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Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 1,422

By in News, World News

Here is where things stand on Friday, January 16:

Fighting

  • A Ukrainian drone attack killed two workers from a state-owned pharmacy as they were transporting medicines to Polohy in a Russian-occupied area of Ukraine’s Zaporizhia region, Russia’s state news agency TASS reports.
  • A Ukrainian drone strike injured three people in Russia’s front-line Belgorod region, the regional task force reported, according to TASS.
  • Russian forces dropped a guided bomb on Bilopillia, in Ukraine’s Sumy region, killing one person and injuring at least four others, the regional prosecutor’s office said on the Telegram messaging app.
  • Ukraine’s Ministry of Energy said that new power outages were affecting customers in the Zhytomyr and Kharkiv regions following an overnight Russian attack. Network restrictions remained in place in the capital Kyiv, the Kyiv region, and the Odesa region, the ministry added in a statement.
  • Ihor Terekhov, the mayor of Ukraine’s second-biggest city, Kharkiv, said on Telegram that Russian forces destroyed a large facility of “critical energy infrastructure”, without specifying which type of facility was struck.
  • Kateryna Pop, spokeswoman for the Kyiv City Military Administration, said that 287 residential buildings remain without heating in Kyiv more than a week after a massive Russian attack damaged infrastructure there, and as temperatures continue to fall to -17 degrees Celsius (1.4 Fahrenheit) overnight.
  • Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that the national government would take over responsibility for Kyiv’s energy as the city had not responded quickly enough to the current crisis, according to the Ukrinform news site.
  • A Ukrainian attack left close to 87,000 people without electricity in Russian-occupied Zaporizhia, Russian-appointed official Yevhen Balitsky wrote on Telegram.
  • Oleksandr Kovalenko, the spokesman for the Zaporizhia Regional Military Administration, said that more than 500 people will need to be evacuated from two districts of Ukraine’s embattled Zaporizhia region by early February, according to Ukrinform. More than 700 people have already been evacuated since the beginning of January, including 480 children, he added.

Politics and diplomacy

  • President Zelenskyy said in his nightly video address that “Ukraine has never been and will never be a stumbling block to peace”, appearing to refute comments made by United States President Donald Trump a day earlier.
  • “When Russian strikes are aimed at breaking our energy system and our people, it is Russia that must be put under pressure,” Zelenskyy added.
  • Trump told the Reuters news agency on Wednesday that he believed Russian President Vladimir Putin was “ready to make a deal. I think Ukraine is less ready to make a deal”.
  • International Monetary Fund (IMF) chief Kristalina Georgieva told the Reuters news agency during a visit to Kyiv that she expects to ask the fund’s executive board to approve a new $8.1bn lending programme for Ukraine within weeks.
  • “We’re committed to ensuring that Ukraine continues to get the crucial support needed to defend today and ultimately secure a lasting peace,” Rutte said.
  • French President Emmanuel Macron said that France is now providing two-thirds of intelligence information to Ukraine, largely replacing the US, which until last year had delivered the majority of those services.

Oil and gas

  • Greece’s shipping ministry warned its ships to “take the highest possible security measures” in the Black Sea region, following recent drone attacks on oil tankers there, which Russia has blamed on Ukraine, according to Reuters.
  • Russia’s federal budget revenues from oil and gas dropped by 24 percent in 2025 to the lowest level since 2020, according to Finance Ministry data, as oil prices fell while the rouble appreciated.

Molly-Mae Hague’s therapy to ‘get over trauma’ as she rebuilds relationship with Tommy Fury

By in Entertainment News, News

Molly-Mae Hague is back with the final episodes of her documentary series Behind It All as she aims to move back in with partner Tommy

Molly-Mae Hague went for therapy sessions in a bid to move on with her life and start a “fresh chapter” with partner Tommy Fury.

The businesswoman and former reality TV star, 26, is now back living with Tommy. But a month before she moved in with him she had shared her fears with an expert in trauma and grief, to help get over their previous relationship issues and her fears about leaving her own home to fully commit.

Molly-Mae and Tommy are engaged after the couple met on Love Island in 2019. They become the most famous and celebrated romance from the ITV series.

But after they got engaged and had their daughter Bambi together, they split in August 2024 amidst rumours Tommy had cheated, something he has always denied. She also admitted she still worries now when Tommy is around alcohol as that had caused some issues, and previously said moving back in feels like “putting all my eggs in one basket”.

In the new episodes of her Prime Video series Behind It All she says: “I’m always on edge. Yeah, I’m never really having a minute to process everything. I’d say my biggest trauma would be like my breakup that happened last year. I don’t want to go into this next chapter in this step with any bad feelings or like memories. I struggle when my environment is not somewhere that I feel like incredibly settled.

“It’s not the first time I’ve made this move. We all moved into his house, our family home, and then we stayed there for one night, and from then on, we’ve lived separately again. when I move out of my house and into Tommy’s house, I just worry that anything that repeats itself from last time, I can’t really escape from it.”

She is seen travelling to spend time with Somatic Therapist Rebecca Jax. After the initial moments together Molly then asks for the cameras to be turned off in order for her to commit to it.

Afterwards she reflects: “Rebecca, what she does is incredible. I was coming out with things and saying things in there that like I’ve never really said or spoken about or even admitted to myself, there’s like, a level of me that needs unlocking to, like, really work on some of the things I’ve got clearly going on that affect my confidence, just a lot of things I think could be improved.

“The minute we started, I thought there’s just no way you guys(cameras) could be in there with me. I wanted to go and actually give it my all. And yeah, I think I just needed to do that in private. A lot of it was about like me and Tommy. There’s just things I want to put in place so that I’m going over there to have a fresh start, but not just to be like, ‘Oh, it’s a fresh start’ and just say that.

“I actually want to feel like it’s a better version of me going over there, better mum, a better partner, better friend, like a better person in work, more organised, more focused, and just happier and lighter. I knew going to therapy, I knew it wasn’t going to be totally easy for me, but I do think it’s massively helped me clear my head and go into this next chapter with a really strong mindset in that I know what I’m doing. I feel confident in this decision and how amazing it’s going to be for us as a family.”

Rebecca has posted about Molly’s visit on social media and said: “I was invited to host a private retreat for Molly, and witnessing her openness to this work, and her willingness to explore healing beyond the conventional path was incredible.

“It opens the door for people who are struggling with anxiety, depression, burnout and disconnection to see that there are other ways. That healing does not have to sit only inside medication or survival mode. That inner work matters. That the body holds answers.”

Molly’s second Prime Video series ends with her and daughter Bambi’s belongings being packed up by removal men and despite some teary moments, Molly-Mae commits to moving and her and Tommy’s relationship is clearly much improved and he is seen chatting on FaceTime and even flirting with her on camera.

Molly admits her mood is “50 times better than normally” when her relationship is working well.

She says: “I’m really proud of myself for, like, taking the time to work on me and be a good partner, be a good parent, and I just feel like it’s gonna be a really good chapter for us. I think it’s gonna be our best chapter yet.

“I will miss this house so much. The walls hold so many memories. It’s been a crazy, crazy journey so far.

“I do feel like the universe has had a plan, right? I’m feeling really positive about the future. I just really can’t wait to start making some memories and being happy.”

The first series of Behind It All focused a lot on the split and subsequent attempts to patch up the relationship. At the start of series two she admitted she was not wearing the engagement ring he gave her as she “doesn’t feel quite ready”.

The end of the second series, out today, also shows her trying to expand her Maebe fashion business, and working with Adidas on her own range of trainers with them.

* Molly-Mae: Behind It All episodes 4-6 of Series 2 launch exclusively on Prime Video today(Friday).

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Consistency Can Fire Arsenal To Special Season — Arteta

By in News, sport-news

Mikel Arteta said Friday that Arsenal’s impressive consistency should make them “very convinced” they can achieve something special this season.

The Premier League leaders, six points clear of second-placed Manchester City, are away to lowly Nottingham Forest on Saturday.Arsenal, runners-up in the league for the past three seasons, are without a major trophy since 2020 but are now fighting on four fronts.The Gunners are top of the league phase of the Champions League with a perfect record. They also beat Chelsea 3-2 in the first leg of their League Cup semi-final this week and are still in the FA Cup.Arsenal manager Arteta was asked at his pre-match press conference on Friday whether he sensed a belief that the club were on the verge of achieving something special or even historic this season.

“We are building very good momentum and belief comes from performances, the level of consistency that we have shown throughout 32 games already this season,” said the Spaniard, whose side have lost just twice this season.

“And what we did the other day at Stamford Bridge, it should help us to be very convinced that we have the ability to do that.

“But the reality is that you have to show it in every game and there’s still so much to happen, but we are glad that we are still alive in the four competitions.”

READ ALSO: Mikel Arteta Eyes ‘Next Level’ After Signing New Arsenal Deal

Arteta added his players had reacted positively to extra competition for places in a strengthened squad.

“It’s something that we talked about from the start of the season,” he said. “If we want to have any chance of doing that (winning the Premier League), we have to be there.”

The Arsenal manager said other clubs who had challenged for the Premier League title in recent years such as City and Liverpool also had deep squads.

“So this is the nature,” he said, with Arsenal bidding to be crowned champions of England for the first time since 2004. “We want this. We really have to accept this because there’s no other way.

We’ll Further Strengthen Oyo’s Security Architecture – Makinde

By in News, Nigeria News

The Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has assured residents that his administration will make further efforts to strengthen the security architecture of the state so as to ensure that every space of the state is secure.

The governor stated this at the grand finale and laying of wreaths of the 2026 Armed Forces Celebration and Remembrance Day, held at the Lekan Salami Sports Complex, Adamasingba, Ibadan.

He expressed appreciation to the officers and men of the Armed Forces for securing the state, urging them not to relent in their efforts.

This was as he commended the efforts of security operatives in sustaining the relative peace and harmony in the state and across the nation, assuring residents that his administration’s commitment to securing lives would receive further boosts so as to ensure the security of lives and properties.

He also hinted that plans were afoot to set up a welfare scheme for the families of the five forest guards killed recently at the Oloka Village axis of the old Oyo National Park in Oriire Local Government Area of the state.

READ ALSO: Shettima, Akpabio, Other Dignitaries Commemorate Armed Forces Remembrance

The governor equally assured that his administration would continue to remember and support maimed soldiers, widows, orphans, and other dependents of the fallen heroes, because they paid the ultimate price to keep the country safe and secure.

“I can only say thank you to the officers and men of the Nigerian Armed Forces,” Makinde said.

“This is a challenging time for us as a nation. We are still dealing with all sorts of security challenges, and they have been trying their best.

“We have asked them to do a lot more with very little resources, and they have been doing their bit. I want to urge them not to relent.

“I want to say that for us, as a government, we will continue to give the necessary support to ensure that it is not a hardship posting for them.

“For Oyo State, a few days back, we had an incident at the Old Oyo National Park where some forest guards were killed. We commiserate with their families, and we will do our best to ensure that they are looked after. It is not time to play the blame game.

“We won’t leave any stone unturned until we keep every inch of space and land in Oyo State safe and secure.”

Also speaking, the Interim Chairman, Nigerian Legion, Oyo State Command, Chief Julius Alabi, lauded the Federal Government and the Oyo State Government for the improvement of Legion members’ welfare and for other support.

The ceremony witnessed the laying of wreaths at the remembrance cenotaph by Governor Makinde, Speaker of the Oyo State House of Assembly, Adebo Ogundoyin, represented by the Deputy Speaker, Mohammed Fadeyi; Chief Judge of Oyo State, Justice Iyabo Yerima, and the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba (Sen) Rashidi Adewolu Ladoja.

Others who laid the wreaths were the General Officer Commanding, 2 Division Nigerian Army, Major General C.R Nnebeife; Interim Chairman, Nigeria Legion, Oyo State Command, Chief Alabi; Commander, 2 Division Garrison, Nigerian Army, Brigadier-General A.S Bugaje; the Commander 655, Nigerian Air Force Station, Ibadan, Air Commodore D.U. Njoku, the Commissioner of Police, Oyo State Police Command, Mr Femi Haruna, and a representative of the widows of the fallen heroes, Mrs Taibatu Bello.

The occasion also witnessed the 21-gun salute in honour of the fallen heroes, special prayers for the repose of the fallen heroes, and the release of ceremonial pigeons by the governor and the inspection of the parade guards by the governor.

The event had in attendance the Deputy Governor of Oyo State, Barr. ‘Bayo Lawal, former deputy governor, Engr Hamid Gbadamosi, former Speaker, Oyo State House of Assembly, and Senator Monsurat Sunmonu.

Also present were the Secretary to the State Government, Musibau Babatunde; Chief of Staff, Segun Ogunwuyi; Head of Service, Mrs Olubunmi Oni; Deputy Chief of Staff, Kazeem Adeniyi; and Commissioner for Women and Social Inclusion, Mrs Toyin Balogun, among other top government functionaries.