Author: damazah@gmail.com

This column today begins an occasional series to examine governance issues on the continent of Africa. Africa is the richest of the seven continents in the world, and the second largest continent by land mass, though you would not guess that fact from looking at the distorted cartography of the globe that is used to put the continent down. Despite Chinua Achebe’s giant literary effort, through ‘Things fall apart’ , to debunk Joseph Conrad’s and Hugh Trevor-Roper’s wholesale labelling of the land as a ‘Dark Continent’, with no history or self-awareness before the advent of the white man, an aura…

AJ Daulerio: ‘The Small Bow is a living amends for whatever version of me came before on the internet.’ Photograph: Storm Santos/Contour RA by Getty ImagesEvery other Tuesday, AJ Daulerio wakes up at 5.30am and meditates for five to 20 minutes before beginning his multistep daily journaling protocol: reading a selection from a poetry anthology, then a passage from one of his daily wisdom readers (his go-to is a heavily annotated copy of Leo Tolstoy’s A Calendar of Wisdom); writing his Fear of the Day and gratitude list, then sharing his spiritual takeaway in a note to his three kids.After…

Scientists are racing to conserve what remains of these majestic animals’ genetic diversity

Jeff BorzelloAug 3, 2026, 07:30 AM ETClose Basketball recruiting insider. Joined ESPN in 2014. Graduate of University of Delaware.Multiple AuthorsJuly is typically a quiet month when it comes to the college basketball landscape, with teams mostly set and coaches’ attention turning to the recruiting trail and future rosters. But while coaches did indeed hit the road to watch the next wave of prospects, there was a surprising amount of personnel movement to impact the rankings.The two big decisions were Serbian forward Nikola Kusturica committing to UCLA, which put the Bruins inside the top 25, and Marcus Spears Jr., who was…

On her first new single of 2026, the Americana powerhouse hops effortlessly to unexpected notes and corners Sierra Ferrell is back with her first new single of 2026, the sinewy “Trying to Love You.” Melding country, old time. and New Orleans jazz in her signature style, the Gabriel Kelly-produced track is a psychedelic lover’s journey that slinks in slow, building into an anthemic call that evokes Jefferson Airplane as much as traditional roots sounds. At the song’s core is Ferrell’s voice; powerful, emotive, hopping effortlessly to unexpected notes and corners. Watch the visualizer below. Trending Stories “Trying to Love You”…

The Abia State Police Command said a conspiracy and child trafficking suspect, Nnamdi Lazarus, has been arrested as six abducted children were rescued. According to the state Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Maureen Chinaka, in a press statement issued on Thursday, the 51-year-old suspect is from Mbano in Imo State. The statement read, “Acting on credible and actionable intelligence, operatives of the Violent Crime Response Unit, Aba North, apprehended Nnamdi Lazarus, currently residing in Uratta Aba, Abia State. “The suspect was found harbouring and keeping the children.” All the six rescued children, the statement said, have been safely reunited with…

It was a “major operation” for the plane to be correctly configured in time by engineers and a design team, who fitted a stretcher in the back.The configuration took 24 hours, Robertson said, but takeoff was then delayed for another 12 hours while the crew waited for a suitable window in the weather. “We had quite a narrow time frame that we could actually fly down to Antarctica because there was a snowstorm on the first day that we were intending to go down which stopped the operation.”The storm prevented crew at the station from getting to the runway, made…

A vessel is anchored off the coast of Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates on Aug. 3, 2026. AFP | Getty ImagesOil rose Friday amid worries over supply disruptions after Iran published a restrictive draft plan for the Strait of Hormuz. Futures for international benchmark Brent crude for October delivery gained 1.25% to $83.52 a barrel. U.S. West Texas Intermediate futures for September advanced 1.10% at $78.14 per barrel.”Higher oil prices signaled that a further inflationary impulse from energy and the situation in the Middle East could not be discounted, sending US dollar higher and government bonds lower,” Westpac said in a note. According…

By Hadiza Yusuf Kano State House of Assembly on Tuesday suspended the chairmen of Bagwai, Bebeji and Rogo local government areas for three months over allegations of misconduct, financial misappropriation, abuse of office and breach of public trust. The decision followed the adoption of a report presented by the House Committee on Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs after investigating separate petitions against the three council chairmen. Presenting the committee’s report before the House, Chairman of the committee, Hon. Ali Muhammad Bebeji, said the petitions were received from different groups, including the Legislative Councils of Bebeji and Rogo Local Government Areas,…

South Korean authorities are deploying drones to issue heat warnings to farmers while residents are taking shelter in airports, as the country battles an unprecedented heatwave.President Lee Jae Myung has ordered public agencies to mobilise all available resources to deal with the extreme heat, which he has called a “national disaster”.Temperatures in the south soared to a record 42.5C (108.5F) earlier this week. At least 23 people have died from heat-related illnesses in the country so far this year, while nearly 2,500 have visited emergency rooms for heat-related conditions since mid-May, authorities say.”Heatwave conditions once seen only in foreign news…