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The Presidency has criticised former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar over what it described as conflicting positions on petrol subsidy, saying the different explanations coming from him and his aides within one week showed a lack of clarity in his policy proposal. The Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, stated this in a statement released on Wednesday titled, “Atiku confused on petrol subsidy; third U-turn in one week shows he is simply playing politics.” Onanuga said Atiku’s position had changed or been explained differently three times within a week, beginning with a statement by his spokesperson, Paul…

The Nigeria Football Federation’s (NFF) fact-finding committee has alleged that some officials influenced the selection of players for Nigeria’s national teams for financial gain. The allegation was contained in a leaked committee report dated 21 August and seen by PREMIUM TIMES. The committee, which was set up following the Super Falcons’ failure to retain the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) title and to qualify for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup, examined broader administrative, technical, financial, and developmental problems in Nigerian football. The six-member committee was chaired by former NFF General Secretary Fanny Amun, with former Super Falcons captain…

The Federal Government has called for stronger collaboration between Nigerian universities and the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) to turn academic research and innovations into commercial products, businesses and jobs.   Maruf Tunji Alausa, Minister of Education, made the call during a presentation to vice-chancellors, directors of academic affairs, directors of postgraduate studies and officials of the Federal Ministry of Education’s Directorate of University Education on the proposed NASENI Campus initiative.   According to a statement signed by Ikharo Attah, Special Adviser (Media and Communications), Alausa said the partnership would help close the persistent gap between research…

Social media giant Meta has reached a settlement with US states and territories to resolve a court case related to child safety on Facebook and Instagram. The tech company says it will pay a maximum of $18bn (£13.3bn) to 48 states, plus the District of Columbia and three US territories.The settlement requires Meta to introduce certain rules for teenage users, including daily limits and night-time blocks.Meta denied wrongdoing in agreeing to settle. It was alleged the company had violated numerous federal and state privacy laws for children.The states suing Meta claimed it used its platforms “to entice, engage, and ultimately…

Hamed was one of British boxing’s biggest stars during the 1990s, combining an entertaining fighting style with elaborate ring entrances and a larger-than-life character.The Sheffield-born fighter became Britain’s youngest world champion when he beat Steve Robinson for the WBO featherweight title in Cardiff in 1995, aged 21 and 230 days.Itauma will miss out on that record by 14 days if he beats Hrgovic.Hamed, though, says he is not concerned about records and simply wants to see “special fighter” Itauma fulfil his potential.”Winning a national title as an amateur aged 11 and then having in your head all the way through…

ITV2 has confirmed that Big Brother UK legend Kate Lawler and podcast GK Barry will co-host Big Brother: The Group Chat. The new BBUK companion series will take over Big Brother: Late & Live, which had been hosted by AJ Odudu and Will Best since the reality competition landed on ITV2 in 2023. Big Brother: The Group Chat will premiere alongside Big Brother UK Season 23 this fall. The companion series will air Sunday through Thursday nights after the main show on ITV2, ITVX, YouTube, and all major podcast platforms. The chat show will give fans even more action, bringing…

Oghenevwede Ohwovoroile in Abuja  The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) is seeking Solutions to end communication barriers suffered by Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) to enable them communicate seamlessly while using telecommunication devices. The Executive Commissioner, Stakeholders Management, Rimini Makama, disclosed this at the opening ceremony of a two-day Hackathon 4th edition, organised by the commission on Wednesday in Abuja, with the theme: ‘Technology Without Barriers.’ Makama, who was represented by the Director, Zonal Operations, NCC, Usman Malah, said the commission had brought together young innovators to develop practical technological solutions particularly to PWDs. “Today, we celebrate the ingenuity, creativity and determination…

Syria has been in talks on the fate of Khmeimim and Tartous bases, which Russia used to support ousted Assad regime.Published On 26 Aug 202626 Aug 2026Russian President Vladimir Putin and Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa have held discussions, including on the fate of Russia’s military bases in the Middle Eastern country.During a telephone call on Wednesday, Putin affirmed Moscow’s support for Syria’s territorial integrity and reiterated Russia’s rejection of Israeli attacks and violations of Syrian sovereignty, reports Syrian news agency SANA.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of listThe Kremlin stressed that the discussion also concerned deepening political dialogue and cooperation…

By Udeme Akpan, Energy Editor The Dangote Petroleum Refinery has been identified as the key driver behind a seven-fold increase in Nigeria’s seaborne petroleum product exports since 2023, according to the latest report by the United States Energy Information Administration (EIA). The U.S. agency disclosed that Nigeria’s seaborne petroleum product shipments averaged 561,000 barrels per day (bpd) in the second quarter of 2026, a significant increase from the annual average of 79,000 bpd recorded in 2023. According to the EIA, the growth in exports has strengthened Nigeria’s position in the international petroleum products market at a time when supplies from…

Xbox chief executive Asha Sharma says the gaming giant needs to be “thinking about” affordability for its next-generation console, amid a “crisis” in computing prices.In an interview with the BBC, she said rising hardware costs partly driven by AI spending mean firms need to find ways to make gaming affordable.She also revealed gamers will soon be able to get digital versions of many of the physical games they currently own, potentially meaning their old games can be played on future Xbox consoles without having to put a disc in a drive.”I know players love physical media, and I know there’s…