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Throughout his journey from the classroom to the boardroom, business to public service, every defining moment has reinforced one simple lesson: leadership is about building people before building structures. Looking back, these are the moments that shaped who Senator Umaru Tanko Al-Makura became, writes Adedayo Adejobi  The day I became the first opposition governor to defeat the ruling party in Nasarawa State Winning the governorship election in 2011 remains one of the defining moments of my life. Many believed it was impossible because the PDP had firmly controlled the state. But the people desired change, and they placed their trust…

Hello Nature readers, would you like to get this Briefing in your inbox free every day? Sign up here.The company HRL Laboratories in Malibu, California, has created a quantum computer that reduces the wiring to its 18 spin qubits to improve performance.Credit: HRL LaboratoriesFour independent research teams have reported big advances in the design of quantum devices that rely on ‘spin qubits’ to encode information. Spin qubits are made by carving precise patterns into semiconductor wafers, forming wells that can hold a single electron. In the race to create a useful quantum computer, this design had previously not been considered…

Nigeria’s sprint hurdles queen, Tobi Amusan, has vowed that her best days are not behind her despite settling for bronze in the women’s 100m hurdles at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. Shortly after receiving her latest medal on Friday, the world record holder took to X to send a message that underlined both gratitude and determination. «”Not the result I came for, but I’ll never take standing on the podium for granted. Every race adds another chapter, and I’m far from finished. Gratitude is a Must 🥉,” she wrote.» Before her post on her X Page, Amusan had disclosed…

Guitarist was accused of sending inappropriate messages to teenage fan on social media; Les Savy Fav’s Seth Jabour enlisted to take O’Connor’s place Modest Mouse announced Friday that guitarist Simon O’Connor would not join the band for the upcoming tour after he was accused of sending inappropriate messages to a minor on social media. “Simon O’Conner will not be joining us on the upcoming tour,” the band said in a statement. “The good news is that Seth Jabour of Les Savy Fav will be jumping in to play guitar.” O’Connor — whose tenure with Modest Mouse began in 2021 and…

School Holiday August 1, 2026: Check state-wise school closure updates due to heavy rain. Get the latest IMD weather alerts and district-level announcements for your region.School Holiday August 1, 2026: As monsoon remains a constant activity across parts of India. Students and parents are waiting to know whether schools are open or closed for Saturday, August 1, 2026. Students, parents, and teachers are closely monitoring weather updates to check if educational institutions will remain closed on Saturday, August 1, 2026. The India Meteorological Department, IMD, has issued active rainfall warnings for multiple states including Kerala, Telangana, Gujarat, Maharashtra, and parts…

As the 2026 Commonwealth Games enter their final stretch in Glasgow, Nigeria remains among the competition’s most successful nations, occupying ninth place on the all-time Commonwealth Games medal table. Since making its debut at the Games, Nigeria has amassed 271 medals comprising 82 gold, 84 silver and 105 bronze, placing it among only nine countries to have surpassed the 250-medal mark in Commonwealth Games history. Australia sits comfortably atop the all-time standings with an astonishing 2,604 medals—including 1,003 gold medals—further underlining its status as the most dominant nation in the history of the Games. England follows in second place with…

Four days after suffering the biggest upset of the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, the Super Falcons return to the Al Madina Stadium in Rabat with their backs firmly against the wall. Nigeria’s shocking 3-2 defeat to tournament debutants Malawi has transformed what was expected to be a routine Group C campaign into a battle for survival. Standing between the defending champions and a possible early exit are a rampant Zambia side that dismantled Egypt 6-0 in one of the most dominant performances of the tournament so far. For the Super Falcons, there is no margin for error. It…

As digital finance reshapes economies and expands financial inclusion, industry leaders argue that technology alone is no longer enough. They contend that trust—built on security, transparency and reliability—will ultimately determine whether the next wave of digital innovation delivers sustainable growth and broad-based adoption, writes Nume Ekeghe For more than two decades, Nigeria’s financial sector has pursued a singular ambition: expanding access to financial services. From the banking consolidation era of the mid-2000s to the introduction of the Bank Verification Number (BVN), instant payments, agent banking, mobile money, fintech innovation, digital identity and, more recently, artificial intelligence-driven financial services, the country’s financial…

For years, India was the world’s largest app download market but one of its toughest places to make money. That is beginning to change as Indian consumers spend more on AI, entertainment, and other premium apps. India’s mobile app market generated a record $345 million in consumer spending during the second quarter of this year, up 35% from a year earlier, according to a new report by Sensor Tower. The app-market intelligence firm said the gains were increasingly driven by generative AI, streaming, and productivity apps rather than gaming, as Indian consumers became more willing to pay for digital subscriptions.…

The rising use of artificial-intelligence tools by scientists could increase their productivity, but this might come at the cost of quality.Credit: GettyScientists who use large language models (LLMs) to help them with their research will spend less time refining their work and instead jump quickly to fresh projects, according to a modelling study1.Adoption of LLMs will cause scientists to “do more, less well — rather than the same amount, better”, write the authors. But they say that such artificial-intelligence tools do not bear all of the blame for that outcome.The results reflect a flawed incentive system in science that prioritizes…