Author: Fatimah Idera

Liz Kendall’s proposal to increase employer contributions to workplace pensions risks triggering a wave of unemployment, a leading industry expert has warned. Paul Cuff, co-head of XPS Pensions, the UK’s largest independent pension consultancy cautioned that accelerating changes to minimum employer contributions could place further strain on businesses already facing rising costs, potentially leading to job losses in an already fragile labour market. “Raising minimum levels of required contributions is another cost burden for employers that are under a lot of pressure, especially following moves like the recent National Insurance increase,” Cuff said. “It could actually have quite negative effects…

Thousands of prisoners serving long-term sentences, including those sentenced to over 10 years, have been released early under a government scheme aimed at addressing severe prison overcrowding, according to Telegraph UK. The newspaper reported that since early release measures began in September, a total of 26,456 inmates have been freed ahead of schedule, including 248 prisoners sentenced to 14 years or more, and 490 serving between 10 and 14 years. The initiative was expanded following Labour’s victory in the last general election. What Justice Secretary Shabana said on prisoners Within days of taking office, Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood announced the…

EasyJet has suspended one of its captains following reports that he was seen walking naked and intoxicated through a luxury resort in Cape Verde. According to The Sun, the incident occurred in the early hours of 5 August at the Melia Dunas Beach Resort and Spa, where the pilot had been staying. Witnesses claim the pilot, who has not been named, had been drinking heavily at the hotel bar before stripping off and wandering through public areas of the five-star resort. Guests reported seeing the pilot, described as reeking of alcohol, walking unclothed through the hotel reception and into the…

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has issued a stark warning to US President Donald Trump ahead of his planned meeting with Vladimir Putin, saying the Russian leader can not be trusted and reaffirming the UK’s commitment to Ukraine. The meeting between Trump and Putin is scheduled to take place in Alaska on Friday, as the White House pushes for a ceasefire more than three years into Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. In a pointed message aimed at the upcoming talks, a spokesperson for the Prime Minister said: “Never trust President Putin as far as you could throw him. But we…

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…