World News

UK expresses support for Tinubu’s renewed hope agenda

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The British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Richard Montgomery, has said the United Kingdom was impressed by the security strategies President Tinubu has put in place.

Montgomery also reiterated the UK government’s support for the Nigerian government in terms of security, transparency and accountability in governance.

Montgomery stated this during a High-level Dialogue on Delivering the Renewed Hope Agenda on the theme, “Nigeria’s Global Ambitions: From Hope to Reality,” in Abuja on Friday.

He applauded Tinubu’s agenda, saying it focused on priorities and delivery.

“I’d like to use this opportunity to express the whole lot of support of my government to the Renewed Hope Agenda of His Excellency, the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Bola Tinubu.

“We commend his agenda for its focus on priorities and delivery. We acknowledge that you have done a lot to put in place transparency and accountability,” he stated.

Also, the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Doris Nkiruka Uzoka-Anite stated that the gathering, initiated by the Office of the Vice President, was evidence of the role of the international corporation in delivering the remarkable goals of the President’s laudable Renewed Hope Agenda.

On his part, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, praised the stakeholders’ efforts led by Vice President Shettima for convening the high-level forum to mark the first anniversary of the Tinubu Administration.

Idris said the gathering was both to reflect on the last year and look ahead to the next three years.

The Minister of Budget and National Planning, Alhaji Atiku Bagudu, said Tinubu’s one year in office had been successful despite being challenging.

Bagudu noted that the Tinubu-led government is an administration that will renew the hope of Nigerians.

He also appreciated Shettima for gracing the occasion, saying, “Not surprisingly, you chose to come in person to show importance, particularly to partners in the diplomatic and development world, that Nigeria appreciates them and that international cooperation is important to us and it is rooted in our constitution, is rooted in our development plans and is rooted in our Renewed hope agenda.”

He added, “Not surprisingly, Mr. President, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and Vice President Kashim Shetiima, over the last year, have engaged globally and locally with institutions that represent development partnership, multilateral institutions, and bilateral institutions, consistent with our development agenda.”

Also, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, who was represented by Senior Special Assistant to the President on International Cooperation, Dapo Oyewole, reiterated Nigeria’s commitment to long-lasting partnership with the global community.

“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s foreign policy will continue to accommodate the interests of all Nigerians and ensure mutual and beneficial partnerships with all nations,” Oyewole said.

Speaking further, he added that Nigeria will continue to work to unlock all hidden economic treasures in the country.

In his remarks, the Managing Director of the Bank of Industry, Dr Olasupo Olusi, said the event marked a critical reflection point for all who have explored optimally to harness international corporations in achieving the noble goals of Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

He stated that the Bank of Industry has witnessed firsthand the transformative power of strategic partnership in driving economic growth and fostering inclusive development under the Tinubu administration.

World News

TikTok app banned from UK Government phones over Chinese ‘spying fears’

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TikTok has been banned from UK Government phones with immediate effect over cyber-security ‘risks.’

Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Oliver Dowden disclosed that the block on the Chinese-owned app came after a review by Government experts.

He also revealed that only third-party apps from an approved list would be allowed on official devices.

The restriction comes in response to concerns that users’ sensitive data could be accessed by the authorities in Beijing via TikTok’s firm’s owner ByteDance, which has its headquarters in China.

Members of the Government and officials will also be discouraged from keeping the controversial video-sharing app on their personal phones, but they will not be banned from using them in their own time.

It follows moves by the US, the EU, and Canada to stop officials using the app on their work devices, and comes after the Government declared that China ‘poses an epoch-defining challenge’.

Parliament’s TikTok account was shut down last year after MPs raised concerns about the firm’s links to China.

The official Downing Street TikTok page has not been updated since the summer. But the Ministry of Defence opened an account only last week.

Former Tory leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith, who has called for a more robust attitude towards Beijing, welcomed the development.

But he told MailOnline the ban had to be extended to the personal phones of ministers and senior civil servants to work effectively.

‘While they are ministers they should be denied access. If it is a security risk on the government phones it is a security risk on their phones,’ he said.

‘The idea that they do nothing with the Government other than on their secure phones – I’m sorry, that is not true. This app should not be on their personal phones.’

TikTok has said bans have been based on ‘misplaced fears and seemingly driven by wider geopolitics’, saying it would be ‘disappointed by such a move’ in the UK.

But Alicia Kearns, chairwoman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, said: ‘Significant questions remain around TikTok’s ability to act as a data Trojan Horse. The Government has a duty to protect our people from the acquisition of our personal data by a hostile states.’

Asked about a possible ban earlier this week, security minister Tom Tugendhat told Times Radio he had asked the National Cyber Security Centre, a branch of GCHQ, to assess the risk.

‘We need to make sure that our phones are not spyware, but useful tools for us,’ he said.

It comes after the Biden administration threatened to ban TikTok in the US unless its Chinese owner sells its shares in the app.

World News

UK to reduce international students’ stay to six months

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United Kingdom Home Secretary Suella Braverman is working to implement a new law which will reduce the amount of time international students can stay in the UK upon course completion to six months, after which they have to have a skilled job that makes them qualified for a work visa.

Ms Braverman intends to cut the number of foreign students in the UK from 239,000 to “tens of thousands.”

UK Department for Education is resisting Ms Braverman’s plan as they fear it will make the UK less attractive to foreign students, who pay more tuition than their UK counterparts as they are a significant source of income, generating £25.9 billion per year to the UK economy through fees and spending.

Another measure considered by the Home Office is restricting visa applications only to those who have completed studies in high-demand subject areas, such as engineering.

World News

UK warns its citizens to avoid 22 states in Nigeria over insecurity issues

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The United Kingdom has warned its citizens against traveling to 22 states in Nigeria over insecurity issues.

This was announced by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office (FCDO) in a statement published on its website on Monday, November 7, 2022.

Back in October, the UK government warned of an increased threat of terrorist attacks in the Federal Capital Territory, after which it restricted access to the British High Commission in Abuja.

In the statement titled “Updated Foreign Commonwealth Development Office Travel Advice to British Nationals Traveling to the FCT,” the UK said the warning is to help its nationals make better-informed decisions about international travel and plan for a trouble-free trip.

The statement read,

“FCDO travel advice exists to inform British nationals so they can make decisions about travelling abroad.

There continues to be a number of states in Nigeria where we advise British Nationals against all but essential travel.

These include: Bauchi, Kano, Jigawa, Niger, Sokoto, Kogi, Abia, Plateau, Taraba, within 20km of the border with Niger in Kebbi State and non-riverine areas of Delta, Bayelsa and Rivers States.

“We also advise against all travel to: Borno State, Yobe State, Adamawa State, Gombe State, Kaduna State, Katsina State, Zamfara state, and the riverine areas of Delta State, Bayelsa State, Rivers State, Akwa Ibom State, and Cross River State.

“The UK keeps its travel advice under regular review and in making these assessments and uses information from a wide range of sources.

The travel advice is constantly reviewed to make sure it reflects the current situation in Abuja and Nigeria.

Although the FCDO Travel Advice no longer advises against all but essential travel to the Federal Capital Territory, including the city of Abuja, it makes clear that some risks remain.”

The UK advised its citizens to monitor the latest updates and stay in contact with their travel provider.

Politics

Rishi Sunak officially becomes UK PM after meeting King Charles

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Rishi Sunak officially becomes UK PM after meeting King CharlesRishi Sunak on Tuesday, October 25, became the UK’s prime minister following a meeting with King Charles III.

The tradition sees the monarch invite the leader of the party with the highest number of MPs to form a government, which since the 2019 general election has been the Conservatives. In a speech outside 10 Downing Street after the meeting, Sunak said:

“Our country is facing a profound economic crisis. The aftermath of Covid still lingers, Putin’s war in Ukraine has destabilized energy markets and supply chains the world over.”

He paid tribute to his predecessor Liz Truss, who he said was “not wrong” to want to improve U.K. growth. He said, “some mistakes were made,” not “borne of ill will or bad intentions” but “mistakes nonetheless” and he had been elected “in part to fix them.”

He added:

“I will place economic stability and confidence at the heart of the government’s agenda. This will mean difficult decisions to come. But you saw me during Covid doing everything I could to protect people and businesses with schemes like furlough.

There are always limits, more so than ever, but I promise you this. I will bring that same compassion to the challenges we face today.”

Sunak is now expected to begin appointing new cabinet figures in yet another reshuffle at the top of British politics.

He was elected party leader by fellow Conservative lawmakers on Monday, October 24, following the resignation of Truss on Thursday, October 20.

Sunak is the third prime minister the UK will have in one year.

World News

Rishi Sunak to become next UK PM after Johnson pulls out

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Rishi Sunak is favourite to become Britain’s next prime minister after Boris Johnson pulled out of the Conservative Party leadership race to replace Liz Truss, who resigned last week.

Sunak, the 42-year-old former finance minister, could be named leader as soon as Monday to replace Liz Truss, becoming Britain’s third prime minister in less than two months.

With the endorsement of nearly 150 conservative MPs, Sunak, who served as Chancellor under Johnson has emerged as the frontrunner in the Tory leadership race.

The multi-millionaire former hedge fund boss will be tasked with rebuilding Britain’s fiscal reputation through deep spending cuts as it slides into a recession, dragged down by surging energy, food, and mortgage rates.

He will also preside over a party that has bounced from one crisis to the next in recent months, badly split along ideological lines, and a country that is growing increasingly angry at the conduct of its politicians.

“The United Kingdom is a great country but we face a profound economic crisis,” Sunak said in a statement declaring his candidacy on Sunday.

First, he must defeat the last candidate in the contest, Penny Mordaunt, who is fighting to secure the support of 100 lawmakers to get on to Monday’s ballot.

Mordaunt, who is leader of parliament’s House of Commons, has so far received the backing of around 25 politicians. More than 150 have backed Sunak.

“He’s not taking anything for granted at all,” interior minister Grant Shapps, a supporter of Sunak, told BBC television.

“He’s speaking to colleagues throughout this morning. And of course, we’ll be hoping to attract sufficient numbers to ensure that this can be put to bed.”

World News

UK warns of possible attack in FCT, restricts access to British high commission

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Just like the United States, the United Kingdom (UK) has also issued a terrorism alert to citizens in Nigeria.

UK warned of an increased threat of terrorist attack in the federal capital territory (FCT) and also admonished its citizens to stay alert, “consider movements carefully, follow the local news and the advice of security authorities”.

UK citizens were warned against visits to markets, shopping malls, hotels, bars, restaurants, football viewing centres, displacement camps, transport terminals (including train networks), government buildings — and schools.

The British High Commission in Abuja also said that from Monday, October 24, only critical staff will be allowed access to its facility.

Parents were also warned against sending their children to school.

Politics, World News

Boris Johnson drops out of UK Prime Minister race

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Former prime minister of the United Kingdom, Boris Johnson has ruled himself out of returning to the job.

This week speculations of Johnson’s impending move to replace Liz Truss intensified after she resigned following just 45 days in office.

Truss had replaced Johnson who was forced out of office in July following a series of scandals.

In the wake of Truss’ resignation, Johnson had reportedly undertaken consultations to see if he has support to return, meaning he would need to secure 100 nominations from Conservative lawmakers.

Despite some Conservative lawmakers publicly expressing their support for the former prime minister, Johnson in a statement on Sunday, October 23 withdrew his interest, saying he has enough support but has decided it is not the right thing to do.

“In the last few days I have been overwhelmed by the number of people who suggested that I should once again contest the Conservative Party leadership, both among the public and among friends and colleagues in parliament.

I have been attracted because I led our party into a massive election victory less than three years ago – and I believe I am therefore uniquely placed to avert a general election now,” the statement reads.

“A general election would be a further disastrous distraction just when the government must focus on the economic pressures faced by families across the country.

I believe I am well placed to deliver a Conservative victory in 2024 – and tonight I can confirm that I have cleared the very high hurdle of 102 nominations, including a proposer and a seconder, and I could put my nomination in tomorrow.

“There is a very good chance that I would be successful in the election with Conservative Party members – and that I could indeed be back in Downing Street on Friday.

But in the course of the last days, I have sadly come to the conclusion that this would simply not be the right thing to do. You can’t govern effectively unless you have a united party in parliament.

“And though I have reached out to both Rishi (Sunak) and Penny (Mordaunt) – because I hoped that we could come together in the national interest – we have sadly not been able to work out a way of doing this.

Therefore I am afraid the best thing is that I do not allow my nomination to go forward and commit my support to whoever succeeds. I believe I have much to offer but I am afraid that this is simply not the right time.”

Johnson’s withdrawal leaves the race open to Sunak, former finance minister, and Mordaunt, leader of the House of Commons.

Politics

UK High Commissioner, Others Visit Tinubu

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The presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Bola Tinubu, on Monday, hosted the United Kingdom High Commissioner, Ms. Catorina Liang, other diplomats and dignitaries, at his office.

He said photos from the visit on his Facebook page, saying,

“Today I welcomed to my office a delegation of diplomats, foreign and Nigerian dignitaries led by the amiable UK High Commissioner, Ms. Catorina Liang.”

Politics, World News

Liz Truss to become UK’s next prime minister after beating Rishi Sunak in race to succeed Boris Johnson

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Liz Truss will become the next prime minister after defeating Rishi Sunak in the Conservative Party leadership contest on Monday, September 5.

The foreign secretary will succeed Boris Johnson on Tuesday September 6, and become the nation’s third female. She secured just over 81,000 to Mr. Sunak’s just over 60,000.

Ms Truss is expected to make a speech outside Number 10 once she takes office and will then get to work on appointing her cabinet.

In a break from tradition on Tuesday, Mr. Johnson and his successor will go to Balmoral rather than Buckingham Palace to meet Queen Elizabeth, who will ask the new leader to form a government. The pair would fly there in separate planes for security reasons.

Boris Johnson was forced to announce his resignation in July after months of scandal and will travel to Scotland to meet Queen Elizabeth on Tuesday at Balmoral Castle in Scotland to formally tender his resignation.

Ms. Truss has promised to announce further help to shield consumers within a week of taking over.

She plans to deliver £30bn in tax cuts through an emergency Budget later this month, arguing the UK’s tax burden is behind sluggish growth.

Entertainment, Lifestyle

‘I’m fed up with people getting killed every day – Singer Ozzy Osbourne reveals he’s moving back to the UK with his wife because he ‘doesn’t want to die’ in America

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Ozzy Osbourne has announced he plans to move back to the UK with his wife Sharon Osbourne, because he’s fed up with people getting killed every day in the US and don’t want to become a target.

The singer, 73, who has spent over 25 years in Beverly Hills revealed this while commenting on the country’s history of school shootings. Osbourne said he will relocate with his music manager wife Sharon, 69, to their 120-year-old Grade II listed Buckinghamshire pile Welders House.

He told The Observer: ‘I’m fed up with people getting killed every day. God knows how many people have been shot in school shootings. And there was that mass shooting in Vegas at that concert… It’s f*****g crazy.’

He continued:

‘I’m English. I want to be back. But, saying that, if my wife said we’ve got to go and live in Timbuktu, I’ll go. But, no, it’s just time for me to come home.’ Quashing any speculation that the move could have been promoted by Ozzy’s battle with Parkinson’s Disease, Sharon added:

‘It isn’t the United States of America at all. Nothing’s united about it. It’s a very weird place to live right now.’

The Black Sabbath hitmaker returned to the stage earlier this month in his hometown of Birmingham for the Commonwealth Games closing ceremony just two months after ‘life-altering surgery’.

Earlier in August, Ozzy revealed in an interview with The Sun that he was told he could have been paralysed for life, after undergoing his first spinal surgery back in 2019.

The hitmaker was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2019, and that same year suffered a horror fall that aggravated a neck injury from his 2003 quad bike accident.

World News

UK Govt in talks with Nigeria to receive migrants rejected for asylum in the UK

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Nigeria is among five more African countries reportedly in ‘advanced talks’ with the UK government over a Rwanda-style deal.

The UK-Rwanda deal seeks to remove illegal immigrants from the UK for processing their asylum claims out of Europe.Now, Morocco, Nigeria, Namibia, Niger, and Ghana are all in discussions with the UK government about receiving migrants rejected for asylum from the UK, The Times reports.

This comes after 25 boats were intercepted by Border Force and the Royal Navy on Monday and escorted into Dover and Dungeness in the morning, before hundreds more people were brought ashore into the evening amid a large number of migrants crossing the Channel to the UK.

According to reports, as many as 1,000 people may have arrived yesterday, after three days without crossings.

August is set to become a record month for the year with around 6,000 migrants having crossed the Channel so far, The Telegraph reports.

The highest ever total in a month is 6,878 in November. And yesterday the yearly total reached 21,000. The total did not pass 20,000 until November in 2021.

It was also revealed that the Foreign Office has been taking up the task of establishing a list of countries interested in agreeing on a Rwanda-style deal.

An initial list of 20 countries was quickly reduced when ambassadors warned that seeking such agreements would damage relations.

Albania, North Macedonia, and Moldova were on the initial list but were removed following the negative media coverage.

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