Man allegedly kills wife over bread in Lagos (Punch)
A man identified as Ndubisi Uwadiegwu from Enugu State has allegedly beaten his wife, Ogochukwu Enene, to death over a loaf of bread.
It was gathered that the deceased hailed from Umuokpu village, Awka, Anambra State, but married to her husband who hails from Enugu State.
According to an online notice obtained by our correspondent on Sunday, the first son of the deceased who is aged 14, said their father beat their mother to death with mirror, because she asked him to buy bread for them but he said he had no money.
The son added that his mother decided to use her money to buy one loaf of bread for the children, but the father went into the kitchen and ate the whole bread and when their mother asked him why he finished the bread, he started beating her and it led to her death. Read more
Over 30 still missing in Edo train kidnap; kids freed, female escaped (Vanguard)
Over 30 passengers and staff of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) are believed to have been victims of late Saturday’s kidnap by gunmen at the Igueben train sub-station in Edo State.
Speaking on the development to Vanguard yesterday, the Liaison officer to the local government area, Best Oseh said security agencies and paramilitary organisations are combing the forests in the area to get clues.
He said “As I speak, people are in the field all over the place, vigilantes, security agencies and other people, everybody is concerned but we have to be careful with what we divulge so that we won’t jeopardize the processes we are doing.
“As for the category of people kidnapped, some of them are from Igueben while others are passengers from other places and as for the number, for now, we are looking at over 30 but we can only give a comprehensive number when preliminary investigations are concluded.” Read more
Osinbajo, Amaechi, Onu, Okorocha, 2 others missing from Tinubu’s campaigns (DailyTrust)
The dust trailing the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential primary seems not to have settled as key contenders who slugged it out with the party’s candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, are missing in the campaigns.
Daily Trust reports that seven months after the party’s primary was held and won by the former Lagos State governor, the body language of six of the 14 contenders, showed they were still nursing grudges.
The posture of the contenders, who are expected to contribute to the victory of the party in their respective states, is generating concerns among the party’s chieftains, it was gathered.
Tinubu polled 1,271 votes to defeat 13 other aspirants, including a former Transport Minister, Rotimi Amaechi, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and Senate president Ahmad Lawan, who scored 316, 235 and 152 votes, respectively. Read more
Attack: NRC shuts down Edo train station indefinitely (Tribune)
The Nigeria Railway Corporation has closed down Ekehen Station in Edo State till further notice.
The NRC made the announcement on Sunday. This is coming less than 24 hours after the attack on the rail station.
The railway corporation said the decision became necessary following rising security challenges.
Tribune Online reports that scores of travellers waiting to board a train from Igueben in Igueben Local Government Area of the state to Warri in Delta State, were kidnapped by suspected herdsmen on Saturday evening.
The incident, according to Edo State Police Command, occurred around 4 pm on Saturday. Read more
Police neutralise two gunrunners in Zamfara, recover arms (Guardian) Police in Zamfara neutralised two gunrunners on the Anka-Gummi Highway on Sunday while attempting to convey arms to terrorists camps.
Police spokesman in the state, SP Muhammad Shehu, stated on Sunday that the gunrunners were conveying the sophisticated arms and ammunition from Taraba.
He added that a Toyota Corolla vehicle was recovered from the suspects.
The vehicle contained three live Rocket Propeller Gun bullets, three explosives, 151 rounds of live ammunition for AK 47 rifles, 200 rounds of live ammunition for anti-aircraft rifles and assorted charms.
“On Jan. 7, police tactical operatives successfully neutralised two gunrunners on Gummi-Anka Road in an extensive gun duel that lasted for hours. Read more
NDLEA intercepts drug consignments in wooden statue, imported vehicle arrests 11 suspects (Channels)
Attempts by elements of Organised Criminal Groups to use various disingenuous modes of concealment to import consignments of illicit substances into Nigeria and export same to the United Kingdom, and United Arab Emirate through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA, Ikeja and Tincan seaport in Lagos have been thwarted by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA.
No less than 37.5 kilograms of such illicit consignments were intercepted in the past week, with the arrest of 11 suspects in interdiction operations that led to the seizure of almost four tons of skunk in Kaduna, Kano and Lagos state.
At the Lagos airport, a freight agent Ogunsina Damilare was arrested on Friday 6th January following a bid to export 1.5 kilograms of skunk hidden in foodstuffs to Dubai, UAE through the SAHCO export shed of the MMIA, while a similar attempt to ship 11.5kgs of the same substance to the United Kingdom was frustrated when the consignment concealed in a giant wooden sculpture was intercepted by NDLEA operatives of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigations (DOGI) at a courier company in Lagos. Read more
Lagos releases 2023 academic calendar (Nation)
The Lagos Ministry of Education has released the academic calendar for the 2022/2023 session.
Schools are to resume on Monday, January 9 for the second term.
Mid-term break is from February 20 to 24.
Second term holidays include Good Friday (April 7), Easter Monday (April 10) and Eid-ul-Fitri (April 21 to 24). Read more
Presidency: Only God can stop Tinubu – Nasarawa Gov (DailyTrust)
Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State has said only God can stop Asiwaju Bola Tinubu from succeeding President Muhammadu Buhari.
Speaking in Kokona Local Government Area while flagging off the campaign of the party’s senatorial candidate for Nasarawa West, Architect Shehu Tukur, Sule said APC governors in the north would use their resources to ensure Tinubu emerges victorious.
He said, “APC Northern governors will use their resources to ensure that Tinubu emerges president of the country. If there is anybody that wants Tinubu to become president, it’s the Northern APC governors.
“Only God can stop Tinubu and A. A Sule from becoming president and governor respectively. We are determined to commit our resources and strength to conquer any form of opposition. Read more
SZA set the record straight about her & Taylor Swift’s supposed beef (Bustle)
A battle in music sales spilled over onto Twitter and became a heated fan war this week. It all centered on SZA (real name: Solána Imani Rowe) and Taylor Swift’s individual efforts to top the Billboard 200 chart for the week-long period ending on January 6. As the two artistes promoted their most recent albums — SOS and Midnights, respectively — some members of their fan bases publicly speculated about there being bad blood between them. However, SZA made sure to shut down rumors of beef quickly, including by sending “LOVE TO EVERYONE,” in a January 5 tweet.
Before SZA’s tweet, she was leading Swift in the final push to midnight, poised to take the top spot for the fourth week in a row, but the “Anti-Hero” singer didn’t seem ready to concede. Swift shared an Instagram story as she was “taking a break from tour rehearsal” to promote her four new Midnights digital albums with behind-the-song bonus material. One Twitter user showed a screenshot of the digital albums selling for $4.99 and suggested it was part of an effort to stop SOS from reaching No. 1 again. “Desperate isn’t even the word anymore,” they added.
Meanwhile, SZA had something up her sleeve, too: a new digital version of SOS with a solo version of “Open Arms,” plus the new track “PSA.” A fan shared the update on Twitter, writing, “Sza said you wanna be funny Taylor ? I can be HILARIOUS.” Another wrote, “taylor vs sza on my tl. sister against sister, mother against mother.” Read more
Nicolas Cage isn’t returning as Spider-Man Noir in Across the Spider-Verse (FlickeringMyth)
While Sony Pictures’ upcoming Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is set to include an entire – well, Spider-Verse – of Spider-Men characters, it seems that one incarnation of web-slinger from the Oscar-winning original could be sitting out the sequel.
Speaking to Screen Rant to promote his new film, the Western thriller The Old Way, Nicolas Cage has revealed that he’s not had any contact with regards to him reprising his Spider-Man Noir role from Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.
“You’d have to ask Sony,” said Cage when asked about the character’s potential future. “I don’t know what’s going on with that. No one’s spoken to me about that. Ask them. I don’t know. I really don’t. I wish they would. I love Spider-Man Noir, too. I think that’s a great character. Spider-Man’s the coolest superhero. And then you combine that with Cagney and Bogart and Edward G. Robinson, come on, it’s a great character.”
Although he seems to be sitting out Across the Spider-Verse, there’s always a chance that Cage’s Spider-Man Noir could be back for 2024’s Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse, or one of the numerous Spider-Verse spinoffs that Sony is eyeing beyond that. Read more
Elvis Presley’s lover reveals grisly details of his death after she found him on toilet (DailyStar)
Elvis Presley’s last girlfriend, Ginger Alden shared grisly details of the moment she found the King of Rock dead in 1977 when she was just 21 years old.
Elvis’ death shocked the world but the circumstances leading up to the rockstar’s death have been a closely guarded secret in the family, who chose to seal the results of the autopsy for 50 years.
Despite the autopsy results being set to go public in 2027, Elvis’ young lover shared her account of the devastating moment in her memoir, reports The Mirror.
“His arms lay on the ground, close to his sides, palms facing upward. It was clear that, from the moment he landed on the floor, Elvis hadn’t moved,” she wrote. Read more
Robbie Williams wants Glastonbury gig (MusicNews)
Robbie Williams wants to play Glastonbury.
The ”Old Before I Die” singer – who previously performed at the world-famous music event in 1998, shortly after launching his solo career – is eyeing up the Sunday afternoon Legends slot at this year’s festival and thinks the opportunity would change a lot of people’s perceptions of him because he’d put on such a great show.
Speaking on his ”Robbie Williams Rewind” podcast, he said: “I’ve not been asked yet. I know I’d slaughter it. It’s one of those times and places, and a reimagination of what Robbie Williams is.
“When you do Glastonbury, perception changes more than any other festival. Diana Ross could play any festival and not get any traction, but she plays Glastonbury and everybody is talking about it, like Barry Gibb. Read more
Sam Mendes says gender-neutral awards are “inevitable” (Deadline)
Sam Mendes is opening up about how he feels about gender-neutral awards and what he thinks about award shows in general.
During a recent interview, the Empire of Light director was asked about Emma Corrin’s call to eliminate gender from award shows.
“I have total sympathy with it, yeah, and I think it might well be inevitable in the end,” he said in the BBC interview. “I think that’s the way it’s moving and I think that it’s perfectly reasonable.”
Mendes who won an Oscar in the year 2000 for his directorial work on American Beauty and a BAFTA Award for 1917, has a practical look at what the real purpose of awards are for. Read more
James Cameron confirms Avatar 4 and 5 will happen (NME)
Avatar director James Cameron has confirmed that the fourth and fifth films in the series will be made.
The long-awaited second film in the series – The Way Of Water – finally landed last month, with three more sequels already planned.
Despite this, questions had been raised about the series’ profitability, and whether the third, fourth and fifth editions would make it to the big screen. Cameron recently suggested that the series could end after the third film if it doesn’t perform at the box office.
Speaking on HBO Max’s Who’s Talking to Chris Wallace? show (via The Hollywood Reporter), Cameron said that “the momentum that [The Way Of Water] has now” means it will “easily” pass our break even in the next few days.” Read more
Iran’s protest supporters face arrests, working bans (DW)
Tehran has been targeting those who support the protesters in Iran by arresting journalists and dismissing lecturers. Even experts who point out violations are being locked away.
“We don’t know which of us will be arrested next. We’re very worried,” Iranian journalists revealed in background talks. They avoid interviews with foreign media, but try to keep the world informed of the situation in Iran through social media.
The journalist Milad Alavi was arrested on January 1. Why? “I don’t know either,” his brother posted on Twitter. Security officials had searched his apartment on December 13 and confiscated his phone and laptop.
Alavi had been reporting on the victims of the most recent protests and their families. The country-wide protests that erupted after the death of Jina Mahsa Amini in police custody were beaten down brutally — just as other waves of protest had been in the past. Read more
Al-Nassr terminate World Cup hero’s contract to allow Cristiano Ronaldo to play for them (DailyStar)
Cristiano Ronaldo’s path to his Al Nassr debut has got that much clearer after the Saudi Arabian side have reportedly released Vincent Aboubakar.
Aboubakar, who is best remembered for his time with Porto, netted Cameroon’s winner against Brazil at the 2022 World Cup. However, his famous winner hasn’t stopped him from Al Nassr cutting him to make room for Ronaldo.
Saudi Pro League rules state that clubs can only register eight foreign players in their squads. According to RMC Sport, Aboubakar has now left the Saudi side via mutual consent, making him a free agent.
Ronaldo can now be registered my the Saudi side – but he will still have to serve his ban for slapping a phone out of a 14-year-old’s hands. Read more
Akwa vs Insurance: South-South derby gets NPFL underway (Punch)
After six months of hiatus, the Nigeria Professional Football League is back with a cracking game between 2021 champions Akwa United and newly promoted Bendel Insurance on Sunday (today), PUNCH Sports Extra reports.
Also selected for the return of the NPFL on TV, the fixture promises so much in terms of spectacle, as the Nest of Champions, Uyo is expected to provide the attraction the organisers need to market the league.
Atmosphere aside, it would be a testing ground for both teams, who have barely taken their legs off the pedal in anticipation of the start of the new season.
Insurance particularly had a tenacious run in he NNL Super Four and were crowned champions of the second tier after their promotion to the topflight. Read more
Brighton and Hove Albion sign Zoe Morse from Chicago Red Stars (BBC)
Brighton and Hove Albion have signed defender Zoe Morse until summer 2024, subject to international clearance.
Morse, 24, joins from Chicago Red Stars in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) in the United States.
Playing for Red Stars since 2020, she has also represented her country at under-17, under-18 and under-20 levels.
“Zoe has a lot of experience in one of the best leagues in the world,” said Brighton coach Jens Scheuer. Read more
Manchester United shirt numbers available for Wout Weghorst as No.7 ”promised to another target” (MEN)
Manchester United are looking to sign a new striker in the January transfer window, with Erik ten Hag keen to add attacking reinforcements to his squad.
With Cristiano Ronaldo having left the club by mutual consent in November, the Reds only have one recognised striker in Anthony Martial. The Frenchman has been impressive for United this term – registering five goals in 12 matches – but he has already missed 15 matches through injury this season.
The Reds have performed well in recent months and currently sit fourth in the Premier League table – with a game in hand over third-placed Newcastle United. Ten Hag’s men are also still in Carabao Cup, FA Cup and Europa League action, albeit with a play-off tie against the Catalan giants to come in February.
Marcus Rashford is enjoying a spectacular individual campaign, but he is operating from the left-wing and the club still believe that they need to recruit a striker in this month’s transfer window in order to provide attacking support. The Reds are looking at the loan market if they are to sign a frontman with Wout Weghorst joining until the end of the season from Burnley, one option being looked at. Read more
NFL pays tribute to Damar Hamlin as Jacksonville Jaguars clinch playoff spots (CNN)
In the first games since Damar Hamlin’s on-field cardiac arrest on Monday, the NFL honored the Bills safety as he posted on Instagram for the first time, thanking everyone for the “love” he’s received.
Already, the weekend was significant as the last of the regular season, and Hamlin’s collapse on Monday added a layer of unprecedented emotion to the proceedings.
Players from the Las Vegas Raiders and Kansas City Chiefs wore shirts and hoodies in support of Hamlin, while supporters at the Allegiant Stadium held a moment of support for the 24-year-old before kickoff.
In Jacksonville, players and support staff from the Jacksonville Jaguars and Tennessee Titans joined together in midfield for a prayer circle while the crowd remained quiet. Read more
Fritz beats Berrettini as USA win inaugural United Cup (RFI)
World number nine Taylor Fritz battled past Italian Matteo Berrettini with a powerhouse performance to steer the United States to the inaugural mixed teams United Cup title in Sydney on Sunday.
Frances Tiafoe and Jessica Pegula both won their singles rubbers to give their country a 2-0 lead with Fritz delivering victory by winning 7-6 (7/4), 7-6 (8/6).
Madison Keys made it a clean-sweep 4-0 with a 6-3, 6-2 win over Lucia Bronzetti.
“It’s amazing for the team to win this event, we came in with really high hopes,” said Fritz. Read more