protests in Kenya to commemorate the 2024 anti-tax protests that were deadly in their own right. In the demonstrations on Wednesday, according to Amnesty Kenya, at least 16 people were killed and 400 others were hurt. The protesters were accused of trying to impose themselves on top, according to a minister of the government.
Taiwo Oyedele, the head of the presidential committee on fiscal policy and tax reforms, claims that his and his family were affected emotionally by the controversy that initially surrounded the tax reforms that were proposed by his committee.
The former PriceWaterhouseCoopers (PwC) tax leader said on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Thursday, just before President Bola Tinubu rebuffed four new tax bills, saying that the “most important sacrifice” is the emotional impact, particularly on my family.
At the height of the controversy, his wife allegedly held daily vigils for him.
“My family was affected greatly by the people who would write up stories for blogs and newspapers at the height of it.
For instance, my wife, for example, struggled to stay awake the night before going to bed.
“Thank God, my kids are still young. They don’t know what I’m going through, he said, but it’s been difficult. “It’s a big sacrifice,” he said.
Oyedele, who was appointed by the president in July 2023 as the tax committee chair, urged Nigerians to simplify their tasks.
“I believe it’s crucial to make the case that Nigerians should not deter honest people who want to help if they truly want a better country.
“It’s already a difficult choice to try to work in the public sector.” He claimed that making things harder than they should be is not helpful.
The tax boss, however, defended his sacrifice and said he was grateful for the change in the country’s tax system.
Looking back, it’s possible that the financial sacrifices were even smaller. The government’s proposed payment was absurd.
I responded, “You don’t need to give me a salary; just cover the cost of what you asked me to do.” And that’s okay with me. In the context of this, he said, “it’s a small sacrifice.”
He claimed that the new laws’ goals, which would become effective from January 2026, are intended to reduce tax collections and prevent tax evasion.
Oyedele: Households Making $250,000 or Less on a Monthly Income Won’t Pay Taxes
Oyedele added that the new laws are people-centric, growth-focused, and efficiency-driven, and that they would also protect businesses and prevent the government from taxing poverty.
Before it was passed and approved, the tax was fraught with scathing criticisms and stiff opposition from many, including some governors who argued that some states would not be able to pay staff salaries if certain bills were passed into law.
However, the Presidency and the National Assembly claimed that allies had been present and that governors’ fears had been flung out.
The four new tax bills that the National Assembly recently passed were signed into law by Tinubu on Thursday, describing them as crucial to the administration’s success and prosperity.
The Nigeria Tax Bill (Ease of Doing Business), which aims to harmonise Nigeria’s symbiotic tax laws into a unified statute, the Nigeria Tax Administration Bill, to provide a uniform legal and operational framework for tax administration across federal, state, and local governments.
Donald Trump’s administration has announced an investigation into hiring practices at the University of California (UC) system, the most recent instance of his conflict with higher education.
The UC system’s efforts to increase staff diversity were revealed by the Department of Justice on Thursday, and the agency accused the school of employing practices that “openly measure new hires by their race and sex.”
Diversity initiatives have previously been portrayed as a form of discrimination by the Trump administration.
The Civil Rights Division’s head, Harmeet Dhillion, stated in a statement that “public employers are bound by federal laws that prohibit racial and other employment discrimination.”
Employers are posed by legal risk by institutional directives that use race- and sex-based hiring practices, according to federal law.
The Justice Department stated in a letter of notice to the University of California that it had “reasonable suspicions” that some of the school’s campuses had engaged in unlawful activity. However, it added that it had not “reached any conclusions about the investigation’s subject matter.”
With 10 campuses and more than 299, 000 students enrolled in the University of California system, one of the most well-known public university systems in the US.
In response to the investigation announcement, the school responded on Thursday by defending its hiring practices.
A UC system spokesperson stated in a statement that the university of California is committed to using fair and lawful methods in all of its programs and activities in accordance with state and federal anti-discrimination laws. The University also intends to create a welcoming and supportive campus atmosphere.
President Trump has not yet commented on the investigation, but during his second term in office, his administration has frequently clashed with academic institutions.
According to allegations that prestigious universities, including Harvard and Columbia, did not take enough action to stop campus protests against Israel’s occupation of Gaza, federal grants and contracts have been terminated.
According to the Trump administration, those protests were anti-Semitic and created a dangerous environment for Jews on college campuses.
Additionally, Trump and his allies have portrayed academic institutions as haven for radical political dissent. The Trump administration sent a letter outlining changes demands on April 11 for Harvard University in a letter sent by the administration on April 11.
One requirement was for Harvard to submit an external audit of its staff and enrollment in order to evaluate “viewpoint diversity” and implement “reforms” to its hiring and admissions procedures. According to the letter, the outside party would need to “satisfy the federal government.”
Harvard has objected to those demands, stressing the need to safeguard academic freedom. Since then, the Trump administration has threatened to revoke its tax-exempt status and attempted to obstruct its ability to enroll foreign students.
Harvard has filed lawsuits to recoup its federal funding and stop the Trump administration’s attempts to ban foreign students as a result.
In the event that Trump’s visa restrictions affect their ability to attend classes, the university also announced an agreement with the University of Toronto on Thursday that would allow foreign students to continue their Harvard studies there.
Trump’s actions have been criticized as attempts to impose his policies on schools in greater compliance with the White House’s policies and priorities.
The administration’s efforts to promote diversity in university hiring and enrollment have been a particularly positive experience.
The Trump administration has claimed that those initiatives are a form of discrimination, but their supporters claim they do so in order to end the legacy of discrimination in higher education.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt reiterated Trump’s commitment to ending diversity initiatives at a news conference on Thursday, but she did not provide specifics about the UC investigation.
She said, “We want to restore a merit-based society and culture in the United States of America where people are not hired, nor are they promoted, based on the color of their skin or their gender,” as the president’s position states.
Trump signed an executive order removing “diversity, equity and inclusion” (DEI) programming from the federal government on the first day of his second term. He described those programs as “immense public waste and shameful discrimination.”
However, some claim that Trump’s actions have violated the rights of those he disagrees with, acting as his own form of discrimination.
For instance, the government has attempted to deport several foreign students who participated in pro-Palestine activities on campus, which raised concerns about free speech.
Beckham has made a sincere offer to his family on social media.
The Beckhams’ son, David and Victoria, wrote a moving message to Sandra, his grandmother. He declared, “Happy birthday, Nanny xx, I love you so much.” It was posted alongside two romantic hearts.
He is reportedly giving his family, with whom he is at the center of a bitter feud, his first public acknowledgment.
However, insiders still think his parents won’t be able to take him to the hatchet. According to a source, “There is currently too much to overcome.”
The Mirror reported last month that their eldest son was visiting London with his father, but he kept his location a secret.
Brooklyn was seen sipping a pint in a pub with bottles of his own-brand hot sauce on a table in front of him, according to an Instagram photo.
Although harmless enough for outsiders, Beckhams’ friends could see the distinctive light fixtures and stark green walls in the background. The picture was taken in the Langham Hotel, where the Beckhams have occasionally stayed, according to one pal.
Brooklyn’s countryside residence prevented him from seeing any of his family, which was heartbreaking. Additionally, he posted about it here about it.
Less than two miles from the Beckham family’s home in Holland Park, Brooklyn, 26, and his wife Nicola, 30, flew to London for a photo shoot with Italian luxury brand Moncler.
Dad David, 50, was only three miles from the Wigmore when he was pictured with the King at the Chelsea Flower Show that day.
Brooklyn had kept the visit to his siblings and extended family quiet, according to a pal. He was devastated that he had not engaged and had flown thousands of miles to London. It would have been simple to arrange a meeting.
Brooklyn and Nicola’s late grandmother were featured in another May 16 Instagram post to commemorate her passing. I will forever be in love with you and miss you.
Brooklyn’s heart is obviously in the right place, but it hasn’t gone unnoticed how silent he is about his own, including his own grandfather, whose birthday it was last week, while posting about Nicola’s family.
According to family members, heiress Nicola is to blame for what they perceive to be “performative” social media posts.
They raise concerns that she is “isolating” “Brooklyn from his friends and family in some way through her husband’s social media activity, which they claim is inappropriate.
She “creates conflict where there is none,” a friend claims, “and divisions are springing up left, right, and center.”
However, a couple’s source refutes claims that Nicola is “her husband’s husband” and insists that Brooklyn is essentially his own man.
They state that “She is not at all isolating him.” He has freedom to pursue his interests, loves his wife, and lives with her. They are the members of their families.
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Axel Tuanzebe’s contract with Ipswich Town has come to an end, and Burnley have signed him on a free transfer.
Tuanzebe played a significant role in the Tractor Boys’ promotion to the Premier League between 2023 and 2024, making 45 appearances total.
The 27-year-old chose to stay with newly promoted Burnley rather than sign a new deal with Ipswich after making 22 top-flight appearances last year.
The defender from DR Congo is reportedly on a one-year deal at Turf Moor, making him the third summer signing from head coach Scott Parker.
He joins Netherlands goalkeeper Max Weiss and left-back Quilindschy Hartman at the club.
After speaking with the manager, Tuanzebe explained that the decision was “very simple,” and that the message was “very clear, precise, and straight to the point.”
“I’m ready to continue my journey at Burnley because it’s a new chapter for me, back in the area of Manchester and home.”
Before renouncing his allegiance to his native DR Congo, Tuanzebe started his senior career with Manchester United as an international for the England age group.
The defender, who has three caps for his nation, is likely to participate in the continent’s upcoming Africa Cup of Nations, which kicks off in December.
US politics are shocked by the Democratic Socialist Party’s victory in the New York City mayor’s primary.  ,
The headlines declare a political earthquake. a stunning victory A wake-up call for America’s Democratic Party.
The news media has been blabbering over Zohran Mamdani’s victory in the mayoral election in New York City.
But why did he win, and how significant is it for US politics?
Presenter: Adrian Finighan
Guests:
Palestinian-American activist and political strategist Linda Sarsour of New York
Democratic political strategist in Washington, DC, Joi Chaney