Author: damazah@gmail.com

The Yobe State Government has approved the enrolment of state and local government retirees into the Social Equity Programme of its health insurance scheme. The Executive Secretary of the Yobe State Contributory Healthcare Management Agency (YSCHMA), Babagana Tijjani, disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday in Damaturu. Mr Tijjani said the approval was granted by Governor Mai Mala Buni following a recommendation from the agency. He said the initiative aims to reduce out-of-pocket healthcare spending among pensioners and improve access to comprehensive, quality healthcare services at YSCHMA-accredited health facilities. According to him, the approval underscores the state government’s commitment to…

Experts suggest more than 2,700 people may have died from heat-related causes during the heatwaves.

On Thursday, Howard will begin his tournament at 10:42 BST alongside New Zealand’s Kazuma Kobori and England’s Tom Sloman.”It’s surreal. I’ve been busy playing inter-pros for Munster and playing for my home club Fota Island, I haven’t had much time to think, but I’m happy to be here,” said Howard, who is 1,441st in the world amateur rankings.”I’ve only been to an Irish Open years ago to watch, so first time playing. I’ve watched a small bit on TV over the years, so it’ll be a good test and a great week. “I can’t wait. I’m going to try my…

Not sure if Ryan Reynolds can charm his way out of this one. Apple Original Films has dropped the first trailer for Mayday, the upcoming action-buddy-comedy starring Reynolds and Kenneth Branagh ahead of its September 4 bow on Apple TV. In the pic, when hot shot U.S. Navy pilot Lieutenant Troy “Assassin” Kelly (Reynolds) is sent on a top-secret mission into Russian territory at the height of the Cold War, the operation implodes, leaving him stranded behind enemy lines. Discovered by Nikolai Ustinov (Branagh), a gruff ex-KGB agent with a penchant for American culture, Troy thinks he’s toast – but could an…

The National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) has reaffirmed its commitment to expanding access to quality healthcare for vulnerable Nigerians through targeted financing programmes, saying the country’s pursuit of Universal Health Coverage (UHC) extends beyond increasing health insurance enrolment to building an equitable system that leaves no one behind. The NHIA said its interventions, anchored on the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund and other specialised programmes, are designed to improve access to essential health services while protecting poor and vulnerable households from catastrophic healthcare costs. The NHIA disclosed this in a statement it issued on Tuesday. It noted that the Basic Healthcare…

Sylvester Idowu in Warri  The Niger Delta Movement for Peoples Right and Development (NDMPRAD) has condemned the alleged blackmail tactics by a self-styled South South Youths Initiative (SSYI) targeting the former leadership of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd). The group, in a statement issued Tuesday in Warri and signed by its Executive Director, Dr Richard Oloige, specifically decried the targeting of the former Group Chief Executive Officer, NNPCL, Mele Kyari and the retired Executive Vice President (Upstream), Mr. Adokiye Tombomieye by the group. NDMPRAD accused SSYI and its National President, Comrade Imeabe Saviour, of spreading falsehood, misrepresentations…

The heavy downpour that swept across Lagos on Monday left thousands of motorists, commuters and residents stranded as floodwaters submerged major roads, disrupted businesses, and worsened conditions in communities already battling weeks of flooding. From Apongbon and Marina to Leventis, Ikoyi, and Lekki, several parts of the commercial capital were inundated after hours of rainfall, triggering traffic gridlock that stretched for kilometres and bringing economic activities to a standstill. Many commuters were forced to abandon vehicles and trek long distances as traffic snarled across major routes. Along the Apongbon corridor, the congestion extended through Eko Bridge to Costain, leaving workers…

On July 9, the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) authorized Reflect Orbital to build, launch, and operate a mirror satellite in low Earth orbit. The experimental satellite, named Eärendil-1, would be capable of reflecting sunlight onto specific locations on Earth during the night. The project has long drawn criticism from astronomers and environmental advocates.WIRED wrote about Reflect Orbital’s giant mirror in September 2024, when the project was still in its early stages: “The ambitious goal of the Santa Monica, California–based startup is to ensure a continuous supply of light for large solar panel installations, allowing them to generate electricity even…

Burnham says Hillsborough law being debated today can change UK by shifting power and dismantling unaccountability cultureAndy Burnham describes the Hillsborough tragedy, the police cover-up and smear campaign against fans that happened afterwards, and the long campaign by survivors, relatives and Liverpudlians for justice that has been running ever since as the story that has done most to shape his political outlook. As a young culture secretary, he gave a speech at the Hillsborough 20th anniversary memorial in 2009 which was instrumental in persuading him that the government had to redouble its efforts to ensure the full truth came out.Today…

Astronomers have described their discovery of four new hidden white dwarf stars “local” to Earth as a “surprise”.The University of Warwick team used the Hubble Space Telescope to pinpoint the small, dim stars orbiting in double systems within 65 light years of Earth. The four white dwarf stars in this “nearby region” of space each have larger and brighter red dwarf companions that had previously concealed them.University of Warwick research fellow Dr Mairi O’Brien said: “Nearby isolated white dwarfs are usually easy to find, but we couldn’t see these four stars directly in visible wavelengths because their red dwarf companions…