Dons Eze
- Foreign Affairs
- January 20, 2025
- 38 views
TRUMP PUSHES FOR US CONTROL OF TIKTOK, PROPOSES 50% AMERICAN OWNERSHIP
TRUMP PUSHES FOR US CONTROL OF TIKTOK, PROPOSES 50% AMERICAN OWNERSHIP Donald Trump, during a rally in Washington, outlines his vision for TikTok’s future in the United States. He insists that the app, owned by Chinese company ByteDance, must have at least 50% U.S. ownership to operate legally within the country. Trump highlights the app’s worth and emphasizes that government approval determines its value. “Without U.S. approval, TikTok is worth zero. With approval, it’s worth billions—possibly even a trillion dollars,” he says, proposing a joint venture where the United States becomes a major stakeholder alongside private bidders. TikTok users across the U.S. face a 12-hour service outage following the enforcement of a new law requiring ByteDance to divest its ownership or face a nationwide ban. The service resumes only after Trump reassures providers that they will not face penalties. In a public statement, TikTok confirms the restoration of its services, saying:“We appreciate the clarity provided, ensuring TikTok remains accessible to over 170 million Americans and supports millions of small businesses.” Trump plans to sign an executive order that extends the compliance deadline for the new regulations. The extension aims to secure a deal addressing national security concerns while keeping TikTok operational for its massive U.S. user base. The debate centers on concerns over data privacy and the potential misuse of user information. TikTok, which supports more than 7 million small businesses in the U.S., continues to navigate the delicate balance between meeting regulatory demands and maintaining its presence in the market. This development highlights a broader challenge as governments address the growing influence of foreign tech companies on national security. For TikTok, the road ahead involves navigating U.S. demands for transparency while maintaining its global operations. The outcome could set a precedent for other tech platforms operating in sensitive geopolitical environments.
- Foreign Affairs
- January 19, 2025
- 56 views
US PRESIDENT-ELECT, DONALD TRUMP, ARRIVES WASHINGTON AHEAD OF TOMORROW’S INAUGURATION
US PRESIDENT-ELECT, DONALD TRUMP, ARRIVES WASHINGTON AHEAD OF TOMORROW’S INAUGURATION Donald Trump landed in Washington on Saturday ahead of his inauguration, with the billionaire Republican set to attend a series of events and celebrations before reclaiming the presidency. Trump, who arrived with his wife Melania and other family members at Dulles International Airport, headed to a private event, including a fireworks show, at his golf club in Virginia outside Washington. Earlier Saturday, Trump told NBC News that he plans to sign a record number of executive orders after being sworn in, beginning “right after” he delivers his inaugural address on Monday. He said the number of orders he will sign after taking office had not yet been determined but the figure will be “record-setting.” The president-elect is expected to sign orders undoing many of the policies advanced during President Joe Biden’s outgoing administration. Trump’s promises for Day 1 of his new term also include a mass deportation program. The expulsion of undocumented migrants will “begin very, very quickly,” Trump told NBC. “I can’t say which cities because things are evolving. And I don’t think we want to say what city. You’ll see it firsthand,” he said in the phone interview. Hardline immigration official Tom Homan, whom Trump has named his “border czar,” told The Washington Post Saturday that the incoming administration was rethinking its initial moves following media leaks. Multiple US outlets had reported the Trump administration planned a major raid in Chicago on Tuesday. Trump’s team “hasn’t made a decision yet,” Homan told the paper. “We’re looking at this leak and will make a decision based on this leak.” Homan added that he did not know why Chicago had become the focus of media reports but that the new administration will arrest people they deem “public safety threats” from “day one.” “We’ll be arresting people across the country, uninhibited by any prior administration guidelines,” he said. Recent inaugurations have been held on the steps of the US Capitol overlooking the National Mall, but Trump announced Friday the ceremony was moving indoors because of unusually cold weather forecast to hit Washington. “I think we made the right decision,” he told NBC. “The weather was really looking bad in terms of the coldness, and I think it would have been dangerous for a lot of people.” Following Saturday’s private party, Trump is expected to lay a wreath at Arlington National Cemetery on Sunday before attending a rally of his supporters in Washington. He is also scheduled to address a dinner event on Sunday. Thousands of demonstrators marched through the streets of Washington on Saturday in protest over Trump’s policies.
- Foreign Affairs
- January 19, 2025
- 38 views
I DON’T WANT BRITAIN TO BE LIKE NIGERIA WHERE GOVT DESTROYS LIVES – KEMI BADENOCH
I DON’T WANT BRITAIN TO BE LIKE NIGERIA WHERE GOVT DESTROYS LIVES – KEMI BADENOCH UK Conservative party leader Kemi Badenoch says she does not want Britain to be like Nigeria, a poor country where terrible government destroy lives. In her first speech of the year on Thursday, Ms Badenoch explained her push for “real conservatism” that guarantees a “better, richer and safer” tomorrow for the younger generation of Brits. “Why this matters so much to me is because I know what it is like to have something and lose it. I don’t want Britain to lose what it has,” said Ms Badenoch. “I grew up in a poor country, and I watched my relatively wealthy family become poorer and poorer and poorer despite working harder as their money disappeared with inflation,” Ms Badenoch said. The Tory leader narrated how she migrated to the UK at age 16 with her father’s last £100 and would never want the UK to become a country like Nigeria where terrible governments destroy lives. “I came back to the UK at 16 with my father’s last £100 and a hope of a better life. So, I’ve lived with the consequences of a terrible government that destroys lives, and I never ever want that to happen here,” Ms Badenoch said. This comes as another episode of Ms Badenoch criticising her home country Nigeria, exposing how prolonged misgovernment is ruining the country. Before now, she had berated Nigerian police as “armed robbers” who intimidate the citizens they are employed to protect with their guns. Angered by Ms Badenoch’s intermittent criticisms of Nigeria at every opportunity, Vice President Kashim Shettima responded, telling her to change her name if she does not want any association with the “greatest black nation on earth, Nigeria.”
- Foreign Affairs
- January 18, 2025
- 49 views
NIGERIANS FLOCK IN UK AS PRISON OFFICERS, SLEEP IN CARS TO CUT COSTS
NIGERIANS FLOCK IN UK AS PRISON OFFICERS, SLEEP IN CARS TO CUT COSTS Many Nigerians are reportedly being hired as prison officers in the United Kingdom, UK as the British government seeks to address staffing shortages in overcrowded prisons. According to The Telegraph, the UK prison service is now sponsoring skilled worker visas for the first time, as a result of a rule change that allows them to recruit from abroad. Prison governors disclosed that many of the new recruits come from Nigeria, with some skilled workers switching to the role from other visa routes. However, many of these workers soon arrive in the UK only to encounter accommodation challenges, upon realizing that their job offers did not include any provision for housing. Reports reveal that some have resorted to camping or even sleeping in their cars as a cost-saving measure. Mark Fairhurst, president of the Prison Officers’ Association (POA), shared an example of one foreign recruit who commuted 70 miles daily from Huddersfield to Nottingham but later decided to sleep in his car outside the prison to save costs. At another prison, recruits camped in a wooded area near their workplace after discovering no housing was provided. “We have got problems with people who turn up at the gates with cases in tow and with their families saying to the staff: ‘Where is the accommodation?’” said Mr. Fairhurst. The recruitment drive follows changes in visa rules in October 2023, which added prison officers to the list of skilled workers eligible for sponsorship. Ministry of Justice (MoJ) sources estimate that about 250 foreign nationals have been sponsored to join the prison service so far, completing Zoom interviews and vetting processes. Prison governors report a high interest in these roles, with many applicants coming from Africa. In one month last year, two-thirds of 3,500 applicants were from the continent. Tom Wheatley, president of the Prison Governors Association (PGA), believes online word-of-mouth among the Nigerian expat community has fueled the demand. This influx has created challenges in some prisons, particularly in remote rural areas, where integration into local communities and communication issues have surfaced. “It’s turned into an approach that has been promoted online by the expat Nigerian community,” Wheatley noted. Despite these challenges, the Prison Service maintains that all recruits undergo thorough assessments and training. “In October 2023, changes were made to the skilled worker visa scheme which has allowed the prison service to sponsor visa applications for foreign nationals,” said a spokesperson. “All staff – regardless of nationality – undergo robust assessments and training before they work in prisons. Our strengthened vetting process roots out those who fall below our high standards.” However, Mr. Fairhurst has criticised the recruitment process, particularly the reliance on Zoom interviews and six weeks of training. He argued that this system is inadequate for preparing recruits to manage prisoners effectively. “The process is simply not fit for purpose,” he said, warning that it risks recruiting under-qualified or corrupt officers.
- Foreign Affairs
- January 14, 2025
- 136 views
LAWYER WHO LED PROSECUTION AGAINST TRUMP RESIGNS, FLEES US
LAWYER WHO LED PROSECUTION AGAINST TRUMP RESIGNS, FLEES US Jack Smith, the special counsel who led prosecution against United States President-elect Donald Trump, has resigned and fled the country ahead of Trump’s inauguration on January 20. According to statements of officials in the document submitted to the US District Judge Aileen Cannon, Smith had completed his work and submitted his final confidential report on January 7 this year before he finally took leave of the United States Department of Justice on January 10. The high-profile cases handled by Smith involved Trump’s alleged mishandling of confidential documents after he left office and his alleged attempt to overturn the 2020 election which he contested and lost. Smith, a former war crimes prosecutor, was appointed in November 2022 to steer the affairs of the Justice Department’s ongoing investigations into Trump’s cases. But with Trump’s victory in the November 5 election, Smith dismissed the cases, citing a Justice Department rule against prosecuting incumbent presidents. While asking courts to drop the charges, Smith’s legal team, however, acknowledged the validity of the cases but stated that they could not pursue them in view of the Trump’s impeding return to the Presidency. This development signals the collapse of charges against Donald Trump, allowing him to take office without facing legal repercussions. Trump had earlier threatened to fire Smith upon his assumption of office as second term US President.
- Foreign Affairs
- January 13, 2025
- 56 views
GHANA’S NEW PRESIDENT REDUCES MINISTRIES FROM 30 TO 23 TO SAVE COST
GHANA’S NEW PRESIDENT REDUCES MINISTRIES FROM 30 TO 23 TO SAVE COST Ghana President John Mahama has reduced the country’s ministries from 30 to 23 in a bid to cut government spending. Mahama’s decision – an executive order – to trim the number of government ministries was contained in a gazette dated January 9 – two days after he took office. The West African country would no longer have the ministries of information, sanitation and water resources, national security, railway development, parliamentary affairs, public enterprises, and chieftaincy and religious affairs. The scrapped ministries were in place under Nana Akufo-Addo, immediate-past president of Ghana. The order established the ministries of finance, health, interior, defence, education, energy and green transition, roads and highways, transport, sports and recreation, justice, lands and natural resources, and local government and chieftaincy and affairs. Others are foreign affairs, communication, digital technology, environment, science and technology, youth development and empowerment, works, housing and water resources, gender, children and social protection, tourism, culture and creative arts, labour, jobs and employment, food and agriculture, fisheries and aquaculture, and trade, agribusiness and industry. Mahama, who was first in Ghana’s Jubilee House between 2012 and 2017, returned to power after defeating former Vice-President Mahamudu Bawumia. The president polled 6,328,397 votes, representing 56.55 percent of the vote cast, while Bawumia gathered 4,657,304 votes with 41.6 percent. Bawumia conceded defeat before the official results were announced. Mahama’s cost-cutting move is in contrast to that of President Bola Tinubu, his Nigerian counterpart, who increased ministries to 48 in 2023 from 44 under the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari. Tinubu’s decision has faced widespread criticism as Nigeria struggles with a deepening cost-of-living crisis.
- Foreign Affairs
- January 12, 2025
- 57 views
FRANCOPHONE AFRICA IS ABANDONING FRANCE. WHAT WENT WRONG?
FRANCOPHONE AFRICA IS ABANDONING FRANCE. WHAT WENT WRONG? The previous expulsion of French troops from the region saw countries invite and embrace alternative partners like Russia and China. To usher Ivorians into the new year, President Alassane Ouattara announced that French troops in Côte d’Ivoire will hand over the 43rd Marine Infantry Battalion (BIMA), a French army base located in Port-Bouet, Abidjan, to the Ivorian military starting in January 2025. “We can be proud of our army, whose modernisation is now effective. It is within this context that we have decided on the concerted and organised withdrawal of French forces,” Mr Ouattara said in his speech. With that speech, Côte d’Ivoire, to the surprise of some, became the sixth country in Africa to ask France to withdraw its troops from the country. It was surprising as Mr Ouattara was viewed by many as a darling of France. Côte d’Ivoire joined Senegal and Chad who recently asked French troops to exit their territories. The coups in Mali, Burkina Faso, Guinea, and Niger heralded a wave of strong anti-French sentiments across the continent. These sentiments saw protests across borders, especially by urban youth who spoke passionately against French influence in their countries – most of these were tied to colonial pasts and the fight against terrorism. Although all the countries affected had become independent after decades of French colonisation, they maintained strong economic and military ties with France. One of these was the presence of French military bases in each of them. That military relationship has now been largely severed. Many analysts argue that the decision of Senegal, Chad, and Côte d’Ivoire to end military relations with France, although under very different circumstances, is political, especially with the growing sentiments across borders. They argue that pandering to populism could give some sense of legitimacy to governments, especially in the case of Côte d’Ivoire, whose election is in nine months. Having seen the outcome of anti-French sentiments in other countries, incumbent governments loathe losing their political powers and are doing what they can to keep them. Exit of French troops from Senegal, Chad, Côte d’IvoireAlthough President Emmanuel Macron’s administration made attempts to be different from previous French governments in terms of its relations with Africa and its former colonies, anti-French sentiments continued to rise. It peaked following the military takeovers between 2019 and 2023. It has since remained consistent and exploited by many for different purposes. These sentiments are, however, viewed as a new desire by African countries to take charge of their future and sovereignty. Having seen the rise in these sentiments after the coups, Mr Macron deployed former minister Jean-Marie Bockel to ask these countries whether they wanted French troops to stay or leave. Decisions were made, and it became clear that the troop numbers would, at the very least, be reduced. While Chad and Senegal have decided they would like all French troops to leave, Gabon and Côte d’Ivoire would have small numbers remaining for training and cooperation work. Djibouti has an entirely different arrangement where France continues to maintain a large military base. Mutual but not so mutualAlthough officials from the affected countries say the French military’s exit is with ‘no hard feelings’, comments from President Emmanuel Macron and reactions from Senegal and Côte d’Ivoire have raised questions about the mutual understanding. Speaking at an ambassadors’ conference, President Macron called the leaders of the affected countries ungrateful for failing to say thank you. “We were right [to deploy]. I think someone forgot to say thank you. It is ok, it will come with time,” BBC quoted Mr Macron as saying on Monday. “But I say this for all the African heads of state who have not had the courage in the face…
- Foreign Affairs
- January 10, 2025
- 210 views
US COURT SENTENCED TRUMP 10 DAYS TO INAUGURATION
US COURT SENTENCED TRUMP 10 DAYS TO INAUGURATION A New York state court has sentenced U.S. President-elect, Donald Trump, to unconditional discharge in his hush-money case. This means he’ll face no jail time, penalties or probation. Judge Juan Merchan pronounced his sentence on Friday, which gave Trump an unconditional discharge, as expected. The sentencing, however, means Trump will remain a felon having become the first former president to be convicted of felony crimes, a major dent to his image. Trump, who attended the sentencing virtually, did not react as Merchan concluded the hearing. This came 10 days before the president-elect’s inauguration.
- Foreign Affairs
- January 10, 2025
- 169 views
ALL FIVE LIVING US PRESIDENTS UNITE AT FUNERAL OF JIMMY CARTER
ALL FIVE LIVING US PRESIDENTS UNITE AT FUNERAL OF JIMMY CARTER Former President Barack Obama and incoming commander-in-chief Donald Trump were seen chatting as American leaders gathered to pay their respects to Carter. The one-term president died on Christmas Eve in Plains, Georgia after spending more than a year in a hospice. His death was confirmed by his son – who called him a hero. Jimmy Carter was the 39th U.S. President, a Democrat, and served in the White House between 1977 and 1981 – but lost a re-election bid to Republican Ronald Reagan in 1980. Presidents Barack Obama, Donald Trump, Bill Clinton, George W Bush, and Joe Biden all gathered on Thursday to attend his state funeral in Washington D.C. In surprising scenes, long-time rivals Obama and Trump were pictured laughing and chatting ahead of the ceremony. Melania Trump also made a rare public appearance alongside her husband, as did former White House hopeful and secretary of state Hillary Clinton. Mr Biden, a long-time Carter ally, will deliver a eulogy at the service. Vice President Kamala Harris, who lost the 2024 presidential election to Donald Trump, was also pictured in attendance alongside her husband. It marks the first time Ms Harris has been pictured alongside Mr Trump since his storming election victory in November. After the funeral, the Boeing 747 that is Air Force One when a sitting president is aboard will carry Mr Carter and his family back to Georgia. An invitation-only funeral will be held at Maranatha Baptist Church in tiny Plains, Georgia, where he taught Sunday School for decades after leaving office. Mr Carter will be buried next to his wife in a plot near the home they built before his first state Senate campaign in 1962 and where they lived out their lives with the exception of four years in the Georgia Governor’s Mansion and four years in the White House.
- Foreign Affairs
- January 8, 2025
- 63 views
UK OPPOSITION LEADER, KEMI BADENOCH, DEMANDS NATIONAL INQUIRY INTO RAPE GANGS BY MUSLIM MEN
UK OPPOSITION LEADER, KEMI BADENOCH DEMANDS NATIONAL INQUIRY INTO RAPE GANGS BY MUSLIM MEN Nigerian-born Kemi Badenoch, leader of the British opposition Conservative Party, has called for full inquiry to expose those who turned a blind eye to the grooming gangs in the UK, responsible for raping thousands of girls. Badenoch, in an article, lamented that “Britain has witnessed the mass grooming of thousands of the most vulnerable white working-class girls – children – by gangs of men, many of Pakistani heritage”. “This was rape on an industrial scale,” she said. She added that “shockingly, it was a scandal made possible by the collusion and cover-ups of officials, the police and politicians who were more concerned about community relations than about victims and their families”. She said, “The fact that perpetrators of this sexual violence appeared to have deliberately picked victims because they were white – and not from their own community or religious background – must not be ignored. “Previous inquiries have failed to examine this. It’s for society and the State to address the issue, no matter how uncomfortable it may be. “The testimonies of the victims are hard to read. Girls being forced into barbaric sexual acts. Raped by multiple men at the same time or one after the other. Punished by grotesque sexual violence when they resisted. “Children were identified as targets because of their backgrounds and experienced years of systematic abuse from adult men whose communities in some cases even helped protect them. “Thousands of girls’ lives have been damaged or destroyed. Worse still, this was perpetrated not in one rotten borough by a few rotten individuals, but across the nation. “It is just as disturbing to read accounts of collusion between officials and police – people entrusted with protecting the public – to keep the scandal under wraps, and in some cases even to allow the abuse to continue.” She lamented reading “a shocking example of social workers attending a ‘Nikah’, an Islamic wedding ceremony, between an abuser and his victim” from court evidence. Narrating other cases, she mentioned how a father was arrested for trying to retrieve his daughter from “rape dens”. She said, “Of councils and a police chief collaborating to keep the extent of the child rape scandal out of the headlines for fear of inflaming community relations or being called racist. And of academics and charity workers drafting obfuscatory reports to conceal the true scale of the problem. This can never be allowed to happen again.” Badenoch, however, recognized the efforts of a “number of heroes” who fought “a lonely battle against not only a conspiracy of silence but active hostility that victims faced from officialdom”. She said, “Failing councils were taken over, like Rotherham in 2015. Grooming gang members were prosecuted. “The Grooming Gang TaskForce, launched in April 2023, made over 500 arrests in its first year. “But we still need to know the extent to which institutions like the police, prosecutors, local government and social services are compromised by wrong-headed political correctness, and even self-interest. “Only then can we have any hope of upholding our laws and culture, and preventing this scale of abuse ever again. “That is why I have called for a full national inquiry into the rape gangs scandal. It must have the powers needed to go further than local inquiries have done.” “The inquiry I want to see should start by considering the likely racial or religious motivation of these crimes,” she said. “It should identify all of the institutions and bodies that failed. It should also identify those individuals who facilitated or ignored these crimes so they can be removed from their roles.” According to her, no lenience should be shown to those “who rape and…