International
We must stop smuggling gangs before they act – Starmer, UK Prime Minister
Sir Keir Starmer, UK Prime Minister, has vowed to use counter-terrorism tactics to stop people-smuggling gangs “before they act”, as he announced an extra £75m to police the UK’s borders.
In a speech, the prime minister said the UK’s new Border Security Command (BSC) would “treat people smugglers like terrorists”, with enhanced powers to trace suspected human traffickers and shut down their bank accounts.
The cash boost, which will be used to hire hundreds of new investigators and intelligence officers, takes the funding for the BSC to a total of £150m.
But former immigration chief Kevin Saunders said the changes would not deter illegal migrants from coming to the UK and stop small boat crossings.
In a speech to the Interpol general assembly in Glasgow, which brings together senior police and ministers from nearly 200 member countries, the prime minister said it was his “personal mission to smash the people-smuggling gangs”.
“We are going to treat people smugglers like terrorists – we are taking our approach to counter terrorism, which we know works, and applying it to the gangs,” he said.
“We have got to combine resources, share intelligence and tactics, and tackle the problem upstream, working together to shut down the smuggling routes.”
The government has said it will pass new laws to give those tackling smuggling gangs enhanced powers to trace suspects’ movements and freeze their bank accounts.
Meanwhile, the BSC will get additional funding for:
An extra 300 staff to strengthen global partnerships and deliver new legislation
An additional 100 specialist investigators and intelligence officers for the National Crime Agency (NCA), to tackle criminals involved in people smuggling
New NCA technology around advanced data exploitation, to boost collaboration with European partners investigating trafficking networks
Creating a new specialist intelligence unit examining information from key police forces
Boosting the Crown Prosecution Service’s ability to deliver charging decisions more quickly on international organised crime cases
However, speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Mr Saunders, who was chief immigration officer for ports, said “unfortunately what the prime minister is trying to do is not feasible”.
The UK would only be able to prosecute and jail people smugglers “in the UK and the majority of people smugglers are actually based in the Middle East and Turkey”, Mr Saunders said.
Under the UK’s asylum system “you can’t deport failed asylum seekers” who destroy documents, Mr Saunders said.
Without official documents, the UK is often unable to prove the asylum seekers country of origin meaning their home countries will refuse to take them.
A Conservative Party spokesperson said: “It is a shame that Starmer has not recognised the extent of the crisis in the Channel sooner, as he and the Labour Party voted against numerous measures to stop the gangs while they were in opposition.
“If Starmer continues to ignore the need for a deterrent to stop migrants crossing the Channel, there will be more deaths in the Channel as more and more migrants continue to cross it.”
Sir Keir cancelled the Rwanda deportation scheme, which was the Conservative government’s plan to discourage Channel crossings.
More than 5,400 people crossed the Channel in small boats in October – the highest monthly figure since October 2022.
In total, more than 27,500 people have made the crossing so far this year, more than the same period in 2023.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said the high number of crossings in October was linked to unusually fair weather.
However, she told the BBC the government could not just blame weather conditions for spikes in illegal immigration and had to “go after the criminal gangs at the heart of this”.
Pressed over when a drop in small boat crossings could be expected, Cooper would not commit to a specific target.
She added that it would take time to get investigators and new technology in place but the government wanted to make progress “as rapidly as possible”.
International
Liberia’s notorious rebel-turned-senator Yommie Johnson dies at 72
Senator Prince Yommie Johnson, the leader of the erstwhile Independent National Patriotic Front of Liberia (INPFL), is dead.
Family sources confirmed that Senator Johnson collapsed in his bathroom during shower on Thursday morning and went into coma. He was later confirmed dead upon arrival at the Hope For Women Hospital in Paynesville.
He died at age 72.
The self-proclaimed Godfather of vote-rich Nimba County was instrumental in deciding the last few elections in Liberia.
Senator Johnson was last seen on November 25 when he honored the legacy of the late Gnassingbe Eyadema, former President of Togo, by naming his university’s auditorium after him.
The event was attended by a diverse group of officials, including traditional leaders, legislators, and students, celebrating Eyadema’s contributions to goodwill and generosity.
In his remarks, Senator Johnson reflected on Eyadema’s significant role in fostering peace in Liberia and throughout West Africa, labeling him a “man of peace.”
Senator Johnson’s history with civil war
Johnson allied himself with Charles Taylor’s National Patriotic Front of Liberia (NPFL) rebel group when it launched the First Liberian Civil War in 1989 to overthrown President Samuel Doe. Due to a rift with Taylor, Johnson soon formed an NPFL splinter group, the Independent National Patriotic Front of Liberia (INPFL), which captured, tortured and executed Doe in 1990.
Following continued clashes with Taylor and the pro-Doe ULIMO group, the INPFL was disbanded and Johnson was forced into exile in Nigeria in 1992, where he converted to Christianity and reconciled with the Doe family.
Johnson returned to Liberia in 2004 following the end of the Second Liberian Civil War and was elected to the Senate of Liberia in the 2005 Liberian general election. He founded a political party, the National Union for Democratic Progress (NUDP) in 2010, before being expelled from it in 2014.
He founded a new party, Movement for Democracy and Reconstruction (MDR) in 2016. He has since been re-elected to the Senate in 2014 and 2023. He was also an unsuccessful candidate for President in 2011 and 2017, respectively finishing in third and fourth place in the first round.
Johnson was born in Tapeta, Nimba County, in the east-central interior of the country, and was brought up by an uncle in the capital city of Monrovia. In 1971, while living in Monrovia, he joined the Liberian National Guard (LNG), which was transformed into the Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL) in the aftermath of Samuel Doe’s 1980 overthrow of President William R. Tolbert.
He rose to the rank of Lieutenant, receiving military training in both Liberia and the United States, where he was instructed in military police duties in South Carolina.
A stern, often draconian, disciplinarian, he served as aide-de-camp to General Thomas Quiwonkpa, the Commanding General of the Armed Forces of Liberia and accompanied him into exile in 1983, after Quiwonkpa was accused of plotting a coup against Doe.
Johnson, the Liberian warlord-turned-politician became infamous for the 1990 footage of him sipping beer while the-then president was tortured nearby.
As one of the key figures in the two civil wars between 1989 and 2003, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission said he should be prosecuted for war crimes, though he was never brought to trial.
But as a senator since 2005, he was highly influential in Liberian politics, backing the last three successful presidential candidates.
While some have celebrated his political role, others viewed him as a symbol of the country’s struggles with accountability.
“We see his death as a blow to many victims who were awaiting to see the senator to face justice given his role in the civil war,” human rights activist and campaigner for a special war crimes court Adama Dempster told the BBC.
An estimated 250,000 people died in the conflicts and many survivors from sexual assault and other attacks were left permanently scarred.
In a condolence message to his family, President Joseph Boakai – who Johnson supported in his presidential campaign last year – described him as “a figure who played a pivotal role in Liberia’s complex historical evolution and contributed to national discourse through his service in the Senate”.
Back in 1990, rebel soldiers from Johnson’s Independent National Patriotic Front of Liberia captured President Samuel Doe and were then, in front of their leader, filmed mutilating him – his ear was sliced off – before he was killed.
The warlord later expressed regret for what had happened, but, as quoted by the AFP news agency, justified his role in the war, saying he was defending “my country, my people, who were led to the slaughterhouse as if they were chickens and goats, by the Doe regime”.
He also said he had changed and had become a pastor in an evangelical church.
As a politician he was praised by his constituents in Nimba county for working to improve their lives.
But he also courted controversy.
In 2021 Johnson was sanctioned by the US for alleged involvement in so-called pay-for-play funding, where he would reportedly personally benefit from the distribution of government funding to various ministries.
He was also accused of selling votes for personal gain in several elections, leading to criticism from some of his allies.
But Wilfred Bangura, a former leading official in Johnson’s Movement for Democracy and Reconstruction, said “politically he was very weighty and strong” and that he only changed alliances once he saw people moving away from him.
While certainly revered and being mourned by many in his home county – where he was seen as a hero and liberator – elsewhere people feel he was not made to pay for the crimes committed during the civil war.
International
Catholic bishops reject Sh12.3 million donation from President
The Catholic Archdiocese of Nairobi has rejected a Sh12.3million donation from President William Ruto, citing its policy against accepting financial contributions from political figures.
Archbishop Philip Anyolo confirmed in a statement on Monday that the money would be returned.
It was gathered that the funds, donated on Sunday, November 17, were allocated to the Soweto Catholic Church Choir, the Parish Missionary Council, and a construction project for the parish priest’s residence.
President Ruto contributed Ksh600,000 (Sh12.3 million) during the church’s Sunday service.
An additional Sh2 million was earmarked for the construction of the priest’s house, while Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja donated Ksh200,000 (Sh4.1 million) to the same initiative.
THECITIZEN reports that the President has promised to purchase a parish bus and pledged an additional Ksh3 million (Sh61.6 million) towards constructing a priest’s house.
However, the move has drawn mixed reactions, with the Catholic Church reiterating its stance against the politicisation of religious spaces.
Speaking on Monday, Archbishop Anthony Anyolo explained that the Catholic Church discourages using fundraisers and church events as platforms for political self-promotion.
“Politicians are urged to refrain from turning the pulpit into a stage for political rhetoric, as such actions undermine the sanctity of worship places,” he said.
Archbishop Anyolo also urged the Church to maintain its integrity by rejecting donations that could compromise its independence or facilitate unjust enrichment.
He called on political leaders to address pressing issues highlighted by the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB), including corruption, human rights abuses, political wrangles, and freedom of expression.
See also BREAKING: FG Begins Payment of New Minimum Wage To Workers
“The Church must remain a neutral entity, free from political influence, to effectively serve as a space for spiritual growth and community guidance,” he added.
Meanwhile, last Thursday, the KCCB criticised President Ruto’s government for fostering a “culture of lies” and using state machinery to silence dissenting voices.
However, Archbishop Anyolo clarified that politicians are welcome to attend church as ordinary Christians seeking spiritual nourishment, provided they refrain from leveraging their positions for political gain.
International
Man kills wife, ex-girlfriend, children, commits suicide over Trump’s victory
A man named Anthony Nephew, from Minnesota, reportedly took his own life and that of his wife, former partner, and two of their children after Donald Trump’s victory in the November 5 election.
Reports from the New York Post indicated that the 46-year-old father was deeply troubled by Trump’s win.
Duluth Police Chief Mike Ceynowa shared on Friday that Anthony had a history of mental health challenges.
The police found five people dead in two different homes, including Anthony Nephew’s 47-year-old former partner, Erin Abramson, and their 15-year-old son, Jacob, who died from gunshot wounds.
After identifying Anthony Nephew as a suspect, authorities also discovered his 45-year-old wife, Kathryn, and their 7-year-old son, Oliver, dead from gunshot injuries in their nearby home.
Reports mentioned that Anthony had been sharing political views and comments on Facebook, often critical of Trump and Republicans. In July, he wrote, “My mental health and the world can no longer peacefully coexist, and a lot of the reason is religion.”
He expressed fear of religious extremists and posted that he had intrusive thoughts of being persecuted.
In another post, he criticized Republicans for making it difficult for women to leave abusive relationships, referencing “The Handmaid’s Tale,” a story set in a world where women lose their rights.
Anthony also shared political images that depicted Trump negatively compared to Democratic leaders, stating, “We can do better than a binary choice between fascism and not fascism.”
Anthony had earlier warned about mental health struggles in an op-ed for the ‘Duluth News Tribune’ in 2021, where he highlighted the stigma around mental health.
He wrote, “For millions of Americans, a breakdown leads to suicide — or homicide before suicide,” emphasizing how mental health issues are often overlooked or dismissed as individual burdens.
Authorities in Duluth, a city north of Minneapolis, have not confirmed a motive for the tragic events. The police assured the public that there was no ongoing threat to the community.
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