Germany Unveil New Schengen Visa Centres In Nigeria, Cameroon, Cyprus
Cameroon, and Cyprus, in a move aimed at reducing processing delays and easing access for thousands of prospective travelers. The centres, located in Abuja, Lagos, Yaoundé, and Nicosia, were opened under a new seven-year partnership between Germany’s Federal Foreign Office and global visa outsourcing firm, VFS Global. The initiative marks Germany’s latest effort to streamline its visa services amid growing...
US Set To Impose Fixed-term Limits On Foreign Student Visas
The United States is set to tighten rules for foreign student visas, with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) proposing fixed-term limits for F-1 and J-1 visa holders that could replace the decades-old “duration of status” system. The policy shift, which has cleared a White House review and is expected to be released for public comment in the coming weeks,...
Ukrainian Troops Reject Territorial Concessions Over Ceasefire
As the US President, Donald Trump, and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, meet on Friday at Alaska, Ukrainian soldiers have expressed little faith in prospects of a quick ceasefire, rejecting suggestions that Kyiv should give up any of its hard-fought territory to Russia. This comes as European leaders have warned against Ukrainian borders being redrawn by force, saying it must...
Starmer Met Zelensky In London On US-Russia Summit’s Eve
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met Thursday in London with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer in a strong show of support on the eve of a key US-Russia summit from which Kyiv and its European allies have been excluded. Starmer greeted the Ukrainian leader with a warm hug and handshake on the steps of his Downing Street residence, only hours after...
Arab Nations Slams Netanyahu Remarks On ‘Greater Israel’
Arab nations have slammed comments by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu apparently expressing support for the idea of an expanded “Greater Israel”, calling the remarks a threat to their sovereignty at an especially tense time for the region. The term Greater Israel refers to a biblical interpretation of the nation’s territory during the time of King Solomon, encompassing not only...
Taliban Celebrate Four Years In Power As Russia Grant First Official Recognition
Afghanistan’s Taliban authorities marked the fourth anniversary of their takeover on Friday, buoyed by Russia’s first official recognition of their government, a step they hope other countries will follow. Parades were planned in several cities, including in central Kabul, where helicopters were set to drop flowers and the white-and-black flags of the Taliban’s “Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan” fluttered across the...
World Leaders React To Trump-Putin Summit on Russia-Ukraine War
World leaders are reacting to the much-publicised summit between US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, organised at the behest of the US president to negotiate an end to the Russia-Ukraine war. As envisaged by Trump, the summit ended without reaching a deal on a ceasefire, a goal the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky, wished for, but saw...
Military Court Apprehend New Zealand Soldier Guilty Of Attempted Espionage
A military court found a New Zealand soldier guilty of attempted espionage for a foreign power on Monday — the first spying conviction in the country’s history. The soldier was caught offering to pass military base maps and photographs to an undercover officer posing as an agent for a foreign nation, the court-martial heard. The man’s name, the country he attempted...
Russian Strikes Kill Three In Ukraine
An overnight Russian drone strike on Kharkiv killed three people, including a child, and wounded more than a dozen others, Ukrainian authorities said Monday. “As of now, three people are known to have died, including a small child. 18 people were wounded, including children,” Kharkiv region police wrote on Telegram. The police warned that people may be trapped under the rubble...
U.S. Mission In Nigeria Mandates Disclosure Of Five-year Social Media Activity For Visa Applicants
The United States Mission in Nigeria has announced new requirements for visa applicants, mandating the disclosure of all social media usernames and handles used in the past five years. The directive, which was communicated on Monday via the Mission’s official X (formerly Twitter) account, is part of the U.S. government’s broader efforts to strengthen national security through enhanced screening measures. According...
