Author: Fatimah Idera

WThe High Court has dismissed a legal challenge by the Wikimedia Foundation, the non-profit behind Wikipedia, against the UK’s new online safety regulations. The Foundation argued that the Online Safety Act could impose disproportionate restrictions on Wikipedia by potentially categorising it as a category one service, a label intended for large platforms like social media giants and search engines. This designation, they claimed, could require Wikipedia to implement user verification systems, threatening user privacy and the platform’s open-access model. Court ruling on Wikipedia Foundation However, in a ruling issued on Monday, Mr Justice Johnson concluded that the Wikimedia Foundation failed…

Grangemouth, Scotland, the UK’s largest chemical plant, is at risk of closure, its owner Ineos has warned, as rising energy prices and carbon taxes continue to batter the site’s profitability. The Olefins and Polymers (O\&P) facility at Grangemouth, which produces essential materials used by hundreds of UK plastics manufacturers, has operated at a loss for several years. Stuart Collings, CEO of the plant, said Ineos has had to subsidize the site using profits from its global operations to keep it afloat. “Unless there is a significant turnaround in the next couple of years, Ineos will have to make a very…

UK Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said offenders had been exploiting the system by staying in the UK for months or even years while appeals dragged on.

Some students are grappling with the low performance in the West African Senior School Certificate Examination results released by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), leading to mental health challenges and leaving them to question the educational system of the country.

The National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC) has also launched Nigeria’s first National Occupational Standard for EV Maintenance, a blueprint for training technicians at colleges and universities nationwide.

Nearly 300 people have been arrested in a week-long nationwide operation targeting asylum seekers suspected of working illegally for delivery companies. Between 20 and 27 July, immigration enforcement teams stopped and questioned 1,780 individuals across the UK. Of these, 280 were arrested in areas including Hillingdon (northwest London), Dumfries (Scotland) and Birmingham. The Home Office confirmed that 89 of those arrested have been detained pending removal, while 53 are having their asylum support reviewed a process that could see their benefits reduced or withdrawn. Officials described the initiative as an intensification week focused on illegal working hotspots, particularly within the…

Israel has announced plans to give civilians in Gaza city until October 7 to evacuate before launching a full-scale military occupation of the area, as part of an effort to dismantle Hamas and secure the release of Israeli hostages. The plan, approved by the Israeli security cabinet on Thursday night, instructs the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) to prepare for a southern evacuation of the city’s residents approximately one million people before the offensive begins. Although the directive applies initially to Gaza City, it is widely seen as a step toward full occupation of all remaining parts of the Gaza Strip…

Aggressive head and neck cancer patients will soon be  offered vaccines by the NHS as part of a major expansion of a world-first clinical trial programme. Over the next year, more than 100 patients with cancers of the mouth, throat, and related areas will be enrolled in the trial, which aims to both cure the disease and prevent its return. This follows earlier trials involving around 550 patients with bowel or skin cancers. The initiative is part of the NHS Cancer Vaccine Launch Pad, a national programme designed to connect eligible cancer patients to nearby clinical trials. The programme is…

The Home Office has dropped plans to house asylum seekers in a block of town centre flats in Waterlooville, Hampshire, after significant local opposition led by former Home Secretary Suella Braverman. The proposed site, a former high-street clothing store converted into flats, was set to accommodate 35 asylum seekers. However, officials have now confirmed to Mrs Braverman that the Home Office contractor Clearsprings will no longer proceed with the procurement of the property. The move marks the first government reversal in response to the wave of protests this summer against the use of hotels and other locations for asylum accommodation.…

Middle-class children could lose out on places at top schools under Labour’s proposed changes to the Equality Act, according to the Conservative Party. Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer plans to reintroduce a section of the 2010 Equality Act that would require public authorities to take socio-economic background into account when making strategic decisions. The proposal originally known as Harman’s law after former deputy Labour leader Harriet Harman was never enacted and was dropped by the coalition government in 2010. The Conservatives warn that reviving this clause could mean working-class applicants are given priority for school places, potentially at the expense…