Author: damazah@gmail.com

OpenAI said Friday it has suspended work on some aspects of its upcoming model Astra after an internal review found it had made significant advancements in agentic coding and cybersecurity — enough to warrant concern over its capabilities. OpenAI said in a blog post Friday that this model, which is still in development, reached its “critical cybersecurity threshold,” meaning it could independently identify and carry out cyberattacks against traditionally well-protected real-world systems. Under the company’s “Preparedness Framework,” which it created in 2023, this triggered additional safeguards. “While we continue to benchmark and assess this model, our preliminary evaluations indicate strong…

In an unstable geopolitical environment, countries are looking to secure access to artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities, which are seen as essential to economic growth, scientific research, and national security. Few have placed sovereignty as …

This isn’t the summer Marcus Rashford or Manchester United had planned.There was an expectation on both sides that Barcelona would trigger their €30 million option to make his loan move permanent. Instead, the LaLiga giants poured more than €90 million into signing Anthony Gordon and Karim Adeyemi, and as things stand, Rashford will return to United next week to start his preseason preparations.In the absence of another solution, Rashford — who still has two years left on his Old Trafford contract — is set to be part of Michael Carrick’s squad this season. If he’s selected for the friendly against…

Original Wizards of Waverly Place star Jake T. Austin is sharing his feelings on not being invited to partake in the revival series days after its series finale. “To all the Wizards fans, just wanted to say for the record how disappointed I am to have not been included in the spinoff,” Austin wrote on his Instagram Story on Thursday, per People. “I was asked back in 2020 if I was interested in reprising my role and said that I was 100% in. Unfortunately, the powers that be decided to take the show in a different direction and my character…

Gbenga Sodeinde in Ado Ekiti Shaping African Women in STEM (SWIS Africa) has launched the SWIS Hub, a year-long digital innovation and mentorship initiative aimed at bridging the gender gap in science, technology, engineering and mathematics across Nigeria. The organisation said the project would kick off with its first Pop-Up Innovation Lab in Lagos on Friday and Saturday, August 7 and 8, 2026, where young women would receive hands-on training in artificial intelligence and data science. According to SWIS Africa, the programme is designed to equip participants with practical digital skills while connecting them with mentors, scholarships and career opportunities…

The senator representing Delta North Senatorial District, Ned Nwoko, has reaffirmed that the Anioma people of Delta State are Igbo, dismissing what he described as decades of “misconception” about their identity. Speaking to newsmen on Friday in Calabar, the lawmaker said the quest for Anioma State was rooted in a historical struggle for self-determination and inclusion in the Igbo nation. He said, “Let me state without equivocation that we are Igbos. Anioma people are Igbos. The quest for Anioma State is rooted in a historical struggle for self-determination and inclusion in the Igbo nation. That was the word: Igbo state.…

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – DECEMBER 05: (L-R) Opponents Alexandre Pantoja of Brazil and Joshua Van of Myanmar face off during the UFC 323 ceremonial weigh-in at T-Mobile Arena on December 05, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)Zuffa LLCA title fight and a possible title eliminator headline the UFC 331 fight card. The UFC recently announced the full 13-fight bout list for the fight promotion’s return to Crypto.com Arena on Saturday, September 19. In the UFC 331 main event, current flyweight champion Joshua Van puts his title on the line against the man he defeated for that…

Two farmers have been abducted at the Parubber community in the Ile-Oluji/Okeigbo Local Council Area of Ondo State while working at their farm on Friday. The armed attackers reportedly emerged from nearby bushes and overpowered their victims before forcefully taking them away. An eyewitness, Yemi Omowale, who narrowly escaped the attack, said one of the kidnappers, who was masked and was carrying an AK-47 rifle, accosted one of the victims, Adetan Gbemi. “Because we were not standing together, I saw him first. The attacker was masked and carrying an AK-47. Before I could raise an alarm, he had already moved…

A’ja Wilson will celebrate her 30th birthday when the Las Vegas Aces take on the Minnesota Lynx on Saturday at 1 p.m. ET on CBS. A four-time WNBA MVP and three-time champion, Wilson is already at the top of the game with plenty of years left to play. So as Wilson enters this new decade of her life, it might be the perfect time to ask: has she already achieved GOAT status?There are currently a few legends in the conversation for “Greatest of All Time,” including the league’s all-time leading scorer, Diana Taurasi, who retired with six Olympic gold medals…

How sweet — or suite — it still is. Judy Collins is doing a valedictory lap or two around the country on what is billed as a farewell tour, even though, at 87, she’s showing little in the way of weariness about maintaining a full concert schedule or lack of prowess in pulling these shows off. “It’s time” is the fullest explanation she’ll give about why it might be time to think about slowing down her schedule. In the meantime, there is a long way to go on her “Sweet Judy Blue Eyes Farewell Tour 2026-2027,” named for the song…