Author: Opalim Lifted

Rwanda will allow teenagers as young as 15 to access contraception following the approval of a new law aimed at tackling the country’s rising teenage pregnancy rates, sparking divided opinions in the largely conservative nation. The Central African country of about 13 million people — 40 percent of whom are under the age of 15 — has struggled with rampant teenage pregnancies but previously faced resistance to expanding access to contraceptives. Although adolescent birth rates are declining globally, the World Health Organization notes that the rate of decline is slowest in sub-Saharan Africa. Recently, lawmakers passed the healthcare services bill,…

Italian top-flight players will see their salaries slashed by 25% if their teams are relegated to Serie B, under a new agreement between the Italian Footballers’ Association and Serie A. The five-year agreement was announced on Tuesday. The pay cut is aimed at easing the financial strain on clubs that drop out of Serie A and will apply to all contracts signed after September 2, 2025 — the end of the transfer window. The new system automatically reduces salaries unless otherwise stipulated in a player’s contract. Existing deals will remain subject to previously agreed terms. If a team earns promotion…

President Bola Tinubu has directed the immediate rollout of free healthcare access for low-income retirees under the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS), a move he described as essential to restoring dignity and providing social protection in old age. The directive came after a high-level briefing from the Director General of the National Pension Commission (PenCom), Ms. Omolola Oloworaran, at the State House on Tuesday, Bayo Onanuga, presidential media aide, disclosed this in a statement. In a firm show of support for retirees, the President also ordered the swift implementation of long-delayed pension increases and a minimum pension guarantee. The new safety…

Inter Milan is reportedly preparing to offer €46 million plus a young player to convince Atalanta to sell Nigerian attacker Ademola Lookman. According to the Corriere dello Sport on Tuesday night, Lookman has left Bergamo, with Inter preparing to make the offer €46m very soon. “The situation has deteriorated beyond repair and after two days of not turning up to training as scheduled, he is seemingly taking more steps to prove it’s over with Atalanta,” the report read. The Corriere dello Sport editor, Ivan Zazzaroni added that Lookman has left the city of Bergamo and nobody knows where he is…

Wife of the President, Oluremi Tinubu, has donated N1 billion to support victims of the recent flood disaster in Mokwa Local Council of Niger State. The donation was made through the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI), her flagship humanitarian programme, during a condolence visit to the state yesterday. In a statement by the Senior Special Assistant to the First Lady on Media, Busola Kukoyi, Mrs Tinubu also presented relief materials and a cheque to governor Umaru Bago at the government House in Minna.   “First Lady of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has donated N1 billion to support victims of the recent flood…

Jimoh Ibrahim, senator representing Ondo south, has defended President Bola Tinubu over the delay in appointing ambassadors, citing financial constraints as a key factor. In September 2023, Tinubu directed the recall of all career and non-career ambassadors serving in different countries. Since then, the President is yet to appoint new ambassadors. Speaking on Arise TV, on Tuesday, Ibrahim expressed confidence that Tinubu will soon appoint ambassadors. He said Nigeria was facing serious financial challenges when the current administration took office, adding that ambassadorial appointments require funding. The lawmaker said Tinubu is dealing with numerous pressing issues and must prioritise accordingly.…

Nyesom Wike, minister of the federal capital territory (FCT), has ordered the immediate shutdown of illegal mining sites in Abuja, the nation’s capital. Ajao Adewale, FCT commissioner of police, announced the directive on Tuesday after a security committee meeting chaired by the minister at his Life Camp residence. “The issue of illegal mining springing up around the city has equally been of concern, and you would understand the security implications of this,” Adewale said. “He (the minister) has given a directive that those illegal mining [sites] must be shut down.” Adewale quoted Wike as reiterating his commitment to rid the…

WhatsApp has banned over 6.8 million accounts linked to sophisticated global scam operations, in what it calls a major crackdown on criminal messaging networks. The Meta-owned platform revealed the purge on Monday, saying the banned accounts—removed in the first half of 2025—were tied to scam centres using deepfakes, cloned voices, and cross-platform fraud to exploit users. According to Kojo Boakye, Meta’s Vice President of Public Policy for Africa, the Middle East and Türkiye, the action is part of a broader effort to shut down fraud networks before they gain traction. “This reflects our unwavering commitment to protect our users—not just…

Nigeria’s Super Eagles B team succumbed to a 1-0 defeat to Senegal in their Group D opener at the Africa Nations Championship (CHAN) co-hosted by Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda. ‎Eric Chelle’s assembly of home-based players fell to Christian Gomis’ second-half strike, handing Senegal maximum points at the Amani stadium in Zanzibar, Tanzania, on Tuesday. CHAN is a continental tournament exclusively for footballers playing for clubs in their home countries. Eight players of Remo Stars, the reigning champion of the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL), made the Eagles squad alongside an assortment of other reputable players in the domestic scene. However,…

Kayinkunmi, the BBNaija season 10 housemate, says he is considering taking a “voluntary exit” from the show. The 25-year-old banker found himself at the center of a brewing storm due to his relationships with fellow female housemates Isabella and Thelma Lawson. Kayikunmi shared a “steaming moment” with Isabella during Saturday’s party and subsequently accepted an invitation as Thelma’s head of house (HoH) lounge guest. Isabella had vowed never to speak with him again for accepting Thelma’s HoH lounge invitation. Thelma’s shock loss of the HoH title to Victory, however, forced both to vacate the luxury lounge. Kayinkunmi, who felt visibly…