Author: Fatimah Idera

The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday unanimously ruled in favor of a Catholic nonprofit seeking exemption from Wisconsin’s unemployment insurance tax, marking another significant decision expanding religious rights. In a 9–0 decision written by Justice Sonia Sotomayor, the court sided with the Catholic Charities Bureau, an arm of the Catholic Diocese of Superior and four of its affiliated service organizations. The ruling overturned a lower court’s decision that denied the group a religious exemption, citing the First Amendment’s protection of religious freedom and government neutrality toward religion. At the center of the case was whether Wisconsin’s refusal to grant the…

A federal judge ruled Thursday that the Trump administration must reinstate AmeriCorps-funded programs in 24 Democratic-led states, following a lawsuit challenging the administration’s efforts to dismantle the national service agency. However, the judge declined to prevent mass layoffs within the agency. U.S. District Judge Deborah Boardman, based in Baltimore, issued a partial injunction in response to a legal challenge brought by those states and the District of Columbia. They argued that the administration acted unlawfully in ending over 1,000 AmeriCorps grants and placing 85 per cent of the agency’s workforce on administrative leave, with plans to terminate them by June…

A woman who posed as a qualified psychiatrist and worked in the NHS for more than two decades has been ordered to repay over £400,000 or serve additional time behind bars. Zholia Alemi, 62, of Burnley, secured jobs across the UK by submitting forged medical credentials to the General Medical Council (GMC), despite never completing her medical degree. She was convicted of 20 offences, including forgery, and sentenced to seven years in prison in 2023 following a trial at Manchester Crown Court. On Wednesday, a judge ruled that Alemi must return £406,624 to the NHS in compensation or face a…

In a move that intensifies an ongoing battle with one of the nation’s most prestigious universities, President Donald Trump on Wednesday suspended the entry of foreign nationals seeking to study or participate in exchange programs at Harvard University, citing national security concerns. The presidential proclamation, effective for an initial period of six months, blocks new international students from entering the U.S. to attend the varsity. It also directs the State Department to consider revoking the academic or exchange visas of current students who fall under the directive’s criteria. The suspension could be extended beyond six months. The school swiftly condemned…

A deported immigrant and Guatemalan man who was mistakenly deported to Mexico despite expressing fear of persecution had been flown back to the United States (US) on Wednesday, following a federal judge’s order directing the Trump administration to facilitate his return. The man’s return marks a significant development in a series of judicial rulings requiring the U.S. government to bring back migrants who were unlawfully deported. It appears to be the first successful reentry among those cases. Recall that on May 23, U.S. District Judge Brian Murphy in Boston ordered the man’s return after the Department of Justice admitted its…

British Finance Minister Rachel Reeves on Wednesday pledged £15.6 billion ($21.1 billion) to upgrade transport infrastructure in cities beyond London, marking a major step in addressing long-standing regional disparities. Speaking in Rochdale, northwest England, Reeves unveiled the first commitments from her upcoming June 11 Spending Review, which will outline government department budgets through 2029. This is the most comprehensive multi-year review since 2015, aside from a COVID-specific one in 2021. The announcement comes as Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s Labour government seeks to demonstrate tangible progress in public services and infrastructure after poor results in recent local elections. Cities outside London…

The Federal Government, in partnership with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), has launched a ₦200 million aquaculture support initiative aimed at boosting local fish production and reducing Nigeria’s reliance on fish imports.

The U.S. dollar showed minimal movement on Wednesday as investors turned their attention to upcoming U.S. employment data.

The global economy is slowing more than previously expected, with the Trump administration’s ongoing trade war increasingly affecting U.S. growth, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) warned on Tuesday. In its latest Economic Outlook, the Paris-based organisation revised its global growth projections downward, citing rising protectionism and persistent trade tensions. Global economic growth is now projected to decline from 3.3 per cent in 2024 to 2.9 per cent in both 2025 and 2026. This marks a downgrade from the OECD’s March forecast, which anticipated growth of 3.1 per cent this year and 3.0 per cent next year. The…

Vietnamese firms are set to sign Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with U.S. partners to purchase $2 billion worth of American agricultural products, Vietnam’s Ministry of Agriculture announced on Tuesday. The agreements are part of broader efforts to strengthen trade ties and secure a new bilateral trade deal. The deals come amid trade tensions that saw the Trump administration impose a 46 per cent reciprocal tariff on Vietnamese goods as a measure currently paused until July. If enforced, these tariffs could significantly impact Vietnam’s export-driven economy, particularly its vital trade relationship with the United States, its largest export market. The agreements…