Author: damazah@gmail.com

Participants at the United Nations Global Dialogue on AI Governance, Geneva, Switzerland. The real breakthrough this week may not be another frontier model… It may be something even more valuable: A shared commitment that artificial intelligence should become not only humanity’s greatest invention — but one of its greatest acts of international cooperation. Nearly every government on Earth has arrived in Geneva to answer one question that could define the next century: Who should govern artificial intelligence — and who gets to decide this? When I asked Google’s Gemini to imagine me on the cover of the TIME100 AI issue…

The Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation (OAGF) says the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC) does not operate any account with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), adding that no public funds or salaries have been paid to the organisation. The latest clarification was issued by the director of public relations at the OAGF, Bawa Mokwa, amid controversy over the status of the PFIPC as a Nigerian government entity. Earlier on 11 June, the Chief of Staff to the Nigerian President, Femi Gbajabiamila, said in a disclaimer that the purported activities of the so-called ‘Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion…

The vice-presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, has rejected comments by former Borno State Governor, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, dismissing the electoral prospects of the party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi, in Northern Nigeria ahead of the 2027 general election. In a statement issued on Tuesday, Kwankwaso said he was disappointed by Sheriff’s remarks during an interview on Channels Television on Monday, where the former Borno governor claimed that Northerners would not vote for Obi. “After a prolonged absence from public discourse, one would have expected that time away might have sharpened Senator Sheriff’s judgment. Regrettably,…

Polarised light micrograph of crystals of the chemical histamineALFRED PASIEKA/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY In most of the body, histamine triggers an immune response, as people with hay fever know only too well. But in the brain, it seems to have a completely different role, with a small experiment demonstrating that boosting histamine levels improves the accuracy of our memory by around 10 per cent. “We think it’s changing something called novelty-linked arousal,” says Michael Colwell at the University of Oxford. “So, how alert we feel when we see new things in the environment.” It’s long been known that there are receptors…

England’s defensive defiance in Mexico City was magnificent. But next comes the reality check: Norway in Miami with a patched-up back-line.England’s players have had two days off to switch off, and recover both physically and mentally from all that Mexico City took out of them. Thomas Tuchel told them to ignore football completely, relax with their friends and family and decompress fully. The players have done exactly that – sunbathing, popping to the local coffee shop, and enjoying the lovely lake and park that is immediately outside their hotel. We bumped into Tuchel doing that on a bike, and also…

The couple had only been engaged for about six weeks and brought forward their wedding plans in the hope that an ill family member could attend.Unfortunately, their relative’s health took a turn for the worse and they were unable to make the wedding, which Kim said had made the occasion “bittersweet”.Tyler said that while he did not think their guests “expected much” because of how quickly everything had to be organised, “it was a really nice day” with “a really nice service” in the church.From there, Kym said they “went to the pub, had a few drinks, made our way…

The police have confirmed the abduction of three students of the Federal University of Lafia (Fulafia), Nasarawa State. The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in the state, Ramhan Nansel, confirmed this in a statement on Wednesday in Lafia. Mr Nansel said that the police received the report of the incident from the institution’s chief security officer (CSO) on Tuesday at about 9:20 p.m. He said that the CSO told the police that three students residing at Living Seed Lodge, located in a bushy area on the outskirts of the students’ residential community, were abducted by suspected armed men. “Upon receipt…

The Plateau State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has criticised a bill before the Plateau State House of Assembly seeking life pensions for state lawmakers. In a statement issued on Wednesday by its Publicity Secretary, Choji Felix, the opposition party described the proposed legislation as “self-serving,” arguing that it would place an additional financial burden on the state at a time of economic and security challenges. The PDP alleged that the bill, pending before the All Progressives Congress (APC)-dominated House of Assembly, was aimed at providing lifelong financial benefits for lawmakers rather than addressing the needs of residents.…

Oil prices spiked on Wednesday to the highest level in weeks and stocks dropped after President Trump said that he thought the Iran cease-fire was “over” amid a volatile 24 hours in the Persian Gulf region.The Trump administration launched a series of strikes on Iran and revoked a waiver that had allowed Iran to sell oil. The actions against Iran on Tuesday were in retaliation for attacks on tankers this week in the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial conduit for the world’s energy.U.S. Central Command said that it hit over 80 targets in Iran, including dozens of small boats used…

“The Pulse With Francine Lacqua” is all about conversations with high profile guests in the beating heart of global business, economics, finance and politics. Based in London, we go wherever the story is, bringing you exclusive interviews and market-moving scoops. Today’s guests: Mike Bell, RBC BlueBay Market Strategy Head; Ionela Ciolan, Wilfried Martens Centre for European Studies Research Officer (Source: Bloomberg)