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German centre-right politician Jens Spahn has resigned as parliamentary group leader of the country’s governing coalition after being accused of hypocrisy over his use of a surrogate mother in the US to have a child.Surrogacy is prohibited in Germany – a policy backed by his Christian Democrat party (CDU) and, several years ago, by Spahn himself – although raising a child born to a surrogate mother abroad is not.He wrote in a statement on Saturday: “I have realised that my personal happiness – founding a family together with my husband and becoming a father – is not compatible with my…

By Peter Egwuatu  The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has commenced a nationwide enlightenment campaign to help Nigerians recover unclaimed dividends and other monies arising from capital market transactions. The campaign, which began with a town hall meeting in Lagos yesterday, is aimed at sensitising investors on the existence of unclaimed monies, the role of the National Investor Protection Fund (NIPF) and the procedures for verifying and recovering legitimate claims. The SEC Director-General, Emomotimi Agama, who was represented at the event by Director, Registration and Exchanges, Market Infrastructure Department, Hafsat Rufai, said the initiative was necessary to ensure that funds belonging…

In the minds of prospective EV buyers, charging looms large. Just over half of those surveyed by AAA last year said that public charging infrastructure was a key concern. Those concerns aren’t unfounded. EV fast charging has historically been lackluster. In 2023, after a disastrous road trip, I drafted an EV fast-charging “bill of rights,” outlining seven improvements charging networks needed to make to turn things around. What a difference a few years can make. During a recent road trip, I was surprised by how much the situation has improved. With one small exception, my charging experience was flawless, something…

A compact source of radioactive molecules could enable new tests of fundamental physics

The World Cup has a cruel way of separating reputation from reality. It is a stage where a brilliant club season, a glowing pre-tournament profile and a shelf full of medals can suddenly count for very little. At the 2026 edition, three names stood out for the wrong reasons: Bruno Fernandes, the reigning Premier League Player of the Season; Vitinha, the midfield metronome Portugal’s buildup had positioned as part of perhaps the tournament’s most complete engine room; and Jamal Musiala, one of Germany’s headline acts and a player very few have doubts about being Bayern Munich’s best. All three arrived…

MultiChoice Nigeria has announced betPawa as the headline sponsor for the 11th season of Big Brother Naija (BBNaija), ahead of the reality show’s premiere on 26 July. The sponsorship comes as preparations gather pace for the new season, which will see contestants compete for a record N160 million grand prize—the biggest since the Nigerian edition of the show debuted in 2006. The organisers unveiled the premiere date and prize money during a media briefing in Lagos earlier this week, following months of auditions and screenings held in Lagos, Abuja and Enugu to select this season’s housemates. Since its revival in…

The Anambra High Court in Ogidi Judicial Division has sentenced two men, Elochukwu Belonwu and Chukwuebuka Ofokwu, to death by hanging for conspiracy, rape and the murder of a 17-year-old girl, Jennifer Anene. The presiding judge, U. I. Ndigwe, who delivered the judgment on Friday in a Suit No. HID/23C/2021, held that the prosecution had proved the three-count charges against the defendants beyond a reasonable doubt. The judge condemned the acts of the convicts, describing them as a violation that demanded accountability and had desecrated societal values. Leading the prosecution, Principal State Counsel Florence Abadom-Igweike told the court that the…

German conservative leader says becoming a father through a surrogate is ‘incompatible’ with his office.Published On 18 Jul 202618 Jul 2026A high-ranking politician in Germany’s governing conservative coalition has resigned from his position after having a baby through a surrogate mother, a move at odds with his own party.Jens Spahn, 46, the parliamentary leader of Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s Christian Democrat party and its sister Christian ‌Social Union (CDU/CSU), stepped down from his role on Saturday after calls from within his own party for him to quit.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of listNews that Spahn and his husband had become…

Serhii Kuzan, chairman of the Ukrainian Security and Cooperation Centre, told the BBC that Wildberries was a “vital component” of Russian logistics, and that its website had been used by Russian volunteers to purchase military equipment including walkie-talkies, body armour and drone components. “The primary rationale for striking Wildberries’ warehouses is to disrupt Russian logistics and the supply of dual-use goods, critical electronics, sanctioned goods and the like to the Russian army and Russian arms manufacturers,” he said.”The collateral damage from such strikes could also have a serious impact on the Russian economy, as well as a psychological effect on…

U.S. Navy warships transit the Arabian Sea in close formation as CENTCOM forces continue to promote regional security and stability, June 30, 2026.Source: US NavyThe U.S. military said early Saturday it ended a seventh straight night of strikes against Iran, as Kuwait and Bahrain reported attacks by Iranian projectiles and commercial shipping continued to face disruptions.The fragile truce signed by the U.S. and Iran last month showed further signs of unravelling as the latest round of fighting continued. The interim agreement was intended to reopen the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz and end the conflict which began with U.S. and Israeli strikes on…