Author: News Room

The Alternative Bank has unveiled a comprehensive financing blueprint aimed at building domestic pharmaceutical capacity in a strategic move to dismantle Nigeria’s dangerous reliance on imported life-saving commodities. The initiative comes as a response to a staggering reality: while Africa bears approximately 25 per cent of the global disease burden, it continues to import nearly 97 per cent of its pharmaceutical products. This vulnerability, which was starkly exposed during the COVID-19 pandemic, has prompted AltBank to deploy asset-backed, risk-sharing capital to fund local production, distribution, and research. The bank said in a statement sent to The PUNCH on Tuesday. Speaking…

Iran’s participation in the 2026 FIFA World Cup has been thrown into uncertainty after the country’s football federation said players are still waiting for United States visas, less than a month before the tournament begins. As reported by BBC Sport on Thursday, Iran Football Federation president, Mehdi Taj, confirmed that no visas have yet been issued for the national team, raising concerns over their ability to travel for the competition, which will be co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico. “Tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, we will have a decisive meeting with FIFA. They must give us guarantees,…

Microsoft first started opening up access to Claude Code in December, inviting thousands of its own developers to use Anthropic’s AI coding tool daily. It was part of an effort to get project managers, designers, and other employees to experiment with coding for the first time, and sources tell me that Claude Code has proved very popular inside Microsoft over the past six months. Perhaps a little too popular, as Microsoft is now preparing to walk back its Claude Code push.I understand that Microsoft is planning to remove most of its Claude Code licenses and push many of its developers…

North Korea (DPRK) state-affiliated hackers and threat actors were responsible for more than $2 billion in crypto losses in 2025, a 51% year-over-year increase, despite fewer attacks carried out by the group, according to cybersecurity company CrowdStrike. DPRK hackers represent the “largest” threat group targeting cryptocurrency users, as measured by the dollar amount of assets stolen, according to the company’s 2026 Financial Services Threat Landscape report. Crowdstrike added:“Stolen proceeds are almost certainly laundered to fund the regime’s military programs. Compared to 2024, DPRK-nexus adversaries conducted fewer campaigns but achieved significantly higher returns by prioritizing high-value targets.” The DPRK hackers and…

TikTok star turned country music singer Tayler Holder canceled his nine-date When No One’s Around Tour to prioritize his mental health. “This is one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever had to make, but I need to cancel my upcoming shows,” Holder, 28, wrote via Instagram on Monday, May 11. “Over the past several months, I’ve been in a constant struggle with my mental health in ways that I can no longer ignore,” he continued. “I’ve tried for awhile [sic] now to put my head down and just push through this and give everything I have to the music and…

The Special Offences Court in Lagos State has convicted a businessman, Kingsley Obasi, of fraud involving $247,390. In a judgement delivered Thursday, trial judge Mojisola Dada sentenced Mr Obasi to seven years’ imprisonment but with an option of N5 million fine after finding Mr Obasi and his company, Great King Parkson Industrial Company, guilty of stealing. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had arraigned Mr Obasi and the company on 22 February 2023 on one count of stealing, contrary to Section 287(9)(b) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011. According to the anti-graft agency, the defendants dishonestly converted…

Heirs Holdings’ three portfolio companies, Heirs Life Assurance, Redtech, and Heirs General Insurance, have been recognised in the Financial Times Africa’s Fastest-Growing Companies 2026 ranking. Published annually by the Financial Times in partnership with Statista, the ranking recognises companies driving exceptional revenue growth, innovation, market expansion, and economic impact across the continent. The Heirs Holdings’ portfolio companies attained top positions among Africa’s fastest-growing businesses, with Heirs Life Assurance ranked Number 7 with a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 147.85 per cent, Redtech ranked Number 32 with a CAGR of 69.66 per cent, and Heirs General Insurance ranked Number 41…

Undoubtedly, if there is one Nigerian actor whose striking looks, comic timing, confident screen presence, and youthful appeal have captivated millions of fans and filmmakers alike, it is Alexx Ekubo. Popularly called “Chief Ikuku” by friends and fans, Mr Ekubo belonged to a generation of actors who helped redefine contemporary Nollywood through romance dramas, comedy films and youth-centred productions that dominated cinema screens and streaming platforms in the 2010s. With his infectious smile, effortless swagger and ability to switch seamlessly between humour and emotion, he became one of the industry’s most recognisable faces and one of its most beloved stars.…

The Kano State House of Assembly has called for immediate intervention following the spread of Tuta absoluta, a destructive pest affecting tomato farms in several local government areas of the state. The call was made on Wednesday by the Chairman of the House Standing Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources, Ahmed Ibrahim (APC, Karaye), while presenting the committee’s findings to lawmakers. He said the committee carried out an assessment after a motion of urgent public importance was raised by Ali Lawan Kiyawa (APC, Bagwai/Shanono) over the infestation in parts of his constituency. According to him, the pest has now spread to several…

The National Chairman of the Peoples Redemption Party, PRP, Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, has clarified the reasons why former Labour Party, LP, presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and the leader of the New Nigeria Peoples Party, NNPP, Rabiu Kwankwaso, were unable to affiliate with the PRP ahead of the 2027 general election. During a Hausa political programme on DITV Kaduna, Baba-Ahmed indicated that negotiations between the PRP and the two politicians failed due to disagreements over the terms of their potential membership. He noted that Obi and Kwankwaso had initially approached the PRP for a possible alliance, and discussions had advanced to the…