Author: damazah@gmail.com

By Godwin Oritse The Shipping Association of Nigeria, SAN, has rejected claims that shipping companies impose double charges on importers for electronic cargo release services, saying the allegation confuses different processes and deflects attention from other cost pressures in the nation’s ports. The association, an umbrella body for foreign shipping companies operating in Nigeria, said its members’ charges remain below prevailing commercial rates. The reaction followed a recent allegation by former Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA, Ms Hadiza Bala Usman, that Nigeria’s port charges system make importers to pay twice for the same electronic cargo release service…

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.JORGE GARAY: AI BioDesign seeks to explore possible molecules and biological functions that have never existed in nature. Are there any particular risks involved in venturing into this uncharted territory? How can scientists anticipate those risks and what steps can they take to minimize them before a designed molecule leaves the lab?DAVID BAKER: What’s exciting about biology is that nature has explored only a fraction of what is physically and chemically possible, which opens a world of possibilities for what we could design. When we explore those possibilities, the primary risks are…

Sekinat Osundiji Presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore, has promised to deliver uninterrupted electricity across Nigeria within three years if elected president in the 2027 general election. Sowore said his administration would dismantle the existing national electricity grid and replace it with regional grids powered by a mix of solar, gas, hydro and biogas. Speaking in an interview on Channels Television, Sowore said Nigeria would require more than 60,000 megawatts of electricity to restore the economy to a productive level, adding that he had developed a plan to achieve uninterrupted power supply within three years. “I…

Scientists uncover a cellular survival mechanism that helps severely damaged tissue regenerate and may also reveal why some cancers return after treatment. Tissues such as skin, along with the epithelial layers that cover and line many organs, have a remarkable ability to rebuild themselves after extensive damage. Scientists have known about this response, called compensatory proliferation, for roughly half a century. Yet exactly how cells manage to trigger such dramatic regrowth has remained a mystery. The phenomenon was first documented in the 1970s, when researchers exposed fly larvae to high doses of radiation. Despite major damage to epithelial tissue, the…

Ex-Manchester United and Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo named in Portugal squad to face ⁠Norway and Denmark.Published On 18 Sep 202618 Sep 2026Cristiano Ronaldo has been ‌included in new Portugal manager Jorge Jesus’s first 25-man squad for the defending ⁠champions’ upcoming four ⁠Nations League matches.In August, Ronaldo fuelled speculation about his retirement plans after saying the coming year would probably be the last of his playing career.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of listThe ⁠41-year-old Portugal captain is one of the most decorated players in football history, having won major trophies with Manchester United, Real Madrid, Juventus and current club…

Thirty-seven people accused of illegal mining in north-central Nigeria have died in custody, local officials said.Police have set up an investigation into the deaths, which the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) blamed on an apparent disease outbreak.However, an intelligence report shared with the AFP news agency suggested the group died because of overcrowding and poor ventilation inside the detention facility in Niger state.”We believe they suffocated because there was no ventilation,” the father of one of those detained told the BBC.Abdullahi Dalhatu said his son had survived because he was near a small window.”His friend slumped and fainted,…

They exploited a flaw in the set-up of OpenAI’s community forum, which is hosted by a third-party, Discourse, and used it to gain access to internal sign-ons and eventually an OpenAI employee’s ChatGPT account. This ChatGPT account had access to internal code through GitHub. “We thank the researchers for contacting us and sharing their findings,” OpenAI said, adding that it had fixed the issues. Anthropic declined to comment. Hacktron did not immediately respond. The disclosure on Thursday, first reported by The Wall Street Journal, came as Anthropic published a new set of data that showed a rapid increase in how…

Everyone but Peter Obi. Yes, Fulani herdsmen are welcome to Benue, and their cattle too. All but Obi. Nigeria’s eccentric democratic experiment and farcical federalism are finding expression at just the right time. The beginnings are in Benue. Campaigns for 2027 have started, and an early warning sign is flashing. Some politicians will get a frosty reception in Benue State. Others will not even be allowed to make an entrance at all. Paranoia is now a policy. The struggle to check the state borders has suddenly disappeared. On 8th September, Peter Obi, the NDC candidate for the 2027 election, was stopped…

Physicist Stephen Hawking lived with motor neuron disease for longer than any other person known.Credit: Santi Visalli/GettyA man with an uncommon type of motor neuron disease experienced improved symptoms and continued to work as a physician a year after becoming the first person to receive a drug designed to target the specific genetic mutation that causes his disease1. Researchers say the early results are exciting and lay the foundation for more treatments for neurodegenerative diseases caused by rare mutations.The man had a slowly progressing form of motor neuron disease, also called amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), caused by a rare mutation…

Punch isn’t just for summer parties, and this Caribbean-inflected one, featuring rum, brandy, stout, lemon and nutmeg, will warm the cockles of a crowd on any autumn evening. It’s named after Prince Buster, the Jamaican ska legend and inspiration for our bar’s name.Buster’s stout punchServes 20 250g demerara sugar, or cane sugar4 large unwaxed lemons900ml Jamaican dark rum, ideally a well-aged one – Myers’s or Planteray Original Dark for preference400ml VSOP cognac – we use Martell300ml Guinness – we use Guinness Foreign Extra Stout or Guinness West Indies PorterFreshly grated nutmeg, to garnish and to taste (optional)Put the sugar in…