OBITUARY
Key facts about Henry Kissinger, US diplomat and presidential adviser
Here are some facts on American diplomat Henry Kissinger, who died at age 100:
- He was born Heinz Alfred Kissinger in Furth, a city in Germany’s Bavarian region, on May 27, 1923. As an Orthodox Jew, he was bullied by anti-Semites and in 1938 his family joined the exodus from Nazi Germany by moving to New York. He became a naturalized American in 1943.
- Kissinger returned to his homeland during World War Two as a member of the U.S. Army’s 84th Infantry Division. He worked as a translator in intelligence operations and helped round up Gestapo members. He was awarded a Bronze Star.
- After a standout career on the Harvard University faculty, Kissinger joined Richard Nixon’s administration as national security adviser in 1969, a job he kept after Nixon resigned and was succeeded as president by Gerald Ford. He also served as secretary of state under Nixon and Ford.
- Kissinger had a hand in many epoch-changing global events of the 1970s, including the Vietnam War, the diplomatic opening of China, landmark U.S.-Soviet arms control talks and expanded ties between Israel and its Arab neighbors.
- The 1973 Nobel Peace Prize that went to Kissinger and North Vietnam’s Le Duc Tho was one of the most controversial in the award’s history. They were selected for their work on the Paris peace talks, which were to have arranged the withdrawal of U.S. troops, a ceasefire, and preservation of the South Vietnamese government. Two members of the Nobel committee resigned over the choice and Tho declined the prize on the grounds their work had not yet brought peace.
- During his bachelor days Kissinger was seen with actresses Candice Bergen, Shirley MacLaine, Jill St. John, Marlo Thomas, Liv Ullman and Samantha Eggar, as well as Diane Sawyer, then a White House staffer and later an ABC News anchor. Those who knew him, however, said the playboy image was mostly a media creation.
- Kissinger last worked in a presidential administration in 1977 but he maintained a relationship with George W. Bush. The then-president chose Kissinger to head a commission investigating the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks but he stepped down because he did not want to reveal the names of the clients of his consulting business.
- The Argentine military believed that Kissinger had given them the go-ahead to conduct their “dirty war” against leftist dissidents, later declassifed documents showed. He said the military should be encouraged at the time of the 1976 coup and later praised them for wiping out “terrorist forces.”
- Musician Tom Lehrer famously said: “Political satire became obsolete when Henry Kissinger was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.”
-Reuters
Ted Turner, the pioneering media mogul who transformed television and sports broadcasting, has died at the age of 87, his family announced Wednesday.
Turner founded CNN in 1980, creating the world’s first 24-hour news network, and later launched TBS and TNT, which became staples for sports fans. He purchased the Atlanta Braves in 1976, helping turn them into “America’s Team” and guiding the franchise to its 1995 World Series championship. Turner Field, built in 1996, remains a landmark of his influence on Atlanta sports.
As owner of the Braves from 1976, Turner transformed the struggling franchise into a nationally recognised team through nationwide cable broadcasts on TBS, branding them “America’s Team.” Under his leadership, the Braves won the 1995 World Series title and moved into Turner Field ahead of the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.
In a tribute, the Braves described Turner as “a brilliant businessman, consummate showman and passionate fan,” crediting him for helping shape the club’s modern identity.
Turner also left a major imprint on basketball and professional wrestling. He owned the Atlanta Hawks for over two decades and helped expand the reach of the NBA through TNT broadcasts. He also built World Championship Wrestling into the biggest rival ever faced by Vince McMahon’s WWF.
MLB commissioner Rob Manfred hailed Turner as “a visionary whose impact on the media landscape transformed how fans experience sports,” while NBA commissioner Adam Silver praised his role in growing the league’s global audience.
Beyond media and sports ownership, Turner was an accomplished sailor who won the 1977 America’s Cup and later earned induction into the America’s Cup Hall of Fame and the National Sailing Hall of Fame.
Widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in sports media history, Turner’s innovations reshaped how live sports and news are consumed around the world.
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The Nigerian football community has again been thrown into mourning following the sudden death of former Super Eagles forward Michael Eneramo, who collapsed during a friendly match in Kaduna on Friday morning.
Eneramo, 40, reportedly suffered a cardiac arrest just five minutes into the second half of the game in Ungwan Yelwa, after featuring throughout the first half. Efforts to revive him were unsuccessful.
Reacting to the tragic incident, Mohammed Sanusi, the General Secretary of the Nigeria Football Federation, expressed shock and grief.
“This is devastating. I am short of words at this moment. I can only pray that God will grant him eternal rest and also grant his loved ones and the Nigerian football family the fortitude to bear the loss,” Sanusi said.
Born on November 26, 1985, in Kaduna, Eneramo carved out a respected career both at home and abroad. He began with Lobi Stars before moving to North Africa, where he became a fan favourite at Espérance Sportive de Tunis.
Nicknamed “Al Dababa” (The Tank) for his powerful playing style, Eneramo’s exploits in Tunisia earned him widespread admiration, helping Espérance to multiple honours. His career also took him through Algeria with USM Alger and later to Turkey, where he featured for clubs including Beşiktaş, Sivasspor and İstanbul Başakşehir.
Service to the Super Eagles
Eneramo earned 10 caps for the Nigerian national team, choosing to represent his country despite overtures to switch allegiance to Tunisia. He even scored against Tunisia in a 2-2 draw World Cup qualifier in 2009.
He made his debut in a goalless friendly against Jamaica in London in February 2009, before scoring his first international goal against the Republic of Ireland later that year.
One of his most memorable moments came in a 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Tunisia in Abuja, where he scored in a dramatic 2-2 draw.
Another Painful Season of Loss
Eneramo’s passing adds to a growing list of recent losses in Nigerian football, deepening a period of reflection and grief within the sport.
In recent times, the nation has also bid farewell to respected figures such as coaching legend Adegboye Onigbinde, former Super Eagles midfielder Henry Nwosu, and football administrator Ibrahim Galadima.
Together, these departures represent the loss of experience, history and institutional memory across different generations of Nigerian football.
Eneramo will be remembered as a strong, determined striker who made his mark in Africa and Europe, and as a player who remained committed to Nigeria at a crucial point in his career.
His sudden death, on the very field where he once found joy and purpose, underscores both the fragility of life and the enduring bond between footballers and the game they love.
As tributes continue to pour in, Nigerian football reflects not only on a life cut short, but on a legacy defined by resilience, loyalty and passion.
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The President of the Confederation of African Football, Patrice Motsepe, has expressed deep sorrow over the passing of former Nigeria Football Federation chief, Ibrahim Galadima.
In a condolence message issued on behalf of CAF and its 54 Member Associations, Dr Motsepe extended heartfelt sympathies to the Nigeria Football Federation, its current president Ibrahim Musa Gusau, the Galadima family, and the people of Nigeria.
Motsepe described Galadima’s death as a significant loss to Nigerian and African football, acknowledging his contributions to the development of the game during his tenure.
Galadima served as President of the NFF from 2002 to 2006, a period marked by key administrative and footballing developments in the country.
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