Author: News Room

PREMIUM TIMES’ business and economy editor, Oladeinde Olawoyin, has been selected for the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) programme in Vienna, Austria. Mr Olawoyin was selected alongside a cohort of leading energy editors/correspondents from across the world. The agency said the programme will explore key areas of the IAEA’s work in light of growing global interest in nuclear power. It will also cover nuclear science and technology in sectors such as food, power, environment, industry, agriculture, finance, and others. The programme brings together leading and esteemed journalists worldwide and will include field visits, travel, press conferences, discussions with IAEA experts,…

In a conversation on the now-ubiquitous insecurity involving the abduction of schoolchildren, I asked an acquaintance what she knew about the abduction of 42 pupils from Primary and Junior Secondary Schools in Mussa, Askira-Uba Local Government Area of Borno State, by alleged Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorists. She told me outright she had never heard of it. Three weeks later! Among some of the abductees were toddlers between two and four years old. The abduction took place on the same day as the horrific kidnapping of children from the Esiele/Yawota communities in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, and the subsequent…

A coalition of civil society organisations, trade unions, youth groups, community associations, social movements and faith-based groups has declared June 12 a day of nationwide protest and mass action against “worsening insecurity, escalating economic hardship and the continuous deterioration of the living conditions of millions of Nigerians.” The declaration was contained in a statement on Wednesday, jointly signed by the National Chairman of the Alliance on Surviving COVID-19 and Beyond, Femi Falana (SAN); National President of the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights, Yinka Folarin; and Hassan Soweto of the Organising Committee of the #EndBadGovernance Movement, Lagos State. Other…

The joint security team engaging in bush combing in Ekiti State has rescued two kidnap victims, 35 years old man, Iorfa Solomon and 37 years old lady, Blessing Kingsley, inside the forest between Ekiti and Kogi states. The team arrested a suspected kidnapper, Abubakar Kabiru, in the process. Police Public Relations Officer, Sunday Abutu, stated that investigation showed that the two victims were kidnapped at Aluta Bar, Ikoyi in Kogi State at about 9pm on June 4, 2026. Abutu, in a statement made available in Ado Ekiti on Wednesday evening stated, “The Police operatives in collaboration with the military, Amotekun…

The Director-General of the Renewed Hope Ambassadors and Chairman of the Progressive Governors’ Forum, Hope uzodimma, on Wednesday said the party had recruited 4,421,150 persons across the nation’s 176,846 polling units as part of its mobilisation plan ahead of the 2027 elections. He expressed confidence that President Bola Tinubu’s performance in office would earn him a second term in the 2027 general election. uzodimma, who is also the Governor of Imo State, made the disclosure in his keynote address at the two-day Renewed Hope Ambassadors National Retreat held at the Transcorp Hilton, Abuja. He said the retreat was meant to…

A U.S. official said the denial of entry for Somali referee Omar Artan was based on security concerns uncovered during border inspection. According to BBC Sport on Wednesday, in a statement, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection identified what it described as “derogatory information,” including alleged links or associations with suspected members of terrorist organisations, which made him ineligible for entry under the Immigration and Nationality Act. The official also referenced a broader security policy under the administration of Donald Trump, saying the U.S. would not admit individuals considered potential security risks. The 34-year-old, Africa’s referee of the year in…

A new global study has revealed a widening gap between ambition and execution in the push towards industrial digital ecosystems, with most organisations prioritising collaboration but struggling to share data effectively. According to the inaugural Industrial Intelligence Report on Digital Ecosystems and the Future of Connected Industries, launched by AVEVA in collaboration with the IMD Business School, 74 per cent of industry leaders consider digital ecosystems a top strategic priority. However, only 27 per cent report sharing data extensively with ecosystem partners. The report, which draws on insights from more than 275 senior leaders across 12 industry sectors, highlights a…

Instagram is going to let you tweak what its algorithm shows you on your main feed. With the Your Algorithm feature, “you can now see the topics we think you’re interested in, and change them, across all the major parts of Instagram,” according to Instagram boss Adam Mosseri. Right now, the feature will only surface topics, but Instagram is working on “supporting requests for people, different moods or vibes, content types, and more.”The company has been slowly giving users more agency over some algorithms on Instagram, having already launched the Your Algorithm feature for your Reels feed and the Explore…

Stand With Crypto UK is urging its 286,000 members to challenge British banks restricting transfers to cryptocurrency exchanges, arguing that blanket limits on transactions to regulated platforms are restricting access to digital assets.The new campaign cites a report from the UK Cryptoassets Business Council that found 40% of crypto transactions are blocked or restricted by UK banks. The group argues that many of the restrictions apply to transfers involving exchanges registered with the country’s Financial Conduct Authority and do not account for individual customer risk profiles.According to the report, one exchange recorded nearly 1 billion British pounds in declined transactions…

It’s feast or famine at Disney+, which can seem like a streaming wasteland one month and a paradise of new content the next. Fortunately, June falls into the latter category as the House of Mouse is unleashing some of its biggest movies over the next 30 days. James Cameron’s sci-fi blockbuster, Avatar: Fire and Ash definitely qualifies as “big” since the movie takes big swings with its big budget and giant-sized action sequences. Did I mention it’s big? Hoppers isn’t large in scope, but its small-scale story about a student who turns into a beaver to save the environment was…