Author: damazah@gmail.com

Spain reclaimed football’s biggest prize on Sunday, defeating Argentina 1-0 after extra time in a tense World Cup final that delivered high drama both on and off the pitch. Ferran Torres’ decisive strike settled the contest, ending Argentina’s title defense and handing Spain its second World Cup crown.The defeat was especially poignant for Lionel Messi, who left the field in tears after collecting his runners-up medal in what is expected to be his final World Cup appearance.U.S. President Donald Trump joined FIFA President Gianni Infantino for the medal and trophy presentation, while the leaders of fellow co-hosts Canada and Mexico…

Ministers of Telecommunications, Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs), and the Digital Economy in Africa will convene in Nigeria’s federal capital, Abuja, from July 23rd to 24th, 2026, for the 7th Ordinary Session of the African Telecommunications Union (ATU) Conference of Plenipotentiaries (CPL-26).  In attendance at the conference will be regulators, senior government officials, industry leaders, academia, and development partners. They’d engage in dialogue and take strategic decisions that will shape Africa’s digital and telecommunications agenda over the next four years. The conference is the highest decision-making body of the African Telecommunications Union and comes at a significant moment in Africa’s…

The new prime minister met his Dutch-born wife, known as Frankie, at Cambridge University in 1989.

Specific genetic variants can be linked to a particular condition by analysing the genomes of large groups of people with and without the disorder.Credit: Gregory Adams/GettyResearchers have identified the first evidence of genetic risk factors associated with borderline personality disorder (BPD).The analysis, published in Nature Genetics on 20 July1, is the largest genome-wide association study (GWAS) of the condition so far. It identified 11 associated locations (or loci) in the human genome, and within or near these broad areas were nine functional genes that seem to be linked to BPD.The condition affects up to 2% of people in Western countries,…

Newcastle latest: Plans to be announced for Keegan book of condolence

Lewis Pullman is set to star opposite Julia Garner in the upcoming Apple TV series “Guilty Creatures,” Variety has learned. The show, with Garner as a lead and executive producer, was announced on July 6. It is an adaptation of the Mikita Brottman true crime book “Guilty Creatures: Sex, God, and Murder in Tallahassee, Florida.” The logline for the show states that the series, “delves into the psyche of a torrid romance and subsequent act of murder between two young, adulterous but God-fearing lovers, unraveling their complex lives and the emotional toll of living as killers for 18 years.” This…

The House of Representatives Committee on Constitution Review has indicated it may adopt the version of the state police bill already passed by the Senate to fast-track the constitutional amendment process. The Chairman of the committee and Deputy Speaker of the House, Benjamin Kalu, disclosed this on Monday at the commencement of the committee’s consideration of President Bola Tinubu’s executive bill seeking to establish state police, signalling closer collaboration between both chambers of the National Assembly on one of the administration’s flagship constitutional reform proposals. The committee’s deliberation comes less than a week after President Tinubu formally transmitted the Executive…

Spain’s extra-time victory over Argentina in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final added another painful chapter to Lionel Messi’s extraordinary career, taking his tally of major final defeats to 13—a statistic that underscores both his longevity and his unprecedented ability to keep reaching football’s biggest stages. Lionel Messi’s glittering career has been defined by trophies, records and unforgettable moments. Yet Sunday’s 1-0 extra-time defeat to Spain in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final also highlighted another remarkable statistic: across club and international football, the Argentine superstar has now lost 13 major finals. The latest setback came as defending champions Argentina…

By Babajide Komolafe Alert Microfinance Bank has recorded a 20-fold increase in total assets to N50 billion in three years, as rising inflation, naira depreciation and stronger demand for credit reshape Nigeria’s banking landscape. Speaking in a media interview, Group Chief Executive Officer of Alert Group, Mr. Olanrewaju Kazeem, said the bank’s growth was driven by a deliberate strategy focused on financial inclusion and nationwide expansion following the Central Bank of Nigeria’s approval of a national microfinance banking licence. According to him, “The growth that you see in Alert Microfinance Bank and Alert Group as a whole is a deliberate…

Today, I’m talking with Harvard professor and New Yorker staff writer Dr. Jill Lepore about her new book, The Rise and Fall of the Artificial State, which comes out on August 25.Jill is one of the best writers there is at identifying institutional patterns in history, and Decoder is a show about systems, so this book could not possibly be more in our zone.You build systems by measuring things — gathering information, quantifying it as data, and taking action on it. And Jill’s big thesis in the book is that this kind of systemic measurement is really a dehumanizing act,…