Author: News Room

President Bola Tinubu said on Friday that some of the terrorists who kidnapped pupils and teachers in Oyo State were killed during the successful rescue operation. The president also said at least eight of the terrorists were also arrested. Mr Tinubu said he was “profoundly happy” with the successful rescue operation. PREMIUM TIMES reported that the students and their teachers were released on Friday, 10 July, ending a 56-day standoff that began when terrorists seized the victims on 15 May. Sources familiar with the matter told our reporter that the abductees were freed following an operation by security forces from…

A former Bayelsa Senator,  Ben Murray-Bruce, has commended President Bola Tinubu and the nation’s security agencies following the successful rescue of pupils and teachers abducted in Oyo State. The media mogul described the operation as a demonstration of effective leadership, intelligence and professionalism. Reacting in a post on his verified X handle on Friday, Murray-Bruce said the safe return of the victims underscored what could be achieved through coordinated security efforts. “The successful rescue of the abducted pupils and teachers in Oyo State is a remarkable achievement and a testament to what can be accomplished when leadership, intelligence, and professionalism…

Spotify is giving listeners control to fine-tune what gets surfaced for them in Release Radar — one of its most popular weekly playlists. The new options allow you to narrow the playlist to a specific genre, focus on artists that are new to you, and more. Listeners can choose from up to five options like “Discover new artists,” “Editors’ picks,” and “Pop.” They’re rolling out now across mobile and desktop apps and will appear at the top of your Release Radar playlist once they’re available.Spotify also says it’s making tweaks to the algorithm to serve up “more personalized recommendations,” along…

Bitcoin (BTC) demand shifts are “behind” the price rebound to $64,000, new analysis claims.Key points:New Bitcoin price analysis says that US whales are behind the latest spate of BTC price relief. The Coinbase Premium is above its 14-day moving average, a key sign of strength.Research from Bitcoin Suisse suggests that “something changed” on the market this week. Bitcoin Coinbase Premium still negative despite trend line reclaimIn a blog post on Friday, onchain analytics platform CryptoQuant attributed Bitcoin’s July upside to US-based whales.Specifically, the Coinbase Premium — the difference in price between Coinbase’s and Binance’s BTC/USDT pairs — is showing early…

The Enugu State Government has sealed four private hospitals in Enugu North Local Government Area of the state for failing to meet regulatory requirements. This was contained in a statement issued on Thursday in Enugu by the Ministry of Health’s spokeswoman, Chidiogo Ugodu. Mrs Ugodu said the hospitals were sealed on 8 July as part of the ministry’s intensified monitoring and supervision of private health facilities across the state to ensure quality healthcare delivery and compliance with regulatory standards. She said the renewed enforcement exercise was initiated by the Commissioner for Health, George Ugwu. According to the statement, the Director…

The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) has disclosed that the Bombardier Challenger CL-601 aircraft involved in last month’s Asaba road landing aborted its initial approach to the airport before making a second attempt that ended on a site near the runway. The bureau disclosed in its preliminary investigation report released on Friday, providing the first official sequence of events leading to the incident on 10 June. According to the report, the aircraft, registered as N989BC and operated by VMO Aero Limited, was on an Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) flight from Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, to Asaba Airport when the…

As the AI boom boosts demand for RAM, SK Hynix – one of the world’s biggest suppliers of memory chips – launched on Wall Street Friday. The South Korean chipmaker opened at $170 per share and raised $26.5 billion, surpassing Alibaba’s record as the largest debut of a foreign company, according to reports from Associated Press and CNN.After reaching a $1 trillion valuation in May, SK Hynix briefly overtook Samsung as South Korea’s most valuable company. SK Hynix is one of three major companies benefitting from a surge in demand for DRAM and high-bandwidth memory (HBM). These components have become…

Policymakers in New Hampshire’s executive council voted against a proposal that would have allowed the state to issue $100 million in bonds backed by Bitcoin (BTC).At a Wednesday hearing, the five-member panel voted 3-2 against the New Hampshire Business Finance Authority’s (BFA) proposed issuance of $100 million in BTC-backed bonds. The proposed investments, which the authority approved in November 2025, already had support from Governor Kelly Ayotte.“It was an extremely short-sighted decision,” said state representative Keith Ammon in a Thursday X post after the vote. “I can’t believe I witnessed it in person. They should gather all relevant facts and…

The pupils and teachers abducted from three schools in Oyo State have been freed, PREMIUM TIMES can report. The release followed months of operations involving security forces from the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), the State Security Service (SSS), the Nigerian Army and other security agencies. Sources familiar with the matter told PREMIUM TIMES that the abdutees were freed on Friday evening and that several terrorists were killed in the process. This newspaper reported that a total of 46 people—consisting of 39 students and seven teachers—were kidnapped when terrorists simultaneously raided Baptist Nursery and Primary School (Yawota), Community…

The Anambra State Government has approved a three-month tax waiver for business owners under its newly introduced Voluntary Assets and Income Declaration and Tax Regularisation Scheme (VAIDS), from 6 July to 5 September. The Commissioner for Information and Value Reformation, Law Mefor, disclosed this in a statement on Thursday in Awka. Mr Mefor said the scheme offers a one-time opportunity for taxpayers to resolve their tax issues without incurring full penalties for non-compliance. He said the decision was reached by the state tax authority, led by the Chairman of the Anambra State Internal Revenue Service (AIRS), Ikeazor Okonkwo. He urged…