Author: damazah@gmail.com

When I interviewed Dolly Parton in 2015, the woman famous for her relentless optimism surprised me by talking candidly about a period when she had struggled with depression.”I was having some personal problems and beginning to feel a little guilty about my success,” the trailblazing singer-songwriter told me during a conversation at her beloved Dollywood Theme Park in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.Parton, who died Aug. 25 at age 80, also reflected on the difficult decisions that shaped her career. I had asked the Country music icon about the period in her life in the 1980’s when she was experiencing personal health…

I used to be an avid hiker and would try to go backpacking a few times a year. I always dreamed of thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail, but life kind of got in the way. (Turns out jobs, wives, and children aren’t thrilled with the idea of you disappearing for three months.) But I’ve been longing to reconnect with my love of the outdoors and just recently took my kids on their first camping trip. So I discovered A Trail Tale at a really opportune time. It’s an interactive trail journal created by Andy Moliski with help from his brothers Adam…

It makes a pleasant change. Not so long ago, Keir Starmer was falling over himself in his efforts to keep things sweet with Donald Trump. Offering the US president a second state visit within minutes of meeting him. Everyone knows you should never put out on the first date: it only makes the other person think you’re a pushover. Sure enough, The Donald banked the marching bands and the Windsor silver service, made polite conversation for three days and then went back to trash-talking him.Yet still, Starmer just sat there and took it. As if one word of criticism would…

Virginia Tech chemist and chemical engineer Guoliang “Greg” Liu and his research team have developed a method for transforming polyvinyl chloride (PVC) into polyalphaolefin, an important ingredient used in lubricants including engine oil. Published Aug. 5 in Nature, the work could offer a way to address two separate environmental problems at once: the difficulty of recycling PVC and the need to produce valuable industrial lubricants more sustainably. PVC is especially challenging to recycle because it contains chlorine and can include a wide range of additives depending on how it was manufactured. Those complications mean large quantities of PVC ultimately end…

Ruoning Yin produced a final-hole chip-in to take a one-shot lead into the final round of the LPGA Tour’s FM Championship, as European title hopes faded in Boston. Yin holed her chip from just off the 18th green, having also posted a 20-foot birdie on the par-three 16th, to close a four-under 68 and move to 12 under at TPC Boston. The five-time LPGA Tour winner holds a slender lead over South Korean duo Sei Young Kim and Hyo Joo Kim, with Somi Lee a further three strokes back alongside American Jenny Bae. Twitter This content is provided by Twitter,…

On the opening night of his 30-concert residency at Madison Square Garden, pop superstar Harry Styles paid tribute to the late, great Dolly Parton. And at the tail end of Saturday night’s show, he shouted-out his ex-girlfriend Taylor Swift’s wedding to Travis Kelce. “We’re at Madison Square Garden, home of the world champion New York Knicks!” Styles announced to loud applause, before adding, “And they also do weddings.” Styles famously dated Swift from November 2012 to January 2013 and served as the inspiration for Swift’s chart-topping 2014 song “Style.” According to Variety, Styles even “received an invitation” to Swift’s wedding…

Athletes from Kenya and Ethiopia dominated the 2026 Enugu City International Marathon on Saturday, winning the top prizes in the 42-kilometre men’s and women’s categories. The annual marathon event – which was held for the first time in 2025 – drew athletes and spectators across Nigeria and other parts of Africa. The Sahara Reporters publisher and 2027 presidential candidate of the African Action Congress, Omoyele Sowore, made a surprise appearance at the marathon, taking part in the 10-kilometre men’s category. The 10-kilometre and 42-kilometre races commenced from the Mgbemena Area of Enugu and ended at the Michael Okpara Square in…

President Bola Tinubu’s challenge to governors to deploy rising revenues to projects that directly affect ordinary Nigerians is timely. However, the federal government must demonstrate the same discipline by prioritising existing roads, electricity, security and other essential infrastructure, writes Festus Akanbi P resident Bola Tinubu’s admonition to state governors to channel their rising revenues into projects that directly improve citizens’ living conditions deserves serious attention. At a time of widespread hardship, public expenditure should be determined by necessity, economic value and social impact rather than political prestige. Receiving a delegation of Oyo State traditional rulers at the Presidential Villa recently, Tinubu…

Filmhouse Group has announced security enhancements across all its locations and paid tribute to two frontline guards following a deadly breach attempt at its Lekki cinema in Lagos State, which left one security officer and the assailant dead. The incident occurred on Friday night when an intruder armed with a machete and a knife attempted to force his way into the leisure facility. Guards stationed at the entrance intercepted the suspect, preventing him from penetrating the internal halls filled with cinema patrons and retail workers. Denied entry, the assailant launched a violent attack, fatally stabbing one guard and severely injuring…

By acquiring Hugging Face, Nvidia gains significant influence in that ecosystem. Additionally, Nvidia previously had plans for its own cloud AI business but had trouble getting it off the ground. This could help get that engine running again. Hugging Face’s business is reportedly not yet profitable, but the fact that it has become the de facto place to store, download, or work on open-weight models makes it highly strategically relevant at this moment, regardless of its current bottom line. The acquisition is particularly important for Nvidia, as OpenAI, Anthropic, and other frontier labs have begun investing in their own specialized…