International
JUST IN: UK’s Sunak Apologises To Public As He Leaves Office
Rishi Sunak on Friday apologised to the public after his Conservatives were trounced by Labour in the UK general election, and said he would step down as party leader.The 44-year-old former financier gambled on going to the country six months before he had to, hoping that better economic data would swing public support back towards the Tories.But Thursday’s vote indicated that Britons wanted to send a clear message to the party by kicking them out of power after 14 years of economic hardships, Brexit upheaval and Tory infighting.“To the country, I would like to say first and foremost, I am sorry,” he said outside the Prime Minister’s residence at Downing Street, before heading to Buckingham Palace to tender his resignation as prime minister to King Charles III.
“I have given this job my all, but you have sent a clear signal that the government of the United Kingdom must change. And yours is the only judgement that matters.”“I have heard your anger, your disappointment, and I take responsibility for this loss.”The scale of the defeat made it inevitable that Sunak — the conservative party’s fifth leader since 2010 — would have to step down as Tory head as well.But he said that he would stay on in the role until the arrangements were made for an internal leadership contest, which is expected to be a fight for the ideological soul of the party.
Sunak saw a record number of his top ministerial team lose their seats, including defence secretary Grant Shapps and House of Commons leader Penny Mordaunt.His immediate predecessor as prime minister, Liz Truss, also lost her seat.Sunak — an observant Hindu who is Britain’s first prime minister of colour — wished his successor Keir Starmer well, calling him “a decent, public-spirited man who I respect”.“One of the most remarkable things about Britain is just how unremarkable it is that two generations after my grandparents came here with little, I could become prime minister,” he added.
“And that I could watch my two young daughters light Diwali candles on the steps in Downing Street. We must hold true to that idea of who we are.”
International
Senegal scraps Akon’s $6bn Wakanda-inspired city project
Akon will retain just 8 hectares of the original land allocation, which will be absorbed into the broader development.
• Akon
The government of Senegal has cancelled Akon’s $6 billion plan to build a futuristic “Akon City” on the country’s Atlantic coast, after years of inaction and missed payments by the Senegalese-American singer.
Bloomberg reports that the project, first announced in 2020, was pitched as a tech-driven smart city inspired by Marvel’s Wakanda and promised to transform the quiet village of Mbodiène into a modern hub powered by solar energy and Akon’s own cryptocurrency.
But five years later, the Senegalese government has reclaimed most of the 136 acres of land initially allocated to the singer, after construction failed to begin and financial commitments were not met.
“That project no longer exists,” Serigne Mamadou Mboup, head of Sapco-Senegal, the state agency responsible for developing coastal and tourism zones, told L’Agence de presse sénégalaise.”
Bloomberg reports on Wednesday that SAPCO said it would now pursue a scaled-down, state-backed tourism project in the same area, with a budget of 665 billion CFA francs (about $1.2 billion), largely sourced from private investors.
Akon will retain just 8 hectares of the original land allocation, which will be absorbed into the broader development.
Despite the setback, officials say the revised plan could generate up to 15,000 jobs in its first phase, offering long-awaited economic hope for Mbodiène residents.
International
Russian minister commits suicide after sack by Putin
Starovoyt, 53, served as Russia’s transport minister since May 2024.
Russia’s former transport minister Roman Starovoyt killed himself Monday, July 7, 2025, hours after being officially dismissed by President Vladimir Putin.
The country’s Investigative Committee confirmed the incident via a statement on Monday.
Authorities said Starovoyt’s body was found in a Moscow suburb after the firing was announced, with “suicide” being considered the most likely cause of death.
Starovoyt, 53, served as Russia’s transport minister since May 2024.
He was previously the governor of the Kursk region, where Russia had battled a Ukrainian incursion.
The Investigative Committee said: “Today, the body of former Transport Minister Roman Starovoyt was found in his private car with a gunshot wound in the Odintsovo district.
“The main version (considered) is suicide.”
Russian state media and news agencies said Starovoyt shot himself.
It was not clear exactly when Starovoyt died.
(The Star.ng)
International
Trump threatens extra 10% tariff on nations siding with Brics
A deadline for countries to agree a tariff deal with the US had been set for 9 July but US officials now say they will begin on 1 August.
US President Donald Trump has warned that countries which side with the policies of the Brics alliance that go against US interests will be hit with an extra 10% tariff.
Trump has long criticised Brics, an organisation whose members include China, Russia and India, which was designed to boost countries’ international standing and challenge the US and western Europe.
“Any country aligning themselves with the Anti-American policies of BRICS, will be charged an ADDITIONAL 10% tariff.
There will be no exceptions to this policy,” Trump wrote on social media.
A deadline for countries to agree a tariff deal with the US had been set for 9 July but US officials now say they will begin on 1 August.
(BBC)
APC ahead of other parties in Lagos LG elections
“It was Peaceful” Sanwo-Olu hails conduct of Lagos LG election
JUST IN: President Tinubu set to return to Nigeria after Saint Lucia, Brazil trip
Tech Expert, Zuckerberg trains with UFC champions, Adesanya, Alexander
Organ Trafficking: Ekweremadu bags 10 years in UK prison
SAINT OBI: Between his marriage and his death
-
News3 days agoBREAKING: Supreme Court Confirms Okphebholo as Edo State Governor
-
Entertainment3 days ago“I Was Blacklisted by Marketers”: Moji Afolayan Speaks on Sudden Screen Disappearance (VIDEO)
-
Crime2 days agoOne Killed, Houses Burnt as Suspected Herders Storm Taraba
-
News3 days agoSenate Launches Investigation Into Ponzi Schemes
-
News2 days agoPresident Tinubu congratulates Governor Okpebholo on Supreme Court Victory
-
News2 days agoCBN And Bank of Industry Partner With CEAN To Stabilise Nigeria’s Creative Sector Post-COVID
-
International2 days agoSenegal scraps Akon’s $6bn Wakanda-inspired city project
-
News3 days agoSenate Applauds Customs Chief’s WCO Role