Author: Elizabeth Jenrola Oso

The United States Embassy in Nigeria has restated that visa application fees remain non-refundable and non-transferable, irrespective of whether an application is approved or denied. In a statement issued on Tuesday via its official X (formerly Twitter) account, the Embassy acknowledged the frustration expressed by many Nigerians over the high costs associated with the process, particularly in cases where applications are unsuccessful. “We hear your concerns regarding U.S. visa application fees. Like most countries, U.S. visa fees cover the cost of processing the application, regardless of the outcome. While fees are non-refundable and non-transferable, each application is reviewed thoroughly and…

US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has issued a public warning that assaulting its officers constitutes a federal crime punishable by felony charges. In a statement posted on X on Tuesday, the agency said: “Anyone,  regardless of immigration status, who assaults an ICE officer WILL face federal felony assault charges and prosecution to the fullest extent of the law.” The message was accompanied by an image bearing the words “think before you resist” alongside a clenched fist. The broad language of the warning has raised concerns that prosecutors could pursue federal assault charges for conduct traditionally classified as resisting arrest…

Eighteen rural communities in Lesotho have lodged a formal complaint with the African Development Bank (AfDB) over its funding of a multibillion-pound water scheme they say has damaged farmland, polluted water sources and caused structural harm to homes. The villages, home to about 1,600 people in Mokhotlong district in the north-east of the country, are demanding full transparency over planned relocations and compensation arrangements, which they claim have been pursued without proper consultation. The Lesotho Highlands Water Project, now due for completion in 2029, a decade later than originally planned, will channel water from the mountain kingdom to South Africa’s…

Google has announced plans to invest £5bn in the United Kingdom over the next two years to meet growing demand for artificial intelligence services, in a move the government has hailed as a major boost for the economy.

Sweden will introduce a nationwide ban on mobile phones in all schools from the start of the 2026 autumn term.

Five members of the Russian feminist protest group Pussy Riot have been sentenced in absentia to lengthy prison terms by a Moscow court over performances critical of Russia’s military actions, according to reports from Rolling Stone and the group-affiliated media outlet Mediazona. The sentences, handed down last week, range from eight to 13 years. The women, Maria Alyokhina, Taso Pletner, Olga Borisova, Diana Burkot and Alina Petrova, were not present in court and are believed to be outside Russia. The charges relate to two separate incidents. The first was the release in December 2022 of a music video entitled Mama,…

A man detained moments after the fatal shooting of Turning Point USA executive director Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University (UVU) has been arrested on allegations of attempting to mislead police by falsely confessing to the crime. George Zinn, 71, was taken into custody on Monday and charged with obstruction of justice, a second-degree felony. State authorities said he was also booked on suspicion of possessing indecent images of children, discovered on his mobile phone. Zinn was arrested after being discharged from hospital, where he had been receiving treatment for a medical condition. According to court documents filed by UVU…

Eurovision attracts more than 160 million viewers worldwide. Russia was banned from the competition following its invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

A New York judge has dismissed the two most serious state charges against Luigi Mangione in connection with the killing of United HealthCare executive Brian Thompson, ruling that prosecutors had failed to present sufficient evidence to support claims the crimes were acts of terrorism. Mangione, who was arrested over Thompson’s death in December last year, had faced counts of first-degree murder in furtherance of an act of terrorism and second-degree murder as a crime of terrorism. Both charges were struck out on Tuesday by Justice Gregory Carro during a brief hearing at Manhattan criminal court. In a written decision, Justice…

A Kenyan court has issued an arrest warrant for a British national suspected of murdering Agnes Wanjiru, whose body was discovered in the grounds of a hotel near a British army base in 2012. High Court judge Alexander Muteti granted the warrant on Tuesday following an application by prosecutors, who confirmed that the suspect has been charged with murder. The move is intended to facilitate extradition proceedings from the United Kingdom to Kenya. Prosecutors told the court that UK-based witnesses will be called to testify at a future trial. “The witnesses are in the United Kingdom but we will avail…