NEWS

London Mayor Sadiq Khan on Thursday, January 15, warned that advances in artificial intelligence could lead to “an era of mass unemployment”, saying the UK capital faced particular risks due to its job market dynamics. Khan’s comments will feature in a speech later on Thursday addressing both the opportunities and threats posed by AI. With London serving as a hub for finance, professional services, and creative industries, the mayor said the city was “at the sharpest edge of change”. Khan also highlighted the “huge potential benefits” of AI if used responsibly. Alongside the speech, he will announce a review into AI’s impact on London’s labour market and the rollout of free AI training for millions of Londoners. He will call for urgent action to harness the technology before i...

Nigeria has been taken off the European Union’s list of high-risk jurisdictions, a move expected to ease trade relations, cross-border payments, and investment flows between the country and Europe. According to a Business Insider report on Wednesday, the European Commission confirmed that Nigeria, along with South Africa, Burkina Faso, Mali, Mozambique, and Tanzania, had made significant improvements to their anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing (AML/CFT) systems. The commission said the countries no longer exhibit “strategic deficiencies” under EU evaluation criteria. The EU noted that the affected nations implemented critical reforms that brought their financial systems in line with global standards set by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF). Nigeria’s delist...

A United States congressman, Riley Moore, has described Nigeria as the most perilous place in the world for Christians, pointing to persistent attacks, destruction of churches, and the displacement of millions of believers. Moore made the statement on Thursday while speaking at an event organised by the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), which examined global persecution of Christians, with Nigeria taking centre stage. According to the lawmaker, Christians in Nigeria are being deliberately targeted and killed because of their religious beliefs. “As many of us are aware, Nigeria is the most dangerous country in the world to be a Christian. It is the most dangerous place to openly profess faith in our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ,” Moore said. ...

An Abuja High Court on Thursday struck out the criminal charges filed by the Federal Government against the senator representing Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, effectively ending a closely watched legal case that generated widespread national debate. Court documents revealed that the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation submitted a Notice of Discontinuance, leading the court to formally dismiss the criminal defamation and related charges earlier brought against the lawmaker. The case, which drew significant public attention, arose from comments Akpoti-Uduaghan allegedly made during a televised interview. Her prosecution had sparked intense discussions around freedom of expression, political accountability and the proper use of prosecutorial authority in a democrat...

The Anambra State Police Command has arrested members of a criminal gang connected to an attack on the convoy of former Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, with two suspects losing their lives during a gun battle with security operatives. The police described the operation as a significant breakthrough in their ongoing efforts to eliminate criminal activities and safeguard lives and property across the state. According to the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP Tochukwu Ikenga, operatives of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS), Awkuzu, acting on credible intelligence, laid an ambush for a five-man gang at the Enugwu Agidi junction. Ikenga said the suspects, believed to be armed robbers and cultists with alleged links to a proscribed secessionist group, engage...

Students of Ambrose Alli University (AAU), Ekpoma, who were earlier arrested and remanded at the Ubiaja Correctional Centre following a recent protest, have been released along with other detainees. Their release was announced on Thursday in a statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo, Patrick Ebojele. The students were among 52 individuals remanded by a Benin High Court on charges related to malicious damage and armed robbery. They had been arrested after a peaceful protest against insecurity in Ekpoma last Saturday was reportedly hijacked by hoodlums, leading to violence. According to reports, the protest was taken over by miscreants who attacked traders, set tyres on fire, and blocked major roads—incidents that were widely circulated on ...

U.S. President Donald Trump has stated that Ukraine, rather than Russia, is slowing progress toward a peace agreement to end the war, a view that contrasts sharply with the position of many European allies who believe Moscow has little interest in ending the conflict. In an exclusive interview with Reuters at the Oval Office, Trump said Russian President Vladimir Putin is prepared to bring the nearly four-year war to an end, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy remains reluctant. “I think he’s ready to make a deal,” Trump said of Putin. “I think Ukraine is less ready to make a deal.” Asked why U.S.-brokered talks have yet to end the largest land war in Europe since World War II, Trump responded bluntly: “Zelenskiy.” The comments reflect renewed frustration with the Ukr...

The Federal Ministry of Works has proposed spending over ₦500 million on various empowerment and awareness programmes, including training for hairdressers and make-up artists, distribution of grinding machines, motorcycles and mini-vans, as well as anti-drug abuse campaigns across selected states. The proposed expenditures are contained in the 2026 Appropriation Bill published on the Budget Office website and reviewed on Thursday. A breakdown of the budget shows that the projects are spread across different geopolitical zones. Under budget item code ERGP 12234747, the ministry plans to spend ₦35 million to provide grinding machines to women in Ndokwa/Ukwani Federal Constituency in the South-South. Another ₦35 million is earmarked for training and empowering women in hairdressin...

The Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) have formally signed a new agreement after 16 years of negotiations. A major highlight of the agreement is the review of the remuneration package of academic staff in federal tertiary institutions, as approved by the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission, with effect from January 1, 2026.  Under the new deal, the emoluments of university academics will be reviewed upward by 40 per cent to enhance morale, improve service delivery, boost global competitiveness and curb brain drain.  The new salary structure will comprise the Consolidated University Academic Staff Salary (CONUASS) and the Consolidated Academic Tools Allowance (CATA).   A defining feature of the new agre...