RoundReports

The Bayelsa State Government has opened applications for internship placements in the health sector, targeting newly qualified medical and allied health graduates across the state. In a public notice issued by the Bayelsa State Ministry of Health, the government announced that the internship programme will be run in collaboration with the Niger Delta University Teaching Hospital (NDUTH). The placements are open to graduates of Medicine and Surgery, Pharmacy, Nursing Science, Medical Laboratory Science and Dental Therapy.  Interested applicants are required to obtain application forms from the Department of Medical Services, Room 3, at the Ministry of Health headquarters, after paying a non-refundable fee of N10,000. According to the notice, payment must be made into the Ministry of Health account with Eco Bank before forms can be collected. READ ALSO : NDDC Opens Applications for 2026/2027 Foreign Postgraduate Scholarships Submission of completed application forms closes on Wednesd...

Nigeria’s Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, has issued a public apology over weeks of widespread electricity outages, conceding that the disruption has intensified hardship for households, businesses and schools during the dry-season heat. Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday in Abuja, the minister acknowledged growing public anger as soaring temperatures drive higher demand for cooling amid erratic supply. In a rare admission of failure, Adelabu said the outages had affected “ homes, businesses , schools and industries ,” adding that while the situation was not intentional, several factors lay beyond the government’s immediate control. He told reporters that relief should be visible within a fortnight, citing commitments from gas suppliers and a timetable for repairs to damaged pipelines. “ Two weeks from now, we should start seeing improvements in supply ,” he said. According to Adelabu, the government has clarity on when key repairs, particularly to facilities operated by Sep...

A California jury has found Bill Cosby liable for s£xual assault in a civil trial, awarding Donna Motsinger a total of $59.25m in damages. The verdict, delivered on Monday after three days of deliberations, relates to an alleged assault in 1972. Motsinger told the court that Cosby drugged and r@ped her after offering her a glass of wine while she was working as a restaurant server in Sausalito, California. Jurors initially awarded $19.25m in compensatory damages and in a second phase of the trial to assess punitive damages, they added a further $40m, bringing the total award to $59.25m. Motsinger, now 84, brought the case in 2023 after California amended its laws to temporarily lift the statute of limitations for historic s£xual assault claims.  Speaking after the verdict, she described the outcome as the culmination of a five-decade struggle for justice. Cosby, once among the most successful figures in American comedy and television, has largely withdrawn from public life followin...

Nigeria’s electricity crisis is worsening, with power distribution companies recording losses of more than N2.4 trillion over the past two years, a development that has intensified blackouts and strained the entire electricity value chain. Industry data covering 2024 and 2025 shows that the financial haemorrhage is being driven largely by billing inefficiencies, weak revenue collection and persistent cost-recovery challenges.  The impact is being felt across distribution companies (DisCos), generation companies (GenCos) and gas suppliers, ultimately leaving millions of households and businesses with unreliable supply. Figures indicate that DisCos lost over N1 trillion in 2024, with losses rising sharply in 2025 to about N1.334 trillion, bringing the two-year total to roughly N2.349 trillion.  In 2025 alone, billing inefficiencies accounted for N649.87 billion, while poor revenue collection resulted in losses of N684.28 billion. The mounting financial pressure has disrupted the...

The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has opened applications for its 2026/2027 Foreign Postgraduate (Master’s Degree) Scholarship Programme, aimed at strengthening human capital across the Niger Delta. The scheme, announced on 23 March 2026, is designed to equip young professionals from the region with advanced training and specialist skills for participation in the Federal Government’s local content programme, while improving their competitiveness in global professional fields. According to the Commission, the scholarship is open to suitably qualified candidates with first degrees from recognised universities in disciplines including agricultural sciences and biotechnology, engineering, environmental sciences, geosciences, information technology and artificial intelligence, medical sciences, architecture and building technology, and law.  To be eligible, applicants must be indigenes of the Niger Delta, possess a First Class or Second Class Upper Division degree, and be un...

Africa may be forced into work-from-home arrangements similar to those seen during the COVID-19 pandemic if the ongoing Middle East crisis fails to ease, according to the President and Chief Executive of the Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote. Dangote issued the warning on Monday after meeting President Bola Tinubu at his residence in Ikoyi, Lagos.  He said rising oil prices linked to the conflict could deepen economic hardship across Africa, where many countries are already weighed down by debt. He stated that most African economies lack sufficient financial buffers, leaving millions dependent on daily income.  “ If this doesn’t de-escalate, people who rely on what they earn each day will be badly affected. If they don’t work, they don’t eat ,” he said. Drawing comparisons with Indonesia, Dangote explained that some governments facing energy pressures have already reduced working days and are considering full remote work policies.  He warned that similar measures could become ...

The Delta State Police Command has dismissed widespread claims that the controversial Alue-Do Festival in Ozoro was a “ rape festival ,” insisting that no formal reports of rape have been filed in connection with the March 19 incident. Police spokesperson Bright Edafe, speaking on Television Continental’s Your View programme on Monday, acknowledged that videos circulating online showed women being assaulted but stressed that investigations so far had not uncovered evidence of rape.   “ As of now, the information available to us shows that nobody was raped . “ While some may argue that victims could be afraid to come forward, experience has shown that, over time, victims and their families do speak out, ” Edafe said. He explained that heightened awareness in Delta State has encouraged more survivors of sexual violence to report cases, helping law enforcement pursue offenders.  The police, he added, are relying on witness accounts and video footage to guide their investigat...

Iran has dismissed claims by Donald Trump that it held productive talks with Washington, after the US president delayed a threatened strike on Iran’s power grid, citing what he described as encouraging discussions with Iranian officials. Tehran said on Monday that no negotiations had taken place with the United States, directly contradicting Trump’s account, which briefly calmed financial markets and sent oil prices sharply lower. A European official said there had been no direct contact between Washington and Tehran, but confirmed that messages were being passed via Egypt, Pakistan and several Gulf states. Writing on his Truth Social platform, Trump said the US and Iran had engaged in “ very good and productive ” conversations towards a “ complete and total resolution of hostilities in the Middle East, ” and that he was postponing for five days a plan to strike Iran’s energy grid. The announcement sparked a rally in equities and pushed oil prices below $100 a barrel, reversing losses...

The National Executive Committee (NEC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has reaffirmed its zoning formula for national elective offices, urging unity as the party steps up preparations for its national convention later this month. Meeting in Abuja on Monday night, the party’s highest decision-making body between conventions reviewed its internal processes and expressed confidence in its capacity to reposition itself as a viable alternative for national leadership. In a communiqué issued after the 107th NEC meeting, the committee ratified reports from the recently concluded ward, local government, state and zonal congresses nationwide, describing the exercises as largely peaceful, transparent and credible. The statement was signed by the chairman of the National Caretaker Working Committee, Abdulrahman Mohammed, and the secretary, Samuel Nnaemeka Anyanwu. NEC also reviewed progress on the party’s electronic membership registration, commending the pace of enrolment and restating its...

Governor Seyi Makinde has unveiled a N10,000 monthly transportation support for civil servants in Oyo State, following the recent rise in petrol prices nationwide. The support, scheduled to run for an initial three months, was announced during the supervision of the YEAP–SAfER disbursement and stakeholder engagement programme held in partnership with the Fashola Agribusiness Hub. Makinde said the intervention forms part of the state’s broader response to mounting economic pressures, with transport costs increasingly affecting workers’ productivity and welfare.  He explained that the measure is intended to ease financial strain on public servants while ensuring continuity of services across ministries, departments and agencies. “ This support is a direct response to the realities our workers are facing . “ Transportation costs have risen sharply, and government must step in to reduce the burden ,” he said. READ ALSO : Trump Says 'Major Progress' in Iran Talks He added that the s...