Author: ifonge

Oil prices posted one of their sharpest jumps of the Iran war Thursday after Houthi fighters in Yemen struck two Saudi tankers in the Red Sea, pushing Brent crude above $100 a barrel for the first time since May and prompting President Trump to threaten “major military punishment” against both the militia and Iran. The Houthis said they hit the tankers Encelia and Layla with missiles and drones. A maritime security source said the Encelia sent a distress call after being struck near the Saudi port of Jizan, and Saudi state news agency SPA said the attack sparked a fire…

When Dédé Rose Gamélé Creppy, one of Togo’s last original Nana Benz, died in 2023, she took with her more than a successful business legacy. She represented the disappearance of an entire system of knowledge. The Nana Benz were legendary cloth traders who dominated West Africa’s textile markets during the 1970s. They controlled distribution networks, influenced consumer tastes, cultivated political relationships and accumulated market intelligence. Their success transformed families and shaped a generation of economic opportunity. But their children pursued other careers. The next generation did not inherit the market. What disappeared was not cloth trading itself. New entrepreneurs emerged,…

The five-match Youth T20I series between the SA U19 Women and Pakistan will go down to the wire after the hosts claimed a six-wicket victory in the fourth match to level the contest at 2-2 at the National Bank Stadium in Karachi, Pakistan on Wednesday, 22 July 2026. Pakistan successfully chased down a target of 110 after restricting South Africa to 109/8 in their 20 overs. An unbeaten partnership of 70 between Zoofishan Ayyaz, who finished on 44 not out, and captain Fizza Fiaz (28 not out) propelled the hosts to victory after a superb spell from spinner Respect Mabasa…

The Legal Practitioners’ Privileges Committee (LPPC) has approved the promotion of 68 lawyers to the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN). The approval was given during the committee’s 174th Plenary Session held on Thursday in Abuja, chaired by Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN). Kabir Akanbi, Chief Registrar of the Supreme Court and Secretary of the LPPC, announced that the new Senior Advocates will be officially recognised at a swearing-in ceremony scheduled for Monday, October 12, 2026. The SAN rank is awarded to lawyers who have shown strong professional performance either through courtroom practice or contributions…

VANCOUVER, British Columbia — Prime Minister Mark Carney said Thursday that Canada is intensifying negotiations with the United States to reach a comprehensive trade deal but is prepared to respond should President Donald Trump’s threat of 50% tariffs on Canadian goods go into effect.The new tariffs, announced by Trump on Monday, are scheduled to come into effect Aug. 19.“If these tariffs, or other measures come into force, there’s a full range of things that we can do in that regard,” Ca rney said after meeting with Canada’s premiers and territorial leaders in Charletown, Prince Edward Island.Carney said “everything’s on the…

By Prof. MarkAnthony Nze Case File: Cardiometabolic Glucose and blood pressure do not stay politely inside a primary-care chart. They travel the same vessels and nerves that run erections, ovulation, and pregnancy. A man is handed a pill for erections and sent home. A woman is told her cycles are irregular and offered a hormone. In both rooms, a larger diagnosis is standing in plain sight and going unnamed: the blood sugar, the blood pressure, the widening waist. Diabetes and hypertension are treated as somebody else’s department — the physician’s chart, not the fertility file — but the vessels, nerves,…

Rapper’s Emotional Reflection on Duct Tape Entertainment Losses Resurfaces After His Passing Alley Boy sat in the studio, his voice breaking as he described a photograph of himself and four friends. He had posted it after one of them died. Looking at it again during the interview, he said it “brought me to tears.” He named the faces: Big Bank. B Green. Trouble. Dave. Himself. The photo was taken at a T.I. party, the first time any of them had worn suits. In his last interview, Alley Boy broke down crying after seeing a photo where he and Big Bank…

A former Sharks player and prominent member of the Durban outfit’s leadership ranks has been appointed CEO of English Premiership giants Saracens. Eduard Coetzee will join the London club ahead of the 2026-27 season after a career that has combined executive management with more than 300 professional appearances as a prop in South Africa and France. Coetzee arrives from French outfit Brive, where he has served as CEO since July 2024, following more than a decade in senior leadership at the Sharks. He initially held the role of commercial and marketing director before progressing to COO and then chief executive…

Google’s cloud chief Thomas Kurian said the company’s existing customers are shelling out “roughly 50% more” than they’ve already committed to spend on its products, which helped drive its red-hot cloud growth during the second quarter. “Our existing customers have increased their spend when they make a commitment to us,” Kurian told CNBC’s Jim Cramer on Thursday. “They’re spending roughly 50% more than the commitment, and so it comes down to the differentiation in our product portfolio, the strength we have in our go-to-market execution, and you see that in both top line and operating income growth.”Kurian’s comments come after Google…

​President Bola Tinubu has approved the expansion of the Nigerian Army structure from eight to twelve divisions alongside the recruitment of 28,000 new personnel to strengthen national defence capabilities.​Restructuring and Strategic Deployment​The landmark initiative aims to enhance the country’s security architecture and improve operational effectiveness across the nation. Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, stated that the approval underscores the administration’s unwavering commitment to equipping the Armed Forces for evolving security challenges.​The expansion builds upon sustained investments in the military, including critical hardware acquisitions, troop welfare improvements, and force modernisation. Under the new framework, the…