profile/5683FB_IMG_16533107021641748.jpg

News_Naija

ADC, Recycling Hub For Failed Political Ambition Tinubu Support Group

The Tinubu Media Force, a support group for President Bola Tinubu, says Nigerians will reject the opposition coalition and their new platform, the African Democratic Congress in 2027. The News Agency of Nigeria reports that opposition figures and aggrieved All Progressives Congress leaders have adopted the ADC as a platform to unseat Tinubu in 2027. Reacting to the development, TMF National Coordinator, Gbenga Abiola, said on Wednesday that the coalition was born from desperation, not conviction or a genuine desire to serve Nigerians. He said, “The resurrection of the ADC is not based on principle, but is a desperate coalition of displaced politicians seeking lost relevance. “It is neither visionary nor purposeful, just a forced alliance of familiar faces trying to revive their political careers without real solutions.” According to him, the ADC is not a third force, but a weak version of the second — driven by frustration, not direction or unity of purpose. “It is a patchwork held together by shared grievances, not shared goals or national interest. “Nigerians must reject alliances offering only recycled chaos, unrepentant ambitions, and no clear path to progress or stability,” he said. He said the coalition consists of two camps, ex-PDP powerbrokers and displaced APC elites from the Muhammadu Buhari-led administration. He said the latter failed to hijack Tinubu’s focused governance and thus chose to align with their former rivals. “These individuals once wielded enormous influence and power under Buhari, controlling patronage and amassing vast wealth. “However, Tinubu’s refusal to serve old interests or maintain outdated political structures has unsettled them deeply. “Now, these power seekers stand with their former PDP rivals under the ADC banner, craving control again,” he said. Abiola said the name ‘ADC’ is phonetically similar to ‘APC’, a deliberate attempt to confuse unsuspecting voters. “It is a low-effort strategy aimed at deception, but Nigerians are now more politically aware and discerning. “We can see through the mimicry. This is not a movement, it’s a recycling hub for failed political ambition,” he said. He said Tinubu’s government continues to deliver calm, focused, and policy-driven leadership across key sectors. “From economic stabilisation to structural reforms, this administration is pursuing accountability, innovation, and national recovery. “While the opposition distracts with noise, Nigerians are beginning to notice the difference sound leadership can make,” Abiola said. He reaffirmed support for Tinubu’s vision and urged citizens to focus on lasting progress, not political distractions. “We need builders of the future, not looters of past influence,” he added. NAN recalls that ex-Senate President David Mark and ex-Governor Rauf Aregbesola were named ADC Interim Chairman and Secretary, respectively, on Tuesday. On Wednesday, Mark officially launched the ADC as the platform for the National Coalition of Political Opposition Movement. Prominent opposition figures present included Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi, Datti Baba-Ahmed, and Rotimi Amaechi. Others included Nasir El-Rufai, Abubakar Malami, Aminu Tambuwal, Ireti Kingibe, Liyel Imoke, and Bolaji Abdullahi. Also in attendance were John Oyegun, Gabriel Suswam, Tunde Ogbeha, Mohammed Abubakar, Emeka Ihedioha, and Oserheimen Osunbor. Victor Umeh, Celestine Omehia, Abdulfatah Ahmed, Bindow Jibrilla, Babachir Lawal, Aishatu Binani, and Dele Momodu also attended. Sen. Dino Melaye, Prof. Olushola Eleka, and Sen. Ishaku Abbo were likewise present at the event.  

dataDp/1032.jpeg

Worldnews

Norris Wins British GP As Hulkenberg Scores Record First F1 Podium

Lando Norris becomes 13th British driver to win home Grand Prix while Germany’s Nico Hulkenberg makes his first podium after a record 239 races. Lando Norris won his home British Grand Prix for the first time in a McLaren one-two with Formula One leader Oscar Piastri on a wet and chaotic race day littered with safety cars, crashes and incident. “This is a dream, winning at home. It’s beautiful,” Norris told the team over the radio. “Thanks for the memory. I’ll remember this more than anything.” Nico Hulkenberg took an astonishing third place for Sauber, the German veteran making up 16 places to shed his unwanted record of the most starts without a podium in Formula One history – Sunday being his first in 239 starts in an F1 career that began in 2010. “I don’t think I can comprehend what we’ve just done,” said the stunned German before wild pitlane celebrations with his teammates. “It feels good. It’s been a long time coming, hasn’t it? But I always knew we had it in us, I have it in me, somewhere.” Piastri was handed a 10-second penalty for a safety car infringement that ultimately cost him the win and allowed Norris to slash the Australian’s advantage to eight points at the midpoint of the season. Piastri was unhappy with his penalty, signalling he believed it was a legal move. Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton finished fourth with Red Bull’s Max Verstappen fifth after starting on pole position. Pierre Gasly was sixth for Alpine, Lance Stroll seventh for Aston Martin and Alex Albon eighth for Williams. Fernando Alonso gave Aston Martin a double points finish in ninth at their home race and George Russell bagged the final point for Mercedes. Hulkenberg’s podium for Sauber was the first for the Swiss-based team since 2012. Norris’s victory at Silverstone was his eighth career GP win. The Belgian Grand Prix is the next race on the F1 calendar on July 27. Follow Al Jazeera English:...

profile/5170OIG3.jpeg.webp

Healthwatch

Can A Routine Vaccine Prevent Dementia?

Shingles vaccination may come with unexpected benefits.

Dementia is on the rise

Can shingles vaccination prevent dementia?

A study of more than 300,000 adults found that among those 70 and older, dementia was less common among those who had received shingles vaccination than among those who did not.

A study of more than 200,000 older adults compared rates of dementia between those receiving a newer (recombinant) shingles vaccine and those who had an older (live) vaccine that is no longer approved in the US. Researchers found that the risk of dementia was lower six years after receiving either vaccine. But the effect was larger for the newer vaccine: those given the recombinant vaccine spent more time living dementia-free (164 days longer) compared with those given the older vaccine.

What is a natural experiment?

Examples of exposures might be an illness (like the COVID pandemic), a policy (like a smoking ban in one state), or a vaccination (like the shingles vaccine).

Outcomes might include virtual versus in-person learning during the pandemic, smoking-related illnesses in a state with a smoking ban compared to a state without that ban, or dementia rates among people who did or didn't receive a vaccine.

What did this natural experiment study look at?

developed shingles less often

were 3.5% less likely to develop dementia over seven years (a 20% reduction)

were more likely to be protected from dementia if female.

Why might the shingles vaccine prevent dementia?

Reduced inflammation: Preventing shingles may prevent harmful inflammation in the body, especially in the nervous system.

Impact on immune function: Vaccination might alter immune function in a way that protects against dementia.

Reducing stroke risk: Some evidence shows that shingles may increase the risk of stroke. A stroke can contribute to or cause dementia, so perhaps vaccination leads to less dementia by reducing shingles-related strokes.

The bottom line

dataDp/1032.jpeg

Worldnews

Dalai Lama Celebrates 90th Birthday With Followers In North Indian Town

Cultural performances mark the occasion, while messages from global leaders are read out during the ceremony. The Dalai Lama, spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhists, has turned 90 to cap a week of celebrations by followers during which he riled China again and spoke about his hope to live beyond 130 and reincarnate after dying. Dressed in his traditional yellow and burgundy robe, the Dalai Lama arrived at a Buddhist temple complex to smiles and claps from thousands of monks and followers who had gathered on a rainy Sunday morning in the north Indian hill town of Dharamshala, where he lives. He waved and greeted them as he walked slowly to the stage with support from monks. “As far as I am concerned, I have a human life, and as humans, it is quite natural for us to love and help one another. I live my life in the service of other sentient beings,” the Dalai Lama said, flanked on the stage by longtime supporters, including Western diplomats, Indian federal ministers, Hollywood actor Richard Gere, and a monk who is expected to lead the search for his successor. Fleeing his native Tibet in 1959 in the wake of a failed uprising against Chinese rule, the 14th Dalai Lama, along with hundreds of thousands of Tibetans, took shelter in India and has since advocated for a peaceful “Middle Way” to seek autonomy and religious freedom for the Tibetan people. A Nobel Peace Prize winner, the Dalai Lama is regarded as one of the world’s most influential religious leaders, with a following that extends well beyond Buddhism – but not by Beijing, which calls him a separatist and has sought to bring the faith under its control. In a sign of solidarity, Taiwan’s President William Lai Ching-te, leaders of Indian states bordering Tibet, and three former United States presidents – Barack Obama, George W Bush, and Bill Clinton – sent video messages which were played during the event. In the preceding week of celebrations, the Dalai Lama had said he would reincarnate as the leader of the faith upon his death and that his nonprofit institution, the Gaden Phodrang Trust, had the sole authority to recognise his successor. China has said the succession will have to be approved by its leaders, and the US has called on Beijing to cease what it describes as interference in the succession of the Dalai Lama and other Tibetan Buddhist lamas. Guests gathered at the ceremony took turns to speak, including Indian Parliamentary and Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju, a practising Buddhist, who had earlier made a rare statement contradicting China by backing the Dalai Lama’s position on his successor. He later clarified that the statement was made in his personal capacity as China warned New Delhi against interfering in its domestic affairs at the expense of bilateral relations. On Sunday, Rijiju said the Dalai Lama was India’s “most honoured guest”. “We feel blessed for his presence here in our country,” he said. Cultural performances were held throughout the morning, including from Bollywood playback singers, while messages from global leaders were read out. “I join 1.4 billion Indians in extending our warmest wishes to His Holiness the Dalai Lama on his 90th birthday. He has been an enduring symbol of love, compassion, patience and moral discipline,” Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrote on X. Follow Al Jazeera English:...