EXPERTMATTER

At least 146 people are now known to have died in the devastating fire that tore through high-rise buildings in Hong Kong on Wednesday. Police announced the new death toll on Sunday, cautioning that they "cannot rule out the possibility of further fatalities". There still 150 people missing, and the blaze left 79 injured. Seven of eight tower blocks at the Wang Fuk Court housing complex in the northerly Tai Po district rapidly went up in flames. Accusations that the fire was spread by flammable construction materials have sparked widespread anger. Three days of national mourning started on Saturday, and thousands have gathered at the scene to mourn the victims. There have been queues stretching a long as 2km (1.2 miles), as people wait to lay flowers and handwritten notes.

Armed bandits on Sunday attacked a church service in Ejiba, a community in Yagba West Local Government Area of Kogi State , abducting several worshippers. The attack reportedly occurred at a newly established Cherubim and Seraphim Church, according to a community-based news outlet. Church members dispersed in fear as the assailants advanced, but the church leader, popularly known as Orlando, his wife and several others were taken away during the assault. The incident triggered widespread panic as worshippers fled the church, adding to growing security concerns across parts of Kogi State. Only a day earlier, reports said another group of armed men attacked the Isanlu Makutu–Idofin route in Yagba East Local Government Area, forcing residents and travellers to flee to safety. Witnesses said the Saturday afternoon attack created panic throughout the area.

The Women’s Super League match between Liverpool and Aston Villa on Sunday has been postponed following the death of former manager Matt Beard. Confirming this in a statement released on Saturday, WSL said the match would be rescheduled. “A further announcement regarding the rearrangement of the fixture will be made in due course,” it said. Beard, 47, enjoyed a distinguished spell with Liverpool, guiding the club to back-to-back WSL titles in 2013 and 2014 and overseeing their first-ever Champions League campaign. He was reappointed as Liverpool manager in 2021, when he led the Reds back to the WSL and secured a seventh-place finish the following season, remaining in charge until February. Liverpool paid tribute to “an extremely committed and successful manager.” They added, “He was also a person of real integrity and warmth, who will always be remembered with genuine fondness by everyone he worked with at the club. Rest in peace, Matt.”

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has intercepted large consignments of heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine, skunk, and opioids in multiple operations across Nigeria, including at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos and in several northern states. In a statement issued on Sunday by NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, the Agency said two returnees from Brazil excreted a total of 116 wraps of heroin and cocaine after days in observatory custody, while other suspects were caught concealing drugs in unusual ways, including in underwear, food items, and phone chargers. According to the Agency, 46-year-old Ofoma Sunday was arrested on Tuesday, September 16, at Terminal 2 of MMIA on arrival from Brazil via Addis Ababa on an Ethiopian Airlines flight. A body scan confirmed ingestion of illicit drugs. He later excreted 111 wraps of heroin weighing 1.452 kg in eight batches. A follow-up operation led to the arrest of 55-year-old Nweke Jude Chuckwudi at a ho...

Thelma Lawson won Week 7 Head of House (HoH) and is immune from eviction this week. Kaybobo was voted “Most Influential Player of the Week 6” by housemates; that also gives immunity. Dede, Joanna, and Rooboy were in a Secret Room twist; while there, they are safe for this eviction cycle. So the housemates at risk are those not in these exempt groups. According to the nomination result, those up for eviction this week are:Isabella, Jason Jae, Imisi, Bright Morgan, Tracy, Faith, Zita, Denari, Koyin, Mide, Kola, Sultana Mensan was assigned the “house snail” title for weak performance, which automatically places him up for eviction. The “Vote Poll” pages (fan polls) suggest Imisi has strong support from fans in online voting polls. Many fan comments on recent poll pages encourage votes for Imisi. Also, Sultana, Isabella, and Koyin appear frequently in nomination rounds, which suggests they are regularly considered “threats” or at least housemates who draw negative attention or are seen as ...

  Bitcoin traded near $110,900 on Wednesday, stabilizing after recent turbulence. Analysts say strong stablecoin inflows and liquidity point to growing investor confidence, with buyers defending key levels despite lingering volatility. “Momentum remains intact, and dips are quickly absorbed. Tactical buying continues to dominate,” said Parth Srivastava of 9Point Capital. Ethereum hovered at $4,321, down 1.35% in 24 hours and 7% over the week, but analysts note its resilience above $4,300. “Ethereum’s structural strength and surging dApp activity support long-term momentum, even as traders remain cautious near $4,500,” said Vikram Subburaj of Giottus.com. At 10:53 AM IST, Bitcoin was up 0.62% in 24 hours but down nearly 1% over the week. The total crypto market cap stood at about $3.83 trillion. Analysts add that BTC’s price action suggests consolidation, with a breakout above $110K potentially opening the way to $117K, while rejection could send it back to $104K support. Vanguard N...

The White House has denied that an alleged letter from Donald Trump to Jeffrey Epstein is authentic, saying the president "did not draw this picture, and he did not sign it". US lawmakers released the letter, which features a drawing of a woman's body, as part of a "birthday book" given to Epstein in 2003. The book was part of a trove of documents released by a US House committee, including the late paedophile financier's will and his personal address book, which includes the names of royalty, celebrities, models and politicians from around the world. The birthday book also contains a message from Lord Peter Mandelson, the UK Ambassador to the US, in which he calls Epstein "my best pal". The House Oversight Committee last month issued a legal summons for the executors of Epstein's estate to produce a number of documents, including the birthday book. The release comes as the president faces growing pressure, including from his own supporters an...

  The House of Representatives Committee  on Land Transport has given the Minister of Transportation, Said Ahmed Alkali, 48 hours to appear before it and explain the circumstances surrounding the recent derailment of a Kaduna-bound train carrying about 618 passengers. The committee expressed displeasure over the minister’s absence at its investigative hearing on the incident. Chairman of the committee, Blessing Onuh, said members were shocked that the minister chose to ignore the parliament at a time Nigerians deserved answers. Quoting a proverb, she said, “There is the saying that a toad does not run in the day time for nothing. You all know that we are on break. It is because of this issue that some of us came from Lagos just to be in this meeting. Here we are, and the Minister is not here.” “We seriously frown at this because it is one issue that we must take seriously. We are here to investigate the recent rail derailment and the Minister is not here. This is a serious iss...