Author: News Room

The creator of Incognito Market, the online black market that used cryptocurrency as its primary payment rail, has been sentenced to 30 years in prison after blockchain transaction analysis cited by US authorities linked him to the platform.The Justice Department said on Wednesday that a Manhattan court gave Rui-Siang Lin three decades behind bars for owning and operating Incognito, which sold $105 million worth of illicit narcotics between its launch in October 2020 and its closure in March 2024.Lin, who pleaded guilty to his role in December 2024, was sentenced for conspiring to distribute narcotics, money laundering, and conspiring to…

Tracy Spiridakos and Jesse Lee Soffer are finally returning to Chicago P.D. after their respective exits led to Upton and Halstead’s shocking split. NBC announced on Wednesday, February 4, that Spiridakos, 37, and Soffer, 41, are reuniting in the three-part One Chicago crossover special. According to the synopsis for the Wednesday, March 4, episode, Upton “returns to her former stomping grounds, but this time on the federal level as a Special Agent of the FBI.” She “joins her former P.D. allies after a drug enforcement task force case out of her Detroit field office leads her back to Chicago.” Halstead,…

The Lagos State Government has announced a six-week traffic diversion to facilitate repairs on the Apongbon Bridge and adjoining service lanes. In a statement posted on X on Wednesday, the Commissioner for Transportation, Oluwaseun Osiyemi, said the Federal Ministry of Works will fix failed asphalt sections of the ramp linking Inner Marina to Apongbon Bridge, as well as portions of the bridge’s inbound and outbound carriageways. The works will commence on Thursday (today), and run until 19 March. To ensure safety and smooth execution, the statement said sections of the affected roads will be temporarily closed, with alternative routes mapped…

The Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd), Bayo Ojulari, has addressed recent debates surrounding the newly launched Nigeria’s Gas Master Plan (GMP) 2026, particularly concerns over export parity pricing. Speaking during a fireside chat at the Nigeria International Energy Summit (NIES) on Wednesday, the NNPC chief pushed back against claims that the framework is unworkable. “When people talk about export parity, I laugh a bit, because today we have domestic customers paying more than export prices,” he said. Last week, PREMIUM TIMES reported that NNPC unveiled the Gas Master Plan 2026, a policy…

A global study by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and its cancer research arm, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), has revealed that nearly four in 10 cancer cases worldwide could be avoided through preventive measures. Published on the WHO website on 3 February ahead of World Cancer Day, the analysis estimated that 37 per cent of all new cancer cases recorded in 2022, around 7.1 million cases, were linked to preventable causes. Key risk factors identified The study examined 30 modifiable risk factors, including tobacco use, alcohol consumption, high body mass index, physical inactivity, air pollution, ultraviolet…

Nollywood in Hollywood has revealed the three films selected for the 2026 edition of its annual Nigerian film showcase, scheduled for 6 and 7 March in Los Angeles. The titles, Stitches, When Nigeria Happens, and To Adaego With Love were announced during a preview screening of My Father’s Shadow at the Norris Theatre, University of Southern California. Nollywood co-hosted the screening in Hollywood. My Father’s Shadow previously made history as Nigeria’s first film chosen for official selection at the Cannes Film Festival and was also submitted by the United Kingdom in the Best International Feature Film category at the 98th…

The Supreme Council for Shari’ah in Nigeria (SCSN) has clarified why it called for the removal and prosecution of the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Ojo Amupitan, insisting that its position has nothing to do with religion. Recall that SCSN last week had demanded the immediate dismissal and prosecution of Amupitan, alleging that his integrity was compromised after he reportedly confirmed claims of persecution and genocide against Christians in Nigeria in a legal brief. The call by the SCSN for the removal and prosecution of Amupitan stirred reactions across the country with the Christian Association…

The African Democratic Congress, ADC, has accused the APC-led Senate of being afraid of free and fair elections after rejecting key electoral reforms meant to strengthen transparency and integrity in Nigeria’s voting process. This was contained in a statement signed and released by the National Publicity Secretary of the ADC, Bolaji Abdulahi on Wednesday. The party criticized the Senate’s rejection of electronic transmission of election results, saying it signals yet another effort by the APC to manipulate future elections. Other rejected reforms included the electronic download of voter cards from the INEC website, a reduction in election notice periods, and…

A High Court in Kebbi State has sentenced Suleman Jidda, a 30-year-old resident of the Bayan Kara area of Birnin Kebbi, to life imprisonment for committing an unnatural offence against a 10-year-old boy. Jidda was arraigned on November 8, 2024, on a one-count charge of unnatural offence, contrary to Section 260 of the Kebbi State Penal Code Law, 2021. Delivering judgment on Wednesday, Justice Shamsudeen Jafar held that the prosecution proved its case beyond reasonable doubt. “I have carefully examined all the evidence before the court and found that the prosecution’s evidence is cogent and corroborative. The prosecution has proved…

The most attacking football teams in the world have been revealed. The CIES Football Observatory announced its selection of the most attacking teams of this season so far on Wednesday. German Bundesliga champions, Bayern Munich are at number one on the list. Behind Bayern Munich is French Ligue 1 champions, Paris Saint-Germain in second place. Barcelona is in third position, while Bayer Leverkusen occupies the fourth position, and Olympique de Marseille is in 10th overall. Among teams outside Europe’s top five leagues, Columbus Crew (5th overall) finished ahead of Nordsjælland of Denmark (7th) and AS Saint-Étienne (8th). The ranking is…