Author: starconnect
By SCM Sport Reporter at the American Express Stadium BRIGHTON ran riot on the South Coast, unleashing a sensational four-goal blitz inside thirty-one frantic minutes to tear Aston Villa to shreds and announce their Premier League arrival with a scintillating 4-0 victory. The star of the show was undoubtedly Jack Hinshelwood. The Seagulls’ local boy turned world-beater, scoring two lightning-fast goals in under sixty seconds to cap off one of the most astonishing half-hours of opening-weekend football the Premier League has ever witnessed. Alongside him, Belgian dynamo Maxim De Cuyper put on a masterclass, leaving Unai Emery’s…
By Emmanuel Thomas l Monday, August 24, 2026 ABUJA, Nigeria — In a move that highlights the pragmatic and often controversial mechanics of political survival in Africa’s most populous democracy, two former state governors previously convicted and imprisoned for looting billions of naira from public treasuries have been integrated into President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s political machine ahead of the 2027 general election. Jolly Nyame, former governor of Taraba State, and Joshua Dariye, former governor of Plateau State, were brought into the fold of major campaign support structures to spearhead grassroots mobilization across Nigeria’s volatile Middle Belt region. The inclusion…
By Crime & Human Interest Desk I Sunday, August 23, 2026 ABEOKUTA, Ogun – At 101 years old, Mama Esther Ogunmabo ought to spend her twilight years surrounded by the quiet comfort of her extended family. Instead, the centenarian found herself under interrogation by narcotics officers, facing allegations that she had become a neighborhood retail dealer of skunk, a high-potency strain of cannabis. Her downfall highlights a poignant human tragedy—one where financial ruin, advanced age, and family ties collided to produce one of the most astonishing arrests in the history of Nigeria’s war on drugs. Operatives of the…
By SCM International Desk I Sunday, August 23, 2026 OSLO — Norway announced on Sunday that it intends to provide 85 billion Norwegian kroner ($9.2 billion) in financial, military, and civilian aid to Ukraine in fiscal year 2027. The commitment matches Oslo’s landmark 2026 aid baseline, signalling to both Kyiv and Moscow that Western European support remains deeply entrenched as the war continues. The announcement was delivered by Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre following a meeting in Kyiv with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Mr. Støre confirmed that the proposed funding allocation will be formally submitted to the…
By SCM International Desk I Sunday, August 23, 2026 BENIN CITY — In a swift administrative action aimed at curbing indiscretion among public officers, the Executive Governor of Edo State, Senator Monday Okpebholo, has approved the immediate termination of the appointment of Apostle Kassy Chukwu as a Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to the Governor. The decisive dismissal follows widespread public backlash over a controversial viral post made by Apostle Chukwu on social media platforms, in which he asserted that afrobeat megastar David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido, should not enter Edo State. The statement,…
By abiodun KOMOLAFE I Sunday, August 22,2026 IJEBU-JESA, Osun – With the prospect of a Second Term – whether deserved or not – on the table, Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State now needs to do critical thinking about what his legacy should be. Barring an overturn of the results by the courts, he has another four years to redeem himself. That act of redemption should not be for himself alone, but for the people of Osun State. For the records, Edenisation is not just a perception, it appears to be real. For example, it is not…
By SCM International Desk I Sunday, August 23,2026 BEIRUT, Lebanon — A senior Hamas official declared that the militant group will not consider itself bound by any provisions of a proposed Gaza peace framework unless Israel publicly commits to the agreement and begins fulfilling its core obligations, including halting military strikes and withdrawing forces from the enclave. Speaking on an Iraqi podcast released this week, Osama Hamdan, a prominent Hamas leader, disclosed details of communications conveyed to U.S. envoy Jared Kushner during high-level meetings. Hamdan emphasized that the group’s participation in any stage of the framework remains strictly conditional…
By SCM International Desk I Saturday, August 22, 2026 TEHRAN — Iran issued its sharpest warning yet against Washington’s expanding campaign of financial pressure, threatening an “earthquake-like retaliation” that would target energy infrastructure across the Persian Gulf and completely sever global oil transit if regional neighbors assist the United States. Speaking in a televised interview on state broadcaster IRIB, Mohsen Rezaei, the newly appointed secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC), warned Gulf nations against joining what Tehran characterizes as Washington’s aggressive economic war. ”If neighboring countries of Iran join the economic war with the Americans, not…
By SCM International Desk I Saturday, August 22, 2026 OTTAWA — Prime Minister Mark Carney announced that Canada has suspended high-stakes trade negotiations with the United States, ordering his negotiating team back to Ottawa after a year of talks failed to yield a mutually agreeable consensus. Speaking in a televised address on Saturday, Mr. Carney delivered a firm response to recent trade pressures from Washington, making clear that Ottawa would not accept terms that harm Canadian economic interests. In retaliation for incoming American levies, the Prime Minister promised that Canada would enact dollar-for-dollar counter-tariffs starting the Tuesday after Labour…
By SCM Health Desk I Saturday, August 21,2026 NASHVILLE — What should have been routine, outpatient joint replacement surgeries at a prominent Nashville hospital degenerated into catastrophic medical emergencies when staff mistakenly injected concentrated potassium chloride directly into patients’ spines. The severe medication mix-up occurred on Aug. 14 at Ascension Saint Thomas Hospital Midtown. Four patients undergoing routine joint operations were inadvertently administered spinal injections of potassium chloride—a high-alert chemical compound commonly used to treat severe electrolyte deficiencies but deadly when misadministered—instead of local anesthetic or epidural pain medication. Operating room staff first realized a critical error had occurred…