The United States Department of Agriculture has ordered the immediate suspension of more than $129.18 million in federal funding to the State of Minnesota and the City of Minneapolis, citing allegations of “widespread and systemic fraud” and failures in safeguarding taxpayer funds. In a letter dated January 9, 2026, addressed to Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, USDA Secretary Brooke L. Rollins said the decision followed years of alleged fraud and mismanagement in federal benefit programmes administered in the state. “It is my responsibility as Secretary of Agriculture to ensure sound stewardship of taxpayer dollars by eliminating…
Author: Newsdesk
Africa has recorded more than 61,383 mpox cases and 296 deaths across 32 countries since early 2024, as continent-wide efforts to develop effective treatment options gather momentum. The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) disclosed this in a statement made available to reporters on Saturday in Abuja. The statement followed the announcement of a collaboration between Emergent BioSolutions and the Pandemic Preparedness Platform for Health and Emerging Infections Response (PANTHER) to provide additional financial support for the Africa CDC-led Mpox Study in Africa (MOSA). The MOSA initiative, launched in 2024, is a double-blind, platform-adaptive clinical trial designed…
The Federal Government has directed the immediate enforcement of the “No Work, No Pay” policy against members of the Joint Health Sector Unions and the Assembly of Health Care Professionals (JOHESU) participating in the ongoing strike. The directive is contained in a circular issued by the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare (FMoHSW) on Saturday in Abuja. The circular, addressed to Chief Medical Directors and Medical Directors of federal health institutions, was dated Jan. 8 and signed by the Director of Hospital Services, Dr Disu Adejoke, on behalf of the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare. It stated…
The Lagos State Government has announced a traffic diversion plan for the Lagos Gran Fondo “Eko 170” Cycling Race scheduled for Sunday, Jan. 11, from 5:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. The Commissioner for Transportation, Mr Oluwaseun Osiyemi, disclosed this in a statement issued on Saturday in Lagos. Osiyemi said the 170-kilometre cycling race, organized by the Dynastar Sport and Education Foundation, would feature two routes. According to him, the 70-kilometre route will start at Eko Atlantic, pass through Ahmadu Bello Way, Coastal Road, Okun-Ajah Community Road, Ogombo Road, Abraham Adesanya Junction, Lekki-Epe Expressway and Sangotedo, before returning to Eko Atlantic…
Kenya has launched a renewed push to revive its struggling cashew nut industry, with the government warning that years of declining production have cost the country jobs, farmer incomes and export earnings despite strong global demand. Cabinet Secretary for Agriculture and Livestock Development, Sen. Mutahi Kagwe, said the turnaround plan aims to unlock the sector’s vast untapped potential, particularly along the Coast, where cashew farming once supported thousands of households. Agricultural Magazine Subscription Kenya currently produces about 13,000 tonnes of cashew nuts annually, far below an installed processing capacity of 45,000 tonnes. According to the Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA),…
The Federal Government has earmarked a total of ₦7.01 billion for the travel expenses of President Bola Tinubu and Vice-President Kashim Shettima in the proposed 2026 appropriation bill. According to the 2026 budget proposal, ₦6.14 billion has been allocated to President Tinubu’s international travel, while ₦873.88 million has been allocated to his domestic travel. This brings his total travel budget for the year to ₦7.01 billion. For the Vice President, Kashim Shettima, the proposed bill allocates ₦1.73 billion for travel and transport. This includes ₦417.48 million for local travel and ₦1.31 billion for international trips. In a move aimed at reducing…
The Federal Government has started disbursing the ₦10,000 monthly stipend to beneficiaries of the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) Renewed Hope Employment Initiative (RHEI) for January 2026. Reports confirm that trainees who completed their training and successfully uploaded their bank account details on the NDE portal have started receiving payment. The January stipend payments commenced on January 8, 2026. Some beneficiaries have already confirmed receipt of the funds, while many others are still waiting for payments for previous months. A payment alert obtained by Ashenews shows the transaction description as “NDE RHEI” with a credit of ₦10,000 paid on January…
The Vice-Chancellor of Osun State University, Professor Clement Adebooye, has approved the appointment of Professor Alamu Oguntola of the Department of Mechanical Engineering as the acting Provost of the Postgraduate College of the institution. The appointment, which took effect on Monday, January 5, 2026, was part of the institution’s ongoing efforts to strengthen leadership and enhance academic excellence across its postgraduate programmes. This was contained in a statement on Friday by the institution’s Public Relations Officer, Ademola Adesoji. Adesoji said the don would bring his 26 years of academic experience and expertise in teaching, research, and university administration to the…
Alfred Ogene, a Lagos resident, has filed a formal legal claim against R-Jolad Hospital Nigeria Limited, alleging gross medical negligence. According to the claim, the alleged negligence resulted in permanent damage to his urinary system and has caused him severe physical injuries as well as psychological trauma. Ogene, who is also a Consultant Architect, wrote through his solicitors, Nojim Tairu & Co. Legal Practitioners, in a memorandum signed by Joseph Aborisade. He alleged that he was admitted to the hospital in the early hours of November 15, 2025, for treatment of partial paralysis following a stroke. Ogene said a urinary…
Elon Musk’s AI chatbot Grok has restricted image generation and editing for most users following a global backlash over its role in producing sexualised deepfake images, including depictions of women in explicit poses, according to researchers. The chatbot, accessible through Musk-owned social media platform X, had in recent weeks been responding to what experts described as malicious user requests to alter images, including adding sexual content. In some cases, researchers warned that the images appeared to depict children. Governments across several countries condemned the platform and launched investigations into the matter. On Friday, Grok began responding to image-altering requests with…