Author: damazah@gmail.com

Lithium salts being recovered from brine pools in South America.Credit: Martin Bernetti/AFP via GettyAs more people seek out electric vehicles and batteries to store renewable energy, demand for lithium, the metal at the core of most rechargeable batteries, is intensifying. But mining lithium has substantial impacts on the environment. A wave of innovative technologies could make its extraction more sustainable.Electric vehicles accounted for more than one-quarter of all global car sales last year, according to the International Energy Agency. The agency projects that demand for lithium for electric vehicles could reach around 665 kilotonnes by 2035. Yet, planned and existing…

England netballer Eleanor Cardwell insists there is still “so much juice left in the tank” to fight for Commonwealth Games bronze after missing out on a place in the final with defeat by New Zealand.The Roses will play Australia in Sunday’s bronze-medal match (09:00 BST) in Glasgow after losing their semi-final 61-54 to a powerful Silver Ferns side.Jamaica stunned world champions Australia with a seismic 46-45 victory in the other semi-final, as the Diamonds failed to make the final for the first time in the history of the Games.Speaking to BBC Sport after missing out on the gold-medal match, England…

By Enitan Abdultawab Street-pop singer Habeeb Okikiola, popularly known as Portable, has apologised to fans and organisers after walking out of his celebrity boxing rematch against Nollywood actor Charles Okocha, a decision that led to his disqualification on Friday night. In a statement released on Saturday through his management, Zeh Nation/Dr Zeh, the singer expressed regret over the abrupt end to the highly anticipated bout and apologised to everyone affected by the incident. “We sincerely apologise to the organisers, Balmoral Group, the entire event team, our fans, friends, family, and everyone who came out to support Portable at tonight’s celebrity…

To taste these anchovies, I invited a friend, the food journalist and author Sudi Pigott, to join me. Arriving with a packet of Pujadó Solano anchovies and her new book, Consider the Anchovy, in hand, she and I tasted 10 brands of anchovies straight from the tin or jar with sparkling water and cucumber to cleanse the palate. According to Pigott, the best anchovies are “juicy, plump and velvety, with a sweet, nutty taste of jamón!”The Guardian’s journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. Learn more.The anchovy supply chain has been heavily…

The rising pop singer D4vd and 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez were in the throes of a clandestine relationship months before her mangled and decomposing body turned up last September stuffed in an impounded car registered to the musician.D4vd, born David Anthony Burke, is set to stand trial for murder, child sexual abuse and mutilation of human remains in connection to the teenager’s death.Los Angeles county prosecutors accuse Burke of stabbing Celeste to death and subsequently severing her limbs as he sought to prevent her from revealing their sexual relationship, which began when he was 18 and she was 13 in…

Bennett Oghifo  W eststar Associates Limited, the Authorised General Distributor of Mercedes-Benz in Nigeria, has announced the introduction of the new Mercedes-Benz Atego 1726, reinforcing its commitment to providing dependable, efficient and innovative commercial vehicle solutions tailored to the evolving needs of Nigerian businesses. The arrival of the new Atego marks an important milestone in the continued expansion of Weststar’s commercial vehicle portfolio. Replacing the Atego 1725, which has earned a strong reputation among fleet operators across the country, the Atego 1726 represents a genuine evolution of the model. Combining improved engineering, enhanced drivetrain technology and greater operational efficiency, the…

Over the past month, a series of advancements in China’s artificial intelligence, chip manufacturing and robotics technologies have rattled financial markets, caused divisions among US tech moguls and left the Trump administration scrambling to respond.Silicon Valley has long pointed to China’s tech industry as a competitive threat and used its growth as rationale for why US firms should not face regulatory oversight that could slow them down. In recent weeks, however, China’s progress has pushed US tech CEOs past vague warnings and into open disagreement over how to address Chinese-made products upending their industry.The most immediate threat to Silicon Valley’s…

The results of the election for a new mayor to succeed Andy Burnham in Greater Manchester show progressives standing at the threshold of a new era. But only if they work together.New mayor Bev Craig was elected using the supplementary vote which uses voters’ second preference if no one wins more than half the vote in the first round. Despite the Burnham bounce, Labour received only 47% of the vote in the first round, well down on Burnham who never achieved below 63% in his three campaigns. But when second preferences kicked in, it’s estimated that about seven in 10…

“The Inbetweeners” — the hit Brit teen comedy series from the late 2000s that spawned two successful spin-off films — is officially back. A reunion movie is now in the works at Netflix, Variety has confirmed, with the original lead cast of Simon Bird, Joe Thomas, Blake Harrison and James Buckley understood to be attached, although final deals are yet to be finalized. The news comes less than a year after rights holders Banijay U.K. revealed that it had struck a deal with “The Inbetweeners” creators Iain Morris and Damon Beesley and their Fudge Park Productions that, at the time, they said…

If you manage to spot a garden in bloom this summer, beyond the strips of bleached and torched grass, there may be one colour you see more than any other: purple, the horticultural hue of the season.Plants such as lavender, salvias and catmint are in vogue, according to the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), which conducted extensive research into the colours Britons best love to see in their gardens.In one experiment at RHS Garden Wisley’s Hilltop, more than 11,000 visitors were asked to choose their preferred shades. Purple flower hues accounted for the strongest preference (26.67%), closely followed by red (25.24%).Visitors…