Author: damazah@gmail.com

As the football world counts down to Sunday’s 2026 FIFA World Cup final between Argentina and Spain, UNICEF has brought back an iconic photograph that perfectly captures the passing of the torch from one global superstar to another. In a post shared ahead of the final, UNICEF confirmed that the widely circulated image of a young Lionel Messi bathing baby Lamine Yamal is authentic, ending years of speculation fuelled by the rise of artificial intelligence-generated images. “Yes, those photos you’ve seen are real,” UNICEF wrote. According to the UN agency, the photographs were taken more than 18 years ago during…

By Adegboyega Adeleye Veteran Nollywood actor Jide Kosoko has defended President Bola Tinubu’s administration, saying the President is “not perfect” and should be given more time before Nigerians judge the outcome of his policies and reforms. Speaking during an interview with FeelrightnewsTV, Kosoko argued that it was too early to pass judgment on the administration, comparing governance to a building project that should only be assessed after completion. “If you are building a house, you cannot assess such a building and give it a pass mark until the building is completed,” he said. The veteran actor acknowledged that Tinubu, like…

Nigerians hoping for a significant reduction in petrol prices may have to wait longer as renewed tensions in the Middle East gradually reverse the recent decline in global crude oil prices. Crude prices rose this week after the US reimposed a naval blockade on Iranian ports and President Donald Trump threatened a 20 per cent cargo charge on vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz. The US, he believes, deserved to be “reimbursed” for being a “guardian of the strait” — one of his many bullish rhetorics retracted hours later. Brent crude, the international benchmark for oil prices, jumped to…

The Chinese leader called for more international cooperation in developing the technology at a conference in Shanghai.Published On 17 Jul 202617 Jul 2026Artificial intelligence should not be dominated by one country, Chinese President Xi Jinping has said, urging international cooperation on development at a major conference in Shanghai.Xi also emphasised the importance of a “people-centred” approach to AI technology in his keynote address at the opening ceremony of the World Artificial Intelligence Conference on Friday.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of listThe conference showcases the cutting-edge technology Xi hopes will soon rival that of the United States.Chinese AI models are…

At least 20 schoolchildren and one adult have been killed after a bus carrying pupils on a study trip crashed in eastern Uganda, local officials say, in one of the country’s deadliest road accidents involving children in recent years. Dozens of others, including school staff, were injured in the crash in Kapchorwa area on Thursday evening.Preliminary investigations show the bus suffered a mechanical fault before the driver lost control on Chekwatit Hill, a stretch of road that has been the site of several serious crashes, according to local officials.”The driver reportedly lost control of the vehicle, which veered off the…

The data of millions of commuters was stolen, Londoners were left out of pocket and 27,000 Transport for London staff were forced to reset their passwords.Over four days in 2024 a pair of teenage hackers had London’s transport network at their mercy. Thalha Jubair and Owen Flowers had burrowed into the heart of Transport for London’s IT systems and held the “keys to the kingdom”.While the main tube and bus networks were not directly affected, the dial-a-ride service for disabled passengers was unable to process bookings for a period. The head of TfL, Andy Lord – a veteran of British…

He relays a story about his time as chief secretary to the Treasury in 2007 when he was told: “No project in the north passed the Green Book, Minister.” He told me the same in 2020 when there were murmurings of reform to the formula. Chancellor Rachel Reeves pursued pilot projects to change the approach that could favour local investment.In the book, Burnham also advocates tearing up the Barnett formula, which allocates public spending, topping up spend for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland so they do not lose out to England as a whole. The effect, Burnham argues, is that…

Imagine the year 2158. You’re pursuing a PhD in planetary volcanology at the University of Utopia Planitia on Mars, surviving on freeze dried ramen while searching for the perfect exoplanet to study. After finishing your research on Jupiter’s volcanic moon Io, you need a rocky world beyond our solar system with intense volcanism driven not by gravity, but by the searing heat of a nearby star. Better yet, it has to be within 50 light years so your faster than light (FTL) research mission stays within budget. While that scenario is fictional, astronomers today are already studying a remarkable candidate.…

Live Bryson DeChambeau and Scottie Scheffler looking to build on solid starts at The Open; Rory McIlroy chases a better second round at Royal Birkdale; watch live throughout the week on Sky Sports Golf, with bonus coverage on Sky Sports+

Ann Droid9.30pm, BBC OneShe has given us Philomena Cunk and Mandy, and now Diane Morgan has created another great comedy character in humanoid robot Linda. When widow Sue (Sue Johnston) has a fall, her son buys an outdated care robot, Ann Droid, to keep her company and help out around the house. But Sue is sceptical and, after spitefully renaming her Linda (the name of her sister, whom she hates), swears to return her after a 48-hour trial. Can Linda change her mind? She may be socially awkward and a hindrance more than a help, but there’s no denying she…