Author: Opalim Lifted

Iran has begun partially restoring internet access after enforcing what monitoring groups described as one of the longest nationwide internet shutdowns in modern history. The restrictions, which lasted nearly three months, left millions of Iranians disconnected from global online services, with only limited access to a domestic intranet for basic activities such as shopping, education and transport services. Internet monitoring organisation NetBlocks confirmed signs of renewed connectivity on Tuesday, saying live metrics showed a “partial restoration” on day 88 of the blackout. However, the group noted it remained unclear whether the move would be permanent. Iranian First Vice-President Mohammad Reza…

A Federal High Court in Abuja has dismissed a suit seeking to stop former President Goodluck Jonathan from contesting the 2027 presidential election, while also imposing a combined N21 million fine on the plaintiff. Delivering judgment on Tuesday, Justice Peter Lifu ruled that the plaintiff, JohnMary Jideobi, lacked the legal standing to institute the case because he failed to show any personal injury or loss arising from Jonathan’s alleged presidential ambition. The court awarded N20 million costs against the plaintiff in favour of Jonathan and an additional N1 million in favour of the Attorney-General of the Federation. In the suit…

France is experiencing unusually high temperatures, with weather officials confirming record-breaking heat for May in several parts of the country as a heatwave spread across regions on Monday. According to Meteo France, at least 10 locations recorded their hottest May temperatures ever over the weekend, including the northwestern coastal towns of Lorient and Noirmoutier. In the city of Rennes, residents sought shelter from rising temperatures that reached 27C on Monday morning. Authorities placed parts of the Brittany region under a yellow heatwave alert for a second consecutive day, urging people to take precautions. A spokeswoman for Meteo France said the…

Britain has recorded its hottest day ever in May after temperatures soared to 33.5C near London during a severe early summer heatwave. According to the Met Office, the new temperature surpassed the previous May record of 32.8C, which had stood since 1922 and was matched again in 1944. The record-breaking heat was recorded near Heathrow Airport on Monday as heatwave conditions spread across southeast England and London. “Temperatures at Heathrow have recently reached 33.5C, provisionally beating the all-time May record,” the Met Office said in a statement shared on social media. The weather agency had earlier forecast temperatures as high…

Cooking gas prices have risen sharply across parts of Lagos, Ogun and Abuja as marketers warn of worsening supply shortages and rising operational costs in Nigeria’s liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) sector. Checks on Monday showed that prices climbed to between N1,400 and N2,000 per kilogramme across several locations. In Ikorodu, Lagos, cooking gas sold for N1,800 per kilogramme, up from N1,300 about a month ago. At Afeeze Bus Stop in Ogba, Lagos, residents reportedly bought the product for N2,000/kg, compared to N1,500 three weeks earlier. Consumers in Akoka, Yaba, purchased cooking gas at N1,500/kg, while residents in Ojota paid N1,400/kg.…

The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has raised fresh concerns over coordinated attacks on railway infrastructure in parts of the country, warning that persistent vandalism poses a serious threat to public safety and national security. In a statement issued at the weekend, the Corporation disclosed that new incidents of rail vandalism were recorded in Plateau and Bauchi states. The agency described the attacks as deliberate acts targeting critical national infrastructure and disrupting railway operations. Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the NRC, Kayode Opeifa, condemned the repeated destruction of railway facilities, describing it as sabotage against national development and a…

Nigerian lawyer and activist, Deji Adeyanju, has alleged that statements made by Islamic cleric, Ahmad Gumi, could amount to the promotion of terrorism under Nigerian law, an offence punishable with up to 20 years imprisonment. Adeyanju called for Gumi’s prosecution under the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, following comments the cleric made during an interview on Africa Independent Television (AIT) on May 19, 2026. During the interview, Gumi urged Nigerians to learn how to live with terrorists, arguing that armed groups were under pressure from government military operations. According to Gumi, “They are under pressure to fight government, government…

Kaduna-based Islamic cleric Ahmad Gumi has urged the federal government to consider granting amnesty to armed bandits in the same way repentant Boko Haram members have been rehabilitated and reintegrated into society. Speaking during a press briefing in Kaduna on Monday, Gumi argued that Nigeria’s prolonged military approach to insecurity has failed to produce lasting results after nearly two decades. According to him, authorities should adopt a different strategy focused on dialogue, rehabilitation and reintegration rather than relying solely on force. “If the kinetic approach is not working for 17 years, why don’t you change the approach? Let’s change the…

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has accused President Bola Tinubu of laying the groundwork to rig the 2027 general elections through claims that he secured 10.99 million votes during the presidential primaries of the All Progressives Congress (APC). The opposition party said the figure announced during the APC primary process was an “unbelievable concoction” that should worry Nigerians ahead of the next general election. In a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC described Tinubu’s recent criticism of opposition parties as self-serving and insensitive. While accepting his emergence as APC presidential candidate, Tinubu had argued that…

Dumebi Kachikwu has dismissed claims that his bloc is a faction within the African Democratic Congress (ADC), insisting his group remains the authentic party structure recognised by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). Kachikwu made the remarks on Monday during an appearance on AIT’s Political Platform, a day after his camp dissolved the David Mark-led national working committee (NWC) and adopted him as the ADC presidential candidate for the 2027 election. Addressing the deepening leadership crisis in the party, Kachikwu argued that the real faction within the ADC was the bloc linked to David Mark, Atiku Abubakar and other opposition…