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Fidelis David reports that a deepening crisis in the Ondo State House of Assembly has exposed cracks within the state’s political establishment, with far-reaching implications for governance, legislative independence and the ruling All Progressives Congress as the 2027 elections draw closer. For a state that only recently celebrated a relatively peaceful governorship election, Ondo has suddenly found itself confronting a different political battle, one being fought not on campaign grounds but within the hallowed chambers of the State House of Assembly. What began last week as allegations surrounding the handling of an alleged N44 million released by the Ondo State…

Rail passengers are facing a second day of travel disruption across parts of north-west England, after a power failure hit the signalling centre controlling the railway in the region.The power failure, which occurred shortly before 2pm on Thursday, triggered widespread cancellations and delays to services including CrossCountry and London Northwestern Railway.Operators whose services continued to be affected on Friday morning were Avanti West Coast, East Midlands Railway, Northern, TransPennine Express (TPE) and Transport for Wales.National Rail said this morning that although trains are now able to operate, there could be delays until noon as several trains and crew are in…

This column today begins an occasional series to examine governance issues on the continent of Africa. Africa is the richest of the seven continents in the world, and the second largest continent by land mass, though you would not guess that fact from looking at the distorted cartography of the globe that is used to put the continent down. Despite Chinua Achebe’s giant literary effort, through ‘Things fall apart’ , to debunk Joseph Conrad’s and Hugh Trevor-Roper’s wholesale labelling of the land as a ‘Dark Continent’, with no history or self-awareness before the advent of the white man, an aura…

AJ Daulerio: ‘The Small Bow is a living amends for whatever version of me came before on the internet.’ Photograph: Storm Santos/Contour RA by Getty ImagesEvery other Tuesday, AJ Daulerio wakes up at 5.30am and meditates for five to 20 minutes before beginning his multistep daily journaling protocol: reading a selection from a poetry anthology, then a passage from one of his daily wisdom readers (his go-to is a heavily annotated copy of Leo Tolstoy’s A Calendar of Wisdom); writing his Fear of the Day and gratitude list, then sharing his spiritual takeaway in a note to his three kids.After…

Scientists are racing to conserve what remains of these majestic animals’ genetic diversity

Jeff BorzelloAug 3, 2026, 07:30 AM ETClose Basketball recruiting insider. Joined ESPN in 2014. Graduate of University of Delaware.Multiple AuthorsJuly is typically a quiet month when it comes to the college basketball landscape, with teams mostly set and coaches’ attention turning to the recruiting trail and future rosters. But while coaches did indeed hit the road to watch the next wave of prospects, there was a surprising amount of personnel movement to impact the rankings.The two big decisions were Serbian forward Nikola Kusturica committing to UCLA, which put the Bruins inside the top 25, and Marcus Spears Jr., who was…

On her first new single of 2026, the Americana powerhouse hops effortlessly to unexpected notes and corners Sierra Ferrell is back with her first new single of 2026, the sinewy “Trying to Love You.” Melding country, old time. and New Orleans jazz in her signature style, the Gabriel Kelly-produced track is a psychedelic lover’s journey that slinks in slow, building into an anthemic call that evokes Jefferson Airplane as much as traditional roots sounds. At the song’s core is Ferrell’s voice; powerful, emotive, hopping effortlessly to unexpected notes and corners. Watch the visualizer below. Trending Stories “Trying to Love You”…

The Abia State Police Command said a conspiracy and child trafficking suspect, Nnamdi Lazarus, has been arrested as six abducted children were rescued. According to the state Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Maureen Chinaka, in a press statement issued on Thursday, the 51-year-old suspect is from Mbano in Imo State. The statement read, “Acting on credible and actionable intelligence, operatives of the Violent Crime Response Unit, Aba North, apprehended Nnamdi Lazarus, currently residing in Uratta Aba, Abia State. “The suspect was found harbouring and keeping the children.” All the six rescued children, the statement said, have been safely reunited with…

It was a “major operation” for the plane to be correctly configured in time by engineers and a design team, who fitted a stretcher in the back.The configuration took 24 hours, Robertson said, but takeoff was then delayed for another 12 hours while the crew waited for a suitable window in the weather. “We had quite a narrow time frame that we could actually fly down to Antarctica because there was a snowstorm on the first day that we were intending to go down which stopped the operation.”The storm prevented crew at the station from getting to the runway, made…

A vessel is anchored off the coast of Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates on Aug. 3, 2026. AFP | Getty ImagesOil rose Friday amid worries over supply disruptions after Iran published a restrictive draft plan for the Strait of Hormuz. Futures for international benchmark Brent crude for October delivery gained 1.25% to $83.52 a barrel. U.S. West Texas Intermediate futures for September advanced 1.10% at $78.14 per barrel.”Higher oil prices signaled that a further inflationary impulse from energy and the situation in the Middle East could not be discounted, sending US dollar higher and government bonds lower,” Westpac said in a note. According…