Foreign Affairs

IRANIAN ACTIVIST GIVEN 178 LASHES, 18 MONTHS IN PRISON FOR NOT WEARING A HIJAB An Iranian activist has been sentenced to 178 lashes and 18 months in prison after being arrested for not wearing a hijab. Hamideh Zarei, a Gilak activist and former political prisoner, was released earlier this month from Rasht Central Prison after spending nearly a month behind …

I’M GUNNING FOR THIRD TERM PRESIDENCY – TRUMP, SAYS HE’S SERIOUS ABOUT IT President Trump said Sunday he’s “not joking” about serving a possible third term, marking the second time in less than three weeks that he’s floated the idea. “I’m hearing — you don’t sound like you’re joking. I’ve heard you joke about this a number of times,” NBC …

UK INCREASES COST FOR VISA STUDY, TRAVEL APPLICATIONS The United Kingdom has increased visa fees for students, tourists, and other travelers, a move that will affect Nigerians and other international applicants seeking entry into the country. According to the UK Home Office, the fee for a student visa has been raised from £363 to £490, a 35% increase. Other visa …

US CUTS FUNDING FOR WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION The United States has paused contributions to the World Trade Organization, three trade sources told Reuters, as U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration ramps up efforts to cut government spending. The Trump administration is retreating from global institutions it sees as at odds with his “America First” economic policies. It plans to quit some, …

TRUMP MOVES TO CLOSE DOWN VOICE OF AMERICA US President Donald Trump has signed an order to strip back federally funded news organisation Voice of America, accusing it of being “anti-Trump” and “radical”. A White House statement said the order would “ensure taxpayers are no longer on the hook for radical propaganda”, and included quotes from politicians and right-wing media …

TRUMP MOVES TO CLOSE DOWN VOICE OF AMERICA US President Donald Trump has signed an order to strip back federally funded news organisation Voice of America, accusing it of being “anti-Trump” and “radical”. A White House statement said the order would “ensure taxpayers are no longer on the hook for radical propaganda”, and included quotes from politicians and right-wing media …

NIGERIA, SOUTH AFRICA EXEMPTED AS TRUMP PLANS TRAVEL BAN ON 43 COUNTRIES The Trump administration is considering targeting the citizens of as many as 43 countries as part of a new ban on travel to the United States that would be broader than the restrictions imposed during President Trump’s first term, according to officials familiar with the matter. A draft …

US CONGRESS APPROVES SANCTIONS ON NIGERIA OVER CHRISTIAN KILLINGS The US House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee approves sanctions on Nigeria over the widespread killing of Christians and religious violence. The United States House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa, has given President Donald Trump the green light to impose stringent sanctions on Nigeria in response to the widespread killing of Christians in …

SUSPENSION BY SENATE: WE’LL HEAR FROM AKPABIO – IPU TELLS NATASHA The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) says will take steps to address the concerns raised by Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, senator representing Kogi central in the national assembly. The IPU is a global organisation of national parliaments. It promotes peace, democracy and sustainable development among nations through diplomacy and dialogue. It also seeks …

CANADA WILL CUT OFF ELECTRICITY SUPPLY TO U.S – PREMIER WARNS 🇺🇸 President Donald Trump may have delayed most – though not all – of the tariffs he had imposed on Canada and Mexico, but that hasn’t stopped America’s northern neighbors from responding forcefully in retaliation. Ontario Premier Doug Ford at a press conference that he would move forward with …