Author: News Room

Nigeria’s sharpshooters Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman will provide a stern test to the flawless record of Algeria goalkeeper Luca Zidane, a son of French football icon Zinedine Zidane, in the Africa Cup of Nations quarter-finals in Morocco. Zidane is the only first-choice goalkeeper amongst the eight quarter-finalists to have kept a clean sheet in all of his tournament matches so far, but the task facing him in Marrakesh on Saturday will not be easy. Former African player of the year award-winners Osimhen and Lookman have tormented defences during the tournament, scoring three goals each. Zidane, 27, kept clean sheets…

Anthropic, the company behind the popular artificial intelligence chatbot Claude, is reportedly raising $10 billion and aiming for a valuation of $350 billion.Singapore’s sovereign-wealth fund, GIC, and Coatue Management plan to lead the new round of financing, The Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the matter. The $350 billion valuation nearly doubles Anthropic’s worth from a $183 billion valuation it had in September, which followed a $13 billion Series F round co-led by ICONIQ Capital, Fidelity Management & Research Company, and Lightspeed Venture Partners.The funding reflects continued momentum in AI investment, following 2025’s record $222 billion raised…

Hilary Duff is turning the volume all the way up with a NSFW new track that fans are calling “song of the year.” “I only want the beginning, I don’t want the end / I want the part where you say goddamn / Back of a dive bar giving you head / Then sneak home late, wake up your roommates,” Duff, 38, sings in a video posted via Instagram on Wednesday, January 7, featuring her risqué lyrics about hot hookups and a fizzling romance in the clip. “I want the highlights, 10 out of 10 / The butterflies from holding…

The Donald Trump administration has said it plans to withdraw the US from as many as 66 international organisations, including those of the United Nations, that it believes do not serve US interests. In a proclamation issued on Wednesday, the US administration said it reached this decision after conducting a review of all International organisations, conventions, and treaties that the US is a party to.  The withdrawal also means the US will no longer actively fund these organisations or participate in their activities and decision-making processes.  Of the 66 organisations affected, 31 of them are associated with the UN, while…

Former Super Eagles captain John Obi Mikel has pushed back against the wave of criticism that followed the on-field disagreement between Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman, insisting that the incident has been wrongly framed as a crisis. Speaking amid widespread public debate after Nigeria’s Round of 16 outing against Mozambique, Mikel said the brief exchange reflected passion and a strong desire to win, not division within the Super Eagles, as the team prepares for a crucial quarter-final clash against Algeria. Speaking on his Obi One Podcast, Mikel dismissed suggestions of a rift, insisting that such moments often define winning teams.…

Amnesty International has condemned the arrest of Abubakar Salim Musa by the police in Abuja. The group warned against what it described as a growing attempt to silence young Nigerians for expressing their opinions online.The rights group made this known in a statement shared on X on Wednesday.  They described Salim’s arrest as arbitrary and unlawful.  Amnesty said the arrest was linked to Salim’s use of social media to criticise government officials, an action it said falls within his fundamental right to freedom of expression. “Salim had been tracked and monitored by police officers attached to the Gusau Central Police…

Rabiu Kwankwaso, national leader of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), has declared that he cannot be influenced or purchased in politics, insisting that he has no “price tag.” The former Kano State governor made the statement while commenting on recent political events, touching on issues of loyalty, betrayal and the overall political climate in Kano State. Kwankwaso noted that politics naturally comes with victories and losses but warned that betrayal often triggers anger among the public, particularly at a time when many Nigerians are frustrated by insecurity and economic hardship. According to him, those who abandon principles for personal…

Operatives of the Lagos State Police Command have arrested a 35-year-old woman, Modupeola Bamisade, over allegations that she defrauded more than 100 people of over N500 million through an online gadget fraud scheme. Sources within the command disclosed on Wednesday that the suspect allegedly posed as an online dealer in Apple products, including iPhones and iPads, which she advertised at heavily discounted prices to attract buyers. According to police findings, Bamisade relied on social media influencers to promote the purported sales, promising customers discounts of up to 50 per cent. Many of the victims reportedly made payments for the gadgets…

Former Super Eagles captain, John Obi Mikel has opened up on how he clashed with former teammate, Victor Moses during the 2013 edition of the Africa Cup of Nations, AFCON, tournament in South Africa. Obi Mikel was speaking on his podcast about the recent on-field clash between Super Eagles attackers Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman, as he also recalled his own on-field clash with Moses. Recall that Osimhen had clashed with Lookman during Nigeria’s 4-0 victory against Mozambique at the 2025 AFCON Round of 16 encounter earlier this week. “When we won the AFCON in 2013, Victor Moses was my…

The United States Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, has said the withdrawal of the United States from 66 international organisations follows a comprehensive review by the President Donald Trump Administration of what it describes as wasteful, ineffective, and harmful international institutions. US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio. In a Thursday press statement titled “Withdrawal from Wasteful, Ineffective, or Harmful International Organisations,” issued on January 7, 2026, Rubio said the decision was taken in furtherance of Executive Order 14199 signed by President Donald J. Trump. “Today, in furtherance of Executive Order 14199, President Trump announced the withdrawal of the United States…