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The 2026 FIFA World Cup enters its decisive stage on Thursday with Morocco and France renewing their growing rivalry in the first of four mouth-watering quarter-final fixtures across North America. The clash is a repeat of the 2022 World Cup semi-final, where France ended Morocco’s historic run with a 2-0 victory before going on to reach the final. This time, the Atlas Lions return with another opportunity to make history after becoming the first African nation to reach the World Cup quarter-finals in back-to-back tournaments. Morocco booked their place in the last eight with an impressive 3-0 victory over Canada,…

Ask your average TV critic to list their favorite Netflix originals and you’ll get a lot of BoJack Horseman and Orange Is the New Black, plus some votes for The Queen’s Gambit or Adolescence from limited series fans, Dark from twisty sci-fans, and maybe some Squid Game or Stranger Things love from folks who never finished either series. There’s a small subset of open-minded viewers, though, who would find some way to mention Rachel Shukert’s adaptation of The Baby-Sitters Club. It lacked overt prestige and, based on its abrupt cancellation after two seasons, apparently lacked wide viewership, but more than…

For the first time in scientific history, researchers have directly observed the birth of a new section of Earth’s oceanic crust. The remarkable discovery, published in the journal Nature, captured a rare episode of seafloor spreading beneath the Southeast Indian Ridge, revealing how fresh oceanic crust forms deep beneath the ocean.The breakthrough marks a major milestone in Earth science, giving researchers an unprecedented view of one of the planet’s most fundamental geological processes.A rare glimpse beneath the ocean floorMore than two thirds of Earth’s crust is created beneath the oceans at mid ocean ridges, where tectonic plates gradually pull apart.…

A chief magistrates’ court in Katsina on Wednesday remanded a university lecturer, Bashir Kurfi, in police custody for alleged defamation and injurious falsehood against the state government. The charge arose from Mr Kurfi’s claims that the Katsina State Government sponsored some bandit leaders to the 2026 Hajj pilgrimage. Mr Kurfi, a lecturer at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, pleaded not guilty when the charges were read to him before Chief Magistrate Zaharaddeen Soro. According to the First Information Report presented before the court, the defendant allegedly made the remarks during an interview on Trust TV on 24 June. The prosecution argued…

Governors of the 19 northern states have launched the Northern Nigeria Security Trust Fund (NNSTF) and pledged a monthly contribution of ₦1 billion from member states to strengthen regional security coordination and support efforts to address persistent security challenges. The decision was reached on Wednesday at a joint meeting of the Northern States Governors’ Forum (NSGF) and the Northern Traditional Rulers’ Council, held at the Sir Kashim Ibrahim House in Kaduna and monitored by PREMIUM TIMES. Northern Traditional Rulers’ Council The meeting brought together governors, traditional rulers, senior government officials and security stakeholders to deliberate on the security situation in…

•As diesel prices rises across major depots By Udeme Akpan The Dangote Petroleum Refinery on Wednesday trimmed its ex-depot price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), commonly known as petrol, by ¦ 1 per litre, even as diesel prices climbed across several petroleum depots in Lagos, reflecting mixed trends in Nigeria’s downstream petroleum market. Meanwhile, the global crude oil prices suddenly surged sharply on Wednesday, with international benchmark Brent crude climbing close to the $80 per barrel mark, signalling renewed strength in the oil market amid heightened geopolitical tensions and expectations of tighter supply. Latest market data showed that Brent crude rose…

Low-emissivity or low-E window glass is a useful green technology for keeping buildings warm in winter and cool in summer … but a rare side-effect can set the neighbours’ property on fire.The glass is coated with a thin layer of metal or metal oxide which lets visible light through but acts like a mirror in the infrared. Heat from the interior is reflected back in, retaining warmth in winter, while unwanted solar radiation is repelled in summer.But that reflected heat must go somewhere, which may be a problem if the glass is slightly bowed. The curved window acts like a…

Reps raise concerns over poor budget implementation, delayed releases to MDAs By Gift Chapi Odekina, Abuja The House of Representatives was thrown into a rowdy session on Wednesday after Speaker Tajudeen Abbas stopped an attempt by a lawmaker to invite President Bola Tinubu to appear before the chamber over the implementation of the 2025 budget. The incident occurred during the consideration of a motion of urgent public importance sponsored by Hon. Alex Mascot Ikwechegh (Labour Party, Abia), who expressed concern over inadequate funding of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) and persistent delays in the release of appropriated funds. Presenting the…

Men’s average testosterone levels have halved over the past 50 years, according to scientists who say society is facing a male fertility crisis. Rising levels of obesity and diabetes are expected to play a part, but the team behind the work suggest that environmental factors such as endocrine-disrupting chemicals – which can be found in various household items – and global heating could also be factors in the apparent striking decline. Ian Sample speaks to science correspondent Hannah Devlin to find out how the work has been received and what the researchers want to see happen in response to their…

“We’ve got to be careful with that because then these national opens lose the fabric of what they are,” said McIlroy, the two-time Masters champion.”You can’t call yourself a national open any more if it’s a closed-off tournament and there’s a certain number of guys.”These events need to be treated differently than the Travelers Championship or RBC Heritage or whatever else is going to be in the Championship series.”The Scottish Open has been co-sanctioned by the PGA and DP World Tours since 2022.That means it can be played by members of either tour if they are ranked high enough to…