Woman faces backlash for contributing 70% financial support to her husband, handling 80% chores (Punch)
A registered nurse and X user, Favor Grace, has stirred intense reactions online after sharing her 16-year marriage experience.
Grace revealed that she contributed 70% of the financial support to her husband while handling 80% of the household cooking.
Her experience, shared on her X handle, @FavorGrace90, quickly went viral, attracting backlash from netizens who criticised her marriage style. Read more
Okupevi declares 2025 year of God’s presence, love, courage (Independent)
Welcoming Nigerians to the dawn of the New Year 2025, Revd Ifedola Okupevi, the Diocesan Bishop of Lagos, (Anglican Communion) has prophesied that the New Year shall be filled with God’s presence, even as he admonished Nigerians to show love among one and another and exercise courage.
The Bishop declared that Year 2025 holds a special significance for Nigerians, being a year that promises to be filled with God’s Presence and great courage.
“The Lord has spoken to us through His Word, and we find our anchor in Matthew 14:27: “But Jesus immediately said to them, “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”; Okupevi quoted. Read more
South-West: Sharia law will trigger religious crisis, Primate Ayodele warns (Tribune)
The Leader of INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church, Primate Elijah Ayodele has cautioned the governor of Oyo, Seyi Makinde, to quickly address the issue of the proposed Sharia law establishment in the state.
In a statement signed by his media aide, Osho Oluwatosin, Primate Ayodele warned Seyi Makinde not to allow his state to burn because the proposal has the ability to throw the state into turmoil and a long-lasting religious crisis.
The man of God made it known that Sharia Law isn’t appropriate in Yorubaland and it is only going to rubbish the government of Seyi Makinde because he won’t be able to sustain it if it passes. Read more
Alleged terrorism financing: Court permits EFCC to freeze 24 bank accounts (Channels)
Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja has okayed the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)’s application to freeze 24 bank accounts domiciled in different banks over allegations bordering on terrorism financing.
Justice Nwite granted the application after EFCC’s lawyer, Martha Babatunde, moved an ex-parte motion to the effect.
He gave the commission the go-ahead to freeze the accounts for 90 days pending the conclusion of an investigation. Read more
Bauchi Gov denies threatening Tinubu over tax reforms (Vanguard)
Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, has denied allegations that he threatened President Bola Tinubu, clarifying that his comments were critiques of policies he believes could harm Nigerians.
This response came after the Presidency urged him to retract a purported “threat” following his comment, “We will show President Tinubu our true colour,” which it described as unstatesmanlike and divisive.
Governor Mohammed, while addressing the Christian community during a Christmas event, condemned Tinubu’s tax reforms as detrimental to northern Nigeria. “If you ignore the cries of the people, you are inviting anarchy. These reforms are not helping northern Nigeria,” he stated. Read more
Monarch Ascends Kwara stool after 234 years (DailyTrust)
The new Oloro of Oro Kingdom in Irepodun local government area of Kwara State, Oba Joel Titiloye Olufayo II, has officially ascended the throne as the king of Oro Kingdom.
The coronation, which marked the return of Olufayo’s lineage to the throne after 234 years, was accompanied by traditional rites performed by the Oloro-in-Council.
The event on attracted dignitaries from across Nigeria and beyond, including Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of Kwara State who was represented by his Special Adviser on Political Matters, Hon. Femi Agbaje. Read more
NIMC targets easier data sharing, less burden on citizens (Sun)
The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) says it is working to streamline data sharing and ease the burden on citizens, especially with regards to multiple registrations and verifications.
By enhancing interoperability between government agencies, NIMC aims to enhance efficiency and improve the overall experience for Nigerians engaging with the national identity system.
The Director General of NIMC, Abisoye Coker-Odusote made the disclosure at the recent Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) Journalism Fellowship training organised by the Media Foundation West Africa (MFWA) & Co-Creation in Abuja. Read more
Gov Sule suspends TSC boss, members over illegal recruitment of teachers (Nation)
Nasarawa State Governor, Abdullahi Sule, has ordered the immediate suspension of the chairman and members of the State Teachers Service Commission (TSC) over alleged irregularities in the recent recruitment of teachers.
The directive was issued during a meeting at the Government House in Lafia on Tuesday.
Governor Sule also instructed the Secretary to the State Government to set up a three-member committee to investigate the TSC’s activities and uncover the root cause of the issue. Read more
Zookeeper eaten alive after filming himself with lions ‘to impress girlfriend’ (Mirror)
A zookeeper filmed himself trying to recapture three lions that had escaped into a courtyard “to impress his girlfriend” before the wild animals suddenly attacked and ate him.
The man named as F Iriskulov, aged 44, is seen unlocking a padlock to the area at a private zoo, called the Lion Park, in Parkent, Uzbekistan at 5am during his night shift. In the clip it shows three lions which are looking quite relaxed to begin with and just watching him approach.
But suddenly they spring up and he steps back in evident surprise, yet still at this point the predators do not attack. He is heard repeatedly calling the name of one of the lions: “Simba.” Time and again he tells the wild animal: “Simba, be quiet.” Read more
One of longest-held inmates at Guantanamo repatriated to Tunisia (AfricaNews)
The US has announced that Guantanamo Bay inmate Ridah Bin Saleh al-Yazidi has been repatriated to Tunisia.
According to the Department of Defense, his transfer was given the green light after a ”rigorous interagency review process”.
US officials have accused Yazidi of being a member of a group with alleged ties to al-Qaida. Human rights groups have long refuted these claims. Read more
Thief swipes $13m in jewels, handbags, cash from London mansion (ABC)
Police in London are searching for a burglar who broke into an occupied mansion and stole more than 10.5 million pounds ($13.2 million) worth of jewelry, designer handbags and cash.
The owners of the estate, identified in British media as an Instagram influencer and her developer husband, were not home at the time on Dec. 7. But employees were there and a housekeeper had a near run-in with the armed intruder, according to surveillance footage.
“This is a brazen offense where the suspect has entered the property while armed with an unknown weapon,” Det. Constable Paulo Roberts of the Metropolitan Police said Monday, when the theft was announced. Read more
COVID-19: WHO demands China share data, open files, to help uncover origins of virus (UPI)
The World Health Organization marked the fifth anniversary of the emergence of COVID-19 on Tuesday by reiterating its call for China to release the data it holds and allow outside access to help the international scientific community get to the bottom of the virus that sparked a global pandemic.
Recalling the day the Wuhan Municipal Health Commission first reported cases of “viral pneumonia” in the central Chinese city of Wuhan, the United Nations’ agency for global public health said in a news release that the world still needed answers to ensure it was “better prepared for the next pandemic than we were for COVID-19.”
“We continue to call on China to share data and access so we can understand the origins of COVID-19. This is a moral and scientific imperative. Without transparency, sharing, and cooperation among countries, the world cannot adequately prevent and prepare for future epidemics and pandemics,” WHO said. Read more
‘‘Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man’’ Trailer: Peter Parker goes back to school in animated prequel series (Variety)
Marvel has released the first trailer for its new animated series “Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man.”
The show follows a parallel timeline where Peter Parker, aka Spider-Man, is mentored by Norman Osborn, the alter-ego of his archenemy the Green Goblin, instead of Tony Stark like in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Cast members include Hudson Thames as the titular web-slinger, Colman Domingo as Osborn, Kari Wahlgren as Aunt May and Hugh Dancy as Doctor Octopus. Charlie Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio will reprise their roles from the “Daredevil” Netflix series, and Paul F. Tompkins will take on the role of classic Marvel Comics villain The Wizard. Read more
Fraudsters steal £100m from NHS as scammers target hospitals (Independent)
Fraudsters have stolen more than £100m from the NHS in the past five years, exploiting weaknesses in IT systems to commit crimes ranging from stealing credit card data to hacking supplier emails, The Independent can reveal.
Scams have cost the NHS the equivalent of funding more than 2,000 senior nurses’ salaries for a year or providing over 20,000 rounds of radiotherapy for cancer patients.
Experts warned that the “inexcusable” losses, revealed as part of an Independent investigation, were ones the already overstretched health service can “ill afford”, calling for the NHS to protect itself better against fraud. Read more
Alaska Airlines plane was struck by an eagle, forcing flight back to the airport (NBC)
An Alaska Airlines flight on Christmas Eve from Anchorage to Fairbanks was forced to turn around after an eagle hit the plane.
On Sunday, a major plane crash at a South Korean airport that killed 179 people and left just two survivors is also believed to have been caused by a bird strike — meaning a collision between a bird and an aircraft.
Alaska Airlines flight 2041 had taken off from Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport at 11:40 a.m. local time on Dec. 24, but turned around and returned about 30 minutes later, according to FlightAware data. That flight typically takes about an hour. Read more
Lyon turn down 2 offers for Orban (CompleteSports)
Olympic Lyon have rejected offers from RC Lens and TSG Hoffeheim for Gift Orban, reports Completesports.com.
Orban is expected to leave Lyon next month after he was excluded from the squad for many weeks.
According to Foot Mercato, Lens had an €8m bid rejected by Lyon, who are demanding €12m for the player. Read more
Ex-Super Eagles player defends Boniface over national team performances (Nation)
Former Super Eagles and Manchester City player, Kayode Olanrewaju, has come to the defense of Bayer Leverkusen forward Victor Boniface, who has faced criticism from Nigerian fans over his recent performances for the national team.
In an exclusive interview with Nairasports, Olanrewaju highlighted the differences between European and African football, stressing that Boniface needs time to adapt to the demands of playing for the Super Eagles.
“People need to understand that transitioning from European football to African football is not easy. Boniface has great potential, and he deserves patience as he adjusts to the national team’s style,” Olanrewaju said. Read more
West Ham star Michail Antonio finally discharged from hospital after horror car crash (Metro)
West Ham striker Michail Antonio has finally been discharged from hospital, three weeks after breaking his leg in a horrific car crash.
Antonio had to be airlifted to a hospital after he was involved in an accident while driving in his Ferrari in Theydon Bois, Essex on December 7.
It took almost an hour for emergency services to free Antonio from his car after he collided with a tree driving home from the club’s Rush Green training ground ahead of their Premier League match against Wolves. Read more
LeBron James: I could remain elite until 47, but will retire earlier (UPI)
LeBron James is now on the other side of 40, but says he could retain his elite playing level through 47. Unfortunately for his fans, he plans to retire before he gets that old.
James made the comments Monday, when he celebrated his 40th birthday. He’ll suit up for the 1,808th game of his career — an NBA record for combined regular season and postseason appearances — Tuesday in Los Angeles.
That matchup will be against the Cleveland Cavaliers, the franchise that drafted him more than 21 years ago. Read more
Israeli bowlers banned from World Indoor Championships (BBC)
Israeli players have been banned from competing in next month’s World Indoor Bowls Championships amid a campaign by pro-Palestinian groups.
The World Bowls Tour (WBT) said in a statement there had been a “significant escalation in related political concerns” following the involvement of Israeli bowlers at the Scottish International Open in August.
Three Israelis were expected to compete at the World Indoor Championships – which will take place in Hopton-on-Sea, Norfolk – but their invitations have been withdrawn. Read more
Kyrgios goes down fighting on return; Sabalenka wins season-opener (JapanToday)
Nick Kyrgios lost in three tight sets on Tuesday in his first singles match since June 2023 as women’s world number one Aryna Sabalenka overcame a sluggish start to win her season-opener at the Brisbane International.
Australian firebrand Kyrgios went down 7-6 (7/2), 6-7 (4/7), 7-6 (7/3) to Frenchman Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard in almost two and a half hours as serve dominated.
The 2022 Wimbledon finalist Kyrgios, 29, is making his comeback following wrist reconstruction and other injuries over the past couple of years. Read more