Speaking on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, Tshisekedi said Rwanda is continuing to support the M23 rebel group despite formally agreeing to withdraw its forces from Congolese territory.

“Rwanda pretends to have withdrawn its troops but in reality, Rwanda troops continue to be present on Congolese soil and to support the M23,” President Felix Tshisekedi said, referring to a Rwandan-backed armed group that made rapid gains in the eastern DRC.

Tshisekedi also hinted at stronger security cooperation with the United States, potentially linked to ensuring a stable supply of critical minerals such as cobalt, which is vital for electronic devices and electric vehicle batteries.

Eastern DRC, rich in natural resources and bordering Rwanda, has endured decades of violence fueled by dozens of non-state armed groups. The M23 insurgency, which reignited in late 2021, has seen the group seize large areas in the east with alleged Rwandan support, displacing hundreds of thousands and deepening an already dire humanitarian crisis.

Read Also: Nigeria Strengthens Border Screening Amid Ebola Outbreak in DR Congo

The international community continues to express concern over the deteriorating situation, with calls for both regional cooperation and accountability for armed groups operating in the volatile region.

Source: Channels

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Judges voted 4-1 to convict Bolsonaro of plotting to overthrow Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva following his October 2022 election defeat by the left-winger.

Prosecutors said the plan failed only due to a lack of support from military top brass.

Bolsonaro’s defense team called the sentence “incredibly excessive” and announced he would appeal, “including at the international level.”

Read Also: Tinubu Arrives In Brazil As BRICS Nations To Denounce Trump Tariffs

The conviction of Bolsonaro, a former army captain who never hid his admiration for the military dictatorship that killed hundreds of Brazilians between 1964 and 1985, follows legal condemnations for other far-right leaders this year, including France’s Marine Le Pen and the Philippines’ Rodrigo Duterte.

It may further enrage Bolsonaro’s close ally U.S. President Donald Trump, who had called the case a “witch hunt” and in retaliation hit Brazil with tariff hikes, sanctions against the presiding judge, and the revocation of visas for most of the high court justices.

Source: Vanguard/Reuters

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Rayner, had earlier admitted not paying enough on the flat purchase and referred herself to the government’s independent ethics adviser.

In a letter to Starmer, ethics chief, Laurie Magnus, wrote that Rayner had failed to “heed the caution” of legal advice she had received and had therefore breached the ministerial code.

“Given the findings, and the impact on my family, I have therefore decided to resign,” Rayner wrote in a letter to Starmer, adding she would also be stepping down as housing minister and deputy leader of the Labour Party.

“I deeply regret my decision to not seek additional specialist tax advice,” Rayner said, adding she took “full responsiblity for this error”.

In his reply, Starmer told her he was “very sad” to lose her from government, but added: “You will remain a major figure in our party”.

Rayner disclosed that she had underpaid on the so-called stamp duty on a flat in southern England following days of reports suggesting that she had saved £40,000 ($53,000) by removing her name from the deeds of another property.

Source: UK former deputy PM John Prescott dies at 86

She said that after her 2023 divorce, she sold her part of the family home to the trust fund to protect it for her child’s future and used the money for the flat purchase.

She paid less of the property surcharge because she claimed it was her main home rather than a second home, but later conceded this was wrong because her son is under 18 years old.

Magnus said Rayner had “acted with integrity and with a dedicated and exemplary commitment to public service” but concluded he considered the “code to have been breached”.

Rayner had often been tipped to become Labour leader one day and has been a top target for political attacks by the Conservatives and right-wing media.

Source: Punch

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NIPOST disclosed this in a public notice to its customers, noting that the new charges stem from a recent Executive Order signed by the Government of the United States of America suspending de minimis exemptions for all postal shipments globally.

The directive, which Washington said applies to all designated postal operators worldwide was issued under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.

“The Nigerian Postal Service wishes to inform our esteemed customers of a recent policy change by the Government of the United States of America, enacted through the Executive Order on ‘Suspending Duty-Free De Minimis Treatment for All Countries’ under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act,” the notice read.

“This Executive Order applies to all postal operators and designated postal administrations worldwide, and the payment of the additional duty affects all global postal inflows into the United States, not just those from Nigeria,” it added.

The agency said the new measure will have far-reaching implications for Nigerians sending parcels and goods to family, friends and business partners in the U.S, warning that global logistics operations were already adjusting to the policy, with airlines and cargo carriers adopting stricter protocols in handling shipments destined for America.

“Global logistics operations are also being affected, as airline and cargo carriers adopt more cautious measures in handling U.S.-bound shipments. This may extend both transit and processing times, potentially resulting in delivery delays,” NIPOST stated.

The notice further stated that all U.S.-bound items would undergo additional Customs checks on arrival. This, officials said, may compound waiting times for recipients.

NIPOST, however, assured customers that it was actively working with international partners to cushion the impact.

“NIPOST is actively engaging with the Universal Postal Union, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and our airline partners to minimise service disruptions and safeguard customer experience,” the agency said.

The postal service reiterated its commitment to ensuring efficient and reliable service delivery despite what it described as a “global regulatory adjustment.”

ReadAlso: Labour declares indefinite strike from Monday over minimum wage, electricity tariff hike

It added, “We reassure our customers that NIPOST remains committed to providing safe, reliable, and efficient postal and courier services despite this global regulatory adjustment.”

President Donald Trump’s administration cited the use of low-value shipments to evade tariffs and smuggle drugs in ending duty-free treatment for parcels valued at or under $800.

Instead, packages will either be subject to the tariff level applicable to their country of origin or face a specific duty ranging from $80 to $200 per item. But exclusions for some personal items and gifts remain.

Trump’s trade adviser, Peter Navarro, told reporters that closing this “loophole” helps restrict the flow of “narcotics and other dangerous and prohibited items” while bringing fresh tariff revenues.

Postal services, including in France, Germany, Italy, India, Australia and Japan, earlier said most US-bound packages would no longer be accepted.

Source: Punch

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