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US Defence Secretary says plan is ‘about restoring and optimising … natural capabilities’ of troops.Published On 16 Jul 202616 Jul 2026US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has announced a new annual testosterone screening programme for US service members aged 30 and over.Hegseth announced the screening on Wednesday in a video message. It will be added to the periodic health assessment, which troops already complete each year and is mandatory for service members 30 and older, with those under 30 able to opt in. Any resulting treatment, including testosterone replacement therapy, would remain the individual’s choice, Hegseth said.Recommended Stories list of 3…

Key eventsThe 2009 winner Stewart Cink opens with a triple-bogey seven. Birkdale doesn’t always roll the red carpet out to former champions.ShareMovement at the toppermost of the poppermost (to borrow a phrase from four fab local lads of old). Thomas Detry chops a wedge from an awkward position to the right of the 10th green to four feet, and makes the birdie putt. Meanwhile Alex Fitzpatrick gets what he deserves this time, walking in a 20-footer on the par-three 7th.-3: Detry (10)-2: MacIntyre (7), A Fitzpatrick (7)Early leader Thomas Detry. Photograph: Greig Cowie/ShutterstockShareUpdated at 10.10 CESTThere are ten amateurs teeing it…

I am a child of the 2000s (and specifically San Diego), which is to say that the work of Will Ferrell (and specifically “Anchorman”) is deeply important to me. Star vehicles like “Step Brothers” and “Talladega Nights” — also, did I mention “Anchorman”? — epitomized the bluster and blissful ignorance of Bush-era masculinity, somehow even more so than Ferrell’s impressions of the president on “Saturday Night Live.” I have a deep and abiding love for Ferrell’s classic work, and I’ve carried that affection to more recent efforts like a bit part in “Barbie” or the delightful “Eurovision Song Contest,” a film…

Nigeria is investing in Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) to improve how citizens interact with the government through foundational systems such as digital identity, digital payments and secure data exchange. These systems are designed to make public services more efficient, enable trusted exchange of information across institutions and improve access to government services. The Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, has described DPI as the modern-day equivalent of roads, electricity and other public utilities, arguing that it can rebuild trust in government, empower citizens and accelerate economic growth across Africa. Yet while Nigeria is laying the digital rails…

British Steel has formally been taken into public ownership 15 months after the government stepped in to prevent the closure of its steelworks in Scunthorpe and the loss of 4,000 jobs.Keir Starmer on Thursday said that it was in the national interest for the government to take over the factory from its Chinese owner, Jingye, in one of the last significant actions overseen by him as prime minister after the Steel Industry (Nationalisation) Act received Royal Assent on Wednesday.The Labour government stepped in with an emergency recall of parliament to prevent the closure of British Steel in April last year,…

The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, on Wednesday threatened to take legal action against the contractor responsible for renovating the National Assembly’s permanent chambers following repeated technical faults with the microphones installed in the Senate chamber. Mr Akpabio made the threat during plenary after several microphones malfunctioned, causing echoes. He said the defective audio system had previously embarrassed him and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, during the opening ceremony of the National Assembly Week held in the House chamber on Tuesday. “Distinguished colleagues, I hope you are taking note of the fact that our microphones are not…

The Federal Government has been urged to resume commercial activities at the nation’s public refineries to calm down nerves over sale of fuel in dollar. The call was made by the Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN) on Wednesday when the Association called on the Federal Government to immediately commence full commercial production at all government-owned refineries. The Association described them as a critical price-check mechanism against market exploitation. The statement issued by Joseph Obele, the National Public Relations Officer (PRO) of PETROAN, quoted Billy Gillis-Harry, the National President of PETROAN, who said while the Association respects…

In a bid to accelerate Nigeria’s clean energy transition, Sterling Bank and StarTimes Nigeria have launched Sterling Solar Financing Hubs inside StarTimes retail outlets. This initiative embeds on-the-spot solar financing at the point of purchase, with a joint target of reaching ₦2 billion in renewable energy financing by the end of 2026. The initiative builds on an existing partnership that has already facilitated over ₦600 million in solar financing transactions over the past year. The new 2026 target represents more than a threefold expansion, aimed at enabling thousands of Nigerian households and small businesses to transition to reliable, affordable, and…

By Gift ChapiOdekina, Abuja The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rep. Abbas Tajudeen, has defended the proposed State Police Bill, assuring Nigerians that adequate constitutional safeguards have been included to prevent governors and political actors from using state police as private security outfits. Abbas spoke on the issue yesterday at the National Security Roundtable held as part of activities marking the 2026 National Assembly Open Week in Abuja. The Speaker acknowledged concerns that state police could be abused by governors or political leaders but said the proposed legislation was deliberately structured to prevent such occurrences. “I understand the concern…

The Executive Chairman of the Federal Character Commission (FCC), Hulayat Omidiran, has said Nigeria’s sports industry has the potential to contribute more than 50 per cent to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) if properly harnessed through deliberate investment and strategic policies. Mrs Omidiran made the remarks while receiving the National Executive Committee of the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN), led by its President, Isaiah Benjamin, during a courtesy visit to the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja. A former member of the Executive Board of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and the FIFA Women’s Football Committee, Mrs Omidiran, described sports…