sheeran following Twitter hack (RTE)
Piers Morgan has apologised to Ed Sheeran after his Twitter account was hacked and posted abusive messages referring to the singer last month.
Morgan, who has 8.3 million followers on the social media site, described the posts on St Stephen’s Day as “abusive nonsense”.
According to reports, Morgan’s account shared posts containing false information, racial slurs and abusive messages directed at the late Queen.
It was then apparently wiped with no profile picture, banner image or posts visible. Read more
Eurovision 2023: John Lydon’s Public Image Ltd could represent Ireland (BBC)
Public Image Ltd – the band John Lydon formed after the Sex Pistols split in 1978 – is in the running to represent Ireland at the Eurovision Song Contest.
The song, called Hawaii, is described as “a love letter to Lydon’s wife of nearly five decades who is living with Alzheimer’s.”
Irish broadcaster RTÉ has announced the band will compete with five other acts for the title in a TV show next month.
This year’s Eurovision is taking place in Liverpool in May. Read more
Elvis, Babylon, Avatar: The Way of Water lead Art Directors Guild 2023 nominations (Variety)
Elvis, Babylon, Avatar: The Way of Water, All Quiet on the Western Front and Top Gun: Maverick are among the films nominated by the Art Directors Guild (IATSE Local 800).
The guild announced the nominations for its 27th Excellence in Production Design Awards in motion pictures, television, commercial and music video categories.
Winners will be named at the ADG Awards ceremony on Feb. 18 at the InterContinental Hotel Los Angeles Downtown Hotel.
The ADG divides live-action features into three categories. All Quiet on the Western Front, Babylon, Elvis, The Fabelmans and White Noise were nominated in the period feature film category. Read more
Over 7,000 nurses at 2 of New York City’s biggest hospitals have just gone on strike (Fortune)
Nurses at two of New York City’s largest hospitals went on strike Monday in a dispute over pay and staffing levels after a weekend of negotiations that didn’t produce a deal for a new contract.
The walkout involves as many as 3,500 nurses at Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx and around 3,600 at Mount Sinai Hospital in Manhattan.
The New York State Nurses Association, which represents the workers, said it was being forced into the drastic step because of chronic understaffing that leaves them caring for too many patients.
“Nurses don’t want to strike. Bosses have pushed us to strike by refusing to seriously consider our proposals to address the desperate crisis of unsafe staffing that harms our patients,” the union said in a statement late Sunday. Read more
UK PM Sunak signals he is open to discussing pay rises for nurses (AlJazeera)
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has said he is willing to discuss pay rises for nurses ahead of a meeting with public sector trade union leaders in an effort to end the biggest wave of industrial disputes in decades.
The United Kingdom’s National Health Service (NHS), long treasured and funded by taxpayers, delivers free care to all, but is under strain following years of relative underinvestment and the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic.
The strikes involving nurses and ambulance workers, staff shortages, and winter flu have led some hospitals to declare critical incidents. Patients are facing hours-long waits for ambulances, and some are being treated in corridors.
Sunak, who is under increasing pressure including from members of his Conservative Party to improve wage offers to healthcare staff, said the government was willing to have conversations with union leaders about pay, despite ministers previously refusing to reopen talks about this year’s deal. Read more
Nearly a billion people checked out Ivana Knoll’s Instagram page last month (DailyStar)
It’s official – Ivana Knoll is a bona fide Instagram sensation!
The former Miss Croatia has exploded in popularity since the World Cup and has just revealed that a whopping one billion people checked out her page in December alone.
It’s no surprise, given Ivana’s stunning looks and love of racy outfits. But it’s not just her beauty that’s attracting followers – the brunette bombshell also shares glimpses into her glamorous lifestyle, from jet-setting vacations to red carpet events, rubbing shoulders with the likes of Drake and Jamie Foxx, and getting interviewed by Piers Morgan.
The 30-year-old model first caught the eye at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, appearing in the stands wearing skimpy, Croatia-themed outfits, but amidst all the orgasmic vibrancy and colour out there, she barely stood out.
That wasn’t the case in Qatar though, where women are expected to follow an extremely strict, conservative dress code. Ivana was turning heads as soon as the tournament started, strolling down waterfronts wearing G-strings, posing in paper-thin bikinis and attending matches in figure-hugging, curvaceous costumes. Read more
Newcomers Insurance beat Akwa 2-0 in NPFL opener (Punch)
Newly promoted Bendel Insurance made a bold statement on their return to the Nigeria Premier Football League with a stunning 2-0 win at Akwa United in the 2022/23 season opener at the Nest of Champions in Uyo, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.
After a cagey start to the game, Imade Osarenkhoe put the Benin Arsenal ahead in the 40th minute, before Divine Nwachukwu doubled the lead four minutes later to give the visitors a 2-0 lead at half time.
The hosts dictated the pace of the second 45 minutes in search of a way back into the game in front of their apprehensive fans, but Insurance held on to record a famous victory on their return to the topflight.
Bendel Insurance coach, Monday Odigie, believes his team took their chances, despite the sustained pressure from the hosts. Read more
Roberto Martinez appointed new Portugal coach (AlJazeera)
Portugal have named former Belgium coach Roberto Martinez as their new manager and the Spaniard said he would sit down with star player Cristiano Ronaldo to talk about his future with the team.
Martinez, 49, replaces Fernando Santos, who left his job after Portugal suffered a shock defeat by Morocco in the World Cup quarterfinals.
“I appreciate the enthusiasm and ambition with which he [Martinez] received the invitation,” Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) President Fernando Gomes told a news conference on Monday as Martinez stood next to him.
“This is an important moment for the national team,” he said. Read more
Besiktas issue official update on shock Manchester United transfer target Wout Weghorst (Standard)
Besiktas have slammed “fake” reports suggesting striker Wout Weghorst could leave the club due to a release clause amid interest from Manchester United.
The Netherlands international has reportedly emerged a shock target at Old Trafford following Cristiano Ronaldo’s acrimonious departure in November.
Manager Erik ten Hag has confirmed the club are actively chasing additions to their frontline and the 30-year-old is believed to have emerged as a cut-price option.
A deal, however, could be difficult to do. Read more
Emma Raducanu dampens hopes as she faces race to be fit for Australian Open (Mirror)
British No. 1 Emma Raducanu is “not trying to expect too much” in her bid to be fit in time for the 2023 Australian Open.
The 20-year-old suffered an ill-timed roll of the ankle at the recent ASB Classic in Auckland, New Zealand, which she blamed on the “very slippery” indoor court surface. With barely a week to go before the first major of the year gets underway on January 16, her chances of featuring in Melbourne looked bleak.
However, Raducanu is keeping an open mind on the matter as she awaits a proper prognosis regarding her ankle. Although that includes the possibility that she’ll yet again be ruled out of contention due to a blow beyond her control.
“We’ll see hopefully by Monday or whenever the tournament starts,” said the 2021 U.S. Open champion a week out from the first Grand Slam of 2023. “We’re just taking it a day at a time and not trying to expect too much at this point.” Read more
Christian Horner fires back at FIA criticism with 25% claim (F1News)
With Formula 1 becoming less and less competitive as the years went on, with the likes of Mercedes and Red Bull using their financial muscle to pull away from the rest of the grid, the FIA intervened with a number of changes to bring the field closer together.
A cost cap was introduced to ensure that all teams could spend a maximum of $145m, preventing the wealthy teams from simply buying the title away from the smaller teams.
Major regulation changes were introduced at the start of last year, forcing teams to redesign their cars to suit the new rules and enter a new era of Formula 1.
The new design of cars was aimed to increase the quality of racing as the airflow allowed drivers to follow other cars much closer without seeing the negative effects of driving in dirty air. Read more