Author: damazah@gmail.com

How sweet — or suite — it still is. Judy Collins is doing a valedictory lap or two around the country on what is billed as a farewell tour, even though, at 87, she’s showing little in the way of weariness about maintaining a full concert schedule or lack of prowess in pulling these shows off. “It’s time” is the fullest explanation she’ll give about why it might be time to think about slowing down her schedule. In the meantime, there is a long way to go on her “Sweet Judy Blue Eyes Farewell Tour 2026-2027,” named for the song…

By Tunji Olaopa In every administrative system across the world, the selection and appointment of critical officers and officials plays a very crucial role in the overall health of these systems. Indeed, the effectiveness and efficiency of any management system depend significantly on the helmsman who possesses the requisite vision, knowledge, drive and the bureaucratic competences to drive institutional reform and administrative progress. And when this discussion is situated within the context of an ongoing institutional reform process of a public administration system like the one Nigeria requires to manage the successes and consolidation of its democratic governance, then the…

Spain has announced it will introduce temporary border checks on visitors from Italy in response to Rome imposing similar measures after a mass rush of people from Morocco into Ceuta.The checks, which come “amid the persistent irregular migration pressure” facing Italy, will start at midnight on Saturday and last until 7 September, Spain’s interior ministry said in a statement.Hours earlier, Spain threatened Italy with countermeasures if it did not swiftly lift its own border checks, drawing a rebuff from Rome.The rare spat between the EU and Nato allies came after tens of thousands of people crossed from Morocco to Spain’s…

Governor Umar Namadi has reiterated that the Jigawa State Government, under his leadership, is fully committed to building a digitally skilled workforce and advancing technology-driven governance as a strategic way to sustainable economic growth, innovation, and shared prosperity across the state. He asserted this when he presided over the graduation ceremony of 928 youths trained in emerging technologies under the World Bank-assisted Innovation Development and Effectiveness in the Acquisition of Skills (IDEAS) Project, coordinated by the Federal Ministry of Education and facilitated by Baze University, Abuja, held at the Banquet Hall of Government House, Dutse. The governor also unveiled the…

Budrul Chukrut | SOPA Images | Lightrocket | Getty ImagesThe latest quarterly earnings reports from FanDuel parent Flutter Entertainment, DraftKings and others shone a spotlight on the burgeoning prediction markets industry.A growing number of companies are introducing their own prediction market platforms or launching partnerships within the space, said Joel Shulman, the CEO of investment firm Entrepreneur Shares. As competition continues to grow, the latest earnings reports offer a glimpse at how much companies are willing to bet on its prediction platforms. DraftKings’ platform grows ‘faster than expected’ DraftKings’ CEO Jason Robins said the company’s prediction market platform is growing…

When we mention a game, we’ll provide purchase links that will take you to Walmart using a partner tracking code. This link provides us with 0% of the sale if you decide to buy the product, but it does help Walmart see exactly how customers arrived at the product.According to that page, Restart operated as an “independent site” and said that Walmart “doesn’t influence our editorial direction.”

Operatives of the Nigeria Police Force in Abia State have rescued six abducted children and arrested a 51-year-old man suspected of belonging to a child trafficking syndicate operating in the state. In a statement posted on Facebook on Thursday, the police spokeswoman in the state Maureen Chinaka identified the suspect as Nnamdi Lazarus. Mr Lazarus hails from Mbano Local Government Area of Imo State, but currently resides in Uratta, Aba, Abia State, Ms Chinaka said. According to the police, the suspect was arrested following an intelligence-led operation by operatives of the Violent Crime Response Unit (VCRU), Aba North. The police…

Will Lankshear’s debut strike ensured Middlesbrough made a winning start to the season as they beat Wrexham 1-0 in the Carabao Cup first round. Lankshear, a £10m summer signing from Tottenham, scored the only goal of the game in the 61st minute as he hooked home an excellent first-time volley.skip past newsletter promotionFree newsletter | Every weekdaySign up to Football DailyKick off your evenings with the Guardian’s take on the world of footballafter newsletter promotionMiddlesbrough almost claimed a seventh-minute opener, but while Adilson Malanda prodded Sebastian Berhalter’s cross goalwards from close range, Danny Ward kept the ball out with a…

The announcement dropped on a pulverizingly humid Thursday afternoon in New York City: just a few hours later, an Olivia Rodrigo surprise gig would take place at Brooklyn’s intimate, 1,100-capacity venue Warsaw. The expected mad dash for tickets — only available at the venue’s box office — ensued, with fans lining up in heat that was technically 91 degrees but with a “real feel” of 105. But of course, the venue was packed long before the 8 p.m. showtime, even though it was just as hot inside.   Rodrigo, clad in a red flowered schoolgirl dress and black go-go boots,…

Vanessa Obioha For a continent of 54 countries, reducing its music to just a handful of genres hardly does it justice. This is often the experience on many global streaming platforms, where African music is largely represented by sounds from West Africa or South Africa. What, then, of the musical traditions of Lusophone Africa and the many other genres that rarely make global playlists? Africa’s sonic landscape surely goes beyond afrobeats, amapiano and house music. Enter Josplay, an Afrocentric audio entertainment platform that delivers music, news, stories and audiobooks to listeners around the world. Since its launch in 2019, the…