Author: Opalim Lifted

Iran interred late President Ebrahim Raisi at the holiest Shiite shrine in the nation on Thursday, days after a fatal helicopter crash killed him along with the country’s foreign minister and six others, AP News Media reported. Mourners lowered Raisi into a tomb at the Imam Reza Shrine in Mashhad, where Shiite Islam’s eighth imam is buried and millions of pilgrims visit each year. Hundreds of thousands of people dressed in black crowded around the shrine under its iconic golden dome, wailing and beating their chests in sorrow in a sign of mourning common in Shiite ceremonies. A hadith, or…

A stage has collapsed in heavy winds at a political campaign rally in northern Mexico. The unforseen incident killed at least nine people, including a child, and injured 121, the governor of Nuevo Leon State said on Thursday. The collapse occurred during an event Wednesday evening attended by presidential long-shot candidate Jorge Álvarez Máynez, who ran to escape. Videos of the collapse on social media showed people screaming, running away, and climbing out from under metal polls. The victims “will not be alone in this tragedy,” Máynez told reporters Wednesday night, adding that he had suspended upcoming campaign events. Afterward,…

A Tunisian court sentenced two TV and radio journalists to twelve months in prison for criticizing the government on their programmes and on social media. Borhane Bsais and Mourad Zeghidi were each given six months’ imprisonment for disseminating “fake news” and an additional six months for “making false statements with the aim of defaming others,” in reference to Tunisian President Kais Saied, court spokesperson Mohamed Zitouna said. The sentences come less than two weeks after both were arrested. They are among a broader group of journalists, activists, and lawyers charged under Decree 54, a law criminalizing the dissemination of “fake…

West Ham have appointed Julen Lopetegui as their new head coach. The 57-year-old Spaniard, who agreed a deal with the Hammers earlier this month, succeeds David Moyes and joins on a two-year deal, with the option for a third. Lopetegui has been out of a managerial role since he left Wolves in August. “I feel very happy, first of all, to be able to be part of the future of this big club,” he said. “We had other opportunities but I am very happy that West Ham chose me because I chose West Ham too, so we are really happy…

Sanusi Lamido Sanusi II has been reportedly reinstated as the Emir of Kano.  This decision followed the Kano State House of Assembly’s resolution to dethrone the current Emir and also dismantle the four new Emirates in the state established under a controversial 2019 law. The Leadership authoritatively reported that Sanusi II has been reinstated and is expected in Kano on Friday, following an official announcement to be made. According to credible inside sources, “So certainly, with the passage of the bill, Sanusi automatically stands reinstated. There is no need for confirmation; the thing to do is wait for the governor…

Ademola Lookman scored a hat-trick as Atalanta beat Bayer Leverkusen 3-0 to win Europa League and end the German’s team 51 unbeaten matches. The Nigerian forward scored two goals in the first half and completed his hat-trick in pulsating fashion as the Italian side ended their trophy hunt. Lookman made history as he became the first player to score a hat-trick in Europa League final. He also helped Atalanta win its first continental trophy since 1963. Leverkusen opened the scoring 12 minutes into the match. Davide Zappacosta fed the ball through to Lookman, who picked up the pass inside the…

The Federal Government has approved the prohibition of money rituals and the glamorization of vices in Nigerian films. The Executive Director and CEO of the National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB), Shaibu Husseini, disclosed this at a National Stakeholders Engagement on Smoke-Free Nollywood held in Enugu on Wednesday, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported. The NFVCB and Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa organised the event. Movie producers, directors, and actors drawn from different parts of the country, as well as leaders of various guilds and associations in the Nigerian film industry, were present at the event. Husseini said…

Tennis great Serena Williams has hinted at a comeback 18 months after “evolving away from tennis” saying on social media that she is “ready to hit some balls again”. Williams, 42, said she was “evolving away from tennis” in an essay to Vogue magazine in 2022, and, while she did not confirm the US Open as her farewell event, she was given lavish tributes before each match in New York and waved an emotional goodbye after losing in the third round to Ajla Tomljanovic. “I am not retired,” Williams said at a conference in San Francisco while promoting her investment…

Controversial social media activist, VeryDarkMan has said that the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the last election, Peter Obi, has a very slim chance of clinching the presidential seat in 2027. He also stated that the presidential candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and New Nigeria People’s Party, NNPP, Atiku Abubakar and Rabiu Kwankwaso, respectively, would also not “smell” the presidential seat. According to him, the opposition supporters are underestimating the incumbent president, Bola Tinubu. In response to reports suggesting a connection between Obi’s recent visit to Atiku and a merger of the opposition parties, the…

Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino has left the club by mutual consent after just one season at Stamford Bridge. Pochettino, 52, took charge of Chelsea on 1 June, signing a two-year contract with the option of a further year. The Argentine came under fire after an underwhelming first half of the season but led them to a sixth place finish in the Premier League. Chelsea also finished as runners-up in the Carabao Cup and reached the semi-finals of the FA Cup. Speculation had been rife that the former Paris Saint-Germain and Tottenham Hotspur boss would be gone after just one year…