Recent tests have uncovered a serious health risk in cosmetics: cadmium, a toxic heavy metal linked to kidney and lung damage, bone weakening, nervous system disorders, and increased cancer risk, was detected in every lipstick sample tested. Given the widespread daily use of lipstick worldwide, this discovery is especially alarming. What the studies say Studies finding elevated cadmium in lipsticks A 2024 study of 12 lipsticks sold in Ghana found cadmium (Cd) concentrations in most samples exceeded the U.S. FDA’s acceptable limit of 3 mg/kg. PMC+1 In the same study, the health risk assessment showed that for “heavy users,” the…
Author: Abdallah el-Kurebe
Dangote Petroleum Refinery has condemned the strike declared by the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) and NUPENG, describing it as a “guerrilla tactic” designed to hold Nigerians to ransom. The management also challenged the two unions to publish 10-year audited accounts. In a statement issued yesterday, the refinery dismissed as “tissues of lies” PENGASSAN’s claims of mass sack, which the union cited as justification for its strike directive. It described the action as “an act of terror” with the potential to jeopardize the lives and livelihoods of millions of Nigerians who depend on petroleum products…
Guinea fowl are like the funky cousins of chickens—loud, quirky, and super useful. They’re great at eating bugs (especially ticks), they’re tough birds, and they add a wild touch to any farm or backyard. Let’s talk about the different types in simple, human-style language: Pearl guinea fow The most popular one! It has dark feathers with tiny white dots all over—like someone sprinkled pearls on it. Super vocal and great at pest control. Lavender guinea fowl Soft grayish-blue feathers that look dreamy. People love it for its pretty color and chill vibe. White guinea fowl Pure white feathers. Looks fancy…
Scientists at Michigan State University (MSU) are studying a microscopic enzyme that could help farmers in Nigeria and across Africa use fertilizer more efficiently, cut costs, and protect the environment. The enzyme, known as NrfA, helps keep nitrogen—the main nutrient in fertilizer—locked in the soil where crops can use it, instead of being washed away by rain. Why this matters for Nigerian farmers In Nigeria, fertilizer is expensive and often difficult for smallholder farmers to access. Yet, when farmers do apply it, much of the nitrogen gets lost. Heavy rains wash nitrogen away from the soil in the form of…
The National Universities Commission (NUC) has released a list of 58 fake universities currently operating illegally in Nigeria, warning students and parents that certificates from such institutions are invalid. In a public notice, the Commission stressed that the listed institutions have no accreditation to run degree programmes in the country. “For the avoidance of doubt, anybody who patronises or obtains any certificate from any of these illegal institutions does so at his or her own risk,” the NUC declared. The regulatory body confirmed that security and law enforcement agencies have been alerted for appropriate action against the operators. It also…
Dangote Petroleum Refinery has warned that the directive issued by the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) to cut crude oil and gas supplies to the refinery could plunge Nigerians into fresh fuel scarcity and cause huge revenue losses for the government. In a statement released on Saturday, the refinery described the directive as “criminal, reckless, and an act of economic sabotage” that, if enforced, would disrupt the production and nationwide supply of critical petroleum products, including petrol, diesel, aviation fuel, kerosene, and cooking gas. The company stressed that these products are indispensable to daily life…
The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has directed its members to halt gas supply to the Dangote Petroleum Refinery with immediate effect. In a letter signed by its General Secretary, Comrade Lumumba Okugbawa, on Friday, the union accused the refinery management of disengaging unionised workers and embarking on a “mission of misinformation and propaganda” instead of engaging meaningfully with the union. PENGASSAN instructed all its branch chairmen, particularly those in the Nigerian Gas Infrastructure Company (NGIC), to ensure that gas supply to the refinery was cut off without delay. The directive also ordered the shutting…
Commercial farmers have called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to buy farm produce from them and crash the food prices for sale to Nigerians. ASHENEWS recalls that the president recently ordered the crash down of food prices as measures to reduce transportation costs for agricultural produce across Nigeria. The Federal Government, through the Ministry of Agriculture, reassured these producers that President Tinubu’s order aims to lower transport costs and ensure the safe passage of farm produce through major routes, which will help address the root causes of high food prices. It added that the government is also launching programmes like…
The Indian Council of Agricultural Research–National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources (ICAR-NBPGR) organized the fourth training on Biosecurity and Biosafety: Diagnostics, Phytosanitary Treatments and Issues from August 19–28, 2025. Conducted virtually under the Department of Biotechnology–funded project National Programme for Quarantine and GM Diagnostics of Genetically Engineered Plant Material, the course brought together 93 participants from across India. Attendees included officials from the Directorate of Plant Protection, Quarantine and Storage (DPPQ&S), scientists from ICAR institutes, State Agricultural Universities (SAUs), private industry representatives, and members of organizations such as the Central Silk Board, Coffee Board, and ICARDA–India. Training structure The program…
Sri Lanka, like many South Asian countries, is grappling with the mounting challenge of municipal solid waste management. Nearly 60 percent of this waste consists of organic material, such as food scraps, market residues, and agricultural by-products. Conventional methods of disposal, including open dumping and landfilling, not only consume valuable land resources but also generate greenhouse gases, foul odors, and public health hazards. An innovative and eco-friendly solution is now gaining traction worldwide—the use of the Black Soldier Fly (Hermetia illucens). Harmless to humans, this insect has a remarkable ability to consume large amounts of organic waste and convert it…