Author: Opalim Lifted

The United States has announced it will restart processing visa applications for international students. In a statement issued on Wednesday, the State Department said as a key requirement, applicants must make their social media accounts public for vetting. The State Department added that if applicants fail to set their social media accounts to ‘public’, it could be seen as an attempt to conceal online activity and may impact their visa application. “Our overseas posts will resume scheduling F, M, and J nonimmigrant visa applications soon. Applicants should check the relevant embassy or consulate website for appointment availability,” the statement reads.…

The UK has barred Julius Malema, leader of South Africa’s Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), from entering the country. In a letter dated June 17, 2025, the UK Home Office said Malema’s presence in the UK was “not conducive for public good”. According to News24, the office added that future visa applications from the politician are also unlikely to succeed. The UK government cited Malema’s “vocal support for Hamas”, including a speech delivered after the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel. The UK also cited his call for the “slaughter of white people”. “Any future UK visa applications you make will…

Social media has erupted in outrage after multiple videos surfaced showing schoolchildren standing by the roadside in the rain to welcome President Bola Tinubu’s convoy as it passed through Makurdi, Benue on Wednesday. The children, whose faces were blurred for privacy, were seen singing the Nigerian national anthem while drenched in rainwater. The state government had declared a public holiday to mark the president’s visit, yet the pupils were still made to line the streets. Tinubu arrived in Benue following a series of brutal attacks in Yelewata community, Guma Local Government Area, where more than 100 residents were recently killed.…

The Tor Tiv of Benue State, His Royal Majesty James Ayatse, has declared the recent wave of violence in the region a “calculated, genocidal invasion”, dismissing claims that the attacks stem from farmer-herder disputes. Speaking during a stakeholders meeting with President Bola Tinubu in Makurdi on Wednesday, Ayatse strongly refuted the narrative that the killings were a result of communal tensions. “It is not herder-farmers clashes, it is not communal clashes, it is not reprisal attacks or skirmishes,” the monarch said. Benue State has been gripped by renewed terror, with over 100 residents reportedly slaughtered in coordinated assaults by suspected…

By Abraham Maina Joda Can you say “La Campagne Tropicana Gu Taraba” three times fast? Win or lose, you’re in for a journey to Nigeria’s best-kept natural secret –Taraba State. A place where whispering hills, sacred lakes, and untamed forests have waited patiently, Taraba is about to have its moment under the tourism spotlight. And it’s not just any spotlight—it’s the La Campagne Tropicana spotlight. Yes, the same African-themed resort experience that turned Ibeju-Lekki into a cultural playground is now heading to Ibi, Nwonyo, and the majestic hills of Ardo Kola. Welcome to the Cultural Blockbuster of the Year The…

At least 59 Palestinians were killed and over 220 wounded after Israeli tanks shelled a crowd of people waiting for food aid in southern Gaza on Tuesday, according to medics — one of the deadliest incidents in the territory’s worsening humanitarian catastrophe. Graphic footage shared online showed bodies strewn across a road, while witnesses recounted scenes of chaos and horror. The crowd had gathered along a major eastern road in Khan Younis, where aid trucks typically pass. According to eyewitnesses, Israeli forces initially allowed the group to advance before opening fire. “All of a sudden, they let us move forward…

Benue State Governor, Hyacinth Alia, has firmly rejected the idea of citizens resorting to self-defence in response to relentless killings across the state, warning that such actions would only worsen insecurity. Speaking during an interview on AIT on Tuesday, Alia emphasised the dangers of citizens taking up arms, stating that emotional or sentimental reactions could further expose communities to risk. “Each time I speak about this, I get very passionate about it,” he said. “But I’m cautiously guiding citizens. It is not just advisable for you to say we’ll pick out knives, machetes and stick and get out there to…

Former Senate President David Mark has issued a stark warning to the federal government, saying its continued failure to halt deadly attacks in Benue State may leave citizens with no choice but to take the law into their own hands. In a statement issued by his special adviser, Paul Mumeh, Mark said the relentless violence has devastated communities, claiming numerous lives and destroying homes and livelihoods. He described the crisis as a direct result of the government’s failure to uphold its constitutional obligation to protect its citizens. “The primary responsibility of any government is the welfare and security of its…

Nigerian stars 2Baba, Falz, and Oxlade have voiced outrage over the recent mass killings in Benue State, condemning the government’s silence and the lack of media coverage. Benue State, in Nigeria’s north-central region, is reeling from a wave of deadly attacks that have claimed over 200 lives in just days, sparking nationwide grief and anger. On June 14, suspected herdsmen launched brutal assaults on the Yelewata and Daudu communities in Guma Local Government Area, killing more than 100 people. By Sunday, the death toll had reportedly doubled, as the violence spiralled with minimal intervention from authorities. The scale of the…

The Ghana drunkards association has issued a stern ultimatum to the government, demanding a reduction in the prices of alcoholic beverages within three weeks. The association’s demand comes in the wake of the Ghana cedi’s recent appreciation against major international currencies. In a viral video on social media, the association said despite the cedi’s strengthening, the cost of alcoholic drinks remains prohibitively high. Moses Drybones, president of the association, said there is a recent 15 percent price increase, which has adversely affected operators of drinking joints across the country. The group urged President John Mahama to engage with them within…