Author: Olaoluwa Vincent Ajayi

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…

An illegal immigrants right to remain in the UK will be reconsidered after a judge issued a contradictory ruling on whether he has a genuine relationship with his daughter. Andrew Kung’u Gichuhi, a Kenyan national, initially won his appeal to stay in Britain on the grounds that it would be unreasonable to expect his daughter to leave the country. However, in the same judgment, the immigration judge also stated that the father-daughter relationship had broken down, sparking legal confusion. After the Home Office challenged the decision as “irrational”, an upper tribunal has now ordered the case to be reheard. The…

Nearly 30,000 people deported since election as Home Office targets rogue employers The Home Office has stepped up its battle against illegal working in the UK, making thousands of arrests and deportations in a sweeping crackdown launched since Labour came to power. New figures reveal that between 5 July 2024—just one day after Labour’s general election win—and 31 May 2025, immigration enforcement officers arrested 6,410 individuals suspected of working illegally in Britain. This represents a staggering 51 per cent rise on the previous year under the Conservative government. As part of Labour’s flagship Plan for Change, enforcement teams have made…