Author: Opalim Lifted

Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, has defended the allocation of N780 million in the 2026 budget for the procurement of musical instruments for churches in Bende Federal Constituency, Abia State, dismissing reports that claimed the budget was N1 billion. In a statement issued on Wednesday by his Chief Press Secretary, Levinus Nwabughiogu, Kalu said the reports misrepresented both the amount and the purpose of the budgetary provision. According to him, the allocation is part of a youth reorientation and social support programme that will be implemented through faith-based organisations across the constituency. Kalu explained that the…

Siminalayi Fubara, governor of Rivers, has declared his support for the Rainbow Coalition backed by Nyesom Wike, minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). Fubara spoke on Wednesday during the commissioning of the Rivers Medical Industries Project in Port Harcourt, where he endorsed Kingsley Chinda, the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), as his preferred successor. “We have made peace in the state, and we have a total agreement,” he said. “I am supporting our rainbow party, our Rainbow Coalition. President Bola Tinubu is our president, and he is the one we are supporting. “OK Chinda is the…

The Ebola outbreak in DR Congo and Uganda has claimed more than 1,000 lives, with the World Health Organization (WHO) warning that the deadly virus is spreading faster than response efforts can keep pace. According to the WHO, a total of 2,493 cases have been recorded across the two countries. The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has confirmed 2,473 infections, including 999 deaths, while neighbouring Uganda has reported 20 cases and two deaths. The DRC declared its 17th Ebola outbreak on May 15 after several fatalities were reported in the conflict-hit Ituri province. Since then, the outbreak has remained centred…

Heavy rain and fresh flood warnings have slowed rescue efforts in eastern Afghanistan, where at least 23 people have died and around 100 others remain missing after devastating flash floods swept through Nuristan province. According to AFP, the flooding struck Parun, the capital of Nuristan province, on Monday, leaving widespread destruction and forcing rescue teams to battle harsh weather conditions in their search for survivors. Rescuers, working under persistent rain, used their bare hands, shovels and wooden poles to sift through debris after bulldozers proved largely ineffective. The Nuristan governor’s office confirmed that Parun Mayor Sayed Ahmad Arhabi was among…

A fast-moving southern France wildfire forced nearly 400 people to flee their homes on Tuesday as almost 1,000 firefighters, supported by water-bombing aircraft, battled to contain the rapidly spreading blaze. The fire broke out in the Var region, between Marseille and Nice, and tore through 1,700 hectares (4,200 acres) of wooded hills within hours. Simon Barbre, the region’s prefect, said the blaze spread down Gros Bessillon mountain at an unexpected speed despite weaker winds and prevailing weather conditions. Evacuations were ordered in and around the villages of Cotignac, Montfort-sur-Argens and Correns. Many residents from Ponteves, where the fire started, and…

Scientists at Umeå University in Sweden and partner institutions have developed an experimental drug that could slow the growth of aggressive prostate cancer and stop it from spreading, offering hope for patients with advanced forms of the disease. The findings, published in the journal Signal Transduction and Targeted Therapy, suggest the treatment could provide a new way to combat metastatic prostate cancer, which is responsible for most prostate cancer-related deaths. Professor Maréne Landström of the Department of Medical Biosciences at Umeå University said the research team had identified the biological mechanisms that drive tumour growth, invasiveness and metastasis. “The new…

Japan’s push for cooler office wear during the scorching summer months is sparking debate, with more men turning up to work in shorts as temperatures continue to climb. The Tokyo Metropolitan Government has encouraged workers to swap traditional suits and ties for lighter clothing, including T-shirts, trainers and shorts, under its expanded Tokyo Cool Biz campaign introduced by Governor Yuriko Koike in April. The initiative builds on the long-running Cool Biz programme, launched in 2005 to reduce energy consumption by encouraging office workers to dress more casually during summer. Nearly four months after the updated guidance took effect, reactions remain…

Former National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Ganduje, has dismissed the chances of a proposed Peter Obi-Rabiu Kwankwaso presidential ticket in the 2027 general election, insisting it would fail to secure support in Kano State. Speaking with journalists on Tuesday, the former Kano State governor described the reported Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) ticket as “dead on arrival”, arguing that neither Obi nor Kwankwaso has the political record or governance legacy to convince voters. “I don’t think Peter Obi and Kwankwaso’s ticket will succeed in Kano. It will not succeed. In fact, it is dead on arrival,” Ganduje…

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has said the city lacks the legal authority to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu under an International Criminal Court (ICC) warrant, but urged the US federal government to take action. In a video posted on X on Tuesday, Mamdani described Netanyahu as a “war criminal” and insisted he was not welcome in New York City. “It is clear that we do not have the independent legal authority to enforce this warrant,” Mamdani said. “The federal government however does and I call on them to join the ICC and execute this warrant.” His comments…

The United Nations (UN) has raised the alarm over the growing use of drones, sophisticated communication technologies, and cryptocurrencies by terrorist groups operating in northern Nigeria and across the West Africa and Sahel region, warning that the evolving tactics are making the groups more difficult to combat. The warning was delivered by Leonardo Simão, the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for West Africa and the Sahel and Head of the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS), during a briefing to the UN Security Council. Simão presented the Secretary-General’s latest report on developments in West Africa…