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China’s leading AI companies are ramping up the pressure on Silicon Valley, as Moonshot and Alibaba unveiled models they claim can go toe-to-toe with the best from OpenAI and Anthropic at a fraction of the cost. The rapid-fire releases suggest America’s lead at the AI frontier is increasingly tight, just as the technology is becoming central to national security, economic power, and geopolitical influence.The opening salvo came from Beijing-based Moonshot AI, one of China’s leading AI model developers, which unveiled Kimi K3 on Friday. Moonshot claims its own testing ranks it consistently above nearly every US system, trailing only OpenAI’s…

Iyobosa Uwugiaren writes that for Nigeria’s political parties preparing for 2027 general election, the recent conflicting pronouncements by the Court of Appeal create uncertainty and confusion. Nigeria’s journey toward the 2027 general election has entered a familiar yet unsettling phase—one in which the judiciary, rather than politicians, has become the centre of electoral uncertainty. Within days, two separate panels of the Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja delivered judgments that appear to pull the country’s electoral legal framework in different directions. One reaffirmed the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) authority to issue election guidelines and determine timelines for electoral activities.…

A 3D-printed battery designed at Queen’s University Belfast could speed up energy storage research.

While he has won gold in the Olympics, Worlds and Europeans since silver in the 2022 Commonwealth Games, Daniel Wiffen says that second-place finish in Birmingham still “sits over my head”.Ultra-competitive by nature, Wiffen acknowledges that the Games four years ago were the springboard to the unprecedented success that has since followed including 800m gold and 1500m bronze at the Paris Games in 2024.That is why, two years out from the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, he is looking forward to this year’s Games in Glasgow, where he will compete in the 400m, 800m and 1500m and aim to add…

Liam Gallagher did not enjoy the halftime show during the final match of the FIFA World Cup on Sunday night. The Oasis singer, who has been very vocal about the games throughout the sporting event, likened the performances by Madonna, Shakira, Justin Bieber, BTS, Burna Boy, composer Gustavo Dudamel, and the Muppets to a “bad trip.” “This is like a bad trip,” the musician wrote on X. “It’s a good job I’ve got my spiritual socks on or that halftime entertainment could have tipped me over the edge.” It’s a good job I’ve got my spiritual socks on or that…

The Jigawa State Police Command has confirmed the recovery of one body, while 39 others remain missing following a boat mishap at Malamawar Yan Dutse community in Ringim Local Government Area of the state. The Command said the incident occurred at about 4:30 p.m. on Sunday when a local boat conveying more than 40 passengers, mostly female farmers and labourers, capsized while in transit, leaving many trapped in the water. Boat accidents have remained a recurring tragedy in parts of northern Nigeria, particularly during the rainy season, often attributed to overloading, the non-use of life jackets and strong water currents.…

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio says the US is ‘always open to a diplomatic solution’ after its military attacked Iran for the ninth night in a row. The US has confirmed the death of three American soldiers, as Iranian retaliatory attacks escalate in the region.Published On 20 Jul 202620 Jul 2026Click here to share on social mediashare-nodesSharegoogleAdd Al Jazeera on Googleinfo

U.S. Treasury yields edged higher on Monday as Wall Street monitors the latest developments amid escalating tensions in the Middle East. The yield on the 10-year U.S. Treasury note — the key benchmark for U.S. government borrowing — rose over 1 basis point to 4.558%.The 2-year Treasury note yield, which more closely tracks short-term Federal Reserve interest rate policy, was broadly flat at 4.181%. The longer-dated 30-year Treasury bond yield rose over 1 basis point to 5.078%.One basis point is equal to 0.01%, and yields and prices move in opposite directions.U.S. Central Command completed the ninth consecutive evening of strikes against…

Birdfy has kicked off a midyear sale, taking up to 40 percent off a range of its smart bird feeders. One of the best deals is on Netvue’s Birdfy Feeder AI-Powered Smart Bird Feeder with Camera, which has dropped to $149.99 at Birdfy and is its second-best price to date. The bundle, which includes a solar panel and lifetime AI bird identification at no extra cost, comes with a $259.99 list price, saving you $110.The feeder features a wide-angle 1080p camera with color night vision, allowing you to watch birds in clear detail day or night. It also sends real-time…

Andy Burnham to become new prime minister and lay out ‘10-year plan’ for the UK in No 10 speechGood morning. Today we are getting a new PM. It is the sixth time this has happened in just over a decade (Theresa May replaced David Cameron on 13 July 2016), and so in some respects there is nothing very new or surprising about this. Yet the process has been unusual. In the past, when parties in power have replaced a PM, generally they have opted for someone popular with their own MPs, but less popular than their predecessor with the public…