Author: Salako Temitope

From this week, as reported by Australian officials, tougher visa rules for international students and visitors would be implemented to curb the surge in migration/population numbers. Data showed that migration hit another record high which could continue despite the housing crisis and rents on the high side. From Saturday, 23rd March, English language requirement for students and graduate visas would be increased as schools would be suspended from international students admission should they break the rules repeatedly. Home Affairs Minister Clare O’Neil said in a statement that, “The actions this weekend will continue to drive migration levels down while delivering…

The Gambia which imposed steep fines and jail sentences for those who carry out female circumcision, known by the acronym FGM, in 2015 is set to lift the ban on the previous act of parliament. Parliamentarians were recorded to have voted 42 to four on Monday to advance the controversial bill, which would repeal a landmark 2015 ban on FGM that made the practice punishable by up to three years in prison. The World Health Organization says the practice has no health benefits and can lead to excess bleeding, shock, psychological problems and even death. If the bill is passed,…

While in Seoul for the Summit for Democracy, a U.S initiative, the British deputy PM, Oliver Dowden on Monday announced what he hopes will be a “groundbreaking” new global government compact on countering deceptive use of artificial intelligence by foreign states in elections. He said, Democratic countries around the world should band together to confront the threat of AI used by malign states to threaten free elections and spread misinformation. During an interview at the UK embassy, he said, “What the UK is leading on is a government-led process, a government-led agreement to tackle the threat from AI from foreign…

Kuda is set to compete with other African-focused fintech startups, such as LemFi, Eversend, and Nala, in operating as global neobanks for Africans in the diaspora. This comes after it’s announcement of presence in the Tanzanian and Canadian markets. One of the acquired licences will allow Kuda Bank to offer remittance and multi-currency wallet services to Africans living in Canada. The second, a Tanzanian Payment Service Provider (PSSP) licence, will allow Kuda to offer similar services to its Tanzanian customers. This is not the first time Kuda has tried its hands on the booming remittance market. Along with five other…

As reports of Intelligence and diplomatic officials from Israel is said to arrive Washington to discuss concerns about Rafah invasion as signed by the Israeli PM, Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday, world leaders express their concerns over the depth of humanitarian crises the assault may cause. The US National Security Adviser, Jake Sullivan on Monday, briefed the press that, while Biden’s administration is in support of Hamas defeat, he communicated to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that the assault on Rafah would be a “mistake”. Sullivan, while assuring that no invasion would happen without representatives talks with the Israeli representatives, he said,…

In the Lawsuit brought by Australian taxi operators and drivers which they say they’ve lost income when UBER moved into their country, UBER is said to have agreed to pay A$271.8m ($178m) to settle the lawsuit. While citing that Uber is breaking laws requiring taxis and rental cars to be licensed, the suit is said to be filed on behalf of more than 8,000 taxis and hire car owners and has been in the Supreme Court of Victoria since 2019. This settlement as said by Maurice Blackburn Lawyers is described as Australia’s fifth-largest. The law of requiring taxis and rental…

For the $8bn funds stolen from defunct FTX customers, prosecutors says Sam Bankman-Fried should spend up to 40 and 50 years in prison after his conviction. It can be recalled that a jury found Sam guilty of a 7 count charge bordering fraud and conspiracy. Prosecutors in Manhattan say residents of war-torn and unstable countries describing customers as “thousands of everyday people” had entrusted their lives into FTX The son of Stanford law school professors was said by prosecutors to face a harsh sentence while pointing to his privileged growth into his parents influence and his career at Wall Street.…

The downtrend of marriages in china which was reported to be halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic is said to be reversed with a jump in numbers of new marriages with a data 12.4% in 2023. With the billion people population of Giant China, number of newlyweds are by the Ministry of Civil Affairs, said to have rose to 7.68million last year. This is lower than the peak of 13.47million couples in 2013 and higher than 2022 by 845,000 more. With consistent reports in population decline, policy makers are said to be vibrant on its reversal to have a substantial…

For the first time in two months, North Korea is reported to have fired short-range ballistic missiles into the sea today, Monday. This is happening amid Antony Blinken’s visit to Seoul to be in attendance of a conference on advancing democracy hosted by South Korea’s President, Yoon Supreme Yeol. With a distance of 300km after being fired between 7:44am and 8:22am (2244 to 2322 GMT Monday), South Korea’s military said the several short-range missiles flew from Pyongyang, landing off the east coast. South Korea’s military says the act to be a “clear provocation”, which they further confirmed their alliance of…

In a ceasefire proposal to mediators and other concerned countries, the inclusion of the release of Israeli hostages in exchange for freedom for Palestinian prisoners has been presented by Hamas for Gaza. 100 of the said prisoners are serving life sentences, according to a proposal seen by the press. Hamas noted that the release of Israeli “female recruits” women held in Gaza would initialize the process. And also, children, elderly and ill hostages would be in return for the release of 700-1,000 Palestinians held in Israeli prisons, according to the proposal. While Israeli PM’s office said an update would be…