Author: Opalim Lifted

Canada has turned down nearly 1,600 asylum applications from Nigerian nationals so far in 2025, even as approval rates climb to their highest level in years. Fresh figures from the Immigration and Refugee Board (IRB) show that by 21 August, Nigerians had lodged 3,548 claims, with 2,292 accepted and 1,596 rejected. That amounts to a 65 per cent success rate—well above the previous decade, when denials topped 13,000. The surge in applications has been tied to worsening economic hardship and insecurity at home, particularly violence linked to Boko Haram. According to Maple Crest Law, Nigeria remains one of the top…

Akon’s long-time wife, Tomeka Thiam, has filed for divorce just days before their 29th wedding anniversary, bringing an end to nearly three decades of marriage. According to court documents obtained by TMZ, Thiam who married the Senegalese-American singer on 15 September 1996 cited irreconcilable differences as the reason for the split. The pair share a 17-year-old daughter, Journey. Thiam is requesting joint legal custody but wants sole physical custody, with Akon granted visitation rights. She is also seeking spousal support, while asking the court to block the possibility of Akon receiving any from her. The 52-year-old artist, born Aliaune Badara…

Brentford substitute Fabio Carvalho tapped in an 93th-minute equaliser to deny Chelsea victory in a dramatic London derby. Carvalho, 23, had been on the pitch for less than four minutes before turning in from a long Kevin Schade throw-in. It had looked as if Chelsea substitutes Cole Palmer and Alejandro Garnacho would steal the headlines. With the visitors a goal down, Palmer swept in a first-time volley to equalise just after the hour mark, having only been on for five minutes. Then Garnacho, recently signed from Manchester United, helped set up midfielder Moises Caicedo to power in a shot past…

Tottenham claimed a comfortable Premier League victory over 10-man West Ham at London Stadium to renew the pressure on Graham Potter. The result moves Spurs up to second in the table, level on points with leaders Arsenal with Brentford and Chelsea still to play on Saturday evening. It also ensured that Thomas Frank became only the third Tottenham manager to win his first two away top-flight matches in charge of the club, along with Ossie Ardiles (1993-94) and Tim Sherwood (2013-14). However, after the respite of a fine win at Nottingham Forest before the international break, it was a familiar…

Brothers Khephren and Marcus Thuram scored for opposing teams as Juventus beat Inter Milan 4-3 in a Serie A thriller. The siblings – sons of ex-France international Lilian Thuram – had netted within six minutes of each other to leave the score at 3-3 with eight minutes left in the Derby d’Italia. However, substitute Vasilije Adzic secured the points for Juventus when with a long-range effort in injury time. The home side’s third successive win continued their perfect start to the Serie A season, while Inter are on three points after a second straight defeat under new coach Cristian Chivu.…

President Bola Tinubu’s boast that Nigeria has already smashed its 2025 revenue target has sparked more questions than applause. While the government celebrates record collections, ordinary Nigerians are still battling crushing food prices, joblessness, and collapsing infrastructure. Hosting former CPC members at the Villa, Tinubu declared: “Nigeria is no longer borrowing any dime from local banks. The economy is stabilised. When I took over it was ₦1,900 to a dollar. It’s ₦1,450 now.” The 2025 Appropriation Act set revenue at ₦18.32 trillion, but collections have surged beyond ₦20 trillion in just eight months, powered largely by non-oil income. Oil output…

Martin Zubimendi scored his first Arsenal goals as the Gunners comfortably beat Nottingham Forest to give Ange Postecoglou a defeat in his first game in charge. Former Tottenham manager Postecoglou had not beaten Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta in the previous four matches they had faced each other in, with three losses and one draw. That record did not seem likely to change as, although Forest showed promise in some of their play, Arsenal took charge of the match. Noni Madueke, again starting on the right in place of the injured Bukayo Saka, was impressive as he seemed able to beat…

Manchester United’s Altay Bayindir will keep his place in goal for Sunday’s derby at Manchester City ahead of new signing Senne Lammens, manager Ruben Amorim said on Friday. United’s former first-choice goalkeeper Andre Onana, who endured a turbulent spell at Old Trafford, completed a loan move to Turkish side Trabzonspor on Thursday. The deal followed United’s deadline-day signing of Lammens, 23, from Royal Antwerp for 18.2 million pounds ($24.64 million). Turkey international Bayindir, 27, has started all three of United’s Premier League games this season, while the 29-year-old Onana only played once, in United’s shock second-round League Cup loss to…

The Kano State Government has approved N1.1 billion for procurement of free school uniforms for primary one pupils in the state to encourage enrolment. This is contained in a statement issued by Sunusi Dawakin-Tofa, the spokesman of Gov. Abba Yusuf on Friday in Kano. According to the statement, providing free school uniforms will boost enrollment, improve retention, and ensure equal opportunity. He emphasised that education is a right, not a privilege, and this initiative will ease the burden on parents. “The move aims to attract out-of-school children into classrooms and complements other education reforms, aligning with the government’s comprehensive education…

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has officially kicked off the countdown to Africa’s premier football competition, announcing on Friday that just 100 days remain until the start of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco. For the first time in 37 years, Morocco will host the finals, welcoming 24 teams and millions of fans from December 21 2025, to January 18, 2026. The finals will be played in nine stadiums across six cities including Rabat, Casablanca, Fès, Tangier, Marrakech and Agadir. The 2023 AFCON in Côte d’Ivoire set unprecedented benchmarks, attracting more than 1.5 billion television viewers…