Author: damazah@gmail.com

Dominic & JuniorThe Sopranos star Dominic Chianese (95) and his son Dominic Chianese Jr (62) helm this new series – a cosy father-son catchup, and all the better for it. Choice cuts include Chianese Sr’s admission that he thought the show was a spoof at first, playing his first scene as crime boss Junior for laughs. As for “Jimmy” Gandolfini, he was “in the same stratosphere as Al Pacino … acting with him was so easy because he was so real and so believable”. Hannah J Davies Widely available, episodes weeklyBear HuntThe Rest Is … stable has form in audio…

How to Build the Bridge of Prayer into the Next Generation Pastors must teach prayer intentionally and consistently. Churches must create active prayer meetings. Parents must pray with their children. Children must see their parents pray. Ministers must avoid diminishing prayer in their messages. Churches must promote purity of doctrine over popularity. Believers must test all spirits and measure all teachings by Scripture. Leonard Ravenhill said, “A praying church is not a straying church.” If the next generation forsakes prayer, our generation has failed. We must secure the faith of the next generation. We are living in an age of…

By Dele Sobowale Two former Ministers of Humanitarian Services – one sacked but allowed to go home and the other now on the run – symbolize how public servants in Abuja view Nigeria’s poor people. They are not to be helped; they are to be robbed. President Tinubu, like his predecessors, Jonathan and Buhari – is just finding that out the hard way.  If he wants to know why the poor people are not experiencing the positive impacts of his reforms, he will be well advised to look at his Presidency, Ministers, Director Generals and the Ministry of Petroleum –…

Beijing signals growing concern over how rapid advances in technology could be used against the country

Oracle co-founder and executive chairman Larry Ellison has canceled a planned sale of his Oracle stock, the company announced on Saturday. Oracle had previously disclosed in a regulatory filing that Ellison planned to sell 50 million shares worth around $7.5 billion, according to Reuters. The company did not offer a reason for the change in plans. “No Oracle stock was sold under that plan, and he has no other plans to sell any of his Oracle stock,” the company said. Oracle stock is currently down 22% since the beginning of the year. The company has been spending heavily on data…

Lagos State will renew its civil service through training and performance of young people, writes ADEKANBI OLUWASEGUN For many young Nigerians, public service remains an institution they admire from a distance but struggle to enter. Despite possessing academic qualifications, professional experience and a genuine desire to serve, many young people often find government offices difficult to penetrate, leaving them to pursue opportunities elsewhere. That reality is what makes the latest initiative of the Lagos State Government particularly significant. Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s announcement that qualified and high-performing fellows of the Lateef Jakande Leadership Academy will have a pathway into the Lagos…

We have had wildfires this year because things have been so dry for so long, the hot air has just sucked the moisture out of the landscape.It leaves vegetation dead, dry and needing just a small spark to erupt into flame.On Cannock Chase, I spent the day with Staffordshire County Council rangers, as they showed me around the black, scorched earth left behind after the fires that took place there. I saw pictures of dead adders along with cracked and burnt eggs belonging to ground-nesting birds.It is not just wildlife affected by them – the ash from the fire is…

Olympic athletes have come out in force to condemn a sports betting advert featuring actor Sydney Sweeney in various states of undress, while showcasing the real skill, strength and beauty of women’s sport.The campaign, for US sports prediction market company Novig, depicts Sweeney in minimal to no clothing while she pretends to play several different sports.It has been widely criticised for sexualising women’s sport, with retired Olympic swimmer Ariarne Titmus saying she thought this type of “bullshit” marketing was a thing of the past.“I can’t describe how infuriated I feel when I watch this,” the four-time Olympic gold medallist wrote…

Following the Silver Lion win for Lee Chang-dong’s Possible Love at this year’s Venice film festival, Netflix is set to stream more of the director’s work worldwide.  Lee’s earlier films Green Fish and Secret Sunshine are already available on Netflix, streaming from August in Italy, the UK, France, Australia, and New Zealand. Peppermint Candy and Oasis started streaming on Netflix in Italy and Spain on September 4.  Poetry and Burning are also planned for release in markets including Japan, the U.S., Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Availability and timing vary by country. Depending on the market, the films will be…

Nigeria’s football is now in a cauldron, resulting in the 13-member board of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) resigning their appointments late last month. Ibrahim Gusau was the chairman. The mass resignation came 34 days before the expiration of their tenure. It is a shake-up many football stakeholders had stridently called for, with the slippery slope the game got into on NFF’s watch. The exit is good riddance, which has now opened the channel for a proper re-organisation of football management for optimal results that complement Nigeria’s passion for the “beautiful game.” The world football governing body, FIFA, has been…