Author: Press Room

Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois has dismissed suggestions that Barcelona should be considered clear favourites for Sunday’s El Clásico, insisting the rivalry’s unique intensity makes the outcome impossible to predict until the match is played. Speaking ahead of the October 25 clash at Spotify Camp Nou, the first league meeting between the sides in the 2026-27 season, the Belgian international struck a confident tone despite Barcelona’s strong start to the campaign. The Catalans currently lead La Liga by six points. As reported by Fabrizio Romano on X on Friday, the shot stopper was quoted as saying, “Barcelona the favorite in…

Veteran Nollywood actor, Francis Duru, has died at the age of 57 following a brief illness. His family announced his death on his official Instagram page in the early hours of Friday, expressing appreciation to fans and well-wishers for their support. “We, the family of Francis Duru, regret to announce his passing following a brief illness. “We appreciate your prayers, love, and understanding. May his soul rest in perfect peace. Amen,” the statement read. Duru’s death comes months after he dismissed reports that he was battling a life-threatening illness. In June, concern spread among fans and colleagues after a video…

Janet Ogundepo Millions of Nigerian schoolchildren are gaining access to free digital learning resources and skills development opportunities through a partnership between UNICEF, Airtel Africa and the Federal Government, as efforts intensify to bridge the digital divide and improve learning outcomes. The initiative, which provides access to curriculum-aligned educational content through the Nigeria Learning Passport, is also helping students develop digital skills and preparing young people for future employment and entrepreneurship opportunities. The partnership has connected nearly 2,000 schools across Nigeria, reaching about one million students and more than 20,000 teachers, including over 19,000 teachers trained in digital literacy. The…

Oyo State Governor and presidential candidate of the Allied People’s Movement, Seyi Makinde, has defended his decision to contest the 2027 presidential election against a sitting President from the South-West, citing the 1999 contest between former President Olusegun Obasanjo and Olu Falae as a precedent. Makinde, who spoke at the APM South-West town hall meeting in Akure, Ondo State, on Thursday, argued that the region could produce multiple presidential candidates without undermining its interests, insisting that Nigerians should be allowed to choose their preferred candidate based on competence rather than regional entitlement. Makinde described the South-West “as the historic vanguard…

Author Ahmed Barakat Author Ahmed Barakat Part of the Team Since Mar 2024 About Author Ahmed Barakat is a journalist and copywriter based in Georgia with a growing focus on blockchain technology, DeFi, AI, privacy, digital assets, and fintech innovation. Share Fact Checked by CryptoNews Editorial Team Author CryptoNews Editorial Team Part of the Team Since Sep 2018 About Author The CryptoNews editorial team is composed of seasoned writers specializing in cryptocurrency and blockchain technology. Their expertise ensures comprehensive, accurate, and insightful content for… Last updated:  October 22, 2026 Something potentially seismic could be approaching for Bitcoin by January 1,…

Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen scored Galatasaray’s fourth goal in a 4-2 Champions League win at Lille on Wednesday, taking him to 17 goals in the competition, the most by any Nigerian. The goal came in the league phase and, according to Afrik-Foot, set three new marks. Soccernet had previewed the game as a chance for him to find his first European goal of the season against his former club. Afrik-Foot reported that Osimhen has 14 goals in all European competitions for Galatasaray, passing Milan Baros, who had 12, to become the club’s record foreign scorer in Europe. The three…

Education experts have raised concerns over inadequate teacher training to support children with autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and other forms of neurodiversity, warning that the knowledge gap contributes to misdiagnosis, stigma and exclusion in schools. The experts spoke at the two-day African Neurodiversity Conference 2026, organised by the Association of Nigerian Educational Psychologists at Children’s International School, Lekki, Lagos, which ended on Wednesday. Delivering the keynote address, a professor of Educational Psychology at the University of Ilorin, Bolanle Olawuyi, said the removal of special education and psychology courses from teacher-training curricula had left many teachers ill-equipped to understand and…

Janet Ogundepo The Director-General of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr Jean Kaseya, has threatened to blacklist organisations that fail to account for funds received to support disease outbreak responses across Africa, warning that partners will no longer be allowed to operate without transparency and accountability. Kaseya said the agency was seeking to establish how billions of dollars pledged for outbreak responses had been disbursed and spent, expressing concern that governments were sometimes left unaware of the funds received by partner organisations working within their countries. Speaking during an interview on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on…

Super Eagles striker Victor Boniface has barely played for Bayer Leverkusen this season, so the next few weeks will help decide whether January brings a loan or a way back into the team. This is analysis of a possible transfer situation, not a report of a deal. We have not seen any club make an offer, and no source we opened says Leverkusen want to sell or loan him. Where Boniface stands now Africa Soccer reported on 16 October that the 25-year-old has struggled for playing time this season, partly because of fitness concerns. Leverkusen head coach Carles Martinez told…

The Nigeria Immigration Service says it has enrolled a cumulative 14,312 Nigerians in its ongoing special passport intervention exercise in the United Kingdom as the exercise entered its 36th day on Wednesday, with 404 new applicants processed across four cities. Data from the NIS spokesman, Deputy Comptroller of Immigration Akinsola Akinlabi, obtained by The PUNCH on Thursday, shows that daily passport production and dispatch are running concurrently with registrations on the ground. “A total of 404 applicants were enrolled across all the centres,” Akinlabi wrote in the Day-35 update, adding that “Cumulative Enrolment: 14,312 applicants. Passport production and dispatch continue…