Health specialists have advised against wearing earplugs every night to block out noise during sleep, warning that frequent use could interfere with the ear’s natural cleaning process and lead to medical problems. Otolaryngologists, doctors specialising in ear, nose and throat conditions, say earplugs remain safe for occasional use but should not become a nightly habit.  Instead, they recommend creating a quieter sleep environment through alternative measures such as white-noise machines, fans or improved soundproofing in the bedroom. According to sleep and health researchers, the human ear maintains what experts describe as a delicate ecosystem designed to trap and remove dust, bacteria and wax.  Tiny outward-facing hairs and wax-producing glands help prevent debris from reaching the eardrum, while a natural process known as epithelial migration gradually pushes wax out of the ear canal. Regularly inserting objects such as earplugs, earbuds or cotton swabs can disrupt that pr...

President Bola Tinubu employed discreet diplomacy to prevent Washington from taking a hostile stance towards Nigeria over claims of genocide. Alhaji Isa Aremu, Director-General of the Michael Imodu Institute for Labour and Employment Studies made the claim on Wednesday. Speaking on in Ilorin at the institute’s fifth Ramadan lecture series, organised by its Muslim community, Aremu said Tinubu avoided public confrontation with his United States (US) counterpart, Donald Trump, and instead worked quietly through diplomatic channels to defuse the issue. He argued that restraint and behind-the-scenes engagement helped avert wider tensions at a sensitive moment, adding that a more combative response could have deepened divisions at home.  Aremu also pointed to subsequent remarks by Trump praising the work of Nigeria’s First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, on social welfare as evidence that diplomacy had yielded results. READ ALSO :  Tinubu Orders Suspension of FAAN Cashless System at Airports ...

President Bola Tinubu has directed the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, to suspend the cashless payment system recently introduced by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN). Keyamo announced the president’s directive on Wednesday while briefing State House correspondents after the Federal Executive Council meeting at the Presidential Villa in Abuja. According to the minister, the president instructed the aviation ministry to halt the current arrangement and review the system to ensure it operates without creating difficulties for airport users. He said Tinubu had asked officials to “ go back to the drawing board, suspend the present system and perfect a system that will work perfectly without putting unnecessary pressure on citizens .” READ ALSO : Tinubu Approves Six Major Road Projects, New Carter Bridge Design The minister added that the president also urged authorities to take a swift decision on a revised framework, including the possibility ...

Nigeria’s hopes of reaching the 2026 FIFA World Cup through the inter-confederation play-offs have been dashed after FIFA confirmed the final line-up for the tournament, naming DR Congo as Africa’s representative. The decision was disclosed in an accreditation notice circulated to the media on Wednesday, in which the world football governing body outlined the tournament format and listed the six participating nations. DR Congo’s inclusion effectively shuts the door on the Super Eagles, whose place had been uncertain following a dispute over the outcome of the CAF play-off tie between the two sides in November 2025. READ ALSO : Super Falcons Rally to Beat Cameroon 3–1 in WAFCON Warm-Up The Nigeria Football Federation had lodged a formal protest with football authorities, alleging that DR Congo fielded ineligible players during the decisive encounter. That match ended 1–1 after regulation time before DR Congo secured victory through a penalty shoot-out. With FIFA’s latest confirmation of...

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the construction and reconstruction of six major road projects across Nigeria, alongside plans to demolish and replace the ageing Carter Bridge in Lagos. The development was disclosed on Wednesday by the Minister of Works, David Umahi, who outlined the scope of the projects and the government’s plan to accelerate key transport infrastructure nationwide. Umahi said the projects include the completion of the Suleja–Minna Road, which was originally awarded to Salini Construction Company but later terminated over poor performance. According to the minister, only 10 kilometres of the route had been completed before the contract was cancelled.  He stated that the government has now approved the completion of the remaining 71 kilometres of the dual carriageway.  One carriageway, he disclosed, has been awarded to China Geo-Engineering Corporation at a cost of N91 billion, while the second carriageway has received clearance from the Bureau of Pu...

Nigeria’s drug regulator has warned healthcare providers and the public about counterfeit and parallel-imported versions of VISITECT HIV Advanced Disease Test Kits circulating in the country. The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) issued the warning on Wednesday in a notice titled Public Alert No. 011/2026, published on its official X account. According to the agency, the marketing authorisation holder for the product in Nigeria, Euro Specs International Nigeria Limited, confirmed that counterfeit and unregistered versions of the diagnostic kit are being sold through unauthorised channels. NAFDAC said the VISITECT CD4 Advanced Disease assay is a rapid, instrument-free lateral flow test designed to identify patients with severe HIV infection, defined by a CD4 count below 200 cells per microlitre, within about 40 minutes using a blood sample. The agency described the test as a critical diagnostic tool in resource-limited settings, adding that it helps h...

United States (US) President Donald Trump has said he is unconcerned about whether Iran takes part in the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Trump's comment follows growing uncertainty over the country’s participation after escalating conflict in the Middle East. Iran has already secured qualification for the tournament, which will be co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico with the Iranian national team scheduled to play matches in Los Angeles and Seattle. However, its involvement has come under scrutiny following a series of military attacks by the United States and Israel that killed senior Iranian leaders and intensified tensions across the region. In an interview with Politico on Tuesday, Trump dismissed issues about Iran’s place in the competition. “ I really don’t care if Iran participates ,” he said, adding that the country was “ a very badly defeated country ” that was “ running on fumes .” The remarks contrast with the messaging from FIFA, which has repeatedly sought to rea...

The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) has signed an international management agreement with Radisson Hospitality Belgium and Edison Hotel and Property Development Company for the operation of its 204-room hotel and conference centre in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State. According to NCDMB, the agreement, executed on Monday in Durban, South Africa, covers the facility being developed beside the Nigerian Content Tower in Swali and is scheduled to open in December 2026. Signing on behalf of the NCDMB, its executive secretary, Felix Omatsola Ogbe, said negotiations and compliance checks had taken more than two years, culminating in approvals from all key stakeholders, including the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Olasunkanmi Fagbemi. Ogbe explained the objective was to deliver a world-class hotel with a fully equipped conference centre to serve oil and gas stakeholders as well as the wider public.  He pledged the board’s commitment to mee...

A 43-year-old man has been taken into police custody in Oyo State on suspicion of murdering his elder brother following a dispute over an event the suspect claimed occurred in a dream. Lateef Suleiman, of the Alegunlode Compound in Sepeteri, reportedly attacked his brother, 52-year-old Mustapha Amidu, after waking up convinced that the older man had shot him while he was asleep the previous night. According to a statement released on Tuesday by the Oyo State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Ayanlade Olayinka, the suspect did not dismiss the dream as a hallucination.  Olayinka stated that instead, Suleiman allegedly sought out his brother, who was seated at the time, and struck him on the head with a heavy rock. READ ALSO :  DSS Arrests Suspect over Attack, Online Threats Against Peter Obi Suleiman was said to have fled the scene immediately following the assault, while the victim was rushed to Ileri Oluwa Hospital in Sepeteri for emergency treatment but was later confirmed...

Thousands of mourners lined the streets of Minab in southern Iran on Tuesday for the funeral of victims of an airstrike that destroyed a girls’ elementary school, killing at least 175 people, many of them children attending classes. The bombing, which occurred on Saturday, struck the Shajarah Tayyebeh elementary school while lessons were under way, according to Iranian officials and local health authorities.  Footage and images verified by international media showed that a large section of the two-storey building was reduced to rubble. The attack is among the deadliest single incidents since the United States (US) and Israel launched coordinated strikes against Iran at the weekend, triggering a rapid escalation across the Middle East.  Iranian authorities say more than 800 people have been killed region-wide since the fighting began, following the death of Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in the opening phase of the campaign. Ahead of Tuesday’s burial, rows of gr...

The widening conflict between the United States (US), Israel and Iran has cast a shadow over this summer’s men’s World Cup. RoundReports understands that uncertainty is growing over whether Iran will take part in the tournament co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico. A wave of US and Israeli strikes on Iran over the past 48 hours has sharply escalated regional tensions, following comments by Donald Trump that the bombing campaign could last several weeks.  Iranian state media has reported the death of the country’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and Tehran has since launched retaliatory attacks. While the football implications may appear secondary, the crisis has prompted fresh questions about Iran’s World Cup participation and whether Washington could restrict the team’s entry, despite previous assurances that all qualified nations would be welcomed. FIFA’s general secretary, Mattias Grafström, said at the weekend that the governing body’s priority was “ to hav...

Nigeria has crossed a key threshold in its electricity market, with more than half of registered power consumers now on prepaid meters, official data show. Figures released by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) indicate that the national metering rate rose to 57.27 per cent by the end of December 2025, indicating a sustained improvement in meter deployment after years of slow progress. It was revealed that the power sector has long been weighed down by estimated billing, a system under which customers without meters are charged based on assessed rather than actual consumption. The practice has fuelled complaints of overbilling and contributed to chronic liquidity problems across electricity distribution companies. In response, the regulator introduced the Meter Asset Provider scheme and the National Mass Metering Programme, aimed at accelerating the shift to a prepaid, pay-as-you-go billing model. NERC’s data show that of Nigeria’s 12.16 million active electricity cu...

Nigeria’s Super Falcons produced a strong second-half display to defeat Cameroon 3–1 in an international friendly on Tuesday. The defeat overturned an early setback as both sides continued preparations for the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON). Playing in Yaoundé, the hosts struck first after seven minutes, finishing off a swift counterattack to hand the Indomitable Lionesses an early advantage.  Nigeria, however, grew steadily into the contest and drew level in the 32nd minute through Chinwendu Ihezuo, who powered home a header from a well-weighted delivery by Rinsola Babajide. The African champions maintained the pressure and went ahead shortly before the interval.  Babajide reacted quickest during a goalmouth scramble two minutes before half-time to put Nigeria 2–1 up at the break. READ ALSO : FIFA Reopens World Cup Ticket Sales Days after Sell-out Claim Nigeria continued to control proceedings after the restart and were rewarded again in the 64th minute.  Mi...

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has directed the immediate release of approved funds for the maintenance of Nigeria’s space assets. The order was announced on Tuesday at the inaugural meeting of the National Space Council held at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, where the President was represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima. Tinubu said the cost of implementing the revised 25-year roadmap for Nigeria’s space development should be forwarded to the Federal Executive Council for consideration and approval, revealing what he described as a decisive push to move the programme from planning to delivery. “ Nigeria will not watch the new frontier unfold from the sidelines ,” the President said in remarks delivered at the meeting.  He added that the country’s space ambitions must be tied to “ outcomes, accountability and national value ,” with direct benefits for agriculture, education, security, research and economic planning. The President linked the renewed focus on space to his Renew...

The All Progressives Congress (APC) congress in Delta State, convened on Tuesday in Asaba as a platform to project unity ahead of the 2027 elections, instead laid bare deepening divisions within the party following the absence of several heavyweight figures. The meeting, held at the Cenotaph in the state capital, was shunned by former Deputy Senate President Ovie Omo-Agege, Senator Ned Nwoko, and House of Representatives member Eritake Ibori-Suenu, alongside other influential stakeholders. Their non-attendance cast a pall over the exercise and sharpened speculation about widening fault lines within the Delta chapter of the ruling All Progressives Congress. Although no official explanation was offered for the boycott, party sources told newsmen the absent leaders felt marginalised during the planning and execution of the congress and opted to stay away with their supporters. Despite the high-profile absences, Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori and his allies pressed ahead, producin...