Author: Elizabeth Jenrola Oso

The Pentagon has issued a new directive ordering the removal of up to 1,000 openly transgender service members from the military, following the Supreme Court’s greenlight for the Trump administration’s controversial ban to take effect while legal challenges continue. The directive, released Thursday, gives all remaining transgender personnel 30 days to self-identify before being subject to medical record reviews and potential discharge. This marks the most aggressive enforcement yet of the administration’s policy against transgender individuals serving in uniform. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who signed the order, made no effort to temper his position. “No More Trans @ DoD,” he…

In a new diplomatic push to end the grinding war, Ukraine and top officials from the United States, France, Britain, and Germany have discussed ways to pressure Russia into accepting a 30-day ceasefire. The talks, held online, focused on a U.S.-backed proposal that Ukraine has signaled willingness to implement immediately. Andriy Yermak, chief of staff to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, revealed details of the conversation on Thursday, saying the parties agreed that “a complete and unconditional ceasefire should be the first step towards a just and sustainable peace.” Senior officials involved included U.S. special envoys Steve Witkoff and Keith Kellogg,…

Organised criminal gangs wield such power over prisons across England and Wales that they are corrupting staff, fuelling violence, and enforcing drug debts behind bars, according to prisons minister James Timpson, who says the scale of the problem is so severe it “keeps me awake at night”. In a candid interview with The Guardian, Timpson revealed that a “beefed up” counter-corruption unit had prosecuted 37 prison staff members last year alone, with authorities intensifying efforts to sever the growing ties between criminal gangs and prison officers. “Serious organised crime is a big problem, a huge problem,” Timpson said. “It’s one…

Taiwan’s newly inaugurated president, Lai Ching-te, has drawn a bold historical parallel between his island nation and the European democracies that stood on the brink of war with Nazi Germany in the 1930s, warning of the growing threat posed by modern authoritarian regimes. In a striking speech delivered to foreign dignitaries gathered in Taipei to commemorate the end of the Second World War in Europe, a first-of-its-kind official observance by Taiwan, Lai emphasised the shared values and common challenges faced by Taiwan and democratic nations across the globe. “Eighty years after the end of the European war, the message of…

In a dramatic turn of events, five members of Venezuela’s political opposition who had taken refuge in the Argentinian ambassador’s residence in Caracas have safely arrived in the United States, following what U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio described as a “rescue operation.” The five individuals had been sheltering at the diplomatic residence since March 2024 to avoid arrest by President Nicolás Maduro’s regime, which accused them of inciting violence and attempting to destabilize the country. Among the group were the campaign manager and communications director for opposition leader María Corina Machado. Rubio confirmed their arrival on U.S. soil in a…

The Trump administration is under fire following reports that it is planning to deport an unspecified group of migrants to Libya, a country the U.S. State Department itself has condemned for “life-threatening” prison conditions and widespread human rights abuses. According to Reuters, three unnamed U.S. officials confirmed the administration’s intent to carry out the deportations as early as this week. Two officials indicated that flights to the North African nation could occur as soon as Wednesday, though plans remain fluid. The New York Times also reported similar confirmations from a U.S. official. The nationalities of the migrants remain unclear, and…

The United Kingdom government’s central justification for sweeping changes to environmental protections in its controversial new planning and infrastructure bill has been dealt a major blow by its own impact assessment. According to the analysis conducted by Whitehall officials, there is very little evidence to support the claim that environmental protections delay development. The bill, which is currently under scrutiny, aims to fast-track housing and infrastructure projects by allowing developers to sidestep vital environmental obligations. In exchange, developers would pay into a Nature Recovery Fund (NRF), a move critics have slammed as a “licence to kill nature.” Officials admitted that…

Chinese President Xi Jinping has arrived in Moscow for a four-day state visit, coinciding with a wave of Ukrainian drone strikes on the Russian capital. The visit, centred around Russia’s Victory Day celebrations commemorating the end of World War II, marks Xi’s 11th trip to Russia since taking office, more than to any other country. Moscow’s mayor, Sergei Sobyanin, confirmed that at least 14 Ukrainian drones were intercepted by Russian air defence overnight, temporarily shutting down most of the city’s airports. Russia’s flagship airline, Aeroflot, announced major schedule changes in response to the disruption. Xi Jinping’s visit comes at a…

Ex-U.S. President Joe Biden delivered a scathing critique of Donald Trump’s foreign policy, warning that Trump’s approach to Russia could shatter global alliances and undermine America’s credibility on the world stage.

South Korea is battling its worst measles outbreak in six years, as health authorities warn that global travel and declining vaccination coverage are fueling a regional resurgence of the highly infectious disease. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) confirmed 52 cases so far in 2025, surpassing last year’s total of 49. It marks the highest number of cases since 2019, when 194 infections were recorded, despite South Korea being declared “measles free” by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2014. Officials attribute the spike largely to overseas transmission. Of the 52 recent cases, 34 involved individuals arriving from…