Author: damazah@gmail.com

Verónica Cañas barely had time to grab her 6-year-old son and put on her shoes before running out of her apartment in Caracas. As she ran down the stairs, the walls began to crack and part of the facade started to crumble. A few kilometers away in Altamira, 50-year-old Eduardo Burger watched as one building swayed while another fell apart.Neither of them knew that this was not just a single terrible earthquake but instead a rare phenomenon. On June 24, Venezuela experienced a seismic doublet that saw earthquakes of magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 occur just 39 seconds apart. The first…

The acclaimed journalist David Hencke, whose career at the Guardian spanned more than three decades, has died of liver cancer aged 79.As Westminster correspondent, Hencke was instrumental in exposing the cash-for-questions scandal that forced the resignations of two Conservative ministers, and the scoop that led to Peter Mandelson’s first resignation from government.The Guardian’s editor-in-chief, Katharine Viner, said: “David Hencke was a true Fleet Street legend. He worked for the Guardian for more than 30 years and was responsible for breaking some of the biggest political stories of the time.“David became the most feared journalist in Westminster because of his acute…

A marine biology expedition in international waters off the coast of Brazil has discovered 31 new species in just two weeks.The researchers believe the speed at which the species were found and identified may be a record, in part because of the cutting-edge technology designed and built by the science and engineering team. For the first time on board a ship, the researchers were able to observe the living 3D cellular structure of microbial life thanks to a technological breakthrough nicknamed the Squid.The research vessel, Falkor (too), in the South Atlantic with two dozen international experts from the US, Australia,…

The final day of the group stage is Saturday, and we are revealing our our anytime 2026 World Cup goalscorer prop picks

Charles Ajunwa As part of activities to mark its 10th Annual General Meeting (AGM) themed, ‘Unlocking Nigeria’s Tourism Potential: Strengthening Tour Operators for Sustainable Destination Development,’ Nigeria Association of Tour Operators (NATOP) has partnered Lagos State Government and other organisations to explore and promote Nigeria’s tourism potential in all the 36 states of the federation and Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja.NATOP President, Hajia Bolaji Mustapha, who addressed journalists in Lagos, said as the foremost professional body representing tour operators and tourism practitioners in Nigeria established to promote and develop tourism, NATOP serves as a platform for advocacy, capacity building, destination…

B efore she was an acclaimed actress, comic, and vocalist, Midler was a young teen living in Hawaii and dreaming of the stage. At 14, she had a short-lived career in community theater. It involved being hired and then immediately fired for “hamming it up” so much that she drew attention away from the lead actress. The lesson was a swift one: You can’t upstage the star. So, Midler decided to become one.  Now 80, Midler has three Grammys, two Tonys, three Emmys, four Golden Globes, and a history in the entertainment industry so storied that she genuinely can’t remember…

Moscow’s attacks are reported to have killed two, while Kyiv’s attacks on Russia killed one and destroyed infrastructure.By Al Jazeera Staff and AFPPublished On 27 Jun 202627 Jun 2026Russian overnight attacks have killed two people and wounded more than 20 across Ukraine, while Kyiv’s attacks on Russian territory and occupied areas have killed one and wounded 10, according to local officials.Drone and bomb attacks hit multiple Ukrainian regions overnight into Saturday, killing one person in Sumy and one in Dnipropetrovsk, while nine people, including two children, were injured in attacks on the southeastern city of Zaporizhzhia.Recommended Stories list of 4…

Linus Aleke in Abuja The Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Oluwatosin Adeola Ajayi, has ordered the release of Nura Idris, a man wrongfully linked to Boko Haram, after an internal review cleared him of any involvement with the terrorist group. The DSS also awarded him N3 million in compensation and pledged further support to help him rebuild his business. According to a security source, Idris, a farmer and livestock rearer from Soba Local Government Area of Kaduna State, was arrested by a sister security agency in Suleja, Niger State, in June 2024 over alleged links to terrorists…

Akkam, Victoria from Techpoint here, Here’s what I’ve got for you today: Nigeria wants cross-border card that skips third-party currencies Yellow Card wins Swiss approval, opening door to Europe Daya raises $2.4 million to build stablecoin payment rails Nigeria wants cross-border card that skips third-party currencies Image by Freepik Nigeria’s government is throwing its weight behind the idea of a cross-border African payment card that would allow transactions across the continent without first converting money into third-party currencies like the US dollar or euro. The proposal, discussed at the Afreximbank Annual Meetings in Abuja, is part of a broader push…

Gov Biodun Oyebanji of Ekiti State. By Clifford Ndujihe & Rotimi Ojomoyela THE journey to the June 20, 2026 Ekiti State governorship election did not begin with the blowing of the official campaign whistle. For Governor Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji, the battle was joined the very day he took his oath of office on October 16, 2022. While political pundits across the country often view incumbent re-elections as slippery terrain characterised by high-wire intrigues and unpredictable voter backlash, Oyebanji’s resounding victory at the weekend appears like the outcome of a mathematically calculated political blueprint. In a state historically notorious for its volatile, fast-shifting political loyalties…