Author: David Great

Bayer Leverkusen head coach Xabi Alonso has insisted that his team’s upcoming Bundesliga showdown with league leaders Bayern Munich is not a decisive match in the title race, despite the significant points gap between the two sides. Leverkusen currently sit second in the table with 46 points, trailing Bayern, who have 54. A victory for Bayern would extend their lead to 11 points with 12 games left in the season, while a Leverkusen win would cut the gap to just five. However, Alonso does not see the match as a final battle for the title. “It is not a final,…

The National Examination Council (NECO) has announced the release of the 2024 Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) External results, with 67.35% of candidates passing with five credits, including English Language and Mathematics. A total of 84,799 candidates sat for the exams, comprising 44,227 males (52.21%) and 40,522 females (47.78%). Out of these, 57,114 candidates met the required pass mark. Announcing the results at NECO’s headquarters in Minna, the Registrar and Chief Executive Officer, Prof. Dantani Ibrahim Wushishi, confirmed that the results were released 62 days after the final exam in a total of 29 subjects. He also revealed a decline…

The National Examinations Council (NECO) has sanctioned 14 examination centres for engaging in malpractice across nine subjects in the 2024 Senior School Certificate Examination (External). NECO Registrar, Prof. Dantani Wushishi, made this known during a press briefing at the Council’s headquarters in Minna, Niger State, while announcing the results of the examination. Wushishi revealed that 10 of the blacklisted centres were in Ogun State, while the remaining four were in Oyo State. According to Wushishi, the names of the affected centres and supervisors will be forwarded to other examination bodies for further action. “The number of candidates booked for various…

Germany international Jamal Musiala has signed a new five-year contract with Bayern Munich, keeping him at the Bundesliga club until 2030. The club confirmed the extension on Friday, securing the future of one of their most influential players. Musiala, who joined Bayern’s youth system from Chelsea in 2019, has become a key figure in Vincent Kompany’s squad. This season, the 21-year-old midfielder has been in top form, scoring 10 goals in 18 league appearances. Expressing his excitement about the new deal, Musiala said, “I am very happy. Bayern is one of the most important clubs in the world, this is…

Former Ondo State First Lady, Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu, has opened up about her late husband, former Governor Rotimi Akeredolu’s battle with cancer, criticizing reliance on spiritual interventions over medical treatment. In an exclusive interview with Star News publisher, Olumide Akinrinlola, Betty Akeredolu expressed regret, stating that her husband’s life could have been prolonged if he had prioritized medical care. “What came out of their mountain climbing, blessed handkerchiefs, water, olive oil, etc., from the GOs and all the noisy prayers like people possessed by demons? If Aketi had listened to me, I wouldn’t be a widow,” she said. A breast cancer…

The Trump administration has begun large-scale dismissals of federal employees, targeting multiple agencies as part of a government downsizing effort spearheaded by President Donald Trump and Tesla CEO Elon Musk. Sources within unions and affected agencies confirmed the layoffs, which have taken place over the past 48 hours. The dismissals have primarily affected probationary employees at the Education Department, the Small Business Administration (SBA), the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), and the General Services Administration (GSA). According to letters seen by Reuters, employees were informed that their “ability, knowledge, and skills do not fit the current needs,” and their performance…

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has confirmed that Filip Jorgensen has taken over as the club’s first-choice goalkeeper, replacing Robert Sanchez. The decision comes after a series of costly mistakes from Sanchez, including one in last month’s 3-1 defeat against Manchester City. Jorgensen, 22, was selected for Chelsea’s 2-1 Premier League victory over West Ham but was benched in favor of Sanchez for the FA Cup loss to Brighton. However, Maresca clarified during his pre-match press conference that the young Danish goalkeeper is now his preferred option. “The idea is not to game by game change the keeper. In this moment,…

Bayern Munich took control of their UEFA Champions League knockout play-off with a 2-1 victory over Celtic at Celtic Park, handing the Scottish side their first home defeat in over a year. Celtic, playing their first UCL knockout tie in 12 years, made a dream start when Nicolas Kühn blasted a left-footed strike past Manuel Neuer just 25 seconds into the match. However, their joy was short-lived as Adam Idah was ruled to have obstructed Neuer’s vision, leading to the goal being disallowed. Despite a strong defensive showing from the hosts, Bayern gradually imposed themselves. Michael Olise and Harry Kane…

James Tarkowski’s 98th-minute goal ensured Everton salvaged a thrilling 2-2 draw against Premier League leaders Liverpool in what was Goodison Park’s final Merseyside derby. Liverpool’s last visit to their historic rival’s ground started with an electric atmosphere, and the home crowd erupted after just 11 minutes. A quickly taken free-kick by Jarrad Branthwaite sent Beto through on goal, and the striker coolly curled his effort past Alisson to give Everton the lead. However, Liverpool responded swiftly. Just five minutes later, Mohamed Salah delivered a pinpoint cross, which Alexis Mac Allister met with a superb header, finishing impressively despite facing away…

President Bola Tinubu’s proposed tax reform bills have advanced to the second reading stage in the House of Representatives following an extensive debate. The four bills—the Joint Revenue Board of Nigeria (Establishment) Bill 2024, Nigeria Revenue Service (Establishment) Bill 2024, Nigeria Tax Administration Bill 2024, and Nigeria Tax Bill 2024—are designed to revamp Nigeria’s tax system. Despite initial opposition, Tinubu submitted the bills to the National Assembly in 2024. However, the Majority Leader of the House, Julius Ihonvbere, assured lawmakers that concerns raised, particularly by the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF), had been addressed. Leading the debate on Wednesday, Ihonvbere stated:…