Headlines
Breast Staring Story: NAN Shared Two-Decade-Old Hoax
A 20-year-old hoax suggesting that staring at female breasts has the effect of promoting longevity in men has been circulated by the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, the government-controlled news wire service.
Other media houses also fell for the age-long hoax. Crediting NAN, news platforms including Premium Times and TheCable reported the “study” on Tuesday. Vanguard Newspaper, DailyPost, and many otherweb platforms have likewise shared the report in the same period.
The study is said to have been conducted over a five year period by “a German scientist, Karen Weatherby, and published in the New England Journal of Medicine”. The year it was published was not stated. After the scientist instructed 250 men to stare at breasts lustfully at least 10 minutes in a day and another group of 250 men to abstain from this, the report said, he concluded that the health of the first group of men improved significantly.
The study said men should stare at breasts for 10 minutes a day to improve the wellness of their hearts and to live longer.
“Sexual excitement gets the heart pumping and improves blood circulation. Gazing at breasts makes men healthier and engaging in this activity a few minutes daily cuts the risk of stroke and heart attack by half,” Weatherby was quoted to have said.
“We believe that by doing so consistently, the average man can extend his life for four to five years.”
However, the report has been debunked as far back as in May 2000, by Snope, a prominent fact-checking website launched in 1994.
“This has to be one of the ultimate male fantasies, second only to the notion that drinking beer and watching football makes one more intelligent. (Or maybe second only to the thought of being instructed by doctors to look at buxom women for five years straight, all in the name of science.),” the website wrote sarcastically.
“Watching busty females may indeed be good for a man’s health and add years to his life (by giving him something to look forward to, if nothing else), but men who want to make the case for engaging in this behaviour to their wives or girlfriends will have to do so without relying on the imprimatur of the medical community.”
Snopes further established that the study was never printed in the New England Journal of Medicine “or any other major medical journal” as claimed. It is, rather, a rephrased version of an article that has appeared at least twice (May 13, 1997, and March 21, 2000) on the Weekly World News, a popular tabloid that broke mostly fictional news in the United States between 1979 and 2007.
According to the Washington Post, “The Weekly World News was not one of those sleazy tabloids that cover tawdry celebrity scandals. It was a sleazy tabloid that covered events that seemed to occur in a parallel universe, a fevered dream world where pop culture mixed with urban legends, conspiracy theories and hallucinations. Maybe WWN played fast and loose with the facts, but somehow it captured the spirit of the age — and did it in headlines as perfect as haiku: ‘DEAD ROCKSTARS RETURN ON GHOST PLANE!’ ‘BLIND MAN REGAINS SIGHT AND DUMPS UGLY WIFE!’”
“The most creative newspaper in American history, the Weekly World News broke the story that Elvis faked his death and was living in Kalamazoo, Mich,” Peter Carlson, the Post’s staff writer, added.
“It also broke the story that the lost continent of Atlantis was found near Buffalo. And the story that Hillary Clinton was having a love affair with P’lod, an alien with a foot-long tongue. And countless other incredible scoops.”
Snopes said though the tabloid “occasionally slips up and prints a true story”, it suspects the report on the positive effects of breast-staring belongs in the category of similar articles titled “‘HOW TO TELL IF YOUR DOG WORSHIPS SATAN!’ and ‘NEW REMOTE-CONTROL DEVICE GIVES WOMEN ORGASMS — AT UP TO 80 YARDS AWAY!’”
Another fact-check of the claim published in 2009 (and updated in May 2019) by LiveAbout described it as an “email hoax circulating since March/April 2000” and concluded that it is false.
“No such study was ever published in the New England Journal of Medicine,” wrote David Emery, an internet folklore expert and debunker of urban legends, hoaxes, and popular misconceptions.
“A search of the thousands of peer-reviewed articles contained in the National Institutes of Health medical journal database turns up zero items documenting the health benefits of staring at women’s breasts, and, for that matter, zero items authored by ‘Dr. Karen Weatherby’ (who does not exist, so far as I can tell).”
Source: ICIRNigeria
Headlines
‘Beer Parlour Fiction’: Fayose Gives Atiku 48Hrs to Disown Statement or He ‘Spills More Beans’
Former Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose has given former Vice President Atiku Abubakar a 48-hour ultimatum to publicly disown a statement he claimed and thought was issued by his media aide, Paul Ibe, regarding a recent meeting in Minna, Niger State.
In a statement posted on his X account, Fayose expressed amusement at Ibe’s response to his earlier claims about the closed-door meeting involving Atiku, Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde, and former military president General Ibrahim Babangida (IBB).
Fayose had previously alleged that the gathering involved discussions on political alignments, including Makinde’s interest in a vice-presidential slot on the African Democratic Congress (ADC) platform for the 2027 elections, reportedly tied to financial commitments.
Fayose stated that he assumes Atiku did not authorize Ibe’s rebuttal, which dismissed his account as fabricated. “However, because of my respect for Atiku, I will want to assume that he did not authorise the press statement and I will expect that after seeing it, he will within 48 hours, cause a rebuttal to be issued on it,” Fayose wrote.
He warned that failure to disown the statement would leave him no choice but to disclose additional details from the Minna meeting.
“Should Atiku not publicly disown the statement within the next 48 hours, I will have no option but to spill more beans, the facilitators and executioners of the Minna meeting, particularly what was said about Wike, and by then, I will be doing so without any atom of respect for him,” Fayose added.
The development follows Fayose’s initial post detailing what he described as the “untold story” of the Minna encounter, which Atiku’s camp has rejected as “beer parlour fiction,” “reckless fabrication,” and baseless gossip. Atiku’s team, including aides like Phrank Shaibu and Paul Ibe, has denied any negotiations over vice-presidential tickets, financial contributions, or related deals, insisting no such discussions occurred.
Paul Ibe has since fired back at Fayose, mocking the ultimatum and questioning its basis, with reports indicating he described the 48-hour demand as excessively long and implying Fayose’s claims lack substance.
The exchange highlights ongoing tensions within Nigeria’s opposition political circles ahead of the 2027 general elections, as figures like Atiku, Makinde, and others navigate potential alliances and party switches. Fayose’s threat to reveal more, including alleged comments about former Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike has intensified speculation about behind-the-scenes maneuvers.
Meanwhile, the said article by Amb Phrank Shauibu, and Paul Iba as Fayose erroneously assumed.
Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has accused the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, of masterminding an attempt by security agencies to whisk him away at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja on Thursday.
He made this known on Thursday night when former Vice President Atiku Abubakar paid him a solidarity visit at his residence.
While recounting his ordeal, he said that shortly after he returned from a trip to Cairo, Egypt, operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS), working with the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), confronted him at the airport and tried to take him into custody.
He added that he initially thought the DSS officers were working with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), only to later realise it was the ICPC.
“It turned out that it’s the ICPC that procured the DSS to abduct me and hand me over to them. The ICPC has never invited me.
“We now understand that it’s the ICPC, not the EFCC, that’s responsible for what happened today, and the ICPC chairman is acting on the direct orders of Nuhu Ribadu,” El-Rufai said.
Responding, Atiku expressed sympathy for the former governor and stressed the need for political unity ahead of the next general election.
He noted that opposition forces must organise themselves to challenge President Bola Tinubu in 2027.
“We must come together and form a very viable opposition because Tinubu is determined to turn Nigeria into a one-party state,” Atiku said.
Turkish Super Lig club, Galatasaray, have slapped an €80 million release clause on Victor Osimhen amid interest from Spanish giants Barcelona, Soccernet.ng reports.
Osimhen has been one of the most prolific strikers in the world over the last four years. In fact, he only recently scored his 200th career goal.
Since his permanent move to Galatasaray, he has been the club’s poster boy due to his impressive performances. This season, he has contributed 15 goals and one assist in 21 appearances across all competitions for the Cimbom.
The Nigerian international has been particularly vital in the UEFA Champions League, where he has already netted six goals.
His performances have not gone unnoticed, however, as several top clubs continue to keep tabs on him.
The 27-year-old only joined Galatasaray last summer for a Turkish transfer record fee of €75 million, but many clubs in Europe’s top five leagues would fancy having him as their leading man.
Now, according to a report by Turkish outlet Haberlisin, Spanish giants Barcelona are plotting a move for Osimhen.
Why Barcelona want Osimhen
Barcelona’s current top striker is Robert Lewandowski, and the club is looking to move on from the veteran, who will turn 38 in August.
With second-choice striker Ferran Torres not considered a reliable long-term option, the Catalans are searching for a proper talisman to lead their line.
According to Haberlisin, Barcelona have made Osimhen a major target and are willing to go all out for him in the summer.
However, Galatasaray won’t let him leave for cheap. Having paid €75 million for his services just seven months ago, they will want to maximize their return on the transfer. Consequently, they have slapped a hefty €80 million price tag on the Super Eagles star.
Although they are one of the biggest clubs in the world, Barcelona might struggle to meet this valuation due to their ongoing financial troubles. However, over the last three years, they have managed to pull off several big-money deals.
For Osimhen, even though he loves life at Galatasaray and earns a Turkish-record salary, he likely still has eyes on playing in one of Europe’s top five leagues.
It remains to be seen how hard the Spanish giants will push to get this transfer over the line and whether Osimhen will be willing to go.
