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News_Naija

Chelsea Eye Guirassy As Osimhen Alternative
~1.2 mins read
English Premier League side Chelsea are considering making a move for Guinea and Borussia Dortmund striker Serhou Guirassy, as an alternative to in-demand Napoli striker Victor Osimhen, PUNCH Sports Extra reports. The Blues have been linked with Osimhen since last summer, but his hefty release clause has hindered a move. As a new summer transfer window approaches, the Blues are considering testing the Guinea forward, in case they are priced out of the move for Osimhen again. Currently on loan from Napoli, Osimhen is set to leave Galatasaray when his loan spell ends and Napoli are willing to let the former LOSC Lille man walk for €75m. As per Spanish outlet, Fichajes, Chelsea are preparing a $75m offer to sign Guirassy as they aim to fix their goalscoring problems in front of goal. Guirassy has been brilliant for a dull Dortmund side this season, scoring 28 goals and providing five assists in 41 games across all competitions for Nico Kovac’s side. He’s also the top scorer in the UEFA Champions League. In comparison, Osimhen has 29 goals and six assists in 34 games across all competitions for Galatasaray. He is the leading scorer in the Super Lig with 21 goals and his contributions are propelling the Turkish giants to their 25th league title. While Osimhen continues to raise his profile on the pitch, negotiations are said to be ongoing between his parent club Napoli and potential buyers, including Galatasaray but the 26-year-old isn’t certain of remaining at the club. The most recent report on his imminent transfer is that he has agreed to join Manchester United in the summer.
Read more stories like this on punchng.com
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News_Naija

Telecom Innovations Driving Surge In Afrobeats Streaming
~1.4 mins read
Telecom companies are playing a pivotal role in boosting Afrobeats’ global reach by enabling mobile-driven music streaming, a music curation executive at Mdundo.com in Nigeria, Ghana, and Cameroon, Uwem Brown, has said. Brown said telecom innovations have reshaped music consumption across Africa, moving it from radio and physical CDs to mobile streaming platforms and social media. “With more than 600 million Africans online and mobile internet usage in West Africa up 35 per cent since 2020, fans can now discover new music instantly,” Brown said in a note shared with The PUNCH. He said this shift has supported the success of artists like Rema and Asake, whose tracks have amassed hundreds of millions of streams globally. According to him, telco partnerships have enabled platforms such as Mdundo to reach over 36 million monthly users as of 2024. “Telco partnerships have allowed local artists to reach millions of listeners without needing major-label backing,” Brown said. He emphasised that these collaborations are not just about increasing numbers but fundamentally changing how music is consumed across the continent. Beyond Afrobeats, Brown highlighted the global rise of other African music genres, such as Amapiano, which originated in South Africa, and the growing influence of rap in Ghana and South Africa. He noted that artists like Kabza De Small, Uncle Waffles, and Tyla are spreading Amapiano worldwide, while stars like Sarkodie, Nasty C, and Black Sherif are pushing the boundaries of African hip-hop. GSMA projects the number of unique mobile subscribers in Africa will rise by 4.5% to 613 million by 2025, as smartphone ownership grows to 61 per cent. Looking ahead, Brown believes Africa’s expanding digital infrastructure will offer even greater opportunities for artists. By 2045, as much as 80 per cent of Africa’s population could be online, transforming the music industry further. “The technology will be there to help artists bypass traditional barriers,” Brown said. “It’s an exciting time for African music, and the best is yet to come.”
Read more stories like this on punchng.com
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Healthwatch

Two Jobs May Lower The Odds Of Dying From Alzheimer's Disease But Why?
~5.0 mins read
Driving a taxi or ambulance may help ward off the most common type of dementia.
Taxi and ambulance drivers were much less likely to die an AD-related death than people in other occupations. AD accounted for 0.91% of deaths of taxi drivers and 1.03% of deaths of ambulance drivers. Among chief executives, AD accounted for 1.82% of deaths, which is close to the average for the general population. While these differences may seem small, they translate to more than 40% fewer deaths related to Alzheimer's among taxi and ambulance drivers.
This benefit did not seem to extend to others with jobs involving navigation. For example, aircraft pilots (2.34%) and ship captains (2.12%) had some of the highest rates of death due to AD. Bus drivers (1.65%) were closer to the population average but still not nearly as low as taxi and ambulance drivers.
Other types of dementia did not follow this pattern. Rates of death due to dementia other than AD were not lower among taxi and ambulance drivers.
Information on death certificates. Researchers in this study used "usual occupation at the time of death" as provided by a survivor presumed to know that information. But that might not be accurate. And many people have more than one job over the course of their lives.
Self-selection. Perhaps people who are prone to AD find navigation more challenging than others, and so tend to avoid these occupations. Similarly, it's possible that people who are less prone to AD tend to have better navigational skills and are more likely to pursue jobs for which that's an advantage. In this way, self-selection, rather than the occupation itself, could have contributed to the study's results.
Confounders. The study's findings could be due to factors other than those assessed by the study (confounders). For example, it's possible that people whose lifelong occupation is driving a taxi or ambulance are less likely than others to smoke. Since smoking is a risk factor for AD, the lower rate of smoking, rather than the occupation, could contribute to fewer AD-related deaths among these drivers.
Chance. The findings could be due to chance, especially because there were just 10 AD-related deaths among taxi drivers. Even a small number of overlooked deaths due to AD could sway the results.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a devastating disease. Despite decades of research, science has not pinned down causes or discovered highly effective treatments. And while a healthy diet, regular exercise, and other measures can help people slow or avoid AD, we badly need more routes for preventing it.
That's why a new study is so intriguing — and potentially game-changing. Researchers have found that the risk of death due to AD is markedly lower in taxi and ambulance drivers compared with hundreds of other occupations. And the reason could be that these drivers develop structural changes in their brains as they work.
Drawing a connection between Alzheimer's disease and work
In the past two decades, small studies demonstrated that London taxi drivers tend to have an enlargement in one area of the hippocampus, a part of the brain involved with developing spatial memory. Interestingly, that part of the brain is one area that's commonly damaged by AD.
These observations led to speculation that taxi drivers might be less prone to AD than people with jobs that don't require similar navigation and spatial processing skills.
A recent study explores this possibility by analyzing data from nearly nine million people who died over a three-year period and had occupation information on their death certificates. After accounting for age of death, researchers tallied Alzheimer's-related death rates for more than 443 different jobs. The results were dramatic.
What did the study find?
Why would driving a taxi or ambulance affect the risk of AD-related death?
One possible explanation is that jobs requiring frequent real-time spatial and navigational skills change both structure and function in the hippocampus. If these jobs help keep the hippocampus healthy, that could explain why AD-related deaths — but not deaths due to other types of dementia — are lower in taxi and ambulance drivers. It could also explain the older studies that found enlargement in parts of the hippocampus in people with these jobs.
And why aren't bus drivers, pilots, and ship captains similarly protected? The study authors suggest these other jobs involve predetermined routes with less real-time navigational demands. Thus, they may not change the hippocampus as much.
What are the limitations of this study?
A single research study is rarely definitive, especially an observational study like this one. Observational studies can only identify a relationship — not establish a firm cause — between a protective factor and a condition like AD. There could be other explanations for the findings. For example:
And even if driving a taxi or ambulance could lower your risk of AD-related death, what's the impact of GPS technology now in widespread use? If these jobs now require less navigational demand due to GPS, will the protective effect of these jobs evaporate?
How might this new study help you reduce your risk of AD?
You might wonder if these findings can be applied to anyone who wants to lower their risk of AD. For example, could outdoor treasure-hunting activities that require complex navigational skills, such as orienteering and geocaching, help stave off AD? At least one small study found that orienteering experts had better spatial memory than orienteering novices.
Could puzzles, video games, or even board games designed to build spatial skills reduce the risk of AD? Think Rubik's Cubes and jigsaw puzzles, Minecraft and Tetris, chess and Labyrinth. A round of Battleship, anyone? And if these activities are actually helpful, how often would you need to play?
I look forward to the results of studies exploring these questions. Until then, it's best to rely on experts' recommendations to reduce your risk of AD, including high-quality sleep, diet, and regular exercise.
The bottom line
I find this new research about taxi and ambulance drivers having lower rates of AD-related death fascinating. Considering how often we hear about the risks of certain jobs, it's encouraging to hear about occupations that might actually protect you from disease.
If confirmed by other research, the results of this study could lead to a better understanding of Alzheimer's disease — and, more importantly, how to prevent it.
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Instablog9ja

Just In: Police Rearrest Rapper Speed Darlington
~0.4 mins read
Rapper Speed Darlington has been rearrested by operatives of the Nigeria Police Force.
This comes two months after the rapper, whose real name is Darlington Okoye, was released from custody.
Recall that the rapper was arrested on October 4 following the release of a contentious video in which he allegedly defamed his colleague, Burna Boy, over his association with embattled American rapper Diddy.
He was, however, released on bail on October 9 after spending five days in detention.
#Instablog9jaNews #TrendingStory #Awareness #StayUpdated
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