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UK state visit: Trump meets queen after insulting London mayor

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US President Donald Trump met Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace on Monday after kicking off his UK state visit by branding the London mayor a “loser” and weighing in on the Brexit debate.

With a 41-gun royal salute ringing out across the royal palace’s lawn, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Charles shook hands with the US leader and First Lady Melania Trump before British soldiers played the national anthems of the two countries.

The queen then led the couple inside for a private lunch, which will be followed in the evening by a glittering banquet.

Trump’s plane had not even touched down when he tweeted that London Mayor Sadiq Khan, who has been highly critical of the red-carpet welcome laid on for Trump, was doing a “terrible job”.

The president called the mayor a “stone cold loser”, adding: “Kahn reminds me very much of our very dumb and incompetent Mayor of NYC, (Bill) de Blasio, who has also done a terrible job – only half his height.

“In any event, I look forward to being a great friend to the United Kingdom,” he added.

 Backing for Boris

Trump’s three-day visit comes with Britain in political turmoil. Prime Minister Theresa May is due to step down within weeks over her handling of her country’s exit from the European Union.

Trump weighed in on the divisive issue, declaring before he arrived that Britain’s former foreign minister Boris Johnson would make an “excellent” choice to succeed May.

In a round of British newspaper interviews, he also recommended her successor walk away from talks with Brussels, refuse to pay Britain’s agreed divorce bill and leave the EU with no deal.

The UK-US “special relationship” was already under strain over different approaches to Iran, the use of Chinese technology in 5G networks, climate change, and Trump’s personal politics.

Labour’s Khan has led the opposition to the three-day visit, writing a newspaper article on Sunday in which he compared the US leader to European dictators from the 1930s and 1940s.

“Donald Trump is just one of the most egregious examples of a growing global threat,” Khan wrote.

His spokesman called Trump’s tweets “childish” and “beneath the president of the United States”

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Take the Battle to Bandits, Criminals, IGP Disu Charges Police Officers

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The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Olatunji Disu, has charged officers to take the fight directly to criminals, stating: “It is far better to strike first and stay on the offensive than to remain only reactive.”

The IGP, who spoke on Wednesday in Kano during a strategic meeting with officers of the Kano State Command, noted that “when bandits know we fire back decisively, they will think twice. Keep pushing hard, stay sharp, and sustain this momentum”.

Represented by the Deputy Inspector-General of Police in charge of the North-West region, Suleiman Abdul, the IGP announced the establishment of six core administrative pillars designed to strengthen the internal security framework.

Notable among the pillars is the operationalisation of “Handshake Patrols” between contiguous states to deny criminals jurisdictional escape routes.

IGP Disu also announced a renewed commitment to intelligence-led and technology-driven security management, adding that the police are moving away from purely conventional, reactive methods towards evidence-based law enforcement powered by data analytics, digital forensics and a centralised information framework.

The IGP further committed to restructuring elite tactical units, with operations governed by strict rules of engagement and civilian oversight.

He stressed that modern urban policing cannot be achieved through physical presence alone; it must be powered by timely, accurate and actionable information.

“Kano Command must fully leverage data analytics, digital forensics and centralised information frameworks to map out urban crime hotspots and track illicit financial flows that sustain gang activities,” he stated.

“Compliance with the Suspects’ Information Capturing Process within the Nigeria Police Force Incidents and Crime Database (NPF-ICD) must be enforced across all divisions and tactical offices without exception,” he said.

“This will enable you to build comprehensive criminal histories, trace syndicates and systematically isolate repeat offenders,” he added.

“The administration demands absolute professional discipline and has zero tolerance for personnel high-handedness, corruption or extortion, which alienates the public,” he said.

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Appeal Court Halts Execution of Judgment Deregistering ADC, Four Others

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The Court of Appeal in Abuja has ordered a stay of execution of the judgment that directed the Independent National Electoral Commission to deregister the African Democratic Congress and four other political parties.

In a unanimous decision on Tuesday, a three-member panel led by Justice A. B. Mohammed condemned Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja for flouting a May 22 order that directed him to suspend proceedings before him, describing his conduct as the gravest form of judicial misconduct.

“The decision of the lower court to proceed with the judgment despite the express order of this court is a brazen violation of the hierarchy of the court and the 1999 Constitution,” the panel held.

The appellate court went further, invoking a Supreme Court precedent to characterise Justice Lifu’s conduct in the harshest terms available to it.

“The decision of the lower court to proceed with the judgment despite the express order of this court is the highest form of judicial impertinence,” the panel declared, adding that the Supreme Court had previously held that a judge who acted in such a manner “is unfit for the bench as it amounts to judicial rascality.”

The court said it had a duty to assert its supervisory authority over lower courts and protect the integrity of the judicial hierarchy.

“Courts are enjoined to protect their integrity. This court has supervisory authority over the trial court. This court has the duty to invoke its powers in ensuring that its orders are obeyed. The application for stay of execution is hereby granted. The enforcement of the judgment is stayed,” the panel ruled.

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Deregistration: Mark Advises Party Faithful Not to Despair, Says ADC Will Be on Ballot Paper

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Deregistration: Mark Advises Party Faithful Not to Despair, Says ADC Will Be on Ballot Paper

The National Chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), has called on party members, supporters, and candidates on the platform of the party not to despair over the judgment delivered by Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court, Abuja, which purportedly ordered the deregistration of the ADC and some other political parties.

Senator Mark, in a swift reaction while receiving a delegation of the party’s candidates who paid him a visit in Abuja on Monday, according to a statement signed by his Special Adviser, Media & Publicity, Kola Kola Ologbondiyan, described the judgment as “an arrow fired at the heart of Nigeria’s democracy,” assuring party faithful that the decision would be overturned by superior courts.

He recalled that the Court of Appeal had earlier ordered a stay of proceedings in the matter and adjourned further hearing to October 27, 2027. He therefore questioned how a judgment could validly be delivered while the subsisting order of the appellate court remained in force.

“The judgment cannot stand. It will be set aside because it does not pass the test of law and due process. Our democracy must be protected from actions that seek to undermine the constitutional rights of political parties and the choices available to Nigerians,” Senator Mark stated.

He urged ADC candidates and supporters across the country to remain calm, focused, and committed to the party’s mission, stressing that there was no cause for alarm.

“The ADC will be on the ballot in 2027. I assure all our candidates, members, and supporters that this temporary setback will be overcome through the judicial process. We remain resolute and confident in the rule of law,” he added.

Senator Mark further reaffirmed the party’s commitment to strengthening democratic institutions and providing Nigerians with a credible political alternative ahead of the 2027 general elections.

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