Tata Punch Facelift to Get Turbo Engine; New Teaser Confirms
1.2L turbo petrol360-degree camera and HDC confirmedThe Tata Punch is set to receive a major update. The facelifted iteration will get a turbo-petrol motor paired with a 6MT system, a recent teaser showcased. The teaser also showcases a new iTurbo badge at the rear, larger infotainment in the cabin, 65W type-C charging port, digital instrument cluster, new HVAC panel, 360-degree camera, and hill descent control. The turbo-petrol variant should borrow the Altroz Racer’s motor – a 1.2L unit, rated to churn out 118bhp/170Nm. Diversifying powertrain offerings in the most robust Tata car should aid in higher sales numbers.
Source:Punch
January 04, 2026 12:24 UTC
Trillions diverted from LGs will be recovered — Karimi
Chairman of the Senate Committee on Services and Senator representing Kogi West Senatorial District, Sunday Steve Karimi, has said the National Assembly will fully support President Bola Tinubu in enforcing financial autonomy for local governments and recovering trillions of naira allegedly diverted by state governments over the years. Despite the clarity and finality of the judgment, Karimi lamented that several state governments have continued to flout the ruling. “The National Assembly will not fold its arms while a clear judgment of the Supreme Court is treated with contempt,” Karimi said. Karimi linked the collapse of effective local government administration to the worsening security situation across parts of the country. “This level of impunity and organised plunder has no place in a 21st-century democracy,” Karimi said, adding that restoring financial autonomy to local governments remains critical to national development, security, and democratic consolidation.
Source:The Guardian
January 04, 2026 11:39 UTC
Army arrests native doctor, others, recovers 13 rifles in Delta
Troops of the Nigerian Army under 63 Brigade/Sector 1 of the Joint Task Force, South-South, Operation Delta Safe, have arrested a 13-member criminal gang and recovered 13 pump-action rifles in a coordinated operation in Oshimili North Local Government Area of Delta State. The arrest reportedly raised fresh concerns over the proliferation of small arms and the persistence of organised crime in the region. According to the statement, troops initially recovered two pump-action rifles from the suspects, while three others were retrieved from individuals described as local vigilantes—a development that underscores lingering ambiguities around community security structures and arms control. Further combing of the area, the Army said, resulted in the recovery of eight additional pump-action rifles at Umuisiagba, bringing the total number of weapons seized to 13. He reassured residents of Delta State and neighbouring communities of the Brigade’s commitment to safeguarding lives and property.
Source:The Guardian
January 04, 2026 11:39 UTC
Anthony Joshua issues first public update after fatal car crash in Nigeria
Anthony Joshua has issued his first public update after the car crash in Nigeria which injured him and killed two of his close friends and team members. Sina Ghami and Latif Ayodele, also known as Latz, died after the vehicle they were travelling in along with Joshua struck a stationary truck on a major road near Lagos on Monday. On Friday, the Ogun state police confirmed Adeniyi Mobolaji Kayode, who was driving the car with Joshua as a passenger, had been charged over the crash at the Sagamu magistrates court. Allow Instagram content? To view this content, click 'Allow and continue'.
Source:The Guardian
January 04, 2026 11:23 UTC
Anthony Joshua issues his first public update after car crash in Nigeria
Sina Ghami and Latif ‘Latz’ Ayodele died after the vehicle they were travelling in along with Joshua struck a stationary truck on a major road near Lagos on Monday. Joshua was taken to hospital before being discharged on Wednesday and he has flown back to the UK ahead of the funerals of Ghami, his strength and conditioning coach, and Ayodele, one of his trainers. The former two-time unified world heavyweight champion posted two images on Instagram on Sunday, sitting alongside his mother and three other women, one of whom clutched a photograph of Ghami. On Friday, the Ogun State Police Command confirmed Adeniyi Mobolaji Kayode, who was driving the car with Joshua as a passenger, had been charged over the crash at the Sagamu Magistrate Court. Joshua, who was born in Watford to Nigerian parents, was on holiday in the African country following his sixth-round knockout win over Youtuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul in Miami on December 19.
Source:The Guardian
January 04, 2026 10:51 UTC
Tata Punch facelift teased for the first time ahead of January 13 reveal
advertisementTata Punch facelift: Key design changesThe teaser images reveal that the 2026 Tata Punch facelift adopts a noticeably more modern and premium design, borrowing several cues from the electric avatar of the Punch, the Punch.ev and Tata’s newer SUVs. Tata Punch facelift: Interior and new features to expectAlthough the teaser focuses on the exterior, earlier spy shots and industry inputs suggest that the interior will see meaningful upgrades. Tata Punch facelift: Changes to the engine or performance? advertisementMechanically, the 2026 Tata Punch facelift will remain unchanged. Tata Motors has confirmed that the Punch facelift will be officially revealed on January 13, 2026, with prices expected to be announced shortly thereafter.
Source:Punch
January 04, 2026 10:05 UTC
ADC membership swells after Peter Obi’s defection to party
The remaining five lawmakers, said to be current House of Representatives members from Anambra State, dumped the Labour Party. They include Afamefuna Ogene (Ogbaru Federal Constituency), Oby Orogbu (Awka North/Awka South Federal Constituency), and Harris Okonkwo (Idemili North/Idemili South Federal Constituency). Speaking to Sunday PUNCH, ADC National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, said Obi’s formal defection had boosted the party’s momentum and more federal lawmakers were likely to join ahead of the 2027 presidential election. “Obi’s defection has given traction to the ADC, and we are expecting more quality politicians like him to join us. Obi had joined other opposition leaders in July to present the ADC as a coalition platform to challenge President Tinubu in the 2027 election.
Source:Punch
January 04, 2026 09:50 UTC
Before power: The first jobs of presidents, other world leaders
From selling tea on the streets of India to driving buses in Venezuela, the personal histories of many of today’s and past world leaders shows a totally different journey towards attaining power. In India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s early life as a tea seller at a railway station has become one of the most widely cited stories in modern Indian politics. In the United Kingdom, former prime minister Boris Johnson began his professional life as a journalist. Norway’s Jens Stoltenberg also worked in journalism before later serving as prime minister and subsequently becoming NATO secretary general. Pope Francis worked as a nightclub bouncer in his youth, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu served as a soldier.
Source:The Guardian
January 04, 2026 09:36 UTC
Sex object, animal rights activist, racist: the paradox that was Brigitte Bardot
View image in fullscreen Brigitte Bardot in A Very Private Affair, 1962. And yet, after her death, France’s president, Emmanuel Macron, called her the “legend of the century”, writing that “Brigitte Bardot embodied a life of freedom”. View image in fullscreen Brigitte Bardot supporting the French animal protection society in Gennevilliers, Paris, in 1982. As a mouthpiece for the radical right in recent decades, “Brigitte Bardot no longer bothered with nuance” but lived as a recluse in her Saint-Tropez estate, “surrounded by animals and her temper”. View image in fullscreen Brigitte Bardot with her husband, Bernard d’Ormale, a senior adviser to Jean-Marie Le Pen, on a carriage tour through Vienna in May 2002.
Source:The Guardian
January 04, 2026 09:00 UTC
Trump news at a glance: outcry and questions after US attack on Venezuela
The US attacked Venezuela and captured its long-serving president Nicolás Maduro on Saturday, with Donald Trump promising to put the country under American control for now, even as Venezuelan officials vowed defiance. With Maduro in US custody, “we will run the country until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition”, Trump said. Trump says US will ‘run’ Venezuela Donald Trump has vowed the US is “going to run” Venezuela until there is an orderly transition of power but provided few details after ousting the country’s leader, Nicolás Maduro, in an audacious military attack. France, Russia, China and the European Commission were among those who said Donald Trump had broken international rules after US troops carried out the operation on Saturday morning. Read the full story Explainer: Is there legal justification for US’s Venezuela attack?
Source:The Guardian
January 04, 2026 08:58 UTC
US to tap Venezuelan oil after Maduro's capture — Trump
(Photo by Anna Moneymaker / Getty Images via AFP)President Donald Trump said on Saturday he would allow American oil companies to go into Venezuela to tap its massive crude reserves after a US military operation seized its leader, Nicolas Maduro. Trump also said that “the embargo on all Venezuelan oil remains in full effect.”Washington imposed economic sanctions on Venezuela in 2017, followed by oil sanctions two years later. Venezuelan oil is of lower quality and is mostly processed into diesel or byproducts such as asphalt, rather than gasoline. The United States has refineries around the Gulf of Mexico specifically designed to handle it. “The United States is doing just fine without Venezuelan oil,” Stephen Schork, an analyst at consulting firm the Schork Group, told AFP last month, pointing to political reasons instead.
Source:Punch
January 04, 2026 08:57 UTC
British and French aircraft attack underground Islamic State weapons store in Syria
British and French aircraft have carried out a joint strike on an underground facility in Syria that had been occupied by Islamic State, the UK Ministry of Defence has said. Typhoon FGR4 combat jets were used to bomb the target, supported by a Voyager refuelling tanker. The facility had probably been used to store weapons and explosives, and the surrounding area was devoid of civilians, the ministry said. The defence secretary, John Healey, said the UK was determined to “stand shoulder to shoulder with our allies” to “stamp out any resurgence” of IS. Western aircraft have been conducting patrols to stop a resurgence of the Islamist militant group that ruled parts of Syria until 2019.
Source:The Guardian
January 04, 2026 08:23 UTC
How Many Countries Has Trump Bombed in 2025–2026? The Full List Explained
Since returning to the White House in January 2025, President Donald Trump has significantly increased the US military footprint abroad. Which Countries Has the US Bombed 2025? These countries include with operations targeting both terrorist organizations and controversially, state linked activities. US Bombed in IraqIn March, US aircraft targeted al-Anbar province, killing ISIL deputy leader Abdallah “Abu Khadijah” Muslih al-Rifai. Trump described the strikes as necessary to delay Iran’s nuclear program and threatened further action if Tehran resumed sensitive activities.
Source:The Guardian
January 04, 2026 08:16 UTC
New Tata Punch Facelift Delivers Bold Upgrade Ahead Of 13 January Launch
New Tata Punch Facelift: First LookThe New Tata Punch Facelift is set to debut in India on 13 January as a mid-life update to the popular micro-SUV. The updated design appears more macho, hinting at a more substantial road presence aimed at urban and semi-urban buyers.Design ChangesThe New Tata Punch Facelift teaser reveals redesigned LED headlamps and fog lamps, along with sleek daytime running lights. Dual-tone alloy wheels are also visible in the teaser, reinforcing the updated, more commanding look.Interior And FeaturesInside, the New Tata Punch Facelift is expected to gain a larger 10.25-inch infotainment system and a fully digital instrument cluster. The ICE Punch will closely match the Punch EV in terms of styling and equipment, reducing the visual gap between the two versions.Engine And PerformanceThe New Tata Punch Facelift is expected to continue with the familiar 1.2-litre, 3-cylinder, naturally aspirated petrol engine. These powertrains aim to balance performance and efficiency while keeping the package accessible to a wide range of buyers.New Tata Punch Facelift: What It SignalsThe New Tata Punch Facelift signals Tata Motors’ intent to keep its best-selling micro-SUV fresh in an increasingly competitive segment.
Source:Punch
January 04, 2026 06:52 UTC
APC Leaders Back Fubara as Wike Draws Battle Line for 2027
Fubara, like other APC governors, is running the affairs of his state well,” he added. His defection came shortly after 17 members of the Rivers State House of Assembly also joined the APC. Wike can’t decide for APC – Party officialHowever, a national official of the APC said the FCT minister could not determine the governor’s fate. “Fubara is a governor of the APC, and the Governors’ Forum of the APC is always a major support for the party. We will support Fubara, others – APCAlso commenting on the matter, Basiru told one of our correspondents that the party identified with Fubara.
Source:Punch
January 04, 2026 06:51 UTC