Author: Olaoluwa Vincent Ajayi

The British government is considering plans that could allow migrant children to be handcuffed and forcibly removed from the country if their families refuse to leave voluntarily, according to proposals released by the Home Office. The policy forms part of a wider strategy aimed at tackling illegal migration and speeding up the return of families whose asylum claims have failed. Under the proposal, families who have exhausted their asylum appeals will be offered financial incentives to return to their home countries. Those who refuse could face enforced deportation, which in extreme cases may involve officials physically intervening to remove children…

Iran has launched cluster munitions toward Israel, with several explosive bomblets falling near communities outside Tel Aviv in the latest escalation of a widening Middle East conflict. Israeli officials say ballistic missiles fired from Iran overnight on Thursday carried smaller submunitions designed to spread destruction across a wide area. One of the devices crashed through the roof of an empty workshop in Bareket, a village about 12 miles east of Tel Aviv. The explosion sparked a large fire that destroyed the building and sent flames rising into the night sky. The impact site was only about 30 feet from homes…

US President Donald Trump gathered evangelical Christian leaders from across the United States in the Oval Office to pray for American troops fighting Iran, just hours after demanding the Iranian regime’s unconditional surrender. The prayer meeting at the White House came as the conflict between Washington and Tehran entered a critical stage. Surrounded by pastors and faith leaders, Mr Trump bowed his head while prayers were offered for the safety of US forces involved in military operations against Iranian targets. The gathering, which has become a regular event during Trump’s presidency, brought together about 20 evangelical leaders who formed a…

President Donald Trump has signalled that Washington should have a direct role in selecting Iran’s next supreme leader, warning that the United States could be forced back into war within five years if a hostile figure takes power in Tehran. Speaking in an interview with Axios on Thursday, Mr Trump dismissed the prospect of Mojtaba Khamenei succeeding his father, calling him “a lightweight” and “unacceptable”. The comments came days after the killing of Iran’s long-time supreme leader Ali Khamenei, who was killed during US-Israeli military strikes that opened a new phase of war in the Middle East. “I have to…

US President Donald Trump has pledged American military support for a Kurdish uprising inside Iran, signalling a dramatic escalation in a conflict that is already spreading across the Middle East. According to a report by the Washington Post, Mr Trump told leaders from Kurdish communities in Iran and Iraq that US fighter jets would provide “extensive air cover” if Kurdish forces attempted to seize territory in western Iran. The move could open a new front in the war as fighting enters its sixth day. The president has repeatedly urged Iranians who oppose the leadership in Tehran to rise up. In…

Prime Minister Keir Starmer has urged Donald Trump to pursue negotiations with Iran, warning that diplomacy remains the best path to prevent the Islamic Republic from developing nuclear weapons. Speaking at a Downing Street press conference on Thursday, Sir Keir said Britain still believes a negotiated settlement with Tehran is the most effective way to reduce tensions and prevent further escalation in the Middle East. “The long-standing British position is that the best way forward for the regime and the world is a negotiated settlement with Iran where they give up their nuclear ambitions,” the Prime Minister said. His remarks…

The partner of a serving Labour MP has been arrested on suspicion of spying for China in a widening national security investigation involving counter-terror police in London and Wales. David Taylor, the partner of East Kilbride and Strathaven MP Joani Reid, was detained by officers from the Metropolitan Police under the National Security Act. He is one of three men arrested on suspicion of assisting Chinese intelligence services. Also held were Matthew Aplin, 43, a former senior communications officer for Labour in the Welsh Assembly, and a 68-year-old man from Powys. Police conducted searches at the addresses linked to the…

A Portuguese national jailed for carrying out a bank robbery using a fake bomb has successfully avoided deportation after an immigration tribunal ruled that returning him to his home country would seriously damage his mental health. The 43-year-old, who has been granted anonymity, was sentenced to five years and three months in prison after admitting to robbery and a bomb hoax in December 2023. He had walked into a bank wearing a mask, hood and reflective sunglasses, placed a black cylinder designed to resemble an explosive device on the counter, and handed over a note reading: “Put the money in…

The Federal Government has launched a $552 million education reform initiative under the HOPE for Quality Basic Education for All (HOPE-EDU) programme, marking a significant step in efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s basic education system. The Minister of Education, Maruf Tunji Alausa, unveiled the programme in Abuja on Tuesday, describing it as a historic intervention aimed at improving foundational learning and institutional accountability across participating states. HOPE-EDU is a results-oriented initiative co-financed by the World Bank and the Global Partnership for Education. The programme is designed to enhance early-grade literacy and numeracy, promote equitable access to quality basic education, and strengthen…

Iran escalated its military response on Tuesday, striking American and Israeli interests across the Middle East and forcing the temporary closure of US embassies in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, as President Donald Trump declared it was “too late” for dialogue with Tehran. Iranian drones hit the US embassy compound in Riyadh, causing a minor fire and prompting officials to warn Americans to stay away from the facility. The attack followed an earlier strike on the US embassy in Kuwait, as Tehran widened its retaliation against US bases, facilities and personnel in Gulf states. President Trump dismissed reports that Iran was…