Author: News Room
An early hours fire incident has again razed parts of the popular Bode Market in Ibadan South West Local Government Area of Oyo State. The early morning inferno destroyed many shops and goods worth millions of naira. As of press time, the cause of the inferno could not be ascertained, and there was no official statement regarding the incident from the state Fire Service Service. An eyewitness, simply identified herself as Serifat, said, “The blaze caused extensive damage, leaving many traders counting their losses. We have not known the cause of this fire incident.” It was further gathered that firefighters…
US-listed spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) recorded their first daily net inflow above $200 million since early May, snapping weeks of sustained withdrawals.The funds attracted $221.7 million in net inflows on Thursday, according to SoSoValue data, ending a 10-day streak of net outflows that totaled more than $2.7 billion.The rebound follows one of the weakest stretches for US spot Bitcoin ETFs this year, with the funds posting a record $4.5 billion in net outflows in June.Daily flows in US-listed spot Bitcoin ETFs. Source: SoSoValueThe inflows came as Bitcoin reclaimed the $61,000 level after briefly falling below $59,000, with some investors,…
Travis Kelce appears to see the funny side of the interest swirling around his upcoming wedding to Taylor Swift. As the Kansas City Chiefs tight end and the Grammy winner, both 36, reportedly prepare to tie the knot at Madison Square Garden on Friday, July 3, comedian Bert Kreischer shared a humorous post about the nuptials. Taking to his Instagram on Thursday, July 2, Kreischer, 53, uploaded an AI-generated image that featured himself flanked by Swift and Kelce in wedding attire. The fake photo showed the A-list couple smiling at the camera while Kreischer looked off to the side. Related:…
The Executive Director of the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) and Head of Transparency International (TI) Nigeria, Auwal Rafsanjani, has received the Transparency International Amalia Award for Individual Professional Excellence, one of the organisation’s highest honours, recognising outstanding leadership, expertise, and commitment to the global fight against corruption. The award was presented during the Transparency International Movement Awards Ceremony on 1 July, marking the conclusion of the TI Summit 2026, held from 29 June to 1 July. Named after the late Amalia Kostanyan, former chair of Transparency International Armenia, the Amalia Award celebrates exceptional contributions by individuals and Chapters…
The African geoeconomic landscape is undergoing a period of profound structural transformation, characterised by intensifying great-power competition, shifting geopolitical alignments, and the increasing fusion of economic statecraft with national security. This new era presents both significant challenges and unprecedented opportunities for the African continent. Thus, the increasingly sophisticated intellectual and policy landscape requires a thorough understanding of how to navigate the inextricably linked economics and geopolitics, and to pursue proactive nation-building grounded in robust data and evidence-based strategies. As Africa faces a simultaneous contraction in global humanitarian aid, rising exposure to conflict, growing debt distress, and the World Bank’s Africa’s…
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has launched an international clinical trial in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to evaluate two experimental treatments for Bundibugyo virus disease (BVD), a rare form of Ebola, as the country battles an ongoing outbreak. The trial, known as the Platform Adaptive Randomised Trial for New and Repurposed Filovirus TreatmentS (PARTNERS), began enrolling patients on Thursday, WHO said in a statement. The study will assess whether the monoclonal antibody MBP134 and the antiviral drug remdesivir can reduce deaths among people infected with the Bundibugyo virus. Researchers will also investigate whether combining the two medicines provides…
President Bola Tinubu on Thursday jokingly referred to First Lady Oluremi Tinubu as “Iya Alakara” during the annual Presidential Press Corps Dinner in Abuja. The remark referenced the First Lady’s recent comments encouraging vulnerable Nigerians to consider small-scale businesses such as frying akara and roasting corn, remarks that sparked widespread criticism on social media. The annual dinner, hosted by the President, brings together journalists accredited to cover the Presidency and senior government officials. Iya Alakara Addressing journalists at the dinner, Mr Tinubu affectionately described the First Lady as “My dear wife, the First Lady, Iya Alakara,” drawing laughter from guests.…
Portugal reached the FIFA World Cup Round of 16 after defeating Croatia 2-1 in a dramatic knockout contest filled with VAR controversy, late twists and Cristiano Ronaldo’s historic contribution. Portugal dominated the opening exchanges, with Cristiano Ronaldo leading the attack alongside Pedro Neto and Rafael Leão, forcing Croatia onto the defensive. Portugal nearly scored in the fourth minute when Rafael Leão cut the ball back for Bruno Fernandes, whose low effort was brilliantly saved by Dominik Livaković. Pedro Neto repeatedly troubled Croatia’s defence with his pace, while Ronaldo narrowly missed connecting with dangerous deliveries inside the penalty area. Croatia weathered…
The Ondo State Police Command said it had arrested four persons in connection with an armed robbery incident in Alade-Idanre community, Idanre Local Government Area of the state. This was contained in a statement issued by the Public Relations Officer of the command, Abayomi Jimoh, on Friday. According to the statement, the suspects are Alex Omotayo, Adeleye Bolu, Osho Ibukun and Nura Umar. He said, “The command has arrested four suspected armed robbers linked to a burglary syndicate operating within Idanre and its environs. The operation also led to the recovery of illegal firearms, further reinforcing the command’s commitment to…
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said AI agent development at the firm is progressing more slowly than expected, even as technology and crypto firms continue pouring resources into the nascent technology. In a company meeting on Thursday, Zuckerberg said the “trajectory of the agentic development over at least the last four months hasn’t really accelerated in the way that we expected,” according to Reuters, which reviewed a recording of the call.The bet on agent adoption hasn’t “come to fruition yet,” Zuckerberg said, adding that executives made an aggressive push into agentic infrastructure in January in part because of fears they weren’t…
