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The  Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) on Wednesday, July 1, 2026, revoked the operating licences of 46 microfinance banks, saying the institutions failed to meet statutory regulatory requirements for continued operations. The  apex bank’s acting director of corporate communications, Hakama Sidi-Ali, in a statement said the revocation took effect from July 1, 2026, in line with Sections 12 and 13 of the Banks and Other Financial Institutions Act (BOFIA), 2020. The  CBN said the action was approved by Olayemi Cardoso, the apex bank governor, as part of efforts to safeguard the stability of the financial system, protect depositors and ensure compliance with regulatory standards. “According to the revocation order, the action became necessary because of one or more of the circumstances: Insufficient assets to meet liabilities, closure of operations without the CBN approval, Inactivity and cessation of financial intermediation, failure to commence operations within 12 months of l...

At  least two people died on Wednesday, July 1, 2026 during massive celebrations in Mexico City as the national team advanced to the next round at the World Cup, according to the local government. A  19-year-old woman and a 44-year-old man died of asphyxiation, according to the city’s health ministry. Authorities have not confirmed the death of a third person, reported by local media. The celebrations came after Mexico beat Ecuador to record their first World Cup knockout win since 1986, sending the co-hosts into the round of 16. More than a million people gathered in the streets of Mexico City, mainly around the Angel of Independence monument, according to estimates by the city government. Mexico beat Ecuador 2-0 to break a 40-year World Cup knockout on Wednesday. In a supercharged atmosphere, Julian Quinones gave Mexico a deserved lead midway through the first half with a thunderous strike and then turned provider for Raul Jimenez. Mexico had not won a World Cup knockout gam...

  The  United States Supreme Court has struck down President Donald Trump’s Executive Order seeking to limit birthright citizenship, affirming that children born on American soil remain entitled to automatic US citizenship under the Constitution. In a 6-3 ruling delivered on Tuesday, the court upheld a 150-year-old legal precedent that grants citizenship to individuals born in the United States, regardless of their parents’ immigration status. The decision marks a major setback for Trump, who has long campaigned against birthright citizenship and made its abolition a key component of his immigration agenda. Trump had signed the executive order shortly after returning to the White House, seeking to deny automatic citizenship to children born in the U.S. to parents who are in the country illegally or are on temporary visas. Opponents of the policy argued that the order violated the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which states that persons “born or naturalized” in the Un...

Robert Lewandowski, the former Barcelona striker and Poland’s all-time leading scorer, is coming to Major League Soccer to play for the Chicago Fire. The Fire announced a two-year contract with Lewandowski on Monday, pending finalization of his visa and international transfer certificate. Lewandowski joins a Chicago team that ranks third in the Eastern Conference with 26 points over 14 games at the league’s break for the World Cup. The franchise also opened a new training center last year and is moving forward with the construction of McDonald’s Park, a soccer-specific stadium slated to open in 2028. Lewandowski, who will turn 38 on August 21, could play his first game with his new team on July 16 against Vancouver. He helped Barcelona win La Liga championships in four seasons, including this year, and one title at Copa del Rey, Spain’s national tournament. He scored 119 goals in 192 appearances with the club. Lewandowski bid an emotional farewell to Camp Nou stadium on May 17, when he...

An American movie director, Carl Rinsch, known for the 2013 film “47 Ronin,” was sentenced Monday to 30 months in prison for defrauding Netflix of millions of dollars, prosecutors in New York announced. Rinsch was convicted last year of misspending $11 million paid to him by the the streaming platform in 2020 to create a science fiction series called “White Horse.” “Instead of using the money to make the show, Rinsch made risky bets on highly speculative stock options and cryptocurrency, and spent millions of dollars on luxury goods for himself,” the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Jay Clayton said in a statement. Among the purchases Rinsch allegedly made were luxury clothing and furniture, a red Ferrari and five Rolls-Royces. In addition to the prison sentence, Rinsch, 48, was ordered to forfeit $11 million. His lawyers had pleaded for leniency from the judge overseeing the case, arguing that the misuse of funds happened “under the enormity of pressure” in his care...

The  Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, presided over by Justice Mohammed Umar has granted bail to the Human Rights activist and two-time presidential candidate under the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore, in the sum of ₦200 million and two sureties in like sum. One of the sureties as stated by the court must be a traditional ruler from Mr Sowore’s community. The other surety must own a property in Abuja. Mr Sowore is to deposit his travel documents with the deputy registrar of the court. The court had on 16th June revoked the bail it granted Mr Sowore for failure to appear in court. Delivering ruling Justice Umar took judicial notice of Mr Sowore’s readiness to stand his trial as he did not wait to be arrested before he appeared in court. He noted that the court will exercise its discretion in granting him bail. Counsel to Mr Sowore noted that Mr Sowore’s passport is with the U.S. embassy in Lagos and will need to appear in person to be able to get the passport so he...