Author: Prima News

The UK government’s attempt to brand direct action protesters as terrorists is being considered a total collapse of credibility following a High Court ruling that said its ban on Palestine Action was “unlawful” and “disproportionate.” And the Home Office now finds itself caught between a defiant judiciary, skeptical public, and a mounting human rights crisis. Tim Crosland, a former government lawyer and co-founder of Defend Our Juries activist group who himself faced arrest under the Terrorism Act last year, spoke to Anadolu and warned that the government is currently trapped in a “moral and legal void,” holding activists in a…

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Monday said the UK needs to “go faster” on increasing defense spending, following reports that the government is considering a significant acceleration of its military funding targets. Responding to reports that ministers are looking at plans to raise defense spending to 3% of GDP by the end of this parliament in 2029, Starmer suggested the UK must “step up” to meet the “obvious” threat from Russia. Starmer previously said he would like to reach the 3% target at some point in the next parliament, but his latest comments imply a shift in urgency. “Over…

A Yellow weather warning for snow and ice has been issued for parts of the UK, with forecasters warning of possible disruption to transport and travel. The Met Office said the warning takes effect Monday afternoon, initially affecting central and northern Scotland. Additional Yellow warnings for ice have been issued for Northern Ireland, much of eastern and northern England, and southern Scotland. Met Office Chief Forecaster Steve Willington said a “cool pool of air” dominating the start of the week would bring blustery showers, winter hazards and the risk of disruption. Meanwhile, the Environment Agency said communities should remain vigilant…

UN chief Antonio Guterres on Monday announced the appointment of Claudia Fuentes Julio of Chile as assistant secretary-general for human rights and head of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in New York. Fuentes Julio succeeds Ilze Brands Kehris of Latvia, to whom Guterres and High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk “are deeply grateful for her contribution” as she ensured “a solid anchoring of the human rights pillar within the UN,” particularly regarding “the peace and security and the development pillars,” a statement by the UN said. The assistant secretary-general for human rights leads the…

Seven Ghanaian tomato traders were killed when Islamist insurgents attacked the town of Titao in northern Burkina Faso on Saturday, Ghana’s interior minister has said. The victims were among a group of 18 traders who had entered Ghana’s northern neighbour to buy tomatoes when the militants stormed the town, separating men from women before opening fire, the minister told a local radio station. “They went on a shooting spree, killing almost all the males there, burning them together with the truck,” Mohammed Mubarak Muntaka said on Monday, adding that the bodies were burnt beyond recognition. Three men and one woman…

Iran’s foreign minister met with the U.N. nuclear watchdog chief on Monday, ahead of talks between Washington and Tehran aimed at resolving a nuclear dispute, with few clear signs of compromise from either side and the threat of U.S. military action looming. Washington, which joined Israel in a wave of air strikes on Iran in June, has ordered a second aircraft carrier group to the Middle East in the latest standoff with Tehran, in addition to other U.S. warships and aircraft that have already been deployed. Adding to the tension, Iran began a military drill on Monday in the Strait of Hormuz, a…

There’s been a bunch of exciting research-focused AI labs popping up in recent months, and Flapping Airplanes is one of the most interesting. Propelled by its young and curious founders, Flapping Airplanes is focused on finding less data-hungry ways to train AI. It’s a potential game-changer for the economics and capabilities of AI models — and with $180 million in seed funding, they’ll have plenty of runway to figure it out. Last week, I spoke with the lab’s three co-founders — brothers Ben and Asher Spector, and Aidan Smith — about why this is an exciting moment to start a…

Institutional reform is often discussed in the language of policy, systems, and technology. But at the 2026 Nigeria Revenue Service Leadership Retreat, Executive Chairman Zacch Adedeji shifted the conversation decisively. His opening address was not about structures or strategy documents. It was about leadership mindset, and why Nigeria’s revenue transformation will succeed or fail based on the beliefs leaders carry into this new era. Adedeji began with an unusual challenge to senior management: to suspend the comfort of familiarity. Titles, tenure, and inherited ways of working, he argued, could no longer be relied upon as anchors in a rapidly changing…

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control on Monday raised an alarm over the increasing spread of Lassa fever among health care workers. The disease control agency noted that so far, two health workers have been killed, while 15 confirmed cases of Lassa fever have been documented among health care workers as Nigeria battles another outbreak of the zoonotic disease. In an advisory released on Monday, the NCDC expressed its sympathy to the affected health workers. “Recent surveillance data indicate a concerning increase in Lassa fever infections among healthcare workers, with 15 confirmed cases and 2 deaths recorded as of Epidemiological…

Nigerian singer Tems has emerged as a winner at the 2024 BET Awards, held at Los Angeles’s Peacock Theater on Sunday night. Tems’ hit song “Me & U” clinched the Dr. Bobby Jones Best Gospel/Inspirational Award, triumphing over industry titans like Kirk Franklin, Shirley Caesar, and Maverick City. Other Nigerian artistes, however, faced tough competition at this year’s BET Awards. Ayra Starr and Asake lost the Best International Act to South Africa’s Tyla. Starr also missed out on Best New Artist and BET Her, both of which were won by Tyla and Victoria Monét, respectively. Seyi Vibez was outperformed by South…