RoundReports

Facebook is offering established influencers up to $3,000 (£2,260) a month to post short-form videos, as it seeks to draw high-profile creators back to the platform. The payments form part of a new Content Fast Track scheme aimed at creators with more than one million followers on rival platforms including Instagram, TikTok and YouTube.  Eligible creators will be paid for up to three months, provided they publish at least 15 reels a month. Parent company Meta said it paid nearly $3bn to creators in 2025 through its monetisation programmes, underlining its push to compete more aggressively for online talent. However, the move has been criticised by industry figures including Jordan Schwarzenberger, who manages the influencer collective the Sidemen. Schwarzenberger described the offer as insufficient and unlikely to shift audience behaviour. “ Creators follow audiences, not platforms. Facebook hasn’t been a priority for the best part of a decade. Bringing creators over doesn’t mean t...

Chelsea boss Liam Rosenior has confirmed the club have tracked down and dealt with the source of damaging team leaks that surfaced ahead of both Champions League defeats to Paris Saint-Germain.   In the build-up to the last-16 first leg in Paris, French outlets published Rosenior’s starting XI hours before kick-off.  The second leg at Stamford Bridge saw similar revelations, with reports correctly stating Wesley Fofana would miss out as Trevoh Chalobah and Jorrel Hato formed the centre-back pairing.   Following an internal investigation, Chelsea believe the leaks came from outside the playing squad. “ We know (who it is). It’s not come from any place of malicious intent to me or to the team. We know where it’s come from and we’ve dealt with the situation ,” Rosenior said at his pre-Everton press conference. READ ALSO :  Joshua Returns to Gym as Comeback Plans Gather Pace The fallout from the 8-2 aggregate defeat also saw captain Enzo Fernandez hint at uncer...

British professional boxer, Anthony Joshua has returned to full training as he prepares for a possible comeback fight later this year. Joshua has been back in the gym under the supervision of trainer Iegor Golub, indicting a fresh step in his return to the ring after a difficult period away from boxing. The 36-year-old had taken time out following a fatal road crash in Nigeria last year that claimed the lives of two of his close friends.  Since then, Joshua has kept a low profile while focusing on recovery and personal matters. His return to training comes amid fresh talk about his future, with long-standing rival Tyson Fury also expected to resume action soon.  Fury is set to come out of retirement next month to face Arslanbek Makhmudov at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Joshua was seen working on technique and conditioning during sessions led by Golub, who previously assisted him in the build-up to his bout with Jake Paul, which Joshua won by knockout in six rounds. READ ALSO :...

Vice President Kashim Shettima has revealed the Federal Government’s determination to defeat terrorism, warning that those responsible for the recent attacks will be confronted decisively. Speaking on Wednesday in Maiduguri, Shettima said the government was intensifying investment in equipment and logistics for security agencies, in addition to directives already issued by the President to the nation’s security chiefs. The Vice President made the announcement during a visit to victims of Monday’s multiple bomb explosions, who are receiving treatment at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital. READ ALSO : Pilgrim Arrested after Assault on Father at Medina Mosque Recall that the blasts affected more than 100 people, with over 20 fatalities confirmed. Condemning the attacks, Shettima described the perpetrators as barbaric, stressing that no cause justifies the killing of innocent civilians. He stated that the visit was to stand with those injured and families affected by the tragedy...

Windsor Castle Your Majesty, King Charles III, Her Majesty Queen Camilla, Their Royal Highnesses the Prince and Princess of Wales, Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen, It is a profound honour to stand before you this evening, representing the people of Nigeria as we reaffirm the enduring bonds of friendship, history and shared purpose that have united our two nations for centuries. I wish to express my sincere appreciation to Your Majesty and Her Majesty for the warmth and generosity extended to me, my wife, Oluremi, and the Nigerian delegation. As the first Nigerian leader to speak here at Windsor Castle, an institution that has served the British Crown for nearly a millennium, this moment is deeply historic. Windsor stands as a symbol of continuity, having witnessed the evolution of institutions that have shaped governance, culture and public life far beyond Britain’s shores. Shared History and Democratic Traditions Nigeria and the United Kingdom share more than a common histo...

Nigeria’s sovereign wealth fund has entered a landmark partnership with a United Kingdom (UK) agribusiness firm aimed at reshaping the country’s dairy industry and cutting dependence on imported milk products. The Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA) on Wednesday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Asset Green Ltd in London to develop a large-scale, integrated dairy livestock and processing platform described as one of the most ambitious of its kind in Nigeria. Signed ahead of the Nigerian president’s state visit to the United Kingdom, the agreement sets out the framework for collaboration and project-development funding ahead of a formal shareholders’ agreement. The planned investment is designed to modernise Nigeria’s dairy value chain and reduce reliance on imported milk powder.  It will combine 20,000 hectares of climate-smart crop and forage production with a 10,000-cow dairy operation and a processing plant capable of producing fresh milk, butter, cream, ...

Saudi authorities have arrested a pilgrim after he attempted to strangle his ailing father inside the Prophet’s Mosque in Medina, one of Islam’s holiest sites. According to reports, security personnel intervened swiftly to stop the attack and prevent further harm before taking the suspect into custody while the father was rescued at the scene. The man reportedly told investigators he believed his father would be assured entry into paradise if he died within the sacred mosque, a claim religious scholars have dismissed as a dangerous distortion of Islamic teaching. The incident, which occurred during a period of heightened pilgrimage activity, has prompted fresh calls for vigilance at holy sites across Saudi Arabia. READ ALSO :  Cleric Faces ‘Blasphemy’ Backlash over ‘Satan’ Sermon Promotion Online reaction was swift, with commentators condemning the act and warning against extremist or misguided interpretations of faith.  Many urged authorities to strengthen awareness campaigns...

The Governor of Osun State, Ademola Adeleke, has reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to the safety, welfare and effective deployment of National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members serving in the state. Adeleke gave the assurance on Wednesday while receiving the Osun State Coordinator of the National Youth Service Corps, Mr Ekeng Kubiangha, and his delegation at the Government House in Osogbo. He stated that the state government had carefully taken note the requests presented by the NYSC leadership and would address them progressively in line with available resources.  The governor stressed the importance of maintaining a strong and productive working relationship between the state and the Scheme. He praised the contributions of corps members across education, health and other critical sectors, describing the NYSC as a key vehicle for national unity, youth development and grassroots service delivery.  Adeleke also commended the collaboration between the Scheme and the Os...

Nigeria’s Vice President, Kashim Shettima, has arrived in Maiduguri for an on-the-spot security assessment and condolence visit following a series of bomb explosions that killed dozens of people and injured more than 100 others. The visit on Wednesday comes amid public anger and mourning after coordinated attacks in the Borno State capital exposed fresh security gaps in Nigeria’s insurgency-hit North-East. In a statement, Shettima’s spokesman, Stanley Nkwocha, said the vice president was in Maiduguri on behalf of President Bola Tinubu to assess the situation and offer condolences to affected families. Shettima was received at Maiduguri International Airport by senior officials, including Deputy Governor Umar Usman Kadafur and Senator Kaka Shehu Lawan, alongside other political figures. The visit follows Monday evening’s coordinated bombings at multiple locations across the city, including the crowded Monday Market, the gate of the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, and the Post...

King Charles III has recalled that parts of Britain’s shared history with Nigeria have “ left some painful marks ,” while stressing that relations between the two countries are now anchored in hope, partnership and mutual growth. The King made the remarks on Wednesday evening at a state banquet held at Windsor Castle in honour of Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, which is the first Nigerian presidential state visit to the United Kingdom (UK) in 37 years. Addressing guests, the monarch said the deep ties between the United Kingdom and Nigeria were inseparable from a difficult past. “ There are chapters in our shared history that I know have left some painful marks. “ I do not seek to offer words that dissolve the past, for no words can, but history is not merely a record of what was done to us. It is a lesson in how we go forward together ,” he said. Nigeria was under British colonial rule from 1914 until independence in 1960, a period during which its political and economic structures we...