Author: Press Room

Pope Leo XIV condemned the “senselessness” of war and the “open wounds” it leaves behind as he delivered his first Christmas message on Thursday, after a year marked by conflict but also hopes for peace in Gaza and Ukraine. In Bethlehem, the Christian community celebrated its first festive Christmas in more than two years as the occupied West Bank city emerged from the shadow of the war in Gaza. Pope Leo, elected in May following the death of his predecessor Pope Francis, spoke of Gaza during a mass at St. Peter’s Basilica, saying, “How… can we not think of the…

The Super Eagles have two young players who will be looking to excel at the AFCON… The 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON 2025) is in full swing, and fans are soaking up every bit of the excitement. So far, the heavyweights have lived up to expectations, with Morocco, Egypt, Algeria, and Mali all securing opening-day wins. Nigeria’s Super Eagles also joined the winner’s circle, edging out Tanzania 2-1 in a hard-fought encounter. ​That victory leaves Nigeria second in Group C after the first round of matches, trailing Tunisia, who dismantled Uganda 3-1. In this feature, Soccernet.ng highlights five of…

Emergency responders are still battling a massive fire that erupted on Christmas Eve at the 22-storey Great Nigeria Insurance House on Martins Street, Lagos Island, more than 10 hours after it began. PUNCH Online learnt that the blaze, which started around 5 p.m. on Wednesday, spread to at least four adjacent buildings, causing widespread damage in one of the city’s busiest commercial hubs. The fire reportedly originated on the fourth or fifth floor of the high-rise, which is primarily used as a warehouse for clothing, before escalating to other floors. Video footage from the scene, shared by the NTA Network…

Political crisis slowed governance in Rivers, says Fubara Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has said that the political crisis in the state slowed the pace of governance during the first 23 months of his administration. He, however, assured the people of Bonny Kingdom that his government is now repositioned to deliver stronger and more visible development across Rivers State. Governor Fubara stated this on Saturday in Bonny Local Government Area during a reception organised in his honour by the Amanyanabo and Natural Ruler of Bonny Kingdom, His Majesty, King Edward Asimini William Dappa Pepple III (Perekule XI), and the Grand…

Janet Ogundepo The death of a friend’s mother from cervical cancer has inspired a public health physician and founder of Quinta Health, Dr Babatunde Adewumi, to establish a non-governmental organisation that has screened more than 9,000 women for breast and cervical cancer across Nigeria. He disclosed in a statement sent to PUNCH Healthwise that cervical cancer, which claims over 8,000 Nigerian women annually, motivated him to launch the organisation shortly after completing his National Youth Service Corps programme. “I had a friend whose mum died from cervical cancer. So my interest in cervical cancer started from there,” Adewumi said. Adewumi…

The Super Eagles’ AFCON 2025 journey officially kicked off at 18:30 in Fes, but the story of Nigeria’s opening-night victory over Tanzania had begun long before the first whistle—and lingered well after it. A cold, cloudy Moroccan morning greeted the fans and even journalists, with temperatures hovering around nine degrees centigrade. It was Nigeria’s first outing at the tournament and the first AFCON 2025 fixture to be staged at the Stade de Fes. Rushing to the stadium ahead of kick-off, Soccernet.ng caught glimpses of the build-up, the anticipation, familiar faces and quiet confidence. Among those spotted early was former Arsenal…

Years ago, a young Hausa/Fulani boy named Ahmad Isah arrived Dutse with little more than hope and a determination to learn the Qur’an. Life was not easy. To survive, Isah ran errands for neighbours and worked in people’s homes rather than beg for food, all while attending his Islamiyya lessons.  It was during one of those errands that his life began to change for good. He crossing paths with Mr Alan Maiyaki, a civil servant recently transferred from Benin City, Edo State, to Dutse, was the turning point. Behind Maiyaki’s quiet demeanour lay a deep sense of honesty, humility, and a…

Bitcoin witnessed a sudden flash crash to about $24,111 on the BTC/USD1 trading pair on Binance, before quickly rebounding to $87,000 in seconds.Per the exchange data, the move appeared isolated to USD1, the stablecoin launched by Trump family-backed World Liberty Financial.Source: BinanceThis type of “flash wicks” occurs when liquidity thins and order books lose depth. The BTC/USDT trading pair has remained stable after resuming.Bitcoin Flash Wicks and Quick ReversalDuring non-peak trading hours, when market makers often pull back, large buy/sell orders could sweep through multiple empty levels. This scenario creates a dramatic spike that looks like a market breakout.Further, the…

The Borno State Police Command has deployed over 1,000 officers across major streets, flashpoints and churches as Christians celebrate Christmas, following a bomb blast that killed five people and injured 35 others at a mosque on Wednesday evening. PUNCH Online had reported that the blast occurred around 6pm when worshippers had gathered at the Al-Adum Mosque for prayers in Gamboru Market, Maiduguri. Speaking exclusively to our correspondent on Thursday morning, the spokesperson for the Borno State Police Command, Nahum Daso, said that although security measures were already in place, Wednesday’s incident necessitated heightened security arrangements. Daso said the police, in…

Former head coach of the Super Eagles, Sunday Oliseh, has responded firmly to criticism over his television analysis of Nigeria’s AFCON 2025 opener against Tanzania, Soccernet.ng reports. Following several comments from displeased Nigerians, he insists his comments were aimed at helping the team improve and not tearing them down. The former Nigeria captain came under heavy fire on X (formerly Twitter) after Nigeria’s 2–1 victory, with a section of the football fans accusing him of being overly harsh in his assessment despite the win. Nigeria during the Africa Cup of Nations AFCON match between Nigeria and Tanzania on December 23RD,…