Author: News Room

FIFA has confirmed that Ghana midfielder Thomas Partey will be unavailable for the Black Stars’ opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup after Canadian authorities refused his visa application. The decision means the 32-year-old midfielder will miss Ghana’s Group L clash against Panama in Toronto on 17 June, dealing a significant blow to the four-time African champions ahead of their tournament opener. In a statement first reported by The Athletic, FIFA clarified that the world football governing body had no role in the visa decision. “FIFA can confirm that player Thomas Partey will be unable to travel from Ghana’s…

A former Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mike Igini, has accused the judiciary of playing a critical role in the subversion of the June 12, 1993 presidential election, warning that Nigeria’s democracy cannot thrive without courts committed to defending the rule of law. Speaking at the National Democracy Discourse themed, “Re-enacting the Credibility of the June 12 Elections in Nigeria: 2027,” held on Friday in Lagos, Igini said judicial interventions before and after the historic election contributed significantly to its eventual annulment. The discourse was convened by the Movement for Credible Elections in conjunction with the June 12 Pro Democracy Movement of…

France forward Ousmane Dembélé has defended national team captain Kylian Mbappé, saying the scrutiny directed at the Real Madrid striker has become “very, very unfair” and has gone too far. Mbappé has faced sustained criticism in Spain following a trophyless season with Real Madrid, as well as ongoing debate in France over his leadership role since becoming national team captain in 2023. Speaking to Spanish newspaper Marca on Friday, Dembélé said the level of attention on Mbappé often crosses a line. “The criticism towards him is very, very unfair,” he said. “Some people go a bit too far with the…

Elon Musk’s SpaceX IPO will probably make him the richest person to ever walk the planet. And while his mountain of horrible personal conduct could fill multiple books, one fact in particular stands out: A year ago, Musk’s actions directly led to the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people. He did it knowingly. And, worse — gleefully.This is not a serious person, but his abuse of the world is deadly serious. In the first months of President Donald Trump’s second term, the Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) destroyed the US Agency for International Development, whose mission was a…

Crypto prices have spent much of the year reacting to macro headlines and regulatory uncertainty, but tokenization has remained one of the industry’s few consistent growth stories. Active real-world assets are surging, banks are embracing blockchain infrastructure and tokenized equities are expanding into new markets.That momentum was on full display this week as Kraken rolled out tokenized access to the highly anticipated SpaceX IPO, offering eligible users in more than 110 markets a chance to participate through xStocks.Elsewhere, prediction markets surpassed onchain gambling for the first time, and former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried formally asked US President Donald Trump for…

Tim Allen candidly weighed in on his age gap romance with Jenna Elfman on Shifting Gears — and recalled what concerns he initially had about the fictional relationship. “The age difference is not much different than my wife and I,” Allen, 72, who has been married to wife Jane Hajduk since 2006, exclusively shared in Us Weekly‘s latest cover story. Allen noted that his response to the age gap varies, adding, “It depends on the pictures. It gets creepy for me at a certain age [and] we’re right at that border. If Jenna didn’t look so damn nice than our…

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says it is ready to implement the controversial ward delineation in Delta State’s Warri Federal Constituency once ongoing negotiations and compromises among affected communities are concluded. The commission also dismissed suggestions that the Presidency influenced its delayed implementation of the ward delineation report, insisting its decisions were based solely on its constitutional mandate. Speaking with PREMIUM TIMES on Friday evening, INEC National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Haruna, said the commission completed the delineation exercise and awaits only the right conditions to proceed with implementation. “There is no…

The International Labour Organisation has given Nigeria until September 2026 to report on steps taken to address concerns over workers’ rights, trade union freedoms, and compliance with international labour standards. As reported by Nairametrics, the development was disclosed by the Secretary-General of the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, Nuhu Toro, during a briefing on the 113th International Labour Conference in Geneva, Switzerland, on Friday. According to Toro, the deadline follows complaints regarding alleged violations of workers’ rights, particularly issues relating to freedom of association, collective bargaining, and the implementation of key labour conventions ratified by Nigeria. He said the ILO…

Members of the Take-It-Back Movement on Friday staged a peaceful protest in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, demanding the immediate rescue of residents abducted across various communities in the state and issuing a 72-hour ultimatum to the government to secure their release. The protesters, who converged at Tanke Junction around 7:00 a.m., marched through major roads in the metropolis before terminating their demonstration at the Government House along Ahmadu Bello Way. The protest comes amid growing concerns over rising cases of kidnapping and violent attacks in parts of the state, particularly in Edu, Patigi, Ifelodun and several communities in Kwara…

The African Democratic Congress on Friday described President Bola Tinubu’s Democracy Day address as an admission that the All Progressives Congress has failed to deliver on its promises after more than a decade in power. The opposition party said Tinubu’s speech was “another campaign speech masquerading as a presidential address,” arguing that Nigerians deserved concrete results rather than fresh assurances on economic recovery, security and job creation. In a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC said the President’s address raised fundamental questions about the performance of both his administration and the APC government since the…