Author: damazah@gmail.com

My parents and grandparents migrated to the US from Afghanistan in 1979, just a few weeks before the Soviets invaded. I grew up in Los Angeles, but would visit my grandfather in Virginia once a year. He would always make photographs and film little interviews. It was his enthusiasm in capturing moments of our everyday lives that sparked my interest in documenting the world around me.I was six when 9/11 happened. From that point on, the domestic and global perception of my motherland was always driven by the negative connotations drawn from the headlines – terrorism, war, images of sandstorms,…

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The Zamfara State Environmental Sanitation and Enforcement Agency (ZEPEA) said it will adopt a new strategic approach to the monthly environmental sanitation exercise following the significant improvement in public compliance. The chairman of the agency, Muhammad Zangina Abdullahi Yarin Gusau, disclosed this after the successful conduct of the July monthly environmental sanitation exercise in Gusau. He was represented by Permanent Member I, Alhaji Sani Muhammad Mayanci. He said the high level of compliance recorded during the exercise demonstrated that residents are now better informed about the importance of environmental sanitation. He stated that the agency was therefore considering a new…

Unlock the Editor’s Digest for freeRoula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.Ask an investor if you can buy their shares for substantially less than the market price, and they will usually say no. Yet Andrea Orcel, boss of Italian bank UniCredit, has snagged a large chunk of German rival Commerzbank at below-market rates through a lowball offer of his bank’s stock. How he did it is a mystery, but the fact is that he has got what he wants.The market is awash with ideas on how, exactly, Orcel secured nearly 18 per cent…

This year’s El Niño is shaping up to be among the strongest on record, and it’s set to create chaotic weather around the world.A new study suggests that there could be a way to mitigate some of the impacts of future El Niños and global warming: dimming the sun.El Niño develops naturally in the tropical Pacific every few years, caused by weakened trade winds that push heat from the ocean toward the coast of South America. This tilts the odds toward higher-than-average global temperatures, as well as droughts in some regions, intense rains and floods in others, and more cyclones…

By Friday, the area of high pressure will shift further northwards, allowing the heat to spread further north and west into parts of southern Wales and the Midlands, with temperatures in the low to mid 30s. At the same time, a developing easterly breeze will bring slightly cooler conditions to more eastern areas. For Northern Ireland and Scotland, temperatures are expected to reach the mid 20s Celsius by Friday.Amber heat health alerts are in place across parts the Midlands, eastern and southern England until 12 July.Yellow heat health alerts are also in force across northern England for the same period.This…

When the history of the 2026 FIFA World Cup is eventually written, the headlines will undoubtedly celebrate spectacular goals, stunning upsets and unforgettable moments from football’s biggest stars. But beneath the spotlight, another story has quietly unfolded; one that has transformed the tournament into a showcase of goalkeeping excellence. From world-renowned stars proving why they remain among the game’s elite to relatively unknown names becoming overnight sensations, goalkeepers have repeatedly stood between triumph and heartbreak, often deciding matches with a single save. In many ways, this has become the World Cup of the goalkeepers. Vozinha – with his man-of-the-match award…

US medical drama The Pitt and comedy Hacks lead the nominations for this year’s Emmy Awards, America’s most coveted TV honours.The Pitt has received 25 nominations in total, closely followed by the final season of Hacks with 24.British stars in the running include Matthew Rhys – the only person to be nominated for two lead acting awards (for Widow’s Bay and The Beast In Me). There are also nominations for compatriots Riz Ahmed (Bait), Carey Mulligan (Beef), Gary Oldman (Slow Horses) and Rufus Sewell (The Diplomat).However, there was no room on the best drama shortlist of the 78th Emmy Awards…

The Redeemed Evangelical Mission (TREM) Atlanta (God’s Embassy Smyrna) has celebrated the 46th wedding anniversary of the presiding Bishop of TREM,  Dr. Mike Okonkwo and his wife Dr. Peace Okonkwo in a lively worship session. The session  included cutting of wedding anniversary cakes, an  all star worship,  and profound sermon of God’s infinite mercy for believers delivered by Bishop  Okonkwo.  Taking his readings from the books of 2 Samuel 19: 1-7,  Roman’s 4: 25, Matthew 22: 29 and 1 Corinthians 6, Bishop Okonkwo  recounted the story of Mephiboseth, the surviving lame son of Jonathan and his father’s friend King David. The account of King David in the…

Ace Nollywood producer, Funke Akindele has shared details of the numerous jobs she did to support herself as a student at the University of Lagos, including a painful experience when a dissatisfied customer slapped her over a nail job. Speaking in a recent interview with Bella Naija, the award-winning actress and filmmaker said she ventured into nail-making after teaching herself the craft by observing others at Yaba. “When I was in the University of Lagos, I used to make nails. I made nails for a girl one day, and she slapped me because they were rubbish. I learnt from watching…