Archive August 28, 2025

Ebonyi Increases Minimum Wage To ₦90,000 For State Civil Servants

By in News, Nigeria News

The minimum wage for all civil and public servants has been increased from the previous salary of 70 000 to 90 000.

The new minimum wage is immediately implemented, according to the state government.

The Executive Council meeting on Wednesday, August 27, 2025, at the New Government House in Abakaliki, the state capital of Ebonyi, decided this.

The Commissioner for Information, Ikeuwa Collins-Omebeh, made the announcement in a press release that was made available to Channels Television on Thursday.

Read more about Gov. Uzodimma’s Increase in Minimum Wage for Imo Workers: &nbsp

The state government’s decision to increase the minimum wage to $90,000 was directly related to Governor Francis Nwifuru’s “People’s Charter of Needs Agenda,” the statement claimed.

He continued, noting that the governor had put a premium on the welfare of the state’s workers.

Omebeh also disclosed that the state government had also approved the establishment of the Ebonyi State Virology Research and Innovative Center.

He noted that this would increase the state’s capacity for viral disease surveillance, diagnosis, training, and advancements in science at the global level.

The Imo State Government approved a decrease in the minimum wage from 70, 000 to 104, 000 on Wednesday.

During a crucial meeting with labor leaders at the state capital’s Owerri, governor Hope Uzodimma made the announcement.

The minimum wage bill was signed into law by President Bola Tinubu in July 2024, putting an end to months of discussions between government officials, labor unions, and the private sector.

The Minimum Wage Act, which increased the National Minimum Wage from 30 000 to 70 000, was passed by the National Assembly in Abuja shortly after the signing of it at the State House in Abuja.

Taylor Swift’s eerie marriage prediction resurfaces after Travis Kelce engagement

By in Entertainment News, News

Taylor Swift made fun of the possibility of getting married in a now-reported interview she conducted in 2008, which she revealed this week.

Footage of Taylor Swift teasing over marriage in 2008 has resurfaced after her engagement(Image: Getty Images)

Resurfaced footage from more than a decade ago shows Taylor Swift speaking about when she was likely to get married. It’s attracted attention this week following the news that the singer-songwriter got engaged to Travis Kelce recently.

Taylor, 35, and NFL star Travis, also 35, announced their engagement in a joint post that was shared with fans on Instagram on Tuesday. The proposal took place in the garden of the Kansas City Chiefs player’s home, and since then, further details have been released.

Following the news, Taylor made another video that made hints about potential marriage. The interview took place during her rise to fame after her debut two years later, and it dates back to 17 years.

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce after getting engaged.
Taylor Swift (right) and her partner Travis Kelce (left) announced their engagement earlier this week.(Image: taylorswift/Instagram)

The footage, which has been shared on social media, shows her in an interview with GAC Nights in 2008. Taylor, who was promoting her second album, Fearless, at the time, spoke to host Suzanne Alexander about dating in the public eye.

Sharing her thoughts, Taylor said that she admired singer Keith Urban and actor Nicole Kidman. She said that they didn’t confirm their relationship until they were married, and had both kept the focus on their respective careers.

Taylor continued, “I’m single right now, but it’s as if I’m dating someone.” Making sure your music is the center of your attention is important, in my opinion. I’m always going to be personal with my music. In that category, I don’t hold anything back.

Taylor Swift, in a blue dress, and her mother Andrea Swift, in a black dress, on stage together.
Footage of Taylor, pictured with her mother Andrea Swift in 2015, has since resurfaced showing her discussing marriage back in 2008(Image: Getty Images North America)

Following her comments, Suzanne continued to make fun of Taylor’s potential marriage until her 30s. The presenter teased about Taylor’s future by mentioning the guest’s mother, Andrea Swift, who was present for the interview.

The host claimed, “So we’re not going to find out until you’re married and your mom’s here, so… mom,]she’s not allowed to get married until she’s 35, right” That is how it functions.

Taylor, who was 18 at the time of the interview, appeared to concur with the suggestion. She responded, “I’m not… no, I’m not.” It will be late. She continued, “Late in life.”

Fans have reacted to the resurfaced footage, which has been shared on social media and made headlines this week. One Instagram user commented, “All the stars are allied.” Another phrase was “Wild.”

Taylor and Travis announced their engagement in a joint post that included photos from the proposal. The couple, who were surrounded by flowers in his garden, showcased the ring, which Travis is said to have helped design.

They wrote to fans on Tuesday in the caption of the post, “Your English teacher and your gym teacher are getting married,” next to a TNT emoji. Taylor’s song So High School, which was a track on her album The Tortured Poets Department: The Anthology, was included in the post.

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Millions of children at risk across Africa as aid cuts impact food supplies

By in News, World News

As a result of the drop in international aid, millions of children in four African nations are at risk of developing malnutrition in the next three months, according to Save the Children.

According to Save the Children, Nigeria, Kenya, Somalia, and South Sudan were all expected to run out of the so-called “ready-to-use therapeutic food” (RUTF), a nutritional paste that has a long shelf life and doesn’t require refrigeration.

Without access to medical care and nutrition assistance, the humanitarian organization predicted that 3.5 million children under the age of five who are suffering from severe acute malnutrition will be in danger alone in Nigeria.

Imagine having a severely malnourished child as a parent, said Yvonne Arunga, Save the Children’s regional director for East and Southern Africa.

Imagine that therapeutic food is the only thing that can save your child from the brink of death, and that food was once out of stock.

The UN’s humanitarian office described the UN’s humanitarian office as “the deepest funding cuts ever to hit the international humanitarian sector” just months after the organization made extensive programme cuts in June.

At the time, UN aid chief Tom Fletcher said, “We have been forced into a triage of human survival.”

“The results are heartbreaking, and the math is cruel. We will save as many lives as we can with the resources we have because too many people won’t receive the support they need.

Leading international donors, particularly the United States, have significantly reduced foreign aid, causing widespread concern that developing nations around the world will lose critical aid, including food and healthcare.

Congress passed a bill that reduced the nation’s foreign aid expenditures by about $8 billion in July as part of US President Donald Trump’s effort to reduce federal spending.

At least 652 malnourished children in northern Nigeria died in the first half of 2025 as a result of a lack of timely care, according to a report from Doctors Without Borders (also known as MSF).

According to Ahmed Aldikhari, MSF’s country representative in Nigeria, “We are currently witnessing massive budget cuts, especially from the United States, the United Kingdom, and other European countries,” which are having a real impact on the treatment of malnourished children.

One of its clinics in northwest Kenya, according to Save the Children, has been forced to use other facilities to provide food to malnourished children.

Sister Winnie, the facility’s director, said, “And if the children are not supported, I know we will lose them very soon.”

According to Save the Children, 105, 000 RUTF cartons will be required throughout Kenya by the end of the year, but only 79, 000 have been secured so far, with supplies anticipated to run out in October.

In addition to more than 2.3 million severely malnourished children this year, the group claimed that overall, nutrition funding shortages could prevent treatment for 15.6 million people in 18 different nations around the world.

Bamford feels ‘raw’ after Leeds exit

By in News, Sports News
Images courtesy of Getty
Adwaidh Rajan
journalist for BBC Sport
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After seven years at the club, Patrick Bamford claims that after resigning from Premier League newcomers Leeds, he feels raw.

After signing from Middlesbrough for £7 million in 2018, Bamford scored 60 goals in 205 games.

He scored 17 goals for Leeds during Marcelo Bielsa’s first Premier League game back in 2020 while participating in two promotion-winning campaigns.

The 31-year-old, who only made one England appearance in 2021, was informed by manager Daniel Farke last month that he would need to train with the under-21 squad if he stayed at the club.

Bamford said on Instagram that the situation is currently too raw for me to immediately reflect on given how things have been handled and how it has ended.

“But I’ll look back on this time in my life with nothing but joy and pride and be very proud of what I accomplished.”

“I want to thank all the managers I worked for, particularly Marcelo Bielsa. Without the foundations he laid, I’m not sure where the club would be.

The 2025-26 season will be spent on loan at the club, including Isaac Schmidt and Largie Ramazani.

Ramazani will spend the rest of the season in Spain with Valencia while Schmidt has joined Bundesliga side Werder Bremen.

After leaving St. Gallen last summer, Schmidt, a left-back from Switzerland, made 14 appearances for Leeds across all competitions.

His departure follows the Whites’ signing of Leicester City full-back James Justin in a £10 million deal.

Belgian winger Ramazani, who previously played for Manchester United youth team, returns to Spain after four seasons with Almeria starting in 2020.

The 24-year-old struggled for minutes after suffering an ankle ligament injury in October last year, scoring six goals to help Leeds win the Championship.

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Nigeria’s Yinka Babalola Emerges As Rotary International President-Elect

By in News, Nigeria News

Yinka Babalola will serve as Rotary International’s president for the Rotary year 2026-2027.

Ibim Semenitari, the Rotary Public Image Coordinator, Africa Zone 22, Region 27, said in a statement that Babalola’s emergence represents a historic moment, making him the second African and the second Nigerian to lead the world humanitarian organization.

The first was from 2003 to 2004, Jonathan Babatunde Majiyagbe.

Following SangKoo Yun’s resignation as a member of the Rotary Club of Trans Amadi, Nigeria, Babalola was chosen by the Rotary International Board of Directors to concentrate on his recovery from cancer treatment.

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On July 1, 2026, Balola will officially take office.

Six years after beginning as a Rotarian in 1988, he made his first appearance with Rotary in 1994.

His leadership journey has seen him serve as District Governor (2011-2012), Vice President of Rotary International (2019-2020), and a member of the RI Board (2018-2020).

He has also been a key advisor to the Nigeria National PolioPlus Committee and the End Polio Now Countdown to History Campaign Committee, both of which he has been active on.

Babalola is a skilled professional who goes beyond Rotary.

He has more than 25 years of experience in the oil and gas industry, having worked for Shell PLC on four continents and been an attorney by training.

He founded Riviera Services Ltd. a business specializing in oil and gas infrastructure, and Lead and Change Consulting, a business providing executive coaching and advisory services.

His professional affiliations include those of the Nigerian Society of Engineers, the Institute of Safety Professionals, and the Association of Change Management Practitioners, according to the statement. He and his wife Preba reside in Port Harcourt, which is where he and his wife reside. He also belongs to the Jericho Business Club.

Babalola, a devoted Rotarian and philanthropist, is a member of the Arch Klumph Society and supports The Rotary Foundation. His work as a ShelterBox UK trustee and the Safe Blood Africa project is a part of his humanitarian legacy.

He has received numerous awards for his service, including the Rotary Foundation Citation for Meritorious Service, the RI Service Above Self Award, and the Africa Centennial Heroes Award.