Author: Opalim Lifted

Monday’s four scheduled matches in the top flight of Italian football have been postponed following the death of Pope Francis. The Vatican announced on Monday morning that Pope Francis had died at the age of 88, having recently been discharged from hospital following five weeks of treatment for an infection. Four Serie A matches – Torino v Udinese, Cagliari v Fiorentina, Genoa v Lazio and Parma v Juventus – had been scheduled to be played on Easter Monday, which is a national holiday in Italy. The matches will instead be played on Wednesday, 23 April and kick off at 17:30…

Nottingham Forest boosted their Champions League hopes as an impressive victory against Tottenham moved them back up to third in the Premier League. The visitors started the day sixth but were in a determined mood from the outset at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium to get the result that would see them climb back up the table. They took just five minutes to open the scoring when Elliot Anderson’s thunderous volley deflected off Rodrigo Bentancur to fly into the back of the net. Spurs’ poor league form this term has been well documented and despite winning at Eintracht Frankfurt last Thursday to…

The Vatican has released the final wishes of Pope Francis, the head of the Catholic Church, who died Monday morning. Francis, born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Buenos Aires, Argentina, the 88-year-old detailed his burial procedure, location, and gave his final prayers in the text, which was written in 2022. Find the full text below. TESTAMENT OF HIS HOLINESS POPE FRANCIS In the Name of the Most Holy Trinity. Amen. Feeling that the end of my earthly life is approaching and with lively hope in Eternal Life, I wish to express my testamentary will only with regard to the place of…

The death of Pope Francis on April 21 marked a time of mourning within the Catholic Church while also initiating the process of selecting his successor. Among the contenders for the papacy, often referred to as the “papabili,” are 15 cardinals from various regions, including diplomats, theologians, mediators, and Vatican insiders. It important to note that this list is not definitive, and the next pope could very well be someone not included among these names. Pietro Parolin (Italy), 70, Vatican Secretary of State The Vatican’s chief diplomat, Parolin has been the number two at the Vatican during nearly all of…

President Bola Tinubu on Monday urged the Catholic faithful and Christians to honour Pope Francis not with words alone but with action. This, Tinubu said, is by lifting those who are down, “healing our communities, and defending the dignity of every person.” The Nigerian leader made the plea when he joined the Catholic faithful and Christians worldwide in mourning the passing of Pope Francis, who was described as a humble servant of God, a tireless champion of the poor, and a guiding light for millions. Tinubu, in his condolences extended to the Catholic Church, the global Catholic community, and the…

The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has predicted thunderstorms in the weather outlook from Sunday to Tuesday across the country. NiMet’s weather outlook recently released in Abuja envisaged chances of localised thunder showers parts of Taraba, Adamawa and southern Kaduna States during the afternoon or evening period on Sunday. According to NiMet, partly cloudy skies are anticipated over the North Central region in the morning hours. ” Later in the day, isolated thunderstorms are anticipated over parts of Plateau, the Federal Capital Territory, Nasarawa, Kwara, Niger, and Kogi states. “Over the southern region, cloudy morning is expected with chances of localised…

Pope Francis, the first Latin American leader of the Roman Catholic Church, has died, the Vatican announced in a video statement on Monday, ending an often turbulent reign marked by division and tension as he sought to reform the traditionally rigid institution. He was 88 and had survived a serious bout of double pneumonia. “Dear brothers and sisters, it is with profound sadness that I must announce the death of our Holy Father Francis,” Cardinal Kevin Farrell said on the Vatican’s TV channel. “At 7:35 this morning, the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the house of the Father.” Pope…

Tunde Bakare, serving overseer of The Citadel Global Community Church, has asked President Bola Tinubu to accept advice and “stop playing God”. Speaking on Sunday during his state of the nation broadcast at the church in Lagos, Bakare said the president should implement a “coordinated programme” to steer Nigeria out of its current crisis. The cleric said Nigerians have prayed long enough for the country to improve, while he dismissed further calls for prayers as nothing more than a “mere religious ritual”. He said Nigerian leaders need to act urgently to prevent the country from descending into a mafia state.…

Former Vice President of Nigeria, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, has delivered a stirring Easter message that cuts to the heart of the Christian faith, redemption through grace, not human effort. In a reflective post shared on social media, Osinbajo reminded Nigerians that “all men are sinners” and warned that “the price of sin is hell.” He emphasised that without holiness, no one can see God. However, in a message full of hope, he added that true holiness is beyond human ability and only achievable through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. “Jesus Christ paid the full price for all our sins,” he…

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted a shipment of cocaine bound for Saudi Arabia. According to a statement on Sunday by Femi Babafemi, NDLEA spokesperson, the cocaine was concealed in 20 sets of religious books. Babafemi said the cocaine consignment, weighing 500 grammes, was discovered at a courier company in Lagos on April 15, as officers searched through export cargoes. In another operation, NDLEA officers intercepted five parcels of Loud, a strong strain of cannabis, weighing 2.8 kilogrammes, hidden in a carton coming from the United States, at a courier company in Lagos. The agency also arrested…