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Police arrests Malawi’s vice-president, Saulos Chilima over $280,000 bribery allegation

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Saulos Chilima, vice-president of Malawi, has been arrested over allegations of corruption.

The country’s Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) announced the development in a statement on Friday.

Egrita Ndala, ACB’s spokesperson, said the arrest was over allegations that the vice-president received $280,000 in exchange for awarding government contracts to Zuneth Sattar, a British-Malawian businessman.

ACB had, in June, submitted a report to Lazarus Chakwera, Malawi’s president, detailing allegations of bribery against public officers, including Chilima, in connection to dealings with Sattar.

In response, Chakwera stripped the vice-president of all delegated powers after the ACB report.

“I have decided to withdraw all delegated functions from vice president Saulos Chilima,” Malawi’s president said.

Chilima said he would not interfere with the investigations but would challenge his implication within legal means.

Speaking on his arrest, the ACB spokesperson said the vice-president would be charged to court on three counts of corruption.

“On 25th November, 2022, the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) arrested Dr. Saulos Klaus Chilima, vice president of the Republic of Malawi on allegation that between March 2021 and October 2021, he received advantage in form of money amounting to USD 280,000 and other items from Zuneth Sattar as a reward for Dr. Chilima to assist Xaviar Limited and Malachite FZE, which are companies connected to Zuneth Sattar to be awarded contracts by the Malawi government,” the statement reads.

“Dr. Chilima will be taken to court where he is expected to be charged as follows:

“Three counts of corrupt practices by a public officer contrary to section 24(1) of the Corrupt Practices Act as read with section 34 of the Corrupt Practices Act.

“Two counts of receiving advantage for using influence in regard to contracts contrary to section 29 (1) (b) of the Corrupt Practices Act as read with section 34 of the Corrupt Practices Act.

“One count of failing to make a full report to a police officer or an officer of the bureau that an advantage had been corruptly given contrary to section 36 (1) of the Corrupt Practices Act.”

World

Former US President Bill Clinton hospitalised with fever

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Bill Clinton, the former US president who has faced a series of health issues over the years, was admitted to hospital Monday in Washington after developing a fever, his office said.

“President Clinton was admitted to Georgetown University Medical Center this afternoon for testing and observation after developing a fever,” the 78-year-old’s deputy chief of staff Angel Urena said on social media platform X, adding Clinton “remains in good spirits.”

Bill Clinton was previously hospitalized for five nights in October 2021 due to a blood infection.

In 2004, at age 58, he underwent a quadruple bypass operation after doctors found signs of extensive heart disease. He had stents implanted in his coronary artery six years later.

The health scare motivated him to make lifestyle changes, including adopting a vegetarian diet, and he has since spoken publicly about his efforts.

Clinton’s health last made headlines in November 2022 when he tested positive for Covid-19. He said at the time that his symptoms were “mild” and he was “grateful to be vaccinated and boosted.”

Clinton, who led the United States for two presidential terms from 1993-2001, is the second-youngest living US president, after 63-year-old Barack Obama.

He was born mere months after fellow former US president George W. Bush and President-elect Donald Trump.

Though his prosperous time in office was marred by scandals, he has enjoyed a second life in the two decades after his presidency, which has seen him venture into numerous diplomatic and humanitarian causes.

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Trump dismisses claims of handing presidency to Musk as ‘hoax’

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Could Elon Musk, who holds major sway in the incoming Trump administration, one day become president? On Sunday, Donald Trump answered with a resounding no, pointing to US rules about being born in the country.

“He’s not gonna be president, that I can tell you,” Trump told a Republican conference in Phoenix, Arizona.

“You know why he can’t be? He wasn’t born in this country,” Trump said of the Tesla and SpaceX boss, who was born in South Africa.

The US Constitution requires that a president be a natural-born US citizen.

Trump was responding to criticism, particularly from the Democratic camp, portraying the tech billionaire and world’s richest person as “President Musk” for the outsized role he is playing in the incoming administration.

As per ceding the presidency to Musk, Trump also assured the crowd: “No, no that’s not happening.”

The influence of Musk, who will serve as Trump’s “efficiency czar,” has become a focus point for Democratic attacks, with questions raised over how an unelected citizen can wield so much power.

And there is even growing anger among Republicans after Musk trashed a government funding proposal this week in a blizzard of posts — many of them wildly inaccurate — to his more than 200 million followers on his social media platform X.

Alongside Trump, Musk ultimately helped pressure Republicans to renege on a funding bill they had painstakingly agreed upon with Democrats, pushing the United States to the brink of budgetary paralysis that would have resulted in a government shutdown just days before Christmas.

Congress ultimately reached an agreement overnight Friday to Saturday, avoiding massive halts to government services.

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Seven confirmed dead in Western Mexico plane crash

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At least seven people died when a light aircraft crashed Sunday in a heavily forested area of Jalisco in western Mexico, local authorities reported.

The aircraft, a Cessna 207, was flying from La Parota in the neighbouring state of Michoacan.

Jalisco Civil Protection said via its social media that the crash site was in an area that was difficult to access.

Initial authorities on the scene “reported a preliminary count of seven people dead,” who haven’t been identified yet, according to the agency.

“A fire was extinguished and risk mitigation was carried out to prevent possible additional damage,” it added.

Authorities said they were awaiting the arrival of forensic investigators to remove the bodies and rule out the presence of additional victims.

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Bodex F. Hungbo, SPMIIM is a multiple award-winning Nigerian Digital Media Practitioner, Digital Strategist, PR consultant, Brand and Event Expert, Tv Presenter, Tier-A Blogger/Influencer, and a top cobbler in Nigeria.

She has widespread experiences across different professions and skills, which includes experiences in; Marketing, Media, Broadcasting, Brand and Event Management, Administration and Management with prior stints at MTN, NAPIMS-NNPC, GLOBAL FLEET OIL AND GAS, LTV, Silverbird and a host of others

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