Author: damazah@gmail.com

Andy Burnham promised to ease the cost of living if he becomes prime minister in his first interview since returning to parliament.The Makerfield MP told LBC that if he became prime minister later this month, as expected, he would look at reducing business rates for some high street businesses, bringing down water and energy costs by de-privatising companies and making bus travel free for 16- to 18-year-olds.The measures are likely to be included as part of an immediate cost-of-living package which allies say could include more radical measures such as freezing private sector rents.Burnham told the station’s Andrew Marr: “There…

President Bola Tinubu on Thursday urged the Nigerian media to “replace needless hostility with constructive engagement, ” and “replace sensationalism with professionalism.” The Nigerian leader spoke at the maiden State House Media Dinner. See the full text of his speech below. REMARKS BY PRESIDENT BOLA AHMED TINUBU, GCFR, AT THE MAIDEN STATE HOUSE MEDIA DINNER (SHMD), STATE HOUSE, ABUJA, on Thursday, 2 July 2026 PROTOCOLS Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. I am happy to join you today for the maiden State House Media Corp Presidential Dinner. First, I apologise on behalf of the media department for not setting up a…

1 Florida This ranking is based on the Gators returning six of the top seven scorers — specifically Thomas Haugh, Alex Condon, Boogie Fland, Reuben Chinyelu, Urban Klavsar and Isaiah Brown — from a team that finished 27-8 and advanced to the second round of the 2026 NCAA Tournament. That core will be joined by a recruiting class highlighted by Kentucky transfer Denzel Aberdeen and 7-foot center Jones Lay. — 27-8 2 Duke This ranking is based on the Blue Devils returning four of the top six scorers — specifically Patrick Ngongba II, Caleb Foster, Cayden Boozer and Dame Sarr…

The term Wonderwall is originally taken from the psychedelic and surreal 1968 film of the same name.It stars Jane Birkin as the object of obsession for a man who lives next door, slowly making holes in his wall so he can watch her through it (not creepy at all).George Harrison provided the soundtrack – the first solo album by a Beatle – which is where avid record collector Noel came across it.The original working title for his tune had been Wishing Stone, but a smart tweak to the lyrics resulted in his best-selling song – millions of records and billions…

1Writer playing along with EU (7) 1 across. Writer playing along with EU. 7 letters.5As corsets are spiked all over (5,2) 5 across. As corsets are spiked all over. 5 letters and 2 letters.9Master goldsmith’s lead file (5) 9 across. Master goldsmith’s lead file. 5 letters.10Is cricketer able to provide a handy means of access for consumers? (3-6) 10 across. Is cricketer able to provide a handy means of access for consumers? 3-6 letters.11, 12You won’t see board members taking part in this criminal bloc’s NHS fiddle (9,5) 11 across, 12 across. You won’t see board members taking part in…

Argentina’s forward #10 Lionel Messi celebrates scoring his team’s first goal during the 2026 World Cup Group J football match between Argentina and Algeria at the Kansas City Stadium in Kansas City on June 16, 2026. (Photo by Roberto SCHMIDT / AFP) Cape Verde head coach Bubista said a showdown against Argentina and Lionel Messi will be the “match of our lives” but said they will not fear the defending World Cup champions in Friday’s last 32 clash. The African archipelago of just over 500,000 people have progressed to the knockout stages in their first ever World Cup after drawing…

Linus Aleke in Abuja The Federal Government has secured 1,721 convictions for terrorism and related offences through its Mass Trial Programme, with more than half of the convictions recorded in 2026 alone, marking a significant milestone in Nigeria’s prosecution of terrorism cases while reinforcing its commitment to due process and the rule of law. Speaking at the Joint Security Press Briefing by spokespersons of the security, defence and law enforcement agencies, the Director of Legal Services at the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), Zakari Usman Mijinyawa, said the Mass Trial Programme has continued to strengthen the administration of…

President Bola Tinubu has inaugurated what the Federal Government described as West Africa’s largest lithium processing plant in Nasarawa State, stating that Nigeria must shift from exporting raw minerals to processing them locally to create jobs and drive industrial growth. The facility, located in the Endo community, Nasarawa Local Government Area, has a daily processing capacity of 6,000 metric tonnes and an annual capacity of 3,000,000 metric tonnes. The President, represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima at the inauguration on Thursday, said the plant reflects the government’s commitment to developing the solid minerals sector through local value addition. According to…

As New York City braces for an extreme heat wave amid the July 4th weekend and World Cup festivities, government officials and local hospitals are ramping up efforts to prevent heat-related illness.Temperatures are expected to reach 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 Celsius) by Thursday, with a heat index between 105 and 110 degrees—unusually hot for New York. Friday is expected to be just as sweltering.“These are extremely dangerous conditions, and they will affect every part of our city,” New York City mayor Zohran Mamdani said in a press conference on Tuesday.Many major cities have heat emergency plans that involve setting up…

Andy Burnham has said he would take his responsibilities to fund the defence investment plan “extremely seriously” if he becomes prime minister.The plan, published on Tuesday, provided a £15bn spending boost to defence but is projected to leave the next prime minister with a £4.7bn funding gap to fill.Burnham told LBC he had not seen all of the details of the plan prior to its publication but insisted there would be “no compromise on the security of the nation”. The Makerfield MP also rejected attacks on his economic stance, insisting he would not be “indisciplined” on public finances.He has faced…