Author: damazah@gmail.com

Donald Trump has hit Australian exports with new trade tariffs, claiming the country is not doing enough to combat forced labour, but the Albanese government has demanded he remove them immediately.The United States announced on Friday morning (AEST) that many Australian exports now attract a new 12.5% tariff as part of a broader regime affecting dozens of countries. However the Albanese government says Australia’s three largest export categories – including beef and gold – will avoid the tariff hit.In a statement, the US trade department said Australia was on a list of 54 economies it deemed as having “failed to…

BUA Cement recorded a net foreign exchange gain of N16.57 billion during the first half of 2026 compared with only N782.8 million in the same period last year and a N9.70 billion foreign exchange loss for the full 2025 financial year. This marked reversal reflects the relatively more stable exchange rate environment that has followed the sharp currency adjustments experienced over the previous two years. The improvement helped reduce overall net finance costs to just N3.41 billion, compared with N31.37 billion in the corresponding period of 2025, despite the company continuing to carry substantial borrowings. Finance income also increased sharply…

By Godwin Oritse The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has released 36 trucks belonging to members of the Association of Maritime Truck Owners (AMATO) that were impounded during an investigation into alleged trade infractions at Zarmmak Bonded Terminal in the Amuwo Odofin area of Lagos. The trucks were detained by Customs Police attached to the Zone ‘A’ Federal Operations Unit (FOU) after the terminal was sealed over suspected violations of Customs regulations. While the nature of the alleged infractions has not been disclosed by the Service, the incident disrupted trucking operations and raised concerns among transport operators over mounting business losses. The…

Amazon is launching an update to its Alexa Plus assistant that will allow it to connect to smart home devices in new ways. With the update, which is currently in preview, Alexa Plus can link up with tech from Bosch, Delta, Ecovacs, iRobot, Yale Home, Whirlpool, Tapo, Eufy, and others, while automatically routing requests to the correct device.In an example shared by Amazon, a person with a supported washing machine can say, “Alexa, my kid’s soccer jersey could use a deep clean, but the tag says cold wash only.” From there, Alexa Plus would navigate the washer’s cycle options and…

By Shina Abubakar, OSOGBO AHEAD of the August 15 governorship election in Osun State, the Accord Party and Police Command, yesterday, traded accusations over the neutrality of security agencies in the state. The Chairman of the Accord Party, Pastor Victor Akande, accused the Osun Police Command of providing cover for suspected thugs, while members of rival groups, particularly transport union members, were subjected to harassment and selective arrests. Akande urged the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Tunji Disu, to order an impartial investigation into the activities of all individuals linked to the recent violence in the state and ensure that anyone found…

Jigawa State Government, in collaboration with the National Boundary Commission (NBC), has resolved a 47-year-old international farmland dispute between border communities in Nigeria and the Republic of Niger. The dispute which began in 1979 between the Jobi community of Maigatari Local Government Area in Jigawa State and the Kyalli community of Dungass Department in the Zinder Region of Niger Republic had repeatedly disrupted agricultural activities, strained diplomatic ties, and claimed several lives over nearly five decades. The peaceful resolution was achieved through the efforts of the Jigawa State Boundary Committee, led by the state’s Deputy Governor, Aminu Usman. Following joint…

British-Nigerian heavyweight boxer Anthony Joshua has spoken candidly about the devastating loss of two close friends and trusted members of his support team, admitting he is still struggling to come to terms with the tragedy as he prepares for his return to the ring. Joshua will step back into competitive action on Saturday against Albania’s Kristian Prenga, marking his first fight since the fatal road accident that claimed the lives of Sina Ghami and Latif Ayodele in Nigeria. The two men died on 29 December, 2025, when the vehicle carrying them, Joshua and a driver collided with a stationary truck…

Veteran Nollywood actress Ngozi Nwosu has made an emotional appeal for financial assistance as she battles an undisclosed illness, revealing that she has been hospitalised for three weeks and is preparing to undergo three surgeries. The actress shared the heartfelt video on her Instagram page on Thursday, where she appeared from her hospital bed, visibly emotional as she appealed to fans, friends and family members not to abandon her during the difficult period. Addressing her supporters, Nwosu explained why she had been absent from public view in recent weeks. “My people, my fans and my family, I know that you’ve…

FACTFILE with Lanre Alfred Every country produces politicians but only a few produce custodians. Nigeria, unfortunately, has seen too many of the former and too few of the latter. I have spent enough years around the machinery of power to know its peculiar chemistry. Power changes the tenor of a man’s voice and alters his gait. It also expands his appetites and shrinks his patience. Sometimes, it creates an invisible moat around him, separating him from ordinary suffering. Thus, it can turn decent men into emperors and public servants into minor deities. Yet every once in a while, you encounter…

• Approves other bills on FCT courts, tobacco control, ratifies Sept. national security summit  •Adjourns for annual recess, to resume September 15 after endorsing key reforms Sunday Aborisade in Abuja The National Assembly has passed the National Inland Waterways Authority (Repeal and Re-enactment) Bill, 2026, a major reform aimed at bringing Nigeria’s inland waterways law into line with the Constitution and a landmark Supreme Court judgment. The bill, which is a House of Representatives legislation, repealed and replaced the existing National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) Act, following Supreme Court’s decision in the legal dispute between the Attorneys-General of Lagos State…