President Bola Tinubu is excited over the Nigerian capital market surpassing the N100 trillion benchmark.
Tinubu, in a statement by presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga, described this achievement as a historic milestone and a strong signal of renewed investor confidence in the economy.
“With the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) crossing the historic N100 trillion market capitalisation mark, the country is witnessing the birth of a new economic reality and rejuvenation,” the statement partly read.
The NGX All-Share Index closed 2025 with a 51.19 per cent return, eclipsing the 37.65 per cent recorded in 2024 and outperforming major global indices, including the S&P 500 and FTSE 100.
Tinubu said the performance places Nigeria among the world’s best-performing equity markets, adding that the country is no longer a frontier market to be ignored but a destination where value is being unlocked.
The ex-Lagos State governor said several companies across key sectors have recorded strong performances.
He cited industrial firms that have localised supply chains and a resilient banking sector driven by technological innovation.
According to him, the pipeline of new listings on the NGX is robust, with indigenous energy companies, technology firms, telecom operators and infrastructure-related businesses seeking to access the capital market to fund expansion.
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On the broader economy, Tinubu said inflation has continued to decelerate following initial challenges from reforms, dropping from a 24-month high of 34.8 per cent in December 2024 to 14.45 per cent by November 2025, with projections of 12 per cent in 2026 and a possible drop below 10 per cent before the end of the year.
He added that monetary tightening and the removal of “ways and means” financing have helped stabilise the naira, while investments in agriculture have contributed to easing inflationary pressures.
Northampton will have to overcome an atmosphere fuelled by 34,000 people’s hatred of Henry Pollock to win at Bordeaux Begles on Sunday, says coach Phil Dowson.
The two sides meet at a sold-out Stade Chaban-Delmas in a re-run of last year’s ill-tempered Champions Cup final.
Saints lost out 28-20 in May’s Cardiff showpiece, with star back row Pollock at the centre of a final-whistle scuffle.
“It’s a great stadium with 34,000 people, it’s a sell-out, everyone hates Henry Pollock – that’s going to create an exciting atmosphere,” said Dowson.
“They always go quite big at home. We’re looking forward to it and we want to relish it.
“We won’t care when they boo Pollock and neither will he.
“He likes those environments. I think he likes to measure himself in the lion’s den and that will certainly be what’s welcoming us this weekend
Dowson described the Bordeaux Begles players’ confrontation with Pollock – whose 21st birthday is next week – at the final whistle of last year’s match as “out of order”.
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However, Dowson insists his side were not drawing motivation from that defeat.
“I think you’re always going to be disappointed after a final and they have the privilege to celebrate however they want to,” he told BBC Radio Northampton.
“I gave them kudos and credit in the post-match interview and I still would do that and we’ve got to make sure we prepare for this game and not re-analyse that one.”
Northampton’s run to last year’s final was built on famous away-day victories, beating South African side Bulls at altitude in Pretoria in the pool stages before upsetting Leinster at Dublin’s Aviva Stadium.
Bordeaux Begles have won seven of their eight home games this season, and start the game as favourites with the bookmakers.
However, Northampton back Tommy Freeman says his side want to modify their underdog mindset and a reputation for a style based mainly on running rugby.
“I had a conversation earlier with Ollie, our sports psychologist about the perception we give or we’re giving,” the 24-year-old England international said.
“We’ve always had the young card – we’ve got young players, promising players – and the narrative’s got to change. We are what we are and we’re physical.
“You’ve seen that over the last few weeks, how physical the forwards are.
“We get that underdog status probably a bit too much. We are trying to change the narrative so its’ ‘we’re the big dogs and this is what we’re going to do’.
Bordeaux-Begles v Northampton
Investec Champions Cup
Sunday 11 January, 15:15 GMT
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Former London Irish lock Adam Coleman moved to Bordeaux Begles in 2023 and scored a try in the win over Northampton.
“It is a much-anticipated match,” he said of the teams’ reunion.
“They are a very expansive team, they play at a high tempo and try and run you off your feet, and their set-piece is very good too.
“[Last year’s win] was an incredible experience not just for the club, but for the whole of Bordeaux. The club has been building for 20 years and to get the first star on the jersey was special.
“Obviously there was some disappointment from them. That gives them some great motivation, but it also gives us some motivation to go again.
Love Island host Maya Jama has publicly asked Elon Musk’s AI chatbot Grok not to modify her photos, revealing she was previously targeted by explicit fake images
Yasmin Vince and Lauren Del Fabbro Press Association Entertainment Reporter
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Maya Jama asks Elon Musk’s AI not to edit her photos amid deepfake concerns(Image: INSTAGRAM)
Love Island host Maya Jama has directly appealed to Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence chatbot Grok, requesting it stop altering or manipulating her images after several followers told it to make ‘deepfake’ bikini images of her, saying: “The internet is scary and only getting worse.”
It follows regulator Ofcom making “urgent contact” with the billionaire’s platform X, which developed the integrated AI tool, after reports emerged that users had been prompting it to create sexualised imagery of individuals, including children.
Jama, who boasts nearly 700,000 followers on X, wrote: “Hey @grok, I do not authorise you to take, modify, or edit any photo of mine, whether those published in the past or the upcoming ones I post. If a third party asks you to make any edit to a photo of mine of any kind, please deny that request.”
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In another message, the television personality expressed hope that people possess the common sense to distinguish between genuine content and AI-generated material, particularly after deepfakes of her surfaced several years back.
She revealed: “Before ‘grok’ someone photoshopped bikini photos I had on my Instagram to nudes and they went around, I only found out because my own mum sent them to me worried. The internet is scary and only getting worse smh (shaking my head).”
Grok responded acknowledging her concerns and confirming it would honour her request not to use, alter or manipulate any of the presenter’s photographs. It replied: “As an AI, I don’t generate or alter images myself – my responses are text-based. If anyone asks me to do so with your content, I’ll decline. Thanks for letting me know.”
This follows a statement from an online safety group confirming the presence of “criminal imagery of children aged between 11 and 13 which appears to have been created using the (Grok) tool”.
The Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) revealed that this disturbing content was being shared on a dark web forum, with users bragging about their use of Grok and its ease of use.
On Wednesday, the Women and Equalities Committee, a group of MPs, declared they would cease using X. Technology Secretary Liz Kendall supported the regulator’s stance, emphasising the urgent need for action on this matter. Downing Street also weighed in, stating that “all options were on the table”, including a potential boycott of X.
After being approached for a comment, the communications team from X referred The Mirror to a post from the Safety account which reads: “We take action against illegal content on X, including Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM), by removing it, permanently suspending accounts, and working with local governments and law enforcement as necessary.
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“Anyone using or prompting Grok to make illegal content will suffer the same consequences as if they upload illegal content. For more information on our policies, please refer to our help pages for our full X Rules and range of enforcement options.”
Jama will shortly be seen on ITV as the host of Love Island: All Stars. The series, which will start airing it’s third season on 12 January, sees former Love Islanders head to South Africa for a second (or third, and even fourth in some cases) chance at finding love. This year’s series will see big names such as Whitney Adebayo and Millie Court return.
The US Senate has advanced a resolution that would bar President Donald Trump from taking further military action against Venezuela without congressional authorisation, paving the way for further consideration in the 100-member chamber.
The vote on a procedural measure to advance the war powers resolution was 52 to 47, as a handful of Trump’s fellow Republicans voted with every Democrat in favour of moving ahead.
The vote came days after US forces captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in a dramatic military raid in Caracas. Two previous attempts to advance similar resolutions were blocked in the Senate last year by Trump’s fellow Republicans, as the administration ramped up military pressure on Venezuela with attacks on boats in the southern Caribbean starting in September.
Wales number eight Taulupe Faletau is set to miss the start of the Six Nations after suffering a calf injury playing for Cardiff.
Faletau, 35, only recently returned from the knee injury which forced him to miss the autumn internationals in November 2025.
The British and Irish Lion played a part in three United Rugby Championship (URC) derbies over the festive period and scored a try in the New Year’s Day defeat against Ospreys.
Faletau, who has won 109 caps for Wales, last played for his country in the first Test defeat against Japan in July 2025.
The number eight will miss Cardiff’s two remaining Challenge Cup games against Racing 92 and Exeter and the URC matches with Benetton and Ulster.
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Faletau, who is set to be out of contract with Cardiff in the summer, also missed the start of the season with a calf strain.
Wales’ number eight choices in the autumn squad included Aaron Wainwright, Olly Cracknell, Taine Plumtree and Morgan Morse, while Ross Moriarty could return to provide another option.
Wales head coach Steve Tandy will name his Six Nations squad later this month with the tournament opener away against England on 7 February.
