NOVEMBER 26, 2025

Jet fuel price volatility is hitting airlines unevenly across global markets as weakening local currencies deepen cost pressures, according to new insights from the International Air Transport Association.

According to a statement issued by the body, “The first chart of the week, a decade ago, showed that jet fuel price declines had uneven impacts across economies due to fluctuations in local currencies against the US dollar.”

The situation has worsened over the past four years, with jet fuel prices swinging dramatically. The report noted that “jet fuel price volatility in USD has intensified, especially since 2020, driven by the pandemic-induced demand collapse, the post-pandemic recovery amid supply chain disruptions, and escalating geopolitical tensions.”

Countries whose currencies have weakened are now paying significantly more for fuel. The statement highlighted that “The most pronounced impacts are observed in Russia and Brazil, whose currencies have depreciated the most against the dollar since 2014.” Russia’s ruble has slid following the invasion of Ukraine and subsequent international sanctions, while “the Brazilian real has also suffered recently as expectations are high that the central bank will loosen monetary policy in spite of persistent fiscal woes and the detrimental effect of tariffs on the country’s external accounts.”

Even major economies have felt the pressure. “Although less pronounced than in Russia and Brazil, the EU, China, and India have all seen their currencies weaken against the US dollar since mid-2022,” the analysis stated. However, it also pointed out that “the dollar has lost around 10 per cent of its value this year against many currencies. The countries lucky enough to find themselves in the latter group have seen their fuel bills cheapen in local currency terms.”

Jet fuel remains one of the largest cost components in aviation. As emphasised by the statement, “Fuel costs make up close to 26 per cent of total operating expenses of airlines, alternating with labour as the largest cost category.” Additionally, “Approximately 55–60 per cent of all global airline costs are denominated in USD, compared to 50–55 per cent of revenues.”

This imbalance has direct consequences for profitability. The report explained that “Based on this, a one per cent appreciation of the USD against global currencies could reduce operating margins by about 0.1 percentage points, while a one per cent depreciation could improve margins by a similar amount.”

NOVEMBER 27, 2025

BY  Anthony France

Warnings have been issued to overseas visitors to the United Kingdom.

The vast majority must now obtain an Electronic Travel Authorisation in advance.

Incoming travellers who failed to comply were previously given a pass, but that option will come to an end February 2026.

Visitors from 85 nationalities, including the United States, Canada and France, who do not need a visa will not be able to legally travel to the UK without an ETA.

The Home Office said it is a significant step towards digitising the immigration system and paves the way for a contactless UK border in the future.

Mike Tapp, the minister for migration and citizenship, said: “While ETA was being rolled out, it was not strictly enforced, to give visitors ample time to adjust to the new requirement.

“This is the same approach other countries such as the United States and Canada took for their travel schemes.”

Airlines will be checking passengers before they travel, the government added.

Since the launch of ETA in October 2023, more than 13.3 million visitors have successfully applied and benefited from faster, smoother travel, the Home Office said.

The scheme is now a fundamental part of leisure and business travelling, including for overseas visitors who take connecting flights and go through UK passport control.

A spokesman added: “Everyone wishing to travel to the UK – except British and Irish citizens – will need permission to travel in advance of coming here. This can be either through an Electronic Travel Authorisation or an eVisa.”

Under pressure from London Heathrow Airport, ministers have dropped the bizarre requirement for passengers merely in “airside” transit for a couple of hours to obtain an ETA.

NOVEMBER 28, 2025

Donald Trump said the United States would suspend migration from what he called “third world countries”, a day after an Afghan national allegedly shot two National Guard soldiers in Washington DC.

Sarah Beckstrom, 20, died and Andrew Wolfe, 24, was critically injured in the ambush-style shooting just yards from the White House on Wednesday.

“I will permanently pause migration from all Third World Countries to allow the US system to fully recover,” Mr Trump wrote in a lengthy post on his Truth Social platform on Thursday evening.

Sarah Beckstrom died from her injuries following the shooting

Mr Trump did not identify any countries by name or explain what he meant by “third world countries.”

The US president has repeatedly expressed his fury over the targeted attack, calling it a “heinous assault” while placing blame on the Biden administration.

Authorities have charged suspect Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a 29-year-old former special forces commander from Afghanistan, who came to the US in 2021 as part of a resettlement programme, over the shooting.

“I will permanently pause migration from all Third World Countries to allow the US system to fully recover, terminate all of the millions of Biden illegal admissions, including those signed by Sleepy Joe Biden’s autopen, and remove anyone who is not a net asset to the United States,” he said on his social media platform, Truth Social.

Mr Trump said he would end all federal benefits and subsidies for “non-citizens”, adding he would “denaturalise migrants who undermine domestic tranquillity” and deport any foreign national deemed a public charge, security risk, or “non-compatible with Western civilization.”

Mr Trump’s plan to suspend migrants from “third world countries” comes after the US paused immigration requests relating to Afghan nationals indefinitely on Wednesday.

The US Citizenship and Immigration Services, which oversees US immigration, said in a post on social media: “Effective immediately, processing of all immigration requests relating to Afghan nationals is stopped indefinitely pending further review of security and vetting protocols.”

When Kabul fell to the Taliban, Mr Lakanwal was evacuated to the United States through Operation Allies Welcome, a Biden-era programme, arriving in Washington state on September 8 2021.

Trump announces halt on immigration from 'Third World countries'

Most of the 190,000 Afghans who arrived under the programme were allowed to enter and remain in the US for two years.

Mr Lakanwal was initially sponsored by a local faith organisation and worked low-paid jobs as his immigration case worked its way through the system.

His two-year parole expired in mid-2024, leaving him undocumented and he applied for asylum that December, claiming he feared Taliban reprisals.

After vetting, the Trump administration granted him asylum and a work permit in April this year.

Nearly 24,000 Afghan soldiers and their families were secretly offered asylum in Britain after being caught up in the most serious data breach in history.

Described as “the most expensive email in history”, it led the Government to earmark £7bn to relocate Afghan refugees to Britain over the course of five years, to protect them from possible reprisals from the Taliban.

Sex offenders, corrupt officials and people imprisoned under the US-led coalition are also among those who have been accepted for resettlement in the UK in an apparent failure of vetting procedures.

Mr Trump’s angry post, which finished by wishing Americans a happy Thanksgiving, marked an escalation in the anti-migrant policies of his second term dominated by a mass deportation campaign.

“These goals will be pursued with the aim of achieving a major reduction in illegal and disruptive populations,” Mr Trump said on Thursday.

“Only REVERSE MIGRATION can fully cure this situation.”

NOVEMBER 29, 2025

ABUJA, Nov 29 (Reuters) - An Anglican priest kidnapped in northwest Nigeria last month has been killed in captivity, the head of the Church of Nigeria said, as the country reels from a surge in abductions and killings that has drawn condemnation from Washington.
Archbishop Henry Ndakuba said Venerable Edwin Achi, seized with his wife and daughter from their home in Kaduna state on October 28, was murdered after spending about a month in c

DECEMBER 01, 2025

Switzerland has rejected plans for a new tax on the super-rich after wealthy residents threatened to leave the country.

Swiss households took to the polls in a referendum on Sunday on whether to impose a 50pc tax on all transfers of money or assets above 50m Swiss francs (£47m).

The proposal was put forward by the Left-wing youth party Young Socialists as a way of raising funds to tackle climate change. It would have affected around 2,500 people, or 0.03pc of the country’s population.

However, initial government estimates suggest that around 82pc of Swiss voters have opposed the move.

The plans, which would have upended Switzerland’s reputation as a low-tax haven, proved highly divisive and were met with staunch opposition from the Government and all political parties aside from those on the Left.

Critics warned that the measures would have damaged the country’s status as a home for the wealthy, adding that it risked a mass exodus of well-heeled individuals that would hit income tax takings and offset any proceeds.

Peter Spuhler, owner of rolling stock giant Stadler Rail and one of Switzerland’s richest people, was among the entrepreneurs who threatened to emigrate if the tax was introduced.

Switzerland has more than nine billionaires per one million inhabitants, more than five times the average for Western Europe, according to a study by UBS.

It also has favourable tax rules for wealthy foreigners that allow them to pay tax without fully declaring what they own.

But the country’s status is under threat from other low-tax hubs such as Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Hong Kong and Singapore, which are competing to lure wealthy individuals and families through generous tax concessions.

Switzerland’s rejection of the tax proposals comes as other countries across Europe take a more aggressive approach to taxing the wealthy.

This includes the UK, as Rachel Reeves last week introduced a mansion tax on properties worth more than £2m.

That followed her abolition of the non-dom regime that allowed wealthy residents to be domiciled outside the UK for tax purposes.

Italy has also stepped up a tax raid on the rich, raising its flat tax on ultra-rich foreigners by 50pc.

France’s parliament recently rejected a Left-wing demand for a wealth tax on households with assets worth more than €100m (£87.6m).

However, the country’s Socialist Party is now drawing up new plans to force rich individuals to lend money to the Government.

They say the measure, which would hit those with an income of more than €1m and net wealth of more than €10m, could raise up to €6bn.

DECEMBER 03, 2025

By Princess Etuk

African airlines recorded a 7.3 per cent year-on-year increase in passenger demand in October 2025, according to the latest data released by the International Air Transport Association.

The growth highlights the continued recovery and resilience of the region’s aviation sector.

Capacity for African carriers also increased, rising 5.3 per cent year-on-year, while the load factor improved to 74.1 per cent, up 1.4 percentage points compared to October 2024.

The report noted that global air travel is experiencing broad growth: “October was a strong month for air travel, with demand up 6.6 per cent on the previous year. Of particular note is the 4.5 per cent international traffic growth for carriers based in North America, which comes after several months of basically flat performance.

“The trends for the rest of the year look encouraging: scheduled seat capacity in November is set to expand 3.6 per cent and in December by 4.7 per cent.

 This points to strong demand for holiday travel and businesses looking to complete deals by the end of the year.

“Considering the uncertainty in the economic outlook for 2026, the resilience of demand for air travel, with the jobs and growth it brings, is a bright spot that governments should nurture with care,” said IATA’s Director-General, Willie Walsh.

Regionally, European carriers also recorded strong performance, with a 7.4 per cent increase in demand, capacity up 6.0 per cent, and a load factor of 86.5 per cent (+1.2 percentage points compared to October 2024).

According to the report, “European carriers had a 7.4% year-on-year increase in demand. Capacity increased 6.0% year-on-year, and the load factor was 86.5% (+1.2 ppt compared to October 2024).”

For domestic travel in Africa, the sector remains on a steady growth path, contributing to broader economic activity across the continent. IATA’s data confirms that the African aviation market continues to recover and expand, supported by increasing international connectivity and improving operational efficiencies.

DECEMBER 04, 2025

BY Gift Habib

The United States Department of State on Wednesday announced measures aimed at addressing what it described as mass killings and attacks targeting Christians in Nigeria.

The move signals that the US is considering visa restrictions against individuals and groups implicated in the violence.

“The United States is taking decisive action in response to the mass killings and attacks on Christians carried out by radical Islamic terrorists, Fulani militias, and other violent groups in Nigeria and beyond,” said Secretary of State Marco Rubio in a statement.

Under the new policy, implemented through Section 212(a)(3)(C) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, the State Department can restrict visas for anyone who has “directed, authorised, significantly supported, participated in, or carried out violations of religious freedom,” and, where appropriate, extend the restrictions to their immediate family members.

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Rubio added that these measures could be applied “to Nigeria and any other governments or individuals engaged in violations of religious freedom,” underscoring Washington’s concern over the rising attacks on vulnerable faith communities.

The announcement followed a briefing by US House Republicans on Tuesday, highlighting rising religious violence in Nigeria.

The session was convened at the direction of President Donald Trump, who instructed the House Appropriations Committee on October 31 to investigate what he described as the slaughter of Christians in the country.

The briefing, led by House Appropriations Vice Chair and National Security Subcommittee Chairman Mario Díaz-Balart, included members of the House Appropriations and House Foreign Affairs Committees, as well as religious freedom experts. Participants included Representatives Robert Aderholt, Riley Moore, Brian Mast, Chris Smith, US Commission on International Religious Freedom Chair Vicky Hartzler, Alliance Defending Freedom International’s Sean Nelson, and Dr Ebenezer Obadare of the Council on Foreign Relations.

President Bola Tinubu recently approved Nigeria’s delegation to the new US–Nigeria Joint Working Group, formed to implement security agreements from high-level talks in Washington led by National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu.

The move follows growing concerns over terrorism, banditry, and targeted attacks on Christians in Nigeria, prompting increased US scrutiny and warnings about the protection of vulnerable faith communities.

President Trump, on Friday, October 31, 2025, put Nigeria on a list of “Countries of Particular Concern” for the reported killing of Christians in the country.

He previously designated Nigeria as a CPC in December 2020 during his first term in office, but that designation was reversed following his electoral defeat by President Joe Biden.

Following the re-listing, the US President, on November 3, said he would consider potential military action to protect Nigeria’s embattled Christians.

On November 20, the US House Subcommittee on Africa opened a public hearing to review Trump’s redesignation of Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern, placing the country under heightened scrutiny for alleged religious-freedom violations. Lawmakers examined the potential consequences of the designation, which could pave the way for sanctions against Nigerian officials found complicit in religious persecution.

DECEMBER 09, 2025

Dec 4 (Reuters) – The U.S. plans to expand the number of countries covered by its travel ban to more than 30, U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said on Thursday.

Noem, in an interview on Fox News’ “The Ingraham Angle,” was asked to confirm whether the administration of President Donald Trump would be increasing the number of countries on the travel ban list to 32.

“I won’t be specific on the number, but it’s over 30, and the president is continuing to evaluate countries,” she said.

Trump signed a proclamation in June banning the citizens of 12 countries from entering the United States and restricting those from seven others, saying it was needed to protect against “foreign terrorists” and other security threats. The bans apply to both immigrants and non-immigrants, such as tourists, students and business travelers.

Noem did not specify which countries would be added to the list.

“If they don’t have a stable government there, if they don’t have a country that can sustain itself and tell us who those individuals are and help us vet them, why should we allow people from that country to come here to the United States?” Noem said.

Reuters previously reported that the Trump administration was considering banning citizens of 36 additional countries from entering the United States, according to an internal State Department cable.

An expansion of the list would mark a further escalation of migration measures the administration has taken since the shooting of two National Guard members in Washington, D.C., last week.

Investigators say the shooting was carried out by an Afghan national who entered the U.S. in 2021 through a resettlement program under which Trump administration officials have argued there was insufficient vetting.

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Days after the shooting, Trump vowed to “permanently pause” migration from all “Third World Countries,” although he did not identify any by name or define “third-world countries.”

Prior to that, officials from the Department of Homeland Security said Trump had ordered a widespread review of asylum cases approved under the administration of his predecessor, Democratic President Joe Biden and Green Cards issued to citizens of 19 countries.

Since returning to office in January, Trump has aggressively prioritized immigration enforcement, sending federal agents to major U.S. cities and turning away asylum seekers at the U.S.-Mexico border. His administration has frequently highlighted the deportation push, but until now it has put less emphasis on efforts to reshape legal immigration.

DECEMBER 15, 2025

Story by Noor Qurashi

Chinese billionaires are using American surrogates to expand their 'unstoppable family dynasty' by breeding mega-families with more than 100 children.

Wealthy businessmen, who claim to have been inspired by the likes of Elon Musk, say they will fight declining birth rates in China.

The ban on domestic surrogacy in the country means some tycoons have spent up to $200,000 (£150,000) per child to ship their genetic material abroad to the US were laws are more lax.

One billionaire, Xu Bo, who made his money making fantasy video games, boasted of having 'a little of over 100' children.

Dubbing himself 'China's first father', Mr Xu appeared in court in 2023 when a judge denied his parental rights to four unborn children as it was found he had already fathered or was in the process of fathering another eight.

In court, Mr Xu said he hoped to have 20 US-born children via surrogates so they could take over his business.

He allegedly said he wanted boys because he considered them superior to girls - remarks which which a representative of his company, Duoyi Network, have since claimed he did not make.

Social media accounts linked to Mr Xu in the past have stated 'having more children can solve all problems' and fantasised about his offspring marrying those of Mr Musk, the Wall Street Journal reports.

His former partner, Tang Jing, claimed the business tycoon had fathered at least 300 children. 

Babies born in the US are classed as American citizens through the 14th Amendment - though President Donald Trump is seeking to change this through a supreme court challenge.

Another wealthy Chinese executive, Wang Huiwe, is said to have hired American models as among his choice of egg donors to have 10 girls.

According to sources close to him, he wishes to marry them off to powerful men.

Nathan Zhang, the founder of IVF USA, a fertility clinic chain which branches across the US and Mexico added some of his 'crazy rich' clients from China wanted to make hundreds of babies born in America.

He said Elon Musk was 'becoming a role model now' and some customers had their sights set on 'forging an unstoppable family dynasty'.

Mr Zhang said he previously refused one businessman who asked for more than 200 children at once via surrogates - the request was turned down when the client became 'speechless' after being asked how he planned to raise them.

Other accounts include an agency owner in California saying he had helped a Chinese parent who was after 100 children via surrogacy and a Los-Angeles based lawyer claiming to have help his Chinese billionaire customer have 20 children.

Liu Pengyu, spokesman for the Chinese Embassy is the US insisted Beijing's position is surrogacy can lead to a 'serious family and social ethical crisis'. 

DECEMBER 15, 2025

Story by Rachael Burford

    Tough new restrictions to legal immigration could result in an almost £11billion blow to Britain, it has been warned.

Sweeping immigration reforms limiting the number of people from abroad allowed to come here on visas will damage the economy, an impact assessment released by the Home Office on Wednesday suggests. 

The projected cost ranges from £2.2 billion to £10.8 billion, with a base estimate of £5.4 billion, over the next five years.

These include an £800million drop from visa fees, billions-of-pounds less in income tax receipts and added pressure on stretched public services.

But the Home Office said the expected cost would be offset by “potentially unquantifiable benefits” as the Government plans to “get people back into work” and “upskill the domestic workforce”.

In July, the Government introduced changes to migration rules including to end overseas recruitment for care workers and raise the salary threshold again for skilled worker visas to £41,700 -   u p  from £38,700 - as part of a bid to curb 

Migrants coming to work in Britain will also need to learn English to an A-level standard under stricter new rules, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said.

Tougher requirements for speaking, listening, reading and writing will be needed from next year for certain visas as part of the Government's immigration white paper measures, which are designed to reduce reliance on cheaper foreign labour.

The measures, first announced in May, have been introduced in stages throughout 2025 and into 2026.

The number of work-related visas being issued by the UK has decreased over the last two years, largely due to the amount of people coming to work in health sectors.

There were 17,000 health and care visas issued in the latest year, down 89% from the peak in the year ending December 2023, according to figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) last month.

The number of skilled worker visas issued has also fallen, with 35,000 granted to main applicants in the year ending September 2025 - 46% fewer than the previous year.

Sir Keir Starmer hailed the drop as “a step in the right direction”.

Dr Dora Olivia Vicol, CEO of the Work Rights Centre, said the Home Office impact assessment showed that changes to restrict medium-skilled migration and end international recruitment of migrant care workers “could add a major blow to public finances, at a time when the Chancellor has had to make painful decisions”.

“These figures portray a significant loss to the UK’s workforce, with domestic workers somehow expected to fill in the gaps asap,” she added.

“The losses are almost certain: older people and disabled people will find it harder to get care, and between £10.8bn and £2.2bn will be lost in taxes; meanwhile, the benefits are uncertain and intangible.

“These changes deal the UK a bad hand with a lot to lose and little to gain.”