THE NATION WEDNESDAY, MAY 21, 2014
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NEWS (SHOWBIZ)
Search for Naija Street Champ hots up
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S the search for the next Naija Street Champ continues, Ajegunle and Festac towns in Lagos State played host to the second round of auditions for the contest recently. A number of young talents took part in the audition held at Maracana Stadium, Ajegunle. They thrilled the enthusiastic crowd with their different acts. Although 14 contestants battled to qualify for the next round of audition, the trio of Chinedu Okafor( Busta), Ademola Martins( Michelyn) and Mike Arane stage( X-Brown) emerged winners. Popular singer Terry G, who was present at the Ajegunle audition, declared his support on the occasion. “I
By Dupe Ayinla-Olasunkanmi
am here for you all and I cannot wait to meet the street champ of Ajegunle,” he said. The Festac audition, which held at F.H.A playground Festac on May 18, was equally ex-
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By Ovwe Medeme
and The Godfather: Part III. “This is a momentous loss. He was one of the giants who changed the way movies looked,” said Richard Crudo, the president of the American
Ice Prince, AY, others thrill at The Chronicles of Ushbebe Live
T was another exciting moment for fun lovers at the weekend when popular radio presenter Ushbebe held the maiden edition of his comedy show, The Chronicles of Ushbebe Live, at the MUSON Centre, Onikan, Lagos. The event, which was packaged by Priderock Entertain-
By Ovwe Medeme
ment, began with a series of video skits followed by live performances by notable entertainers, including Ajebo, Pencil, Seyilaw, Funnybone, Helen Paul, AY, Gordons, Princess, Solid Star, Ice Prince, Kcee, Iyanya and Sean Tizzle, among others.
FOREIGN NEWS Malawians vote in tight poll
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ALAWIANS have voted in a tight election, with President Joyce Banda facing three strong challengers. Mrs Banda came to power two years ago after the sudden death of President Bingu wa Mutharika. Her reputation has been dented by a corruption scandal, known as Cashgate, which has led donors to cut aid. Her main challengers are Mr Mutharika’s brother, Peter, Atupele Muluzi - the son of another former president - and a former preacher, Lazarus Chakwera. Mr Chakwera is the candidate of the Malawi Congress Party, which governed from independence in 1964 until the first multi-party poll in 1994. Voting was delayed in parts of the largest city, Blantyre, due to a shortage of election material. There are reports of angry
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•ID Cabasa
citing, as the contestants displayed their individual talents. Top music producer ID Cabasa, who was present at the audition, stated that the qualifiers from Festac zone were quite promising and had a lot
Gordon Willis dies at 82
NE of Hollywood’s most revered cinematographers, Gordon Willis, has died at the age of 82. Willis received an honorary Oscar lifetime achievement in 2010 and was nominated for his work on Woody Allen’s Zelig
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•Terry G
to offer the Nigerian music scene. Out of 10 contestants, Omenogor Ceaser( Ceaser), Timi Tony Jnr.(Cyclone) and Big Daddy Africa emerged winners. The project manager, Oladeinde Fajana, stated that both auditions brought a lot of energy to the competition, thereby emphasizing the essence of the project aimed at discovering the next big music star in the streets of Lagos. According to him, the Naija Street Champ audition train will stop next at Skypower Grounds, G.R.A Ikeja, on Saturday for the Ikeja zone and at the Nigerian Army Sports Ground, Somolu, and the following day for the Bariga zone.
scenes at some polling stations. But in the capital, Lilongwe, voting mostly started on time, Reuters reports. Mrs Banda has denied any wrong-doing in relation to Cashgate and last week told the BBC that the fact the affair has gone to court was her “greatest achievement” because in the past, such scandals would have been covered up. Scores of officials, including former ministers, have been arrested over the scandal, often with large amounts of cash. Up to $250m (£150m) may have been lost through allegedly fraudulent payments. Analysts say that despite the close race, she is likely to win because of her popularity in rural areas. The candidate with the most votes is declared the winner of the presidential race - there is no run-off.
Putin seeks gas deal on state visit to China
USSIAN President Vladimir Putin has begun a two-day state visit to China with a major gas supply deal high on the agenda. A price for the Russian gas was not agreed on Tuesday, but analysts say a deal could still be struck before Mr Putin leaves China today. Mr Putin described China as a reliable friend and Russia’s leading foreign trading partner. It is his first visit to China since President Xi Jinping took office. The state visit comes as China hosts a key summit of Asian states in Shanghai that includes delegates from nearly 40 countries and international organisations. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is attending, as are the leaders of Iran, Pakistan, Kazakhstan and Cambodia. President Xi is expected to make announcements on security in Asia at the summit. In an interview with Chinese media before his arrival, Mr Putin called China “Russia’s reliable friend” and said the two countries had reached a new stage in bilateral and military ties.
Society of Cinematographers. Willis was known in the industry as ’The prince of darkness’, due to his unique lighting technique, which created lots of shadows. He also worked on Allen’s The Purple Rose of Cairo and Broadway Danny Rose. He was renowned for his striking imagery in films such as Allen’s Manhattan. He was also the cinematographer on Alan J. Pakula’s Klute for which Jane Fonda won her first Oscar. Willis worked on several other Pakula’s thrillers, including The Devil’s Own, his final film in 1997, which was also Pakula’s last directorial outing. Willis was born in New York, where his father worked as a makeup artist for Warner Bros.
Eniola Badmus launches radio programme
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INCE she played Gbogbo Bigz Girls in actress Funke Akindele’s award-winning flick, Jenifa, Eniola Badmus’ profile has been on the rise. A few days ago, the graduate of Theatre Arts from the University of Ibadan, Oyo State, launched her radio programme, Your Head Dey There, on both Wazobia and Naija FM stations, to the admiration of her fans. According to her, Your Head Dey There is a ‘question-and-answer programme, which will focus on the environment, especially for residents in Lagos State. She added that there would be cash prizes for listeners who
•Badmus By Mercy Michael
correctly answer questions on the show. Eniola, also a graduate of Economics from the Lagos State University, Ojo, has appeared in several English and Yoruba home movies, since she started her acting career some years back.
I’ve not lost focus, says Korede Bello
C •The late Willis
He was initially attracted to acting before turning to photography, which he studied while in the Air Force during the Korean War. After leaving the Army, he became an assistant cameraman and then first cameraman. His first film, End of the Road, in 1970, was a comedy drama.
ONTRARY to the insinuation in some quarters, fast-rising soul singer Korede Bello has said that his muse has not left him. The new addition to Marvin Records also added that he had not embraced another genre of music, a situation that necessitated the claim that he had lost focus. He further explained that his latest single is in sync with his style of music. His manager, Casper, said: “He is set to do good music. You can take everything from him, but you can’t take his guitar away from him.” His songs, according a critic, are usually “straight from the heart and inspired by his environment. Sometimes,
•Bello By Dupe Ayinla-Olasunkanmi
they are hilarious but with a deeper meaning.” Apart from his euphonic gift, he is also loved by his fans for his dexterity on the guitar. His first official single, African Princess, is a passionate song dedicated to lovers.
Thailand military declares martial law
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HAILAND’s caretaker premier called for the military to avoid violence as the army chief imposed martial law after more than six months of political turmoil that brought down an elected leader. “There must be no violence, no bias, equality for all parties and it should comply with the rule of law,” Prime Minister Niwattumrong Boonsongpaisan said in a statement of the army’s efforts to quell protests. “The army’s action must be under the constitution with the king as the head of state.” The imposition of martial law nationwide is not a coup, Army Chief Prayuth Chan-Ocha said on local television. The army is seeking to restore order and asks political groups to halt their protests, he said. There was an increased presence of soldiers and military vehicles in the capital Bangkok, although no curfew had been imposed. “There will be a centre to control order, headed by the army chief,” Prayuth said. “The centre can enforce any law under the martial law act to control the situation effectively.” The move is the army’s most direct involvement in the Southeast Asian nation’s politics since 2006, when then-premier Thaksin Shinawatra was removed in a coup, with Thai stocks and the baht falling. Martial law already is in place in parts of southern Thailand, and then-prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva briefly declared it in Bangkok in 2010 to end antigovernment protests.
“The political crisis seems to have reached a tipping point,” said John Blaxland, a senior fellow at the Australian National University’s Strategic and Defence Studies Centre in Canberra. “The one institution that remains the arbiter of power in Thailand is the military. The politics have gotten so toxic there aren’t many viable alternatives to martial law.” Political polarization has escalated in the past decade over the role of Thaksin and his allies in a nation that’s seen 11 coups since the end of direct rule by kings in 1932. Thailand has been without a fully functioning government since December, when then-premier Yingluck Shinawatra, Thaksin’s sis-
ter, called snap elections in a bid to ease the unrest. Anti-government protesters halted planned rallies today to assess the army’s decision, said Akanat Promphan, a spokesman for protest leader Suthep Thaugsuban. The army said in a statement it would ban the broadcast of news that could “trigger fear among the public” and would take 11 satellite TV and radio stations off the air, including Bluesky, which is affiliated with the opposition Democrat party. The U.S. expects the Thai army to honour its commitment to take temporary action to prevent violence, “and not to undermine democratic institu-
Russian oligarch faces $4.5 billion divorce
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SWISS court has ordered a Russian billionaire to pay more than $4.5 billion to his ex-wife in what could become the biggest divorce settlement in history. In papers delivered Monday to both parties, the Geneva Tribunal of First Instance said Dmitry Rybolovlev, an owner of the French soccer club AS Monaco, must pay 4,020,555,987.80 Swiss francs ($4,509,375,184.80) to ex-wife Elena Rybolovleva of Geneva. Both are aged 47. The judgment also granted his ex-wife property worth 130.5 million francs ($146 million) in property in Gstaad,
Switzerland, where the couple owned two swanky chalets. It awarded his ex-wife two other pieces of real estate in the ultra-wealthy area of Geneva known as Cologny, where the couple once lived together, but listed no value for either address. And it confirmed her custody of their 13-year-old daughter, Anna. The couple also has an adult daughter, Ekaterina. Her lawyer Marc Bonnant called it “the most expensive divorce in history,” an unheard-of amount for Switzerland and for Russian oligarchs. But Rybolovlev’s lawyer said that the judgment’s cash order was likely to be whit-
tions,” State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said in a statement. China hopes Thailand can resolve the crisis peacefully, Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei told reporters today in Beijing. “China has always advocated that for the country’s long-term interest all parties in Thailand strengthen political dialogue and properly handle political differences to restore stability.” The declaration of martial law is not a surprise, Thaksin said yesterday on his official Twitter account. “I hope no groups violate people’s human rights or further destroy the democratic process,” he said.
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tled down in coming appeals. “There will definitely be a new appellate review and therefore this judgment is not final given the existence of two levels of appeal in Switzerland,” said Tetiana Bersheda.