Lighthouse Reports
Coverage of Lighthouse Reports in the Nexus archive.
- DR Congo secretly exporting uranium to China - report
DR Congo has been secretly exporting uranium to China for over two decades, despite a ban on commercial uranium exports, according to an investigation by Lighthouse Reports. The uranium, a by-product of cobalt mining in the Shinkolobwe region, was historically used in US nuclear weapons during WWII. Between 2000 and 2024, 2,000 to 5,000 tonnes of uranium were reportedly exported to China.
- The UK will scan asylum-seekers’ faces for age checks—despite knowing the tech is flawed
The UK government plans to use facial age estimation (FAE) technology to determine the age of asylum seekers at borders, despite internal reports showing the system frequently misclassifies children as adults and exhibits bias. Asylum seekers without age-proving documents risk losing legal protections if incorrectly labeled as adults, with high-stakes implications for migrants in 2025.
- Blackstone’s VFS banks mega profits on African, Asian visa applicants
VFS Global, majority-owned by Blackstone, has generated significant profits by upselling optional visa application services in Africa and Asia, with allegations of undisclosed charges and pressured sales tactics. Investigations claim its profits quadrupled between 2017 and 2024 despite modest visa application growth, while Blackstone sold part of its stake for $950 million.