Tata Motors is set to launch the 2026 Punch facelift in India tomorrow. Also Read: Tata Punch Facelift Revealed Ahead Of January 13 LaunchStylingThe update brings the internal combustion Punch’s design in line with its siblings. Also read: Tata Punch Facelift Variants, Key Features RevealedThe rear design, meanwhile, also gets a new look with a connected tail lamp set up in place of the older car’s small tri-arrow pattern tail lamps. Also Read: Tata Punch Facelift To Get Turbo-Petrol Engine OptionPowertrainOn the powertrain front, the Punch will get the option for a turbocharged petrol engine for the first time ever. Also Read: Tata Punch Facelift Teased Ahead Of Launch On January 13PriceExpect Tata to hike prices of the Punch following the update.

With the launch scheduled for tomorrow, here are the top five things you need to know about the 2026 Punch facelift. 2026 Tata Punch Facelift: Exterior DesignThe 2026 Tata Punch facelift features noticeable styling updates while retaining its familiar boxy shape. 2026 Tata Punch Facelift: Interior UpdatesInside, the Tata Punch facelift brings a series of updates. 2026 Tata Punch Facelift: Feature AdditionsNew features on the 2026 Punch include an updated 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a 7-inch digital driver’s display, a 360-degree camera system and hill descent control. 2026 Tata Punch Facelift: Engine OptionsTata will offer the 2026 Punch with a new 1.2-litre turbo-petrol engine, alongside the existing 1.2-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine.

India’s most affordable sub-4 metre SUV (or compact crossover), the Tata Punch, is set to receive a midlife update tomorrow – i.e. The new Tata Punch 2026 facelift will come in six trims including Smart (new entry-level), Pure, Pure+, Adventure, Accomplished and Accomplished+. adsAlso Read: 55% Buyers Choose Tata Sierra Diesel Over PetrolPrice PredictionWhile official prices will be announced tomorrow, the 2026 Tata Punch facelift is expected to cost slightly higher than the pre-facelift model, which is currently priced between Rs 5.50 lakh – Rs 9.30 lakh (ex-showroom). Meanwhile, the top-end variant of the new Punch is expected to cost nearly Rs 9.50 lakh. The new Tata Punch 2026 facelift will be offered with a new 1.2L turbocharged petrol engine, paired with a 6-speed manual gearbox.

Ahead of its official launch on January 13, here’s a quick look at everything you need to know about the new Tata Punch. Exterior Design: Sharper And More ModernThe updated Tata Punch draws design inspiration from the Punch EV and the Altroz facelift, while retaining its familiar upright stance. 2026 Tata Punch Facelift: Features And Safety: Big Focus On TechThe 2026 Punch adds several new features over the outgoing model, addressing areas buyers had been asking for. Expected Price And RivalsThe outgoing Tata Punch is currently priced between Rs 5.50 lakh and Rs 9.30 lakh (ex-showroom). ZigSays…The Punch facelift addresses some of the key gaps in the outgoing model, especially in terms of features and engine options.

I still tell women’s stories and produce health programmes for BBC Persian reaching Afghan women, who have lost access to care. Her courage reminds me that Afghan women are unbreakable. I worked for Bakhtar news agency, Voice of Afghan Women Radio and for government publications. Many Afghan women I know here have left abusive husbands because they understand they are free. I volunteer with the Refugee Council helping newly arrived Afghan women find friendship and confidence.

Price stability has become the first casualty of Nigeria’s new tax template, not because the reform imposes a new burden, but because fear and unaddressed misinterpretation have raced ahead the curve, turning uncertainty and anxiety into higher prices, ISAAC CHIBUIFE reports. Across Nigeria’s commercial landscape, traders and service providers have seized the tax reforms as justification for price increases that bear little relation to their actual tax obligations. A visit by The Guardian to some places in Lagos showed that price increases have come in the form of value-added tax (VAT) charges. Another X user, simply identified as Dioslev, expressed alarm over vendors demanding an additional 10 per cent VAT on purchases, warning of economic collapse. In upscale establishments, diners have reported surcharges running into tens of thousands of naira, with one viral video showing a restaurant bill inflated by N23,000 under the guise of “new government tax policy”.

Meanwhile, the National Publicity Secretary of ADC, Bolaji Abdullahi, has dismissed insinuations that he was holding a place for the former Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki, in the party. Okechukwu cast aspersions on Atiku over what he described as the former Vice President’s alleged breach of the rotational presidency convention, blaming him for laying the foundation for the present instability within Nigeria’s democracy and opposition politics. ADC stated that it was working on its official registration and verification platform, which would be formally announced through verified channels in due course. The statement reads: “ADC wishes to inform the general public, party members, and supporters that a series of fraudulent online links, website and social media handles are being circulated, falsely claiming to be the official ADC membership registration platform. “There is no official ADC registration link or website open at the moment.

Gov rejects ‘inflated audit report’The All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Osun State, Mr Bola Oyebamiji, has disclosed that, irrespective of propaganda, he will still defeat Governor Ademola Adeleke in a landslide in the August 8, 2026, governorship election. Meanwhile, the state government has rejected claims by Sally Tibbot Limited that 8,452 workers on the state payroll were “ghost workers,” insisting that a re-validation exercise revealed only 1,316 unseen employees and pensioners. The firm, hired in January 2023 to conduct a staff audit, had claimed that Osun was paying ghost workers N13,716,914,129.28 yearly. The state government confirmed 8,015 out of the 8,448 workers as active staff, with only 433 found to be unreachable. Reacting to the controversy, Allied Peoples Movement (APM) governorship candidate in Osun, Adewale Adebayo, described Adeleke’s defence as evasive and contradictory.

Security operatives have arrested four armed bandits, suspected to be Fulani terrorists, in Kaduna for rustling over 65 cows in the state. They are presently under police custody. In a statement by the police spokesman on Sunday, DSP Mansir Hassan said that “on 10th January, 2026, at about 0500 hours, operatives of the Anti-Kidnapping Unit, acting on credible intelligence regarding the suspected activities of bandits and cattle rustlers, stormed the Kakura area of Chikun Local Government Area, Kaduna State”, where the bandits were nabbed. Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police, Rabiu Muhammad, has called on members of the public “to remain vigilant and continue to support the police with timely and credible information that can aid in the fight against kidnapping, banditry, and other criminal activities”. The CP assured the good people of Kaduna State of the Command’s unwavering commitment in sustaining aggressive operations against criminal elements and bringing all perpetrators to justice.

The PUNCH reports that since the Dangote refinery slashed petrol pump prices from about N900 to N739 in December, many importers and depot owners have lamented mounting losses. According to the Major Energies Marketers Association of Nigeria, the landing cost of petrol averaged N762.38 per litre, while Dangote’s ex-gantry price remained N699. This led to fuel queues at MRS filling stations in Lagos and other locations. However, the tide is gradually turning as some filling stations now sell petrol at prices lower than those of MRS. The time has gone when people were queuing at NNPC filling stations.

A proposal to exempt foreign insurance companies from paying tax on premiums generated from insurance business written in Nigeria has triggered concern in the insurance industry. They argue that granting tax exemptions to foreign insurers while local companies continue to bear the full tax burden would undermine the reform aimed at building a strong, resilient domestic insurance market. At the heart of the concern is the suggestion that exempting foreign insurers from tax on premiums sourced from Nigeria could help deepen insurance penetration. Daudu explained that while foreign insurers play an important role, especially in large or specialised risks, tax parity remained essential. If foreign companies are allowed to underwrite Nigerian risks tax-free, local firms will struggle to compete on pricing, and many could be forced out,” he said.

(Photo by SEBASTIEN BOZON / AFP)Zinedine Zidane’s son, Luca, has come under scrutiny following his involvement in a post-match brawl after Algeria’s 2-0 defeat to Nigeria in the Africa Cup of Nations quarter-finals on Saturday, PUNCH Sports Extra reports. The 27-year-old Granada goalkeeper was at the centre of unsavoury scenes at full-time, clashing with Nigeria midfielder Fisayo Dele-Bashiru as tensions boiled over following Algeria’s elimination. Luca Zidane was seen confronting Dele-Bashiru before Nigeria players intervened to pull their teammate away, while the goalkeeper also exchanged words with Club Brugge midfielder Raphael Onyedika as the situation threatened to spiral further. However, Nigeria proved a step too far, limiting the North Africans’ attacking threat and asserting dominance to seal progression. Another user, @john322226, echoed the sentiment, posting, “Zinedine zidane son was fighting after the match against Nigeria.

The Federal Government has filed a three-count criminal charge against a former Nigerian Ambassador to Zambia, Nwannebuike Ominyi Eze, at the Federal High Court, Abuja, over alleged cybercrime offences. The prosecution further alleged that the publications were intended to cause harm, criminal intimidation, enmity, anxiety and hatred against Chief Ogai. The offence is said to be punishable under Section 27(1)(a)(b) of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) There were also second and third counts. The defendants are expected to take their plea when the matter comes up for arraignment before the Federal High Court in Abuja.

The Oyo State government in Nigeria suspended a ruler after authorities alleged he played a role in facilitating illegal mining activities inside government-designated forest reserves, according to The Guardian Nigeria. Chief Jacob Adefabi Sobaloju, the Sobaloju of Ofiki, was suspended effective Monday, January 5, 2026. The Guardian Nigeria reported that the action followed allegations that he encouraged trespassing on government-gazetted assets and violated Executive Order 001/2023. The legislation regulates mining activities across Oyo State. Oyo State officials said the government has intensified enforcement efforts in recent years to curb illegal mining, particularly in forest reserves and rural communities.

The Federal Government has no plan to toll the rehabilitated Third Mainland Bridge in Lagos, the Minister of Works, Sen. Dave Umahi, has said. Umahi spoke on Sunday while answering journalists’ questions after inaugurating the N40 billion Closed Circuit Television Camera Centre on the Third Mainland Bridge. “It is also within the town, so it will introduce many bottlenecks; that is why we are not tolling this bridge,” he said. Umahi said security on the bridge would be handled by the police, noting that the 11-kilometre bridge would have a five-minute response time. He added that a tow van and an ambulance were required on the bridge for emergencies.