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Former Nickelodeon producer Dan Schneider has denied creating a toxic workplace while at the children's channel and sexualizing young child stars on set.    Schneider who is behind hit Nickelodeon shows like "The Amanda Show" and "Drake & Josh" has said there's no truth to the allegations floated in ‘Quiet on Set’. He stated that numerous adults were involved in overseeing all aspects of the shows, with everything being approved by the network itself.   The producer also said that scripts for the shows underwent a rigorous vetting process, requiring approvals from both NYC and L.A. networks and if anything was found to be inappropriate, it would've been flagged and blocked by multilayered scrutiny.   The statement added;    "Remember, all stories, dialogue, costumes, and makeup were fully approved by network executives on two coasts. A standards and practices group read and ultimately approved every script, and programming executi...

The list of the top 10 universities in Africa for 2024 as ranked by EduRank, a top source for social media analytics in the education sector, has been released and no Nigerian university is in the top 10.   The organisation stated on its website that the ranking was based on research outputs, non-academic prominence, and alumni influence.   It added that it arrived at the ranking after analysing 24.5 million citations received by 2.16 million academic publications made by 1,104 universities from Africa.   EduRank conducts a series of statistical analyses to generate comparative university rankings in various fields, by country, region, and globally.  In the ratings for 2024, no Nigerian university made it to the top 10. The top-ranked Nigerian institution is the University of Ibadan (UI), which is ranked No.13 in Africa and No.1057 in the world.   Seven out of the top 10 universities in Africa are located in South Africa, one is located in Egypt, one...

  An Ohio woman who left her 16-month-old daughter alone for more than a week while she vacationed, leading to the girl’s death, was sentenced to life in prison without parole Monday morning, March 18.   Kristel Candelario, 32, left her daughter, Jailyn, alone and unattended at her home in Cleveland on June 6, 2023. Authorities said she did not return until June 16.   According to prosecutors, Candelario traveled to Detroit and Puerto Rico. She returned 10 days later to find the girl unresponsive and called police.       The child was pronounced dead at the home. She was discovered in a playpen soiled with urine and feces, according to a press release from the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office.   Forensic pathologist Elizabeth Mooney determined Jailyn died from starvation and severe dehydration due to pediatric neglect and ruled Jailyn’s death a homicide.   On Feb. 22, Candelario pleaded guilty to one count of aggravated murder a...

Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court Abuja has rejected the bail application for the leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu.   In a ruling delivered today March 19, the court ordered an accelerated hearing of the case involving the embattled IPOB leader who is facing charges bordering on treasonable felony.   Kanu, who was brought to the court on Tuesday, has been in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) since his arrest in June 2021.     Justice Nyako held that the court would only grant an accelerated hearing in the matter and ordered the prosecution to call its first witness.   Channels TV reports that the counsel for Kanu, Aloy Ejimakor, expressed his displeasure over the ruling. He said the IPOB leader’s legal team cannot go on with the proceedings if not allowed to speak with their client.   Ejimakor added that it has been difficult to have a meeting with Kanu in the custody of t...

Famine is "imminent" in northern Gaza, as the entire population of the strip experiences high levels of food insecurity amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, according to a newly released report. The report from the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) initiative said a famine in the north of the strip may occur between mid-March and the end of May unless an immediate cease-fire occurs so that essential food and supplies can be delivered consistently to Gazans. "The conditions necessary to prevent famine have not been met and the latest evidence confirms that famine is imminent in the northern governorates," the report said.   The report projects that northern Gaza will be classified as Phase 5, the highest stage of food insecurity equivalent to famine levels of starvation, in the next month and a half. Additionally, 70% of the remaining population in the north, or about 210,000 Gazans, will experience "catastrophic" levels of hun...

Former Brazil and Barcelona footballer, Dani Alves has pleaded to be released from prison pending his final sentence for raping a woman in a Barcelona nightclub. Alves, 40, who was sentenced to four-and-a-half years in prison last month, told a hearing on Tuesday morning: 'I believe in justice. I'm not going to run away.'  His request to be released from the Brians 2 Prison near Barcelona, where he has been held since January last year, has been opposed by the prosecutor's office in Spain. They argue there remains a flight risk given Alves' wealth and the high penalty imposed, Marca reported.   Alves, appearing via video link from prison, assured the court he plans to 'get to the end' of the case because he 'believes in justice.' Alves plans to appeal the sentence he received last month. A decision over whether to release Alves until his final sentence is confirmed will be made shortly by the court.  Alves, one of the most decorated footba...

King Charles has been spotted leaving Windsor Castle and arriving at Clarence House in London this morning, hours after Russian media claimed he had passed away.     The monarch, 75, was seen seated in the back of a royal limousine as he departed his Berkshire home before arriving in the capital.   Yesterday, the British embassy in Moscow was forced to give an official statement confirming King Charles III is still alive after Russian media claimed he had died.     A host of Russian news sites and their associated social media accounts reported that the King had died as a result of cancer complications, citing unnamed 'media' sources in an inexplicable stream of posts.   An image of a fake statement from 'Buckingham Palace' reporting Charles' 'unexpected death' was circulated on social media.     Several prominent outlets reported the bogus news but it was not immediately clear whether...