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No. 5 Alabama has a reputation as 3-point gunners, but it's defense and rebounding that have become a focus as the Tide welcome South Dakota State to Tuscaloosa, Ala., to end the 2024 calendar year. Alabama (10-2) is frequently thought of as an offensive 3-point shooting free-for-all program, but Nate Oats' 2024-25 squad has thrived largely on the basis of inside play. The Tide are shooting 62.2 percent on their two-point attempts and grab 45 rebounds per game, each figure placing the team among the national leaders in those categories. Alabama does still shoot an average of 31 3-point shots per game, again one of the nation's highest totals. But so far, Alabama's 31.2 percent connection rate is very ordinary. But connecting inside and owning the glass has held benefits for Alabama. Meanwhile, defense has concerned Oats, particularly coming off a 97-90 win over North Dakota on Dec. 18. Oats issued warnings about players losing spots in the rotation if defensive execution didn't improve. Alabama passed the first post-North Dakota test in an 81-54 win over Kent State on Sunday. "We did make a big point of emphasis on defense, especially after that debacle up in North Dakota," said Oats after the Kent State victory. "It was a much better defensive effort, so it will be a lot better Christmas break for us." Alabama won the rebounding battle over Kent State 60-40, although Oats contended that the Tide "gave up too many second-chance points." Alabama made 72 percent of its two-point attempts even as just 9 of 35 3-point attempts connected. Alabama has battled personnel uncertainty early in the season. An Achilles injury ended the season of guard Latrell Wrightsell Jr. just as transfer Chris Youngblood was preparing to return from an ankle injury. The Tide have 11 players averaging double-digit minutes and eight averaging 7.4 points per game or better, led by super senior guard Mark Sears with 17.8 ppg. Super senior forward Grant Nelson remains a key player, leading the Tide with 8.7 rebounds per game while adding 12.8 ppg. Meanwhile, South Dakota State (9-5) will pin its upset hopes largely on Aussie transfer Oscar Cluff. A 6-foot-11 senior who transferred in from Washington State, Cluff has averaged 16.6 points and 10.8 rebounds per game. Cluff is connecting on 71.4 percent of his shot attempts. He's also shooting 79.2 percent at the foul line and has stabilized a young Jackrabbits team with four freshmen among the top seven scorers. "Oscar's just built the right way," said coach Eric Henderson. "We have probably played through the post more than any other team in the country the last five years and we just felt like we needed a big man that had some experience and boy does he ever." Cluff had a streak of five straight double-doubles, but that ended in recent losses to Nevada and Colorado. The Jackrabbits won 87-72 over Chadron State in their last game on Dec. 19. --Field Level Media

12,000 Ooni ex-queen’s supporters demand justice as video proves govt aware of funfairEddie Lampkin and Donnie Freeman both turned in double-double performances as Syracuse snapped a two-game losing streak with a 75-63 win over Bucknell Saturday at the JMA Wireless Dome in Syracuse, N.Y. Lampkin scored 18 points and grabbed 11 rebounds while Freeman finished with 15 points and 11 boards as the Orange (6-6) improved to 11-1 all-time against the Bison (4-9). Jaquan Carlos chipped in 11 for Syracuse. Josh Bascoe was impressive in defeat, knocking down six 3-pointers and scoring 22 in all. Noah Williamson added 12 for the Bison, who dropped their seventh in a row but didn't go away quietly. Trailing 43-31 at the half, the Bison pulled within 48-43 after a dunk by Pip Ajayi with 14:13 left. That was as close as Bucknell would get, however, as it fell short in its bid for its first win over a power conference team since beating Vanderbilt 75-72 victory during the 2016-17 campaign. In the final nonleague game for both teams, Syracuse shook off a slow start with a 9-0 run ignited by a Lucas Taylor 3-pointer and capped with a layup by Freeman that put the Orange up 12-6 with 14:30 to go. The Orange led 17-12 with 11:23 to go after a 3-pointer by Elijah Moore, but back-to-back 3-pointers by Jayden Williams and Bascoe put the Bison on top 21-19 with 8:04 remaining. With Bucknell up 26-22, momentum shifted in Syracuse's favor on the strength of a 16-2 run, highlighted by Freeman's 3-pointer that gave the Orange their first double-digit lead at 38-28 with 1:49 to play in the half. Freeman hit another shot from distance with seven seconds left, shooting over a defender from well beyond the line and extending the lead to 43-31. He high-fived teammates as he came off the court. His bucket was one of six 3-pointers Syracuse connected on in the opening half while shooting 57.6 percent (17-of-30) from the field. The Orange outscored the Bison 18-3 over the final 5:39, limiting Bucknell to only one field goal. --Field Level Media

Aidan Bouman, Quaron Adams rally South Dakota past Tarleton State 42-31 in FCS second-round duel

https://arab.news/rnav3 JEDDAH: South Korean actor Park Sung-hoon, who stars in Netflix’s smash hit “Squid Game,” jetted to Saudi Arabia for the Red Sea International Film Festival and spoke to Arab News about his hopes for Saudi-Korean cultural collaboration. The rising South Korean star, who is also known for his roles in dramas such as “The Glory” and “Queen of Tears,” lauded the popularity of Korean entertainment content in the Kingdom. “I am grateful for this, and this really motivated me to try to pay back for this interest, and here I am at the Red Sea International Film Festival enjoying every bit of it,” he said. The rising South Korean star, who is also known for his roles in dramas such as “The Glory” and “Queen of Tears,” lauded the popularity of Korean entertainment content in the Kingdom. (Getty Images) Globally, three South Korean subscription platforms lead in Korean content offerings: Wavve and Watcha, each with over 4,000 titles, and Tving, with over 3,500 titles, according to data science firm BB Media. Excluding local platforms, Amazon Prime Video currently holds the top position among global subscription streaming platforms in terms of Korean titles with 1,394, though Netflix is close behind and boasts more original K-dramas. The actor touched on the role of streaming platforms in popularizing Korean content internationally, saying “Korea has always put an effort to make good quality movies and dramas because it is a way of bringing joy and comfort to people even during hard times, and I think with the advanced changes in technology, streaming networks and platforms provided ways for Korean movies and dramas to be shown to a wider audience.” As the Kingdom’s entertainment scene continues to expand — with the likes of Film AlUla and the Red Sea Film Foundation offering support to rising filmmakers — the actor said he would like to see more cross-cultural collaboration. “I was very impressed with what I have (seen) here in Saudi Arabia, and I am aware that the movie industry in Saudi Arabia is moving rapidly, and I would love to see more collaboration between Saudi Arabia and Korea in the film industry,” he said. On the question of making a film in Saudi Arabia, the young Korean actor, who plays a contestant named Cho Sang-woo in “Squid Game,” said: “I would love definitely to work here. I am very impressed with the beautiful landscape and architecture. Just last night, I was thinking of how wonderful to be in the screen around this amazing landscape.” He also pointed out that he will convey a positive message to friends and colleagues in Korea about Saudi Arabia, which he is visiting for the first time. “I am so amazed (by) the great hospitality and passion that we felt at the festival. So, I hope that I will come back next year and also hope for future collaboration between South Korea and Saudi Arabia film industry,” he said.

GENEVA (AP) — Netflix has secured the U.S. broadcasting rights to the Women’s World Cup in 2027 and 2031 as the streaming giant continues its push into live sports. The deal announced Friday is the most significant FIFA has signed with a streaming service for a major tournament. The value was not given, though international competitions in women’s soccer have struggled to draw high-value offers. “Bringing this iconic tournament to Netflix isn’t just about streaming matches,” its chief content officer Bela Bajaria said in a statement. “It’s also about celebrating the players, the culture and the passion driving the global rise of women’s sport.” Netflix dipped into live sports last month with more than 60 million households watching a heavily hyped boxing match between retired heavyweight legend Mike Tyson and social media personality Jake Paul. Some viewers reported streaming problems , however. Netflix also will broadcast two NFL games on Christmas Day: the Kansas City Chiefs at the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens at the Houston Texans. That’s part of a three-year deal announced in May. World Cups are typically broadcast on free-to-air public networks to reach the biggest audiences, and the last women's edition in 2023 earned FIFA less than 10% of the men's 2022 World Cup. FIFA president Gianni Infantino had publicly criticized public broadcasters , especially in Europe, for undervaluing offers to broadcast the 2023 tournament that was played in Australia and New Zealand. That tournament was broadcast by Fox in the U.S. “This agreement sends a strong message about the real value of the FIFA Women’s World Cup and the global women’s game,” Infantino said. The World Cup rights mark another major step in Netflix’s push into live programming. It’s recipe that Netflix has cooked up to help sell more advertising, a top priority for the company since it introduced a low-priced version of its streaming service that includes commercials two years ago. The ad-supported version is now the fastest growing part of Netflix’s service, although most of its 283 million worldwide subscribers till pay for higher-priced options without commercial. But Netflix is still trying to sell more ads to boost its revenue, which is expected to be about $30 billion. Netflix executives have predicted it might take two or three years before its ad sales become a major part of its revenue. Netflix expects to spend about $17 billion on programming this year — a budget that the Los Gatos, California, company once funneled almost entirely into scripted TV series and movies. But Netflix is now allocating a significant chunk of that money to sports and live events, a shift that has made it a formidable competitor to traditional media bidding for the same rights. FIFA will likely use the Netflix deal to drive talks with European broadcasters that likely will be hardball negotiations. Soccer finance expert Kieran Maguire, a co-host of The Price of Football podcast, suggested the deal was “a bit of a gamble" for FIFA and “saber-rattling” by Infantino. “(Netflix) get experience of football broadcasting, FIFA can say, ‘we are now partnering with a blue chip organization, so watch out you nasty Europeans,’” Maguire, an academic at the University of Liverpool, said in a telephone interview. FIFA and Infantino also want to raise the price of broadcast deals to help fund increased prize money and close the gender pay gap on the men’s World Cup. At the men’s 2022 World Cup in Qatar, the 32 team federations shared $440 million in prize money. For the women’s 2023 tournament , FIFA had a $152 million total fund for prize money, contributions to teams’ preparation costs and payments to players’ clubs. In FIFA’s financial accounts for 2023 , the soccer body reported total broadcasting revenue of $244 million. In the year of the men’s 2022 World Cup it was almost $2.9 billion. The next Women's World Cup will be a 32-team, 64-game tournament in 2027, played in Brazil from June 24-July 25. The U.S. originally bid jointly with Mexico. The 2031 host has not been decided, though the U.S. likely will bid for a tournament which FIFA is expected to try to expand to 48 teams. That would match the size of the 104-game format of the men's World Cup that debuts in 2026 in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. Spain won the 2023 Women's World Cup after the U.S. won the two previous titles — in France in 2019 and Canada in 2015. More than 25 million viewers in the U.S. watched the 2015 World Cup final, a 5-2 win over Japan, played in Vancouver, Canada, in a time zone similarly favorable to Brazil. FIFA tried to sign Apple+ to an exclusive global deal to broadcast the inaugural 32-team Club World Cup which is being played in 11 U.S. cities next June and July. Broadcast networks showed little interest in the FIFA club event that will now be broadcast for free on streaming service DAZN, which is building closer business ties to Saudi Arabia. Ahead of the next Women's World Cup, Netflix will "produce exclusive documentary series in the lead-up to both tournaments, spotlighting the world’s top players, their journeys and the global growth of women’s football,” FIFA said. AP Technology Writer Michael Liedtke in San Francisco contributed to this report. AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccerThe rise of political movements inspired by the recently concluded American and Ghanaian elections offers a glimmer of hope for the opposition, ISMAEEL UTHMAN writes In the wake of the American and Ghanaian presidential elections, several political movements have emerged in Nigeria, each aiming to challenge President Bola Tinubu’s re-election in 2027. In both the United States and Ghana, the opposition defeated the ruling parties in landslide victories. In the US, former President Donald Trump of the Republican Party defeated Kamala Harris, the incumbent Vice President and candidate of the Democratic Party, in the November 5 election. Similarly, Ghanaian Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia, the presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party, lost to the National Democratic Congress’s candidate, John Mahama, in the December 7, 2024 elections. Following Trump’s election, opposition parties expressed hope that they could replicate the US and Ghanaian political trajectories in Nigeria. The outcome of the Ghanaian election has injected a renewed sense of optimism among opposition parties, as they step up their political games towards significant political realignment. On November 26, it was reported that the 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, and his Labour Party counterpart, Peter Obi, and former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, had concluded plans to form a new political party or adopting an existing one to form a coalition ahead of 2027. After the report, Obi and Atiku met again in Adamawa, Yola State, on November 30, but the two camps of the political leaders denied having discussions for a joint ticket ahead of the 2027 election. However, Atiku’s spokesperson, Paul Ibe, later revealed that the two political leaders had been engaging in discussions to form a united front against the APC. Ibe, who appeared on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme on December 10, said, “The truth of the matter is that Atiku Abubakar has promoted opposition parties to work together, to come together; that is the only way they can kick out this incompetent and clueless government. And I believe that discussions have been going on.” This was as the Peoples Redemption Party and African Democratic Congress confirmed that they had initiated discussions with each other on a potential merger ahead of the elections. Similarly, some parties under the aegis of the Coalition of United Political Parties and the Social Democratic Party had also expressed readiness for talks of a possible alliance, saying the country needed more than just a coalition of only Atiku and Obi. Also, former President Olusegun Obasanjo, last Saturday, hosted former Kano State Governor, Rabiu Kwankwaso, and former Cross River State Governor, Donald Duke, in Abeokuta, Ogun State. According to Kwankwaso, the discussions centred on “significant national issues, including the future of politics and governance in Nigeria.” A former Director General of the Progressives Governors Forum, Salihu Lukman, in an open letter titled, ‘Satanic Leadership and Nigeria’s Boiling Point,’ on Monday, called on Obasanjo to lead efforts to unify opposition parties to challenge Tinubu in 2027. Lukman warned that disunity within opposition parties would make it easier for President Tinubu to secure a second term. He called on Obasanjo, Gen. Yakubu Gowon (retd), Gen. Ibrahim Babangida(retd), Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar(retd), Goodluck Jonathan, and Muhammadu Buhari to lead efforts to rally opposition parties. While the rise of these political movements brings hope, it also presents significant challenges. The political landscape in Nigeria is complex. In Nigeria’s recent political history, only once has an opposition party defeated a ruling party. In 2015, Buhari of the APC defeated Jonathan of the PDP. Buhari had contested and lost three presidential elections before his party, Congress of Progressives Change, the Action Congress of Nigeria, and a faction of the PDP (new PDP) merged in 2013 to form the APC. The merger provided a bigger platform to achieve his presidential ambition in 2015 and for his re-election in 2019. If the coalition of major opposition leaders works out (like that of the APC in 2013), it will pose a serious challenge to President Tinubu, who won his first election with a 1.8 million vote margin. In the 2023 presidential election, Tinubu polled 8,794,726 (36.61%) to defeat the runner-up, Atiku Abubakar, who secured 6,984,520 (29.07%). Obi, the LP candidate, had 6,101,533 votes (25.40%) while Kwankwaso, the candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party, polled 1,496,687 (6.40%). Atiku, Obi, and Kwankwaso’s votes totalled 14,582,740. Beyond the coalition of these individuals, many analysts believe that President Tinubu would face the challenge of convincing people for his re-election because of his economic crisis, which the opposition has already capitalised on to discredit his government. Analysts argue that a similar scenario won the election for Ghana’s opposition leader, John Mahama, as the country’s economy plummeted, went through a debt crisis, default, and currency devaluation. Analysing why the opposition won the Ghanaian election, the Guardian Weekly, an international news magazine based in London, said, “Economic hardship was a major factor: at one point, inflation was as high as 50% and the cedi plummeted to historic lows while the number of taxes increased. A banking sector purge that was hailed by economists but led to thousands of job losses also angered voters, as did a bloated government in which several relatives of the president and ruling party members served.” Currently, Nigeria’s inflation is at 34.6 per cent while the country’s debt stands at N134.3tn. The rise in inflation is largely driven by food price increases, which continue to place a strain on Nigerian households. Commenting, the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Debo Ologunagba, expressed optimism that there would be a replica of the US and Ghanaian elections in Nigeria, considering the similarities in the two countries’ economies. But Ologunagba said the replica could only be achieved if the Independent National Electoral Commission allowed elections to be free and fair and respected the people’s will. He said, “You will see the replica if INEC allows the election to be free and fair. The American and Ghanaian elections reflect the will of the people, and you have independent electoral bodies that are willing to respect that will. “The challenge of elections in Nigeria is not just the people. Yes, the APC has promoted poverty as an act of governance that has impaired the capacity to make rational decisions. But beyond that, even when the people make a decision and vote, INEC does not allow the people’s will to prevail as expressed in the ballot. “INEC has been the major challenge for the electoral process, and so the issue of the opposition party winning will be a mirage, except INEC is informed, and INEC leadership is certain that it allows the will of the people to prevail. But there is a snag here, and that is a caution for the country.” He warned of grievous consequences if the will of the people was not allowed to prevail. “When you don’t allow the will of the people to prevail, the consequences for democracy can be grave,” Ologunagba stated. Related News 2027: APC, opposition differ on calls to end defections APC chieftain urges Bago to pull out of AEDC APC denies internal rumblings after Obasa’s 2027 gov comments as opposition watches closely The PDP spokesperson said the Ghanaian election gave hope to the Nigerian opposition for the 2027 presidential election. “The Ghanaians were angry because of the ill-advised policies of the government in that country, and the people expressed it. “In Nigeria, you can feel the economic hardship. You know that the twin policy of irresponsible floating of the naira, and withdrawal of subsidy on petroleum products without any cushioning effect, is what brought us to this level. “So, when you have a government that does not respect the will of the people, and how the welfare of the people matters under the constitution, what happened in Ghana is the consequence of such behaviour.” Similarly, the NNPP also stated that the Ghanaian election had increased the opposition’s hope of winning the 2027 presidential election. “The Ghanaian election has given us confidence as opposition parties that we just have to keep working,” said the spokesman for the NNPP, Ladipo Johnson. However, Johnson maintained that for Nigeria to have a replica of the Ghanaian election, the institutions must allow the will of the people to prevail. He said, “The Ghanaian election has increased our hope. We hope that Nigerians, especially those in authority, like INEC, the police, and others see that the will of the people must be allowed to prevail. That is the key to it. “We need stronger institutions in Nigeria. Our institutions are weak. A lot of the people in our institutions wrongly feel that they owe a sense of duty to either the president or the governor or local government chairman or whoever appointed them. Meanwhile, their duty is to the constitution and to the commonwealth and the well-being of the people of Nigeria. “The moment public servants start to feel that they owe a duty to an individual, then democracy is gradually being eroded. Once we get to that stage, once there is reasonably a level playing ground, then the will of the people will come through.” Johnson said the opposition parties were hopeful that the wind of change in Ghana would extend to Nigeria. “When you see the system of one of your neighbouring countries improving, you always hope that the wind of improvement and positive change will blow your way. Things tend to influence each other, and that was why when there was a coup in Niger, a lot of people were panicking in Nigeria, because we all know that at times, the wind blows from area to area, country to country. “The Ghanaian election has given us confidence as opposition parties that we just have to keep working. We just have to keep talking to Nigerians and make them understand that when someone is giving you palliatives, it means that the government is not working properly,” he added. Johnson said the NNPP was open to coalition because the party believed in good governance and it wanted the best for Nigeria. “If we need to enter into a partnership, into a coalition, into a merger, to bring about a government that will help move this country forward, salvage this country, and move it forward, then so be it,” he stated. But the APC said it was not frightened by the political movements of the opposition figures, describing the participants as enemies of the country. Speaking with Sunday PUNCH, the Publicity Secretary of the APC in Oyo State, Olawale Sadare, said there was no serious opposition currently in Nigeria that could threaten President Tinubu’s re-election. “They have every right to be optimistic, but the fact is that winning an election goes beyond mere wishes. They need to work for it. As it stands now, we do not even have any opposition at the federal level. My fear is that we may not even have anything called PDP or Labour Party in 2027,” said Sadare. According to him, discerning minds would support Tinubu in 2027 because of his performance and pedigree. “President Bola Tinubu is not resting on his oars; he is performing, and the 2027 election will be determined on account of pedigree and performance. When we move closer to 2027, every discerning mind in Nigeria will queue behind the president. So, in APC, we don’t have any cause to panic. “Why should we be frightened by the opposition’s political movements or realignments? They are a bunch of clowns. They just want to remain in the heart of the media. These are known enemies of the country. You talk about a former president or his co-travellers. So, we are not bothered. They can afford to meet on an hourly basis. It is none of our business.” Also, the Publicity Secretary of the APC in Lagos State, Seye Oladejo, described the political movements and optimism of the opposition parties as wishful thinking that would not materialise. Oladejo said those involved in political realignment were those who had failed the country at one time or the other. He stated the political and economic situations of the US and Ghana were not the same as Nigeria’s, promising that whatever seemed to be hardship now in Nigeria would no longer be in place in 2027. The Lagos APC spokesperson said, “The opposition has been busy daydreaming in recent times, and for reasons that are known to them, they are drooling over the results of the election in Ghana and the US. One could wonder if they have been able to situate those results properly. But the truth of the matter is the situations in Ghana and the US are not exactly the same as Nigeria’s. “The only thing that would be comparable would be that Nigerians will vote for good governance, being put across by APC at different levels in 2027. There is nothing in the camp of the so-called opposition parties to elicit the confidence of Nigerians to entrust them with the mantle of leadership. They are daydreaming. “I can assure you that before 2027, a lot of things that have been put in place in terms of the reforms would have started yielding fruits. The ruling APC government means well for all.”Play the awesome new Call of Duty campaign while it’s $1

(From left) BJ Pascual, Denise Julia and Killa Kush. Images: Josh Tolentino via Instagram/@bjpascual, @denisejvlia, @killakushla Even Christmas was not spared from the drama that stemmed between Denise Julia , BJ Pascual and Killa Kush as the three-way feud made headlines in what was supposed to be a festive season. The controversial spat stemmed from Pascual making claims about Denise’s alleged “unprofessionalism,” which was agreed on by the content creator. However, the feud — which included several screenshots posted on December 25 — escalated with the R&B singer hinting at taking the battle to court. Curious how the feud began? Don’t miss out on the details behind their controversial spat, as well as other trending entertainment headlines from December 20 to 26. Denise Julia and BJ Pascual | Image: Instagram/@denisejvlia, @bjpascual The spat between Denise Julia , BJ Pascual and Killa Kush began after the celebrity photographer revealed that the singer-songwriter was his “worst celebrity experience” on Killa Kush’s “Bad B*tch Bible” podcast. “Nanggigigil pa din ako,” Pascual began. “Si Denise Julia. I have heard so many things about her,” he began. “I guess medyo kasalanan ko rin that I still took the job, and it was more like a passion project because her manager JV (Denise Julia’s manager) called me many times, like, would message me on Instagram, and so we had a meeting,” he admitted. Pascual detailed his experience being asked to work on Denise’s album cover and music video, and then the latter’s team questioned the expenses and canceling them. “Ang babayaran na lang nila is manpower and materials. There is no talent fee. This is charity work na,” he said. “Sabi ng manager ko, ‘They want to cancel daw the shoot.’ The reason was nag-flake daw ‘yung hairstylist nila.” “Girl... This was already 10 PM. Ang call time namin is 6 AM [the next day]. Sya [Denise] 8 AM. How many hours na lang before the shoot? We have been setting the set since 4 PM,” he added. Pascual also shared that Denise’s camp also declined to pay the cancellation fee, while adding that he ended up shooting another celebrity for the set so as not to go to waste. “After that, I never heard from her. No thank you, no sorry, no anything. No ‘what happened?’ Nothing,” he recalled. Denise Julia and BJ Pascual. Image: Instagram/@denisejvlia, @bjpascual Denise Julia spoke up on BJ Pascual ’s claims of “unprofessionalism” against her, clarifying that it was the photographer’s team who canceled their scheduled shoot due to their “differences in production processes.” She made a tell-all via her Instagram Stories on Christmas Day, including in her posts the screenshots of her manager’s conversation with Pascual’s manager regarding the shoot. According to the singer-songwriter, her team reached out to Pascual back in May, and they had an online meeting in June, and they also had personal calls to exchange ideas for the shoot. In July, Denise’s manager gave a budget of P650,000. But Pascual’s team—despite the former “following up many times”—did not immediately get back to the singer’s team if the “budget is doable.” “We can’t really have a shoot date without us being sure if the budget is even feasible to them. Because on our end, we understand if this is not something they can work with,” she said. “We would have pulled back immediately already from the start if they had only told us that this is not doable for them, that that’s not the price range they can work with,” she noted. However, three days before the shoot and already three weeks after Denise’s team sent their initial budget, Pascual’s team, according to Denise, sent a cost sheet of P1.2 million. The singer’s team tried to extend their budget to P800,000 because they “really wanted to do this.” Her manager gave out options so that “none of the efforts go to waste,” although Pascual’s team was only able to adjust the cost to P1 million two days before the shoot. Denise then showed a screenshot of the conversation between her manager and Pascual’s, in which the singer’s manager pointed out that from experience, “no vendors would do anything without a budget actually agreed upon.” “I think that’s where the confusion is,” Denise’s manager said in the screenshot. “I should have been more straightforward with how important it was that we agreed on a number before confirming anything. I thought that was a protocol for y’all as well so I apologize for me assuming that’s the case,” the manager regretted. Pascual’s manager then replied, “Okay, so due to the differences in our production processes. I think it would be best to cancel the shoot.” Denise added that her manager had suggested pushing the shoot to a later date. “But ultimately at the end, BJ’s team, not us, canceled the shoot.” “I am fully acknowledging my mistake for not reaching out after this anymore, but it was because I didn’t know the extent of his frustration until everything aired on social media and it blew off proportion,” Denise said. Denise Julia (left) and Killa Kush | Image: Instagram/@denisejvlia, @killakushla Apart from BJ Pascual, Denise Julia is also voicing her grievances against Killa Kush (also known by her real name Acushla Obusan), with a threat to file charges. On Christmas Day, Kush took to her Instagram stories to express her “devastation” over how her recent podcast episode with Pascual sparked controversy after they aired their experience with Denise. She shared the context and screenshots of her conversation with the singer and her team about their past collaboration. “It’s truly devastating how this has played out. I could play the receipts game all day long with all our projects since 2022, but it’s literally Christmas day,” Kush said. “As a collaborator, I’ve already spent 400K mounting her first album launch event with no down payment (and had to fulfill everything in 4 days), then got paid over a month after,” she wrote. Kush disclosed more details on the financial damage their previous podcast collaboration supposedly generated. As Kush detailed the effort and expenses she supposedly shelled out for Denise, she emphasized that airing her side of the story is an attempt to open the conversation about professionalism. “As a host, my questions and comments on the podcast were never meant to shame anyone but rather to open up the conversation on challenges in the creative industry,” she said. “I hope this discussion leads to more accountability and professionalism. My focus is to continue sparking meaningful conversations and challenging minds,” she pointed out, noting that she doesn’t want to drop more screenshots. After her statement, Denise took to X (formerly Twitter) to warn Kush about pursuing legal action, as she described the latter’s statements as a “twisted narrative.” “Hope you can back up all that when I see you in court,” Denise warned. “‘Check her stories’ and it’s all twisted narrative as usual with business that was between her and a label team; receipts are just her trash-talking behind me and my best friend.” Denise alleged instances of unprofessionalism on Kush’s part, including late payments for talent fees, exploitative use of her name and image for promotional purposes, and even inappropriate behavior during their initial encounters. The singer also shared a private conversation between her and Kush, stressing her intent to take the issue to court. “Lols. Biglang bait,” she captioned the screenshot. BJ Pascual. Image: Instagram/@bjpascual BJ Pascual clarified parts of the screenshots earlier made public by Denise Julia, stressing that he does not want to escalate the issue but that he just wants to “provide transparency and accountability.” Pascual, who recently named the singer as the worst celebrity he worked with, responded to Denise’s tell-all about their canceled shoot by sharing screenshots as well of the parts of the conversation between them. “I appreciate Denise’s recent efforts to address the situation and the conversation we had in the hopes of moving forward,” he said via his Instagram Stories on Christmas Day. “However, some claims and portions of the images she shared on her IG stories do not reflect the full context of what transpired,” he noticed. One of the points Pascual raised is that his team was supposedly able to cut the cost of the shoot to accommodate the budget of the group of Denise. To support his statement, Pascual added a screenshot of the cost sheet his team sent to the singer’s manager. “Our team made every effort to adjust the budget down to 371K for the one-day shoot, which was below industry standards,” he said. “This was part of our effort to accommodate their budget and fit within their specific range, contrary to the original P1.2M amount that Denise shared in her IG story. A detail that was not fully addressed in her video,” he explained. Pascual noted that after giving Denise’s team the discounted cost, the latter told them that they were “not ready” due to their glam team canceling on them. He said they had managed to secure another glam team for the singer, but her team “still felt unprepared.” “My intention in sharing the context is not to escalate the matter but to provide transparency and accountability... I hope this brings clarity and closure to the matter, allowing us to move forward constructively,” he said. “I have already responded personally to Denise yesterday, acknowledging her message and expressing my openness to resolving this further in person.” Denise Julia and BJ Pascual. Image: Instagram/@denisejvlia, @bjpascual After disclosing their private conversations regarding their canceled shoot, Denise Julia and BJ Pascual appear to be heading to a legal battle. This will apparently be the case as the singer expressed intent to file a defamation suit against the photographer, as per her statement on her X page on Christmas Day. Her post—which includes a screen recording of their managers’ full conversation—came after Pascual made clarifications and shared more images of their teams’ conversation to provide “full context.” “We went into this wanting to work with you—we’re genuine fans and were so excited about the collaboration,” she said. “From the very beginning, we were upfront about our budget and what we can afford to execute the music video, the photo shoot, the album art, the trailer and press photos,” she stressed. “I had moved my entire release date just to be able to work with you, out of respect for your time. I’ve stayed quiet for as long as I could, but I needed to say my piece,” she continued. Denise reiterated that her manager tried to make the negotiation between her and Pascual’s team work so that “no one’s effort goes to waste.” “You targeted me to bring me down,” Denise addressed Pascual. “I thought this was something we had agreed to talk about in person... We are now in contact with our legal team about a defamation suit. I hate that this had to go this way when it didn’t have to.” Pascual has yet to comment, as of press time. MJ Lastimosa at the media conference and red carpet premiere of “Strange Frequencies: Taiwan Killer Hospital” on Thursday, Dec. 19. | Image: INQUIRER.net/Jessica Ann Evangelista MJ Lastimosa was in disbelief after learning that her name was dragged into an “infidelity” scandal involving influencer Small Laude’s husband entrepreneur Philip Laude. During the media con and red carpet premiere of “Strange Frequencies: Taiwan Killer Hospital” last Dec. 19, Lastimosa was asked if she was aware that her name was recently mentioned in the viral screenshots involving the intimate exchanges between Philip and her alleged mistress. In the now-deleted screenshots, Philip was supposedly assuring a woman named Precious Mae Larra that she shouldn’t get jealous of a woman named “MJ” because they were not an item, at the same time trying to “belittle” MJ’s traits. “Pinagselosan ako? Saan? Hindi ako aware,” she said as reporters filled her in with the information. “Ang first and last encounter ko with them [Laudes] was in L.A. Nung na-invite ako sa mansion nila. After that, wala naman nangyari. Bakit ako?” she asked. “Nakilala ko si Ma’am Small and Sir Philip and the family. Lahat sila. Pumasok kami tapos kumakain na sila. Ayun lang. Hi, hello. Mga one hour. That was it. Paano ako nadamay dyan?” Lastimosa wondered with amusement. Lastimosa was in utter confusion as reporters filled her in with more details about the issue. “Pero ako ba talaga? Eh, hindi naman kami magkakilala. Sure ba kayong ako ‘yon?” she queried. “Mamaya naman... or baka kasi may mga relationship din na mga selosa lang talaga ‘yung partner. Pero hindi nya naman partner ‘yun, di ba?” she remarked. Lastimosa was also asked for her reaction, knowing that Philip allegedly “downgraded” her appearance. “Grabe. I love being maitim. Hindi ko sya kinakahiya. Nagbe-beach nga ako para umitim pa lalo,” she said. “[Pero] sa pageantry, usong uso naman ‘yang laitan. Parang wala na sa ‘kin ‘yan.” “Basta ako, naniniwala akong maganda ako. Basta pagtingin mo sa salamin, confident ka, okay na po ‘yon,” she maintained. Lastimosa said she would look for the screenshots to see them for herself. Meanwhile, Philip and Small Laude have remained quiet about the allegations. Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni. Image: Scott A Garfitt, Evan Agostini/Invision/AP, File Blake Lively has accused her “It Ends With Us” director and co-star Justin Baldoni of sexual harassment on the set of the movie and a subsequent effort to “destroy” her reputation in a legal complaint. The complaint obtained by The Associated Press, which The New York Times reported was filed on Dec. 20 with the California Civil Rights Department, precedes a lawsuit. It names Baldoni, the studio behind the romantic drama “It Ends With Us,” and Baldoni’s publicists among the defendants. In the complaint, Lively accuses Baldoni and the studio of embarking on a “multi-tiered plan” to damage her reputation. This alleged plot followed a meeting in which she and her husband Ryan Reynolds addressed “repeated sexual harassment and other disturbing behavior” by Baldoni and a producer on the movie. The scheme, the complaint said, included a proposal to plant theories on online message boards, engineer a social media campaign, and place news stories critical of Lively. Baldoni enlisted publicists and crisis managers in a “sophisticated, coordinated and well-financed retaliation plan” meant to “bury” and “destroy” Lively if she went public with her on-set concerns, the complaint alleges. “To safeguard against the risk of Ms. Lively ever revealing the truth about Mr. Baldoni, the Baldoni-Wayfarer team created, planted, amplified and boosted content designed to eviscerate Ms. Lively’s credibility,” the complaint states. “They engaged in the same techniques to bolster Mr. Baldoni’s credibility and suppress any negative content about him,” the document reads. The complaint also says Baldoni “abruptly pivoted away from” the movie’s marketing plan and “used domestic violence ‘survivor content’ to protect his public image.” Bryan Freedman, an attorney representing Baldoni, Wayfarer Studios and its representatives, called the claims “completely false, outrageous and intentionally salacious.” He pushed back against Lively’s allegations of a coordinated campaign, saying the studio “proactively” hired a crisis manager “due to the multiple demands and threats made by Ms. Lively during production.” Freedman also said Lively threatened to not appear on set and not to promote the film “if her demands were not met.” Those demands were not specified in the statement, but Lively’s complaint lists 30 demands that she said Baldoni and others agreed to after their tense sit-down over her hostile work environment concerns. “It Ends With Us,” an adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s bestselling 2016 novel, was released in August, exceeding box office expectations with a $50 million debut. But the movie’s release was shrouded by speculation over a discord between the lead pair. Subscribe to our daily newsletter By providing an email address. I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy . Baldoni took a backseat in promoting the film while Lively took centerstage along with Reynolds, who was on the press circuit for “Deadpool & Wolverine” at the same time.CHARLESTON, Ill. (AP) — Zion Fruster had 15 points in Eastern Illinois' 99-55 victory over Division-III Blackburn on Saturday night. Read this article for free: Already have an account? To continue reading, please subscribe: * CHARLESTON, Ill. (AP) — Zion Fruster had 15 points in Eastern Illinois' 99-55 victory over Division-III Blackburn on Saturday night. Read unlimited articles for free today: Already have an account? CHARLESTON, Ill. (AP) — Zion Fruster had 15 points in Eastern Illinois’ 99-55 victory over Division-III Blackburn on Saturday night. Fruster shot 6 of 11 from the field, including 1 for 3 from 3-point range, and went 2 for 3 from the free-throw line for the Panthers (4-8). Obadiah Curtis added 15 points while going 7 of 9 from the field while they also had five steals. Kooper Jacobi went 6 of 9 from the field to finish with 13 points. Odis Grissom led the Beavers in scoring, finishing with 19 points. Blackburn also got seven points and five assists from Darius Duff. Caleb Schaab had seven points and two steals. ___ The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar. Advertisement