In a joint U.S.-Mexican operation last month, authorities tracked down a cartel leader accused of running a gruesome infant trafficking ring in northern Mexico, according to senior intelligence officials.
Martha Alicia Mendez Aguilar, known as "La Diabla," (The She-Devil) was captured on Sept. 2 after officials say the leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, referred to by the U.S. as CJNG, lured a handful of pregnant women — often in vulnerable or impoverished circumstances — to remote areas.
Once there, CJNG traffickers allegedly performed illegal cesarean operations on the women, killing the mothers and allegedly harvesting their organs postmortem, and placing newborns into illicit markets, according to senior intelligence officials. The infants were then sold to couples in the United States for as much as 250,000 pesos or roughly $14,000 each, according to the senior intelligence officials.
Mexican authorities were tipped off by intelligence provided by the National Counterterrorism Center, under the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. NCTC Director Joe Kent called the scheme an "example of what terrorist cartels will do to diversify their revenue streams and finance operations," in a statement provided to CBS News, crediting NCTC analysts with tracking Aguilar's patterns and locations, then coordinating with U.S. intelligence and Mexican partners on the ground.
Senior intelligence officials say the arrest involved support from the U.S. Marshals Service, FBI El Paso, Diplomatic Security Service and U.S. Customs and Border Protection, with Mexican law enforcement executing the operation alongside "Fiscalia Especializada en la Mujer" or the Special Prosecutor's Office for Women. Aguilar remains in Mexican custody, according to senior intelligence officials. The investigation into the alleged trafficking ring remains ongoing.
The case underscores Washington's intensified targeting of Mexican cartels in recent years.
In January, President Trump signed an executive order directing the State Department to designate cartels and transnational gangs as foreign terrorist organizations, or FTOs. The State Department in February announced the designation for eight gangs, including CJNG.
The capture of "La Diabla" marks an expansion in the application of U.S. counterterrorism policy, with intelligence elements like NCTC now actively applying counterterrorism capabilities to target not only narcotraffickers, but also human trafficking rings and terroristic violence by groups like CJNG, notorious for brutal tactics and control over swaths of Mexico's territory.
Under the new FTO framing, U.S. agencies wield more expansive tools, including intelligence, sanctions, and military support to track down the cartels and their affiliates, beyond reliance on traditional criminal prosecutions. Critics of the approach have warned of overreach and unintended consequences, while proponents argue that cartels increasingly function like hybrid terrorist groups to pick up territorial control and expand trafficking networks.
According to NCTC, U.S. intelligence has added over 21,000 cartel members and associates into their classified terrorist database, creating over 35,000 identities related to the newly designated foreign terrorist organizations. Last month, the agency stated that 6,525 terrorists have been denied entry into the United States since the beginning of the Trump administration.
Nigeria’s import bill for arms and ammunition surged in the first half of 2025, as the country spent N26.95 billion on foreign weapons compared to N11.76 billion in the same period of 2024.
This represents a 129% increase year-on-year, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) foreign trade report.
The rise reverses the slump seen in 2024 and signals renewed military procurement, even as Nigeria battles security challenges.
Strong rebound after a sharp collapse in 2024
The 2025 rebound is notable because it follows one of the weakest years on record. In H1 2024, imports fell to just N11.76 billion from a record N121.36 billion in H1 2023, representing a 90% collapse. By contrast, the N26.95 billion spent in H1 2025 suggests the resumption of procurement contracts to defence.
H1 2023 remains the historic high, with arms imports topping N121.36 billion in just six months, largely tied to counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency procurement.
The 2025 spending was heavily concentrated in the first quarter. Imports in Q1 2025 amounted to N22.08 billion, more than double the N10.72 billion recorded in Q1 2024. By contrast, Q2 2025 saw a sharp slowdown to N4.87 billion, though this was still almost five times higher than the N1.04 billion spent in Q2 2024.
This indicates that over 80% of the half-year imports occurred in the first three months of 2025.
What does this mean
The renewed growth in military imports coincides with ongoing insecurity across Nigeria. From Boko Haram and ISWAP insurgency in the North-East to banditry in the North-West, armed conflicts in the South-East and kidnapping and killings in the North-Central, the government remains under pressure to strengthen security forces. The 129% increase in imports points to greater investment in foreign arms as part of this response.
Nonetheless, the broader trajectory from 2021 to 2025 shows how volatile Nigeria’s defence imports have been. Spending swung from N39.80 billion in H1 2021 to N15.81 billion in H1 2022, then spiked to N121.36 billion in H1 2023, collapsed to N11.76 billion in H1 2024, and has now rebounded to N26.95 billion in H1 2025.
This volatility shows that Nigeria’s military procurement is driven less by steady year-on-year growth and more by contract cycles, budget releases, and shifting government priorities.
Yet, the fiscal implications are significant. Defence imports add to Nigeria’s trade imbalance and put pressure on scarce foreign reserves. With debt servicing already consuming a large share of government revenue, rising arms imports may further squeeze fiscal space.
However, Nigeria recorded an upswing in its external trade position in the second quarter of 2025, as the country’s trade surplus widened by 44.3% to N7.46 trillion, up from N5.17 trillion in the previous quarter.
Operatives of the Delta State Police Command have arrested three suspected kidnappers after they collected N2 million ransom from their victim and still shot him.
The suspects, identified as Chukwuebuka Nka (25), Uche Okechukwu, and Somto Chukwuma, allegedly shot the victim in the leg after discovering he did not have enough money in his account.
According to the command’s spokesperson, Bright Edafe, the arrests followed a distress call that a young man had been kidnapped from his residence in Ogwashi-Uku.
He said the operatives tracked the suspects to a bush in Ogwashi-Uku, where the victim was rescued with a gunshot wound.
According to Edafe, investigation led to the arrest of Chukwuebuka Nka and Uche Okechukwu in Anambra State, where the victim’s white Toyota Venza was also recovered.
He added that based on the suspects’ confessions, operatives raided their hideout in Agidiase village, Ogwashi-uku, and arrested the third suspect.
The suspects then led the police to their hideout, where their operational vehicle and a network jammer circuit device were also recovered.
The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) has called on Nigerians not to see taxes as punishment but a foundation of sustainable national development.
FIRS Chairman, Zacch Adedeji, represented by the Technical Assistant, Broadcast Media, Arabinrin Aderonke Atoyebi, made the call in Kaduna on Wednesday at a one-day sensitization programme on The Role of Media in Voluntary Tax Compliance.
He said taxes are the lifeline of every country, as they make it possible to fund hospitals, roads, schools, and social services that directly impact citizens’ lives.
“Taxes are not just government revenue; they are the foundation of growth in our nation,” Adedeji said. “What we need is a culture of voluntary compliance where citizens willingly fulfill their civic duty because they see the benefits and trust the system.”
The FIRS boss noted that many Nigerians still see taxation as a burden or punishment, hence the need for more public enlightenment.
He stressed that beyond enforcement and penalties, building trust and accountability would encourage more people to pay voluntarily.
Highlighting the role of journalists, he described the media as a vital bridge between government and citizens, capable of simplifying complex tax laws and procedures for better understanding.
“When the media educates, investigates, and holds leaders accountable, it builds trust. A citizen who believes in the fairness and transparency of the system is more likely to comply,” he added.
Aderonke urged the media to see themselves not only as reporters but also as educators, influencers, and watchdogs whose work can inspire responsibility and strengthen the bond between taxpayers and government.
In his paper, Voluntary Tax Compliance: A Pathway to Sustainable Development in Nigeria, Dr. Mohammed Adamu emphasised that taxation remains the most reliable source of revenue for any government.
He defined voluntary compliance as the readiness of taxpayers to declare income, file returns, and pay taxes without enforcement action, stressing that it thrives where the tax system is perceived as fair and transparent.
According to him, voluntary compliance reduces enforcement costs, builds trust between government and taxpayers, ensures steady revenue flow, and fosters patriotism.
“Tax revenues fund our roads, schools, hospitals, and security. A compliant taxpayer is a stakeholder in national progress,” Adamu said. He added that voluntary compliance also boosts investor confidence and reduces tax evasion.
Adamu identified key drivers of compliance as fairness in tax administration, taxpayer education, transparency, and accountability.
He praised initiatives like FIRS’ TaxPro Max platform, amnesty programmes, and taxpayer service units as steps in the right direction.
In another presentation, Additional Tips on Voluntary Tax Compliance, Senior Manager, Tax, Kaduna Government Business Office, Ishaku Ankuma, highlighted registration, proper record-keeping, timely filing of returns, prompt payment, and remittance of withholding taxes as essential elements.
He warned that failure to comply attracts heavy fines, interests, possible criminal charges, and damage to reputation, adding that tax compliance certificates are now prerequisites for many financial transactions.
Ankuma also stressed the importance of taxpayer education, automation of tax processes, and youth-focused initiatives like Catch Them Young programmes in schools to build a tax culture early.
“Voluntary tax compliance is not just a legal requirement but a civic responsibility and patriotic act,” he said. “By adhering to tax regulations, individuals and businesses avoid penalties while contributing directly to national growth.”
The sensitization ended with a charge to journalists to help demystify taxation, highlight its benefits, expose evasion, and shape public perception in favour of building a culture of compliance.
I hardly reply !!! But you see this one !!! @chubbiedivah if you like go private , leave X !! I will find you , I will use every necessary means , power , resources and money !!! You will face the law , I will use you to set an example!! (scapegoat )… your only way out is to leave the surface of this earth and relocate to space .. to everyone that brought my attention to her tweet … thank you 🙏🏾
Former Super Eagles player, Victor Ezeji, has been arrested by operatives of the Rivers State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) over alleged fraud involving the issuance of dud cheques worth N39.8 million and alleged threats to life.
Ezeji and his wife, Mrs. Celestina Onyemaeche Ezeji, were reportedly on the run since July 2025 after allegedly purchasing 60,000 litres of Automotive Gas Oil (AGO), commonly called diesel, from a businessman, Dagogo Emmanuel, and issuing him cheques that later bounced.
Police sources said Ezeji was arrested on Monday, September 22, 2025, following weeks of surveillance and investigative efforts.
The former international is currently in police custody at SCID, Port Harcourt.
He admitted knowledge of the transaction and confirmed signing the cheques, but claimed ignorance of his wife’s whereabouts.
Investigators said efforts are ongoing to apprehend Mrs. Ezeji, who remains at large.
When contacted, Ezeji’s brother, Chuks Ezeji, confirmed the arrest but insisted that Victor was not directly involved in the business deal. According to him, Mrs. Ezeji allegedly conducted the transaction using her husband’s name.
Telisha Jones, a woman who utilized artificial intelligence to create an image while using the controversial AI music tool Suno, backed by industry heavyweight Timbaland, has signed a recording deal as her AI character, Xania Monet.
According to Billboard, Jones, who uses the moniker Xania Monet, has been signed by Hallwood Media for a reported $3 million deal. She received multiple offers as one of her recordings, “Let Go, Let God,” appears on two of Billboard‘s charts. She debuts at No. 25 on the Emerging Talents list, and the song is currently No. 21 on the Hot Gospel Songs.
During a recent Zoom call with record executives, she did not appear on screen and did not sing for them. The execs at the label, led by a former Interscope Records executive, Neil Jacobson, decided to offer Monet a recording contract anyway.
Romel Murphy, who manages Jones/Monet, insisted that, although the image and songs were not generated in the traditional way, her words, which are written by her based on her stories and inspired by a small factor of others, are pure, and that’s what draws people to her music.
“She’s been writing poetry for a long time,” Murphy expressed to the media outlet. He said that the songs are “not a hook and a bridge and a catchy chant — It’s just the lyrics, and they are pure.”
The project she created, according to Murphy, used a combination of Suno and live elements to create the album, which also allows her to claim full ownership of the songwriting and production credits. In the future, she does plan on working with “human” producers for her next project. They are in the midst of fielding offers from music publishers and are planning Xania’s first live performance.
“This is real music — it’s real R&B,” said Murphy. “There’s an artist behind it.”
Monet’s song, “How Was I Supposed to Know,” was a No. 1 hit on R&B Digital Song Sales, No. 3 on R&B/Hip-Hop Digital Song Sales, and No. 22 on Digital Song Sales.
The problem of incompetence in tax collection is already raring its head again.
We have been told that the new tax regime will go into effect on the 1st of January 2026 and before then, everyone will be expected to already have a Tax Identification Number (TIN), but even as of now approaching the end of September, there is no single registration centre anywhere where one can get a T.I.N.
Are they now going to introduce registration centres at the 11th hour so people will be queueing for their T.I.N during the Christmas break because they want to beat the deadline of 1st January 2026?
To add insult to injury, they will still penalise you if you fail to acquire a T.I.N before the deadline.
Kenya’s economy is $56.6 billion smaller than Nigeria’s, with a population of about a quarter of Africa’s most populous nation. Yet, the East African nation consistently collects more taxes.
The contrast could be due to structural weaknesses in Africa’s fourth-largest economy. For decades, Nigeria has relied on oil revenues, with tax revenues remaining among the lowest in the world, at less than 10% of GDP. By comparison, Kenya collects around 15% of its GDP in taxes.
Kenya’s GDP per capita of $2,470 outshines that of Nigeria ($806.84), which might explain some tax collection disparities.
Nigeria’s public finances remain exposed to oil price fluctuations, inflation, and rising debt costs. Kenya’s broader tax base has not eliminated these fiscal pressures, but it generates more relative to its size—an estimated $20 billion annually, compared to Nigeria’s target of about $12 billion in the next financial year. Kenya’s approach
The Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA), the state agency responsible for tax collection, has built a diversified tax base, leveraging technology. The agency collects income tax, VAT, excise duties, customs revenues, and, more recently, digital service taxes.
Enforcement has been enhanced through electronic invoicing (eTIMS), mobile-based filing, and closer integration with banks and telecom operators. Mobile money platforms such as Airtel Money and M-Pesa, which handle transactions worth more than 50% of Kenya’s GDP annually, have expanded the taxable base by bringing more of the economy into formal financial channels.
This has resulted in steady growth in collections from KES 1.67 trillion ($12.9 billion) in FY2020/21 to KES 2.57 trillion ($20 billion) in FY2024/25, averaging over 11% annually. The tax-to-GDP ratio has remained around 14–15% in recent years, nearly double Nigeria’s 7–9%.
Part of Kenya’s edge comes from how far its taxman is willing to go. The Kenya Revenue Authority has built a reputation for mixing technology with old-fashioned snooping. Officers now scan social media to see if the lifestyles people flaunt online match what they declare on their tax returns. In a 2024 crackdown, more than 460 wealthy individuals were flagged for living large while paying little.
The agency has also gained access to payroll and payment records for civil servants and government suppliers, giving it another layer of visibility into incomes that might otherwise go under the radar. On the financial side, KRA has started linking its systems directly with banks and mobile money platforms like M-Pesa, which most Kenyans use daily. That makes it harder to hide money flows outside the tax net.
And the push doesn’t stop with traditional assets. Kenya is among the few countries in Africa moving to tax cryptocurrency transactions, with rules being drawn up to make sure crypto exchanges feed data straight into the revenue system. All of this has steadily expanded the pool of taxable activity — a big reason why Kenya manages to collect more revenue, despite being a much smaller economy than Nigeria.
To tighten compliance further, KRA has deployed a new class of field agents with paramilitary training known as Revenue Service Assistants (RSAs). Around 1,400 of them were trained to help with tax registration, verify taxpayer information, ensure traders issue proper receipts, and support the rollout of systems like eTIMS and iTax. These assistants also make physical visits to businesses to help them comply with excise and other regulatory requirements.
On the enforcement side, KRA has penalties for individuals or companies between KES 1,000 ($7.74) and KES 1 million ($7,740) for non-compliance. Tax compliance certificates are a requirement for people applying to government jobs, suppliers seeking contracts, and citizens running for public office.
Nigeria’s catch-up effort
Unlike Kenya, Nigeria has a trust deficit between the government and its citizens, who doubt that the government will spend funds wisely, due to documented cases of mismanagement.
“This leads to a high level of tax evasion and aggressive avoidance,” said Taiwo Oyedele, who now leads Nigeria’s tax reform efforts, in 2022.
Only about 10 to 12% of Nigerians pay tax, and just 9% of corporates comply. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) agrees that poor compliance and weak tax morale are major issues, but it also highlights Nigeria’s generosity with exemptions and low rates. In 2021 alone, ₦6.8 trillion ($4.57 billion) was foregone due to tax exemptions.
Also, the country’s VAT collection efficiency—the ratio of actual revenues to potential revenue— is among the lowest in Africa. It noted that the country can increase tax revenues if priority reforms are implemented. With oil revenues drying up, the government has taken this advice to ramp up tax collection efforts.
Non-oil tax collections increased to ₦15.94 trillion ($10.71 billion) in 2024 from ₦5.97 trillion ($4.01 billion) in 2022, mainly through VAT, corporate income tax, customs duties, and the electronic money transfer levy.
The government is now targeting ₦16.05 trillion ($10.79 billion) in 2025, ₦17.85 trillion ($11.99 billion) in 2026, and ₦19.73 trillion ($13.26 billion) in 2027.
To achieve these targets, new tax legislation signed in June 2025 increased capital gains tax from 10% to 30% for corporations, introduced progressive income tax brackets, and imposed taxes on crypto transactions.
In a separate policy document, the government outlined measures to expand VAT collection agents, simplify compliance, reduce tax expenditures, and employ technology to enhance transparency and enforcement.
The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Nigeria’s tax collection agency, relies on its TaxPro Max, launched in 2021, to enable online filing and payments. Since August 1, 2025, large businesses with turnovers exceeding ₦5 billion ($3.36 million) must integrate their invoicing systems with the FIRS platform for real-time validation and reporting.
VAT collection in supermarkets, hotels, and retail outlets will also be automated, and a real-time data mining portal will facilitate desk reviews, audits, investigations, and prevent leakages.
Authorities argue that Nigeria’s VAT rate — 7.5% compared with Kenya’s 16% — is too low for its ambitions, but political resistance blocked a recent proposal to raise it to 10%.
FIRS is also linking its database with the Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System Plc (NIBSS), the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), and the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), mirroring Kenya’s effort to go to any length for its taxes.
Banks and financial institutions will also face tighter monitoring as FIRS reconciles remittances of the EMTL, a ₦50 charge on transfers of ₦10,000 and above.
On the enforcement side, Nigerians who fail or refuse to register for tax will be fined ₦50,000 ($33.60) in the first month, and ₦25,000 ($16.80) for other subsequent months. Any company that awards a contract to an unregistered person will also be fined ₦1 million ($672.09).
Nigeria aims to increase its tax-to-GDP ratio from below 10% to 18% by 2027. Nige
ria still has a long way to go to fulfil its tax revenue potential, but it has started the long walk there.
A kid born in northern Nigeria has a 15% chance of dying before the age of five, philanthropist Bill Gates announced on Monday as he urged governments to reverse global health funding cuts.
Speaking at a Reuters Newsmaker event in New York, Gates said the world was at a crossroads, with millions of children at risk of dying if funding drops too steeply.
“You can either be part of improving that or act like that doesn’t matter,” Gates said in an interview before the foundation’s annual Goalkeepers event in New York on Monday, as reported by Reuters.
The Gates Foundation will give $912 million to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria.
The announcement follows deep aid cuts from governments around the world, led by the United States.
“I am not capable of making up what the government cuts, and I don’t want to create an illusion of that,” he said about his pledge.
The Gates Foundation, the philanthropy started by the Microsoft co-founder and his then-wife in 2000, is one of the world’s biggest funders of global health initiatives, with a particular focus on ending preventable deaths of mothers and babies, tackling infectious diseases, and lifting millions out of poverty.
Earlier this year, Gates pledged to give away almost his entire $200 billion fortune by 2045, more quickly than planned because of the urgent need worldwide.
According to the U.S.-based Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, global development assistance fell by 21% between 2024 and 2025 and is now at a 15-year low.
That could still change, said Gates, with organisations like the Global Fund trying to raise money before the end of the year. But if the trajectory remains the same, progress that cut child mortality in half since 2000, saving five million lives a year, could be in jeopardy, he said in a statement.
Gates said that there was still an opportunity to save millions of lives and end some of the deadliest childhood diseases by the time he will have donated the rest of his fortune in 2045.
That would require maintaining funding for institutions like the Global Fund as well as Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, prioritising primary healthcare and rolling out innovations – such as the long-acting HIV prevention drug lenacapavir – quickly.
“What’s happening to the health of the world’s children is worse than most people realise, but our long-term prospects are better than most people can imagine,” Gates said in a statement.
While other countries reduced global health support, Spain increased its donations to the Global Fund this year by 12% and Gavi by 30%.
Keir Starmer's controversial decision to recognise a state of Palestine could lead to demands for the UK to pay more than £2 trillion in reparations to the country, legal experts have said.
Sir Keir has said the UK will press ahead with the move, which is expected to be announced ahead of his visit to the UN this week, unless Israel meets certain conditions, including agreeing to a ceasefire in Gaza and reviving the prospect of a two-state solution.
It has been condemned by Tory leader Kemi Badenoch for 'rewarding terrorism', while the US Government says that it will have 'disastrous consequences'.
Now legal experts have warned that it could also be a costly decision – because the new country would ask for eye-watering damages in compensation for land 'taken from the Palestinian people' when Britain relinquished control of the region after the Second World War.
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, who has a long history of threatening to sue Britain, is demanding 'reparations in accordance with international law' based on the value of the land which was under British rule between 1917 and 1948.
Some international law experts have described £2 trillion, roughly the size of Britain's total economy, as a 'good place to start'.
Families of the hostages abducted by Hamas in the October 7 attacks have written to the Prime Minister to condemn the decision, which they claim has 'dramatically complicated' efforts to be reunited with their relatives.
In an open letter to Sir Keir, they said: 'Your regrettable announcement of the UK's intention to recognise a Palestinian state at the United Nations General Assembly has dramatically complicated efforts to bring home our loved ones.
'Hamas has already celebrated the UK's decision as a victory and reneged on a ceasefire deal. We write to you with a simple plea - do not take this step until our loved ones are home and in our arms.'
Ilay David, brother of hostage Evyatar David, who was seen emaciated in a Hamas video last month, said: 'Giving this recognition is like saying to Hamas: 'It is OK, you can keep starving the hostages, you can keep using them as human shields.'
'This kind of recognition gives Hamas power to be stubborn in negotiations. That is the last thing we need right now.'
Criticism also came from Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, who said: 'Hamas and a Palestinian state are inseparable for now. This is typical of Starmer, he can't really decide where he stands.
'Whatever the caveats in his statement, this announcement is a surrender to terrorism and a betrayal of Israel.'
It is expected the government will look to impose sanctions on Hamas, after Sir Keir said during a joint conference with Donald Trump last week that the terror group could have no part in running an independent Palestine.
But this move has been branded as a a 'feeble last-minute attempt' to placate the US President by former Home Secretary Priti Patel.
Dame Priti told The Telegraph: 'With the terrorist organisation Hamas still holding hostages in barbaric conditions and glorifying acts of terror, Starmer is sending a dangerous message, where violence and extremism are tolerated and rewarded.
'Peace in the Middle East will never be secured by rewarding terrorists. His feeble last-minute attempts to appease the United States are shallow and will never justify his reckless decision on recognition.'
Congressional Republican leaders, including chairwoman Elise Stefanik and Senator Rick Scott, have sent a letter to the UK, France, Canada, Australia and other key allies about recognition.
'This is a reckless policy that undermines prospects for peace,' wrote Ms Stefanik and Mr Scott.
'It sets the dangerous precedent that violence, not diplomacy, is the most expedient means for terrorist groups like Hamas to achieve their political aims.' Tory justice spokesman Robert Jenrick called the move to seek possible reparations 'a load of ahistorical nonsense'
Tory justice spokesman Robert Jenrick says reparations for Palestine would amount to 'Chagos 2.0', in reference to Sir Keir's surrender of the islands to Mauritius – which leaked government documents reveal will cost UK taxpayers more than £35 billion to rent back from them.
Britain handed over the territory in the Indian Ocean in response to pressure from international courts, which pro-Israeli lawyers warn could act as a precedent.
The campaign group called Britain Owes Palestine has demanded an apology from Britain for 'war crimes' in the region.
Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy once supported calls for reparations for slavery, saying: 'As a Caribbean people, we are not going to forget our history. We don't want to just hear an apology, we want reparations,' while the Government's lawyer-in-chief, Lord Hermer, gave legal assistance to nations seeking reparations for slavery before he entered government.
Lord Hermer's advice resulted in a 'ten-point plan for reparations', as former colonies seek to seize up to £18trillion in compensation from the UK.
Mr Jenrick said: 'Not a penny of taxpayer money should be spent on so-called reparations.
'This is a load of ahistorical nonsense. Britain was, and remains, a force for good in the world – these ridiculous demands should be brushed aside.
'Lord Hermer spent his career working against British interests.
'Now Starmer's appointed him to work at the heart of government and he's undermining Britain from within – whether the Chagos surrender or the betrayal of veterans who served in Northern Ireland.
'He simply cannot be trusted and should be sacked.'
A spokesman for the Attorney General said: 'Over a 30-year career, Richard Hermer has represented many clients prior to his time in government.
'The details of these cases have been public record for many years and transparent prior to his appointment.
'These also include representation of a British soldier killed by IRA terrorists, other British military personnel such as servicemen injured in the Iraq War, Porton Down veterans, victims of the Grenfell Tower tragedy, and others who have faced exploitation and abuse.
'In this country, everyone is entitled to legal representation. Lord Hermer has represented people whose views he wholeheartedly and vehemently disagrees with. That is the way our legal system works.'
Before I left Nigeria for the UK, my monthly tax was over 250k…
Despite that, I pay for healthcare; My shock absorbers gets damaged every 6 months or so & I replace with my money; I pay for my children’s school fees; I pay for my water; I pay to contribute whenever the transformer gets spoilt; I still queue for fuel…
If I am still in Nigeria, with this new tax system, I will be paying almost 500k tax & still nothing to show for it. Where I am now, I’m excited to pay 25% tax but kids go to school for free & are fed daily for free, I don’t drive trying to avoid potholes anyhow, free healthcare, amongst many others.
Guess what? The government pays my kids $600 each monthly for just being children.
Something is wrong with your brain if you are advocating for this new tax system while there is no improvement in quality of life after even removal of fuel subsidy.
The Taliban government has removed books written by women from the university teaching system in Afghanistan as part of a new ban which has also outlawed the teaching of human rights and sexual harassment.
Some 140 books by women - including titles like "Safety in the Chemical Laboratory" - were among 680 books found to be of "concern" due to "anti-Sharia and Taliban policies".
The universities were further told they were no longer allowed to teach 18 subjects, with a Taliban official saying they were "in conflict with the principles of Sharia and the system's policy".
The decree is the latest in a series of restrictions which the Taliban have brought in since returning to power four years ago.
Just this week, fibre-optic internet was banned in at least 10 provinces on the orders of the Taliban's supreme leader in a move officials said was to prevent immorality.
While the rules have had an impact on many aspects of life, women and girls have been particularly hard-hit: they are barred from accessing education over the sixth grade, with one of their last routes to further training cut off in late 2024, when midwifery courses were quietly shuttered.
Now even university subjects about women have been targeted: six of the 18 banned are specifically about women, including Gender and Development, The Role of Women in Communication, and Women's Sociology.
The Taliban government has said it respects women's rights in accordance with their interpretation of Afghan culture and Islamic law.
A member of the committee reviewing the books confirmed the ban on books written by women, telling BBC Afghan that "all books authored by women are not allowed to be taught".
Zakia Adeli, the former deputy minister of justice prior to the Taliban's return and one of the authors who has found their books on the banned list, was unsurprised by the move.
"Considering what the Taliban have done over the past four years, it was not far-fetched to expect them to impose changes on the curriculum," she said.
"Given the Taliban's misogynistic mindset and policies, it is only natural that when women themselves are not allowed to study, their views, ideas and writings are also suppressed."
The new guidelines, which have been seen by BBC Afghan, were issued in late August.
Ziaur Rahman Aryubi, the deputy academic director of the Taliban government's Ministry of Higher Education, said in a letter to universities that the decisions had been made by a panel of "religious scholars and experts".
As well as books by women, the ban appears to have targeted books by Iranian authors or publishers, with one member of the book review panel telling the BBC it was designed to "prevent the infiltration of Iranian content" into the Afghan curriculum".
In the 50-page list sent to all universities in Afghanistan, 679 titles appear, 310 of which are either authored by Iranian writers or published in Iran.
Two different people, including one on the book review committee, told BBC Afghan that the decision was taken to "prevent the infiltration of Iranian content" through the curriculum.
But the decision has worried some lecturers, with a professor at one institution, who spoke on condition of anonymity, saying he feared it would be almost impossible to fill the gap.
"Books by Iranian authors and translators serve as the primary link between Afghanistan's universities and the global academic community. Their removal creates a substantial void in higher education," he said.
A professor at Kabul University told the BBC that under such circumstances, they are forced to prepare textbook chapters themselves, taking into account the do's and don'ts imposed by the Taliban government.
But the crucial question is whether these chapters can be prepared according to global standards or not.
The BBC has approached the Taliban's Ministry of Education for comment.
Soldiers from Ukraine’s 57th Separate Motorized Infantry Brigade say they captured a 36-year-old Kenyan track-and-field athlete named Evans, who says he was offered “work” in Russia.
The Kenyan was taken prisoner on the Vovchansk axis. He and three other Kenyans had been offered a trip to Russia as tourists by his sports agent, said the 57th Brigade in a Facebook post.
He spent two weeks in Russia, but a day before he was due to return to Kenya, the man accompanying the group asked what he thought of the country and whether he wanted to stay. Evans said he did not want to return to Kenya.
By that time, his visa had expired, and the man said he had a job for him. That evening, after signing documents in Russian, the Kenyan learned he would be “working” as a soldier.
“Before the signatures, he took my passport and phone. He promised to return my belongings; then other people came, told me to get into a car, and I was driven for about seven hours. Soon I was in a military camp,” he said.
Refusal wasn’t an option, he said, claiming Russians threatened him with execution. Evans said he had never served in the army and did not want to be a soldier. The occupying forces gave him the call sign “Ivan.”
He received just a week of training, learning only the basics of handling an assault rifle. According to him, there were several foreigners in his unit. After training, he fled en route to his first combat mission and wandered for two days in the forests near Vovchansk.
Evans is now asking not to be exchanged for Russian prisoners and believes he would be killed if returned to Russia.
The Wall Street Journal has reported on a secret channel for prisoner exchanges between Ukraine and Russia.
Cows eat their own feces. In fact eating its own feces is an important part of a cow's digestive system. So will you stop eating cow meat and beef?
SouthSouth1914: The dirtiest, unclean thing ever. Stay away from it if you can!
Mariangeles: When it comes to dirty animals, pigs are the dirtiest. It is in their nature. Dirt is their natural habitat. It's even in how they eat. How you know which animal is the dirtiest is when they're left to roam freely.
Pigs are even used to define other animal species that are dirty. For example: catfish are the pigs of fish, as ducks are the pigs of birds.
Eight people have been federally charged with wire fraud in connection with a massive scheme that drained millions of dollars from Minnesota’s Housing Stabilization Services program.
According to Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson, the charges represent “the first wave” in what appears to be widespread fraud targeting a program designed to help Minnesota’s most vulnerable residents find and maintain housing.
The Housing Stabilization Services program launched in July 2022, making Minnesota the first state to offer Medicaid coverage for housing assistance. The program was intended to help people with disabilities, seniors, and those struggling with mental illness and substance abuse disorders by providing housing consultation, transition services, ongoing support, and moving assistance. However, federal investigators say the program’s design made it vulnerable to fraud. With low barriers for new providers and minimal requirements for reimbursement, the system lacked basic safeguards like requiring service notes for payment claims.
Originally projected to cost about $2.6 million per year, the program instead paid out over $42 million in 2022, $74 million in 2023, $104 million in 2024, and another $61 million in just the first six months of 2025.
Investigators found that fraudulent providers would acquire names of eligible beneficiaries, often from addiction treatment centers, then submit inflated or completely fake reimbursement claims for services that were never provided or greatly exaggerated.
The eight defendants charged include four men connected to Brilliant Minds Services LLC: Moktar Hassan Aden, 30; Mustafa Dayib Ali, 29; Khalid Ahmed Dayib, 26; and Abdifitah Mohamud Mohamed, 27. Between September 2022 and April 2025, their company submitted claims totaling approximately $2.3 million, making it one of the top ten highest-billing providers statewide in 2024. Each defendant allegedly pocketed between $300,000 and $400,000, and the group ran up nearly half a million dollars on a shared Platinum American Express card paid for with company funds.
Christopher Adesoji Falade, 62, and his son Emmanuel Oluwademilade Falade, 32, operated Faladcare Inc. and are accused of receiving over $2.2 million for services supposedly provided to about 100 beneficiaries, far exceeding what they delivered.
Brothers Asad Ahmed Adow, 26, and Anwar Ahmed Adow, 25, ran separate companies but employed similar tactics. Asad’s company Leo Human Services allegedly received $2.7 million based on claims for about 250 beneficiaries, with proceeds used to invest in Kenyan real estate and lease a 2024 BMW X4. Anwar’s Liberty Plus received more than $1.2 million for services claimed for approximately 200 beneficiaries, and he allegedly used the money to lease a 2023 Mercedes-Benz CLA and make investments.
“What we see are schemes stacked upon schemes, draining resources meant for those in need,” Thompson said. “I have spent my career as a fraud prosecutor and the depth of the fraud in Minnesota takes my breath away.”
Law enforcement officials emphasized that the fraud not only wastes taxpayer money but also deprives vulnerable populations of critical services during ongoing housing and addiction crises.
Federal wire fraud carries a standard penalty of up to 20 years in prison, fines, and restitution for victims.
Since 2018, Minnesota has experienced significant fraud activity. The Medicaid Fraud Control Unit alone has charged over 100 people. The massive $250 million Feeding Our Future case involved more than 70 defendants.Roughly $200 million has been stolen from Frontline Worker Pay. Tens of millions have been taken from Medicaid services. At least $6 million was stolen from the Child Care Assistance Program. Additionally, $400 million was taken from autism and Early Intensive Developmental and Behavioral Intervention treatment programs.
A bipartisan plan for the creation of a state Office of Inspector General failed to pass during the 2025 Minnesota Legislative session.
Well, if she's a s3x therapist and a mental health nurse, then given what I know about Obesere, she has the qualifications to supply everything he needs from a wife
You mean, Africans have found new colonial masters?🤣
I was reading some opinions about how black Africans are treated like 3rd class citizen in China.
I actually plan on uploading a video very soon about a conversation between an African woman in China and her Chinese neighbours and what they told her about how they prefer Europeans to Africans.
When I upload the video, I will tag you.
Kushites: Excellent summary of how the West will be BEGGING AFRICA for their sustenance in the coming years.
France is already feeling it, with their economy virtually collapsed since they were driven out of Africa.
Today, Africa is no longer isolated. She is backed by China, Russia, India, Brazil.
With strong economic and military alliances.
So African countries now can stand up and tell Europe and America to go to blazes with their exploitation and unfair deals. No more cheap raw materials. If they want African resources, they must come to Africa and build factories to process those resources.
And that THEY need Africa far more than Africa needs them.
Envelope containing Masaryk’s last words to be opened in September
An Envelope containing the last words of the first President of the Czech Republic in the year 1937, will finally be opened on the 19th of September 2025.
The envelope with the President's message has been in the hands of the Czech National Archive since 2005. Here, it has been under constant supervision of archivist Jiří Křesťan, who describes the envelope as regular-sized, white, sealed, and stamped. He also explains when and how it most likely came about:
“We assume that it is from the last days of President Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk. His son Jan would have been noting down some thoughts dictated to him by the President, at a time when he was already worried that he would soon leave this world,” Křesťan says.
The statesman died in September 1937. During the war which followed soon after, the letter travelled with his son, Jan Masaryk, who was the Czechoslovak Ambassador to the UK, and later Foreign Minister of the country.
Through London, Scotland, and France, the envelope made its way back to a liberated Czechoslovakia in 1945. Here, as Křesťan recounts, it changed hands once more, following Jan Masaryk’s untimely passing:
“In the spring of 1948, Jan Masaryk died under unclear circumstances, leaving behind in his apartment many documents, including the letter. Dr. Antonín Sum took on the task of safeguarding them. Together with another former personal secretary of Jan Masaryk, Lumír Soukup, they smuggled the archival materials to the West with the help of Western diplomats,” he says.
Whilst the envelope itself remained safely stored, Antonín Sum was arrested and tried for treason in 1950 by the newly installed communist regime in Czechoslovakia. He served 12 years of his 22-year sentence in prison. After the Velvet Revolution in 1989, Sum regained possession of Masaryk’s archives, which gradually returned to Czechia from abroad.
Antonín Sum passed away in 2006, at the age of 87. The year prior, on September 19th 2005, he donated the envelope with Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk’s last words to the Czech National Archive. Jiří Křesťan received the document at the time, and notes that Sum had only laid out one single condition:
“Dr. Sum, when he handed the letter to me, indicated nothing further about its contents. But, I respected his will that the words of Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk would remain sealed for 20 years, as he had written on the envelope himself,” he explains.
The opening of the envelope at Lány Castle will be attended by President Petr Pavel, and likely other public figures. Czech Radio will be livestreaming the momentous occasion, and has, in a special section of its website devoted to the event, compiled stories and archival footage of Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk’ life.
The family of a baker, Plangdes Nelson, popularly known as Allwell Nelson, has appealed to the Plateau State government and the Nigeria Police to rescue their daughter from kidnappers.
On Sunday, September 14, 2025, at about 10:00 p.m., kidnappers broke into the family’s residence in Dong, Jos North Local Council, and abducted Plangdes along with her cousin, Bright Bernard.
Narrating the incident, her brother, Joseph Jwanshak, said there had been a downpour that evening when they heard a loud noise at the window as the kidnappers attempted to break through. “The iron was too hard for them to access, so they opted for the main door and forced their way in,” he explained.
“One person went through the back door to call for help, but it was difficult due to the downpour. They forced open the other door, collected phones, packed food items and left with Allwell and her cousin, Bright Bernard, a student at the University of Jos who had just finished his exams and came to relax,” he added.
When asked if the kidnappers had demanded ransom, Jwanshak said: “They called on Monday, September 15, 2025, demanding N50 million as ransom. Soldiers came to the area the next morning, but it seems like nothing is happening. The kidnappers also called on Tuesday, September 16, 2025, demanding the same amount. The situation is traumatising.”
Her friend, Eva James, said: “Allwell Nelson was kidnapped in Dong, Plateau State and is still in the hands of these monsters.”
Another supporter, Zariyi Yusuf, expressed concern, saying: “While we expect Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang, the Nigeria Police, and those in the right positions to bring her back home safely, we pray that the Lord watches over her and keeps her from any harm in the hands of the kidnappers.”
She is a young baker and a beautiful soul making us proud from Plateau.”
When contacted, spokesperson of the Plateau State Police Command, Alfred Alabo, said: “Our men are working on the matter, and by the grace of God, we are hoping for success.”
Former US President Barack Obama has warned that Charlie Kirk’s assassination could spark a “political crisis of the sort that we haven’t seen before”.
Kirk, a conservative activist, was fatally shot on September 10 while speaking at Utah Valley University.
Speaking at an event in Pennsylvania on Tuesday, Obama admitted he did not know Kirk and disagreed with many of his views but described his killing as “horrific and a tragedy”.
“He’s a young man with two small children and a wife who obviously – and a huge number of friends and supporters who cared about him. And so, we have to extend grace to people during their period of mourning and shock,” the former president added.
He said President Donald Trump had further divided the country rather than worked to bring people together.
“There are no ifs, ands or buts about it: the central premise of our democratic system is that we have to be able to disagree and have sometimes really contentious debates without resorting to violence,” Obama said.
“When I hear not just our current president, but his aides, who have a history of calling political opponents ‘vermin,’ enemies who need to be ‘targeted,’ that speaks to a broader problem that we have right now and something that we’re going to have to grapple with, all of us.”
Kirk became a confidant of Trump after founding Turning Point USA, one of the nation’s largest political organisations.
Trump has escalated threats to crack down on what he described as the “radical left” following Kirk’s killing.
The White House responded to Obama’s remarks by blaming him for animosity in the country, calling him “the architect of modern political division in America”.
Microsoft’s Digital Crimes Unit (DCU) said it has disrupted RaccoonO365, a subscription-based phishing service blamed for stealing thousands of Microsoft 365 credentials.
The company said it identified a Nigeria-based individual, Joshua Ogundipe, as the leader of the operation.
Using a U.S. court order from the Southern District of New York, the DCU seized 338 websites linked to the service, cutting off the infrastructure criminals used to host fake Microsoft login pages and route stolen data.
According to Microsoft, RaccoonO365 sold easy-to-use phishing kits on Telegram that let even low-skilled criminals impersonate Microsoft communications and harvest usernames and passwords.
Since July 2024, the kits have been used to steal at least 5,000 Microsoft credentials across 94 countries, the company said. Because subscriptions are reusable, a single subscription can send thousands of phishing emails daily, scaling to hundreds of millions of malicious emails per year.
Ogundipe’s role
Microsoft said its investigation identified Ogundipe and associates as playing specialized roles in the enterprise: developing the code, selling subscriptions, and providing customer support to other cybercriminals.
“To mask their criminal enterprise and evade detection, they registered Internet domains using fictitious names and physical addresses that are purportedly located in multiple cities and countries.
“Based on Microsoft’s analysis, Ogundipe has a background in computer programming and is believed to have authored the majority of the code,” Microsoft stated.
It further disclosed that an operational security lapse by the threat actors, in which they inadvertently revealed a secret cryptocurrency wallet, helped the DCU’s attribution and understanding of their operations.
“A criminal referral for Ogundipe has been sent to international law enforcement,” Microsoft added.
Healthcare and public-safety risks Microsoft highlighted that RaccoonO365 was not just stealing credentials for fraud; its phishing kits were used in campaigns that targeted critical sectors.
The DCU found a tax-themed campaign that hit more than 2,300 organisations (mostly in the U.S.), and said the kits have been used against at least 20 U.S. healthcare organisations.
Microsoft and partner Health-ISAC say such campaigns can precede malware and ransomware intrusions that disrupt patient care, delay services, and expose sensitive health data.
According to Microsoft, these severe consequences are a key reason why the DCU is filing this lawsuit in partnership with Health-ISAC—a global non-profit focused on cybersecurity and threat intelligence for the health sector.
Microsoft revealed that in just over a year, RaccoonO365 has swiftly evolved, rolling out regular upgrades to meet rising demand.
This rapid growth underscores why taking legal action now is crucial to stopping RaccoonO365’s activities.
Using RaccoonO365’s services, customers can input up to 9,000 target email addresses per day and employ sophisticated techniques to circumvent multi-factor authentication protections to steal user credentials and gain persistent access to victims’ systems. Most recently, the group started advertising a new AI-powered service, RaccoonO365 AI-MailCheck, designed to scale operations and increase the sophistication—and effectiveness—of attacks.
Meanwhile, a recent report by Check Point Research, had revealed that Microsoft was the most impersonated brand, appearing in 25% of all phishing attempts globally between April and June 2025, a record aggravated by networks like Raccoon0365.
Politics › Re: Bandits Gun Down Worshippers At Zamfara Mosque by BlackViper: 5:24pm On Sep 26, 2025
