Obama talks about 'worst day of my presidency,'

President Obama said his priorities for the next four years are immigration, the economy, energy and debt reduction.

President Barack Obama appeared on NBC's "Meet The Press" on Sunday, talking about the worst day of his presidency especially gun control after the Newtown killings. He said, "Something fundamental in America has to change."

 The president who visited on December 16 with families of victims of the Newtown, Connecticut, school shootings said Sunday he will put forth a proposal next year to change firearm laws. Among the things the legislation will address are assault-style rifles, high-capacity ammunition magazines and background checks on all firearm sales.

Victim's body returned to India, cremated

 The body of the 23-year-old victim of the horrific gang rape was yesterday returned to India, where it was cremated Sunday in a private funeral, Home Ministry spokesman K.S. Dhatwalia said.

 Indian authorities added murder charges Saturday for suspects in the brutal gang rape that led to the death of a 23-year-old woman and sent outraged protesters to the streets. The suspects already faced rape charges.

Mercy Johnson delivers Baby Girl in U.S Hospital

 Nollywood actress, Mercy Johnson and her husband Odianose Okojie must certainly be in a celebratory mood having welcomed their bundle of joy yesterday afternoon at the John Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, USA. Mother and child are doing fine. It would be recalled that the new mother got married in August 2011 amidst allegations of husband-snatching. Prior to her delivery, she had been in the US for over a month. According to her publicist, Samuel Olatunji of Bigsam Media, the actress and her baby will relax in America for a few weeks before coming back to Nigeria.

Here's wishing the Okojies many more kids!!! LOL

Hillary Clinton in hospital with blood clot after fall

 

Mrs Clinton suffered a concussion following a fall in mid-December

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is under observation in a New York hospital after being admitted suffering from a blood clot. Mrs Clinton suffered a concussion earlier this month after fainting and falling down. She is being treated with anti-clotting drugs and will remain in hospital for at least 48 hours, her spokesman said. Mrs Clinton, 65, is due to stand down before President Barack Obama formally begins his second term in January. At the time of her faint, she was reported to have had a stomach virus and to have passed out after becoming dehydrated.

New year revellers begin welcoming 2013

Celebrations are being held around the world to mark the new year, with the city of Auckland in New Zealand holding the first major event of 2013.

More than 1.5 million people gathered around Sydney harbour to watch the city's famous firework display.
Big shows are also planned in many other cities globally.
Celebrations will also be held for the first time in Burma, where large public gatherings were banned by its previous military rulers.

India gang rape: New Year celebrations scaled back

 

The attack has triggered an outpouring of anger across India. India has scaled back New Year celebrations, as it mourned the death of a woman whose gang rape on a bus a fortnight ago sparked public outrage. The army has cancelled all official celebrations as have the states of Punjab and Haryana.

Kogi Dept Gov Recalled from UK

Governor Capt Idris Wada

Arch. Yomi Awoniyi, the Kogi State Deputy Governor, who has been on a foreign trip in the United Kingdom, Monday abruptly returned to the country. The Deputy Governor had to cut short his trip following the auto crash involving the State Governor Capt Idris Wada, last Friday.

According to sources at Lugard house, Awoniyi ‘s trip was to have lasted 12 days covering the Christmas holiday, in London but was compelled to return home following the crash.

The Governor, who was involved in the accident while returning from the annual Igala Educational Summit held at the Kogi State University Anyigba, is presently recuperating at a private hospital in Abuja.
Meanwhile, Gov Wada said he is in charge from his hospital bed.

CNPP Seeks Travel Ban against Corrupt Leaders

EFCC Chairman, Ibrahim Lamorde

The Conference of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP) has asked the international community to impose sanctions against corrupt Nigerian leaders in order alleviate the sufferings of the people.

The group said such instruments as freezing of foreign assets, travel bans on politicians, high government officials and their known associates especially those who have been indicted by the police, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) or other anti-corruption agencies should be adopted by the international community to bring about  significant improvement in the overall situation in the country.

It said what is happening in the country with regards to corruption and impunity of governance deserved sanctions similar to those imposed on South Africa during the apartheid era, and that such sanctions be sustained until the country’s corruption perception index improves.

Nigerian Doctors Face Tough Times in the United Kingdom

Minister of Health, Prof Onyebuchi Chukwu

The United Kingdom (UK) may be a land of opportunities, especially for those seeking better life for themselves, however, such opportunities seem to be shrinking, especially for Nigerian-trained medical doctors.

They have come under the focus of regulatory authorities for alleged ineptitude and this may affect not only the career progress of those practising in the UK  but job opportunity for medical doctors trained in Nigeria who hope to move over to practise their profession in the UK.

INTERVIEW: AY’S COMEDY SHOW GAVE ME BREAKTHROUGH-ELENU

ELENU

AKINLAMI BABATUNDE JULIUS A.K.A. ELENU IS A FAST RISING COMIC ACT. RECENTLY, HE WON THE BEST COMEDIAN OF THE YEAR IN THE RECENTLY CONCLUDED MODE MEN AWARDS. HE ALSO WON

THE SAME CATEGORY AT THE DYNAMIX AWARDS. ELENU SHARED THE STORY OF HIS PHENOMENAL RISE WITH LANRE ODUKOYA

How did it all begin professionally?

I started comedy professional in 2006 after winning the AY’s Open Mic Night Comedy competition

Would you sincerely say that you’ve fared well so far?

It’s been a dream come through because I never knew comedy will put me where I am today and I give glory to God almighty for that.

'Skyfall' Hits Very Rare Milestone, Makes $1bn at Box Office

Daniel Craig in the latest James Bond movie, 'Skyfall'

"Skyfall," the 23rd James Bond adventure, has surpassed $1 billion at the worldwide box office.

Jeff Blake, chairman of worldwide marketing and distribution for Sony Pictures and Gary Barber, MGM's chairman and chief executive, made the announcement Sunday.

The film, from Albert R. Broccoli's EON Productions, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios, and Sony Pictures Entertainment, is the most successful Bond film of all time. It is also the highest-grossing film at the worldwide box office in Sony Pictures history, reports The Wrap.

Love in the Season of Cholera

Simon Kolawole Live!: Email: simon.kolawole@thisdaylive.com

How do you preach love when blood-thirsty men are lurking around, looking for their next victim – in the name of God? But how do you preach hate when peace-loving men and women from the big religious divides gather to celebrate Sallah and Christmas together? Paradox has no better home than Nigeria. Evidence: on Christmas day in Piri, Yobe State, suspected Boko Haram militants attacked a church, killing a pastor and six others in a predawn assault; same day in Kaduna, Christians and Muslims gathered to celebrate Christmas together, a follow-up to a similar gesture between the two “combatants” during the last Eid-el-Kabir celebration. In Nigeria, all the ingredients for conflict and recipe for peace are ever with us.

Last month in Abuja, the Tony Blair Faith Foundation launched an initiative to encourage dialogue and reconciliation between Christian and Muslim communities in Nigeria. The general idea is to provide a platform for adherents of these two faiths – which are the biggest in Nigeria – to constantly dialogue with mutual respect. The prospects for peace, in the midst of the bloodshed, are undeniable. In our midst, there are preachers of love and preachers of hate, but the impression one easily gets is that the preachers of hate are having the upper hand. For all you care, they may only be a tiny but vocal minority. After all, one mad man can set a city of sane people on fire.

From Slums to School Halls

Otto having a chat with slum kids at Makoko community

Chiemelie Ezeobi writes that Slum to School (S2S) project, a social advocacy group, recently gave a new lease of life to about 202 less-privileged and orphaned kids at the Makoko community, a slum in the Yaba district of Lagos State, with free admission into three schools

“As from today, my daughter’s life as a fish seller is over. For the very reason that I ended up a fish seller does not mean my daughter will do same. I want better things for her. It is a hard life that no one will want her child to be part of  but poverty said otherwise. Today, the Slum to School (S2S) project has given my daughter a new lease of life by giving her the opportunity to go to school on scholarship. I have always hoped that one day my kids will see the four  walls of a school and that prayer has been answered.”

INTERVIEW: WHY DELTA IS HOME OF MOST COMEDIANS

COMEDIAN, D DON (REAL NAME IRUEWE OKEREMUTE) IS ONE OF NIGERIA’S MOST QUINTESSENTIAL COMIC CHARACTERS. HE HAS PERFORMED IN MANY HIGH PROFILE COMEDY SHOWS AND ALSO RUNS A RADIO COMEDY SHOW ON RAINBOW FM, LAGOS. D DON TALKS TO LANRE ODUKOYA ABOUT HIS LIFE AND CAREER

THE ‘DON’ IN MY NAME…

Funny enough, my real name is Don. My Father gave me the name ‘Don.’ My name is Iruewe Okeremute Don and I’m from Delta state. Some might look at the name as a mafia name, but actually, if you look at the dictionary, you will find out that Don is a name given to those who are very good at their jobs. That is why professors are called dons.

COMEDIANS AND THE DELTA CONNECTION…

The thing is that, just like Raggae is synonymous with people from Jamaica, comedy is our way of life in Delta State. Funny enough, we are really not funny to each other over there. But when we come to Lagos, Abuja and some other places, people usually find us funny, so we decided to do business out of it. I started comedy in 2002 and I have appeared on a lot of big comedy shows since then. I was part of the 14th edition of Night of a Thousand laughs. It’s just that I don’t make noise about my performances. I was on Ali Baba Live in 2006 and also in 2008, Unleash the Comedy, Basket Mouth Uncensored, Glo Lord of the Ribs and so on. I have also done some corporate events.

D’BANJ, DON JAZZY TAKE MALICE TO CONCERT

Multiple award winning singer, Dapo Oyebanji otherwise known as D’Banj and his former partner, Michael Collins mostly known as Don Jazzy crossed paths at the most attended show of the year, Rhythm Unplugged staged at the Expo hall of Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island- Lagos last Sunday. Expectedly the feuding duo became the cynosure of all eyes as fans gazed at these two heavy weights. They were both seated at the VVIP section of the show, but not close enough to each other and never bothered to reach out to the other to exchange pleasantries.

I GO DIE LOSING THE ACE

Humorist, Francis Agoda a.k.a. I Go Die raced to fame a couple of years back by reeling out jokes mostly about sex, romance and prostitution at a time the industry was literally in drought of that manner of humour, I Go Die’s entry was more than a saving grace. He became one of the most sought after comedian for comedy shows and he had delivered impressively in seasons gone by. However, it’s in doubt today that the same man whose only physique evoked crazy laughter before he took the mic, is in lethal gasping for exhale of quality jokes. 

Two Killed, 1,500 Displaced in Fulani, Gwari Clash in Abuja

With barely 48 hours to the new year, a communal clash erupted in Gwako town at Gwagwalada Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) over boundary-related disputes on farmlands,  with two people confirmed dead, 1,500 people displaced in 27 affected communities.

The clash which occurred yesterday drew the attention of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and FCT Administration (FCTA) to jointly activate their Search and Rescue teams.

It was the prompt intervention of the two agencies including security personnel from the police, Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and the military that helped to curtail the escalation of the crisis which started Saturday as a result of encroachment of herd of cattle into farmlands in the area, before it escalated to a major fight Sunday.

Fire at Lagos Deputy Governor’s House

Mrs. Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire

By Chiemelie Ezeobi

What would have been a major fire disaster in Lagos State was averted Sunday  when people joined hands to put out a fire outbreak that would have consumed the official quarters of Lagos State Deputy Governor, Mrs. Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire.
An electrical spark from the room of the Special Assistant (Media) to the deputy governor, Mr. Tunde Abatan, was said to have snowballed into a fire that was threatening to spread to other buildings in the expansive compound.

Convoy Clash: I am Still in Shock, Traumatised, Says Anyanwu

Governor Rochas Okorocha

The echoes of last Thursday’s convoy power-show between the security aides of Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State and the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Navy, Senator Chris Anyanwu, along the Owerri-Umuahia highway is still reverberating, as Anyanwu said she is still traumatised and in shock.

But the governor in a statement by his Special Adviser Media, Mr. Ebere Uzoukwu, claimed that it was Anyanwu’s convoy, which broke into the convoy with a view to killing him (Okorocha).

Finally! Kanye Turns Kim into Baby Mama

After many speculations and denials, Kanye West, has officially confirmed that Kim Kardashian is pregnant.
The American rapper, made the announcement to thousands of fans, who gathered to watch him perform in Atlantic City, on December 30.
West asked the audience to “stop the music and make noise for my baby mama,”, referring to 32-year-old Kim, who was part of the concert goers.
And the congratulatory tweets have already begun for the future parents.
As expected, the Kardashians were over the moon, as another family member is now on the way.
“Im a happy girl !!!!!!!!! Wowza! Oh BABY BABY BABY,” Kris Jenner tweeted.
Khloé Kardashian Odom wrote: “Keeping secrets is hard with so many family members! Especially when you are so freaking excited!!!!! LOVE is everything!!!!”
Kourtney Kardashian, who has two kids herself, took to the social network to say, “Been wanting to shout from the rooftops with joy and now I can! Another angel to welcome to our family. Overwhelmed with excitement!”