Author: Olaoluwa Vincent Ajayi

Switzerland is heading towards a high-stakes referendum that could dramatically reshape its migration policy and its relationship with the European Union, as voters prepare to decide whether to freeze immigration once the country’s population reaches 10 million. The proposal, championed by the right-wing Swiss People’s Party (SVP), would legally oblige the government to halt net immigration when the threshold is reached — something demographic projections suggest could happen in the 2030s. Crucially, the measure would require Switzerland to scrap free movement with the EU, raising the prospect of a Brexit-style confrontation with Brussels. Polls indicate the idea is gaining traction.…

 Donald Trump’s reported threat to cut off US aid to Nigeria and order the Pentagon to prepare for “possible action” over the persecution of Christians has drawn renewed international attention to Nigeria’s worsening security crisis. Analysts and civil society figures, however, say the rhetoric is unlikely to result in meaningful protection for vulnerable communities or produce lasting change on the ground. In Nigeria, reactions have been mixed. The Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) condemned the US government’s decision under President Donald Trump to designate Nigeria a “Country of Particular Concern” over alleged persecution of Christians. The council said the…

People living with mental health conditions may be entitled to financial support through the UK benefits system, amid growing concern over access to care and rising welfare costs. Earlier this year, the Health Secretary said too many people were being “written off” following mental health diagnoses and warned that many were “not getting the support they need” to remain in work. His comments followed Lord Darzi’s review of the NHS, which found more than one million people were waiting for mental health services. At the same time, pressure to curb welfare spending has intensified. Working-age health-related benefits cost the government…

Reform UK has emerged as the largest political party in the United Kingdom by membership, according to leaked figures, in a dramatic development ahead of the next general election. The party’s leader, Nigel Farage, declared that “the age of two-party politics is dead” after figures suggested Labour’s membership has fallen below Reform UK’s self-reported total. Reform claims nearly 269,000 members, while leaked data seen by The Times indicates Labour now has fewer than 250,000 members. Labour did not dispute the figures. Farage described the moment as a “huge milestone”, arguing it confirmed what Reform supporters had long suspected. “Reform is…

Robert Rhodes, 52, killed his wife, Dawn Rhodes, at their home in Redhill, Surrey, in 2016 after discovering she had been having an affair with a work colleague. What followed was a calculated and chilling attempt to conceal the crime . According to prosecutors, Rhodes devised a deliberate plan to eliminate his wife and manufacture a believable defence. Using the couple’s child, then under the age of ten, he instructed the youngster to ask Dawn to close her eyes and wait for a “surprise.” Moments after the child left the room, Rhodes attacked his unsuspecting wife, cutting her throat with…

Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, has donated a quarter of his personal wealth to the foundation –  Aliko Dangote Foundation, marking one of the most significant philanthropic pledges in the continent’s history. He made the announcement in Lagos on Thursday during the unveiling of the foundation’s new education initiative, a programme he described as a long-term investment in Africa’s future. Dangote explained that his mother and three children had already signed off on the arrangement, making the pledge binding even in the event of his death. As part of the new initiative, he also announced a ₦100 billion investment beginning…

According to the Telegraph, a leaked document purporting to be an extended version of the United States National Security Strategy (NSS) has triggered a wave of diplomatic tension, following claims that the Trump administration planned to weaken the European Union by drawing four member states away from the bloc. The White House has firmly rejected the report, calling it “fake news,” but international reactions suggest the allegations are being taken seriously across European capitals. The leaked paper, reported by the US defence publication Defence One, is said to outline a more aggressive policy direction than the official 29-page NSS released…

Four in 10 asylum seekers whose claims have been rejected remain in Britain, costing taxpayers billions of pounds each year, according to a damning new report by the National Audit Office (NAO). The public spending watchdog said the UK still lacks a “realistic approach” for dealing with the significant number of cases where it is not possible to remove people whose claims have been refused. The NAO warned that long-standing structural weaknesses, inconsistent policy interventions and chronic backlogs have left the asylum system under “severe strain”, with rising costs and declining efficiency despite multiple rounds of government reform. According to…

Nigeria’s Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Dr. Bernard M. Doro, has held a high-level technical session with a delegation from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA). The meeting, led by UNOCHA’s Head of Office, Mr. Trond Jensen, took place on Wednesday at the Minister’s Conference Room in Abuja, during which officials reviewed the country’s Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan (HNRP) and assessed the implications of significant funding cuts by major international donors. According to a report made available to New Daily Prime, Dr. Doro praised the UN agency’s “longstanding partnership” and expressed concern…

West Africa is preparing for its most ambitious aviation reform in decades after the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) approved sweeping measures to reduce the region’s  high air travel costs. The move, announced this week, will see member nations eliminate several taxes on air transport and reduce passenger and security charges by 25 per cent from 1 January 2026—a decision expected to transform mobility, trade, tourism and economic integration across the region. The ECOWAS Commission confirmed that Heads of State and Government adopted the measures during their December 2024 summit in Abuja, following years of stagnation in the…