Author: News Room

Security groups in Nigeria’s South-west have welcomed the National Assembly’s passage of a bill seeking to establish state police, describing it as a significant step towards tackling rising insecurity through locally driven policing. The groups, however, noted that the effectiveness of the proposed policing structure would depend on the quality of collaboration between government authorities and community-based security organisations. Their position was outlined in a statement issued following a joint meeting of the Southwest Security Stakeholders Group (SSSG) and the Oodua Unity Group (OUG), held on Wednesday at the residence of the Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland, Gani Adams. The…

Bitcoin (BTC) institutional demand is “not yet strong” despite positive inflows to the US spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs).Key points:Bitcoin ETF flows reverse a ten-day losing streak, but analysis warns that demand remains weak.An “overwhelming” sell-off is nonetheless over, says Swissblock.Overall BTC demand shows a clear gap between spot and derivatives trends.Swissblock on Bitcoin ETF outflows: “The storm has passed”In new X commentary on Thursday, crypto investment company Swissblock called an end to the “most overwhelming” ETF sell-off in history.“The storm has passed: The most overwhelming ETF distribution wave of this bear market has ended,” it wrote. “As Bitcoin Risk continues…

Michael Phelps opened up about the harsh financial realities that many Olympians face. “I don’t think you’re going into the Olympic space to be a millionaire,” Phelps, 41, admitted on the Tuesday, July 7, edition of the “Richer Lives” podcast. “I think you’re doing it just because you love the sport.” The competitive swimmer has won more Olympic medals than any other athlete in any sport, with 28 total medals across four Summer Games. (Phelps also holds the all-time record for most gold medal wins with 23, in addition to his three silver and two bronze medals.) Phelps parlayed his…

One of the two suspected commanders of the Ansaru terrorist group Nigerian security forces captured alive last year has asked the Federal High Court in Abuja for more time to consider changing his not-guilty plea that he previously entered in his their ongoing terrorism trial. The defendant, Abubakar Abba, on Tuesday, got Judge Emeka Nwite to adjourn proceedings until 20 July to make a final decision on his plea. Mr Abba, also known as Abu Bara’a, is standing trial alongside Mahmud Usman, also known as Isah Adam. Co-defendant The defendants, globally wanted suspected terrorists linked to al-Qaeda, were captured alive…

Microsoft may once again be struggling to keep up with its own climate goals, according to its 2026 sustainability report. As reported by GeekWire, the report states that Microsoft’s carbon emissions increased 25 percent in 2025, totalling 34 million metric tons “without select interventions.” Microsoft says this was “driven primarily by the expansion of our datacenter infrastructure,” as well as the company’s decision last February to stop purchasing “non-additional, unbundled renewable energy certificates.”Several years ago, Microsoft set itself a goal to be carbon negative by 2030, meaning it will need to remove more carbon emissions than it produces. This isn’t…

Bitcoin miner MARA Holdings shares rose about 15% in early trading Thursday after the company announced plans to acquire a Texas powered-land site with access to up to 2 gigawatts of electricity for AI computing and Bitcoin mining.The 1,200-acre site in Matagorda county, about 90 miles southwest of Houston, is expected to provide access to an initial 1 GW of grid capacity by October 2027 and up to 2 GW by April 2028. MARA said it plans to develop the site as a digital infrastructure campus supporting both high-performance computing and Bitcoin mining.Upon full energization, the site is expected to…

Us Weekly has affiliate partnerships. We receive compensation when you click on a link and make a purchase. Learn more! Mandy Moore turned heads at the Las Culturistas Culture Awards 2026, but honestly, it was her hair that stole the show. Her stylist called the look “Aperitivo Waves,” a glossy, brushed-out take on loose texture with a center part, sunlit bronde dimension and the kind of high-shine finish that belongs on the Amalfi Coast at golden hour. Here’s the twist: Moore’s beauty look started with Surface Hair’s Awaken Thickening Blow Dry Foam, which was worked through her damp hair before…

Traditional rulers and representatives of the Ugep community in Yakurr Local Government Area of Cross River State have filed a suit against the Cross River State Government over its proposed creation of a buffer zone between Ugep and Idomi communities. The claimants are asking a Cross River State High Court in Calabar to nullify the government’s decision to apportion the disputed land in the ratio of 45 per cent to Ugep, 40 per cent to Idomi, and 15 per cent to the state government. The suit, dated 6 July and seen by this newspaper, was filed by traditional rulers including…

Character.AI’s plan to become more than just an LLM-powered chatbot platform is going beyond interactive books, comics, and audio dramas. Today, the company announced the debut of c.ai Series — short-form, episodic videos designed to be watched and interacted with — on your phone.Unlike traditional microdrama services that feature cheaply produced, live-action shows starring human performers, c.ai Series are animated and almost entirely made with generative AI. The company’s interest in getting into the microdrama space isn’t surprising considering that it’s projected to become a $26 billion industry in the next few years. And even though some young people have…

Crypto wallet provider Phantom and the Hyperliquid Policy Center have urged the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) to exempt blockchain protocol developers and non-custodial wallet providers from regulations designed for traditional financial intermediaries.In response to a CFTC request for information on regulations affecting fintech firms, the companies asked the agency to confirm that blockchain protocol developers do not have to register solely for creating onchain software, issue guidance allowing regulated derivatives firms to use blockchain infrastructure, and codify exemptions preventing non-custodial wallet providers from being treated as introducing brokers.The companies argued that existing CFTC regulations were designed for custodial…