Author: damazah@gmail.com

AOL is public again — sort of. Its owner Bending Spoons, the 13-year-old Italian company that has been quietly acquiring beloved but ailing internet brands for the past decade, went public on the Nasdaq today, opening at an over $18 ​billion valuation, with the stock then popping 40% by market close. Headquartered in Milan, Bending Spoons applied some of the private equity playbook to a long series of acquisitions — Meetup, Eventbrite, Vimeo, WeTransfer, and many others. But it is not a flip-and-sell scheme: It wants to transform these companies with tech and then hold on to them. “We want…

Former Vice President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate for the 2027 election, Atiku Abubakar, has appointed actor-turned-politician and ADC chieftain Kenneth Okonkwo as his spokesperson. Okonkwo announced the appointment in a statement posted on his official X handle on Thursday, expressing appreciation to Atiku for the confidence reposed in him. “I give God all the glory for being appointed by His Excellency Atiku Abubakar as his spokesperson. I thank His Excellency for the immense confidence reposed in me,” he said. He described the appointment as a reflection of Atiku’s leadership style, noting that the former vice president values…

Feedback is New Scientist’s popular sideways look at the latest science and technology news. You can submit items you believe may amuse readers to Feedback by emailing feedback@newscientist.com Down under No less a personage than New Scientist‘s editor, Catherine de Lange, alerted us to this development. Naturally, we have made it our lead item: it’s our way of saying sorry for all the times Cat has had to say things like, “For crying out loud, don’t print that, you’ll get us sued into oblivion for a one-liner.” Cat had been sent a press release for a company called Underdays, which…

The FIFA World Cup has never been merely a tournament for players. While footballers chase immortality on the pitch, coaches carry an equally daunting burden, knowing that just a handful of matches can judge four years of planning. History definitely is filled with managers whose World Cup campaigns ended not only in elimination but also in the loss of their jobs. From Luiz Felipe Scolari’s departure after Brazil’s infamous 7-1 massacre in 2014 to Joachim Löw’s exit following Germany’s disappointing performances in recent years, the competition has repeatedly proven to be the ultimate examination of football management at the International…

YMU has signed of Emma Hayes, the influential women’s football manager and sports broadcaster. This comes after UK agency YMU launched a women’s football division, and has the popularity of the sport continues to grow globally. Hayes has had among the most successful coaching careers in football, winning multiple titles and trophies while Manager at Chelsea in the Women’s Super League. She is now Head Coach with the United States Women’s National Team, where she led the team to Olympic gold and was recognised with The Best FIFA Women’s Coach award. Also know as a leading advocate for the growth…

The residents of the Enugwu-Agidi and Ogidi communities in the Njikoka and Idemili North local government areas of Anambra State have appealed to both the state and federal governments to intervene in the worsening, life-threatening erosion in the area. They made the appeal during an assessment visit by officials of the Anambra State Erosion, Watershed and Climate Change Agency to flood and erosion-affected communities in the two local government areas. At Enugwu-Agidi, residents said the erosion had severely affected Mgbachala and Irugaga areas in Ifite Village, making movement difficult during the rainy season. Speaking, Benjamin Ejinaga, vice chairman of Ifite…

Basketball superstar LeBron James congratulated Folarin Balogun on scoring for the United States in their World Cup victory on Wednesday after the striker emulated his trademark “Silencer” celebration. Balogun twice put the ball in the net in the 2-0 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina, whipping out James’s signature dance move each time, though his first effort was ruled offside. “THE (Silencer) HAS (Arrived) at the World Cup!” posted James on X, using a shushing emoji and another of a plane landing. “Helluva goal there Young (King)!” added James, whose nickname is King James, using another emoji featuring a crown. The…

Jamal’s case is not isolated. Our investigation has found more than 20 other people smugglers living in the UK. Law enforcement officers in Europe have confirmed 15 of those cases – including some with convictions from courts in France, Germany and Belgium.We learned about one man convicted in France, who is now living in Manchester selling used cars and thought to be still involved in people smuggling. Another man, also with a French conviction, is based in Blackpool. He has claimed asylum under a false name and boasts on social media of being given leave to remain.Since Brexit, the UK…

The United States Mission in Nigeria has reaffirmed its commitment to deepening trade, investment, security, and cultural relations with Nigeria as it marked the 250th anniversary of American Independence and Freedom in Lagos. Speaking at the celebration, the Chargé d’Affaires at the U.S. Mission to Nigeria, Keith Heffern, said the anniversary celebrates 250 years of American history while looking ahead to the country’s future leadership in innovation and global engagement. Mr Heffern described Nigeria as one of the United States’ most important partners in Africa, noting that economic relations between both countries have continued to expand. “Nigeria is now the…

Apple reportedly has plans to release several new iPad Pros and a new MacBook Pro in the first half of next year. The company is currently working on four models of the new tablet with faster chips, Bloomberg reported. It is also developing a new “entry-level” MacBook Pro, which is internally referred to as K104, the outlet writes. The company is also targeting that same period for the release of its first M7 processor. The last time Apple released an iPad Pro was in October of last year. In March, the company released a new high-end MacBook Pro and the budget…