Author: Opalim Lifted

Mexico cruised into the last 16 of the World Cup with a comfortable victory over Ecuador in a weather-delayed contest at the Azteca Stadium. Goals from Julian Quinones and Raul Jimenez gave the co-hosts a healthy advantage in a breathless first half and they produced a controlled display after the break to see the job through. It means manager Javier Aguirre’s side will again have the advantage of playing in Mexico City, when they meet either England or DR Congo in the next round on Sunday evening (02:00 BST on Monday). A thunderstorm in Mexico’s capital had pushed the kick-off…

Kylian Mbappe became the all-time leading goalscorer in World Cup knockout matches as France cruised past Sweden 3-0 to set up a last 16 tie with Paraguay. A strike in each half took Mbappe to 10 knockout stage goals, while he now shares the lead in the Golden Boot race at this tournament with Argentina’s Lionel Messi, with both on six goals. Both sides had to content with scorching temperatures in New Jersey, but Les Bleus wasted little time in bombarding their opponents. An offside flag denied Mbappe a 20th-minute opener before he struck the post when Jules Koude’s low…

The General Superintendent of the Deeper Christian Life Ministry, Pastor William Kumuyi, has called on Nigerians to seek God’s intervention as the country continues to grapple with insecurity. Kumuyi made the appeal during a visit to the Benue State Government House, where he met Deputy Governor Sam Ode, who represented Governor Hyacinth Alia. The visit formed part of activities marking the week-long Global Crusade taking place in Gboko and Otukpo Local Government Areas, according to Channels Television. The cleric said lasting solutions to Nigeria’s security challenges can only come through God, urging citizens to turn to Him in humility and…

Parents of students abducted on Monday by terrorists from Government Day Secondary School, Lassa, in Askira/Uba LGA of Borno State, have reportedly said that 37 students are still missing. Troops rescued 10 students and a teacher shortly after gunmen attacked the school on Monday morning while students were sitting for the Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) conducted by the National Examinations Council (NECO). However, Punch quoted some parents as saying that the Borno State Government has opened a register for families to report missing persons. One parent said he discovered that 37 names had so far been recorded as missing.…

The Federal Government has announced plans to phase out the policy separating Junior Secondary Schools (JSS) from Senior Secondary Schools (SSS), with Minister of Education Tunji Alausa describing the arrangement as unsuccessful. Speaking on Tuesday in Abuja during the inauguration of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) ministerial implementation and monitoring committee, Alausa said the disarticulation policy had failed to achieve its intended goals. According to the minister, the system, which requires junior and senior secondary schools to operate separately both physically and administratively, has created more problems than solutions. “We’re seeing data from states like Kaduna and other northern…

The Arewa Youth Integrity Forum (AYIF) has criticised former Vice President Atiku Abubakar over his call for the resignation of Femi Gbajabiamila following bribery allegations against the presidential aide. The group described Atiku’s demand as hypocritical, arguing that he lacks the moral authority to call for the removal of public officials over allegations while having faced corruption accusations during his years in public office. AYIF was reacting to a statement issued by Atiku’s media team, which urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to suspend Gbajabiamila pending an independent investigation into allegations that the former Speaker of the House of Representatives demanded…

WhatsApp has introduced the usernames feature, allowing users to reserve a unique username that can be used instead of sharing a phone number. Chronicle NG reported that the Meta-owned platform announced the feature in a blog post on Monday. The feature is being released gradually, so it may not be available to everyone yet. How to reserve your WhatsApp username Update WhatsApp to the latest version from the Google Play Store or Apple App Store. Open WhatsApp. Go to Settings. Tap Account. Select Username. Enter your preferred username or use WhatsApp’s built-in username generator if your first choice is unavailable.…

The General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor Enoch Adeboye, has revealed what he said God told him about the schoolchildren and teachers abducted in Oyo State. The victims were kidnapped on May 15 from three schools in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State. During their captivity, the kidnappers reportedly killed a mathematics teacher, Michael Oyedokun, and circulated a video of the killing. Speaking in a viral video recorded at the US-Nigeria Faith Heroes Award Gala in Washington, D.C., Adeboye said the incident pushed him into intense prayers for the victims. He said, “God is…

The Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) has rejected what it described as the profiling of Muslims and Islam as drivers of insecurity in Nigeria, saying such allegations are baseless and harmful. In a statement issued on Monday by its Public Affairs Officer, Abbas Jimoh, the council said Muslims have continued to exercise restraint despite what it called repeated provocation, attacks and the unfair profiling of Islam in the country. The statement was a response to comments made by Ayo Oritsejafor, a former president of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), during an interview on Channels Television last Tuesday.…

Former Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, has shared details of his participation in the second in-person meeting of the Future of Development Cooperation Coalition (FDCC) in London. In a post on Instagram, Osinbajo said he was pleased to reconvene with fellow commissioners and the FDCC secretariat alongside his co-chair, Arancha González Laya, for two days of discussions on the future of international development cooperation. “Happy reconvening in sunny and hot London! with the Commissioners and Secretariat of the Future of Development Cooperation Coalition (FDCC) and my co-chair Arancha González Laya for our second in-person meeting,” he wrote. The former vice…