Author: Opalim Lifted

Pope Leo XIV has said the world is being “ravaged by a handful of tyrants” who prioritise war spending over human development. The pontiff’s remarks come amid rising tensions between him and Donald Trump following his criticism of the US-Israel strikes on Iran. The pope said God does not bless conflicts and that military action cannot deliver lasting stability. Following his comments, Trump described the pontiff as “weak on crime” and “terrible for foreign policy” after the pope called for an end to rising global conflicts. Speaking on Thursday at Saint Joseph Cathedral in Bamenda, Cameroon, during his ongoing 11-day…

Nigeria has ruled out approaching the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for loans, even as the country’s public debt continues to climb. The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, made this clear on Thursday during a ministers’ briefing at the ongoing IMF-World Bank Spring Meetings in Washington, DC. His comments come just a day after the Debt Management Office (DMO) revealed that Nigeria’s total public debt surged by N14 trillion to N159.27 trillion as of the fourth quarter of 2025. Despite growing concerns over borrowing, Edun insisted that the government is not considering financial support from…

Aston Villa set up an all-English Europa League semi-final with Nottingham Forest after completing a commanding 7-1 aggregate victory against Bologna at Villa Park. Already 3-1 up from the first leg, tournament favourites Villa produced a statement display under four-time Europa League-winning manager Unai Emery to take another step closer to ending a 30-year trophy drought. It only took the Premier League side 16 minutes to increase their advantage in the tie as Ollie Watkins – the star of the first leg – applied the finishing touch on a wonderful team move to score his 100th goal for the club…

Nottingham Forest beat 10-man Porto to advance to the semi-finals of a European competition for the first time since 1984, where they will face Premier League rivals Aston Villa. After last week’s 1-1 draw in Portugal, Morgan Gibbs-White scored the only goal at the City Ground to set up a mouth-watering final-four Europa League tie with Villa later this month. Porto had failed to win any of their previous 24 matches on English soil, including a 2-0 defeat to Forest in October. The task became even tougher for the Portuguese side when Jan Bednarek was sent off after just eight…

Aliko Dangote, founder and president of the Dangote Group has warned that powerful foreign interests are actively working against Africa’s economic growth, urging Africans to take the lead in investing in the continent. Speaking at the Investing in Africa forum on the sidelines of the IMF-World Bank Spring Meetings in Washington, DC, the Dangote Group founder stressed that Africa must fix its regional markets before expecting a successful single continental market. According to him, the vision of a unified African market under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) cannot succeed without strong and functional regional blocs. “The Africa free…

MTN Nigeria has temporarily suspended its popular Xtratime airtime and data credit service to comply with new digital lending regulations, affecting millions of subscribers across the country. The telecom giant disclosed the development in a corporate filing to the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) on Thursday, citing the need to align with the Digital, Electronic, Online or Non-Traditional Consumer Lending Regulations, 2025. The Xtratime service, widely used by customers to borrow airtime or data and repay on their next recharge, has become a financial fallback for many Nigerians, especially during cash shortages. According to the company secretary, Uto Ukpanah, the suspension is…

Nigerian singer, Omawumi (born Omawumi Boma Magbele), has shared her perspective on how relationships have changed over time, pushing back against the idea that modern dating is more transactional. Speaking during a podcast session with Pulse Nigeria, the singer explained that exchanges in relationships are not new but have simply taken different forms across generations. According to her, what people call “transactional” today existed in simpler ways in the past. “I disagree because women have had ‘long throat’ since the beginning of time, but our own form of transaction was different. Back in secondary school through university days holding hands…

The Kano State Police Command has dismantled a syndicate of suspected fraudsters who allegedly posed as spirits, popularly referred to as “Aljannu,” to deceive and extort money from unsuspecting residents. The Command disclosed this in a press release, stating that the breakthrough followed intelligence reports on suspicious phone activities. Operatives of the Anti-Kidnapping Squad arrested two suspects—Ahmad Ibrahim, 24, and Isma’il Muhammad, 22—both residents of Dandinshe Quarters in Dala Local Government Area. According to the police, the suspects confessed during interrogation to using multiple GSM lines and voice modulation techniques to disguise themselves as spirits while calling victims. They reportedly…

Former Ondo State Governor, Olusegun Mimiko, has formally resigned his membership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), marking a significant development in the state’s political landscape. Mimiko’s resignation from the PDP was contained in a letter dated April 10, 2026, and addressed to the PDP chairman of Ward 7 in Ondo West Local Government Area. Mimiko, in the letter, stated that his decision was necessitated by persistent speculation regarding his political status. The former governor noted that his prolonged absence from active party engagement made it imperative to clarify his position, declaring unequivocally that he is no longer a member…

An estimated 26,000 children are held in correctional facilities across Nigeria every year, making up nearly 30 per cent of the inmate population, a trend authorities now admit is unlawful and alarming. The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, described the situation as a “gross violation of child protection laws” during the launch of a national assessment report on children deprived of liberty in Abuja. The report, developed through inter-agency collaboration, exposes a justice system where thousands of minors are detained — many without trial, legal representation, or access to basic rights. Despite protections under the Child Rights Act, which prohibits…