We’re not gay couple –Bracket

Bracket
Since they became popular with their hit song, Yori Yori, artistes, Vast and Smash also known as Bracket, have not been devoid of one controversy or the other.

Having not been linked with any lady since their career started, those who claim to know have alleged that the artistes are actually in love with each other and don’t have time for any woman.

In a chat with Saturday Beats recently, the singers denied the rumour, describing it as laughable.

They said, “We did not want to talk about it in public before but I guess we have to. We saw the story and it was a very laughable one. We did not believe it was that serious until one of our uncles called from Enugu. He was even laughing when he asked us. At the end of the day, there are certain things you do not say in public but people should wait till they see us get married. We would not begin to say that we have girlfriends in certain places or who they are. But to clear the air, we are not homosexuals. People that know us know that we are not gays.”

The singing duo further talked about their love life. While Smash said he was putting certain things in place before he is ready for a relationship, Vast, said that he is in a relationship with an Ethiopian lady.

Smash said, “I am a proper Igbo man and there are certain things that my people expect from me before I can get married and once those things are cleared, I would look for someone to marry.”

But Vast said, “I have somebody and when I am ready, people would go with me to Ethiopia to get married.”

The artistes are currently working on their foundation, Bracket Cancer Foundation, and their album, which they said would be released in the middle of the year. Already their song, Alive, featuring Tiwa Savage and Diamond from Tanzania is enjoying massive airplay.

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Terror suspect Cherif Kouachi: 'I was ready to go and die in battle'

One of the two main terrorists accused in this week's attacks in Paris had a long history of jihad and anti-Semitism, according to documents obtained by CNN.

In a 400-page court record, Cherif Kouachi was described as wanting to travel to Iraq through Syria "to go and combat the Americans."

See how the Hebdo suspects were taken down 01:57
On Friday, security forces surrounded and killed Kouachi, 32, and his older brother, Said, 34, in Dammartin-en-Goele, France, the town's mayor said. The Kouachi brothers were wanted in Wednesday's massacre at the offices of the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo in Paris that left 12 people dead.

In 2007 French court documents that CNN obtained in conjunction with French newsmagazine L'Express, Cherif Kouachi stated in a deposition, "I was ready to go and die in battle," and "I got this idea when I saw the injustices shown by television on what was going on over there. I am speaking about the torture that the Americans have inflicted on the Iraqis."

The court documents -- dated December 2007 -- stem from a 2005 arrest. They say Cherif Kouachi was raised in orphanages and foster homes from a young age, and became involved in a group in Paris' 19th arrondissement. He was arrested with other young men from that part of Paris for a conspiracy to go to Iraq and fight as jihadists.

In the documents, prosecutors outlined strong details of Kouachi's interest in jihad, interest in martyrdom and strong links to anti-Semitism, attacking and killing Jews.

Kouachi stated he came to the idea of jihad through Farid Benyettou, a well-known spiritual leader who's been long associated in France with supporting jihad and terrorism, and is associated with a mosque in the 19th arrondissement.

Through Benyettou, Kouachi was studying how to wield arms and use Kalashnikovs. Under a section titled "Motivations of Influence" describing Kouachi, court records said he stated "the wise leaders in Islam told him and his friends that if they die as martyrs in jihad they would go to heaven" and "that martyrs would be greeted by more than 60 virgins in a big palace in heaven."

The documents also said, "(F)or him any place on earth where there is such an injustice is justification for jihad; what was going on Iraq was in his eyes such an injustice."

The mosque, called La Mosquee de Stalingrad, has since been demolished and appears to be under construction.

Court records show Kouachi said he didn't consider himself a good enough Muslim, and said he had only been to the mosque two or three times before he met Benyettou, and he had been smoking cannabis.

Kouachi told investigators he committed himself to the idea of jihad during Ramadan in 2004. He told his friends he was going to Syria to fight.

The documents say when police interviewed his accomplices they stated that Kouachi "said he was ready to firebomb and to destroy Jewish shops in Paris."

When officials confronted Kouachi with that information, he told them "that's not exactly what I said. ... I don't hide having proposed anti-Semitic ideas, but I would note that I never really would have done that."

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BAFTA Film Awards 2015: Complete List of Nominations

The BAFTA Film Awards nominations were announced today, with Wes Anderson's The Grand Budapest Hotel leading the way, being recognized in 11 categories, while Birdman and The Theory of Everything trail closely behind with 10 nominations each.

Here's the complete list of nominees:

BEST FILM

BIRDMAN

BOYHOOD

THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL

THE IMITATION GAME



THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING



OUTSTANDING BRITISH FILM

'71

THE IMITATION GAME

PADDINGTON

PRIDE

THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING

UNDER THE SKIN



OUTSTANDING DEBUT BY A BRITISH WRITER, DIRECTOR OR PRODUCER

ELAINE CONSTANTINE (Writer/Director) Northern Soul

GREGORY BURKE (Writer), YANN DEMANGE (Director) '71

HONG KHAOU (Writer/Director) Lilting

PAUL KATIS (Director/Producer), ANDREW DE LOTBINIÈRE (Producer) Kajaki: The True Story

STEPHEN BERESFORD (Writer), DAVID LIVINGSTONE (Producer) Pride



FILM NOT IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE

IDA

LEVIATHAN

THE LUNCHBOX

TRASH

TWO DAYS, ONE NIGHT



DOCUMENTARY

20 FEET FROM STARDOM

20,000 DAYS ON EARTH

CITIZENFOUR

FINDING VIVIAN MAIER

VIRUNGA



ANIMATED FILM

BIG HERO 6

THE BOXTROLLS

THE LEGO MOVIE



DIRECTOR

BIRDMAN Alejandro G. Iñárritu

BOYHOOD Richard Linklater

THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL Wes Anderson

THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING James Marsh

WHIPLASH Damien ChazelleR



ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

BIRDMAN Alejandro G. Iñárritu, Nicolás Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris Jr, Armando Bo

BOYHOOD Richard Linklater

THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL Wes Anderson

NIGHTCRAWLER Dan Gilroy

WHIPLASH Damien Chazelle





ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

AMERICAN SNIPER Jason Hall

GONE GIRL Gillian Flynn

THE IMITATION GAME Graham Moore

PADDINGTON Paul King

THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING Anthony McCarten



LEADING ACTOR

BENEDICT CUMBERBATCH The Imitation Game

EDDIE REDMAYNE The Theory of Everything

JAKE GYLLENHAAL Nightcrawler

MICHAEL KEATON Birdman

RALPH FIENNES The Grand Budapest Hotel





LEADING ACTRESS

AMY ADAMS Big Eyes

FELICITY JONES The Theory of Everything

JULIANNE MOORE Still Alice

REESE WITHERSPOON Wild

ROSAMUND PIKE Gone Girl





SUPPORTING ACTOR

EDWARD NORTON Birdman

ETHAN HAWKE Boyhood

JK SIMMONS Whiplash

MARK RUFFALO Foxcatcher

STEVE CARELL Foxcatcher



SUPPORTING ACTRESS

EMMA STONE Birdman

IMELDA STAUNTON Pride

KEIRA KNIGHTLEY The Imitation Game

PATRICIA ARQUETTE Boyhood

RENE RUSSO Nightcrawler





ORIGINAL MUSIC

BIRDMAN Antonio Sanchez

THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL Alexandre Desplat

INTERSTELLAR Hans Zimmer

THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING Jóhann Jóhannsson

UNDER THE SKIN Mica Levi





CINEMATOGRAPHY

BIRDMAN Emmanuel Lubezki

THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL Robert Yeoman

IDA Lukasz Zal, Ryzsard Lenczewski

INTERSTELLAR Hoyte van Hoytema

MR. TURNER Dick Pope



EDITING

BIRDMAN Douglas Crise, Stephen Mirrione

THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL Barney Pilling

THE IMITATION GAME William Goldenberg



 NIGHTCRAWLER John Gilroy

THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING Jinx Godfrey

WHIPLASH Tom Cross





PRODUCTION DESIGN

BIG EYES Rick Heinrichs, Shane Vieau

THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL Adam Stockhausen, Anna Pinnock

THE IMITATION GAME Maria Djurkovic, Tatiana MacDonald

INTERSTELLAR Nathan Crowley, Gary Fettis

MR. TURNER Suzie Davies, Charlotte Watts





COSTUME DESIGN

THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL Milena Canonero

THE IMITATION GAME Sammy Sheldon Differ

INTO THE WOODS Colleen Atwood

MR. TURNER Jacqueline Durran

THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING Steven Noble



MAKE UP & HAIR

THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL Frances Hannon

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY Elizabeth Yianni-Georgiou, David White

INTO THE WOODS Peter Swords King, J. Roy Helland

MR. TURNER Christine Blundell, Lesa Warrener

THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING Jan Sewell



SOUND

AMERICAN SNIPER Walt Martin, John Reitz, Gregg Rudloff, Alan Robert Murray, Bub Asman

BIRDMAN Thomas Varga, Martin Hernández, Aaron Glascock, Jon Taylor, Frank A. Montaño

THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL Wayne Lemmer, Christopher Scarabosio, Pawel Wdowczak

THE IMITATION GAME John Midgley, Lee Walpole, Stuart Hilliker, Martin Jensen

WH

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Nicki Minaj Freaks Out Over Snake Bite, Cops to Stealing Bread in MTV Documentary Trailer--Watch Now!

Before Nicki Minaj made it big, she had no idea what fame would entail.

In the trailer for her upcoming MTV documentary My Time Again, the 32-year-old rapper says that "until you are in it [the spotlight], you really can't wrap your brain around it."

Up-and-coming Nicki, for example, probably didn't see boa constrictor bites as a foreseeable problem in her future, but during a rehearsal for the 2014 MTV VMAs this past August, that's exactly what she encountered.

In the clip, we see the "Anaconda" rapper's visual shock when she learns that one of her backup dancers was bitten by the snake. "Oh my, god," she exclaims. "She got bit?!"

Oh, she got bit, and as the trailer shows, it drew blood! But as Nicki's knows the show must always go on, and it did! (Fortunately, both the dancer and the snake incurred no substantial harm, and an alternate boa constrictor was used in the live performance."

Nicki's got a knack for dealing with the unexpected! "When I'm faced with crazy adversities," she says, pausing before snapping her fingers, '"I turn on a switch that I don't even know I have sometimes."

In other words, she works with what she's got. Of course, this is nothing new for the Bronx-born beauty though-she's always been resourceful. "When I was a waitress, we had to steal bead and eat that," she recalls.

She's a regular ol' John Valjean! These tests of character shave only served to make her stronger, too.

Nicki Minaj: My Time Again premieres Sunday, Jan. 18 on MTV.

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Who will save the nation and rescue the Naira

By Adisa Adeleye
I must apologise to my readers for absconding from my weekly assignment without due notice.  I went in search of better sight and improved hearing.  Though I can now see and hear a little bit better.  I must confess that my sight is being blurred by the devastation of Boko-Haram bombs and my ears are blocked by nasty rumours of impending post-election reactions.
Perhaps it is too late to persuade the political gladiators against the futility of rushed elections, especially when the political atmosphere is already charged.  There is that craze for a CHANGE by the Opposition against the sit-tight posture of the ruling caste in the Federation and the states.  Every party is caught in the web of enlightened self interest through manifestoes which are neither enlightened nor revolutionary.  At best, the election promises are the familiar ones – Improved Security and Economic Prosperity which have remained elusive over the years.
Perhaps those patriotic Nigerians who cry for the postponement of the elections have their points.  Nigeria is in a civil war – a deadly combat in which our gallant armed forces have the unpleasant duty of turning their weapons against rebellious and deadly Nigerian insurgents.  Many believe that the final resolution of the conflict is far beyond the capability of a single political party whose leadership lacks strong national appeal in a seemingly divided nation.

The other important aspect of the many unresolved issues is that of Electoral Reform to ensure free and fair election.  In a plural society with multi-party political system, the electoral body (INEC) should be representative and not one selected by the ruling party either in the Centre or in the States.  Also, any electoral system that denies the individual (Independent candidate) from being voted for cannot be fair and just.
The question is, why the haste when the electoral body is not 90 per cent ready in the distribution of voters‘ cards and revision of voters list?
Caught in the mood of ‘rush-rush‘ psychology of Nigerian political system, the media do solemnly ask for debate on Issues of the day: Security and the Economy: those are the two vital issues on which the government and the opposition are expected to be on familiar grounds.  The governing parties should rely and defend their activities and the opposition to convince voters of their alternative routes to security and prosperity in an atmosphere of dwindling oil revenue and hostile political environment.
Many observers of Nigerian political situation believe that issues raised at the last National Conference (at President Jonathan‘s initiative) should have been resolved and concrete steps taken to amend, if necessary, the 1999 Constitution before any election is undertaken. With Political and Economic issues unresolved, the new government of any shade or colour after the elections would still be confronted with the unresolved burning questions.  That situation might become volatile and result in political instability.
On the issue of Political Economy, the country seems to be remiss while the ruling party (PDP) is amiss.  The Central Bank has opted for a policy of Devaluation as a measure of lack of vision. My view has not changed from that taken in 2000 (see quoted view below)

DEVALUATION
Devaluation (lowering the value) of the Naira has been rated as one of the main factors affecting the competitiveness of Nigerian products at home and abroad.
Nigeria, being an import dependent country has to pay more for its raw materials, spare parts and machinery.  The high cost of imported inputs added to increasing local cost of productions (because of poor infrastructures) tends to affect the price of locally produced goods.
On Devaluation, Alhaji Shehu Shagari, a former President was bold and categorical in his 1983 Budget Speech when he said, “I have followed with keen interest the on-going debate on the devaluation of the Naira, I am convinced that given the present struc

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