Author: damazah@gmail.com

Argentina defeated Switzerland 3-1 after extra time on Sunday, reaching the FIFA World Cup semi-finals following a thrilling quarter-final at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, USA. The South Americans dominated the early exchanges before Switzerland rallied impressively, forcing extra time despite playing the closing stages with 10 men after Breel Embolo’s dismissal. Argentina struck first in the 10th minute when Alexis Mac Allister converted Lionel Messi’s clever assist, rewarding their bright opening and sustained attacking pressure. Messi orchestrated Argentina’s attacks throughout the first half as Switzerland struggled defensively and found few opportunities to threaten the South American backline. Switzerland’s frustrations…

By Ayo OnikoyiNollywood actress and filmmaker Iyabo Ojo has opened up about marriage, divorce, motherhood and societal judgement, stating that no woman enters marriage with the intention of walking away. The actress made the revelation while appearing as a guest on The Morayo Show, where she reflected on her personal experiences and the decisions she has made to protect her family’s peace. According to Iyabo Ojo, women often go into marriage with the hope of building a lasting relationship, but circumstances can sometimes lead to difficult choices. “I don’t think there is any woman who wants to get married and…

Chiemelie Ezeobi Troops of the Nigerian Army’s 65 Battalion have intercepted a truck conveying a large consignment of illicit drugs along the Lagos–Calabar Coastal Road following actionable intelligence from a credible source. The intelligence-led operation, conducted on July 9, 2026, led to the successful interception of the vehicle and the arrest of its driver. According to the acting Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, 81 Division Nigerian Army, Lieutenant Colonel Musa Yahaya, preliminary investigations revealed that the illicit consignment was being transported to the Berger area of Lagos State.  However, the suspect was unable to provide satisfactory information on the ownership…

Qatar’s Father Emir Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani has died at the age of 74.During his 18-year rule, Sheikh Hamad reshaped the energy-rich country’s domestic and global footprint.When he assumed power in 1995, Qatar’s economy was limited in size and relied mainly on oil, while the vast gas wealth of the North Field site was still in the early stages of development.In less than two decades, Qatar became the world’s largest exporter of liquefied natural gas (LNG), the owner of one of the largest sovereign wealth funds and one of the countries with the highest per capita incomes.This transformation…

Three score and three years ago, a defining dispute erupted in the old Western Region of Nigeria over the scope and reach of constitutional conventions in determining or terminating the tenure of high-level political leadership. The Judicial Committee of the Privy Council, which ultimately had to pronounce on the matter, described conventions in that case as “a body of understandings which no writer can formulate.” The aftermath of that decision took the country to the brink of ruin. This year, the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) confronts its own moment of truth concerning how far conventions initially designed to accommodate national…

Unlock the Editor’s Digest for freeRoula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren has called on JPMorgan Chase boss Jamie Dimon to say whether he lobbied the UK government against a tax on bankers’ bonuses on the advice of child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.Dimon, who has been chair and chief executive of the largest US bank for two decades, said under oath in 2023 that he had never met Epstein and was not involved in any internal decisions to retain the disgraced financier as a JPMorgan client after concerns were raised…

The Oscar-winning director Christopher Nolan believes the kind of movies he makes – big-budget action films shot mostly on location – would survive the spread of artificial intelligence, a technology he says many people “disdain”.The Oppenheimer and The Dark Knight director is promoting his latest blockbuster, an adaptation of the Greek epic The Odyssey, which will be released in cinemas this week.“The interesting thing with AI is I’ve never seen a technology that’s been so successfully adopted by Wall Street and by investors and by tech companies that the public has so thoroughly rejected,” he told AFP in Paris.“It’s just…

Senior police figures and politicians have warned against speculation during the murder investigation into Ann Widdecombe’s death, after detectives said there was “nothing to suggest” political motivation following an intervention from Nigel Farage.Devon and Cornwall police said on Sunday the killing was not being treated as terrorism nor as politically motivated. Officers said they remained open-minded about the motive and urged the public not to speculate, warning it was both unhelpful to the investigation and distressing for Widdecombe’s family.Widdecombe, a former Conservative minister and later Reform UK spokesperson, was found dead at her home in Haytor in Devon on Thursday…

Every general election has a legal framework that underpins its successful conduct. The Electoral Act 2026 exemplifies this for the 2027 polls. Nigeria has had to amend extant Electoral Acts to improve the integrity of its electoral process. This is why the 2022 Electoral Act was subjected to a review early in the year, which gave birth to the Electoral Act 2026. Yet, its ill-defined provisions on the electronic transmission of votes, from polling units to INEC’s IreV portal in real time, had sparked considerable ruckus in the parliament in February and broadsides from other stakeholders, until the legislature willy-nilly…

Jannik Sinner described his triumph at Wimbledon as particularly special considering his painful defeat at the French Open, after he recovered from a difficult first set to secure his second Wimbledon title with an impressive 6-7 (7), 7-6 (2), 6-3, 6-4 win against the second seed Alexander Zverev.Sinner, the world No 1, successfully defended his Wimbledon title to clinch his fifth grand slam singles title and 30th championship ­overall. Last month, he was heavily favoured to win his first French Open but he lost in the second round against Juan Manuel Cerúndolo after leading by two sets and 5-1. He…