Author: Opalim Lifted

Iran has announced the closure of the Strait of Hormuz once again, citing the continued presence of United States forces in the region and Israel’s military operations in southern Lebanon, according to a report by the New York Post. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) disclosed the decision via maritime radio channels on Friday, warning vessels to avoid the strategic waterway. The IRGC accused the United States of breaching a memorandum of understanding signed between Washington and Tehran earlier in the week by President Donald Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian. It claimed that key conditions of the agreement included…

Toyin Abraham, Nigerian filmmaker and actress, has shared details of the financial difficulties she experienced during the early years of her career. In a recent video, the 43-year-old movie producer disclosed that despite spending roughly 25 years in the industry, she only started making “real money” about eight years ago. “I just started making money. I have been in the industry for about 25 years, since 2001. I started making money, I don’t think it is up to eight years. Then, I was making it, but it was peanuts, just what to eat,” Abraham said. This is not the first…

Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue, vice-president of Equatorial Guinea, has announced the federal executive council’s (cabinet) resignation after it failed to meet performance targets. In a recent X post, Mangue, who is also the son of President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, said the cabinet quit after achieving “barely 10 percent” of its goals. “The rule is simple: public responsibility has to come with results,” he said. “The state puts significant human, material and financial resources at the disposal of the government to address the needs of the population. “So the degree of execution achieved is clearly insufficient in relation to the…

A district head in Gwande District, Safron Samuel Alaket, has been killed following a suspected armed ambush in Bokkos Local Government Area, Plateau. The incident reportedly occurred at about 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday along the Sha–Daffo axis, near the boundary between Sha District and Daffo community. Residents said the traditional ruler was returning from the popular Tuesday Market in Daffo after earlier attending a traditional council meeting in Bokkos. Eyewitness accounts indicated that gunmen ambushed his vehicle, leaving him critically injured. He was rushed to a nearby clinic for emergency treatment but was later confirmed dead. A community member, Mr…

Substitute Johan Manzambi scored twice as Switzerland beat Bosnia-Herzegovina 4-1 in a chaotic final 20 minutes to edge towards a place in the World Cup last 32. Manzambi met a knockdown in the penalty area with a first-time volley past Bosnia goalkeeper Nikola Vasilj in the 74th minute, just two minutes and 46 seconds after he came off the bench. It was only the 20-year-old’s fourth touch. With Bosnia down to 10 men following Tarik Muharemovic’s straight red card for bringing down Breel Embolo when clean through on goal, Ruben Vargas doubled Switzerland’s advantage with a precise curling finish into…

Benue state income and expenditure commission of inquiry has uncovered N139.8 billion in unaccounted public funds income and expenditure between 2015 and 2023. In February 2024, Hyacinth Alia, governor of Benue, inaugurated two commissions to probe the management of the state’s resources and assets under the administration of Samuel Ortom, former governor of the state. The two panels are the judicial commission of inquiry into the income and expenditure of the Benue state government (from May 29, 2015, to May 28, 2023) and the judicial commission of inquiry into the sale/lease of government assets, companies and markets (both state and…

The Federal Government says more than 115,000 official email accounts are currently active across the public service as part of efforts to build a fully digital and paperless civil service. Didi Walson-Jack, Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, disclosed this on Wednesday at the Digital Transformation Summit 2026 organised by Galaxy Backbone in Abuja to commemorate the organisation’s 20th anniversary. She said the GovMail platform has become a vital tool for secure, professional and traceable communication across government institutions, helping to strengthen accountability and protect institutional records. According to Walson-Jack, the government’s digital transformation programme has also led…

Former Petroleum Resources Minister Diezani Alison-Madueke has described her acquittal by a London court as the end of nearly 11 years of what she called “unjust vilification, condemnation and scrutiny”. The former minister was cleared of all six bribery charges by the Southwark Crown Court in the United Kingdom after jurors deliberated for several hours on Wednesday. The case stemmed from allegations that surfaced following her arrest in London in October 2015, shortly after she left office. Although she was released on bail, investigations continued for years before UK authorities formally charged her in August 2023. Prosecutors alleged that Alison-Madueke…

Millions of MTN Nigeria subscribers can once again access airtime loans after the telecommunications company restored its popular XtraTime service. The service, which enables eligible customers to borrow airtime and repay on their next recharge, was temporarily suspended following a new compliance requirement introduced by the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC). MTN announced the suspension in a notice signed by its Company Secretary, Uto Ukpanah. The notice stated: “MTN Nigeria Communications PLC hereby notifies the Nigerian Exchange Limited and the investing public that the company has temporarily suspended its airtime and data credit advance service (‘XtraTime’).” The temporary…

South Africa goalkeeper and captain Ronwen Williams has called for greater unity among African nations after facing online criticism following Bafana Bafana’s opening defeat at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Speaking ahead of South Africa’s Group A clash against the Czech Republic, Williams dismissed reports claiming he criticised Africans for supporting Mexico during the team’s first match of the tournament. He said the comments attributed to him were fabricated and had sparked unnecessary backlash. The goalkeeper revealed that both he and his country had been targeted online over issues unrelated to football, including ongoing tensions surrounding xenophobic attacks in South…