Author: News Room
Chinese tech company Baidu has announced that it can now operate robotaxis in a part of the capital city of Beijing with no human staff or driver inside. According to CNBC, the move eliminates the labor cost for operating self-driving taxis — up to the permitted number of cars. The government approval initially covers 10 vehicles in the Beijing suburb of Yizhuang, which is home to many corporations such as JD.com. The suburb is the primary site of Baidu’s robotaxi public road testing and operation in Beijing city. In November 2021, local authorities allowed Baidu and rival robotaxi operator Pony.ai…
The Founder and Chief Executive Officer of iiDENTIFii, Gur Geva, has said that biometric technology is crucial to Nigeria’s digital economy. According to him, with proper biometrics tech, financial institutions could provide safe and efficient services to consumers in the country at scale, and improve financial inclusion. He said, “Biometric technology is a crucial consideration in Nigeria’s ongoing digital expansion. If financial institutions, telecommunications companies, and the public sector adopt enterprise-grade biometric authentication, they can provide services to Nigerian consumers safely, efficiently, and at scale.” He explained that biometric authentication technology was changing how individuals identified with mobile devices. With…
The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, has revealed plans to establish a university, which he said will be named ‘Ojaja University in Eyenkorin Ilorin, Kwara State’. The institution is formerly known as Crown-Hill University. He said this after securing full accreditation for the take-off courses from the National Universities Commission. He was accompanied by the institution’s vice chancellor, Prof Jeleel Ojuade. Ooni said it had always been his dream to own a citadel of learning, where scholars could be molded, not only in learning but character and entrepreneurship. He stated, “Our students do the normal, routine courses for four…
A comedian and actor, Onyebuchi Ojieh, aka Buchi, tells BLESSING ENENAITE about the comedy industry You have been in the industry for a while. What are the factors that brought you this far? When I got into the industry, there was no one doing what I was doing; and that was a big boost for me. Back then, I used to do a lot of ‘freestyling’. The first big events where I showcased myself were those of two other comedians— Tee A and Julius Agwu. At those shows, I was just ‘freestyling’ from one seat to another, and making jokes…
The mood on the other side of north London is very different after Antonio Conte lambasted his Tottenham players for throwing away a 3-1 lead to drop two vital points in their bid for a top-four finish by drawing 3-3 at Southampton. Only Leeds, who beat fellow strugglers Wolves 4-2, won from the sides threatened by relegation, meaning the bottom nine are separated by just four points. The race for European places is also tightening as Aston Villa and Chelsea closed to within four points of the top six. AFP Sport looks at three talking points from the Premier League…
Public medical experts have cautioned Nigerians experiencing excessive sweating against ignoring it, noting that they should seek the help of health experts to know the cause. They noted that excessive sweating is sometimes a sign of underlying health conditions like diabetes and nervous system health issues. The experts explained that excessive sweating may be linked to a medical condition known as hyperhidrosis and diaphoresis, adding that it could be a pointer to ailments like diabetes, thyroid issue, infections, and nervous system disorders. According to Mayo Clinic – a medical center focused on integrated health care, education, and research, while hyperhidrosis…
Experts have urged Nigerians to embrace getting vaccinated against shingles, noting that vaccination significantly decreased the incidence and burden of the disease. They stressed that person with weak immune system are often more at risk of the health condition, noting that this may be connected to why more cases of shingles are seen among the elderly. Shingles also known as herpes zoster is a viral infection that occurs due to the reactivation of the varicella-zoster virus (the virus that causes chickenpox). Speaking with our correspondent, the experts, Consultant Dermatologist, Federal Medical Centre, Ebute Metta, Lagos, Dr. Oluwatoyin Akinsiku, and the…
As Nigeria joined the global community to mark the 2023 World Down syndrome Day scheduled for March 21, PUNCH HealthWise, in this report, examines the difficulties of parenting children with this health condition by speaking with parents and guardians of special needs children. SODIQ OJUROUNGBE reports When Mrs. Rose Mordi gave birth to her daughter 28 years ago, she immediately suspected something was wrong with the baby girl. Based on her prior knowledge of Down syndrome, she instantly recognise some of the signs of the health condition in her newborn. According to Mrs. Mordi, she was the first to…
The Federal Government, through its Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, has increased the supply of Premium Motor Spirit, popularly called petrol, to independent oil marketers, in a bid to avert a further hike in the pump price of the commodity. Oil marketers confirmed on Friday that the national oil company listened to their demands for an increase in the volumes of PMS released to independent filling stations, so as to curb the widening disparity in the cost of petrol. They told our correspondent that the move by NNPCL had now improved the availability of products in retail outlets operated by…
The currency in circulation in the country dipped by a 235.03 per cent to N982.09bn at the end of February from N3.29tn at the end of October 2022, on the back of the naira redesign policy of the Central Bank of Nigeria. Figures obtained from the CBN revealed that N2.3tn was mopped up from circulation during the period under review. According to the CBN, the currency in circulation moved from N3.16tn to N3.29tn and N1.38tn in November 2022, December 2022 and January 2023 respectively. The Governor of the CBN, Godwin Emefiele, had in October 2022, announced plans to redesign the…
