Author: damazah@gmail.com

Some were born great, while others had greatness thrust upon them. In the case of Senator Florence Ita-Giwa, possessing both appears almost too obvious to require explanation. For close to five decades, the elegant dame has remained a familiar and formidable presence in Nigeria’s social and political firmament. Remarkably, the years seem to have done little to dim her allure. If anything, Ita-Giwa, the former Special Adviser to former President Olusegun Obasanjo,  appears to have mastered the enviable art of ageing gracefully while keeping her glamour, influence and relevance firmly intact. To the social scene, she is the quintessential society woman,…

The twins were 19 and still in high school when they were taken from their beds in the dead of night by masked men later identified as being sent by the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps.After four months of desperately seeking news from hospitals and state institutions, their mother, Marzieh Nourmohammadi, finally learned their fate. Taraneh and Romina Rahimi had been seized over their decision to join millions on the streets of Iranian cities during the January protests against the regime. The twins were unrecognisable by the time of their mother’s prison visit in May.The women’s scalps were patchy from being…

More than 60 people, including civilians, killed as clashes between Yemeni forces and Houthis intensify in Taiz province.Published On 6 Sep 20266 Sep 2026Military forces of Yemen’s internationally recognised government have been engaged in intense clashes with Houthi rebels across multiple fronts, most heavily in the Taiz and Hodeidah provinces and along the western Red Sea coast.Yemen’s military said it recaptured Hais district, south of Hodeidah, an area linking the provinces of Hodeidah, Taiz and Ibb, according to Turkiye’s Anadolu news agency.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of listThe Presidential Leadership Council chairman, Rashad al-Alimi, said that Yemen’s armed forces…

Most people who reach the top of Nigeria’s downstream energy sector arrive through trading. Adisa Aliu arrived through metallurgical and materials engineering, a background that shaped how he built Matrix Energy Group into one of the country’s most diversified indigenous energy conglomerates. Aliu is the Founder and Group CEO, an engineer certified as a Fellow of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (FNSE), the peak of professional recognition within Nigeria’s foremost engineering body. He also passed through banking and international oil firms before turning toward building his own institution. Matrix today spans oil trading, shipping, logistics, LPG distribution, mining, and fertiliser…

Growing factions from both sides of the political aisle in the US are pushing back against surveillance cameras made by a single company, a rare response in a sharply divided country with a president pushing an unwaveringly pro-tech agenda.The bipartisan backlash against Flock Safety cameras resembles nationwide rage toward the construction of large datacenters that power artificial intelligence. Polling shows roughly 75% of Americans oppose new datacenter construction in their areas.Flock’s cameras are automated license plate readers (ALPRs), which take pictures of vehicle license plates so police and security companies can log the movement of cars in a given area.…

A terrifying moment unfolded aboard a Qantas flight from Queenstown to Sydney when flames erupted from its left engine shortly after takeoff. The aircraft was diverted to Christchurch, where it landed safely. Videos capturing the flames were shared on social media.Published On 6 Sep 20266 Sep 2026Share Flames burst from Qantas plane engine after New Zealand takeoff on social mediashare-nodesSharegoogleAdd Al Jazeera on Googleinfo

This is the final part of a three-part series. You can read the first part here and the second part here. Long before the gradual withdrawal of international HIV funding exposed the fragility of Nigeria’s HIV response, Akwa Ibom and Rivers states had enacted laws intended to prevent such a crisis. The laws recognised that donor assistance would not last forever and envisaged a future in which governors provided political leadership, governments financed programmes from domestic resources, local councils coordinated community interventions, and legal protections encouraged people living with HIV to seek treatment without fear of discrimination. On paper, the…

File. Photo by ANDY BUCHANAN / AFP. Newcastle surged back from a two-goal deficit against Bournemouth on Saturday to draw 2-2 and extend their unbeaten start to the season after a period of intense upheaval at the club. Matthias Jaissle’s team found themselves 2-0 down in the 35th minute after Marcus Tavernier’s close-range effort and an own goal from Malick Thiaw, both helped by deflections. Newcastle winger Harvey Barnes changed the complexion of the match with a stunning curling effort less than two minutes later. The home team struggled to find momentum in the second half but substitute Jacob Ramsey…

Taylor Swift didn’t take the opportunity to write a song for the Toy Story 5 soundtrack lightly. In June, the superstar made her big country music return with the evocative single. “It really hit me the weight of this, how lucky we were to get to take up what Randy Newman has created and and continue that legacy,” Swift said on American Country Countdown with Ryan Fox, referring to the country single “I Knew It, I Knew You,”which she and Jack Antonoff wrote for the film. “I just thought we’re gonna take these beautiful tapestries of musical art he’s created…

Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen is hopeful of returning to action for Galatasaray’s UEFA Champions League clash against Sporting Lisbon next week after suffering a groin injury in Friday’s 3-2 victory over Istanbul Başakşehir, PUNCH Sports Extra reports. The Nigerian forward was substituted in the 33rd minute after picking up the injury, but he has downplayed concerns over his fitness and is targeting a return against the Portuguese side if he is deemed fit by the club’s medical and coaching staff. “I have nothing, I didn’t want to risk myself. If our coach deems it appropriate for the Sporting Lisbon…