Author: Solomon Alaka

LONDON — In a major overhaul of British border security, the Home Office has begun strict enforcement of the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) scheme. Effective today, February 25, 2026, travelers from 85 countries who previously enjoyed visa-free entry must now possess a digital permit before arriving in the UK, or face being denied boarding by […]

NEW DELHI — Telecom titan Bharti Airtel has unveiled a transformative INR 200 billion ($2.4 billion) investment strategy aimed at scaling its fintech arm, Airtel Money, into a premier digital lending powerhouse. The move marks a decisive pivot in the company’s “Telco-to-Techco” evolution, seeking to leverage its massive 400-million-strong subscriber base to challenge traditional banking […]

NEW YORK — Bitcoin fell more than 5% on Tuesday, sliding to a multi-week low of $62,700 as digital assets bore the brunt of a massive global rotation away from risk. The sell-off follows a weekend of high-stakes policy shifts in Washington, where President Trump announced a hike in the proposed global tariff rate to […]

WASHINGTON — As the most significant American military buildup in the Middle East since the Iraq War reaches its crescendo, the global community has issued an urgent plea for restraint. With two U.S. aircraft carrier strike groups—the USS Abraham Lincoln and the USS Gerald R. Ford—now positioned in the region, President Donald Trump faces a […]

DHAKA — A major financial investigation has been launched in Bangladesh targeting a firm with deep links to the globally exposed Panama Papers. Authorities are probing allegations that more than Tk220 billion (approximately $1.85 billion) was illicitly siphoned out of the country through a distributor connected to bKash, the nation’s largest mobile financial services (MFS) […]

BEIJING — In a major escalation of the deepening diplomatic rift between East Asia’s two largest economies, the Chinese Ministry of Commerce on Tuesday imposed sweeping export restrictions on 40 Japanese companies and institutions. Citing “national security concerns,” Beijing has effectively prohibited or strictly regulated the flow of “dual-use” goods—items with both civilian and military […]

As the full-scale invasion of Ukraine enters its fifth year, the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) has issued a harrowing assessment of a humanitarian landscape in rapid decline. Marking the February 24 anniversary, international monitors warn that systematic strikes on energy infrastructure and housing have turned the current winter—the coldest since […]

GUADALAJARA — In a seismic shift for international security, Mexican authorities confirmed the capture and death of Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, the elusive mastermind behind the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG). The operative, known globally as “El Mencho,” was intercepted Sunday in a high-stakes military strike that ended a decade-long manhunt for one of the world’s […]