Author: News Room

A member of the House of Representatives from Adamawa State, Muhammed Basil, has urged former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar to withdraw from partisan politics and assume the role of an elder statesman. Basil, who represents Jada/Ganye/Toungo/Mayo-Belwa Federal Constituency on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, made the call barely two weeks after one of Atiku’s sons, Abba Atiku, declared support for President Bola Tinubu ahead of the 2027 presidential election. Speaking with The PUNCH in an exclusive telephone interview from Abuja, the lawmaker said it was time for Atiku to step aside and allow younger politicians to take the lead.…

Standard Chartered Bank Nigeria Limited hosted its clients at the 2026 Global Market Outlook event, bringing together industry experts to examine the evolving global financial landscape and its implications for Nigeria in 2026, where it revealed that the country’s growth outlook is optimistic. A statement from the bank on Tuesday stated that the well-attended event featured presentations from speakers drawn from Standard Chartered, including Manpreet Gill, Chief Investment Officer, Africa, Middle East and Europe; Lanre Olajide, Head of Wealth and Retail Banking, Nigeria; Ernest Adejumo, Head of Wealth Solutions; Uche Ugboh, Head of Treasury Markets; and Chima Eboh, Head of…

Nigeria has been confirmed among the nations that will compete in the men’s 3×3 basketball event at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, which will be the country’s first appearance in the fast-growing format at the Games, The PUNCH Sports reports. The confirmation was made on Tuesday by Commonwealth Sport, which released the list of qualified nations for the basketball competitions scheduled to hold at the Scottish Event Campus from July 24 to 29, 2026. The announcement represents a significant milestone for Nigeria, which did not feature when the discipline made its Commonwealth Games debut at Birmingham 2022. 3×3 basketball…

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) is pressing Google for more information about its plans to build a checkout feature into its Gemini AI chatbot. In a letter to Google CEO Sundar Pichai, Warren expresses concerns that the integration could allow Google and retailers “to exploit sensitive user data” or “manipulate consumers into spending more and paying higher prices.”Last month, Google announced that it will soon allow users to buy products directly within Gemini through the Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP), a standard it developed in partnership with Shopify, Target, Walmart, Wayfair, and Etsy. The UCP is supposed to make it easier for…

The Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization (CIRO) has formalized its interim framework governing the custody of crypto and tokenized assets. The move outlined how dealer members are expected to safeguard client holdings while permanent crypto-specific rules remain under development.In a Tuesday notice, CIRO said the framework sets out its supervisory expectations for investment dealers operating crypto trading platforms, including custody limits, segregation standards, reporting obligations and tiered requirements for third-party crypto custodians.The self-regulatory organization said the framework operates through binding terms and conditions of membership, rather than through amendments to its core rulebook. It is intended to provide investor protection and…

Carrie Underwood was brought to tears during one particularly moving American Idol audition. During the Monday, February 2, episode of the reality singing competition, Underwood and her fellow judges, Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan, listened to season 24 hopeful Hannah Harper perform her original song “String Cheese.” After explaining that the song was written as a reflection of her experience with postpartum depression, Harper drew an emotional response from Underwood, 42. “That’s about the most relatable song I think I’ve ever heard,” the American Idol season 4 winner, who shares sons Isaiah, 10, and Jacob, 7, with husband Mike Fisher,…

At least five people, including a police officer, were killed on Tuesday when gunmen attacked the Abande community in the Turan district of the Kwande Local Government Area of Benue State, deepening concerns over the deteriorating security situation in the area. The Benue State Police Command confirmed that an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), attached to the 13 Police Mobile Force in Makurdi, was among those killed during the attack. In a statement issued on Wednesday, the police spokesperson, Edet Udeme, said four other victims were residents of the Abande community. Ms Udeme said the Divisional Police Officer in Jato-Aka…

Barely two weeks after announcing their reconciliation, Nigerian actress and singer Tonto Dikeh, alongside her son, King Andre, met with her ex-husband, businessman and philanthropist Olakunle Churchill. PREMIUM TIMES reported that Ms Dikeh described the reconciliation with her son’s father as a divine restoration, following years of public conflict and separation. The actress, who earlier explained that the reconciliation was in their son’s best interest, posted footage of Andre’s first meeting with his father in 10 years. The video was posted on her Instagram page on Wednesday. In the clip, Ms Dikeh appeared with Jerry Eze, a Nigerian Pentecostal pastor,…

Trabzonspor delivered a statement second-half performance to dismantle Fethiyespor 3–0 and tighten their grip on Group A of the Turkish Cup, with Nigerian stars Anthony Nwakaeme and Paul Onuachu taking centre stage in a ruthless display of quality, experience and ambition. After a cagey opening hour against the spirited Turkish second-division side, the Süper Lig heavyweights shifted gears when it mattered most, reminding everyone why they remain serial contenders on multiple fronts. The breakthrough arrived in the 69th minute. Ernest Muçi applied the finishing touch, but the move belonged to Anthony Nwakaeme. The veteran winger, oozing composure and vision, carved…

Human Rights Activist, Israel Joe has urged the Chairman of Uvwie Local Government Council to warn members of his task force against extorting residents, noting it is a criminal offense to do so. This is as the activist reportedly recovered the sum of three hundred thousand naira, N300,00, allegedly extorted from a woman identified as Eseoghene by some officials of the Uvwie Council Task Force. Israel Joe in a statement said,”We’ve been able to recover the cash of N300,000 that was extorted by the Uvwie Local Government Task Force. We are handing it over to her. “Ossai Ovie called me in…