Author: damazah@gmail.com

Richard L. O’Connor, an Emmy-winning producer who served as an executive in charge of production on films including On Golden Pond, The Muppet Movie and Across 110th Street, has died. He was 96. O’Connor died July 22 in Palm Desert, his family announced. He received his Emmy for outstanding children’s program in 1990 for producing the NBC telefilm A Mother’s Courage: The Mary Thomas Story, starring Alfre Woodard. O’Connor also was an executive in charge of production on Hickey & Boggs (1972), Stanley Donen’s Movie, Movie (1978), Borderline (1980), Raise the Titanic (1980), Hard Country (1981) and Barbarosa (1982), among…

Jane Ripley* spent some time researching the best apartment to stay in for her family’s trip to Batumi in Georgia, eventually settling on one with an “exceptional” rating on Booking.com.But when the Ripleys arrived at 11pm on the first day, they were directed to another property that was shabby and had stains on the furniture and ceiling.“The host was unfriendly … We had genuine concerns about raising complaints directly. We were forced to find and pay for alternative accommodation for the remaining four nights at a further cost of £334,” she says.Ripley made a series of complaints, starting the day…

Global education, knowledge of how global issues affect the daily lives of individuals, communities and society, and how everyone can influence the world, has been promoted in Estonia for 15 years.Schools can choose elective courses, take part in themed weeks and projects, and such content has been integrated into various subjects, but according to those involved, this has been done in a fragmented way.Meelis Niine, project manager at the non-profit organization Mondo, told ERR that in the future global education could be described more clearly in the general sections of the national curricula and in subject syllabi, and that global…

Former Plateau State Governor and elder statesman, Senator Jonah Jang, on Saturday delivered a sobering message to Nigeria’s political class and citizens, warning that political power is temporary and that only character, faith and service to humanity endure. Jang spoke in Jos during the celebration of his 80th birthday and the public presentation of his autobiography, From Airman to Politics, held as part of activities marking the milestone. Reflecting on eight decades of life, military service and politics, the former governor said time had taught him that the pursuit of power, fame and wealth should never overshadow integrity and one’s…

The Chief Operating Officer of Gracias Global Homes & Properties Ltd, Wale Ponnle, has urged stronger collaboration between Lagos communities and government agencies to tackle the city’s persistent flooding challenges.   Ponnle, who was speaking with journalists in Lagos recently, stressed that the fight against flooding cannot be solely left to government. Ponle, who is also the chairman, Strategy and Planning Committee of the Real Estate Developers Association of Nigeria (REDAN), Lagos Chapter, tasked community leaders to act as environmental watchdogs by reporting illegal construction, land reclamation and sand-filling activities that obstruct natural waterways.   “The reality is that flooding in Lagos…

Unlock the Editor’s Digest for freeRoula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.Leopold Aschenbrenner was hailed as a great prognosticator, but he did a poor job of interpreting history. The tech wunderkind’s misfortune is a reminder — useful for the AI era — that an investor can be right and still come undone.Situational Awareness, the fund the OpenAI alumnus founded in 2024, sold most of its publicly traded securities to rival Citadel after banks called in their loans. On the face of it, what happened is simple: Aschenbrenner thought AI-related stocks would go one…

“I took a walk around last night, and gosh, it’s amazing,” Dylan Moore told Ars. Moore lives down the block from these Waymo lots and previously created the WaymoProblems.org website. “You can hear the crickets, you can hear your thoughts, it’s not a fleet of locusts descending on the neighborhood, it’s incredible.” Another neighbor, who wished to remain anonymous for fear of reprisal and described himself as a “night owl,” said that he is thrilled that Waymo has abided by the court order. “At 2 am when the bars let out, that’s when [they had been] full bore,” he said.…

Tracy Brabin, the Labour mayor of West Yorkshire, said that giving regions like hers a proportion of income tax would mean “people will be able to see and feel the real benefit of their hard work and where that money is going”.Richard Parker, the Labour mayor for the West Midlands, described the plans as “phenomenal”, adding: “It really is a sea change, it’s monumental.”But some within the Labour Party have voiced concerns.Labour backbencher Sean Woodcock, MP for Banbury in Oxfordshire, said he supported the plans but said there was still the need for redistribution from central government in order to…

Fresh off the release of his sixth studio album, ORIADÉ, Afrobeats star David “Davido” Adeleke has opened up about how marriage, fatherhood and 15 years in the music industry have transformed both his personal life and the way he runs his brand. Speaking in a recent interview on The Vibe Q, the Grammy-nominated singer said he no longer keeps friends around without purpose, explaining that everyone in his circle is now expected to contribute professionally rather than spend time with him. According to Davido, his team members are encouraged to develop skills that support his brand. “Everybody is there to…

Key events48km to go: The gap is 1min 42sec. It’s been an active day, with a couple of riders trying to get across to this four-person break, and (unfortunately) a number of crashes in the bunch.Share50km to go: This time last week, I was at the Tour! Here’s a photo I took of the lake at Allemond. A week ago we saw the race go through there in the morning, then rode up the Col d’Ornon, then toiled up to Alpe d’Huez to watch the dramatic finish when Richard Carapaz chased down Sepp Kuss.Allemond. Photograph: Luke McLaughlin/The GuardianShare53km to go:…