Author: Opalim Lifted

A 32-year-old woman has been rescued after spending 36 hours trapped beneath rubble following a powerful earthquake that struck western Colombia. Daniela Largo was pulled from a collapsed building in the city of Pereira after a 10-hour rescue operation involving firefighters, police and emergency teams from Bogotá. Rescuers reached Largo after digging a tunnel beneath four large concrete slabs that had trapped her. Her mother told AFP that a local resident first heard Largo calling for help from underneath the rubble. Emergency workers then used a small camera to locate her. The rescue operation proved challenging because four heavy concrete…

The Football Association of Ireland [FAI] has officially withdrawn support for under-fire FIFA president Gianni Infantino, while the Irish Football Association has confirmed it is backing UEFA’s stance. On Monday, European football’s governing body Uefa signed an open letter along with Concacaf and the Asian Football Confederation, accusing Infantino of breaking trust “through deception”. It follows an attempt by Infantino to sell a stake in FIFA’s commercial operations to a private investment company – since abandoned – which has left his bid for a fourth term at top of world football in a perilous state. Last week, the Welsh FA…

Xavi Hernandez has been appointed as the Netherlands’ head coach on a contract through the 2030 World ‌Cup, the Dutch football federation said on Wednesday. The 46-year-old Spaniard replaces Ronald Koeman and takes charge of a national team for the first time. Xavi ⁠has been out of coaching since leaving Barcelona in 2024, where he spent three seasons in charge. Koeman returned for a second spell in 2023, having previously managed the Netherlands from 2018 to 2020. He led the team to the Euro 2024 semi-finals ‌and ⁠to the round of 32 at this year’s World Cup, where they were…

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has invited President Bola Tinubu to the BRICS Leaders’ Summit in New Delhi scheduled for September 12 to 13. Abhishek Singh, Indian high commissioner to Nigeria, confirmed the invitation to journalists on Wednesday in Abuja. “President of Nigeria, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, has been invited to the BRICS Summit, which is going to take place in New Delhi in a few weeks from now, and we are very hopeful that the honourable president of Nigeria will be leading a high-powered delegation for the BRICS Summit very soon,” Singh said. “Why do we feel that…

A Police Inspector has been killed in a suspected armed herders’ attack on a joint police and military checkpoint in Uzer community, Logo Local Government Area of Benue State. The incident reportedly occurred when the attackers stormed the security checkpoint, prompting troops of Sector 1, Operation Whirl Stroke, stationed in Ayilamo, alongside mobile policemen, to respond. A local source said the attackers fled into nearby bushes after sighting the advancing security personnel. The source said the troops subsequently launched a follow-up operation to track the fleeing assailants and restore normalcy in the area. “During the operation, the troops reportedly recovered…

The Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) has commenced a forensic investigation into the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Lotus Bank and Hackerbella Ltd over alleged violations of data protection laws. Babatunde Bamigboye, the commission’s head of legal, enforcement and regulations, disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday in Abuja. Bamigboye said the investigation followed public complaints alleging that students’ personal data were used to open bank accounts without a lawful basis. He said Vincent Olatunji, the National Commissioner of the NDPC, had directed the investigation team to conduct a comprehensive assessment of the circumstances surrounding the collection, use and disclosure of…

Chelsea have signed Spanish left-back Pep Chavarria from Rayo Vallecano on a deal until 2031, the Premier League club said on Wednesday. Financial details of the deal were not disclosed, but British media reported that Chelsea had paid an initial £16.3 million ($22.02 million), with a further £1.7 million in add-ons, for the 28-year-old. “This is a dream for me as Chelsea are one of the biggest clubs in the world. It is a big opportunity, but I am prepared and will work hard to help the team achieve success,” Chavarria said in a statement. Chavarria played for Figueres, Olot…

Guaranty Trust Bank (GTBank) has increased the quarterly international spending limit on its naira cards to $40,000. The latest limit represents a 566.7 percent increase from the $6,000 limit in May and a 100 percent increase from the $20,000 limit as of August 10. The lender announced the increase in an email to customers on Tuesday. “Dear Customer, The international spending limit on your GTBank Naira Card has been doubled to $40,000 per quarter. Pay for flights, hotels, school fees & more,” the notice reads. The financial institution also disclosed that the foreign exchange (FX) rate for international payments on…

Ngozi Stephen and Joshua Daniel, two of the 16 kidnap victims freed in Kogi State, have recounted their nearly 48-hour ordeal in captivity. On Tuesday, the Nigerian military said the victims were abducted on Sunday when armed criminals attacked commuters along the Ojuwo–Ajengo–Memarebo and Ojiwo–Itobe roads in Ofu LGA of the state. They were, however, rescued on Monday during a joint security operation by the Nigerian Army, Navy, police and local vigilantes along the Ajaokuta–Anyigba road in the Ofu area of the state. Anele said one local hunter was killed, while a police officer sustained injuries during the rescue operation.…

Ten police officers have been killed after gunmen attacked a security camp in Makuku, Sakaba LGA of Kebbi State, on Monday. In a statement, Ani Iniedu, the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) public relations officer, said the attack occurred at about 6am when more than 200 armed bandits riding motorcycles stormed the camp. Iniedu said at least 17 of the assailants were also killed during the ensuing gun battle. “On receipt of the distress call, the Commissioner of Police, Kebbi State Command, immediately mobilised and deployed reinforcements, which were further supported by units of the Nigerian Army and Nigerian Air Force…