Author: damazah@gmail.com

Conspiracy theories surrounding singer and philanthropist Dolly Parton’s recent death have flooded the internet, referencing everything from satanic rituals to cloning. But one conspiracy theory has dominated all the others: the claim that Parton’s death was caused by “turbo cancer” brought on by the Covid vaccine.There is no evidence to support the claim that Parton’s death had anything to do with the vaccine. Parton, 80, died after “a short battle with cancer,” her family said in a statement. In May, Parton shared that she was responding well to treatment related to her immune system and digestive system.In 2020, the singer…

In the most audacious approach to governance ever, President Bola Tinubu on assumption of office removed the cancerous fuel subsidy that had become the major hinderance to the social and economic development of Nigeria. Three years on the Federal Government has been able to effectively deploy the gains of that removal to fund education, health, infrastructure and the basics of the nation. Kehinde Olaosebikan writes. For years, my position has been clear: take the burden of education and health off the masses, and you would have solved over 50% of poverty in Nigeria. Many parents today are hypertensive not because…

The world of artificial intelligence can be intimidating, but researchers have tips on how to get started. Credit: Jade Gao/AFP via GettyArtificial intelligence is becoming a must-have skill for both employers and funders. Data compiled by the jobs site Indeed show that, in the United States, science jobs listing ‘AI’ as a required skill are rising sharply, whereas the overall number of science jobs has fallen (see ‘AI in demand’).One example is the Quadram Institute in Norwich, UK, which specializes in food science and gut biology. Despite that core focus, researchers must show some knowledge of machine learning and AI,…

Key events2nd over: Pakistan 2-0 (Shan Masood 0, Azan Awais 0) Jofra Archer, bowling to Azan Awais, duplicates Robinson’s start – all dots apart from a no-ball. The difference is that Archer, with his extra pace, finds some bounce. Maybe the pitch isn’t quite as slow as the Pakistan bowlers made it look.Share1st over: Pakistan 1-0 (Shan Masood 0, Azan Awais 0) The new ball is in the hands of Ollie Robinson, who was so lethal here against New Zealand in June. He starts by going round the wicket to the left-handed Masood, with a short leg. But only for…

Pink Floyd cofounder Roger Waters, Nobel Prize-winning writer Annie Ernaux and directors Matteo Garrone and Isabel Coixet have lent their support to an open letter calling on the Venice Film Festival, its parent body the Venice Biennale and the audiovisual world in general to take concrete action in support of Palestine. The letter, published just days before the festival’s opening on September 2, has been organised by the Venice4Palestine collective, which last year lobbied for the festival to publicly acknowledge the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza and oversaw a public demonstration on the first weekend. “One year after its first…

I’ve grown plants in heatwaves before, but this year has been different. Back-to-back heatwaves feel far more intense than the shorter ones I’m used to. Records for heat and dryness were broken in August, and my veg patch has dealt with it in myriad ways.You might think more sun equals more growth, but that isn’t necessarily the case. When under heat stress, plants close their stomata – the pores on the underside of their leaves – hindering the movement of water and exchange of gases needed for photosynthesis. This can result in a check on growth that I’ve seen in…

The Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Rilwan Disu, recently welcomed the brave officers of the Nigeria Police Force’s Special Intervention Squad who, alongside the military, the State Security Service (SSS), and other security agencies, took part in the rescue of the abducted Oriire schoolchildren. The IGP did more than welcome the officers. He also mourned one of them who lost his life during the operation. It was not the first time he publicly mourned a police officer killed in the line of duty. Since becoming the 23rd Indigenous Inspector-General of Police, IGP Disu has continued to show that the lives of…

Rescuers searching for survivors of Wednesday’s deadly flash floods on the Nepal-Tibet border have been forced to pull back after a debris dam overflowed, increasing the risk of fresh flooding.Residents in Nepal’s Rasuwa district, on the border with Tibet, were seen rushing up hillsides ⁠on Friday to escape a possible surge in the river, ⁠according to witnesses. Authorities in Nepal had stopped rescue operations for at least 90 minutes, an army officer said.A lake formed after a wall of mud and debris struck the border hub of Gyirong in Tibet on Wednesday, causing catastrophic flash floods that thundered down valleys…

The Federal Ministry of Finance has welcomed the confirmation by global index provider FTSE Russell that Nigeria’s capital market will be reclassified from “Unclassified” to “Frontier Market” status, effective from the opening of trading on Monday, 21 September. A statement signed by the minister, Taiwo Oyedele, said the decision marks Nigeria’s return to the global Frontier Market universe, nearly three years after its exclusion in September 2023, when persistent difficulties in capital repatriation and foreign exchange execution made the market inaccessible to international investors. The reclassification follows sustained improvements in foreign exchange liquidity, capital repatriation and market accessibility, and reflects…

More than 80 performers have signed the letter, with Derry Girls actor Siobhán McSweeney saying she was “deeply worried” that the government was lagging behind.”There is a way to work alongside AI and to use it as a tool that benefits us rather than rendering us obsolete,” she said.”Our audiences want that human connection. Not AI.”As well as actors, other signatories include those working in other performing industries.That includes Scottish singer Sandi Thom, known for her 2006 hit I Wish I Was a Punk Rocker (With Flowers in My Hair).She said she was signing the letter because her voice was…