Russia has rejected a World Health Organization (WHO) initiative to update its assessment of the health effects of nuclear weapons use, breaking ranks with nations still grappling with the devastating legacy of Cold War-era nuclear tests. This opposition comes as Russia has threatened to resume nuclear testing amid its ongoing war in Ukraine. In regions known as “sacrifice zones”, where thousands of nuclear tests have poisoned the soil and ravaged communities, residents continue to suffer elevated cancer rates and birth defects decades after the last Soviet-era detonations. “The Russian delegation is not in favour of discussing this topic,” Russia’s representative…
Author: Abdoulaye Kay
A 45-year-old woman has had a debilitating, orange-sized tumour surgically removed from her jaw for free after she was spotted by team workers from international charity Mercy Ships in her village in Madagascar.Unable to afford surgery, mother-of-four Marie Elisa had lived with the growing tumour for five years. The condition caused severe weight loss, forced her to stop farming, and left her family struggling financially.What began as a simple toothache at age 40 became relentless pain that drove her to a pharmacy in Berangotra, a village in central Madagascar, where she was given pain relievers.Marie Elisa recalled: “The painkillers helped…
Energy expert Dan Kunle has warned that the continued importation of petrol and diesel by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Limited and certain marketers—despite the Dangote Petroleum Refinery’s capacity to meet domestic demand—is detrimental to the country. Recent reports indicate that NNPC and oil marketers spent N5.5 trillion on petrol and diesel imports within four months. Speaking on Arise TV on Sunday, Kunle likened the massive importation of petroleum products to the infamous “cement Armada”—a 1970s scandal during Nigeria’s oil boom, where hundreds of cement-laden ships congested the ports for years. Kunle expressed disappointment that despite President Bola Tinubu’s…
A Dubai court has sentenced Abdulrahman Bashar, the owner of Rahamaniyya Group and Ultimate Oil & Gas, to one year in prison for financial misconduct related to his dealings with CI Energy Company, an oil and gas firm. This marks the second time in less than five years that Bashar has been sentenced to jail. In 2020, a UK court handed him a ten-month sentence for contempt in a separate commercial dispute. The Dubai court verdict According to court documents, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) court delivered its ruling on January 30, 2025. Despite being notified, Bashar, 48, failed to…
That is the question. Perhaps we should first take a look at Lake Chad and Mai Mala Buni, the governor of Yobe State and current chairman of the Lake Chad Basin Governors’ Forum. The Lake Chad Basin is an area of about 2,434,000 square kilometres (940,000 square miles), roughly 8 per cent of Africa. It includes parts of Cameroon, Chad, Nigeria, and Niger and is fed by the Chari, Logone, and Yobe Rivers. There are around 30 million inhabitants and over 70 ethnic groups, with their primary sources of livelihood being farming, fishing, and animal husbandry. The lakeside is rich…
The Federal High Court in Lagos, presided over by Justice Ayokunle Olayinka Faji, has dismissed a suit seeking to compel the Lagos State Government to disclose details of the expenditure of $100 million received from billionaire businessman, Aliko Dangote. The funds were reportedly paid by Dangote nine years ago for seven acres of land in Ibeju-Lekki, now home to Africa’s largest oil refinery. Court ruling and legal implications Delivering judgment on Friday, Justice Faji ruled that the Lagos State Government could not be compelled to disclose the financial details as the law mandating such disclosure under the Freedom of Information…
The registration and screening exercise for orphans across Sokoto State’s 23 local government areas, sponsored by Senator Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko (Sokoto North Senatorial District), has entered its second day. A team of officials conducting the crucial initiative has successfully completed the exercise in Wamakko Local Government Area, where orphans from both Wamakko and Kware LGAs were jointly registered, as directed by the former governor. Under the plan, each ward is to present 20 orphans for registration and screening in preparation for Senator Wamakko’s Special Sallah Package. The chairmen of Kware and Wamakko LGAs, Hon. Attahiru Ruggar Giwa and Hon. Ahmad…
Imam AbdulKadir Sholagberu, the Grand Sheikh of the Ilorin Emirate in Kwara state, has called for unity among Islamic scholars and preachers, emphasizing the need for rapprochement between different religious doctrines. Making the call in a thought-provoking sermon delivered at the National Mosque Abuja, he highlighted the importance of harmony in Islamic scholarship, warning against the dangers of sectarian disputes. Addressing worshippers, Sholagberu underscored the significance of unity, stating that division among scholars leads to confusion among believers, while lamenting the increasing disagreements on religious matters, particularly on the observance of Islamic rituals in months such as Rabi’ al-Awwal, Rabi’…
The Federal Government has clarified that the proposed extension to a 12-year compulsory education system will maintain the existing 6-3-3 structure, contrary to recent reports suggesting the elimination of Junior Secondary School (JSS) and Senior Secondary School (SSS). In a statement released by the Director of Press and Public Relations, Folasade Boriowo, on Friday in Abuja, the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, emphasized that there is no plan to replace JSS and SSS with a new 12-year uninterrupted basic education model. Dr. Alausa clarified that his recent presentation at the Extraordinary National Council on Education (NCE) meeting on February…
The Middle Belt Journalists Forum (MBJF) has expressed profound gratitude to President Bola Tinubu for signing into law the bill establishing the North Central Development Commission (NCDC). This landmark decision aims to address the longstanding challenges of underdevelopment in the North Central geopolitical zone. In a statement jointly signed by the National President and Secretary, Mark Mayah and Ladi Emmanuel, the MBJF also extended its appreciation to the executive governors of the North Central states and the National Assembly for their pivotal roles in bringing this initiative to fruition. The forum emphasized that the collaborative efforts of these stakeholders were…