Author: damazah@gmail.com

PHILADELPHIA — In a night filled with surprising upsets up and down the card, Islam Makhachev was narrowly able to avoid one in the main event as he held off the defensive-minded Ian Machado Garry to retain his welterweight title in the main event of UFC 330.The 34-year-old Makhachev (29-1) also etched his name even further into the history books by breaking Anderson Silva’s record for consecutive wins inside the Octagon with 17. Women’s strawweight champion Mackenzie Dern (17-5) also looked strong in the co-headliner by dominating Gillian Robertson to make the first defense of her 115-pound title. Let’s take a…

The first song I fell in love withMy dad gave me California Dreamin’ by the Mamas & the Papas on vinyl for my fifth birthday. I said: “Oh thanks, Dad,” but really, I thought: “Who is this weird bunch of people?” Obviously, the present was really for him.The first single I boughtI remember begging my mum to buy me Beat It by Michael Jackson at a record shop in the ’burbs of Sydney. I mean – he’s Michael Jackson.The song I do at karaokeWhen you’re a singer, it’s really awkward: you don’t want to throw a tantrum, sound too good or show off,…

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder at the World’s Ugliest Dog contest, which marked its 50th year at the Sonoma County Fair in California. The competition, which promotes dog adoptions and ‘the imperfections that make all dogs special’, was won this year by Jinny Lu, a pug from South Korea

The wife of the Osun State Governor, Erelu Ngozi Abeni Adeleke, has assured residents of the state that the dividends of democracy would be tripled following the re-election of her husband, Governor Ademola Adeleke. She also pledged to increase her support for the administration, particularly through expanded empowerment programmes. Erelu Adeleke, while reacting to the governor’s victory in the 2026 Osun State governorship election, expressed gratitude to the people of the state for their support, resilience and massive turnout during the poll. She said the people had demonstrated their confidence in the governor by returning him for a second term.…

The Osun State Coordinator of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Ekeng Kubiangha, has commended corps members deployed as ad hoc staff for Saturday’s governorship election for their discipline and commitment to duty during the exercise. This is contained in a statement made available to newsmen by the spokesperson for the scheme, Catherine Otemuyiwa, on Sunday in Osogbo. The election process was concluded Sunday morning with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declaring Governor Ademola Adeleke the winner. Mr Adeleke defeated 14 other candidates, including Bola Oyebamiji of the All Progressives Congress (APC). The statement from the NYSC said Mr…

Nigeria’s moribund refineries have swallowed billions without delivering results. President Bola Tinubu’s revival pledge therefore raises the question: why not sell them? Writes Festus Akanbi Something is unsettling about Nigeria returning, yet again, to the familiar promise of reviving its state-owned refineries. After decades of turnaround maintenance, rehabilitation contracts, missed deadlines, and billions of dollars committed to plants that have repeatedly failed to operate sustainably, President Bola Tinubu’s renewed assurance that the refineries “are going to come back to work” raises an unavoidable question: at what point does perseverance cease to be a sound policy and become an expensive refusal to…

Jared Cooney Horvath is on a mission. In the wake of global campaigns for smartphone bans in schools and social media restrictions for under-16s, the neuroscientist wants to raise the alarm about educational technology in classrooms.A former teacher, Horvath believes the use of screens and digital tools in schools is undermining how children learn and develop. “This might be one of the hardest truths our generation has to face,” he writes in his book, The Digital Delusion.“Our children are less cognitively capable than we were at their age,” he says. “For nearly two centuries, the west experienced steady generational progress.…

Messi’s record from the penalty spot is poor by his sky-high standards, including missing twice during the 2026 World Cup.Published On 16 Aug 202616 Aug 2026Forward Lionel Messi missed yet another penalty and was booked as Inter Miami suffered a 4-1 defeat at Nashville in a top-of-the-table Major League Soccer clash on Saturday.England’s Sam Surridge and Germany’s Hany Mukhtar scored second-half goals for the hosts, Nashville, in a showdown between the MLS overall leaders.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of listArgentina and Miami captain Messi was denied from the penalty spot in the first half and was issued a yellow…

NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE – AUGUST 15: Lionel Messi #10 of Inter Miami CF reacts after the first goal of Nashville SC scored by Andy Najar #31 (not in frame) during the MLS match between Nashville SC v Inter Miami CF at GEODIS Park on August 15, 2026 in Nashville, Tennessee. Carly Mackler/Getty Images/AFP (Photo by Carly Mackler / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP) Lionel Messi missed yet another penalty and was booked as Inter Miami suffered a 4-1 loss at Nashville on Saturday in a top-of-the-table MLS clash. England’s Sam Surridge and Germany’s Hany Mukhtar scored second-half…

Dave Marsh, a pioneering rock critic and biographer who served as an early editor of Creem, wrote for Rolling Stone, The Village Voice, and Newsday, and penned over 25 books, including Born to Run: The Bruce Springsteen Story, Before I Get Old: The Story of the Who, and The Heart of Rock & Soul: The 1001 Greatest Singles Ever Made, died Aug. 14 of unknown causes at his home in Norwalk, Connecticut. He was 76. His longtime co-host Jim Rotolo announced the news on social media. “Some sad news today, E Street Nation. Bruce Springsteen biographer, SiriusXM host, and my…