Author: Opalim Lifted

Hamas, the Palestinian Islamist group, has agreed to begin disarming under a ceasefire arrangement aimed at paving the way for a new civilian administration in Gaza. On Thursday, US President Donald Trump announced an agreement providing for Hamas’ “complete disarmament,” describing it as a major breakthrough towards establishing a new Palestinian-led government in the territory. Trump said the deal marked “a major milestone” in the implementation of his 20-point peace plan and would be carried out in carefully sequenced phases. He said Israeli forces would withdraw from Gaza as the disarmament process progresses, while an international stabilisation force would work…

At least 18 migrants have died after thousands attempted to reach the Spanish exclave of Ceuta from neighbouring Morocco, triggering a major humanitarian and border security crisis. Ceuta, an autonomous Spanish city on North Africa’s Mediterranean coast, has witnessed an unprecedented surge in migrant arrivals over the past 24 hours. A police source told AFP on Friday that it was impossible to determine how many people crossed overnight as thousands continued to pour into the enclave. “There was a steady stream of people all night long,” the source said, adding that although the flow slowed after dark, migrants “continued to…

The Federal Government has said it will soon publish a detailed breakdown of how savings from the removal of fuel subsidy have been spent, amid growing public concern over the impact of the reforms. Speaking at the African Emerging Markets Forum in Abuja, the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, said savings from the removal of fuel subsidies and foreign exchange market reforms had largely been absorbed by rising debt-servicing costs and increased government spending. According to Oyedele, fuel subsidies and what he described as an implicit foreign exchange subsidy previously cost Nigeria about five…

Presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has criticised President Bola Tinubu over his recent remarks that hunger has always existed in Nigeria, arguing that such comments fail to reflect the severity of the economic hardship currently facing millions of citizens. Reacting in a statement on Friday, Obi acknowledged that hunger has long been a challenge in Nigeria but maintained that the current situation has deteriorated significantly under the present administration. According to him, while previous governments also grappled with food insecurity and poverty, the responsibility of any administration is to improve living conditions rather than explain…

Chelsea winger Mykhailo Mudryk is available to return to playing immediately after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) partially upheld his appeal against a four-year ban for doping. The Ukraine international, 25, has not played a competitive match since November 2024, having been provisionally suspended by the Football Association the following month after returning an “adverse finding” for banned substance meldonium. He was subsequently given the maximum four-year ban by the FA but appealed against the decision to CAS, who have ruled Mudryk can return to competition “with immediate effect” after he accepted breaking anti-doping rules and agreed to…

The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) says it will embark on a nationwide strike from August 10 if the federal government fails to address its demands. In a communiqué issued after its Ordinary General Meeting (OGM) held in Gombe, the association said the demands include the payment of salary and allowance arrears, as well as the resolution of welfare issues affecting doctors across federal health institutions. The communiqué was signed by Mohammad Suleiman, NARD president; Shuaibu Ibrahim, secretary-general; and Abdulmajid Yahya Ibrahim, publicity and social secretary, on Thursday. NARD said the decision was reached after its members reviewed the…

The Federal Government has announced plans to phase out subsidy payments in the power sector from 2027. Joseph Tegbe, the minister of power, announced the plan during a media interactive session on Friday, while speaking on the power sector debt. He said the subsidy will be gradually removed, but noted that Nigerians will not be deprived of any benefits. The minister also reiterated that there is no plan to increase tariffs in the immediate term. “We have the mandate of Mr. president to clear the legacy debt and come up with sustainable structures to make sure this doesn’t pile up…

Routine US visa processing in Abuja will end from August 1, 2026, following a major restructuring of visa operations across Africa by the United States Department of State. The move, announced by the State Department, is part of the Trump administration’s strategy to strengthen national security, improve the consistency of visa screening and vetting, reduce operational costs, and better align visa services with US immigration priorities. Under the new arrangement, Nigerians applying for nonimmigrant and immigrant visas must schedule appointments and pay visa fees at the US Consulate in Lagos, which has been designated as Nigeria’s regional hub for routine…

Segun Aina, a professor of computer engineering, has assumed office as the registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB). Aina took over the reins of the board on Friday from Ishaq Oloyede, whose two-term, 10-year tenure ended on July 31, 2026, at JAMB’s headquarters in Bwari, Abuja. On May 21, President Bola Tinubu appointed Aina, who was 39 years old at the time, as the substantive JAMB registrar to succeed Oloyede. He is the youngest person to serve as JAMB registrar. In a statement announcing the appointment, Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy,…

Former Vice President Prof. Yemi Osinbajo has chaired a high-level meeting on unlocking diaspora capital for Africa’s transformation during the 2026 ECOSOCC Citizens’ Forum in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Osinbajo disclosed this in a statement following the session, which focused on the African-Diaspora Investment Corridor Initiative. The meeting was co-hosted by the Africa Union Economic, Social and Cultural Council (ECOSOCC), INCLUDE Knowledge Platform, Future Perspectives, the African Union Citizens and Diaspora Organisations Directorate (CIDO) and Cleva. According to Osinbajo, the initiative seeks to harness the financial resources, expertise and networks of Africans in the diaspora to drive sustainable development and investment…