Author: Opalim Lifted

United States President Donald Trump has defended his remarks about rising inflation after new data showed US consumer prices climbed to their highest annual rate in three years. According to figures released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, inflation rose to 4.2% in May from 3.8% in April, marking the third consecutive monthly increase. Higher energy costs, particularly fuel prices, were among the biggest drivers of the rise. Reacting to the report at the White House, Trump said: “I love it. The numbers were great. You know what I really love? I love the inflation.” The comment quickly drew attention,…

Troops of the Nigerian Army have arrested a man in Kaduna State for allegedly impersonating a retired Major General. The suspect was apprehended by troops of the 312 Artillery Regiment deployed at the Strike Force Base in the Sabo area of Kaduna following intelligence reports. The arrest reportedly took place on June 11. Military sources disclosed that the suspect had been posing as a retired Major General and is currently in custody undergoing a preliminary investigation. The sources further revealed that the suspect will be handed over to the appropriate security authorities for further investigation and possible prosecution upon the…

The United States (US) opened their World Cup campaign with an impressive 4-1 victory against Paraguay as former Arsenal striker Folarin Balogun struck twice to inspire the co-hosts to an assured start in Los Angeles. Balogun became just the second US player to score more than once in a World Cup match, after Bert Patenaude – who netted the tournament’s first-ever hat-trick in the inaugural 1930 edition, also against Paraguay. It is also the US’ joint-biggest win at a World Cup – matching the 3-0 victories against Paraguay and Belgium in 1930, when they finished third. It took the home…

Canada substitute Cyle Larin made an instant impact as his goal rescued a point for the co-hosts as they began their 2026 World Cup campaign with a draw against Bosnia-Herzegovina. Southampton striker Larin had only been on the pitch for just over two minutes when he superbly spun away from Tarik Muharemovic and fired past Nikola Vasilj, aided by a slight deflection. It was the first time Canada had avoided defeat in the World Cup finals, after they had been beaten in all three games in 1986 and then again in 2022. Bosnia, who gained penalty shootout wins in the…

Human rights organisations Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) and Amnesty International have condemned the reported use of teargas against peaceful protesters during the June 12 Democracy Day demonstration in Abuja, calling for an independent investigation into the incident involving activist and presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore. According to both organisations, Sowore reportedly collapsed and was taken to hospital after being exposed to teargas allegedly fired by security operatives during the protest at Unity Fountain. In a statement, SERAP described the reported targeting of peaceful demonstrators and the use of force against citizens exercising their…

Promise Dikko, the winner of Miss UNIJOS 2024, is grieving the loss of her fiancé, whom she said was killed by bandits just months before their planned wedding. In a Facebook post on Thursday, the UNIJOS student  disclosed that her betrothed was fatally attacked by bandits. She shared a photo of the couple together, in which her late fiancé is dressed in ceremonial military attire. Describing him as “my hero,” Promise said she has now become another victim of Nigeria’s deepening insecurity crisis. Although she did not specify when the incident occurred, she added that they were supposed to wed…

Ariana Grande, the US pop superstar, has demanded that the administration of Donald Trump cease using her music to promote its immigration enforcement policies. The demand follows the release of a video on the White House’s social media platform that featured her hit song, Bye. The video showed officers from US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arresting individuals identified as alleged undocumented migrants. The footage included scenes of handcuffing, detainee transport, and processing at detention centres. The clip was set to a soundbite from Grande’s track “Bye,” with an on-screen caption reading: “Bye-bye… President Trump has delivered the most secure…

Human rights activist and 2027 presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore, has reportedly collapsed and was subsequently taken to a hospital following a confrontation with the Nigeria police during a Democracy Day protest at Unity Fountain in Abuja. Witnesses at the scene alleged that Sowore collapsed after police operatives moved to disperse protesters gathered to demonstrate against insecurity, economic hardship, and what they described as poor governance. The protest, which attracted scores of activists and civil society groups, was disrupted after security personnel deployed tear gas canisters in an apparent attempt to break up the gathering.…

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited has revealed that criminal groups masquerading as a federal government task force stole about nine kilometres of pipelines across its network in 2025. According to a statement issued by NNPC spokesperson Andy Odeh, the national oil company recorded 19 cases of pipeline theft during the year, with the stolen infrastructure traced to the Enugu-Makurdi-Yola corridor and parts of the Warri-Kaduna crude oil pipeline. The disclosure followed a joint inspection of a vandalised section of the Nigerian Pipelines and Storage Company (NPSC) crude oil pipeline in Pai community, located in the Kwali Area Council…

President Bola Tinubu has warned terrorists, kidnappers, and sponsors of insecurity to surrender or face elimination. He added that “no mercy will be shown to those who trade in the blood of Nigerians.” Speaking in a televised broadcast to mark the 2026 Democracy Day celebration on Friday, the president said the government’s window for surrender would not remain open indefinitely. On the recent abduction of children and tutors in Oyo and Borno states, Tinubu said the country remains hopeful that they will return safely. He said this was why his administration declared an emergency on security and approved the recruitment…