Author: David Great

United Kingdom social care providers will have to prioritise hiring foreign care workers already in the country before recruiting from overseas, the government said on Wednesday, as it cracks down on worker abuse in a sector heavily reliant on immigration. The move follows the introduction in November of stronger sanctions for rogue employers who recruit foreign care workers but failed to provide them with work, leaving some unemployed and close to destitution. Others are out of work due to the government revoking the licenses of rogue employers to hire overseas workers. A survey of more than 3,000 people on health…

The Ekiti State Police Command has apprehended 12 individuals suspected of vandalizing and stealing electric cables and transformers across Ado Ekiti and other parts of the state. According to the Police Public Relations Officer, Sunday Abutu, the suspects were arrested at various criminal hideouts within and outside the state capital. Abutu stated, “Following reports of vandalisation of electric cables and transformers in the state, the Ekiti State Police Command’s Rapid Response Squad, in collaboration with non-state actors, launched a manhunt for the perpetrators.” “This effort yielded positive results as operatives swooped on their various hideouts on February 22, 2025, around…

South African mining magnate Patrice Motsepe was re-elected unopposed as Confederation of African Football president at the organisation’s congress in Cairo on Wednesday while four-time African Footballer of the Year Samuel Eto’o won a place on the executive committee. The 63-year-old Motsepe, whose family trust owns one of the continent’s biggest clubs Mamelodi Sundowns, will serve a second four-year term after being first elected in 2021 when his candidature was also unopposed and heavily backed by FIFA president Gianni Infantino. Alongside Motsepe, Eto’o, president of the Cameroon Football Federation, was elected unopposed as a representative for the central African region on…

Atletico Madrid forward Angel Correa has been handed a five-game suspension following his red card and subsequent remarks towards the referee during last weekend’s LaLiga match against Getafe, Spain’s football federation (RFEF) announced on Wednesday. Correa was sent off in the 88th minute of Atletico’s 2-1 defeat after VAR reviewed his studs-up challenge on Getafe defender Djene. Following his dismissal, he repeatedly insulted referee Cuadra Fernandez, who documented the remarks in his match report. The RFEF confirmed that Correa’s punishment includes a one-match suspension for the red card and an additional four matches for his verbal outburst. As a result,…

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has stated that the impeachment of Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara would not constitute a criminal offense. During a media chat on Wednesday, Wike emphasized the need to uphold the rule of law, expressing frustration over the ongoing political crisis in Rivers State. He argued that if Fubara’s actions warrant impeachment, the appropriate legislative process should proceed. “Politics is not play,” Wike said. “If he has done something to be impeached, let them impeach him. It’s not a criminal offence.” His remarks come as the Rivers State House of Assembly, led…

Canada will announce C$29.8 billion in retaliatory tariffs on the United States on Wednesday in response to US President Donald Trump’s steel and aluminum tariffs, a Canadian official that decline to be named said. Trump’s increased tariffs on steel and aluminum imports took effect on Wednesday as prior exemptions, duty free quotas and product exclusions expired, and as his campaign to reorder global trade norms in favor of the US gains momentum. Canada is the biggest foreign supplier of steel and aluminum to the United States. The escalation of the trade war between both countries continues as Prime Minister Justin…

President Bola Tinubu of Nigeria has started vetting potential ambassadors to lead its more than 100 diplomatic missions, with appointments expected “very soon”, 18 months after recall of all ambassadors, sources familiar with the matter said. Africa’s most populous country and a key Western ally in the fight against Islamist insurgents in West Africa, has operated without ambassadors since September 2023. The minister of foreign affairs has previously blamed a lack of funds for the delay in naming new diplomats. The Nigerian government in 2024 appointed consular officers instead on appointing ambassadors. A government source told Reuters that the issue…

Canadian Energy Minister Jonathan Wilkinson has stated that Canada will respond soon to any tariffs imposed by the United States, emphasizing that his country is not seeking to escalate trade tensions. Speaking on Tuesday, Wilkinson clarified that Canada is not in competition with the U.S., responding to White House remarks that suggested that the United States viewed its neighbour as a competitor. The statement follows an announcement from the White House confirming that a planned 25% tariff on steel and aluminum imports from Canada and other countries would take effect on Wednesday. However, later in the day, President Donald Trump…

A tense standoff unfolded at the Rivers State House of Assembly Complex on Wednesday when Governor Siminalayi Fubara arrived, only to find the entrance gate locked. Security personnel at the complex barred the governor’s convoy from entering, citing the absence of official communication between the governor and the Assembly. However, Fubara insisted he had formally notified Speaker Martins Amaewhule of his visit through a letter and had also attempted to reach him by phone since Tuesday. Details later…… 

Pakistani security forces have successfully rescued 155 passengers from a hijacked train in the south-western province of Balochistan, while efforts continue to free the remaining hostages, officials confirmed on Wednesday. The train, which was carrying approximately 450 passengers, including army personnel and their families, was attacked on Tuesday afternoon by more than 100 gunmen belonging to the separatist Baloch Liberation Army (BLA). “A full-scale military operation is underway in which 27 terrorists have been killed,” security sources reported. A security official, who requested anonymity, explained the militants’ tactics: “Militants were using the passengers as shields and they have placed suicide…