Author: Opalim Lifted

Spain has rejected a claim by the White House that it agreed to cooperate with the United States in military operations against Iran. The denial deepens tensions between Madrid and Washington after Spain refused to allow US forces to use military bases on its territory for strikes targeting Iran. Speaking on Wednesday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt suggested that Spain had softened its position following remarks by US President Donald Trump. “With respect to Spain, I think they heard the president’s message yesterday loud and clear,” Leavitt said during a press briefing. “It’s my understanding over the past several…

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) has increased the pump price of petrol at its retail stations to N933 per litre in Lagos and N960 per litre in Abuja, marking a fresh hike in the cost of fuel across Nigeria. The national oil company raised the price by N103 in Lagos, from N830 per litre, while motorists in the federal capital now pay N85 more, up from N875 per litre. Checks on Wednesday showed the new price already implemented at NNPC retail outlets in Apple Junction and Ago Palace Way in Lagos, while stations along Airport Road in Lugbe,…

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attended a public reading of the Book of Esther on Wednesday night alongside senior government and security officials. Among those present were National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, Government Secretary Yossi Fuchs, the prime minister’s military secretary Roman Gofman, and other members of Netanyahu’s staff. The gathering took place as Jewish communities around the world observe Purim, a festival that commemorates the biblical story of the Jewish people’s survival in ancient Persia as described in the Book of Esther. During Purim celebrations, it is customary to read the Book of Esther, also known as the Megillah,…

The US–Iran war escalated sharply on Thursday after Iran launched a fresh wave of missiles at Israel, forcing millions of residents into bomb shelters as the conflict entered its sixth day. Air raid sirens sounded across Israel in the early hours of Thursday following the missile barrage from Tehran, marking one of the most intense exchanges since hostilities began between the United States, Israel and Iran. The escalation came only hours after the U.S. Senate rejected an attempt to curb the White House’s war powers. Lawmakers voted 53 to 47 against advancing a resolution that would have halted the U.S.…

Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of slain Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei, has emerged as one of the strongest contenders to lead Iran following his father’s death. Iran’s powerful clerical body, the Assembly of Experts, is expected to choose the country’s next supreme leader. One of its members, Ahmad Khatami, told Iranian state media on Wednesday that the council hopes to vote “at the earliest opportunity”. Ali Khamenei, who ruled Iran for more than three decades, died at 86 in Tehran during the opening wave of missile strikes linked to the escalating conflict involving the United States and Israel. Race To…

President Bola Tinubu has constituted a five-member delegation to represent Nigeria at the burial of Jesse Jackson in the United States. Jackson, a pioneer civil rights figure in the US, died on February 17, 2026, at the age of 84. According to a State House press release issued on Wednesday, the delegation will deliver the president’s message of condolences to the Jackson family during the final burial rites. George Akume, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, will lead the team. Other members are Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs; Hannatu Musawa, Minister of Arts, Culture and Creative…

Pedro Sánchez, Prime Minister of Spain, has declared that his government will not support actions that violate international law or threaten global peace, amid rising tensions with the United States. Sánchez made the remarks on Wednesday after Donald Trump announced plans to halt all trade with Spain following a dispute over military cooperation. The row began on Monday when Spain reportedly denied the US permission to use jointly operated military bases on its territory for potential strikes against Iran. Reacting to the decision, Trump criticised Spain on Tuesday, describing the country as “very uncooperative” and a “terrible partner”. The US…

A group of stakeholders within Nigeria’s student movement has written an open letter to Bola Tinubu, alleging large-scale corruption and criminal infiltration in the leadership of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS). In the letter dated Wednesday, the petitioners alleged that the Minister for Youth Development, Ayodele Wisdom; the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Student Engagement, Asefon Sunday Dayo; and two former NANS leaders, Akinteye Babatunde and Lucky Emonefe, diverted federal government interventions intended for students. Central to the petition are claims that about 50 Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) buses donated by the Federal Government to ease…

The United States (US) embassy in Abuja has cancelled all visa appointments scheduled for Wednesday, March 4, due to a “potential for protests” in the nation’s capital. The embassy said in a statement posted on X on Wednesday that it would contact applicants on how to reschedule. On Monday, members of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN), also known as Shi’ites, staged protests in several states over the killing of Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader, during recent US-Israeli strikes on Tehran. Demonstrators were seen in Lagos, Kano, Niger, Sokoto, Gombe and Kaduna states condemning the joint military action by the…

The United States Embassy  in Abuja has issued a fresh security alert to American citizens in Nigeria, warning of a possible protest in Abuja amid rising tensions linked to the ongoing US/Israel-Iran conflict. The advisory follows a global caution issued by the United States Government on Monday, urging citizens worldwide including those in Nigeria to exercise increased vigilance due to the escalating Middle East crisis. In a post shared on X on Wednesday, the embassy warned there is “a high potential for protests in Abuja today”. The mission noted that previous demonstrations of a similar nature have resulted in violent…