Extreme heat is putting pregnant women and newborns at increasing risk, the United Nations (UN) has warned, as rising global temperatures are increasingly linked to serious complications during pregnancy and childbirth.   UN climate chief Simon Stiell is expected to raise the alarm at the pre-COP31 summit in Nadi, Fiji, on Monday, citing new research showing the growing health impact of extreme heat on mothers and babies. According to the survey, more than two-thirds of health professionals across five continents reported seeing complications linked to intense heat over the past five years. “Rising temperatures mean rising danger in pregnancy,” Stiell is expected to tell delegates. He is also expected to highlight links between climate-driven extreme heat during pregnancy and premature birth, stillbirth, low birth weight and maternal complications. The survey of 1,000 midwives and doctors in the United Kingdom, Australia, India, Brazil and Zimbabwe was commissioned by the Wellcome charitable foundation. Nearly all respondents said they had cared for mothers or babies affected by extreme heat. About one-third reported cases involving low birth weight or restricted growth, feeding difficulties, dehydration and heat-related illnesses that they believed were caused by extreme heat. Stiell is expected to describe the situation as a growing fault line in the global climate crisis, warning that worsening heat could deepen climate-related inequality and suffering. Wellcome chairwoman and former Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard said mothers and babies were facing increasing risks from climate change. “Extreme heat is an invisible killer, but pregnant women must not be invisible,” Gillard said, urging leaders to act on the available evidence and solutions. The warning comes as climate scientists report that climate change is intensifying extreme weather events and contributing to more frequent heat records. According to AFP analysis of data from the European Union’s Copernicus climate observatory, about 33 countries across western Europe, the Sahel and Central America recorded their hottest July since records began this year. The pre-COP31 summit in Fiji and Tuvalu is being used by Pacific leaders to highlight the impact of climate change on communities on the frontline of rising temperatures and extreme weather. The meeting comes ahead of COP31, the UN-backed global climate summit scheduled to take place in Turkey next month. Source: Channels Television, with AFP Meta Description Extreme heat is putting pregnant women and newborns at risk, with health experts reporting more cases of premature birth, illness and low birth weight. Tags extreme heat, pregnant women, newborns, climate change, UN warning, maternal health, COP31 Two Recommended Alternative Headlines 1. UN Warns Extreme Heat Is Putting Mothers, Babies At Risk 2. Climate Crisis: Extreme Heat Raises Risks For Pregnant Women   ALT TEXT Pregnant woman sitting outdoors during extreme heat, illustrating climate risks to mothers and newborns.

A former All Progressives Congress Women Leader in Bauchi South, Jemimah Dutse, has been found dead inside her residence in the Yelwa area of Bauchi State.   The Bauchi State Police Command said it has commenced an investigation into the suspected murder. According to the command’s spokesperson, Nafiu Habib, Dutse’s body was discovered in a pool of blood at her residence in Muazu New Layout, Yelwa, on October 3, 2026. Habib said her throat had allegedly been slit by unidentified assailants. Police detectives attached to the ‘E’ Division visited the scene, documented the area and evacuated the body to Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital, Bauchi, for medical examination and autopsy. The Commissioner of Police, Sani-Omolori Aliyu, subsequently directed that the case be transferred to the Homicide Section of the State Criminal Investigation Department for a discreet and thorough investigation. The police said the investigation is aimed at establishing the circumstances surrounding Dutse’s death and identifying those responsible. The command also expressed condolences to Dutse’s family, friends and political associates, assuring the public that efforts would be made to apprehend the perpetrators. “Further developments will be communicated as the investigation progresses,” the police said. The incident was reported by PUNCH Metro, citing a statement issued by the Bauchi State Police Command.

The House of Representatives Public Accounts Committee is set to question officials of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited and the Independent National Electoral Commission over alleged financial breaches exceeding N802.19bn.   The allegations are contained in reports by the Auditor-General for the Federation covering the 2021, 2022 and 2023 financial years. The reports raised queries over procurement procedures, revenue management, payments and compliance with financial regulations by government agencies. The committee, chaired by Bamidele Salam, will question accounting officers and subject matter experts from the NNPC and INEC at the National Assembly Complex on Tuesday. According to a committee member who spoke anonymously with The PUNCH, the Auditor-General’s 2021 report raised alleged financial infractions of about N514bn against the NNPC, while INEC is expected to respond to alleged financial breaches of about N288.19bn contained in the 2022 audit report. The NNPC-related queries reportedly include N343.64bn in alleged irregular deductions from domestic crude oil sales, N83.66bn allegedly warehoused from miscellaneous revenue in a sinking fund account, and N82.95bn in alleged unauthorised deductions from Federation revenue. Another N3.75bn was reportedly flagged as a shortfall arising from the sale of petroleum products. The committee is expected to demand supporting documents and explanations from the NNPC regarding the transactions and the issues raised by the Auditor-General. For INEC, the queries reportedly concern procurement processes, payments to contractors and the failure to remit statutory deductions during the tenure of former Chairman Prof Mahmood Yakubu, who has since been appointed an ambassador. The lawmaker said the committee would also examine expenditure linked to the 2019 general election. The Auditor-General’s 2022 report reportedly stated that more than N5.31bn was paid for the supply of smart card readers for the 2019 election without prior approval from the Bureau of Public Procurement. The smart card readers were deployed during the 2019 election before INEC introduced the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System for the 2023 polls. The Public Accounts Committee’s proceedings are part of its constitutional responsibility to examine the Auditor-General’s findings and require public institutions to account for public expenditure and address outstanding audit queries. However, an audit query does not in itself establish wrongdoing. The affected agency is entitled to provide explanations, supporting documents and other evidence before the committee reaches any conclusion. Other agencies scheduled to appear before the committee on Tuesday include the National Mathematical Centre, National Power Training Centre, National Research Institute for Chemical Technology and the National Biotechnology Research and Development Agency. The committee’s planned questioning was reported by The PUNCH on October 5, 2026.

Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum, has denied ordering the arrest of protesters using the slogan “Tinubu Must Go”, saying his remarks were directed at criminals and individuals threatening peace and security in the state.   Zulum’s clarification followed a statement by the African Democratic Congress Presidential Campaign Council, which demanded an explanation over a viral video in which the governor was allegedly heard ordering the arrest and detention of people expressing the slogan. The ADC campaign council, through its Director of Strategic Communication, Phrank Shaibu, said the reported directive was concerning, particularly because Zulum had previously denied ordering the arrest of people wearing “Tinubu Must Go” T-shirts. Responding, Zulum’s spokesman, Dauda Iliya, described the ADC’s allegations as “unprofessional” and accused the party of misrepresenting the governor’s remarks. Iliya said the governor made the comments during a media chat with journalists in Maiduguri while addressing a rise in social vices and criminal activities threatening the state’s peace and stability. According to him, Zulum was referring to young men wearing shirts depicting knives and clubs, rather than members of the ADC, the “Tinubu Must Go” movement or any opposition group. He said Borno had experienced a rise in gangsterism, kidnapping of underage girls, illegal abortions, phone snatching and other social vices following more than a decade of Boko Haram insurgency. Iliya added that the state government established an Anti-Vices security outfit to tackle the problems and claimed that Maiduguri and its environs had since recorded a decline in criminal activities. The governor’s spokesman further accused some media outlets of taking part of Zulum’s comments out of context to portray him as heavy-handed. He said Zulum had not mentioned the ADC, the “Tinubu Must Go” group or any opposition party during the media engagement, stressing that the governor’s comments were focused on security, peace and order. Iliya urged political actors to exercise restraint when discussing security issues in Borno, noting the state’s history of insurgency and the importance of protecting its recent peace and stability.