Author: damazah@gmail.com

Defections, those who leave one party and join another, have been a big part of the party’s growth in the last year – not least the recruitment of former Conservative cabinet ministers Robert Jenrick and Suella Braverman.Elections have been as well – Reform’s gains in the English local elections and the devolved parliament elections in Wales and in Scotland.But so too has money. The backdrop to this conference was the swirl of questions about money even before Channel 4 News’, and Verbatim Investigations’, endeavours.In the hour or two before its broadcast on Thursday night, senior Reform figures, including those directly…

The President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, has begun making a fresh case for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election in 2027, urging Northern youths to support the administration’s economic reforms and policy continuity. Akpabio made the appeal on Saturday while receiving a high-level delegation of the Northern Ethnic Groups Assembly in Abuja. He said the reforms introduced by the Tinubu administration, including fuel subsidy removal and foreign exchange reforms, were painful but necessary measures to reposition the economy. According to him, the policies have now crossed a critical threshold and are beginning to produce tangible benefits for Nigerians. “I stand before…

NEW YORK — After yet another wildly unpredictable start to a major, the second week of the 2026 US Open is upon us.There have been countless upsets, with six of the top-10-seeded men already eliminated, and even more close calls for many of the contenders in both singles draws. Plus, influencer drama, distracting conditions and a fleeting-but-compelling appearance by Venus and Serena Williams.Editor’s Picks2 RelatedBut one bright spot that has gone somewhat under the radar is the collective success of the Americans at their home Slam. A total of 15 American singles players (eight women and seven men) advanced to…

“If you look at the synoptic Gospels — and they are synoptic, which means they don’t tell you everything,” Mel Gibson told The Christian Post in an interview this week. “And even John says, ‘Y’know, hey, there were many other things [Jesus] said and did which, if they were to be written down, couldn’t fill all the libraries of all the world,’ right? So there’s a lot of stuff that wasn’t written and the Gospels are synoptic.” Per the publication U.S. Catholic, “Synoptic is a Greek word that means ‘to see together.’ The term refers to the three gospels that present…

Ndubuisi Francis in AbujaThe Director General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, and some members of the United States Congress have expressed excitement as President Donald Trump signed the bill for a two-year extension of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), after the enabling law elapsed on September 30, 2025. Nigeria is among the 32 African beneficiaries of AGOA, which was established in 2000 to provide countries across Africa with duty-free access to the American market, promoting economic growth in Africa and boosting trade between the US and the continent.Okonjo-Iweala conveyed her delight at the development…

Nigel Farage to be questioned as he battles to contain growing donations scandalGood morning and welcome to our live coverage of UK politics. The Reform UK party leader, Nigel Farage, is scheduled to appear on Laura Kuenssberg’s Sunday politics programme at 9am, where he will likely be asked more about an undercover investigation broadcast by Channel 4 News which showed two of his senior aides appearing to plot to get around electoral laws on foreign donations.Accepting donations from a foreign company, including donations in kind such as polling, could constitute a criminal offence and the party has been reported to…

The literary community, bibliophiles and the wider public will gather on Saturday, 12 September, at the Mövenpick Hotel, Alfred Rewane Road, Ikoyi, for the formal presentation of a book of the moment: Dr Chidi Amuta’s Homage: Return to Familiar Places. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi — former Rivers State governor, former minister, and Dr Amuta’s former student — will be the Special Guest of Honour. Dr Yemi Ogunbiyi will chair the event, and ThisDay’s Segun Adeniyi will serve as the official book reviewer. A memoir that refuses the usual apologyIn his autobiography, Homage: Return to Familiar Places (2025), Dr Chidi Amuta does…

Three hikers were rescued from California’s Mount Shasta this week after using Google’s AI chatbot Gemini to plan their expedition, according to the Chicago Tribune. A report from the Siskiyou County sheriff’s office said that three young men set off on their hike at 3am and — although hikers are told to turn around if they haven’t reached the summit by noon — they made it to the top at 7pm.  The trio then tried to descend in the dark, called the sheriff’s office to ask for directions, and spent the night in Mud Creek Canyon before being rescued the…

ICE agents arrested an average of one person every 54 seconds in July. AJLabs examines a record month for deportations.

A litter picking group which removes rubbish from a river collected more than 50 bags of rubbish at their latest gathering.The Durham City Riverscape Community formed just before the coronavirus pandemic to carry out monthly litter picks along the River Wear.The group estimated it had collected tonnes of waste from the water since the start, including a large fridge earlier this year.Lead volunteer Graham Hollingwood said the group was approaching the 1,000 bag milestone which “just shows how much work goes into protecting our riverbanks” and the “phenomenal” efforts of volunteers.He said pulling the full sized fridge freezer out of…