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OpenAI on Friday launched a US-only preview of its latest powerful AI model series to a limited group of partners at the request of the US government, the company said.

The release comes two weeks after the White House took Silicon Valley by surprise by ordering OpenAI’s rival Anthropic to ban all foreign nationals from accessing its Fable 5 and Mythos 5 models, citing national security concerns.

Anthropic swiftly shut down all access to those models, saying it could not reliably comply with the restriction on foreign nationals.

The latest models from leading AI companies, such as Anthropic’s Mythos series and now OpenAI’s GPT-5.6, have drawn major concerns over their reportedly unprecedented ability to identify software vulnerabilities — weaknesses in code that hackers can exploit.

Under pressure over the novelty of their capabilities, Trump earlier this month signed an executive order setting up a voluntary federal review of national security risks in advanced AI models before their release.

The White House has communicated little about how it will enforce its executive order — in which companies are understood to be participating voluntarily — and what models would fall under its review rules.

The intervention was striking for a White House that has otherwise pushed to loosen AI oversight — even moving to block states from writing their own rules.

The strong action against Anthropic has drawn accusations of government overreach, and OpenAI said it was uncomfortable with the process it was required to follow for its new models.

OpenAI said it briefed the US government on its new models’ capabilities ahead of the launch and, at the government’s request, is beginning with a limited preview for a select group of trusted partners whose identities have been shared with authorities.

The partners are US-based, but OpenAI said overseas employees at those companies or entities would also have access to the new models.

“We don’t believe this kind of government access process should become the long-term default,” OpenAI said in a blog post.

“It keeps the best tools from users, developers, enterprises, cyber defenders, and global partners who need them. We are taking this short-term step because we believe it is the strongest path to broader availability in the coming weeks.”

When Anthropic was initially targeted, some believed the safety-focused company was being unfairly singled out by the Trump administration for political reasons.

In an earlier clash with the White House, Anthropic angered Trump’s team by refusing to allow its technology to be used for mass surveillance and autonomous weapons, leading the Pentagon to cancel its contracts with the company.

That feud is now being litigated in two separate lawsuits.

– Three new models –

OpenAI’s GPT-5.6 series comprises three new models: Sol, the company’s new flagship; Terra, a mid-range model for everyday work; and Luna, a fast, low-cost option.

Once broadly available, Terra would be priced at half the cost of its predecessor GPT-5.5, the company said, as it seeks to lock in customers amid fierce competition from Anthropic and Google.

Both OpenAI and Anthropic have filed confidential IPO documents with US regulators and are targeting public listings at valuations approaching $1 trillion, raising the commercial stakes of the AI arms race between them.

AFP

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The Chief Judge of Edo State, Justice Daniel Okungbowa, has set up a special court to try cases relating to cultism and kidnapping in the State.

This was disclosed in a statement by the Chief Registrar of the State High Court, B.O Osawaru, dated June 25, 2026, and titled: ‘Establishment and Composition of a Special Criminal Court for Edo State sitting in Benin City.’

According to Osawaru, the establishment of the Special Court, which is to be known as “Special Criminal Court 1”, would take effect from Wednesday, July 1, 2026.

Osawaru, who noted that the court will be sitting in Benin City, the state capital, said it was “pursuant to the request by His Excellency, the Governor of Edo State, Senator Monday Okpebholo, for the constitution of a Special Court for offences relating to cultism and kidnapping, an additional court to be known as “Special Criminal Court 1” is hereby established with effect from Wednesday, the 1st day of July, 2026, for offences relating to cultism and kidnapping and such other matters as may be assigned to the court by the Honourable Chief Judge of Edo State.”

Recall that Governor Monday Okpebholo had on June 18, 2026, during the parade of arrested suspected kidnappers and others for various criminal activities by the Commissioner of Police, Edo State Command, Monday Agbonika, threatened to set up a special court to try cases relating to cultism and kidnapping.

The Governor, in living up to his threat on June 19, 2026, wrote to the Chief Judge of the state requesting him to set up the special court.

The Governor’s request was contained in a letter dated June 19, 2026 and signed by Umar Musa Ikhilor, the Secretary to the State Government and addressed to the Chief Judge of the state.

The letter with reference number SGA.710/T/40 was also received by the office of the chief judge on the same date, June 19, 2026, at about 3:16pm.

The said letter is titled, ”Request for the constitution of a special court for offences relating to cultism and kidnapping”.

The SSG said the request was necessitated by the governor’s unwavering commitment to tackling and eradicating the menace of cultism and kidnapping in the State, as well as strengthening the administration of criminal justice.

The letter also requested the Chief Judge to nominate three judges or such numbers as he may deem fit, to constitute the Special Court.

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The presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has criticised the Federal High Court ruling that nullified an earlier order directing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to register the NDC as a political party.

Reacting to the judgment delivered in Lokoja on Friday, Obi described the decision as “an unnecessary serious setback for Nigerian democracy” and warned that weakening democratic institutions could endanger the country’s future.

The former Anambra State governor disclosed that he received news of the court’s decision while attending engagements in Imo State, including a visit to the School of Nursing Sciences in Emekuku and the 80th birthday celebration of the Emeritus Archbishop of Owerri, Most Rev. Dr. Anthony Obinna, before proceeding to Madonna University.

According to Obi, the Lokoja judgment should worry all Nigerians committed to the nation’s progress.

“Every Nigerian committed to the country’s progress should be deeply concerned. This judgment represents another setback for our democracy and the institutions upon which our future depends,” he said.

He lamented that individuals who claim to support democracy now appear determined to weaken the institutions that sustain it, arguing that such actions erode public confidence and threaten the future of millions of Nigerians.

Obi further expressed concern over what he described as the growing decline of key democratic institutions, particularly the legislature and the judiciary.

“The legislature and the judiciary are increasingly being drawn into this pattern of institutional decline. Democracy cannot thrive where institutions lose their independence and credibility,” he stated.

The former Labour Party presidential candidate insisted that those seeking to weaken Nigeria’s democratic foundations would ultimately fail, noting that he had previously condemned a similar situation involving the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

Obi maintained that his position was based on principle rather than political interest.

“My concern is not about who becomes President. My concern is that Nigeria works,” he said.

He urged political leaders to move beyond the pursuit of power and instead focus on building a united nation founded on justice, strong institutions, the rule of law and equal opportunities for all citizens.

Calling on Nigerians to defend democratic values, Obi said the survival of the country’s institutions is inseparable from the survival of the nation itself.

“It is when we work together that a new Nigeria of our dream is made possible,” he added.