Author: Olaoluwa Vincent Ajayi

Top UK civil servants have told Foreign Office staff they should consider resigning if they are unable to support the government’s approach to the ongoing war in Gaza, in a response that has sparked anger and disappointment among hundreds of concerned employees. More than 300 Foreign Office officials signed a letter to Foreign Secretary David Lammy last month, raising deep concerns about the UK’s continued arms sales to Israel and what they described as a growing “disregard for international law” in Israel’s conduct in Gaza. The staff letter, seen by the BBC, also highlighted concerns about the UK’s potential complicity…

Women in England and Wales may soon be protected from prosecution for ending their own pregnancies, under a landmark proposal to decriminalise abortion that will go before Parliament next week. MPs are set to participate in a free vote — meaning they can vote according to their conscience rather than following party lines — on a key amendment to the Crime and Policing Bill. The change would remove the threat of police investigations and possible imprisonment for women who terminate pregnancies outside the strict boundaries of current law. The debate has been reignited amid concern that more women are facing…

President Donald Trump has officially placed Ireland on the White House’s trade ‘blacklist’, as transatlantic tensions mount ahead of a critical tariff deadline. Ireland now joins Switzerland and other long-standing US targets such as China, Japan, Germany, Vietnam, and South Korea on the US Treasury’s Monitoring List of major trading partners with large trade surpluses. The designation increases the risk that Ireland, whose economy is dominated by pharmaceutical and technology exports, could face new US tariffs and sanctions. President Trump has previously accused Ireland of harming the US economy through its trade practices, telling Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin in…

The UK Foreign Office has issued an urgent warning for anyone planning to visit Los Angeles, as protests continue to grow in the city. Officials are telling travelers to be extra careful and stay informed, as the police response has included the use of flash-bangs, tear gas, pepper balls, and rubber bullets. The situation in Los Angeles became tense after President Donald Trump ordered hundreds of National Guard troops into the city. The move was meant to respond to protests against the government’s crackdown on illegal immigration. However, California Governor Gavin Newsom criticized the decision, saying it would only make…

In a world increasingly defined by digital power and cultural capital, a new wave of Nigerian influencers is not just participating in global conversations — they’re leading them. From Grammy-winning musicians to viral comedians, and cross-border fashion icons, these Nigerian personalities are flipping the script on Africa’s global image, building brands, and shifting narratives — all from their phones, stages, and creative studios. This isn’t mere celebrity. It’s cultural diplomacy in real time. And this is happening in an environment where global headlines still wrestle with questions of migration, security, and identity. Many Nigerians are navigating and influencing the world.…

Despite the rising cost of living around the world, many Nigerians — especially Ijebu indigenes — from Europe, America, and other parts of Africa attended this year’s Ojude Oba festival, held at the Awujale Pavilion in Ijebu Ode. They arrived dressed in bright lace, colourful aso-oke, and stylish designer shoes, gathering to pay tribute to their king. For many in the Nigerian diaspora, Ojude Oba is more than a festival — it is a living, breathing link to home, a cherished reunion with friends and family, and a joyful declaration that no matter where life has taken them, this one…

Business leaders, skilled workers, and families across the UK are raising fresh concerns over the government’s latest immigration reforms, as a sweeping extension to settlement rules begins to take hold. Under the changes, immigrants will now have to wait ten years — double the previous period — to qualify for indefinite leave to remain (ILR), a status that offers long-term security and access to public benefits. The move, aimed at reducing net migration, is already rippling across key sectors of the economy. For one City of London banker, documented by Bloomberg, the cost is immediate: an extra £40,000 a year…

Kano, Nigeria — Senate Deputy President Barau Jibrin has called on newly defected members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to rally behind President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and help consolidate the party’s recent political gains across Kano State and the wider region. Speaking at a high-profile reception for the defectors, Barau described the political movement they left behind as “kwan-kwa-tsiya” — a Hausa phrase meaning “generating poverty.” He urged the new APC members to align with the administration’s development agenda and work towards improving the lives of ordinary Nigerians. “We must unite to build a stronger APC and support President…

White paper outlines tougher visa restrictions, longer settlement periods, and new controls on universities in bid to cut migration The Government has set out a wide-ranging package of proposed changes to the UK’s immigration system, designed to make it harder to move to and settle in the UK, as part of its pledge to reduce net migration. In a new white paper published on 12 May 2025, entitled Restoring Control Over the Immigration System, ministers propose stricter visa conditions, tougher rules on settlement, and a series of measures affecting international students and their dependants. Although the white paper does not…

A Sri Lankan asylum seeker accused of recruiting child soldiers for the Tamil Tigers has won the right to remain in the UK after British judges ruled there was not enough evidence to support the claims. The man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, had previously been denied asylum in France, where a court found grounds to exclude him under international law due to suspected involvement in war crimes. In Britain, the Home Office also attempted to block his asylum claim, arguing that he had enlisted children under the age of 15 to fight for the Liberation Tigers of…