Author: OMN AI
OMN AI
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The Houston housing market is showing signs of improved affordability after years of rising prices and tight supply. In several neighborhoods, more households can now afford median-priced homes than at any time in recent years, marking a notable local increase in affordability. Home prices in Houston have leveled off in many areas, while mortgage rates have eased slightly compared with past years. These changes have lowered monthly payments for buyers and opened opportunities for families who had previously been priced out of the market. Analysts say this trend could support increased homeownership in 2026. Some suburban and inner-city neighborhoods are…
A South Korean cryptocurrency exchange accidentally sent customers more than 40 billion dollars in bitcoin. The mistake briefly turned some users into multimillionaires. The company had intended to give a small reward of 2,000 won, worth about 1.37 dollars. Instead, it sent 2,000 bitcoins to customers on Friday. The platform Bithumb apologised for the error and explained the situation. The company said it quickly noticed the mistake and recovered almost all missing tokens. It restricted trading and withdrawals for 695 affected customers within 35 minutes of the glitch. Exchange Recovers Almost All Misplaced Bitcoin Bithumb said it retrieved 99.7 percent…
Gigafactory Projects Put to Bed Automotive Cells Company (ACC), a key player in Europe’s electric vehicle battery push, has abandoned plans to build large-scale battery factories in Italy and Germany. The decision was confirmed by Italy’s metalworkers’ union UILM, which said ACC management had formally dropped the proposed gigafactory in Termoli as well as a similar project in Germany. Both sites had been frozen since 2024, but the latest confirmation makes clear they will not be revived. Slower EV Demand Changes the Picture ACC, which is backed by carmaking heavyweight Stellantis, pointed to weaker-than-expected growth in electric vehicle sales as…
Researchers say menstrual blood testing could provide a simple alternative to cervical screening.A sanitary pad with a sample strip can detect HPV, which causes most cervical cancers. The test could be used at home and avoid invasive clinical procedures.Millions of women currently miss cervical screening appointments. Researchers in China compared menstrual blood samples with clinician-collected cervical samples.They studied 3,068 women aged 20 to 54 between 2021 and 2025. The findings were published in BMJ.Pad-collected samples detected serious cervical abnormalities with 94.7% sensitivity. Clinician-collected samples showed similar accuracy at 92.1%.Negative results proved equally reliable for both methods. Researchers said menstrual blood…
US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order threatening tariffs on countries that continue trading with Iran. The order does not set a fixed rate but uses 25 percent as an example. It says the tariff could apply to goods imported into the United States from any nation that directly or indirectly buys goods or services from Iran. Trump did not comment directly on the order but stressed that Iran must not acquire nuclear weapons. He spoke from Air Force One while senior US and Iranian officials held talks in Oman after weeks of escalating threats. Trump had already…
A major review finds most statin side-effects listed on labels are not caused by the drugs.Researchers published the analysis in The Lancet after reviewing 19 trials with 124,000 participants.The study found strong evidence for muscle pain, diabetes risk, and four minor side-effects only.These included small liver test changes, mild liver abnormalities, urine changes, and tissue swelling.Researchers found no evidence linking statins to memory loss, depression, sleep problems, or nerve damage.The benefits of statins in preventing heart attacks and strokes far outweighed the risks.Lead author Christina Reith said statins did not increase common complaints compared with placebo.Experts called for updated labels…
The European Union has warned TikTok to change its platform design or face massive financial penalties. The European Commission said the video app violated EU online safety rules. Officials reached this conclusion after an investigation launched in February 2024. Regulators examined how TikTok’s features shape user behaviour. The Commission said TikTok failed to properly assess risks to mental wellbeing. Investigators focused on autoplay and endless content feeds. They said these features can harm users, particularly children. Regulators also said TikTok did not implement enough safeguards to reduce these risks. TikTok rejected the findings through a company spokesperson. The firm called…
Lawmakers warn against carve-outs for American energy firms From January 2027, companies importing oil and gas into the European Union will be required to meet strict monitoring, reporting and verification standards tied to methane emissions from their suppliers. A group of US lawmakers is now urging Brussels to stick firmly to those rules and resist calls to exempt American energy producers if US standards fall short on accuracy or enforcement. In a letter obtained by Euronews and signed by 24 members of Congress, the lawmakers describe the EU’s methane regulation as a vital tool to curb the wasteful venting and…
Alphabet Slide Drags Wall Street Lower US markets moved sharply lower on Thursday after Alphabet shares sank more than 4%, setting off a wider sell-off across equities and other asset classes. The S&P 500 dropped 1.2%, putting it on course for its sixth decline in seven sessions since reaching a record high. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 606 points, while the Nasdaq slipped 1.5%. Despite posting stronger-than-expected quarterly profits, Alphabet weighed heavily on the market after warning that spending on equipment and infrastructure could surge to around $180 billion this year, far above forecasts. The prospect of sharply rising…
Hidden-market sellers promote unlicensed weight-loss drugs through WhatsApp and Telegram giveaways. They offer injectable medicines such as retatrutide as competition prizes. Experts warn these promotions pose serious health risks. UK law bans the sale or advertising of unapproved prescription medicines. Some sellers disguise drug sales as fitness or coaching programmes. Researchers say these tactics bypass safeguards and endanger the public.