Author: Opalim Lifted

The world population has reached a major demographic turning point, with people aged 65 and over now outnumbering children aged five and under globally for the first time in recorded history. The shift, recorded between 2020 and 2025, highlights the rapid ageing of the world’s population as fertility rates decline and people live longer. According to the US Census Bureau’s An Aging World: 2025 report, the global population aged 65 and over has surpassed the number of children aged five and under. The demographic change is expected to accelerate in the coming decades. The Census Bureau projects that the global…

Serial Guinness World Record-breaker David Rush has bested his own record for balancing toilet paper rolls on his head, keeping 254 rolls balanced for more than a minute, United Press International (UPI) reported on Thursday. Rush, who holds more than 200 Guinness World Records titles, initially set the Guinness World Records title for the most toilet paper rolls balanced on the head at 101 in 2021. He eventually lost the title but regained it in May 2025 by balancing 195 rolls on his head. Rush has now officially increased the record to 254 rolls following a successful attempt in October…

Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) has attributed the recent volatility in petrol prices to rising logistics costs, crude oil sourcing challenges and reliance on single-source domestic refining. George Ene-Ita, NMDPRA head of public affairs, said petrol prices are fully deregulated and therefore respond to changes across the petroleum supply chain. Speaking in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Sunday, Ene-Ita said factors affecting prices include crude oil procurement, refinery delivery timelines, imported petrol cargoes, transportation and applicable taxes. He said the time between sourcing crude offshore and delivering it to refineries,…

The prison release date of American rapper Sean John Combs, popularly known as Sean Diddy, has been moved up again, with the Federal Correctional Institution in Fort Dix, New Jersey, now listing February 5, 2028, as the date he is expected to leave prison. The latest change comes weeks after the rapper was released from solitary confinement following an altercation with another inmate at the facility. Sean Diddy’s release date has shifted several times in recent months. In July, Page Six confirmed with the Federal Bureau of Prisons that his release had been brought forward by one month, from February…

The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Rilwan Disu, has promised to tackle the housing deficit confronting police personnel, particularly officers in the rank-and-file. Disu made the commitment during an inspection tour of police barracks and housing projects in Lagos State over the weekend, where he said the Nigeria Police Force would maximise funds available through the Police Mortgage Bank and the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria to address the accommodation needs of its personnel. The IGP said the Force was already engaging strategic partners to unlock mortgage financing and other funding opportunities for the construction of affordable and decent homes…

Vice-President Kashim Shettima and former Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo are set to lead business, philanthropic, development finance and government leaders in a major push to unlock Africa’s estimated $1.2 trillion forest economy by 2050. The high-level meeting, scheduled to hold in Lagos on Tuesday, is being organised by the African Forest Forum (AFF) in collaboration with the Sustainable Forest Management Champions for Africa Initiative. The roundtable will focus on mobilising long-term private and philanthropic capital to support sustainable management and economic development of Africa’s forests. Shettima is expected to open the meeting, while Osinbajo, who chairs the Sustainable Forest Management Champions…

Human rights activist, politician and co-founder of the BringBackOurGirls movement, Aisha Yesufu, has said her choice of presidential candidate in the 2015 election was influenced by the decision of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to field Prof. Yemi Osinbajo as its vice-presidential candidate. The Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC) chieftain made this known while appearing as a guest on the latest episode of the KaaTruths podcast. According to Yesufu, she didn’t vote for the APC because of her belief in or trust in former President Muhammadu Buhari, adding, “I don’t regret it.” She further clarified that her decision was based on…

Former Vice-President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, has said technology companies, not children or parents, must take primary responsibility for protecting young people from digital risks. Osinbajo said it was unacceptable to design products that embed dangers and then leave families to manage the fallout. The former vice-president stated this in Cairo, Egypt, while chairing a high-level session on child rights and design accountability in the digital age at the 16th Annual Conference of the Pan African Lawyers Union on Monday. According to a statement made available on Wednesday, the session, titled “Guardrails, Not Gates: Protecting Children in the Digital Age,” was…

Prominent personalities from the church, government, business and other sectors are expected to attend the 17th Anthony Cardinal Okogie Foundation Annual Lecture, scheduled for Thursday, October 8, 2026, at The Hall, Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church, Musa Yar’Adua Street, Victoria Island, Lagos. The 2026 edition is being hosted by the Lagos Archdiocesan Catholic Men Organisation (LACMON). According to a statement, former Vice-President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and distinguished scholar, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, will deliver the keynote address on the theme, ‘Rule of Law in Nigeria: Challenges of Leadership Compliance’. The event will be chaired by the…

The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has attributed delays and the conduct of some night papers during the 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) to late registration, insecurity and the Federal Government’s last-minute decision to adopt a hybrid examination format. WAEC’s Head of National Office (HNO), Dr Amos Josiah Dangut, gave the explanation amid growing concerns from educators, parents and school administrators over the 2026 WASSCE results. Dangut spoke during a virtual dialogue organised by the Education Writers’ Association of Nigeria (EWAN), where school proprietors and education stakeholders raised questions about the conduct of the examination and the…