News
UK launches updated English tests for visa, citizenship applicants

The UK Home Office has revised the list of Secure English Language Tests (SELT) accepted for visa and citizenship applications.
The SELT is a mandatory requirement for various visa categories and UK citizenship applications.
This update introduces new test formats and clarifies requirements for applicants worldwide.
The change was announced on the official UK Government website, aiming to make the application process more efficient and accessible.
Old SELT test validity
According to the UK Home Office, the current LANGUAGECERT ESOL SELT 4-skills test will be replaced by two new versions:
‘If you’ve already taken the old ESOL SELT test, your test results will remain valid for two years from the date of issue. Additionally, any vouchers purchased for the test can still be used for up to 12 months’, they said
This ensures that applicants who have already taken the previous version are not disadvantaged by the change.
Test Requirements
Depending on the visa type, applicants must either take a full 4-skills test (reading, writing, listening, and speaking) or a speaking and listening only test.
Applicants needing a full 4-skills test include:
Skilled Worker Visa
Health and Care Worker Visa
Student Visa
Start-up / Innovator Founder Visa
Scale-up Worker Visa
High-Potential Individual Visa
Minister of Religion Visa
Temporary Work (International Agreement route)
Applicants needing speaking and listening only include:
UK Citizenship
Settlement (Indefinite Leave to Remain)
Partner / Parent Visa
International Sportsperson Visa
Representative of an Overseas Business
Approved SELT test providers
Approved SELT test providers
The UK Home Office reiterated that it continues to recognise SELTs from a number of trusted providers. The government urges applicants to take their SELT at an approved centre, listed by the UK Home Office, and ensure it’s completed within two years of applying.
The approved providers are:
Pearson
Trinity College London
IELTS SELT Consortium
PSI Services (Skills for English UKVI)
LANGUAGECERT
Test locations and booking process in the UK:
Pearson
Trinity College London
IELTS SELT Consortium
LANGUAGECERT
Outside the UK, available test providers are:
Pearson
IELTS SELT Consortium
PSI Services (UKVI)
LANGUAGECERT
Booking a test is straightforward via the providers’ websites. Test slots are generally available within 28 days, depending on location. Applicants are advised:
‘Your booking details must match your identity documents exactly’.
Accepted ID documents
When booking and sitting for your SELT test, the following ID documents are accepted:
Accepted ID Documents for SELT Test
Passport – Most commonly used ID document
UK BRP or BRC – For residents in the United Kingdom
EEA National ID – Accepted if applicable to the applicant
Government-issued photo ID – Accepted for tests taken outside the UK
Applicants should note that emergency or photocopied documents are not accepted under any circumstances.
Once the test is completed, candidates will receive a unique SELT reference number that links their test score to their visa or citizenship application.
News
15 huts razed, one injured in renewed Jukun-Tiv violence

A fresh outbreak of ethnic violence between the Jukun and Tiv communities has erupted in Taraba State, with suspected Jukun militias launching an early-morning attack on Dekeh Village along the Wukari–Kente Road.
According to security sources available to Zagazola Makama, the incident occurred at approximately 1:00 a.m. on Tuesday.
About six armed assailants stormed the village, opening fire indiscriminately and setting 15 huts ablaze. The attack forced residents to flee in panic, leaving behind food items, including yam seedlings, which were destroyed in the blaze.
One resident identified as Mdue Saaondo, sustained gunshot injuries during the assault. He was rescued by a joint team of police and military personnel and transported to the Federal University Teaching Hospital in Wukari for medical treatment.
The Taraba State Police Command has launched an investigation to identify and apprehend those responsible. Authorities have also scheduled a security meeting with the Wukari Local Government Traditional Council as part of efforts to restore peace and encourage dialogue between the Tiv and Jukun communities, who have long-standing disputes over land and territorial claims.
“Patrol and surveillance operations are ongoing to forestall further violence and ensure stability in the area,” police authorities stated.
The incident adds to the growing list of violent clashes that have plagued southern Taraba in recent years, underscoring the urgent need for a sustainable resolution to the communal tensions.
News
2025 U-20 AFCON: Flying Eagles zoom into quarter-final after draw with Kenya

Nigeria’s Flying Eagles booked a place in the quarter-final at the 2025 Africa U-20 Cup of Nations after playing out a 2-2 draw against Kenya.
Aliyu Zubairu’s side finished second in Group B with five points from three games.
The Atlas Cub of Morocco top the group with seven points after beating Tunisia 3-1 at the Suez Canal Stadium in Ismailia.
Kenya started the game strongly, and deservedly took the lead after six minutes.
Nigeria defender Emmanuel Chukwu handled the ball inside the box, and after initially awarding a free kick to Kenya, the centre referee pointed to the spot following consultation with VAR.
Captain Kevin Wangaya Colly slotted the ball past Ebenezer Harcourt to give the Rising Stars the lead.
The Flying Eagles fought back seven minutes later with Lillestrøm striker Kparobo Arierhi netting after he was put on through on goal by Simon Cletus.
Nigeria dominated the game in the second half but failed to test the Kenyan goalkeeper.
Kenya took the lead for the second time in the game through substitute William Nwangi on 68 minutes.
Nwangi lashed home Humphrey Kegengo’s free kick from inside the box.
Daniel Bameyi, however, converted from the spot to hand the Flying Eagles a share of the spoils.
News
Trump announces judicial nominees, accuses US court of obstruction

United States President Donald Trump has announced a fresh slate of judicial nominees in a series of posts on Truth Social on Tuesday.
The president, who has repeatedly expressed frustration over what he sees as judicial obstruction, followed up on Wednesday with a post criticising the judiciary for allegedly preventing him from carrying out the mandate of the American people.
The Republican leader, whose second-term agenda has encountered multiple judicial roadblocks, wrote: “Our Court System is not letting me do the job I was Elected to do.
“Activist judges must let the [Donald] Trump Administration deport murderers, and other criminals who have come into our Country illegally, WITHOUT DELAY!!!”
Trump named Maria Lanahan, Missouri’s Principal Deputy Solicitor General, as a nominee for a judgeship on the US District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri. He praised her as “a true patriot” in a post on Tuesday.
The 78-year-old also nominated Judge Cristian Stevens to serve on the same court, describing him in another post as “a Great Patriot.”
The announcements came a day after a federal appeals court declined the Trump administration’s request to revoke temporary legal status from hundreds of thousands of Nicaraguans, Venezuelans, Haitians, and Cubans living in the United States.
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