Gist Arena

Indonesian search officials have now confirmed they have located the fuselage of AirAsia flight 8501 on sonar radar, upside down on the sea floor. It comes amid revelations from a pilot involved in the search, that three people killed on the AirAsia flight were holding hands when their bodies were spotted floating in the sea.  Lieutenant Airman Tri Wobowo, who co-piloted the C130 Hercules aircraft that first saw debris of the plane on Tuesday, said ‘There are seven to eight people. Three [of them] again hold hands.’  The chief of Indonesia's search and rescue agency, Bambang Sulistyo, said that two males had been recovered, along with one female who was wearing a flight attendant uniform. . Officials from Basarnas, Indonesia's search and rescue agency, say the plane wreckage has been located in 24 to 30 metres of water. Before darkness fell in the area, search teams had also identified a shadow that they believed to be the plane...

In a very sad accident, a mother was shot dead by her 2-year-old son while they shopped on Tuesday morning.According to Police, 29-year-old Veronica J. Rutledge was with her four children at a Walmart electronics department, the boy was seated in a shopping cart when he reached into his mother's purse, accessed the concealed gun and fired. Kootenai County sheriff's spokesman Stu Miller tells reporters that the shooting was accidental and occurred in the store in Hayden, Idaho, a town about 40 miles northeast of Spokane, Washington. They say she was visiting from her hometown of Blackfoot, Idaho and looking to spend some gift cards the family received over the holidays. The deadly incident was captured on video surveillance and several store employees also witnessed the event.

The running mate to the All Progressives Congress presidential candidate, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, on Tuesday, said the poor state of the nation’s economy has plunged many Nigerians into poverty. He added that there must be a change of government at the federal level to liberate Nigerians from poverty. The former Attorney General of Lagos State spoke at a town hall meeting with artisans, tradesmen and farmers, organised by the Lagos State Government in Ikeja. He said only those who love poverty and would want to remain perpetually in hunger that would vote for President Goodluck Jonathan in 2015. Osinbajo said, “No one is ignorant of all that is happening in this country. No one likes hunger and poverty, but people are hungry. In 2015, only those who love to continue to be hungry that would prefer that the government in power at the centre remains there. “By God’s grace, we will remove them from the seat of power. The people there presently cannot do a...

Looking good

Supporters of President Goodluck Jonathan recently presented to the media the profile, acts and deeds of the president and why Nigerians should vote for him next month. Our Correspondent, Tessy Igata, was there. As the war of words continue between the PDP and the APC, following the forth coming elections in Nigeria come February 14, 2015, the electorate may have it tough choosing from the presidential aspirants. For General Buhari, he may give Jonathan a run for his money but the incumbent government is not budged as the one time military Head of State may have so many factors standing against him at the coming polls. For a man who has been alleged to have said that he does not believe in democracy when asked what he thinks of democracy; this, to so many Nigerians, cannot be the spirit of a man who wants to rule Nigeria under a democratic setting. However the PDP and its allies have staged a campaign in Lagos tagged; Media Presentation of Goodluck Jonathan, organised ...

A mechanic, Olajide Olaniran, has stabbed a 34-year-old man, Julius Joseph, for allegedly pinging on the road while driving in the Ijaiye area of Lagos State. Our correspondent gathered that Joseph was returning from a bank in the area when Olaniran, who was in a Toyota Corolla, blocked the road and accused him of pinging and driving. It was, however, learnt that Joseph was checking an alert he received on his phone when the incident occurred. PUNCH Metro learnt that Joseph challenged the 42-year-old mechanic for driving against the traffic and both men alighted from their cars. Following an altercation between the two, Olaniyan, who hails from Ibadan, Oyo State, allegedly used a bottle to stab Joseph after which he made off with his (Joseph’s) two phones and N5,000. The victim reportedly slumped at the spot having lost much blood. He was said to have been rushed to the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja, and was later referred to the...

The police in Lagos have arrested a motorist, Adewole Awosanya, for allegedly crushing a man to death with his vehicle on Tuesday morning. PUNCH Metro learnt that the victim, 64-year-old Ojo Eweola, died at the scene of the accident, which occurred at about 5am near Onigbongbo bus stop in the Maryland area of Lagos. According to eyewitnesses, Awosanya, who drove a Toyota Corolla, was suspected to be drunk and returning from a night party when he swerved off the road at the junction and killed Eweola. One of them, Mr. Ishola Lanre, said the police from the Ikeja Police Division later arrived to take the corpse away, and also towed the damaged vehicles. He said, “The victim is also a taxi driver. He parked his vehicle in front of a private hospital by the roadside and slept on the boot. The man was obviously drunk in the way he drove off the road and hit Eweola’s cab, killing him almost instantly. “About three vehicles were also damaged and the poli...