Passengers injured as US-bound plane develops technical fault, returns to Lagos (Punch)
A United Airlines flight, a Boeing 787-8 outbound from Lagos to Washington Dulles, on Thursday, declared an emergency and made an air return to Lagos.
Having established a return track to Lagos, PUNCH Online gathered that the aircraft crew maintained the emergency transponder code 7700 (Emergency signal) with the control tower till it landed.
The aircraft, initially bound for Washington Dulles International Airport with registered N27903, is an over 13-year-old widebody aircraft belonging to the US carrier United Airlines. Read more
Ebonyi Accident: Another prospective corps member dies (DailyTrust)
One more prospective member of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has lost his life to the accident which occurred during the journey to the orientation camp in Ebonyi State.
Daily Trust had reported how one of the victims died at the scene of the accident, on Wednesday, while her colleagues were taken to the King David Umahi University Teaching Hospital Uburu in Ohanzara Local Government Area of the state.
In a statement issued by the hospital spokesman, Mr. Agwu Nwogo, on Friday, it was disclosed that three more victims had died. Read more
Lagos orders immediate closure of Oshodi pedestrian bridge (Guardian)
The Lagos State government, on Friday, ordered the closure of the pedestrian bridge located between Terminal 2 and Terminal 3 in Oshodi Bus Terminal due to concerns regarding the safety and structural integrity of the bridge.
The order also mandated the contractor responsible for the initial construction of the terminal, through the Office of Infrastructure, to place concrete barriers at the entrances leading to the bridge to safeguard the lives of pedestrians who use the infrastructure.
Additionally, the contractor is to conduct a comprehensive structural integrity assessment of the bridge for repairs or reconstruction works. Read more
PDP NWC members back Fubara’s party stability moves (Leadership)
The National Working Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have commended Governor Siminalayi Fubara for committing to restoring stability in the ruling party in Rivers state against forces of destabilisation.
National Treasurer of the PDP, Ahmed Yayari Mohammed, affirmed the party’s satisfaction with Fubara as leader of Rivers PDP following the governor’s close door meeting with the PDP National Working Committee in Government House, Port Harcourt on Wednesday night.
The NWC had visited Fubara, who is deputy chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum, as part of the consultative meetings NWC is holding with party leaders and governors elected on the party’s platform to exchange ideas and explore ways to reposition the party. Read more
Industrial court faults ASUU national leaders on stance on LASU crisis (Vanguard)
The National Industrial Court of Nigeria, NICN, sitting in Lagos, has faulted the decision of the national leadership of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, not to recognize or ostracize the chapter of the union at the Lagos State University, LASU, led by Prof. Ibrahim Bakare.
The decision of the court was handed down in a judgement given by the presiding judge, Justice Sanda Yelwa, in a case brought before it by Bakare and seven others against ASUU and three others.
In the suit, marked NICN/318/2020, the claimants challenged the decision of the national ASUU to still recognize the executive of LASU ASUU who were replaced when their tenure came to an end. Read more
PDP condoles Makinde over elder brother’s death (Tribune)
he Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has expressed grief over the passing of Engr. Sunday Makinde, the elder brother of Governor Seyi Makinde.
In a statement issued on Friday by Debo Ologunagba, National Publicity Secretary, the party commiserated with the governor over the shocking news.
“Indeed, our nation, and particularly Oyo State, has lost a rare gem. Engr. Sunday Makinde was a humble, exceptionally brilliant, and highly ingenious professional; a committed patriot who dedicated his life to the progress and development of Oyo State and Nigeria,” Read more
NiMet, MTN, Tomorrow.io partner to develop digital climate advisory services system (Nation)
The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with MTN and advanced weather intelligence company; Tomorrow.io to develop a Digital Climate Advisory Services (DCAS) System.
The System is aimed at delivering location-specific and actionable weather advisories to Nigerian farmers via mobile SMS.
The partnership which is in line with the United Nations (UN) goal of ensuring early warning systems for all, would serve the need of strengthening climate resilience in Nigeria, particularly in the agricultural sector. Read more
Tinubu appoints Orikpo UniAbuja hospital chair, clarifies errors (Punch)
President Bola Tinubu has appointed Dr Ikye Orikpo from Delta State as the chairman of the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital.
This appointment is part of a broader announcement of board chairpersons for federal organisations.
“Orikpo joins the new board chairpersons announced earlier today,” Tinubu said in a statement issued on Thursday by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga. Read more
Charli XCX, Dua Lipa, The Last Dinner Party and Ezra Collective lead 2025 BRIT Award nominations (MusicNews)
The nominations for The BRIT Awards 2025 with Mastercard were today revealed exclusively in ‘Bring on The BRITs with Mastercard: The 2025 Nominations’, a half-hour digital programme streamed across The BRITs’ official Instagram and Facebook. Host Sian Welby brought viewers the live announcement of the shortlists, alongside some special appearances from nominees.
The winners will be announced during the live show on Saturday 1st March at The O2 arena, broadcast exclusively on ITV1 and ITVX and hosted by Jack Whitehall. The award this year has been designed by multi-disciplinary artist Gabriel Moses.
The winners of the five genre awards will be determined by a public vote exclusively through WhatsApp, which will open on Friday 31st January at 12 midday and close on Friday 14th February at 6pm. Read more
Mother jailed over deaths of 4 sons trapped in house fire as she went shopping (Independent)
The mother of four young brothers who died trapped alone in a house fire while she was shopping in Sainsbury’s has been jailed.
Deveca Rose had left her two sets of twins in the locked terraced house when the fatal blaze broke out on the evening of 16 December 2021.
Rose had gone to the supermarket, leaving Leyton and Logan Hoath, aged three; and four-year-olds Kyson and Bryson Hoath alone at the rented home in Sutton, southwest London. Read more
Thousands of endangered tortoises rescued in Madagascar after their sanctuary floods (ABC)
A community in southern Madagascar has pulled together to save thousands of critically endangered tortoises swept away from their sanctuary and left swimming for their lives in floods this month caused by a tropical cyclone.
The 12,000 radiated and spider tortoises that were housed at the Lavavolo Tortoise Center had been confiscated from illegal wildlife traffickers but faced a new and unexpected ordeal when Cyclone Dikeledi hit the southern part of the Indian Ocean island in mid-January. Flood waters a meter (3.2 feet) high engulfed the sanctuary, and the tortoises — many of them mere whippersnappers in the tortoise world at about 25-50 years old — were carried away.
Sanctuary staff, members of the community and even police officers joined together in a rescue operation, wading through the water with large containers to collect the bewildered tortoises. Some rescuers converted damaged building structures into makeshift rafts for the tortoises to ride on as they moved around to find others. Read more
Jamie Foxx says Leonardo DiCaprio had ‘hard time’ saying racial slurs in Django Unchained but Samuel L. Jackson aided him (People)
Jamie Foxx and Samuel L. Jackson stepped in to give Leonardo DiCaprio some advice on the Django Unchained set.
The Back in Action star, 57, revealed in a Vanity Fair video looking back at all of his hit movies that despite having an “all-star” cast, the Django Unchained actors really had to start “digging in” to get to the gritter parts of the source material in the Quentin Tarantino film — none more so that DiCaprio, 55.
“The subject matter, the N-word specifically, Leo had a hard time saying the N-word,” Foxx recalled. “We’re doing a read and Leo says [the N-word] and then he goes, ‘Hey man, hey, guys cut. I just can’t do this. This is not me.’ ” Read more
Hugh Grant and Piers Morgan in fiery debate as host brands actor ‘hypocrite’ (Mirror)
Hugh Grant and Piers Morgan have found themselves in a heated exchange on X as the actor speaks out on the government ruling out a reopening of the Leveson enquiry.
Hugh Grant isn’t holding back as he ‘hits out’ at Piers Morgan as the former Good Morning Britain host called the actor a ‘hypocrite’ for his views towards Rupert Murdoch. Recently, the government had ruled out a reopening of the Leveson enquiry, which Hugh had advocated for.
The actor, who settled a privacy case against NGN last year, reacted to the news on BBC Radio 4 on Friday morning in which he stated: “I have some sympathy, when I’m in a generous mood, for politicians terrified of the Murdochs.” A clip of the interview with Amol Rajan was posted to X, formerly known as Twitter, and it caught the attention of Piers. Read more
Israel says its troop withdrawal from Lebanon will extend beyond ceasefire deadline (France24)
The Israeli army will not complete its withdrawal from southern Lebanon by a Monday deadline, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s office said on Friday, saying Lebanon has not yet fully enforced the ceasefire agreement.
The deal, brokered by France and the US, ended more than a year of hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah. The fighting peaked with a major Israeli offensive that displaced more than 1.2 million people in Lebanon and left the Iran-backed Lebanese Shiite group severely weakened.
Under the agreement, which was signed on November 27, Hezbollah weapons and fighters must be removed from areas south of the Litani river. Israeli troops should withdraw as the Lebanese army deploys into the region, all within a 60-day timeframe due to conclude on Monday at 4am local time. Read more
Molly-Mae Hague blasted for eating chicken nuggets while driving in Prime docuseries (Standard)
Molly-Mae Hague has been called out by road safety charities for eating while driving in her Amazon Prime docuseries, Molly-Mae: Behind It All.
During one episode, the Love Island star, 25, bought chicken nuggets from a McDonald’s drive-thru and ate them as she drove home in her Mercedes.
Having ordered a large Big Mac meal, with six chicken nuggets and a mozzarella dipper share box, she told the camera: “I actually live to eat, so many people around me are just like, ‘I’ll just get the salad,’ and I’m just like, that could never be me.
“If it’s salad with chips then yeah, I’m on board.” Read more
AFCON 2025 Draw: Super Eagles in Pot A, to avoid big guns (CompleteSports)
The draw ceremony for the 35th Africa Cup of Nations finals will take place at the Mohamed V National Theatre in Rabat, Morocco on Monday evening.
Three-time African champions Nigeria have been placed in Pot 1, alongside seven-time winners Egypt, three-time champions and Cup holders Cote d’Ivoire, two-time winners Algeria, hosts and 1976 champions Morocco and 2021 winners Senegal.
Super Eagles’ Head Coach Éric Sékou Chelle and Team Administrator, Dayo Enebi Achor, alongside the Chairman of NFF Technical and Development Committee, Alhaji Sharif Rabiu Inuwa will attend the colourful ceremony in the heart of Morocco’s administrative capital. Read more
Gara-Gombe plans tertiary institutions football, athletics competitions 2025 (Leadership)
Sponsor of the ongoing Gombe State Inter-secondary Schools Athletics and Principals’ Cup Football Competitions, Ahmed Shuaibu-Gara Gombe, has announced plans to stage the first ever Gombe State Inter-Tertiary Institutions Athletics and Football Competitions this year.
He disclosed in an interview with sports journalists on the sidelines of the ongoing athletics and football competitions in Gombe, saying no fewer than 11 tertiary institutions in Gombe State have already registered for the games.
He said arrangements have reached an advanced stage to ensure the success of the tertiary sports fiesta, which is designed to provide a platform for the athletes to showcase their talents. Read more
Novak Djokovic booed by fans after retiring from Australian Open semi-final (Metro)
Novak Djokovic was booed off court by a section of disgruntled fans after he was forced to pull out of his Australian Open semi-final against Alexander Zverev.
The 37-year-old’s fitness had been a matter of intense speculation ever since his momentous win over Carlos Alcaraz earlier this week.
Djokovic arrived on court wearing heavy strapping on his thigh and initially appeared to be showing no ill-effects. Read more
Naoya Inoue smashes Ye Joon Kim down and out in four rounds to defend undisputed super-bantamweight world title (SkySports)
Naoya Inoue doesn’t need to be asked twice.
With his opponent beckoning him in, Inoue stepped forward with a devastating right cross to blast Ye Joon Kim down to the canvas to defend his undisputed world championship in four rounds.
Kim had been hoping to realise an unlikely dream. The Korean had taken the opportunity against Inoue – one of, if not the best in the sport – when he stepped in to replace Sam Goodman. Read more
Arsenal ‘actively looking’ to sign striker – Arteta (BBC)
Arsenal are “actively looking” to sign a striker in the January transfer window who is able to “make an impact”, says manager Mikel Arteta.
Arsenal have been short of attacking options after losing Bukayo Saka to a long-term hamstring injury and striker Gabriel Jesus with an anterior cruciate ligament injury.
The Gunners are challenging for the Premier League title for the third season in a row but a number of injuries to key players and inconsistent results has seen them slip to six points behind Liverpool, who also have a game in hand. Read more
Zimbabwe pick uncapped Masekesa and Welch for one-off Test against Ireland (ESPN)
Zimbabwe have picked two uncapped players – leg spinner Vincent Masekesa and top-order batter Nicholas Welch – in their squad for the one-off Test against Ireland starting on February 6 in Bulawayo.
Masekesa, 27, has played 15 first-class matches and taken 49 wickets, while Welch, nearly 27, has played 26 first-class games and scored 1216 runs at an average of 31.
Dion Myers and Tadiwanashe Marumani were left out of the Test squad that lost the home series 1-0 to Afghanistan in the first week of January. Read more