Author: damazah@gmail.com

Unitree, the world’s biggest humanoid robot maker, has made a spectacular entry on to China’s stock market, with its shares surging by more than 600%.The Chinese company’s robots have gained global fame via viral videos of them performing martial arts, running at Olympic speeds and serving as backup dancers for pop stars.Two Unitree robots in a fighting demonstration at the World Robot Conference in Beijing on Wednesday. Photograph: Adek Berry/AFP/Getty ImagesShares in the business, officially known as Yushu Technology Co, rose to as high as 1,100 yuan (£120.39) on Wednesday, up from an IPO price of just 150.8 yuan. Its…

Crude oil and natural gas supplies have been disrupted worldwide by the United States-Israel war on Iran, but one energy sector appears to be cashing in – coal.This week, South Africa’s thermal coal producer Thungela Resources said it had doubled its half-year profits as the war has forced more countries to buy the fuel.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of listAlthough abundant and relatively cheap to produce, coal is considered one of the dirtiest fossil fuels.Mining it causes water pollution, and burning it releases enormous amounts of carbon into the atmosphere, which contributes to global warming.In recent months, several countries,…

Presidential candidates and national chairpersons of political parties participating in the 2027 general elections on Tuesday signed a national peace accord in Abuja, committing themselves to peaceful and issue-based campaigns ahead of the commencement of electioneering on Wednesday. The agreement was signed under the auspices of the National Peace Committee (NPC), chaired by former Head of State Abdulsalami Abubakar, in partnership with The Kukah Centre. The ceremony, held at the International Conference Centre, brought together representatives of several political parties and presidential candidates, including the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi; the African Action Congress (AAC)…

Super Eagles striker Taiwo Awoniyi has completed a permanent move to Coventry City from Nottingham Forest. The 29-year-old striker reportedly joins Coventry in a deal worth around £9 million, bringing an end to his four-year spell at Forest. The move also sees Awoniyi reunite with Nigeria teammate Frank Onyeka, who is already part of the Coventry squad. Coventry confirmed the transfer in a statement, describing the Nigerian as a player with extensive Premier League experience. Awoniyi spent the last four seasons with Forest, scoring 21 league goals in 90 appearances and 23 goals in 103 appearances across all competitions. He…

Australian hybrid-AI studio Red Empire Productions and international production and distribution company Organic Media Group are developing “Alishan Escape: A Mandopop Ghost Adventure,” an original animated musical inspired by Taiwan’s Ghost Month traditions, Buddhist philosophy, local Indigenous tribal cultures and the global reach of Asian pop music. The project marks a creative collaboration between Red Empire Productions founder and CEO Amie Casey and Organic Media Group (OMG) co-founder Steve Chicorel, combining cinematic storytelling, original music and hybrid-AI production techniques for a theatrical animated musical aimed at worldwide audiences. Set against Taiwan’s landscapes and spiritual traditions, “Alishan Escape” follows an international…

Today, delegates from 196 countries and the European Union have convened in Mongolia for the opening of the 17th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD COP17), with governments and other stakeholders expected to confront some of the world’s most pressing land, drought and food security challenges. The two-week conference, billed for 17 to 28 August in Ulaanbaatar, comes at a time when land degradation, water scarcity and drought are imposing growing economic and social costs globally. About 60 delegates from Nigeria will be participating in this year’s conference and negotiations. Nigeria, alongside other…

Udora Orizu writes that the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu’s stakeholders’ engagement across Bende Federal Constituency in Abia state has become a defining feature of his representation, deepening the relationship between the lawmaker and the people he serves. In politics, the loudest applause may come from a rally, but the truest verdict is often heard in the quiet conversations between a leader and his people. Across Bende Federal Constituency of Abia State, those conversations have been taking place, but not on a campaign podium, but in palaces, churches, community halls, village squares and…

Governor Dauda Lawal of Zamfara State received the Blueprint Newspapers’ 2026 Efficient Public Resource Management and Transparency Award. The governor on Tuesday received the award at the 8th edition of Blueprint Newspapers’ Annual Public Lecture, Impact Series and Awards, held at the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre, Abuja. This year’s theme of the event was “Security Challenges and Integrity of Nigeria’s 2027 Elections.” Accepting the award, Governor Lawal expressed gratitude to the management of Blueprint Newspaper and vowed to do more in his administration’s efforts to rescue and rebuild Zamfara. He said, “This award is a testament that the…

WASHINGTON, DC – AUGUST 11: Pete Crow-Armstrong #4 of the Chicago Cubs looks on prior to the game between the Chicago Cubs and the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park on Tuesday, August 11, 2026 in Washington, District of Columbia. (Photo by Alyssa McDaniel/MLB Photos via Getty Images)MLB Photos via Getty ImagesChicago Cubs centerfielder, Pete Crow-Armstrong, is a legitimate contender for the National League 2026 Most Valuable Player.It appears Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher/designated hitter, Shohei Ohtani provides the only real threat to Crow-Armstrong for the award.One recent game offered a glimpse of the value of the 24-year-old, left-handed hitter, commonly called…

The federal agency tasked with studying ways to improve America’s outstandingly poor healthcare system is “on the brink,” experts warn. The Trump administration has cut its staff by 75 percent, canceled its grants en masse, and is refusing to spend tens of millions of dollars appropriated by Congress. Whether the agency “will survive the second Trump administration is an open question,” health policy experts Aaron Carroll and David Atkins wrote in an opinion piece published today in the Annals of Internal Medicine. The agency in question is the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), which has focused on ways…