Author: damazah@gmail.com

Umunnem ndi Abia, I come to you this morning with an elation of gratitude, thankful, firstly, to the Almighty God for His blessings upon our land in the last 35 years. May I also congratulate you, dear brothers and sisters, as we relish the joy of this remarkable anniversary in our evolution as a people bound by a common heritage, defined by the resilience of our spirit and hope in the promises that tomorrow holds. Individually and collectively, each of us has contributed to shaping the character of our State, defining its identity and charting its future. Fellow Abians, you…

James Sowole in Abeokuta A Cultural Organisation and Social Enterprise, Unchained Vibes Africa (UVA), has launched election integrity campaign towards achieving a violence and rancorous free election in 2027. The campaign involves launch of integrity campaign anthem, titled “No Be War,” and the release of an audio track titled “Your Choice.” Unveiling the campaign at a press conference in Abeokuta, Ogun State to herald the campaign, the organisation described the forthcoming 2027 general elections, particularly the presidential election, as an opportunity for Nigerians to democratically choose their leaders, warning politicians and other stakeholders against turning the exercise into a “war.”…

US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order seeking to rename Lake Ontario to Lake America. The move comes after trade talks between the US and Canada collapsed late last week, and the US imposed new 50% tariffs on $20bn (C$28bn) worth of Canadian goods. Canada will implement “dollar for dollar” counter tariffs next month.Trump has repeatedly posted threats about renaming the lake, one of the five Great Lakes that straddle both countries, on social media amid the trade dispute. He said on Thursday the move was “official, effective immediately” and that his administration has “filed all the necessary…

For more than three months, the hum of generators has become an unwelcome soundtrack to daily life in parts of Yola and its environs as prolonged electricity outages continue to disrupt businesses, institutions and households. Areas including Hayin Gada, Federal Housing Estate, Modibbo Adama University of Technology (MAUTECH), Kofare and surrounding communities have been particularly affected by the unreliable power supply. For many small business owners, the blackout has gone beyond inconvenience, becoming an additional financial burden at a time when the cost of fuel, transportation and other essentials is already putting pressure on household incomes and business operations. The…

Anthropic gave the example of a model like Claude adjusting a laser, checking the results via a separate camera, then repeating the process to automatically calibrate the whole system. MHS could also allow an AI model to focus a microscope, analyze the results, decide what part needs more observation, then automatically move the microscope to the relevant section to continue the experiment. In a video, Anthropic also showed Claude reasoning how to get a robotic arm to pick up an aluminum can even though it had not been specifically trained on the required steps. And rather than reasoning through each…

A clampdown on “rogue bailiffs” has been launched by Andy Burnham amid concerns that vulnerable people are being overcharged and face aggressive behaviour.In the latest in a series of “everyday fixes” to ease the cost of living and “make Britain fairer”, the prime minister said he was strengthening the rules that apply to bailiffs in England and Wales to better protect people in debt.He also announced measures to target “cowboy” tradespeople, including builders who rip off homeowners.The crackdown on bailiffs comes two months after the Guardian revealed that the government had been accused of dragging its feet on the issue.In…

Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara has said the premises of the state’s Neuropsychiatric Hospital in Rumuigbo, Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, were previously used as a centre for drug trafficking. Mr Fubara disclosed on Thursday while commissioning the newly upgraded neuropsychiatric hospital alongside a new General Hospital in Rumuigbo. His remarks were contained in a statement sent to PREMIUM TIMES on Thursday by his spokesperson, Onwuka Nzeshi. ‘These premises were a drug trafficking centre’ According to Mr Fubara, the neuropsychiatric hospital had become a location where drugs were supplied to inmates undergoing rehabilitation. These premises were a drug trafficking centre. We…

Rangers were left reeling as they crashed out of the Uefa Conference League playoffs with a 4-3 penalty shoot-out defeat to Jablonec.Leading 1-0 from the first leg at Ibrox last week, Derek McInnes’s side turned in a turgid performance in Czechia which lacked creativity and invention. It proved costly as they fell to a 1-0 defeat at Stadion Strelnice, drawing 1-1 on aggregate after extra time to set up the final shootout.Despite McInnes introducing Lawrence Shankland, Connor Barron and Findlay Curtis in the second half, Rangers could not get a foothold in the game. The Jablonec midfielder Vakhtang Chanturishvili deservedly…

Raheem, the Nigerian singer and son of billionaire industrialist Razaq Okoya, has announced his decision to quit releasing new music. Professionally known as Sir Raheem, the 23-year-old made the announcement in a lengthy Instagram post on Wednesday, reflecting on his musical journey and explaining that his other commitments had made it increasingly difficult to give music the attention he believes it deserves. Raheem said his music career began as a hobby with friends before growing into a professional pursuit that brought memorable performances and recognition from artistes he admired. “Over the past couple of years, my musical journey has truly…

American Olympic champion Masai Russell has shattered Tobi Amusan’s women’s 100m hurdles world record, clocking a stunning 12.09 seconds at the Zurich Diamond League on Thursday. Russell lowered Amusan’s previous world record of 12.12 seconds, set by the Nigerian at the 2022 World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon, by three hundredths of a second. Amusan was on the track to witness her record fall but responded with an impressive performance of her own, running a season-best 12.23 seconds to finish second. The Nigerian, who had held the world record for four years, produced her fastest time of the season as…