Author: damazah@gmail.com

Soldiers from the US Army in a simulated village during the Combined Resolve “Greywolves” exercise at the US military Hohenfels Training Area in Hohenfels, Germany, on Thursday, April 30, 2026. Alex Kraus | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesThe Pentagon lowered its official death toll for the Iran war to 14 from 18 in the space of a day, after the Trump administration removed four service members killed this month from the count, according to the Defense Casualty Analysis System. The Pentagon’s casualty database showed seven of the 14 total deaths were classified as “hostile.” The New York Times reported the change…

TechCrunch Startup Battlefield is coming to Australia — and we’re partnering with Stripe to find the country’s most exciting early-stage startups. On August 19, eight Australian startups will take the stage at Stripe Tour Sydney to pitch live in front of investors, press, and the tech community. Three will win prizes. One will earn an automatic ticket to TechCrunch Disrupt 2026, taking place in San Francisco from October 13-15. The secret to finding the next breakout founder? The judges. Startup Battlefield has a track record that speaks for itself. The competition has launched over 1,700 companies globally, including Dropbox, Cloudflare,…

Andy Burnham has been urged to lobby EU leaders directly to suspend the new entry-exit system, EES, as the peak weekend for overseas holidays begins.About 2.2 million British holidaymakers are expected to head abroad between Friday and Monday, the majority to Europe, with all schools in the UK now on their summer break.Speaking at Heathrow airport on Friday morning, the Liberal Democrats’ foreign affairs spokesperson, Calum Miller, said the prime minister needed to call on EU states to drop the “bungled, malfunctioning border system” until at least September.The EES, which requires non-EU citizens to register on arrival and be photographed…

For the last few decades, the nutrient content of our crops has been declining. In the late 90s, the US Department of Agriculture found the vitamin C content of lemons had decreased by almost a third over the previous 22 years. Calcium in carrots, an important source especially for non-meat eaters, had reduced, on average, by more than a quarter. Vitamin A in bananas was down by 57%. The mineral content of wheat has declined by between 20-30% since the 1960s.A number of reasons have been suggested for this worrying decline, ranging from new varieties of crop that are bred…

Ben GolliverJul 23, 2026, 07:25 AM ETCloseBen Golliver is a senior NBA writer who joined ESPN in May 2026.Prior to joining ESPN, Golliver covered the NBA on a national level since 2010 for The Washington Post, Sports Illustrated and CBS Sports. He is the author of Bubbleball, an account of his 93-day stay at the NBA’s “Bubble” in Disney World during the coronavirus pandemic. He is based in Los Angeles.Multiple AuthorsThe NBA’s free agency period has been open for more than three weeks, yet the basketball world is still waiting to learn where LeBron James will be playing next season.During…

Nigerian comedian and singer, Otolorin Kehinde Peter, popularly known as Kennyblaq, will return to the stage this Sunday for the sixth edition of his annual comedy concert, The Oxymoron of Kennyblaq. The event, themed ‘The Bridge’, is scheduled to be held at the Eko Convention Centre, Eko Hotels & Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos. Organisers state that the concert will feature a blend of comedy, music, and live performances from some of the country’s leading entertainers. Kennyblaq has built a reputation as one of Nigeria’s most recognisable music comedians, carving out a niche by combining stand-up comedy with live singing. Since…

1‘ … additionally going by the name of … ’ (3) 1 down. ‘ … additionally going by the name of … ’. 3 letters.2US TV staple that came to the UK in 2026 (3) 2 down. US TV staple that came to the UK in 2026. 3 letters.3‘Don’t move’ (9) 3 down. ‘Don’t move’. 9 letters.4Off-white shade (4) 4 down. Off-white shade. 4 letters.5Superficial (8) 5 down. Superficial. 8 letters.6Sheet music abbrev. calling for increase in volume (5) 6 down. Sheet music abbrev. calling for increase in volume. 5 letters.7Possessed (3) 7 down. Possessed. 3 letters.8Carefully monitored hospital zone,…

The Centre has appointed senior IAS officer Naresh Pal Gangwar as the new Secretary of the Department of Higher Education, replacing Vineet Joshi, who has been transferred to the Ministry of Panchayati Raj as Secretary. The administrative reshuffle comes at a crucial time as students continue to protest against the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak, seeking greater transparency, accountability, and reforms in the examination system.Who Is Naresh Pal Gangwar?Naresh Pal Gangwar is a 1994-batch IAS officer who has held several important administrative positions during his career. Before taking charge as Higher Education Secretary, he served as Secretary, Department of Animal Husbandry…

Trump’s latest tariffs draw criticism from Democrats and concerns from his alliesHello and welcome to the US politics live blog.Donald Trump’s move to impose a fresh round of tariffs on more than 80 countries has drawn criticism from both Democratic politicians and his own allies.Jamieson Greer, the US trade representative, announced that the Trump administration “is imposing tariffs on more than 80 countries for their failure to impose and effectively enforce a prohibition on the importation of goods produced with forced labor”.The tariffs will replace a 10% global duty that was due to expire for supposedly failing to crack down…

France orders evacuation of Cap Ferret peninsula as thousands flee wildfiresJakub KrupaThousands of people have been forced to flee parts of south-west France amid worsening wildfires that prompted the authorities to order people to evacuate from the Cap Ferret peninsula along the Atlantic coast.A French Civil Security Canadair CL-415 aircraft sprays water on a forest surrounding Cotignac, southeastern France. Photograph: Thibaud Moritz/AFP/Getty ImagesEvacuees have been told to leave the area before 10am, using hundreds of mobilised boats or the only road linking the area with the mainland.Holidaymakers from Lege-Cap-Ferret carry their belongings along the pier upon their arrival in Arcachon…