Author: damazah@gmail.com

The 2026 STEM Africa Fest, which is in its sixth edition, is set to showcase technology skills, and digital innovation built around Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).  Speaking at a press conference in Lagos to announce the event, the organisers said there would be up to eight learning labs lined up for pupils and students to have practical experiences in Robotics, Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), 3D Printing, Games, Drones Electronics, Coding and Artificial Intelligence (AI). Co-Founder at STEM Africa Fest, Jadesola Adedeji, said the event would be designed to make Nigerian children have different learning experiences that…

A new report sheds light on the unprecedented growth of the US government’s immigration surveillance arsenal, revealing fresh details about how spending on technology and AI tools to find and track migrants has soared to record levels during Donald Trump’s second term.The report, released this week, analyzed US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) contracts with 11 companies the authors said provide surveillance tech. They found the money awarded to these firms doubled from 2024 to 2025, to just over $310m – and in 2026, that number soared to a record $513m.Researchers traced these contracts…

Keir Starmer is set to face his first Prime Minister’s Questions since he announced his resignation as Labour leader.

Probably not, according to Eric Schwitzgebel, a distinguished professor of philosophy at the University of California, Riverside. In a new working paper, Schwitzgebel and Jeremy Pober, a former UCR graduate student who is now a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Lisbon, argue that conscious beings may be possible even if they are built from materials very different from those found in life on Earth. One example comes from the recent blockbuster “Project Hail Mary,” which features a five-limbed alien with a rock-like exterior. Rather than trying to define consciousness itself, the researchers begin with the assumption that consciousness is…

It’s a new year at Tight End University, but some things remain the same: Taylor Swift is back — and with another surprise performance.On Tuesday night, Swift performed her 2008 single “Love Story,” with country star Lainey Wilson joining her on stage at the exclusive offseason summit for tight ends. On Monday, Tight End University posted a photo of Swift standing beside her soon-to-be husband, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce; the San Francisco 49ers’ George Kittle and his wife, Claire; and former NFL tight end Greg Olsen and his daughter, Talbot. It isn’t the first time Swift has…

Filming is due to restart for a three-part Christmas special of hit BBC TV show The Other Bennet Sister.Inspired by Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, the first series – filmed largely in Wales – attracted 7.3 million UK viewers in its first four weeks, while also having huge success in the US and Canada and on social media. Welsh actress and writer Ruth Jones was the “iconic” Mrs Bennet, with Richard E Grant playing her husband, Mr Bennet.Based on Janice Hadlow’s novel of the same name, it focuses on Mary Bennet, the couple’s seemingly unremarkable middle daughter as she navigates…

A National Dialogue on the State of the Nigerian Economy featuring an array of distinguished professors as speakers, holds on Friday, June 26th, 2026 in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.  The dialogue is being convened by the organisers to celebrate the 72nd birthday of renowned Scholar of Economics and Public Policy, Prof Akpan Hogan Ekpo, who will also deliver the keynote address at the event. Apart from the keynote speaker, six other discussants will also focus on different areas of the country’s economy. Prof Chikanele Asuru will discuss “Monetary and Physical Issues, Labour Market Performance, Poverty and Inequality, 2015 to Date.”…

Governor Mbah cutting the tap to unveil the DNA forensic centre. To his right is the Inspector General of Police, Olatunji Disu Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State says there is no more hiding place for criminals in the state, as his administration has built the capacity to preempt, track down, and bring them to book. Mr Mbah sounded the warning on Wednesday during the commissioning of the Centre for DNA Forensics and Criminal Investigation (CeDFoCI), a strategic partnership between the Enugu State Government, the Godfrey Okoye University, and the Nigeria DNA Learning Centre, at the university’s complex, Ugwuomu, Nike,…

Note: Map shows the area with a shake intensity of 3 or greater, which U.S.G.S. defines as “weak,” though the earthquake may be felt outside the areas shown.  All times on the map are Japan time. The New York Times A strong, 6.9-magnitude earthquake struck in the North Pacific Ocean on Thursday, according to the United States Geological Survey.The temblor happened at 7:30 a.m. Japan time about 22 miles northeast of Kuji, Japan, data from the agency shows.As seismologists review available data, they may revise the earthquake’s reported magnitude. Additional information collected about the earthquake may also prompt U.S.G.S. scientists…

Thailand’s stock market is having the best year among Southeast Asian peers, as investors discover an unlikely source of exposure to the global artificial-intelligence boom.