Author: Opalim Lifted

Manchester City comfortably beat Crystal Palace to move back within two points of Premier League leaders Arsenal and ensure the tense title race continues into the final week of the season. Pep Guardiola’s side knew failure to win on Wednesday would have handed the Gunners an opportunity to clinch the title by beating Burnley on Monday, but this fascinating fight for the trophy now looks set to go down to the wire. With Saturday’s FA Cup Final against Chelsea in mind, Guardiola gambled with his team selection by making six changes and leaving out the attacking trio of Erling Haaland,…

Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) were forced to perform a balancing act to seal their fifth consecutive Ligue 1 title after spending much of the season caught between Champions League ambitions and an unexpectedly stubborn domestic challenge from RC Lens. Luis Enrique’s side clinched the league title on Wednesday against the team that had been breathing down their necks, as Lens’ challenge ended in a 2-0 defeat after months of relentless pursuit. The season became an exercise in careful energy management for Luis Enrique, who had to navigate the decisive knockout stages of PSG’s Champions League campaign while Lens never truly allowed…

President Bola Tinubu has revealed that Nigeria will spend an estimated $11.6 billion on debt servicing in 2026, warning that rising repayment obligations are limiting investments in key sectors of the economy. The figure marks a sharp increase from the $5.21 billion reportedly spent on external debt servicing in 2025, according to data from the Central Bank of Nigeria. Speaking at the Africa Forward Summit in Nairobi on Tuesday, Tinubu said nearly half of Nigeria’s projected revenue for 2026 would go towards servicing debt under the current global financial system. According to a statement issued by presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga,…

The family of late Nollywood actor Alexx Ekubo has confirmed that he died after battling stage 4 kidney cancer. Reports of the 40-year-old actor’s death spread across social media on Tuesday, with conflicting claims initially emerging over whether he suffered from liver or kidney cancer. However, in a statement shared via his Instagram page, the family clarified that the actor died from complications linked to “advanced metastatic kidney cancer” after what they described as a brief but courageous battle with the illness. Metastatic kidney cancer, also known as stage 4 kidney cancer, occurs when cancer cells spread from the kidney…

Seyi Makinde, governor of Oyo State, has said “federal might” will not determine the outcome of the 2027 general elections, expressing confidence that Nigerians will vote based on competence rather than political influence. Makinde made the remarks on Wednesday during the Oyo State Tourism Summit held at the University of Ibadan International Conference Centre (ICC). According to the governor, Nigerians are becoming more politically conscious and will actively participate in deciding the country’s future. “I believe that this election cycle, federal might will not work. It has worked in Ekiti state in both instances but this time around, Nigerians will…

Former Nigerian Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, and her co-defendants are awaiting a jury verdict after both the prosecution and defence closed their cases at the Southwark Crown Court in the United Kingdom. Alison-Madueke is standing trial alongside oil executive Olatimbo Ayinde and her brother, Doye Agama, over a five-count charge relating to alleged bribery. The three defendants have all pleaded not guilty. British prosecutors allege that Alison-Madueke accepted luxury items and high-value properties from oil industry figures seeking favourable treatment in the award of oil contracts during her tenure as petroleum minister between 2010 and 2015. According to…

A compliance officer with Zenith Bank Plc, Mashelia Bata, has told the federal high court in Abuja that the bank filed a suspicious transaction report (STR) over transactions linked to an account associated with former Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami. Bata testified on Wednesday during the ongoing trial involving Malami, his wife, and son over alleged money laundering amounting to N8.7 billion. The defendants are facing a 16-count charge filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and have pleaded not guilty. According to the EFCC, the witness was cross-examined by defence counsel, Adebayo Adedeji, during proceedings before…

Nigeria’s fragile budget system has come under fresh scrutiny after the International Monetary Fund warned that weak budget credibility across sub-Saharan Africa is damaging macroeconomic stability, eroding public trust and slowing long-term development. In a new report titled Budget Credibility in Sub-Saharan Africa, the IMF said many African governments routinely fail to implement budgets as approved, leading to widening fiscal deficits, abandoned capital projects and weakening investor confidence. The warning comes amid mounting concerns over Nigeria’s persistent pattern of delayed budgets, overlapping implementation cycles, weak revenue performance and opaque fiscal administration. At the centre of the controversy is Nigeria’s 2026…

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has been sworn in for a record seventh consecutive term, extending his tenure as one of Africa’s longest-serving rulers. Museveni took the oath of office on Tuesday at Kololo Independence Grounds in Kampala amid loud cheers from thousands of attendees. The 81-year-old leader, who has been in power since 1986, was re-elected in January after a landslide victory in a disputed election. Bobi Wine, a pop star and Museveni’s main challenger, alleged “massive” ballot stuffing. However, the country’s electoral commission denied the allegations. Wine, whose real name is Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, later fled Uganda, saying he…

A tragic incident at the College of Immaculate Conception (CIC) has sparked grief and outrage following the death of 14-year-old student, Kaosisochukwu Ambrose Nnamani Jnr, who reportedly drowned while attempting to retrieve a bucket from a reservoir within the school premises. According to accounts circulating online, the incident occurred after students were reportedly asked to leave the hostel for May devotion. Kaosisochukwu and some of his friends allegedly sneaked to a reservoir where his bucket had fallen. Fearing punishment from his mother over the missing bucket, the teenager was said to have repeatedly told his friends, “My mummy will beat…