Lagos Marine bridge rehabilitation 66% completed — Official (Nation)
The Federal Controller of Works in Lagos State, Mr Olukayode Popoola, on Saturday says the ongoing rehabilitation of the Marine Bridge in Apapa is 66 percent completed.
Popoola, in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos, said that rehabilitation of the bridge was being done in phases.
The controller said that 24 expansion joints and 120 bearings had been replaced in previous phases.
He said in the new phase of rehabilitation works that began on Monday, 40 additional bearings and six expansion joints were being replaced. Read more
PDP chairman, governors receive Jide Adediran, other ex-APC members in Lagos (Channels)
The National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Iyorchia Ayu, and some leaders of the main opposition party on Friday received the convener of the Lagos4Lagos Movement, Olajide Adediran, into its fold.
Adediran, a former chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos popularly known as Jandor, announced his defection to the PDP at an event held at the Tafawa Balewa Square in Lagos.
He was presented with the PDP membership card by the party’s Caretaker Committee Chairman in the state, Julius Akinsola.
Stressing that he was joining the PDP with his supporters to add value to the party, Adediran promised that they would put their strength to test in Lagos. Read more
Wizkid, Davido inspire each other to ‘go harder’, says singer CDQ (Punch)
Nigerian singer, Yusuf Sodiq, popularly known as CDQ, has expressed joy over the viral video that showed Wizkid and Davido hugging each other at a club.
Fans of Wizkid and Davido have been at loggerheads as they claim that both stars were involved in a feud.
The new viral video allayed fears of fans as it portrayed that both singers were on good terms.
Reacting to the video, CDQ revealed how Davido and Wizkid had met him individually to discuss the other. Read more
Foremost physics professor, Muhammad Sani Abubakar, dies at 67 (DailyTrust)
Professor of Renewable Energy and Molecular Physics, at the Kaduna State University (KASU), Muhammad Sani Abubakar, has died at the age of 67.
Daily Trust reports that until his demise on Friday afternoon, Prof. Abubakar was a lecturer with the Department of Physics at KASU.
Confirming his death, his younger brother, Engineer Abdulrazak Abubakar, said the deceased was said to have slumped at KASU on Friday afternoon and was rushed to the school clinic where he was pronounced dead.
He said late the Professor, who has been buried according to Islamic rites, had taken his children to school on Friday morning before he returned home and got ready for work.
“There are two versions of the incident but we are not sure of the actual scenario. Some said he was walking on the staircase and slumped while others said he slumped while walking on the ground. He was rushed to the school clinic where he was pronounced dead,” he said. Read more
3 nabbed over kidnap, murder of 5-year-old Kano pupil (Punch)
The Kano State Police Command has arrested three suspects in connection with the abduction and murder of a five-year-old schoolgirl in the state, Hanifa Abubakar.
This was just as the state government ordered immediate closure of the private school, Noble Kids Academy, at Kwanar Dakata, Nasarawa Local Government Area of the state, where Abubakar was reportedly secretly buried by the suspects.
The police on Thursday arrested a 30-year-old man and teacher in the school, Abdulmalik Tanko, and his alleged accomplices, Hashim Isyaku, 37 and 27-year-old Fatima Jibreel.
The spokesperson for the police in the state, SP Abdullah Haruna, who made the disclosure in a statement, said the suspects were arrested by a team of the Department of State Services in Kano State. Read more
Fire razes shops in Kwara (DailyTrust)
A shopping complex on Saturday was gutted by an inferno that also left properties worth millions of naira destroyed.
The incident occurred around 8:28am at Kulende Junction, Sango Area of Ilorin.
Although the facility is a 24-room shopping complex, only four shops were affected before men of the Kwara State Fire Service were able to put the fire off.
It was gathered the inferno emanated due to the careless attitude of a resident in the area who set some abandoned tyres on fire. Read more
Uche Ogbodo opens up on her ordeal after surviving life-threatening sickness (Vanguard)
Controversial actress, Uche Ogbodo, has every reason to be grateful to her maker after she survived a sickness that almost ended her life.
The actress was diagnosed with angioedema in the later part of 2020. But for God’s intervention through the gift of her baby, she would have been gone and forgotten.
Angioedema is a reaction that affects deeper layers of the skin, often around the face and lips. It causes itchy welts that range in size from small spots to large blotches. The pain associated with these swellings varies from mild to agonizing pain, depending on its location and severity.
Recounting her ordeal, while featuring in an Instagram Live session with Legacytvng during the week, the actress said she had already prepared for the worst, leaving her two kids and property in the care of her sister. Read more
ISWAP kills 2, abducts 17 in fresh Chibok attack (Nation)
Suspected fighters of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) have abducted 17 boys and girls from Piyemia village close to Chibok, Borno State.
Two persons were feared killed during the raid which rekindled memories of the April 2014 attack on Chibok when about 200 school girls were abducted by Boko Haram elements.
The majority of the Chibok schoolgirls remain missing.
The latest attack on Piyemi was launched on Thursday, according to reports from the area. Read more
Angry youths protest killing of driver in Yobe (Leadership)
Irate youths In Gashu’a town, the headquarters of Bade local government area of Yobe State, have taken to the streets on Saturday to protest the killing of a driver allegedly shot dead by a security operative in Garin Alkali.
Leadership gathered that the driver, Muhammad Musa Tooli, was allegedly shot dead by a soldier while refuelling his vehicle at Garin Alkali, a border village between Bade and Bursari local government areas of the State.
The protesting youths were seen burning tyres on the street of the town demanding justice over the killing of the driver.
An eyewitness, Abubakar Mohammed, said, “The late driver was killed by a soldier while trying to refuel his Zanghol (Desert Truck) at a filling station at Garin Alkali late Friday evening. Read more
Nicki Minaj ‘relaunching music career with comeback single’ after Little Mix feud (DailyStar)
Nicki Minaj is planning to rebuild her career after being dragged into a feud with Little Mix, it has been claimed.
The rapper rose to fame in 2010 but has not enjoyed much musical success in recent years.
In 2021 she sparked a war of words with British girl band Little Mix, specifically Leigh-Anne Pinnock, while defending Jesy Nelson after she was widely accused of blackfishing.
Now the music star is believed to be launching a comeback by teaming up with rising rapper Lil Baby, according to a source. Read more
Christina Aguilera pulls off her most daring look yet (Hello)
Christina Aguilera just turned heads with a racy look fans were not prepared for.
The Santo singer was promoting her new album, La Fuerza, her first Spanish project in 22 years, and this post will be difficult to forget.
Taking to Instagram, Christina shared several pictures in which she was wearing nothing more than a tiny pair of underwear.
She protected her modesty with her hands and her waist-length, red hair was worn in loose waves. Read more
Tatyana Ali admits it was ‘taxing playing twins in new Lifetime movie (HollywoodLife)
Tatyana Ali stars as twins Jada and Kayla in Vanished: Searching for My Sister, which premieres January 22 on Lifetime. When Kayla goes missing, Jada takes matters into her own hands and goes on a search to find her sister. HollywoodLife spoke exclusively with Tatyana playing dual roles.
“The idea of playing twins really blew me away, playing these two characters,” she said. “I’ve seen that done in film before, and I know it’s a really challenging process, so I thought that was exciting, especially a character like Kayla, that twin that goes missing. Very rarely do I get to play people like her, and that was really exciting to me. And then the other part too was the fact that when Black women go missing, when these things happen, the resources really aren’t put into finding them or getting justice for them. I really like that Jada, her sister, just would not give up on her and wouldn’t let anybody else give up on her. I liked that journey in the story.”
Tatyana admitted that it was “taxing” playing two characters. “I felt like I did a lot of the work that I usually do, it was just twice,” she continued. “Same character development and all that but just twice the amount, and the period that I had to make the film felt really short for me because of that. But what was interesting was playing two sisters and being alone and figuring out their relationship was different. I really thank God for the hair, makeup, and costumes and just the hair and makeup trailer because that was my safe place when I switched between them.” Read more
Wuhan, I Am Here: Film follows volunteers in Chinese sealed city due to COVID-19 (AlArabiya)
The homeless, the sick, the elderly: For people who fell through the cracks of the official system, the then-unprecedented decision to isolate the central Chinese city of Wuhan and its 13 million people was a matter of life or death at the peak of the COVID-19 outbreak.
Film director Lan Bo hopes to sound the alarm with a documentary, “Wuhan, I Am Here,” about volunteers who helped neighbors get food and medical care following the lockdown in early 2020 of the city where the coronavirus pandemic began.
The documentary comes as China has renewed similar lockdowns in three other cities since mid-December to contain COVID-19 outbreaks. The number of people confined to their homes totaled some 20 million people in early January.
The government’s decision to commandeer Wuhan’s hospitals to treat COVID-19 patients meant many people with other problems were turned away. Read more
The Batman’s Robert Pattinson lines up next movie lead role (DigitalSpy)
Robert Pattinson’s ascension as one of ‘Hollywood’s most sought after talent’ has peaked, as The Batman actor is now circling Bong Joon-ho’s next movie.
Loosely adapted from the forthcoming novel Mickey7, written by Edward Ashton, the Parasite director’s latest endeavour sits firmly in the sci-fi genre and concerns an expendable employee on a human expedition to colonise the ice planet Niflheim (via Deadline).
“Whenever there’s a mission that’s too dangerous – even suicidal – the crew turns to Mickey7. After one iteration dies, a new body is regenerated with most of his memories intact. After six deaths, Mickey7 understands the terms of his deal… and why it was the only colonial position unfilled when he took it,” reads a synopsis.
Incidentally, this doesn’t sound a world away from Pattinson’s 2018 sci-fi horror High Life.
Ed Norton pays tribute to ‘Fight Club’ co-star Meat Loaf: “He was so funny and gentle” (NME)
Ed Norton has taken to social media to pay tribute to his Fight Club co-star Meat Loaf, who passed away aged 74 earlier this week.
Sharing a still from 1999’s Fight Club where his character of the unnamed narrator is embraced by Robert Paulson (played by Meat Loaf), Norton wrote: “I don’t keep pictures from films around home. But I have this one in my office in a frame because it makes me smile every time.
“It’s engraved ‘Love and Hugs, Meat’. It sums him up well. He was so funny. And gentle. And warm to everyone. A sweet soul. RIP Meat Loaf.”
He continued: “To us he will always be ‘Bob’. Those were some wonderful months of laughter & irreverence. The hardest thing about working w/ Meat was getting through any of these ridiculous moments without cracking up. Him lying on the table playing dead then belting out Zeppelin. Good times.” Read more
China plays discreet but critical role in Iran nuclear negotiations (France24)
As talks in Vienna to revive the 2015 Iranian nuclear deal proceed in fits and starts, China is trying to position itself as a key player in the region, and for good cause: It is in Beijing’s interest to push for the lifting of US sanctions on Iran, with which it has signed a historic bilateral partnership.
Talks to revive the 2005 Iranian nuclear deal are entering the tough stage of discussing substance. The Iranians set the scene before a weekend of consultations in Vienna, when Irna, the official Iranian news agency, declared that the parties had reached the “stage of details, the most difficult part of the negotiations”.
After the resumption of talks on Monday, diplomats involved in the negotiations told the Wall Street Journal that one of the biggest obstacles was Tehran’s demand that the US provide a guarantee that it would not quit the pact again and reimpose sanctions.
The six-month-long talks in Vienna’s plush Palais Coburg hotel have been proceeding in different permutations among the P4+1 group (China, France, the UK, Russia and Germany), the EU, Iran and the US. Since Iran refuses to meet directly with US negotiators, discussions have proceeded indirectly via the European, Russian and Chinese negotiators. Read more
Israel settlers uproot hundreds of olive trees in West Bank (MEMO)
Israeli settlers have uprooted 400 olive trees in the Palestinian occupied West Bank village of Deir Sharaf on Friday, witnesses have said.
One of the witnesses, Ghassan Daghlas, monitors Israeli colonial settlement violations in the northern West Bank and explained that the settlers broke into a plot of land known as Al-Harayek and chopped down the trees.
The owners of the land were identified as Abdul Rahim, Abdul Hamid and Ghazi Antari – all villagers of Deir Sharaf.
Ghazi Antari shared that he went to his 68-dunam farm to find that settlers had chopped down 320 olive trees, which he planted three years ago.
Daghlas said this was not the first time, as settlers had destroyed some 600 saplings almost a month ago. Read more
AFCON: Tunisia, good test for Super Eagles, says Moses Simon (Punch)
Super Eagles winger Moses Simon says their Round of 16 opponents, Tunisia, would be a good test for the team.
NAN reports that the Super Eagles will file out against the Carthage Eagles of Tunisia in Sunday’s Africa Cup of Nations Round of 16 encounter at the Stade Roumdé Adjia in Garoua.
Simon, who spoke after the team’s training session on Friday, said that the team had put their past victories behind and are now looking forward to the battle against Tunisia.
“Things are looking good and I think it will be a good one for us playing a good Tunisian side. Read more
Alan Shearer urges Newcastle to sign Manchester United star Jesse Lingard (MEN)
Newcastle legend Alan Shearer has urged his former side to sign Manchester United’s Jesse Lingard.
MEN Sport reported on Wednesday that the Old Trafford club saw a loan deal as the only realistic way they could achieve a fee for the 29-year-old who is out of contract at the end of the season.
Lingard’s last loan spell was back in January of the last campaign where the Red Devils received £1.5m from West Ham.
The midfielder enjoyed his spell at the London Stadium where he grabbed nine goals and five assists in 16 appearances. Read more
Confirmed West Ham team news against Manchester United as David Moyes makes Kurt Zouma decision (Football London)
West Ham manager David Moyes has made three changes from the Leeds United clash for this afternoon’s Premier League game with Manchester United at Old Trafford.
Kurt Zouma and Tomas Soucek returned to training following injury and COVID issues and Moyes has opted to include both for the 3pm kick-off.
Zouma is joined by Craig Dawson in the heart of the West Ham backline with Issa Diop dropping out of the starting team. Regular full-backs Vladimir Coufal and Aaron Cresswell retain their spots flanking the defence.
Behind the backline, Lukasz Fabianski is not involved, with Alphonse Areola taking the Pole’s place in the side. Read more
Cilic stuns fifth seed Rublev to reach Open fourth round (France24)
Former finalist Marin Cilic ended fifth seed Andrey Rublev’s Australian Open hopes with an upset four-set victory to reach the fourth round on Saturday.
The experienced Croatian, seeded 27, knocked out the Russian 7-5, 7-6 (7/3), 3-6, 6-3 in 2hr 36min on Margaret Court Arena to book a place in the last 16.
It will be 33-year-old Cilic’s eighth time in the fourth round at the Australian Open, where he was a beaten finalist to Roger Federer in 2018 after overcoming Rafael Nadal in the quarters.
Cilic will face Canada’s ninth seed Felix Auger-Aliassime for a place in the quarter-finals. Read more
Beijing Olympics: Three-time gold medallist Shaun White heading for fifth games after making US snowboarding team (Eurosport)
After some setbacks in qualifying and a bout with Covid-19, snowboarding legend Shaun White can relax.
White has been officially selected to the US team for the Beijing Olympics, giving him a shot at a fourth gold medal in his fifth Winter Games — and giving Beijing a major star attraction in the form of the 35-year-old winter sports icon.
White missed the finals of the last American qualifying event for Beijing in Mammoth Mountain after injuring his ankle in a hard landing in his qualifying heat. That meant he had to go to Switzerland to try to seal a spot on the US team at the Laax Open. He finished third in that event, which was enough to earn him a ticket to Beijing.
He also tested positive for Covid-19 earlier this month, but is expected to be fully fit for the Olympics, which start on February 4. Read more
Douala academy nurtures Cameroon’s next generation of Indomitable Lions (France24)
The Brasseries Football School in Cameroon has nurtured some of Africa’s greatest players since it began operating in 1989. The distinguished academy has sent footballers to some of the world’s top clubs, as well as to Cameroon’s national team, the Indomitable Lions. FRANCE 24 visited their training ground in Douala.
Vincent Aboubakar, Clinton Njie, Ignatius Ganogo: The trio who play for Cameroon’s ‘Indomitable Lions’ in the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) are all three products of the Brasseries Football School, one of the most distinguished football academies in Africa.
The academy is located in Douala, Cameroon’s commercial hub and largest city. Protected from the hustle and bustle of Douala’s monster traffic jams by walls painted yellow and red, the aspiring footballers can take advantage of this small haven of peace to focus on their dream: becoming professional players like their illustrious predecessors Samuel Eto’o or Rigobert Song. Read more
Canada’s Felix Auger-Aliassime breezes into round of 16 at Australian Open with straight-sets win (CBC)
For the second year in a row at the Australian Open, Montreal’s Felix Auger-Aliassime has advanced to the second week.
The 21-year-old Canadian, the No. 9 seed, swiftly dispatched No. 24 seed Dan Evans 6-4, 6-1, 6-1 Saturday to move into the round of 16.
On Monday, he’ll play No. 27 seed Marin Cilic for a spot in the quarter-finals. Cilic knocked off No. 5 seed Andrey Rublev 7-5, 7-6 (3), 3-6, 6-3 on Saturday.
This is the fourth time in his last five Grand Slam appearances that Auger-Aliassime has reached the second week. That includes a semifinal effort at the US Open last September, and a Wimbledon quarter-final last July. Read more
Gerrard’s Villa rub salt into Everton wounds (France24)
Everton’s change of management did not result in a change of fortunes as Aston Villa manager Steven Gerrard enjoyed a winning return to Merseyside with a 1-0 victory at Goodison Park.
Emiliano Buendia’s header in first half stoppage time separated the sides to leave the Toffees still just five points above the relegation zone in 16th.
Duncan Ferguson took temporary charge of Everton following the sacking of Rafael Benitez last weekend after a run of just one win in 13 league games.
Ferguson was unbeaten in three matches as caretaker boss against Chelsea, Manchester United and Arsenal before Carlo Ancelotti took charge just over two years ago. Read more