Author: damazah@gmail.com

When a disease outbreak occurs, sequencing the responsible pathogen and posting its genome to a public database facilitates research into diagnostic tests and vaccines. However, the benefits of sharing genomic data quickly and widely are not equally shared. Many outbreaks begin in lower-income countries (1), where health workers and scientists collect samples and generate sequences that are then used by well-resourced institutions to create proprietary tests, therapeutics, and patents (2). When there is little return for sharing data, countries may decide to share less [as Indonesia did in 2006 (3)], making the equity problem a security problem as well. Member…

Tyler Duckworth, the two-time winner of MTV’s The Challenge and former Real World: Key West star, has died. He was 44. His mother, Toni, announced his death on Facebook Thursday. “My son, Tyler, passed away earlier this week. Cause of death has yet to be determined,” she wrote, adding that she would share a follow-up post when a cause of death was made available. The Grand Forks Police Department told People that officers were sent to his residence on Tuesday after a neighbor reported water coming through the ceiling from his apartment. Duckworth was found dead in his bathroom, with…

DARK clouds of violence and intimidation have gathered over Osun State in the run-up to Saturday’s governorship election. Yet Osun people must not surrender to fear or allow violence to rob them of their democratic rights. They must troop out to vote. It is an important civic duty they owe themselves, their children and the future of the state. Five people were reportedly killed in Ilesa in pre-election violence just six days before the August 15 ballot. An earlier and heavier assault reportedly claimed about 30 lives across the state. These are grim figures for an exercise in which citizens…

Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja Ahead of the Osun State governorship election scheduled for Saturday, a total of 1,906,390 voters will decide the fate of the 15 governorship candidates in the election. Recall that the leading candidates including the incumbent Governor and the candidate of Accord Senator Ademola Adeleke, Bola Oyebamiji of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Dr. Najeem Salaam of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) on Tuesday at the Arise News town hall offered their visions for the state. While Adeleke defended his three-and-a-half-year record, Oyebamiji presented himself as an investment and public finance expert capable of turning around…

Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse at the FORMULA 1 BRITISH GRAND PRIX 2026The Walt Disney CompanyDisney and Formula 1 first announced their partnership in 2025 and kicked off the collaborative Fuel the Magic campaign with a flashy Las Vegas Grand Prix launch party. The original partnership was set to last through the 2027 season, but now the two high-energy global brands with fully engaged fan bases have signed a deal to extend the partnership through the 2028 season. The Fuel the Magic campaign includes experiences and content at race weekends around the world, plus merchandise themed to specific races and…

As cancer treatments have advanced and outcomes have improved, one aspect of cancer care in the US has consistently worsened over the last decade: the wait time for surgery. According to a study in JAMA Surgery, patients with one of six types of cancer—breast, colon, lung, pancreatic, gastric, and esophageal—have faced longer wait times for surgery than in 2012. Timeliness is considered a core metric of healthcare quality, and delays in cancer surgery have been linked to poorer outcomes, including reduced survival rates and increased patient anxiety and distress. The findings of the new study are based on data from over…

As Nigeria marked International Youth Day on Wednesday, the Frontline Advocacy Initiative (FAI) urged young people to reject illicit drugs and called on governments to increase investment in addiction treatment and rehabilitation services. International Youth Day is observed annually on 12 August to draw attention to issues affecting young people and promote their participation in social and economic development. The theme for the 2026 commemoration is, “Different Contexts, Common Aspirations.” In a statement, the Founder and Executive Director of FAI, Shakirudeen Bankole, expressed concern about illicit drug use among young people and what he described as inadequate treatment and rehabilitation…

Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State says his administration built the 300-bed Enugu International Hospital to reduce the number of Nigerians travelling abroad for medical treatment. Mr Mbah, who spoke to reporters on Wednesday after a pre-launch tour of the facility, said the hospital was established to retain the substantial resources spent on healthcare abroad. “This is not a facility that is knee-jerk or that was accidentally put here. If you recall, during our campaign for this office, we made it clear that we were committed to making Enugu a medical tourism hub on the continent. “We knew the size…

Guardian writers’ predicted position: 10th (NB: this is not necessarily Andy Hunter’s prediction but the average of our writers’ tips)Last season’s position: 13thProspectsA season stripped of the fear of relegation, featuring more proactive, front-footed football and the return of some hope: had Everton been offered that package before their relocation to Hill Dickinson Stadium last summer it would have been accepted gratefully given the turmoil of the previous four years. For four fifths of last season it was accepted gratefully, but then came a collapse that transformed perceptions of David Moyes’s first full season back in charge. Talk of progress…

Their shared history means they’re comfortable and convincing as a couple talking – and singing – about their lives together.”It’s just easy to be with Alan,” Henderson said.”We have a good chemistry. We don’t over analyse it.””I come to see you before the show, each night,” said Cumming, “and I say, ‘let’s have fun’. If we can, because it’s terrifying.”Because you’ve got this incredible roller coaster of emotions. Even in the happy bits, I want to cry.””You just can’t help but feel something,” said Henderson.”It’s like when the first snows come. It’s a tenderness, but there’s a rawness to it…