Author: Opalim Lifted

The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a twice-a-year injectable drug to be used for HIV prevention. A statement issued by Gilead Sciences, maker of the drug, said the injection of Lenacapavir has been approved in the United States for HIV prevention under the brand name Yeztugo. In clinical trials, the drug was found to greatly reduce the risk of infection and provide almost total protection against HIV. The efficacy was found to be significantly higher than that of the primary options available for pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). Therapies called PrEP have been used to prevent HIV infections…

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has called on President Bola Tinubu to refer the situation in Benue State to the International Criminal Court (ICC), citing ongoing violence, unlawful killings, and alleged violations of international humanitarian and human rights law. In a letter dated June 21, 2025, and signed by SERAP Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, the group argued that referring the case to the ICC would align with the president’s stated commitment to justice and accountability. “Your government has a primary responsibility to ensure accountability and justice and reparations for these grave human rights crimes,” the letter stated. “Referring…

Ric Hassani, the Nigerian singer, has shared his thoughts on why some artistes begin their careers in gospel music but eventually transition to secular sounds. In an interview with HipTv, he argued that gospel music goes beyond just singing because it requires divine inspiration. He said, however, that not all artistes can do gospel, adding that some are made to impact the world in different ways. “Gospel is beyond singing. You have to be blessed to be able to interpret God’s words through music,” he said. “For example, there is no way Katy Perry would communicate God’s words through music…

Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) have arrested Mkor Aondona, special adviser on research and planning to Hyacinth Alia, governor of Benue, for alleged sextortion and cyber bullying. In a statement on Saturday, the anti-graft agency said Aondona was arrested on June 20. According to the EFCC, some female students accused the governor’s aide of sexual exploitation, cyber bullying and blackmail. “The petitioners alleged that Aondona was routinely recruiting slim and attractive girls for ushering jobs and insisted on sexual favours as a condition for selection,” the statement reads. “Based on this, they became vulnerable to having…

President Bola Tinubu has issued a strong call for unity among West African nations, warning that disjointed efforts will doom the region’s chances of global economic relevance. Speaking in Abuja on Saturday at the inaugural West Africa Economic Summit (WAES), Tinubu stressed that collaboration—not isolation—will unlock the region’s economic potential. “No one country can do this alone,” Tinubu said. “Our prosperity depends on regional supply chains, energy networks, and data frameworks. We must design them together—or they will collapse separately.” With intra-regional trade still languishing below 10%, the president criticised the persistent trade barriers choking economic growth across the subregion.…

President Bola Tinubu has called on West African leaders to end the practice of exporting raw minerals without processing them, urging a shift toward regional manufacturing and value addition. Speaking at the inaugural West Africa Economic Summit on Saturday in Abuja, Tinubu said the region must move away from extractive models that have historically failed to translate into economic development for its people. “West Africa is one of the last great frontiers of economic growth. Yet opportunity alone does not guarantee transformation,” he said. “Opportunity is not destiny. We must earn it through vision, integration, policy coherence, collaboration, and capital…

President Bola Tinubu will attend the 2025 West Africa Economic Summit (WAES) at the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre, Abuja, today. In a statement on Saturday, Bayo Onanuga, special adviser to Tinubu, said the economic summit, which enters its second and final day today, precedes the 67th ordinary summit of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). The ECOWAS summit is scheduled to be held at the State House Conference Centre, Abuja, on Sunday. “An initiative of President Tinubu in his capacity as Chairman of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, WAES is the first…

The Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) has confirmed the suspension of two correctional officers implicated in a shocking scandal involving a convicted inmate who attempted to process an international passport while in custody. The revelation, which surfaced through Nigeria Immigration Service’s automated passport system, triggered immediate disciplinary action and sparked widespread concern over internal security procedures. In a swift response, the Civil Defence, Correctional, Fire and Immigration Services Board (CDCFIB), led by Interior Minister Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, suspended the officers linked to the breach. The Controller General of Corrections, Sylvester Ndidi Nwakuche, reaffirmed the Service’s zero tolerance for corruption, stressing that…

A 5.1-magnitude earthquake shook northern Iran on Friday, the US Geological Survey said, as Israel pounded the country with repeated waves of air strikes. The quake, which Iran’s Tasnim news agency said measured 5.2, struck at a depth of 10 kilometres (six miles) some 37 kilometres (23 miles) southwest of the city of Semnan, the USGS said. The earthquake struck Iran alarmingly close to the country’s Fordow nuclear enrichment facility in Qom Province, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The tremors from the quake were reportedly felt in the country’s capital, Tehran. Semnan, the city listed as the epicenter of…

Nottingham Forest boss Nuno Espirito Santo has signed a new three-year deal at the City Ground. The Portuguese guided Forest to seventh in the Premier League last season to qualify for Europe for the first time since 1995-1996. “I am delighted to be able to continue our journey at this fantastic football club,” Nuno said. “Since we arrived at Forest, we have worked extremely hard to create a special bond between the players, the fans and everyone at the club, which helped us achieve great things last season.” Nuno replaced Steve Cooper in December 2023 and kept Forest up, the…