Author: David Great

Atalanta have rejected a £36.5m bid from Inter Milan for Nigeria winger Ademola Lookman as they hold out for at least £43.5m for the 27-year-old. (Fabrizio Romano) Atalanta insist that they will not be selling Lookman for cheap after the forward helped them to a Europa League trophy in 2024. (Chronicle NG) Inter Milan defender Yann Bisseck, 24, has rejected a move to Crystal Palace, who had a £28m bid accepted for the German. (Gazzetta dello Sport – in Italian) Tottenham, Manchester United and Newcastle are monitoring the situation of Paris St-Germain striker Randal Kolo Muani, 26, after the French…

US President Donald Trump on Friday dismissed Erika McEntarfer, Commissioner of Labor Statistics, alleging she manipulated employment data for political reasons following the release of a disappointing July jobs report. The Labor Department reported that the US economy added only 73,000 jobs in July, with unemployment rising slightly from 4.1% to 4.2%. Revisions also showed that May and June figures were slashed drastically, from 144,000 to 19,000, and from 147,000 to 14,000, respectively—making it the weakest labor performance since the COVID-19 pandemic. Trump, reacting to the data, took to Truth Social, saying, “McEntarfer said there were only 73,000 Jobs added…

The Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals has appointed David Bird, former head of Oman’s Duqm Refinery, as its new Chief Executive Officer in a strategic leadership shake-up aimed at resolving production challenges and accelerating expansion efforts. According to a report by S&P Global, Bird now leads the petroleum and petrochemicals division of the Dangote Group, effective from July 2025. He previously served as Shell’s Head of Operations at the Balau Pokom refinery before heading the Duqm refinery as CEO of OQ8. The new appointment follows ongoing efforts to scale output at the 650,000 barrels-per-day refinery, touted as the world’s largest…

The National Orientation Agency (NOA), Akwa Ibom State Directorate, has raised alarm over the widespread circulation of counterfeit N1000 notes in markets across the state. According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the NOA identified coastal local government areas including Udung Uko, Mbo, Oron, Okobo, and Ibeno as the worst affected by the fraudulent activity. In a statement released on Friday in Uyo, the State Director of the agency, Mr. Mkpoutom Mkpoutom, disclosed that intelligence reports had confirmed the influx of fake N1000 notes in these regions. “There have been confirmed intelligence reports of syndicates flooding the coastal areas…

Panic swept through Tor-Donga, a community in Katsina-Ala Local Government Area of Benue State, following a violent attack by suspected gunmen in the early hours of Friday. Eyewitnesses reported that the heavily armed assailants stormed the area on motorcycles and opened fire indiscriminately, throwing the entire community into chaos. “People were running in all directions. We abandoned our homes and properties; everyone just wanted to stay alive,” a resident who narrowly escaped the assault said. The gunmen attack reportedly left several individuals injured, while others remain unaccounted for, as families fled in different directions to escape the violence. Local sources…

The National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives, Federal Health Institutions Sector (NANNM-FHI), has dismissed reports claiming that it has called off its ongoing seven-day nationwide warning strike. In a statement  on Friday, the association’s National Public Relations Officer, Omomo Tibiebi, clarified that the industrial action, which commenced on Wednesday, is still ongoing despite a meeting with the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Pate, earlier in the day. Tibiebi stated, “The strike has not been suspended. Earlier today, the NANNM executives had a meeting with the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Pate,…

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has announced the commencement of the 2025 nationwide Continuous Voter Registration, CVR, exercise ahead of the forthcoming elections. In a statement shared on its official X handle on Friday, INEC disclosed that online pre-registration will begin on Monday, August 18, 2025, via its dedicated portal: cvr.inecnigeria.org. Meanwhile, physical registration will kick off on Monday, August 25, 2025, at all INEC Local Government Area offices and designated centres across the country. The registration will run weekdays from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., and the Commission is encouraging eligible Nigerians who are yet to register to…

Adamawa State Governor, Ahmadu Fintiri, has announced an increase in the monthly allowance for National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members serving in the state—from N20,000 to N30,000. The governor made the declaration during the swearing-in ceremony for the 2025 Batch B Stream I corps members, held at the NYSC Permanent Orientation Camp in Damare, Girei Local Government Area. “As a government, we are committed to improving the welfare of corps members. This increment aligns with our promise to create a friendly and supportive atmosphere for you.” Fintiri stated. Fintiri said the raise is part of broader efforts to support youth…

RB Leipzig are among several clubs looking at Rasmus Hojlund and Manchester United could use the 22-year-old Denmark striker as part of a swap deal to sign Slovenian forward Benjamin Sesko, 22, from the Bundesliga side. (Athletic – subscription required) Newcastle United are also interested in signing Sesko as replacement for Alexander Isak who is expected to join Liverpool. (New York Times – subscription required) Tottenham are in talks with Bayern Munich over a loan deal for Portugal international Joao Palhinha, 30, as they look to bring the former Fulham midfielder back to the Premier League. (Athletic – subscription required)…

Wrestling icon, Terry Bollea, widely known as Hulk Hogan, reportedly died from a heart attack, according to a new report from the Pinellas County Forensic Science Centre in Florida. On Thursday, Page Six reported that the former WWE superstar suffered an acute myocardial infarction, which is “a sudden blockage of blood flow to the heart muscle,” ultimately leading to his death. The report disclosed that the 71-year-old also had a medical history of atrial fibrillation, a condition marked by irregular heartbeats, and chronic lymphocytic leukemia, a type of blood cancer that affects white blood cells. It had not previously been…