Tag: UK

UK revises travel advisory on Kaduna 

Aminu Imam
UK on KD travel

…Signs new development framework The United Kingdom (UK) Government has revised its travel advisory for Kaduna State, moving it from the ‘Red’ to the ‘Amber’ category, a change that allows British citizens to travel freely to the state. This was disclosed by the Development Director of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), Cynthia Rowe, during the signing of a new Mutual Accountability Framework (KaMAF) with the Kaduna State Government. Rowe explained that Kaduna had been classified ‘Red’ since 2022, but was moved to ‘Amber’ following improvements in the security…

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Tinubu heads to France, UK for 10-day ‘working vacation’ 

Aminu Imam
Tinubu departs

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu departed Abuja yesterday, to commence a working vacation in Europe, as part of his 2025 annual leave. According to a press statement issued by the Special Adviser to the President (Information & Strategy), Bayo Onanuga, the vacation will last 10 working days. President Tinubu will spend the period between France and the UK and then return to the country, the statement added.

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Yahaya Bello: Lawyers petition UN, UK

Aminu Imam
Lawyers on Bello

…Seeks visa ban for EFCC Chairman A group of lawyers, on Friday, said they have written petitions to both the United Nations, the government of the United Kingdom and other international organisations to seek a visa ban against the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC), Olanipekun Olukoyede. The legal practitioners, who made the disclosure during a press conference they held in Abuja, accused the EFCC Chairman of disregarding valid court orders and breaching constitutional rights of Nigerians, citing the on-going case of the immediate-past governor of Kogi…

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UK warns citizens against travelling to Kano, Rivers, Kaduna, 21 other States

Aminu Imam

The United Kingdom (UK) government has warned its citizens against travelling to riverine areas of Delta, Bayelsa, Akwa Ibom and Cross River over recent attacks and targeted killings. In addition to a travel advisory published on the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) website, British nationals were warned against all but essential travel to Abia, Anambra and Imo. FCDO cited the series of attacks on isolated roads and in remote areas and the recent increase of indiscriminate attacks on police and security infrastructure by armed men in the states as…

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Niger Delta: Shell to face human rights claims in UK over chronic oil pollution

Aminu Imam

Thousands of Nigerian villagers can bring human rights claims against the fossil fuel company Shell over the chronic oil pollution of their water sources and destruction of their way of life, the high court in London has ruled. A judge, Mrs. Justice May ruled, this week, that more than 13,000 farmers and fishers from the Ogale and Bille communities in the Niger-Delta were entitled to bring legal claims against Shell for alleged breaches to their right to a clean environment. The judge ruled it was arguable the pollution had fundamentally…

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Sunak appoints ex-PM, David Cameron as Foreign Secretary, in shock cabinet re-shuffle

Aminu Imam

British Prime Minister from 2010-2016, David Cameron, has been appointed as UK Foreign Secretary, following a cabinet reshuffle in Downing Street. A former prime minister returning to government in this way is regarded as unusual. Camerons re-instatement into the cabinet of Rishi Sunak, the current prime minister, was announced yesterday, after Sunak sacked the erstwhile Home Secretary, Suella Braverman, for using inflammatory language in an article published in the Times newspaper. In her article, Braverman also described pro-Palestinian protesters as hate marchers, and added: I do not believe that these…

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Israel-Hamas conflict: The unjust UN Security Council structure

Abdul-Azeez Ahmed Kadir

By: Nurudeen Dauda To start with, in my thought, the “unjust” “structure” or “arrangement” of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is essentially the “reason” that the two- state solutions and other UN resolutions on Israeli-Palestinian conflict is increasingly becoming practically unimplementable. In my thought, the way the UNSC is structured currently lacks the “objectivity” and the “sense of belonging” to various continental interests in order to function as a body representing global diverse interests. Unless and until this “lopsided” and or “unjust” arrangement is quickly changed the world has…

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Artificial Intelligence: UK warns advance forms could be used to create bioweapons

Abdul-Azeez Ahmed Kadir

The UK government says it plans to address the risks posed by advanced artificial intelligence (AI), including its possible use to create biological weapons, at the AI Safety Summit to be held in November. The UK government disclosed this in a statement on Monday There are two particular categories of risk that we are focusing on: 1. Misuse risks, for example where a bad actor is aided by new AI capabilities in biological or cyber-attacks, development of dangerous technologies, or critical system interference. Unchecked, this could create significant harm, including…

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UK to hike visa fee, health insurance charge for Nigerians, others

Aminu Imam

As US Govt. increases work, student visa fees by 15% The United Kingdom (UK) Government is set to increase visa fee and health insurance charge for Nigerians and others. British Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak announced a plan to increase the visa application fee paid by immigrants. While delivering a speech regarding an increase in public sector wages, Sunak disclosed that part of the funding for the wage increase will be raised from the foreign migrants who come to the United Kingdom to live and work.Fees for the state-funded National Health…

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UK cuts tariffs on products from Nigeria, 64 others

Aminu Imam

The United Kingdom (UK) reduced tariffs on products from developing countries, including Nigeria, on Monday, saving businesses and consumers millions of pounds per year. According to a statement issued by the British Deputy High Commission in Nigeria, the UKs new post-Brexit Developing Countries Trading Scheme (DCTS) scheme, which went into effect yesterday, covers 65 countries, including Nigeria. According to the new scheme, over 99% of Nigerian goods exported would automatically be eligible for duty-free access to the UK. The statement went on to say that Nigeria would get preferential access…

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