Author: damazah@gmail.com

Some 175,000 people in Indonesia have suffered from respiratory illness since August, its health ministry said, as it continues to battle wildfires that have raged for weeks.More than 40,000 cases – which range from coughs to bronchitis and more serious conditions like pneumonia – involve toddlers.Forest fires have blanketed parts of the country as well as neighbouring Malaysia and Singapore in toxic smog, pushing air quality indices into “unhealthy” territory.Indonesia has deployed more than 54,000 officials and dozens of jets to the islands of Borneo and Sumatra for water bombing, but the vast territory and challenging peatland conditions make it…

Nume Ekeghe writes on the series of reforms undertaken by the Central Bank of Nigeria under Governor Olayemi Cardoso in his three years in office, and how the changes are reshaping the country’s financial system Three years ago, Olayemi Cardoso took over as Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) at a time when confidence in the country’s financial system had been badly tested. The foreign exchange market was fragmented, the naira was under severe pressure, inflation was eroding household incomes, and the banking industry was operating with a capital base that the new CBN leadership believed would be…

Venezuelans protested in New York against interim President Delcy Rodriguez’s participation in the UN General Assembly, calling for world leaders not to normalise relations with what they call an illegitimate government. Rodriguez took power in January after Nicolas Maduro was captured by the US military.Published On 23 Sep 202623 Sep 2026Share Venezuelans protest interim leader Delcy Rodriguez at UN headquarters on social mediashare-nodesSharegoogleAdd Al Jazeera on Googleinfo

The US has criticised Australia’s proposal to give users the ability to opt out of social media algorithms, saying it amounts to “censorship of protected speech”.Under Australia’s draft digital duty of care laws, tech firms risk hefty fines if they fail to give users the option to turn off algorithms in a bid to protect them from harmful content.In a rare submission to the proposed laws, the US embassy in Canberra said it had “serious concerns” and allowing the government to “enforce vague definitions of ‘harm'” would lead to “viewpoint-based censorship”.Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the legislation was not…

Before becoming prime minister, Burnham had said relatively little about how AI should be regulated.Since taking power in July, Burnham’s government has stressed the need for international cooperation to combat the risks, as well as harness the potential benefits of the technology, warning that further regulation and legislation may be needed.In his speech, Burnham described the most advanced “Frontier AI” as “one of the most significant challenges and opportunities of our age”.He told world leaders AI would be “key to economic growth” but also a “multiplier of risk”.The prime minister added: “We’ve all heard the warnings – which we must…

The police in Enugu State have arrested a 30-year-old man, Chibuike Okpara, who allegedly killed his girlfriend and concealed her body in a toilet within his apartment in the state. The state police spokesperson, Daniel Ndukwe, said in a statement on Tuesday that the incident occurred at Olympic Layout, One-Day Area, Enugu State. The statement identified the deceased simply as Chinyere. “The suspect was rescued from an angry mob and re-arrested by Police operatives attached to Awkunanaw Division on 21 September 2026, at about 6:30 p.m., following information that he had allegedly murdered his girlfriend,” Mr Ndukwe, a superintendent of police,…

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In a country where girl-child education is threatened by widespread poverty, cultural and religious biases, insecurity and school attacks, and early child marriage, Dr (Mrs) Oyindamola Obabori has remained a strong advocate for girls’ education because of its benefits to the individual and society. As she nears her retirement from the civil service, Obabori, who resumed as the 26th Principal of Queen’s College, Lagos, in September 2022, shares her success stories at the school. She also shared a few human management tips with aspiring teachers and school administrators. Uchechukwu Nnaike brings excerpts As an educator, what has motivated you to…

Out of nowhere, a woman’s right arm and leg started shaking uncontrollably. In the moments leading up to the experience, she seemed well; she had no headache, confusion, or weakness. But for about a minute, half of her body juddered. The woman, a rice farmer in the Philippines, headed to the emergency department. There, doctors gave her a physical exam and found nothing out of the ordinary. Then they took a look at her brain. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed a bright cluster of nodules surrounded by fluid in her left frontal lobe. The doctors had an immediate guess as to…

President’s move clears hurdles to long delayed election and raises concern he can now wield unchecked power.Published On 23 Sep 202623 Sep 2026South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir has dissolved the country’s transitional unity government and appointed a caretaker administration as the country prepares for its first-ever national elections.The decree on Tuesday ended a power-sharing arrangement set up under a 2018 peace deal that halted years of civil war, and raised concerns that Kiir could now wield unchecked power.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of listThe decree, read out by the national broadcaster, said all vice-presidents, ministers and local administrators have…