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Japan and Sweden played out a 1-1 draw, while the Netherlands defeated Tunisia 3-1 to round off their group F matches of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Japan and Sweden battled to a goalless first half before the match came alive after the break. Japan broke the deadlock in the 56th minute when Daizen Maeda finished from close range after a fine assist by Ritsu Doan. Sweden responded six minutes later as Anthony Elanga equalised in the 62nd minute with a well-taken finish from Viktor Gyökeres’ pass. Both teams searched for a winning goal in the closing stages, but neither…

…eyes more private investment in aviation Festus Keyamo, minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, has officially signed off on the concession of the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, under a Public-Private Partnership arrangement to Aero Alliance Limited The move is part of a broader aviation reform programme aimed at attracting private investment, strengthening regional connectivity, and improving passenger experience. The ceremony, which marks the formal transfer of operational and management responsibilities of the airport to the concessionaire, was announced on Thursday in a statement signed by Tunde Moshood, minister’s Special Adviser on Media and Communications. According to the statement, the…

YouTube is adding even more TikTok-like features to Shorts, including a new “clear screen” mode that removes the icons and text from the video you’re watching. In a blog post on Thursday, YouTube says it’s also replacing the “thumbs-up” button with a “heart” icon, and is introducing a new option that lets you watch Shorts at 2x speed.As noted by YouTube, you can speed up a video by holding down the edge of your screen and lifting your finger when you want it to return to normal speed. You can lock the speed at 2x by pressing the player and…

President Trump is demanding that Congress pass the SAVE America Act to change American elections. Our national politics reporter Nick Corasaniti looks at what’s in it.By Nick Corasaniti, Laura Bult, Jon Miller, Nikolay Nikolov, Stephanie Swart, Rafaela Balster and Gilad ThalerJune 25, 2026

A scientist who decoded the dictionary that a bird uses to communicate has won a $100,000 prize for making progress towards a world in which humans can talk to the animals – without being met with a blank response.Dr Julie Elie at the University of California, Berkeley, was awarded the 2026 Coller-Dolittle prize for two-way interspecies communication after working out the 11 core calls in the zebra finch vocabulary and their meanings.Her work revealed how the birds announce who they are and what they are doing, and recognise one another regardless of what they are saying by using individual signatures.…

By Adegboyega Adeleye Burnley will host West Ham United while Wolverhampton Wanderers take on Blackburn Rovers in the opening week of the 2026/27 Championship season. The Championship fixtures for the 2026/27 campaign were released on Thursday, with the clash between relegated Premier League sides Burnley and West Ham among the highlights of the opening round of matches. Wolves will get the new season underway against Blackburn at Molineux on Friday, August 14, before Burnley welcome West Ham to Turf Moor on Sunday, August 16. Southampton, who will begin the season on a four-point deduction following the Spygate scandal, travel to…

In a far far cry from the severe strikes of three years ago, the studios and streamers tonight heaped nothing but praise and good will on the Hollywood guilds as the DGA became the final of the Big Three to approve a new four-year contract “The AMPTP congratulates the DGA on ratifying its new contract,” an Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers spokesperson told Deadline late Thursday as members of the Christopher Nolan-led Directors Guild of America “overwhelmingly” voted to ratify a longer than traditional deal. “This agreement delivers historic contributions to the guild’s health plan, meaningful wage and residuals improvements, and strong job protections,” the…

Asparagus, smoked emulsion, watercress, sourdough (starter, above) at Apricity, London W1You pay: £21Restaurant profit: £1.65“It’s easy to assume vegetable dishes should be cheaper than meat,” says chef-patron Chantelle Nicholson. “Vegetables usually are, but vegetable dishes are more labour-intensive. It’s simple to slap a steak on the grill, but you can’t just plate up a carrot.“This dish is interesting, because asparagus can actually be more expensive than some proteins. It costs between £15 and £20 a kilo (it was £9/kg not so long ago), mainly because it’s harvested by hand and the cost of labour has risen. It’s expensive even before…

Lai Olurode, a retired Professor of Sociology at the University of Lagos (UNILAG), has described President Bola Tinubu’s proposal to create state police as a timely and revolutionary step towards addressing Nigeria’s persistent security challenges. Mr Olurode, in a statement on Thursday, said the president deserved commendation for proposing constitutional amendments that would allow the establishment of state police across the 36 states of the federation. The proposal is contained in the Constitution Alteration Bill currently undergoing legislative consideration as part of broader efforts to reform Nigeria’s governance and security architecture. According to Mr Olurode, successive administrations since the return…

• Adedeji seeks stronger partnership with CITN to deepen tax education, broaden compliance • Ohagwa: tax reform success depends on citizens’ understanding, voluntary participation • CITN launches coordinated nationwide sensitisation drive to demystify taxation James Emejo in Abuja Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr. Taiwo Oyedele, yesterday lamented the country’s inability to generate adequate revenue from taxation despite ongoing reforms, stressing that a significant number of eligible taxpayers are yet to fulfil their civic obligations. He said the challenge facing the country was not necessarily about raising tax rates but ensuring that individuals and businesses that…