Actress Chika Ike blows hot over rumour linking pregnancy to Ned Nwoko (Sun)
Nollywood actress, Chika Ike has said she is not about to be anyone’s seventh wife after a rumour linking her pregnancy to Delta North senator, Ned Nwoko.
Ike described the rumour of her romance with Nwoko as false and baseless.
She made the clarification in an Instagram post on Tuesday.
The actress set tongues wagging after sharing her pregnancy photos on social media while her partner’s identity remained shrouded in secrecy. Read more
‘I’m a patient at Aro hospital’ – Portable reacts as police declare him wanted (Vanguard)
Controversial street singer Habeeb Okikiola, popularly known as Portable, has claimed he is currently receiving treatment at the Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Aro, Abeokuta.
His disclosure came after the Ogun State police command declared him wanted following an attack on officials of the Ogun State Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development.
Recall Vanguard reported that officials of the Ogun State government were attacked at Odogwu Bar while conducting an enforcement exercise at Oke-Osa, Tigbo Ilu Ota. Read more
Bench warrant issued against singer Mercy Chinwo’s manager subsists – Court (Punch)
Justice Alexander Owoeye of the Federal High Court in Lagos on Monday held that the bench warrant was issued against Ezekiel Onyedikachi (A.K.A. Eezeetee), the manager of gospel singer Mercy Chinwo, over alleged $345,000 fraud, subsists.
The court had issued the bench warrant on January 16, after the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission sought a court to arrest Onyedikachi over allegations of financial mismanagement, including diverting royalties from Chinwo’s digital platforms and events.
The case was then adjourned till January 24 for his arraignment. Read more
Trailer crushes 5 Kogi Varsity students to death, school mourns (Channels)
The Federal University of Lokoja (FUL) community in Kogi State has been thrown into mourning after a trailer accident claimed the lives of five students of the school.
“It is with heavy hearts that we announce the tragic loss of five of our promising students, who were taken away from us too soon in a fatal trailer accident,” the school’s Deputy Registrar of Human Resources Vincent Ojo said in a statement.
Ojo said the incident which happened on Monday has left the “university community in deep sorrow and grief”. Read more
Residents seek Sanwo-Olu’s endorsement of Odutuga as Odo-Iragushi monarch (Vanguard)
Residents of Odo-Iragushi in the Eredo Local Council Development Area, Epe, Lagos State, have appealed to the state government to approve Prince Adetomiwa Odutuga as the Oba-elect of Odo-Iragushi.
The residents made the call during a peaceful protest within the community, emphasising their strong support for Prince Odutuga and their opposition to any attempt to install a different candidate.
The protest, which included youths, women, and community leaders, aimed to warn against any external interference that could destabilise the peace of the town. Read more
Clark: Nigeria has lost a star, courageous leader — Idimogu (Guardian)
A former two-term lawmaker at the Lagos State House of Assembly, Jude Idimogu, on Tuesday said that Nigeria and the Niger Delta had lost a rare star and courageous leader with the death of Chief Edwin Clark.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Clark, the leader of the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), died on Monday in Abuja at 97.
Reacting to Clark’s death, Idimogu, who represented Oshodi-Isolo Constituency II in the assembly between 2015 and 2023, said the elder statesman would be remembered for his courage and for speaking truth to power. Read more
NDLEA dedicates new Yola barracks to Tinubu (Nation)
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has commissioned its first of a kind barracks in Yola, Adamawa State.
During the commissioning ceremony on Tuesday, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the agency, Mohammed Buba Marwa, dedicated the barracks to President Bola Tinubu.
Marwa said Tinubu’s commitment to the welfare and safety of NDLEA’s security personnel inspires the building of the barracks. Read more
NGF mourns Ayo Adebanjo, Edwin Clark (ThisDay)
Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) has joined President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and every stakeholder in the Nigerian project to mourn the passing of two great statesmen, Pa Ayo Adebayo and Chief Edwin Clark.
The deaths of the nonagenarians are a huge depletion in the ranks of outstanding voices who were never afraid to offer their views on issues of national importance.
A statement issued by the NGF Chairman and Kwara State Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq said, “The Forum recalls that the duo played critical roles in the evolution of the country’s democracy, constitutional development, and the discourse around its federal system vis-a-vis topical issues of resource control and the rights of ethnic minorities. Read more
Zoe Saldana reveals shock number of years she’s tied to James Cameron’s Avatar series amid awards season glory (DailyMail)
She inaugurated a new phase of her career with her performance in the Oscar-nominated film Emilia Pérez.
But Zoe Saldaña is staying loyal to some of the big-budget franchises that made her a household name.
While speaking in a chat for Deadline with Pete Hammond that was released Monday, the 46-year-old actress — who won Best Supporting Actress at the BAFTAs over the weekend — looked back on the start of her commitment to James Cameron’s mega-successful Avatar franchise. Read more
‘Died for stealing chocolate’: Pakistan anger over death of child maid (BBC)
A couple in north-east Pakistan has been detained on suspicion of murdering a 13-year-old girl who worked for them as a maid, for allegedly stealing chocolates.
The girl who goes only by one name, Iqra, succumbed to multiple injuries in hospital last Wednesday. A preliminary police investigation said she had been tortured.
The case in Rawalpindi has sparked widespread outrage and posts with the hashtag #JusticeforIqra having garnered tens of thousands of views, and reignited a debate over child labour and the mistreatment of domestic workers. Read more
Delta Air Lines crash survivor describes ‘mass chaos’ before plane flipped upside-downDelta (NYPost)
A Delta Air Lines flight passenger has recalled the chaotic final moments leading up to the aircraft crash-landing and flipping upside-down on the runway at Toronto Pearson International Airport on Monday.
John Nelson is one of the 80 people who miraculously survived the disaster aboard Delta Flight 4819 that left 18 people injured.
Speaking to CNN, Nelson said the runways at the Canadian airport were in a “weird condition.” Read more
Putin will talk to Zelensky ‘if necessary’ as US-Russia talks begin (Newsweek)
Russian President Vladimir Putin is prepared to speak with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky “if necessary,” the Kremlin said, as the US and Russia begin talks in Saudi Arabia aimed at improving diplomatic ties and negotiating an end to the war in Ukraine.
“Putin himself said he would be ready to negotiate with Zelensky if necessary,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitri Petrov said to reporters Tuesday, according to AFP. Ukraine meanwhile has been sidelined in the Saudi Arabia talks.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio sat down with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov at the Diriyah Palace in Riyadh, signaling a potential thaw in US-Russia relations after years of tension following Moscow’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, and upending years of American foreign policy that has alarmed NATO allies. Read more
New UK immigration bill ‘punishes’ refugees, say Catholic bishops and Jesuit Refugee Service (CNA)
The UK government is “choosing criminalisation over compassion and protection” with its new asylum and immigration bill, according to the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales.
The Border Security, Asylum, and Immigration Bill is currently making its way through the U.K. Parliament and passed its second reading on Feb. 10. It comes as asylum and immigration have been highlighted as key priorities by both the current Labor government, elected in July 2024, and the previous Conservative government.
Government statistics showed that, in 2024, 36,816 migrants arrived in the U.K. on 695 small boats, compared with 2018 when 300 people arrived on boats. Both Labor and Conservative administrations have advocated stringent measures to counter immigration. Read more
The Murder Capital show “true love” on new single ‘‘A Distant Life’’ (NME)
The Murder Capital have shared an emotional new single called ‘‘A Distant Life’’.
Released today (February 18), the track marks the final preview of the band’s upcoming third album ‘‘Blindness’’.
It follows on from the previously released songs ‘Can’t Pretend To Know’, ‘Words Lost Meaning’, ‘Love Of Country’ and ‘The Fall’. Read more
Zelensky meets Turkey’s Erdogan amid US shift on Ukraine (France24)
Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdogan met with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky in Ankara on Tuesday, as Kyiv seeks to shore up its position in response to US-Russia talks.
Zelensky flew into the Turkish capital from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) late on Monday, saying on Telegram he would discuss prisoner exchanges and other issues with Erdogan.
The talks at Erdogan’s presidential palace, which began around 1115 GMT, came several hours after top US and Russian diplomats met in Saudi for their first high-level talks since Moscow invaded Ukraine nearly three years ago. Read more
Lookman returns to training as Atalanta host Club Brugge (Vanguard)
Ademola Lookman and Sead Kolasinac have returned to Atalanta training just in time for their decisive UEFA Champions League second-leg playoff against Club Brugge.
Their availability provides a much-needed boost for La Dea as they aim to overturn a first-leg deficit.
According to Eco di Bergamo correspondent Giulia Mazzoleni, both players were spotted participating in training at Atalanta’s facility on Monday afternoon. Read more
Fulham want to play in Europe next season — Iwobi (CompleteSports)
Fulham will keep pushing hard to secure a place in Europe next season, according to Alex Iwobi.
The Whites currently occupy eighth position on the table with 39 points from 25 games.
Marco Silva’s side have won three of their last four league outings.
Fulham are five points off fourth position which guarantee a place in the UEFA Champions League. Read more
Rangers showed character in Remo defeat – Ogunmodede (Punch)
Remo Stars coach, Daniel Ogunmodede, has rued his team’s 2-1 defeat against reigning champions Rangers International on match-day 24 of the 2024/25 Nigeria Premier Football League, noting that their hosts fought like a relegation-threatened team, The PUNCH reports.
Rangers halted the Sky Blue Stars’ eight-game unbeaten run as well as six-game winning streak at the Cathedral on Sunday, thanks to goals from Saviour Isaac and Kingsley Maduforo.
Having lost the first leg 1-0 in Ikenne, Sunday’s win was more like taking their pound of flesh from Remo and the result sent the champions up to third in the table with 38 points. Read more
Premier League confirm referee for Man City vs Liverpool as decision made (MEN)
The Premier League have confirmed the referee for this weekend’s clash between Manchester City and Liverpool.
City will host the Merseyside club at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday afternoon when they return to top-flight action. Before then is the second leg of the Champions League play-off against Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday night.
Pep Guardiola’s side claimed a convincing 4-0 victory over Newcastle United in their last Premier League match. Now the officials have been confirmed for the next round of top-flight fixtures.
Arsenal share injury update on Saka, Martinelli (Sun)
Arsenal expect Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli to be ready to return from injury following the March international break.
Both players are out with hamstring ailments.
Saka has been out since December, having suffered a major muscle tear that necessitated surgery.
Martinelli picked up an injury during the Carabao Cup semi-final second leg against Newcastle. Read more
Wada says Sinner case ‘million miles away from doping’ (BBC) Jannik Sinner’s case was “a million miles away from doping”, a senior figure at the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) has said.
The men’s tennis world number one was handed an immediate three-month ban by Wada on Saturday after reaching a settlement over his two positive drug tests last year.Sinner, 23, was cleared of any wrongdoing by an independent panel after testing positive for banned substance clostebol in March 2024. Read more