Author: damazah@gmail.com

This is foremost in the minds of the adoptive parents in Singapore taking care of the babies. For months they have been on tenterhooks, waiting to find out whether they will get to keep their children.Speaking to the BBC after the verdict, David, the Singaporean parent whom we interviewed previously, said he wanted both governments to make a decision soon.”Since the case is concluded, how can we move on and what will happen to our son? It’s been almost a year of fear and anxiety from waiting,” said David, who spoke to us on condition we use a pseudonym for…

By Obas Esiedesa Engineers under the Institute of Appraisers and Cost Engineers (IACE) have called for stronger application of engineering valuation, cost engineering and engineering economy principles to address cost overruns, waste and inefficiencies in project execution in Nigeria. The call was made at the 2026 National Technical Conference of the IACE, held in Abuja, with the theme: “Engineering Valuation, Cost Engineering and Engineering Economy Solutions in Emerging Economies.” The President of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), Engr. Ali Rabiu, said nations across the world were increasingly confronted with the challenge of maximising limited resources while meeting growing demands for…

OpenAI on Thursday said it has updated its ChatGPT desktop app to add support for ChatGPT Voice, allowing users to talk to the app to control AI agents and perform tasks on their computer. The new feature taps OpenAI’s new family of voice models called ChatGPT-Live, which it launched earlier this month. OpenAI said ChatGPT Voice works with both ChatGPT Work and Codex, and can also tap computer use skills to look up websites and apps. Plus, on macOS, with Appshots, users can let the app access what’s on their screen, including alt-text. At launch, ChatGPT Voice’s smartphone version featured…

In the annals of Nigerian politics, loyalty is no doubt a rare currency. It is often tested by fire, traded for convenience, and often discarded when power shifts. However, once in a while, a story emerges that reminds us what conviction looks like. Therefore, the recent confirmation that President Bola Tinubu will retain Vice President Kashim Shettima as his running mate for 2027 poll is not just a political decision. It is a verdict. A verdict on loyalty, strategy, and the long game. It closes two years of whispers, plots, and “poisonous enmity,” and opens a new chapter of trust…

Responding to the spread of fires, Isabel Díaz Ayuso, the president of the community of Madrid, said it was: “The worst fire in the history of the region.” Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez spoke of a “dramatic situation” and urged people to take great care. Three fires were burning west of Madrid, at Villa del Prado and San Martín de Valdeiglesias.French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said 40,000 people had either been or were in the process of being evacuated from the Cap Ferret peninsula, which has the Atlantic on one side and the Bay of Arcachon on the other.Local prefect…

(all times BST)Sunday, 26 July – 1830 – 2100Los Angeles Dodgers @ New York Mets Watch on BBC iPlayer, follow on the BBC Sport website and appSunday, 2 August – 1900 – 2130New York Yankees @ Chicago CubsBBC iPlayer, BBC Sport website and appSunday, 9 August – 1830 – 2100Toronto Blue Jays @ Philadelphia PhilliesBBC iPlayer, BBC Sport website and appSunday, 16 August – 1830 – 2100New York Yankees @ Toronto Blue JaysSunday, 23 August – 1830 – 2100St Louis Cardinals @ Philadelphia PhilliesRemaining fixtures to be confirmed

Charlotte MacInnes has appealed her defeat in a defamation case against Rebel Wilson, challenging the findings that Wilson’s Instagram posts were not defamatory and did not cause serious harm to her reputation. MacInnes filed her notice of appeal on Thursday, one day after Justice Elizabeth Raper dismissed her defamation and breach-of-confidence claims in the Federal Court of Australia in Sydney. According to reports in The Australian and Sydney’s Daily Telegraph, which cite MacInnes’ notice of appeal, she is asking the Full Court of the Federal Court to set aside Raper’s ruling and enter judgment in her favor. As an alternative,…

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has dismissed allegations by former Ogun State Governor Olusegun Osoba that he deceived Alliance for Democracy (AD) leaders during the 2003 political realignments. Mr Obasanjo, in a letter on Thursday addressed to Mr Osoba, described Mr Osoba’s article, “How Obasanjo Deceived Us in 2003,” as inaccurate, insisting he never deceived anyone in his political career. He said several events surrounding his emergence as president and subsequent political engagements were either unknown to Mr Osoba or omitted from the publication. The former president said his return to politics followed consultations after repeated appeals from leaders across the…

The C.J.P. said protests had spread to at least 30 cities in India as it called for nationwide demonstrations.Narendra Modi, India’s prime minister, released his first video message about the protests, saying that “nothing is more important than the welfare and future of our youth” and promising to fast-track punishment for those who spoiled the exam.

A prosecution witness on Thursday told the Federal High Court in Abuja how a realtor and her co-defendants allegedly sold portions of three disputed plots of land in a choice part of Abuja to members of the public without any document confirming their ownership of the land. Ahmed Gbigbadua, a witness from the Extractive Industries Fraud Section of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), told Judge Joyce Abdulmalik that the defendants issued offer letters, payment receipts and other documents to buyers, none of which could be compared with the genuine title documents issued by the FCT Department of Land…