Author: starconnect
By SCM International Desk I Monday, August 18, 2026 MAUMERE, Indonesia — A powerful, shallow magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck off the coast of eastern Indonesia’s Flores Island early Saturday, killing at least 47 people, destroying infrastructure, and triggering hundreds of violent aftershocks across the archipelago. The United States Geological Survey (USGS) reported that the earthquake struck at 5:58 a.m. local time at a depth of roughly 10 kilometers (6 miles). Its epicenter was located in the Flores Sea, approximately 68 kilometers (42 miles) north-northwest of the city of Ende in East Nusa Tenggara province. Because of its shallow depth, the…
By SCM Health Desk I Monday, August 18, 2026 KINSHASA, Democratic Republic of Congo — The deadliest Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s history has officially eclipsed all previous national records, public health officials confirmed. Driven by a rare, aggressive strain of the virus for which no licensed vaccine currently exists, the epidemic has killed more than 2,300 people since mid-May, according to official data released by Congo’s health ministry. United Nations humanitarian officials described a catastrophe moving faster than global containment responses. Tom Fletcher, the UN Emergency Relief Coordinator, stated that the virus is now claiming…
By SCM International Desk I Monday, August 18, 2026 LONDON — Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair has met directly with representatives of Hamas in an effort to salvage and implement a stalled international peace plan for the Gaza Strip, according to reports first detailed by The Telegraph. Operating in his capacity as a leading member of the international “Board of PEACE,” Mr. Blair’s direct involvement signals a drastic intensification of diplomatic efforts. The multilateral body, formed to oversee the governance, reconstruction, and security architecture of post-war Gaza, is seeking to lock in a binding roadmap that would replace…
By SCM International Desk I Monday, August 18,2026 JERUSALEM — Itamar Ben-Gvir, Israel’s far-right National Security Minister, has sparked widespread international condemnation after publicly calling for Israeli forces to execute “30 to 40” targeted killings in Gaza every night and arguing that many Palestinians in the enclave “are not even people” and “do not deserve to live.” The incendiary comments were made during an appearance on a podcast hosted by Rom Braslavski, a former captive released by Hamas. In the interview, Mr. Ben-Gvir openly criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s recent scaling back of military operations in Gaza, exposing widening…
By Admin I Monday, August 18, 2026 WASHINGTON — The Trump administration announced on Friday an additional $11 million in humanitarian assistance to support recovery efforts in Colombia following a magnitude 7.4 earthquake that struck the nation on August 10. The new funding brings total U.S. assistance for the disaster to $26.5 million. The response is being coordinated alongside Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella, with relief operations focusing on emergency shelter, clean water, medical aid, and post-earthquake structural assessments. The Department of State is deploying resources from its prepositioning warehouse in Miami via U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) transport…
Admin I Monday, August 17, 2026 The National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) will on Monday kick-start the FutureMakers by NASENI Virtual Hackathon and Pitch sessions for 60 participants drawn from all six geopolitical zones of the country. The programme organised by NASENI Innovation Hub, will hold the Virtual Hackathon from Monday 17 – Friday 21 August 2026 while the pitch sessions will take place from Monday 24 – Wednesday 26 August, 2026. The pitch sessions will be streamed live on YouTube and Facebook. The virtual hackathon, a five-day virtual build sprint, will see 60 shortlisted innovators…
By Emmanuel Thomas l Monday, August 17, 2026 In politics, defeat is rarely a surprise; it is usually a carefully coordinated disaster. When Senator Babafemi Ojudu took to X to catalog the demise of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the Osun State governorship election, he did not just deliver a post-mortem—he penned a 15-point satirical manual on how not to run a political campaign. Forget traditional political analysis. Ojudu’s breakdown reads like a tragicomedy where the primary strategists for the opposition were, ironically, key figures within the ruling party itself. The Self-Inflicted Wounds At the top of the…
By SCM Sport Reporter CARDIFF — Mikel Arteta’s supercharged Arsenal laid down a terrifying marker for the new season, blowing away Manchester City 3-0 in a blistering FA Community Shield masterclass at the Principality Stadium. The Gunners’ superstar lineup left Enzo Maresca’s modern-era City in absolute tatters. Driven by the explosive brilliance of star creator Christos Tzolis, Italian powerhouse Riccardo Calafiori, and skipper Martin Ødegaard, Arsenal put on a show for the ages to lift their 18th Community Shield. If City expected a gentle curtain-raiser to blow off the summer cobwebs, they were given the rudest…
Admin I Sunday, August 16 OSOGBO — Following the declaration of the Osun State governorship election results, Governor Ademola Adeleke has formally accepted his re-election mandate, framing the victory as a collective achievement for the state’s residents and dedicating the outcome to God. Addressing stakeholders and residents across the state, Governor Adeleke expressed gratitude for the renewed mandate and called for unity and reconciliation after a competitive campaign period. Message of Reconciliation and Peace In his address, Adeleke emphasized a message of post-election healing, appealing to residents, political opponents, and community leaders to put electoral rivalries aside. Olive Branch…
Admin I Sunday August 16, 2026 LAGOS, Nigeria – Union Bank of Nigeria has attained certification under the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) version 4.0.1, the foremost global standard governing the protection of payment card account data. The certification took effect on 11 August 2026. PCI DSS sets a baseline of technical and operational requirements designed to safeguard environments in which payment card account data is stored, processed or transmitted. Certification confirms that a bank securely stores, processes and transmits its customers’ credit and debit card information, strengthening protection against payment card data breaches and financial fraud,…