Author: damazah@gmail.com

Credit: Jakub Zerdzicki/AlamyIn May 2024, four years into my postgraduate career, I decided that I wanted to finish my PhD by the end of 2025. The problem was that, despite working on many ongoing projects, I had not yet published a paper discussing my PhD work. My days were full and I was spending my weekends working, but I was making little meaningful progress. I was producing data but not finishing anything.From conversations with my peers, this was a common experience. There is a pervasive attitude in academia that graduate students in the laboratory should always be busy, always saying…

Liverpool have confirmed the signing of defender Ronald Araujo from Barcelona.The deal is an initial loan for the 27-year-old, who signed a new contract with Barca until 2031 last year, and also includes an option to buy for around £47.14m (€55m). ⁠Liverpool are not paying Barcelona a loan fee and will cover the entirety of Araujo’s salary for the duration of the season-long loan. It is understood Araujo has taken a pay cut to facilitate the move. Araujo, who will wear the No 33 shirt, told Liverpoolfc.com: “I can’t wait to get started. I’m very, very happy. Twitter This content…

Jerry Katzman, a former William Morris president and television packager for series such as “Roseanne” and “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,” died on Aug. 9. He was 89. Katzman helped shape modern television with his work in television packaging and bringing series to the screen, contributing to the success of shows such as “The Cosby Show” and “Murphy Brown.” He first joined William Morris in business affairs before rising to the head of worldwide television, then to president and vice chairman.  Also serving as the president of the Hollywood Radio and Television Society, Katzman later taught at UCLA’s School of…

Iyke Bede Former Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, and other industry leaders have called for the standardisation of Nigerian gastronomy, saying the move would strengthen the country’s food systems, promote culinary tourism and position Nigerian cuisine for greater global competitiveness. The call was made at the recently held Nigeria Food Summit 2026, which was staged at the Landmark Event Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos, with the theme, ‘Gastronomy in Nigeria: Journey to Standardization.’ The two-day summit brought together policymakers, government officials, chefs, restaurateurs, hospitality professionals, entrepreneurs, researchers, investors, regulators, development partners, students and other stakeholders in Nigeria’s food…

Peter “Mr P” Okoye has recorded significant growth across his music, social media and fashion platforms amid a wave of public support over the renewed P-Square family feud. The 44-year-old singer has crossed one million subscribers on YouTube, surpassed 500,000 monthly listeners on Spotify for the first time in his solo career, and said nearly 3,000 units of his Red ZR cap were sold within seven days. The milestones come as Mr P releases an eight-part tell-all series detailing his account of P-Square’s history and the disputes involving his twin brother, Paul, and their elder brother and former manager, Jude…

The latest Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo began at least three months before it was officially declared – meaning the health authorities are still playing catch-up, the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned.More than 1,900 people have died from the virus since that declaration on 15 May, making this the second-worst Ebola outbreak ever.Infection rates are still high, adding to the concern that the authorities are struggling to get to grips with the spread of the disease.The epicentre of this outbreak of the Bundibugyo species of Ebola, is in the east of DR Congo where insecurity has…

Talk of the affordability crisis may be penetrating corporate boardrooms. Hot on the heels of the name and starting price for Ford’s new affordable electric truck, news leaked today that the sub-$30,000 Fathom isn’t the only cheap Ford in the works. According to a report at Automotive News, the automaker is working on a new entry-level crossover that will start at around $25,000, although don’t expect it in showrooms until 2029. The leak is courtesy of an unnamed Ford dealer, which, together with its peers, was shown an early prototype described as resembling a first-gen Ford Escape. The crossover is…

The comments have been widely criticised by survivors groups and political opponents who said they downplayed the seriousness and lasting trauma of rape.The SCRA, which comprises support groups in Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Ayrshire and the Western Isles, said the impacts of rape can last a lifetime, and the crime should never be reduced to a theoretical debate. In an open letter the alliance said: “We are not demonising rape. We are naming it.”The authors strongly opposed the idea of rape existing on a “spectrum”, insisting “there is no hierarchy of rape” and that no survivor should feel compelled to ask whether…

Plans by Elon Musk’s SpaceX to build a vast rocket launch site on a stretch of Louisiana’s rapidly eroding coastline have stirred a backlash among some local opponents who fear it will badly damage the area’s fragile ecosystem.A deal for SpaceX to take control of 130,000 acres of coastal Vermilion parish is reported to be close to being finalized, allowing the company to escalate its number of launches, including of its new Starship mega rocket. SpaceX also has ambitions to deploy artificial intelligence datacenters in space, and while some experts have doubts about this, it has submitted regulatory filings to…

Super Falcons head coach Justin Madugu has apologised to Nigerians and taken responsibility for Nigeria’s disappointing quarter-final defeat to Cameroon at the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, insisting the team will fight to secure a place at next year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup through the playoffs. Nigeria’s hopes of securing an automatic ticket to the 2027 World Cup were dashed after Cameroon claimed a 1-0 victory in Casablanca, with Maéva Nyadjou’s free-kick proving decisive. The defeat means the Super Falcons must now navigate the African playoff route for one of the remaining opportunities to qualify for the tournament in…