Britain’s government kicked off the 2025/26 financial year in April by borrowing more than expected, suggesting no let-up in the pressure on the public finances ahead of a major review of spending. Public sector net borrowing was 20.155 billion pounds ($27 billion) in April, according to official data. Economists have routinely underestimated the extent of Britain’s budget deficit each month over the past year. Finance minister Rachel Reeves is due…

The global exchange board showed mixed signals on Thursday, as major economies responded to ongoing macroeconomic pressures and interest rate speculation. The latest figures from the Daily Exchange Index reflect a slight dip in the value of the US dollar, while the British pound maintained relative strength against a backdrop of economic uncertainty. Key Rates – 22 May 2025 Region Exchange Index Movement US 1593.75 ▼ Down from 1610.97 (20…

UK Net Migration Falls by Half: Nigerians Among Top Arrivals Despite Tighter Visa Rules. London, UK – Net migration to the United Kingdom fell sharply in 2024, dropping by nearly 50% to 431,000, according to new figures released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). The steep decline, down from record levels in 2023, reflects the cumulative impact of stricter immigration rules, especially around work and student visa categories, introduced…

President Donald Trump announced the selection of a design for the $175 billion Golden Dome Missile Defense shield, a satellite network aimed at detecting, tracking, and intercepting incoming missiles from China and Russia. The program, initiated in January, will be led by US Space Force General Michael Guetlein. Trump told a White House press conference that Golden Dome will “protect our homeland,” adding that Canada had expressed interest in joining…

LONDON — A former London bus driver who impersonated multiple test candidates—using wigs and forged documents to take UK citizenship exams on their behalf—has been jailed for four years and six months. Josephine Maurice, 41, of Enfield, North London, admitted to a sweeping scheme that saw her sit for at least 13 fraudulent Life in the UK Tests between June 2022 and August 2023. Her impersonations, which involved disguising herself…

Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, has urged Peter Obi, the 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, to join the ranks of Southeast governors in backing President Bola Tinubu. Umahi made this appeal during a feature interview for an upcoming State House documentary commemorating Tinubu’s second anniversary in office. The Minister emphasised that all governors in the Southeast are aligned in their support for Tinubu. He also revealed that a section of…

Nearly half of young people would prefer to live in a world without the internet, according to a new survey that paints a stark picture of digital life’s toll on youth mental health and well-being. The survey, conducted by the British Standards Institution, according to The Guardian, found that 46 per cent of 16 to 21-year-olds would rather grow up in a world without the internet. The findings come amid…

U.S. President Donald Trump is set to join the congressional debate over his sweeping tax bill, as House Republicans struggle to maintain their fragile majority ahead of a crucial vote. Trump will attend a Tuesday morning meeting with the 220-member House Republican caucus, including hardline conservatives who previously stalled the “One Big Beautiful Bill” and Republicans from New York seeking help with raising the deduction cap for state and local…

The U.S. Supreme Court allowed Donald Trump’s administration to strip temporary protected status from approximately 350,000 Venezuelans living in the United States, granted under his predecessor Joe Biden. This decision is part of Trump’s hardline approach to immigration, aiming to ramp up deportations. The court granted the Justice Department’s request to lift a San Francisco-based U.S. District Judge Edward Chen’s order. Chen’s order had halted Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s…

Wendy McMahon, President and CEO of CBS News, is stepping down due to disagreements with the company’s direction. In a memo to staff, McMahon stated that the last few months have been challenging and that it’s clear she and the company don’t see eye-to-eye on the future. “It’s time for me to move on and for this organization to move forward with new leadership,” she wrote. This decision comes amid…

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced on Sunday that the federal government will present a budget in the autumn. This announcement comes days after Finance Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne indicated that the new Liberal government would have an economic update later in the year rather than an annual budget in the near term. Carney’s statement followed a press conference in Rome, where he attended Pope Leo XIV’s inauguration at the Vatican.…

Elton John has strongly condemned the UK government’s proposal to relax copyright laws, allowing tech firms to train artificial intelligence models on the country’s music and creative output without ensuring proper compensation. This move aims to make Britain an AI superpower under Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s leadership. However, prominent industry figures, including John, Paul McCartney, Andrew Lloyd Webber, and Ed Sheeran, are urging the government to reconsider, citing the potential…