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On Monday, Andy Burnham will become the UK prime minister.The former Greater Manchester mayor has faced neither a general election nor a Labour leadership contest to get there, leaving many to wonder: who is he and what does he stand for?Today in Focus host, and former north of England editor, Helen Pidd has watched his career for years, and talks to Burnham’s friends, colleagues and mentors to find out more.John Mullan, his former Cambridge English professor, remembers Burnham’s fondness for the novel Middlemarch. The journalist Eleanor Mills speaks about their time co-editing the trade magazine Tankworld. The former home secretary…

Moments after devouring the final glimmers of light, the seafloor offered nothing but darkness and silt. Then the bow appeared.More than 1,000ft (305 metres) below the surface of the Labrador Sea, off the coast of Canada, the skeleton of the final ship used by the famed polar explorer Ernest Shackleton appeared in its silty grave.“To see a very large ship in the abyss, and to realise you are among the first humans to see it, and to realise that it is largely intact is a powerful experience,” said John Geiger, the head of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society (RCGS). “It…

Defending champions Argentina struck twice in the closing minutes to beat England 2-1 on Wednesday and book their place in the final of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Lionel Scaloni’s side looked to be heading for defeat after Anthony Gordon gave England the lead early in the second half, but late goals from Enzo Fernández and substitute Lautaro Martínez completed a dramatic comeback and kept Argentina’s title defence alive. Argentina will now face Spain in Sunday’s final in what promises to be a blockbuster clash between the South American champions and the reigning European champions. The semi-final at MetLife Stadium…

Universal Studios will have high hopes for the film at the box office, after Oppenheimer took $975m (£723m) globally. However, Oppenheimer enjoyed a huge audience boost from the Barbenheimer phenomenon, the 2023 viral trend that prompted movie fans to buy tickets to see Barbie and Oppenheimer on the same day.The Odyssey is a film with “thrilling ambition, boldness, seriousness, generosity and flair”, wrote the Guardian’s Peter Bradshaw, external, awarding five stars”There are some broad-brush moments in the dialogue, yes, but even these are applied with a muscular flourish,” he added.The Odyssey is “the definition of epic”, according to Empire’s John…

The police in Delta State have arrested a popular Asaba-based content creator, Ifeanyi Ogbonna, popularly known as “Odogwu of Asaba,” over allegations that he raped a 20-year-old woman who later died by suicide after recording an emotional video accusing him of the assault. The suspect was arrested following a petition alleging that the woman travelled from Warri to Asaba after he invited her under the pretext of helping and mentoring her in content creation. In a statement sent to this newspaper on Wednesday, the police spokesman in the state, Bright Edafe, said the woman later died after ingesting a toxic substance despite efforts to…

By Olusegun Adeniyi The idea of decentralising the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) and Nigeria Correctional Service (NCS) by moving the two items from the Exclusive List of the constitution to the Concurrent List started under the late President Muhammadu Buhari. But perhaps because of the urgency of the moment, it has received greater impetus under the administration of President Bola Tinubu who is even pushing the envelope further. And for six hours last Thursday in Abuja, critical stakeholders in our country gathered to discuss the proposed idea of creating ‘state police’ at a session convened by THISDAY/ARISE Television chairman, Prince…

Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has announced that military personnel aged 30 and older will undergo testing for testosterone deficiency as part of annual health screenings.In a video posted on X, captioned “High-T Department”, Hegseth said he was authorising the screening programme for troops to ensure “you have the right testosterone levels to operate at your absolute best”.Troops with low testosterone levels will be offered voluntary hormone replacement therapy. The tests will be optional for those younger than 30. Hegseth did not specify whether the screening would apply to women, whose testosterone levels also decline as they age. “We owe our…

Argentina produced a remarkable late comeback to defeat England 2-1 in a dramatic FIFA 2026 World Cup semi-final in Atlanta on Wednesday, booking a place in Sunday’s final against Spain. The defending champions looked destined for elimination after Anthony Gordon fired England ahead 10 minutes into the second half, putting Thomas Tuchel’s side on course for their first men’s World Cup final since lifting the trophy in 1966. Read Also: World Cup: England, Argentina renew rivalry 40 years after Maradona’s ‘Hand of God’ However, Lionel Messi once again inspired Argentina’s fightback as Enzo Fernandez levelled with a superb strike in the…

Aldrin also loaned the pen and broken-off circuit breaker switch to the Smithsonian for its “Destination Moon” traveling exhibit featuring the Apollo 11 command module “Columbia.” The tour visited five US cities over the course of two years, spanning the 50th anniversary of the first Moon landing in 2019. The location of the engine arm circuit breaker switch in the Apollo lunar module that was broken off on Apollo 11. Credit: NASA The location of the engine arm circuit breaker switch in the Apollo lunar module that was broken off on Apollo 11. Credit: NASA A law enacted in 2012…

Andy Burnham has signalled that he will not increase wealth taxes immediately after becoming prime minister, easing concerns among the business community but limiting his economic room for manoeuvre.He said on Wednesday he did not want to “create new divisions” with his tax policy, in comments that allies said were a sign that he did not intend to raise money by taxing wealth.The comments by the incoming prime minister came as those close to him briefed that Shabana Mahmood, the home secretary, is the frontrunner to become chancellor, in what is being seen as another blow to Burnham’s more leftwing…