Author: damazah@gmail.com

Victor Miller, the screenwriter behind the horror classic “Friday the 13th,” died on Monday in Alameda, Calif. He was 86. Miller’s death was confirmed to Variety by his son, Ian. Released in 1980, “Friday the 13th” is widely considered a seminal installment in the horror canon. It widely popularized the summer camp setting and themes surrounding teenage debauchery, which to this day remain essential tropes of the slasher genre. In a recent interview with a “Friday the 13th” fan site, Miller said the inspiration behind the iconic film came from, at first, an attempt to follow in the footsteps of…

Mike Johnson, the speaker of the United States House of Representatives, has suggested that lying is part of Iranians’ religion as he defended President Donald Trump’s decision to launch a war on Iran.Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Johnson was asked about the increasingly unpopular policies under the Republican president, including his decision to join Israel in launching a war against Iran in February.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of listThe House speaker responded by praising Trump, saying the US president has “steady hands at the wheel”. After addressing the US trade war with Canada, he turned his attention to the…

The BBC’s Tokyo correspondent Kurumi Mori tries Japan’s latest food trend, instant noodles made with cold water. The product has sold out in the country after going viral online. Unlike regular cup noodles, this version is designed to be a cooling summer snack, but does it really do the job? The BBC puts them to the taste test.

Unlock the Editor’s Digest for freeRoula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.Fed chair Kevin Warsh used his speech at the annual Jackson Hole gathering of central bankers to tell bond markets he was serious about keeping a lid on inflation and everyone should calm down. Bond markets responded by pushing long-term borrowing costs to new highs. Today on the show, Katie Martin and Rob Armstrong ask what’s up with bond yields? Plus, they go long data centre Nimbys and long the job prospects for PR agencies.Save 10% on tickets to the London FT…

The team designed miniature boats with three cavities tuned to different audible frequencies, enabling them to steer the boat in a particular direction by changing the frequency of the sound waves from a speaker. Their 3D-printed microfliers also had three integrated cavities tuned to ultrasonic frequencies, capable of generating upward thrust or aerodynamic lift, similar to a helicopter. Science Advances, 2026. DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aef5620. Cooling without electricity Credit: Yi-Ting Hsiau and Jingyuan Xu, KIT/Ella Maru Studio Credit: Yi-Ting Hsiau and Jingyuan Xu, KIT/Ella Maru Studio Standard refrigerators and AC systems operate using the Carnot cycle, relying on electricity-driven compressors to transfer heat…

The use of large language models (LLMs) is soaring among students worldwide thanks to the tools’ growing ability to solve problems and generate text and code. In a 2026 survey of 1,054 UK undergraduate students by the Higher Education Policy Institute in Oxford, UK, roughly 94% said that they use generative artificial-intelligence tools to help them with assessed work, and 12% directly inserted AI-generated text into their coursework1. In a study published in May, from survey data of more than 95,000 students at 20 US universities, the authors estimated that 9% of students used AI on their coursework, despite knowing…

Michael RothsteinSep 1, 2026, 07:12 PM ETCloseMichael Rothstein, based in Atlanta, is a reporter on ESPN’s investigative and enterprise team. You can follow him via Twitter @MikeRothstein.Multiple AuthorsA college football player who died after collapsing on the sideline last week had no known underlying health conditions and was immediately attended to by multiple onsite medical workers with automated external defibrillators, the school’s interim president told ESPN.William Jewell College interim president Drew Van Horn said the team doctor and on-site emergency medical personnel immediately started trying to resuscitate running back MicahJo Barnett, who was later pronounced dead at a hospital Saturday.Barnett,…

No more commutes to Santa Clarita for the cast of The Valley, as Danny Booko and Nia Sanchez are leaving the Bravo reality series after three seasons. News of Sanchez and Booko’s departure comes as Season 4 ramps up production. The couple had been part of the ensemble cast since it premiered in 2024. “We wanted to share a quick update that we will not be returning to The Valley,” read a statement shared by the couple on social media. “We’re incredibly grateful for this experience, but our priority is protecting our peace and our family.” The statement continued, “We…

For the next three weeks, President Bola Tinubu will be away from Nigeria on vacation, reviving controversy over whether a Nigerian president can proceed on holiday and continue to exercise the powers of his office, or does the Constitution require him to transfer those powers to the vice president. Mr Tinubu left Abuja on Sunday for Europe, with London as his first destination. The Presidency said the trip is part of his annual leave and described it as a “working vacation.” He is expected to return after three weeks. At almost the same time, Vice-President Kashim Shettima travelled to Luanda,…

By Damilola Samuel Tobacco-leaf production is declining worldwide but continues to rise in Africa, with the continent recording an almost nine per cent increase between 2012 and 2024, according to a new analysis by the World Health Organisation, WHO. The analysis found that global tobacco-leaf production fell by nearly 19 per cent over the same period, while Africa’s cigarette import bill more than doubled, rising from $833 million to $1.77 billion. The trend means African countries are producing more raw tobacco for export while simultaneously spending more on imported cigarettes. “This is not just a tobacco-control issue. It is a…