Author: News Room

Former two-time UFC Middleweight Champion Israel Adesanya will enter his upcoming fight as the betting underdog for the first time in his professional career, PUNCH Sports Extra reports. The 36-year-old Nigerian-born fighter faces American contender Joe Pyfer at UFC Seattle on March 28, 2026, at the Climate Pledge Arena. The betting lines currently list Adesanya at +112 while opponent Pyfer sits at -132, giving the former champion only a 47 per cent chance of winning the middleweight bout. Adesanya enters this fight on a three-fight losing streak, which has drastically changed his betting profile. Throughout his career, he has consistently…

Yeni Kuti, daughter of Afrobeat legend, Fela Anikulapo Kuti, has reacted to the ongoing dispute involving singer Wizkid and her brother, Seun Kuti, calling for calm and unity amid the growing tension. In a video shared on X (formerly Twitter) by TVC Entertainment on Thursday, Yeni said she deliberately avoided engaging in the exchanges surrounding the feud because of her personal relationship with Wizkid. “I love Wizkid a lot. Wizkid is my padi. When two giants fight, it is the grass that suffers,” she said. She explained that her long-standing relationship with the singer made it difficult for her to…

In February, Amazon plans to roll out a much-needed revamp of Fire TV OS, one that seemingly takes a cue from Google’s TV platform. The forthcoming UI redesign will introduce better organization, support for Alexa Plus, and quicker performance to the aging OS, the latter of which has been a crux of the platform’s issues for years. Collectively, the changes make it a lot easier to recommend the Fire TV Stick 4K Plus, which is on sale at Woot through January 23rd for an all-time low of $18.39 ($32 off) when you use code DEVICES20 at checkout.The Fire TV Stick…

Circle CEO Jeremy Allaire said the company views its dollar-pegged stablecoin as neutral financial infrastructure with network effects, rather than a product meant to compete with existing payment companies.Speaking on CNBC’s Squawk Box during the World Economic Forum at Davos, Switzerland, Allaire said Circle does not view card networks such as Visa or Mastercard as competitors, describing them instead as “significant partners.”According to Allaire, stablecoins are “network effect businesses,” with usage and circulation increasing as more developers and institutions integrate, adding that Circle operates as a “neutral company” that does not compete with banks, payment companies or exchanges.He also said the long-term implications of stablecoins remain unknown.Over time, the cost of…

Hollywood’s biggest night will soon be in full swing at the 2026 Oscars, but first, the nominations for the 98th annual Academy Awards were revealed. Lewis Pullman and Danielle Brooks announced the nominees from California on Thursday, January 22. For the first time, casting will be honored at the Academy Awards, with up to two casting directors per film eligible to win a trophy. Plans are already underway to include another new category for stunt design at the 100th annual Academy Awards for films released in 2027. The 2026 Oscars will include 24 categories, each of which has five nominees.…

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has reported 735 suspected cases of dengue fever across five states between January and November 2025, with two confirmed deaths recorded nationwide. According to the agency’s dengue fever situation report for November 2025, Sokoto was the only state that reported suspected cases in November, while Edo and Sokoto accounted for the majority of cases recorded in 2025. Edo, Sokoto account for majority of cases From January to November 2025, a total of 735 suspected dengue fever cases were reported across five states and 17 local government areas nationwide. Edo State recorded…

Guaranty Trust Holding Company (GTCO) said it has allotted 125 million ordinary shares worth N10 billion in respect of the private placement held by the financial services group in December 2025. The banking group received a single application for the said number of shares, which was considered valid under the terms of the capital raise programme and processed accordingly, recording a 100 per cent subscription, according to a regulatory filing on Thursday. The shares were issued at N80 per unit. No mention was made of the name of the allottee. “The allotted shares will be credited immediately to the CSCS…

Terra Industries is protecting $11 billion in Nigerian assets with Nigerian ingenuity. That they had to go to Silicon Valley for funding isn’t a failure of Nigerian entrepreneurship or Nigerian venture capital. It’s a failure of a defence budgeting paradigm so dysfunctional that it inadvertently outsources strategic autonomy, while claiming to protect national security. Until that changes, Nigeria’s brightest defence innovators will continue to board planes to San Francisco… When Terra Industries, a Nigerian defence technology startup, recently announced a $11.75 million funding round led by Silicon Valley venture firm, 8VC, many celebrated it as a triumph of Nigerian innovation.…

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) says it has began enforcement on the ban on production and sale of alcohol in sachet and pet bottle below 200ml. The Director-General of NAFDAC, Mojisola Adeyeye, disclosed this at a media parley, organised by the agency, on Wednesday in Lagos. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that NAFDAC had on 11 November, 2025, announced that it would enforce a total ban on the production and sale of the items, by December 2025, in line with directive of the Senate. However, the proposed enforcement was halted after the…

The Bauchi State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) Monitoring and Evaluation Team has raised concerns over frequent teacher lateness and absenteeism across schools in Katagum Local Government Area. In a statement issued on Thursday by the board’s Public Relations Officer, Isah Mohammed Jungudo, the team, led by the SUBEB Director of Quality Assurance, Abbas Abdulmumini, observed that during a recent school monitoring exercise, some schools recorded up to 90 per cent teacher absenteeism, particularly at Ahmed Turaki Primary School. Abdulmumini reiterated the need for stakeholders to ensure the proper functioning of schools, urging parents to prioritise their children’s education by…