Reputable gospel artiste, Nathaniel Bassey and his equally accomplished female colleague, Mercy Chinwo will be starring this week on African Voices Changemakers, CNN International’s magazine programme bankrolled by telecommunications company, Globacom.

The 30-minute soar-away show anchored by Larry Madowo  will air on  DSTV Channel 401 on  Saturday at 8.30 a.m. with a repeat the same day at noon.  On Sunday, two more repeats will be shown at 4.30 a.m. and 2 p.m. and on Monday at 4 a.m. The same broadcast schedule will be followed next week.

The audience will be sharing the stories of the duo’s ascendancy to fame and their staing power in the genre of music.  Bassey’s musical prowess  has continue to draw attention in person and online, especially with The Halleluiah Challenge while Mercy Chinwo  serenades her fans with her voice, stage presence and charisma.

 Bassey, a native of Akwa Ibom State,  was born  27 August 1981. He has carved a niche for himself as a notable singer, trumpeter and gospel songwriter popularly known for his songs including “Yahweh Sabaoth”, “Ebenezer”, “Tobechukwu” “Imela”, “Onise Iyanu”, and “Olowogbogboro” and for his humility.

He studied International Relations and Politics at the University of Lagos before relocating to London where he studied Politics and later Music at the Middlesex University Summer School also in the United Kingdom and has successfully affirmed himself as one of the prominent and most listened-to gospel ministers in Nigeria. His music traverses different genres such as jazz, worship, hymns and medley. He is a Pastor of The Redeemed Christian Church Of God, King’s Court in Victoria Island, Lagos.

On her part, Mercy Nnenda Chinwo-Blessed  was born September 5, 1991. She is a Nigerian gospel singer, actress, and songwriter who began singing  in church at age six. In 2017, she signed a recording contract with EeZee Conceptz after which she released her first single “Excess Love” in 2018. She bagged a degree in Human Resources Management from the International Business Management Institute (IBMI).  She emerged the Gospel Artiste of the year at the AFRIMMA Awards in 2020 and won the Africa Gospel Music of the year, CLIMA Africa Award 2022, among other awards.

A Lagos High Court in Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS) has banned public viewing and streaming of a controversial film titled, “Gang of Lagos”.

The order was contained in a consent judgment delivered by Justice Idowu Alakija.

It followed terms of agreement between parties in the suit delineated LD/6903GCM/2023 between Isale Eko Descendants Union & 2 Ors against Amazon Web Services and 11 others.

The judge agreed with the submission of the applicants that the movie erroneously portrayed and disparaged the cultural heritage of “the well respected Eyo Masquerade of Lagos and the peace-loving nature and the long standing traditions of the Isale-Eko People.”

Justice Alakija ordered the defendants in the matter to “tender an unreserved apology to the applicants in this regard”.

Justice Alakija also asked the defendants to tender an apology to the applicants, Isale Eko Descendants Union.

“In consideration of the mutual promises contained herein and in full and final settlement of all the claims in this suit, the parties hereby agreed that the 3rd to 11th respondents shall jointly issue a letter recognising the applicants’ position that the movie titled, “Gangs of Lagos” erroneously portrayed and disparaged the cultural heritage of the well-respected Eyo Masquerade and the peace-loving nature and the long-standing traditions of the Isale-Eko People, and shall therein, tender an unreserved apology to the applicants in this regard.

Oscar-winning actor Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, were found dead in their home in New Mexico along with their dog, the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office told CNN. He was 95.

Their causes of death have not been confirmed, but foul play is not suspected, Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Denise Womack-Avila told CNN on Thursday morning.

Deputies responded to a welfare check request at the home around 1:45 p.m. Wednesday and found Hackman, Arakawa and a dog deceased, Womack-Avila said. An investigation is ongoing, the sheriff’s office said. The gas company is assisting in the investigation, The Associated Press reported.

The welfare check was conducted after a neighbor called authorities, concerned about the couple’s well-being, CNN affiliate KOAT reported.

A search warrant shows that Hackman, his wife and their dog had been dead for some time, and the couple’s bodies were in different rooms when deputies found them during the wellness check, the AP reported.

Hackman was found dead Wednesday in a mudroom, and Arakawa was found dead in a bathroom next to a space heater. There was an open prescription bottle and pills scattered on the countertop near Arakawa, the AP reported.

Medical examiner’s reports with the final cause of death “generally take anywhere from 4-6 weeks to generate,” said Chris Ramirez, spokesperson for the New Mexico medical investigator’s office.

CNN has reached out to Hackman’s representatives.

The actor’s death comes just days before the Academy Awards on Sunday.

Hackman’s performances in such films as “The French Connection,” “Hoosiers,” “Unforgiven,” and “The Firm” elevated character roles to leading-man levels.

Hackman’s best roles were often of conflicted authority figures or surprisingly clever white-collar villains, such as the iconic, evil Lex Luthor in the “Superman” film series in the 1970s and ’80s. Many held a hint – sometimes more than a hint – of menace.

He won an Oscar for his portrayal in 1971’s “The French Connection” of New York cop Popeye Doyle, a detective who gets his man but at a high cost. His surveillance expert in 1974’s “The Conversation” is single-minded to the point of obsession, losing all perspective.

He won his second Oscar for his performance as Little Bill Daggett, the violent sheriff in Clint Eastwood’s 1992 film, “Unforgiven.”

Source: CNN