Shirley U. Emehelu, a lawyer born in Nigeria, has been appointed lieutenant governor of New Jersey in the United States.

The appointment

New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill appointed Emehelu on Monday, 9 November 2026, making her the state's fifth lieutenant governor and the first immigrant to hold the office. She was sworn in at the Statehouse in Trenton by the state's Chief Justice, Stuart Rabner. The appointment also means that, for the first time in New Jersey's history, women hold the state's two highest executive offices at the same time. Emehelu will also serve as Secretary of State, a role that covers government administration and oversight of elections.

Why she was chosen

Sherrill described Emehelu as an experienced public servant and pointed to her record prosecuting financial crimes, protecting consumers, defending civil rights and tackling government waste. The governor also praised her leadership as acting Secretary of State, including overseeing the state's recent elections.

Her Nigerian roots

Emehelu, who moved from Nigeria to the United States as a child, said she was proud of what the appointment means for Black women, immigrants and people who share her Nigerian heritage, and expressed hope that it would inspire young people to serve. She said she would work with the governor on the cost of living and economic opportunity.

The Nigeria Police Force says it has raided facilities allegedly used to manipulate online conversations ahead of the 2027 general elections.

What the police said

Speaking on Wednesday, 11 November 2026, at a webinar on AI, misinformation and the 2027 elections, Assistant Commissioner of Police Bashir Abdullahi, who represented the Inspector-General of Police, said officers had carried out targeted raids on so-called phone farms after receiving information about a coordinated effort to interfere with the polls. He explained that a single operator can use hundreds of phones and automated accounts to push the same message, creating the impression that many people are independently discussing an issue. He said the raids had disrupted the operation.

Suspect arrested

Abdullahi said a suspect was in custody after officers traced allegedly false reports about a candidate from the South-South. He said the reports were allegedly meant to discredit the candidate and influence voters. The suspect has not been named or charged in court.

Free speech

He said the police would prosecute people found to have spread false information capable of undermining the elections, but stressed that enforcement would be guided by the law and that the force would not interfere with legitimate public debate. He also said the police had acquired tools that can detect deepfake videos, altered photos and cloned voices.

Background

At the same event, INEC said its own staff in about 10 states had uploaded AI-generated photos to the voters' register. The presidential election is scheduled for 16 January 2027.

Afrobeats star Ayra Starr has been announced as one of the performers at the 2027 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.

The line-up

The festival's organisers revealed the line-up on Instagram on Wednesday, 11 November 2026. Ayra Starr is on the Sunday bill for both weekends and is expected to perform on 11 and 18 April 2027. The Sunday shows are headlined by American R&B star SZA, with Don Toliver, Kygo, Jorja Smith, Victoria Monét and Tove Lo among the other acts. Dua Lipa is among the festival's other headliners. Coachella takes place at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, from 9 to 11 April and 16 to 18 April.

Her reaction

The singer shared the news on her own Instagram page with a short message telling fans she would see them in the desert.

Background

Ayra Starr, signed to Mavin Records, rose to international fame with hits such as 'Rush' and has become one of the most successful young Nigerian artists of her generation. Coachella is one of the world's biggest music festivals.

A Los Angeles concert by R&B stars Usher and Chris Brown has reportedly been cancelled.

What happened

According to reports on Wednesday, 11 November 2026, the pair's 16 November show at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, was marked as cancelled on Ticketmaster, and ticket holders were told they would receive refunds. No reason was given. Their 15 November show at the same venue, and their remaining Atlanta dates, were still listed as going ahead.

The feud

It is not clear whether the cancellation is linked to the reported argument between the two singers before their Atlanta concert last week. Usher reportedly wanted to start that show on time, while Brown wanted to wait for fans stuck in traffic, and the disagreement was said to have delayed the performance by almost three hours. Sources quoted in reports say the two have still not met to settle their differences and describe the relationship as frosty.

Background

The two stars are on a joint tour. Neither singer had publicly commented on the cancellation at the time of writing.