Author: Opalim Lifted

Democratic victories in the 2026 US midterm elections have highlighted growing opposition to data centres, raising questions about the future of America’s artificial intelligence (AI) investment boom. Opponents of data centre developments emerged among the major beneficiaries of the Democrats’ sweeping electoral victories, with voters increasingly concerned about the environmental and economic impact of facilities powering the AI industry. According to a Reuters report, Democratic candidates who campaigned partly on restricting or suspending data centre developments secured major victories in Texas and Georgia, two important markets for the expanding industry. The victories could strengthen calls for tighter regulation of data…

Activist Aisha Yesufu has called on Nigerians to contribute financially to the 2027 presidential campaign of Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), saying the former Anambra State governor cannot shoulder the financial burden alone. Yesufu made the appeal in a video posted on X on Wednesday, urging supporters to embrace citizen-funded political campaigns and contribute whatever they can towards Obi’s ambition. She argued that Nigerians who want to reclaim ownership of the country must also take responsibility for funding the political process. “There is no way we can say that we want to rescue a nation,…

Democrats have taken control of both chambers of the United States Congress following sweeping victories in the 2026 midterm elections, delivering a major political setback to President Donald Trump and his Republican Party. The opposition party secured control of the Senate and House of Representatives on Tuesday, November 3, after making significant gains in traditionally Republican strongholds. The results reflected widespread voter dissatisfaction with the high cost of living, Trump’s handling of the economy and the unpopular US-Israeli war against Iran. According to Reuters, Democrats recorded historic victories in several states, including Texas, Kansas and South Carolina, where Republican candidates…

US President Donald Trump has acknowledged that the war involving Iran contributed to his Republican Party’s defeat in the November 3 midterm elections, as Democrats secured control of both chambers of Congress. Trump made the admission during separate interviews with Fox News and The Wall Street Journal on Wednesday, following sweeping Democratic victories in the elections. “I think a part of it was Iran,” Trump told Fox News, adding in a separate interview with The Wall Street Journal that “Iran was a piece of it”. Despite acknowledging the conflict’s impact on Republican candidates, Trump defended his decision to launch military…

The Nigerian Senate has rejected calls to revive the controversial Nigeria Air project, urging the Federal Government to establish a viable national carrier and secure direct flight access for Nigerian airlines to China. The lawmakers also called for an urgent review and enforcement of the Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA) between Nigeria and China to address what they described as an imbalance in aviation operations between the two countries. The resolutions followed a motion sponsored by Senate Chief Whip, Senator Tahir Monguno, during plenary on Tuesday. Monguno drew attention to the need for Nigeria to enforce its bilateral aviation agreement…

Nigeria’s growing adoption of solar energy is putting pressure on electricity distribution companies (DisCos), as households and businesses increasingly turn to alternative power sources amid persistent grid failures. The shift is changing electricity consumption patterns and raising concerns about the long-term sustainability of the revenue model of the country’s 11 electricity distribution companies. According to a report by The Guardian, solar installations, mini-grids and other decentralised energy solutions are gaining popularity among Nigerians frustrated by unreliable electricity supply. Although solar accounts for just 1.6 per cent of Nigeria’s total energy mix, its adoption is accelerating as consumers seek alternatives to…

The Police Force Intelligence Department Special Tactical Squad (FID-STS) has arrested three suspected international human traffickers and rescued a 21-year-old Nigerian woman who was allegedly trafficked to Mali and forced into prostitution. The police also disclosed that about 42 Nigerian women were being held in a makeshift camp within a remote gold-mining settlement in Mali, where they were allegedly subjected to forced prostitution, severe beatings and slave-like conditions. The Commander of the FID Special Tactical Squad, Assistant Commissioner of Police Godfrey Ogbiede Victor, disclosed this during a press briefing in Abuja on Tuesday, November 3, 2026. He said the operation,…

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has vowed to intensify its crackdown on illegal mining in Nigeria, shifting its focus towards financiers, mineral buyers, compromised public officials and other individuals benefiting from the illicit trade. EFCC Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, said illegal mining had become increasingly connected to insecurity and organised crime, with criminal networks exploiting weaknesses in the mining sector to fund other illegal activities. He made this known while delivering a keynote address at a public lecture and capacity-building workshop organised by the Michael Imoudu National Institute for Labour Studies (MINILS) in collaboration with the Human and Environmental…

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has uncovered an illegal oil refinery allegedly operated by Chinese nationals in Ogere, Ogun State, following an intelligence-led operation. The commission said its operatives from the Lagos Zonal Directorate 2 raided the facility on Saturday, October 31, 2026, after weeks of intelligence gathering and surveillance targeting suspected illegal sludge oil refiners. The refinery was deserted when the operatives arrived, but they discovered waste products from the refining process and underground tanks believed to have been used for heating and processing sludge oil. According to the EFCC, two of the underground tanks inspected contained…

The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Akure Branch, has raised concerns over alleged irregularities in remand proceedings and persistent failures affecting the electronic filing system in Ondo State. The association warned that shortcomings in the handling of remand applications could undermine fundamental rights and the personal liberty of suspects awaiting trial. It also called for a comprehensive overhaul of the state’s electronic filing system, arguing that the current arrangement has failed to deliver the efficiency expected of a digital court process. The concerns were contained in a communiqué issued after the branch’s monthly general meeting and signed by its Chairman, Oju…