Author: New Daily Prime

Measles cases in Europe have surged by 100% over the past year, with 127,350 reported in 2024, marking the highest number since 1997, according to a joint statement by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and UNICEF on Thursday, MArch 13. Dr Hans Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe, described the rise as “a wake-up call.” He highlighted the serious consequences of measles, which can lead to complications such as pneumonia, encephalitis, blindness, and long-term damage to the immune system. The surge in cases follows a sharp decline in immunisation rates, partly due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2023, 500,000 children…

Senator Jimoh Ibrahim, Chairman of the Senate Interparliamentary Committee, has strongly criticised the suspended Senator representing Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, dismissing her petition to the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) as “dead on arrival.” In a statement issued in Abuja on Thursday, March 13, Ibrahim responded to Akpoti-Uduaghan’s escalation of her dispute with Senate President Godswill Akpabio, which she had taken to the international stage at a UN forum hosted by the IPU. Akpoti-Uduaghan had accused Akpabio of political victimisation, following her suspension on March 6 after a public altercation over a seating arrangement in the Senate, which she claimed was intended…

President Bola Tinubu has approved the disbursement of over N700 billion to Nigeria’s tertiary institutions through the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) in 2025, with universities set to receive N2.8 billion each. The approval was announced by the Executive Secretary of TETFund, Sonny Echono, during the 2025 Strategic Planning Meeting with heads of tertiary institutions in Abuja on Thursday, March 13. Echono detailed the allocation structure, confirming that 91.08% of the funds would be distributed directly to institutions. Of this, 48.90% is earmarked for annual direct disbursements, while 42.18% is designated for special direct disbursements. Additionally, 8.72% is set aside…

By Alade Adisa Following the outbreak of diphtheria in parts of Lagos State, the management of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Ikeja, is set to distribute Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to its staff. This decision comes as several cases of the disease have been referred to the hospital for treatment. Additionally, the hospital has announced plans to enforce the mandatory wearing of face masks for both staff and visitors to help curb the spread of the infection. New Daily Prime gathered that six confirmed cases of diphtheria are currently being treated at LASUTH, while one critical case has…

By Toheeb Babalola After hearing inspiring stories from predecessors who had undergone the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in the late 1990s and early 2000s, the joy of wearing a lemon-coloured khaki and white shirt became a dream for me. Some of these stories, particularly Mr. Moriyanu’s (not his real name), remain stuck in my head. In 2002, Moriyanu was deployed from his hometown in the Southwest to a state in the Southern geopolitical zone. Despite studying Mechanical Engineering, he was assigned to a community primary school as his Place of Primary Assignment (PPA). The most fascinating part of his…

By Fatimah Idera A magnitude 4.4 earthquake struck a volcanic area near the southern Italian city of Naples early Thursday, damaging buildings and sending residents fleeing into the streets. According to Italy’s National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV), the earthquake occurred at 1:25 a.m. (0025 GMT), with its epicentre near the coastal town of Pozzuoli, located west of Naples. The quake, which was followed by several smaller tremors, was the strongest to hit the Campi Flegrei (Phlegraean Fields) area in 10 months. It had a depth of 2.5 kilometers. This tremor was similar in magnitude to one that struck…

By Fatimah Idera Tanzania plans to increase overall spending by 13.4% in the upcoming fiscal year starting in July, according to a draft budget that prioritizes debt repayment, the cost of the upcoming general election, and the impact of U.S. President Donald Trump’s pause on overseas aid. According to the budget paper, the East African country plans to spend 57.04 trillion shillings ($22 billion) in the 12 months beginning in July, up from 50.29 trillion shillings in the current fiscal year. Finance Minister Mwigulu Nchemba presented a paper titled “Budget Framework and Expenditure Ceiling for 2025/26” to the parliamentary committee.…

By Fatimah Idera The President of Poland, Andrzej Duda, has called on the U.S. to transfer nuclear weapons to Polish territory as a deterrent against future Russian aggression. According to reports from the Financial Times, President Duda stated that he had recently discussed the proposal with U.S. President Donald Trump’s special envoy. Poland, which had previously stated that it would be ready to host U.S. weapons under a nuclear arms-sharing program, has also recently expressed interest in a proposal by French President Emmanuel Macron to extend France’s nuclear umbrella to European allies. “The borders of NATO moved east in 1999,…

Amid swirling speculation about political realignments ahead of the 2027 general elections, Benue State Governor, Hyacinth Alia, and former Minister of State for Finance, Senator Nenadi Usman, have firmly rejected reports suggesting they are planning to defect to the Social Democratic Party (SDP) alongside former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai. The rumours, which gained momentum after a viral video showed El-Rufai visiting the SDP headquarters in Abuja, sparked further speculation when Usman, a Labour Party (LP) chieftain, was seen at the same event. El-Rufai’s visit, where he alleged that the Federal Government was intentionally causing crises within opposition parties, was…

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has sharply criticised the N15.6 trillion Lagos-Calabar Coastal highway project and the N21 billion spent on the construction of a new official residence for Vice President Kashim Shettima, describing both as wasteful, corrupt, and a reflection of misplaced priorities under President Bola Tinubu’s administration. In his new book ‘Nigeria: Past and Future,’ released to mark his 88th birthday, Obasanjo condemned the federal government’s decisions, stating that the Lagos-Calabar highway project, which will cost a staggering N4.93 billion per kilometre, was a form of financial mismanagement. He highlighted concerns over the lack of competitive bidding for the…