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UK’s Truss Confirms Bid To Replace PM Boris Johnson

Published

2 years ago

July 11, 2022

Editor

Britain’s Foreign Secretary, Liz Truss, has announced her bid to become the Conservative party’s new leader on Sunday, making her the tenth contender in the race.

The new Tory leader will replace Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who was forced to step down after dozens of members of the government resigned in protest after a series of scandals.

Truss joins contenders, including trade minister Penny Mordaunt, former health secretaries Sajid Javid and Jeremy Hunt, ex-chancellor Rishi Sunak, his successor Nadhim Zahawi, and Transport Secretary Grant Shapps.

Senior backbencher Tom Tugendhat and former minister Kemi Badenoch have also thrown their hats into the ring.

Writing in The Telegraph, she said: “Under my leadership, I would start cutting taxes from day one to take immediate action to help people deal with the cost of living.

“I would reverse the national insurance increase that came in during April, make sure we keep corporation tax competitive so we can attract business and investment into Britain, and put the Covid debt on a longer-term footing.”

Truss argued, “it isn’t right to be putting up taxes now”, and as leader, she would take “immediate action” to assist with living costs.

She said she would “keep corporation tax competitive”, hinting that she wants to look again at Sunak’s plans to hike the rate in April 2023 but did not go so far as to match some of her fellow contenders’ pledges to scrap the rise entirely.

Truss said she would “get the private sector growing faster than the public sector, with a long-term plan to bring down the size of the state and the tax burden”.

Truss said her plan would get the country back on track towards becoming a “high-growth and high-productivity powerhouse”.

“It is built on a clear and longstanding Conservative philosophy, including bold supply-side reform,” she added.

She said she had: “led the way” in making the most of Britain’s “new-found freedoms” outside the EU but insisted “we can go further, whether it is doing more to champion innovation or charting our own course on regulation”.

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Lady Arrested For Allegedly Harassing, Cyberstalking Crown Prince Of Benin Kingdom [VIDEO]

Published

53 mins ago

May 13, 2024

Editor

Cynthia Morgan has been arrested for allegedly persistently harassing and cyberstalking His Royal Highness, the Crown Prince of the Benin Kingdom. Prince Ezelekhae Ewuare.

According to a lawsuit filed by his team of lawyers, the singer, also known as Madrina, has been desperately trying to reach the Prince and trailing him on his work days.

Frustrated at not meeting him, she allegedly began publishing lies and defamatory statements against him on Instagram from 2020 to date.

According to the court documents, the Crown Prince filed a suit against her, warning her to desist from defaming him, but she ignored all his warnings.

She is also alleged to have attempted to contact him through various phone lines, which he immediately blocked.

She allegedly succeeded in reaching him via phone call on May 3rd, 2024, and began making statements that seemed to come from a place of delusion.

Screenshots of chats allegedly sent by the singer to the Prince have also been released.

A video shared online shows Cynthia being led by men suspected to be police officers out of her home.

Recall that in November 2023, Cynthia publicly accused the Crown Prince of bewitching her and physically assaulting her to prevent her from marrying someone else.

The Crown Prince responded to these allegations on his Instagram story, announcing his intention to file a lawsuit against Cynthia.

At the time, the singer doubled down and shared images of her and the Prince from 2018.

She then promised to share her side of the story.

Watch the video below.

Headline

$2.5bn Fraud: EFCC To Collaborate With UK Prosecutors In Diezani’s Case

Published

10 hours ago

May 13, 2024

Editor

There were signs over the weekend that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission plans to join forces with the United Kingdom prosecutors as an interested party in the trial of former Petroleum Minister, Diezani Alison-Madueke, in a UK court.

A team from the anti-graft commission is expected in London to initiate this process by filing relevant documents, the Nation reports.

According to a source privy to the information, the EFCC intends to share its findings and the Abuja high court’s forfeiture order concerning Diezani’s $2.5 million properties and vehicles with the UK court.

“This country may not be able to retrieve questionable assets from Diezani if the EFCC does not file an application as an interested party. We have received an advisory on this important bend to Diezani’s trial and we will be part of the case in the UK. A team will leave for London any moment from now to explore legal opportunities and file necessary papers as an interested party.

“The overall aim is for Nigeria to benefit from Diezani’s trial, especially the recovery of all assets linked to funds looted in this country. The EFCC has sufficient evidence against Diezani, including a court order on the former minister’s $2.5 million homes and cars.

“In another case, a former chairman of EFCC confirmed that the commission recovered $153 million and secured the final forfeiture of over 80 properties in Nigeria valued at about $ 80 million. The allegations against Diezani by the EFCC border on the alleged stealing of about $2.5 billion from Nigeria’s coffers as a minister.” the source said.

The source continued, “It is necessary for this nation to rise to the occasion because, in March 2023, the NCA also provided evidence to the US Department of Justice that enabled them to recover assets totalling $53.1 million linked to Mrs. Alison-Madueke’s alleged corruption.

“Like the P&ID case, the EFCC has sufficient evidence to pull through a case against Diezani. We want all stolen, diverted and questionable assets back in the custody of Nigeria for the good use of our citizens.I think the EFCC is collaborating with the NCA in the UK on this.

“It is also unclear if the UK court will ask Diezani to return to Nigeria to serve prison terms if convicted. This is why we also need to be an interested party in the case in the UK.”

Last year, the Head of the NCA’s international corruption unit, Andy Kelly, said the “charges are a milestone in what has been a thorough and complex international investigation”.

“Bribery is a pervasive form of corruption, which enables serious criminality and can have devastating consequences for developing countries.

“We will continue to work with partners here and overseas to tackle the threat.”

Diezani is currently facing trial at the Southwark Crown Court in the UK over an alleged £100,000 bribe.

The National Crime Agency alleged that Diezani could have received benefits worth at least £100,000, including cash, chauffeured cars, private jet flights, luxury family vacations, and multiple London properties.

On October 2, 2023, a Magistrate Court granted bail to the former Minister for £70,000, considering her a potential flight risk.

The trial proceedings for Diezani’s case are scheduled to commence in November 2025.

In October 2023, the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, submitted a warrant of arrest and request to the Crown Prosecution Services of the United Kingdom for the urgent extradition of a former Minister of Petroleum, Diezani Allison-Madueke.

Headline

Five-year-old Boy Shot Dead By Hijackers In South Africa

Published

24 hours ago

May 13, 2024

Editor

A 5-year-old boy, Ditebogo Junior, was shot dead after his father’s Toyota Hilux was hijacked outside their home in Soshanguve, in the north of Gauteng, South Africa.

Police spokesperson, Lt-Col Mavela Masondo said that the child had gone out to welcome his father, Ditebogo Phalane, when he arrived home around 10:30pm on Friday, May 10, 2024.

“An unconfirmed number of armed suspects allegedly hijacked the father’s White Toyota bakkie and shot the five-year-old boy who later died in hospital,” Masondo said.

Phalane’s cousin, Gift Makoti took to X to share the heartbreaking news about the boy’s passing.

“My cousin was Hijacked hours ago in Soshanguve block Uu, they took his Bakkie. He was with his son, they shot the 5yr old boy!! He didn’t make it!! What has this country come to now!!!!!???! That’s a CHILD man!!!!!!” he wrote

He posted photos of the young boy, Ditebogo Phalane Jnr, with his father smiling and looking happy. He said that the boy’s father was inconsolable.

“He and his son had a strong bond. His son was always out and about with him, keeping him company. I don’t know how he is going to live without his son,” he said

The tragic incident has left social media users shocked and angry.

Many have made contributions to help erect a tombstone for the boy.