“Fame was all I wanted” — Kim Kardashian admits using Britney Spears’ name to chase spotlight in early 2000s

 

Kim Kardashian has admitted that in her early years, she went as far as using Britney Spears’ name just to get noticed.

The SKIMS founder made the revelation while speaking on her sister Khloé Kardashian’s podcast, Khloé in Wonder Land. According to Kim, this happened in the early 2000s when fame was all she cared about.

She recalled having dinner in New York City with her longtime friend Jonathan Cheban when he discovered that pop star Britney Spears was staying at a nearby hotel. That information, Kim said, became an opportunity.

Kim openly admitted that at the time, being famous was her only goal.

“Fame was all I wanted. I lived for it,” she said.

9 soldiers k!lled, several missing in Borno ambush

At least nine Nigerian soldiers were k!lled and over a dozen are missing after IS-aligned jihadists ambushed a military patrol in northeast Borno State, military and militia sources told AFP on Tuesday, January 27, 2026. 

Fighters from Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) on Friday used explosives and guns to attack a column of more than 30 troops on foot patrol outside the town of Damask near the border with Niger, the sources said. 

“We lost nine soldiers in an ambush by ISWAP terrorists and many others are still missing,” a military officer said.

The soldiers, who were 25 kilometres (15 miles) from their base, dispersed in all directions following sustained gunfire from the jihadists, said the officer who asked not to be identified

“The terrorists detonated an explosive device they had planted on the road in advance, increasing the casualties and confusion among the soldiers,” he said.

Eight soldiers managed to return to base while the rest remain missing, including their commander with the rank of a major, the officer said.

“A man who identified himself as an ISWAP terrorist keeps answering the call to the commander’s mobile phone, suggesting he is in the hands of the terrorists,” he added.

Ya-Mulam Kadai, a spokesman for government-funded anti-jihadist militia assisting the military in Damask, gave the same casualty toll

The nine bodies of the slain soldiers were recovered by a military search team deployed at the scene of the attack, he said

The military did not respond to AFP’s request for comment. (AFP)

DSS rescues two kidnapped Kaduna pastors, arrests three suspects

Operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) in Niger State have rescued two ECWA pastors and a church member abducted by armed bandits in Kaduna State.

The victims, Rev. Idi Buhari, Rev. Emmanuel Jacob, and Suleiman Adamu, were kidnapped on January 9, 2026, at the Gwagwada area of Chikun Local Government Area while travelling through Kugosi to Sarkin Pawa in Niger State to officiate a wedding ceremony. 

 

Receiving the rescued pastors, Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in the 19 northern states and the Federal Capital Territory, Rev. Joseph John Hayab, said the victims were safely rescued from the bush by DSS operatives during ongoing security operations in Niger State.

 

Hayab commended the DSS for what he described as courageous, timely, and selfless service to the nation, noting that the successful rescue brought immense relief to the church and families of the victims.

 

He said the safe return of the abducted pastors had renewed hope that criminal elements could be defeated through sustained and coordinated security efforts.

 

The CAN chairman noted that insecurity could only be effectively tackled through cooperation among security agencies, faith leaders, and the general public, warning that criminals thrive when communities are divided.

Meanwhile, DSS operatives of the Niger and Kaduna State Command, in a joint operation, also arrested three suspects linked to the incident. 

The suspects are also involved in arms and ammunition courier, and they operate along the Kwara–Niger–Katsina–Kaduna axis.

According to one of the suspects, Kwalo, they transport the ammunition through motor parks and rural routes to evade security checkpoints.

He said they received a consignment from a courier at Tegina Motor Park in Niger State and handed it over to Kawu, who subsequently passed it to Iro Malam Iro for onward delivery.

Iro was said to have conveyed the ammunition from Tegina to Sabuwa Local Government Area of Katsina State, where it was allegedly delivered to an unidentified recipient after he was directed to use specific routes to avoid detection.