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Unlock Nigeria’s Hospitality Potential Nigeria’s hospitality industry holds enormous potential to drive tourism, create jobs and diversify the economy, but poor infrastructure, inconsistent policies and multiple taxation continue to constrain its growth. Convener of Hotel Managers Conference Africa, Olugbenga Sunday, outlines reforms needed to transform the sector into a major economic powerhouse. Charles Ajunwa brings excerpts How do you handle the issue of capacity building in the sector? We found out that within our sector, one important thing is the people, because it’s all about service. How do we handle our guests? So capacity is key to the success of…

The funeral of the former Iranian supreme leader has begun as the gates of the sprawling Grand Mosalla mosque in central Tehran let in thousands of mourners who had been waiting through the night to enter the grounds.Iran is staging mass funeral processions for Ali Khamenei – whose ⁠37-year reign was brought ⁠to an ​end in February by the first airstrike of the war launched by the US and Israel.By 5.30am on Saturday, the streets surrounding the mosque were already full as Iranians, some travelling for hours and many carrying flags, made their way to an event designed to emphasise…

Large crowds of black-clad mourners have gathered outside Tehran’s main mosque to pay their respects to Iran’s former supreme leader on the first day of his funeral comemorations.Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s body is currently lying in state at the Grand Mosalla, ahead of his eventual burial in his hometown of Mashhad next Thursday.Authorities expect 15-20 million people to attend the ceremonies across Iran and Iraq over the coming days, which take place more than four months after Khamenei was killed in US and Israeli strikes.Masses of supporters of the Islamic regime turned out on Saturday morning, reportedly chanting slogans against the…

Official documents have raised fresh questions over the Presidency’s insistence that the controversial Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC) never existed. According to a report by Saturday Punch, the documents show that the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF) received, acknowledged and processed official correspondence submitted in the council’s name months before the Presidency publicly declared it a fictitious agency. Among the documents is a letter showing that the OSGF forwarded a request by the council’s self-styled director-general, Adeniyi Adeyemi, seeking office accommodation from recovered Federal Government properties managed by the Economic and Financial Crimes…

Three paragraphs, from three different hotel reviews. Can you tell which, if any, were AI‑generated?“The hotel is in a great location for everything. Lots of places to eat and drink. The hotel itself is always abuzz. The tavern located on the ground floor is definitely a must. Food, service, prices and atmosphere were great.”“A good hotel, though the room had the proportions of a well-appointed lift. Slept well, shower was excellent, staff were friendly. Breakfast was busy but competent. Would return, though probably not with a very large suitcase.”“Excellent base for a London trip. The room was quiet, the bed…

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has warned that the ongoing Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has become the largest ever recorded, with more than 1,400 confirmed cases and over 400 deaths. The WHO Regional Director for Africa, Mohamed Janabi, disclosed this on Friday during an online media briefing on the Ebola situation in the DRC and Uganda. Mr Janabi described the outbreak as one of Africa’s most serious public health emergencies this year and called for sustained international support to bring the virus under control. Despite the rising number of infections, he said response…

Witek Morek is closely inspecting an old brick-and-flint wall on the Cambridgeshire campus of the Wellcome Sanger Institute.“We are going to use a very advanced tool designed by bioengineers and evolved over millions of years – the human hand – and grab some moss, and put it in an envelope,” he says.This is tardigrade hunting, the first small step in a gargantuan, wildly ambitious scientific undertaking: to sequence the genomes of all life on Earth.Accompanied by Prof Mark Blaxter, who leads the institute’s Tree of Life programme, Morek, a postdoctoral researcher and tardigrade expert, goes on to collect lichen from…

Key eventsAlexander AbnosAlexander Abnos on why this USA team is worth celebrating. double quotation markSo in the US, what is our reason to cheer the US at a time when we are led by a government despised at home and abroad? How do we put the ICE raids and the attacks on other countries and the mistreatment of so many of our fellow Americans aside and allow ourselves to feel patriotic for 90 minutes, plus extra time, and – God forbid – penalties too? Share double quotation markI’m half-English on my mum’s side and half Mexican-American. This [game against England]…

If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Rolling Stone may receive an affiliate commission. America’s version of the royal wedding officially happened today, with Taylor Swift marrying Travis Kelce in a ceremony at Madison Square Garden. The star-studded affair could rival the Met Gala, with celebrities turning out in droves to watch the couple tie the knot. Guests reportedly included Ethan Hawke, Selena Gomez, Sabrina Carpenter and Dakota Johnson, while Adam Sandler officiated the ceremony (yes, that’s true — not a rumor). Swift’s longtime best friend, Abigail Anderson, was also there to…

The questions1 What is the UK’s single most dispensed medicine?2 Fólkvangr was the alternative destination to where?3 In June 2026, which pottery firm ended production after 217 years?4 Which religion’s calendar is determined by moon sighting committees?5 The Filipino Efren Reyes is considered the GOAT of what indoor game?6 Which awards were founded by the late Kanya King?7 Which Cossack inspired works by Byron, Pushkin, Liszt and Tchaikovsky?8 Which US state is said to have been ruled by six flags?What links:9 Black-footed; Fishing; Geoffroy’s; Pallas’s; Sand?10 Countdown; The Body Show; Brookside; Walter; Five Go Mad in Dorset?11 Hjalmar Schacht (minister…