Author: damazah@gmail.com

The release of a new album by Taylor Swift might be a cause for celebration among her fans, but such events have also been linked to a more sombre phenomenon: an increase in fatal car crashes.The team behind a new study say it sheds light on the impact of distracted driving. “You can’t randomise people into using their phones, and drivers rarely volunteer what they were doing in the seconds before a crash,” said Dr Vishal Patel, first author of the study based at Harvard Medical School.“Album releases give you something closer to an experiment – a day when smartphone…

Long before Amy Hunt catapulted herself into the mainstream by winning an unprecedented four gold medals at the European Championships, she was remarkably upfront about her ambitions. There was no coyness. No equivocation. She wanted the quadruple in Birmingham. And having talked a good game, she delivered.She celebrated her final golden night in Birmingham with a glass of champagne and a KFC, as well as a 2am massage to ensure her legs would be fresh for her next race in Lausanne on Friday. It meant going to bed at 4am. But despite being on four hours sleep on Monday morning,…

When Hayden Panettiere arrived as Claire Bennet in Heroes, in 2006, she was 17 but not a newcomer. She’d starred in Tiger Cruise, a Disney Channel movie, two years before and was the pin-perfect image of that teen-star world – blond, cute, perky, resourceful and all-American. Bennet the superhero was all those things, amped up to the point of fascinating distortion. She was a cheerleader who could endlessly regenerate. It was a topic of hot debate on fan sites whether or not she could feel pain, a question that was resolved piecemeal through the series. She could, but could instantly…

Funmi Ogundare  Ribara Analytica has been selected as one of 12 early-stage Nigerian startups for the fourth cohort of the Mastercard Foundation EdTech fellowship, securing access up to $100,000 in equity-free funding under the 18-month programme. The fellowship, implemented by Co-Creation Hub (CcHUB) in partnership with the foundation, is designed to support innovative education technology ventures with funding, technical assistance and opportunities to scale their impact. Beyond the financial support, participating startups will receive structured assistance in product development, communications and business strategy, as well as access to CcHUB’s network of sector stakeholders and a framework for developing and documenting…

Tehran, Iran – Iranian authorities have signalled they could shift to a more offensive approach to the war with the United States as a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Washington expires.Brigadier General Yadollah Javani, head of the political bureau of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), told state television on Sunday night that his forces were ready to take whatever action is needed to defend the country.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of listTensions between Iran and the US over control of the Strait of Hormuz have continued to rise despite a ceasefire being agreed between them in June. While…

Twelve people including the captain are on board the vessel named Kate, in the latest attempt to deliver aid.Published On 17 Aug 202617 Aug 2026Bristol, United Kingdom – A boat has set sail from southern England as part of a flotilla’s efforts to break Israel’s blockade of Gaza.Supporters on Sunday gathered at Hannover Quay in Bristol, a city represented by the Greens and known for its progressive spirit, to send off “Kate”, a vessel with Freedom Flotilla activists on board.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of listAmong those bidding the 12 activists farewell were Swee Ang, a doctor and the…

By Emma Ujah, Abuja Bureau Chief The Office of the Tax Ombud (OTO) is set to launch a Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights and Obligations in the coming weeks as part of efforts to deepen taxpayer awareness, promote fairness and strengthen trust in Nigeria’s tax administration. The Tax Ombud and Chief Executive Officer of OTO, Mr. John Nwabueze, disclosed this, yesterday, at a stakeholders’ engagement in Abuja. Nwabueze said the Bill would give taxpayers a clear understanding of their rights and responsibilities while setting out the standards of fairness, transparency and accountability they should expect from tax and revenue authorities. According to him,…

The UK government has been accused of a lack of transparency and of acting irresponsibly for refusing to publish the emergency drought plans that are produced by water companies.Water firms are required to publish statutory drought plans every five years to detail the actions needed to ensure public water supply is maintained and the environment is protected during drought.Water levels at five key reservoirs in England and Wales are now “exceptionally low” and three-quarters of England and the whole of Wales are in drought.The 2027-32 drought plans, which are under consultation, detail what will happen in different scenarios, with the…

The NNPC/Seplat joint venture has equipped 127 teachers and education evaluators with digital teaching techniques and alternative income-generation skills. The beneficiaries received training through the Seplat Teachers Empowerment Programme (STEP), with the first Imo cohort graduating in Owerri. Seplat’s director of External Affairs and Social Performance, Chioma Afe, disclosed this at the graduation ceremony on Sunday. Ms Afe, represented by Esther Icha, general manager, Corporate Social Investment and Social Performance, said STEP strengthens teachers’ professional development. She added that the programme also seeks to make teachers economically resourceful while creating a lasting impact in their communities. Ms Afe said the…

Jorge CastilloAug 17, 2026, 07:00 AM ETCloseESPN baseball reporter. Covered the Washington Wizards from 2014 to 2016 and the Washington Nationals from 2016 to 2018 for The Washington Post before covering the Los Angeles Dodgers and MLB for the Los Angeles Times from 2018 to 2024.Multiple AuthorsLOUISVILLE, Ky. — The organ serenaded fans as they filed into a humid Louisville Slugger Field on July 8, a seemingly typical home game for the Louisville Bats, the Cincinnati Reds’ Triple-A affiliate. But two words displayed on a pair of screens overlooking the outfield promised something very different: Nothing Night.Nothing, as in nothing…