Author: Fatimah Idera

London’s flagship FTSE 100 index crossed the 10,000-point mark for the first time on Friday, continuing a strong rally that gathered pace last year. In early trading on the first session of 2026, the blue-chip index home to companies such as BP, Vodafone and HSBC rose about 1.0 per cent to a record high of 10,033.75. The milestone follows a standout performance in 2025, when the FTSE 100 climbed more than 21 per cent, its strongest annual gain in 16 years. The surge was driven largely by easing inflation and lower interest rates in the UK, alongside borrowing-cost cuts by…

The Governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara, has approved the appointment of five Special Advisers to strengthen governance and enhance service delivery across the state. The announcement was contained in an official statement signed by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Information, Dr. Honour Sirawoo. According to the statement, the newly appointed advisers are Barrister Eloka Tasie-Amadi, Professor Peter Medee, Barrister Emmanuel Frank Fubara, Hon. Victor Ekaro, and Dr. Darlington Oji. It noted that the decision reflects Fubara’s commitment to drawing on a blend of legal, academic, political, and administrative expertise to support the effective implementation of his administration’s…

Young children across the UK are now being offered vaccine against chickenpox on the NHS for the first time. From 1 January, the chickenpox vaccine has been added to the routine childhood immunisation programme in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, with Scotland beginning its rollout shortly afterwards. The vaccine is given as part of a combined jab known as MMRV, which protects against measles, mumps, rubella and chickenpox. The new vaccine replaces the existing MMR jab and will be given to children at 12 months and again at 18 months of age. Older children will also be offered catch-up vaccinations…

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer used his New Year message to vow a defeat of decline and division, promising Britons that 2026 will be the year they finally feel positive change. Acknowledging that the UK has faced a prolonged period of hardship, Starmer insisted that the groundwork laid by his government would soon result in lower bills, safer streets, and improved healthcare. The Prime Minister’s optimistic tone comes after a turbulent year marked by stagnant economic growth and dipping approval ratings. Addressing public frustration over the speed of reform, Starmer argued that “renewal is not an overnight job,” but promised…

The British government has vowed to robustly defend its decision to revoke Shamima Begum’s citizenship as the case moves to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). Despite the ECHR launching a fresh investigation into the move, government sources maintain that the decision has been repeatedly upheld by domestic courts. Begum was 15 when she fled East London in 2015 to join the Islamic State in Syria. Now 26, she remains in a Syrian refugee camp, having been stripped of her nationality in 2019 on national security grounds. Her legal team argues that the UK failed to recognize her as…

Despite this, NHS England said hospitals remain under intense strain, with around 95 per cent of beds currently occupied.

Rail passengers across parts of England have been warned to expect delays and cancellations throughout New Year’s Eve after signalling cables were stolen in South Yorkshire. National Rail said the theft occurred on the route between Doncaster and Sheffield and was first reported on Wednesday. While disruption was initially expected to ease by mid-morning, officials later confirmed that problems were likely to continue until the end of the day. Several operators have been affected, including Northern, whose local services in South Yorkshire, as well as trains running from Doncaster to Hull and Scarborough, have faced disruption. Long-distance services have also…

Nigeria’s adoption of Fifth Generation (5G) technology continues to grow steadily, with about 6.38 million subscribers now connected to the network, according to the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC). As of November, NCC data shows that Nigeria has about 177.4 million active telecom subscribers across all networks, with 5G users accounting for 3.6 per cent of the total. The country is now in its third year of commercial 5G operations, having attracted close to $1 billion in spectrum licensing fees and significant investments by major operators, particularly MTN and Airtel, in infrastructure and network expansion. Despite this progress, 5G coverage remains…

The health of some Palestine Action detainees on hunger strike in UK prisons has sharply declined, according to campaign group Prisoners for Palestine, amid continued government silence on their demands. The detainees have been refusing food since 20 October in protest at their ongoing pre-trial detention and what supporters describe as politically motivated prosecutions linked to pro-Palestine activism. Campaigners accuse the UK government of allowing the situation to worsen in order to preserve military and commercial ties with Israel. In response to official inaction, the group Justice For The Hunger-Strikers targeted the Labour Party’s London headquarters this week, splashing red…

All Eurostar services to and from London’s St Pancras International have been suspended following a power failure affecting trains operating through the Channel Tunnel. The Eurostar statement confirmed that all services have been halted until further notice but did not give a timeline for when operations might resume. The disruption has also affected Le Shuttle services, which transport cars and freight vehicles through the tunnel. Long queues of cars and lorries have built up at Folkestone, with the operator warning passengers to expect severe delays. The Channel Tunnel typically carries tens of thousands of passengers and vehicles daily during the…