Author: damazah@gmail.com

China’s research sector has experienced spectacular growth over the past two decades. The increase in scientific output is due, in part, to a system that funnelled resources to researchers selected by prestigious talent-acquisition schemes. This approach has helped the nation’s scientists to publish in leading journals. Yet, a rapid expansion in the scientific workforce has also created a widening divide between a small group of leading academics and the rest of the nation’s research community, including growing numbers of young scientists who are competing for limited resources.The prestigious titles available to leading Chinese researchers are commonly known as academic ‘hats’,…

Derek McInnes admitted Rangers are “not ready” to compete at Europa League level. The Ibrox side drew the second leg of their third qualifying round tie against Jagiellonia Bialystok 1-1 at Ibrox, but crashed out 3-2 on aggregate. It is their earliest exit from the competition since 2017, as McInnes’ winless start as manager of the Ibrox side stretched to four games. Image: Rangers fans booed the players after their Europa League exit The Rangers fans made their feelings clear at full-time as boos rang around the stadium, something McInnes accepted.”It was justified, to be honest. It wasn’t good enough.…

Variety Awards Circuit section is the home for all awards news and related content throughout the year, featuring the following: the official predictions for the upcoming Oscars, Emmys, Grammys and Tony Awards ceremonies, curated by Variety chief awards editor Clayton Davis. The prediction pages reflect the current standings in the race and do not reflect personal preferences for any individual contender. As other formal (and informal) polls suggest, competitions are fluid and subject to change in response to buzz and events. Predictions are updated every Thursday. Penelope Cruz in “La Bola Negra” Cannes Best Director Predictions Commentary (Updated: Aug. 13, 2026): More to come. The…

Click here to access the print version.Fill the grid so that every row, every column and every 3×3 box contains the numbers 1 to 9. Continue reading…

White House releases Trump’s order to install steam catapults on new US aircraft carrierThe White House has released the full text of a memorandum from Donald Trump to Pete Hegseth, the defense secretary, ordering a change in the construction of a new US Navy aircraft carrier, to replace the electromagnetic aircraft launch system with steam catapults.The supposed superiority of steam catapults for launching fighter jets has been an obsession of the president’s since 2017 when, he says, he was convinced by a single conversation with a Navy officer that the electromagnetic system installed in modern aircraft carriers was too complex.The…

A health care company that pays people for their blood plasma is pausing operations in Canada months after two donors died in Winnipeg, Manitoba.The deaths, last October and in January, brought the scrutiny of Canada’s health regulator, politicians and the public toward Grifols, a Spanish company that operates Canada’s only for-profit plasma collection business at 17 clinics.On Thursday, the company described that scrutiny as unwarranted and a reason for its move to stop collecting plasma in Canada temporarily.“In light of the unfounded attention that has been focused on compensated plasma collection, Grifols has proactively and voluntarily decided to pause plasma…

Chinedu Eze Stringent visa protocols introduced by the United States, some European and Asian countries, including the xenophobia in South Africa have forced Nigerians to discover new destinations during the summer holidays in 2026, especially in Africa. Visa restrictions, which seem to target African countries and other third world nations have forced Nigerians to avoid most European countries, the United States and Canada and now prefer African destinations like Kenya, Rwanda, Egypt, Morocco, Mauritius, Ghana amongst others. Some of these countries offer visa on arrival and e-visas and accept local currencies in the home countries, thereby reducing pressure on scarce…

The United States has already banned future foreign drones from entering the United States unless their companies kiss the ring — as well as routers, robots, and Roombas. Now, President Donald Trump is targeting existing drone imports and parts, too. He’s going to try to make them cost a lot more.In a presidential action, he’s declared a whopping 100 percent tariff on imports of drones with thermal cameras, drones weighing over 25kg (57 pounds), and any kind of part for any kind of unmanned aircraft weighing over 25kg — you can read the full list here. For all other drones,…

Voting has closed in one of the UK’s more unusual and least tense byelections, with Nigel Farage set for a decisive if arguably empty victory against dozens of independent, fringe, extreme or otherwise oddball opponents.The Reform UK leader sought re-election to his Clacton seat in early July in an attempt to regain the political initiative following weeks of scrutiny over gifts he received and other aspects of his financial affairs.He framed the byelection as a chance for local voters to show their disdain for mainstream politics in a “people versus the establishment” contest, but was caught out after all the…

More than a decade after shark mislabeling was first highlighted in Brazil (1), generic commercial names such as caçao (2–4), galeos (5), rock salmon and huss (6), flake (7), palombo (8), tollo, and cazón (9) continue to obscure shark species identity worldwide. DNA-based surveys repeatedly reveal that products sold under these names comprise multiple shark species, including threatened and internationally regulated taxa (2–12). Although these commercial names differ among countries, they produce the same outcome: species identity is progressively lost as shark products move from capture to consumption, precisely where fisheries management, wildlife trade regulation, sustainability claims, and informed consumer…