Author: starconnect
As Israel kills over 200 journalists in Gaza By Emmanuel Thomas l Thursday, August 20, 2026 JERUSALEM — For Palestinian journalists documenting the ongoing conflict in Gaza, the threat of airstrikes and displacement is compounding with a growing pattern of personal intimidation. Muhammad Mazen, a Palestinian journalist covering the devastation on the ground, reported receiving a barrage of death threats aimed at silencing his reporting. ”I receive dozens of threats daily from Zionists, including death threats, all because I report on the suffering of my people in Gaza,” Mazen said in a recent statement addressing his followers…
By SCM International Desk I Thursday, August 20, 2026 TEHRAN — The Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a scathing statement on Thursday, fiercely condemning a new tranche of U.S. economic and trade sanctions and describing the measures as “economic terrorism” and “crimes against humanity.” The diplomatic response, delivered on August 20, 2026, came immediately following the Biden administration’s announcement of escalated financial restrictions aimed at pressuring Tehran. Iranian officials pointedly noted the timing of the sanctions, which coincided with the anniversary of the August 19, 1953 (28 Mordad 1332) coup d’état—the U.S.- and British-backed covert operation that overthrew…
Admin I Thursday, August 20, 2026 LAGOS, Nigeria – FirstBank, West Africa’s premier financial institution and the leading financial inclusion service provider, is pleased to announce the commencement of a nationwide Pensioners Roadshow aimed at engaging pensioners on the approved Pension Settlement Framework. The roadshow will be held between 18 August and 3 September 2026. The Pension Settlement Framework is a one-off settlement initiative developed to provide a final and sustainable resolution to long-standing pension-related matters raised by eligible legacy pensioners of the Bank who retired under the defined benefit scheme. It was developed in partnership with the…
Admin I Thursday, August 20, 2026 ABUJA — The Federal Government has issued a 24-hour ultimatum to the Executive Board of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), led by President Ibrahim Musa Gusau, demanding their immediate resignation. The decisive directive follows mounting public outrage and stakeholder discontent across the country’s sports landscape. It arrives in the wake of consecutive international disappointments by Nigeria’s flagship senior national football teams—most notably the Super Falcons’ early exit at the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) and the Super Eagles’ failure to secure a spot at the FIFA World Cup. A senior government…
Admin I Thursday, August 20, 2026 AWKA – Anambra State-born human rights lawyer and lead counsel to the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Sir Ifeanyi Ejiofor, has condemned the alleged use of lethal force against unarmed civilians at the popular – Ogbo-Ogwu Head Bridge Market in Onitsha , Anambra State on Wednesday. Ejiofor also called for an immediate, thorough, impartial, transparent and independent investigation into the circumstances surrounding the deeply disturbing incident. The human rights lawyer made the call while reacting to reports of the shooting of an unarmed trader by police officers in Onitsha on Thursday. “I…
L-R: The NDDC Director, Commercial and Industrial Development, Mrs Lyna Okara; Actress and Social Justice Advocate, Hilda Dokubo; the President of the Bonny Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture, Dr Constance Nwokejiobi; the traditional ruler of Grand Bonny Kingdom, King Edward Asimini William Dappa Pepple III (2nd right), during the Bonny Island Tourism and Investment Summit in Bonny Island, Rivers State. Admin I Thursday, August 20, 2026 BONNY ISLAND – The Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, has declared its support and commitment to the three-year strategic programme to transform the historic Bonny Kingdom in Rivers State…
By Admin I Thursday, August 20,2026 LAGOS – FirstBank, West Africa’s premier financial institution and the leading financial inclusion service provider, is pleased to announce the inaugural public lecture of the FirstBank Samuel Asabia Professorial Chair in Business Ethics and Governance scheduled to hold at the University of Lagos on 3 September 2026. The lecture, themed “Business Ethics and the Future of Nigeria’s Economy,” will bring together academics, students, business leaders, entrepreneurs, policymakers, and other stakeholders to examine the critical role of ethics, integrity, accountability, and sustainability in shaping Nigeria’s economic future and fostering long-term national development.…
By SCM International Desk I Thursday, August 20, 2026 WASHINGTON — President Donald J. Trump announced a sweeping, global financial pressure campaign against Iran on Wednesday, promising an “Economic D-Day” aimed at forcing Tehran into compliance and punishing foreign nations that continue to offer financial or logistical lifelines to the Islamic Republic. In a statement posted to Truth Social on Wednesday evening, Mr. Trump declared that the United States would launch the “MOST CRUSHING ECONOMIC OPERATION EVER TAKEN AGAINST ANY COUNTRY!” The strategy signals a sharp pivot to secondary sanctions designed to penalize third-party countries, foreign financial institutions, and…
By SCM International Desk I Thursday, August 20, 2026 LONDON — British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband issued a sharp rebuke to the Israeli government, characterizing its decision to open construction tenders for the highly contentious E1 settlement project as an “unacceptable and destructive act” that severely jeopardizes prospects for a future Palestinian state. In a official statement, Miliband warned that the United Kingdom “will not stand back and accept the destruction of the two-state solution.” He confirmed that British diplomats had summoned Israel’s representative in London to convey deep objections, while demanding an immediate cancellation of the project. Further,…
By Emmanuel Thomas l Thursday, August 20, 2026 ABUJA — As the political arena heats up ahead of the 2027 general elections, former Kano State Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso has officially flagged off the presidential campaign for the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), declaring that the Peter Obi-Kwankwaso ticket is the definitive solution to Nigeria’s pressing economic and security challenges. In a powerful national broadcast marking the commencement of their 2027 campaign, Kwankwaso urged citizens to reflect deeply on the current state of the nation. Framing the upcoming election as a critical crossroads, he highlighted the severe economic realities currently…