UK Set To Proscribe Wagner As Terrorist Group

The government of United Kingdom is set to proscribe Wagner, the Russian mercenary group, as a terrorist organization given that the group’s involvement in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine was regarded as criminal by Britain. The BBC, the UK’s public service broadcaster, reported a draft order would be put forward in parliament to allow Wagner’s assets to be categorised as “terrorist” property and seized. The designation will make it illegal for anyone in the UK to be a member of the group or support it. The home Secretary Suella Braverman was to make the Wagner Group a “proscribed” organisation under anti-terror laws, putting it on a par with Islamic State and al-Qaeda.

UK Police Slams Bribery Charges on Diezani

The British Police on 22nd August 2023, filed a fresh charge of bribery against the former President of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), Diezani Alison-Madueke. It was reported that Madueke 63 years was allegedly accepting bribes in return for awarding contracts. This was after an investigation carried out by the National Crime Agency (NCA). It was reported that Madueke received bribes during her tenure as Minister for Petroleum Resources, in exchange for awarding multi-million-pound oil and gas contracts, which she allegedly benefitted over 100,000 pounds in cash, chauffeur-driven cars, flights on private jets, luxury holidays for her family, and use of multiple London properties.

Russia Terminates Black Sea Grain Deal  

Russia has said it will not extend an international deal to allow the safe shipment of Ukrainian grain through its ports in the black Sea, thereby stalling the export of Ukrainian grain to the rest of the world. The grain pact helped lower food prices by more than 20 percent globally. The Black Sea Grain Initiative, a deal brokered between Russia and Ukraine by the United Nations and Turkey, has allowed 32.9 million metric tonnes of food to be exported from war-torn Ukraine since August. The deal created a safe corridor for Ukraine’s grain exports from three Ukrainian ports – Odesa, Yuzhny and Chornomorsk. More than half of that grain went to developing countries, including those getting relief from the World Food Programme (WFP), according to the Joint Coordination Centre in Istanbul.

Wagner Chief, Prigozhin Reportedly Dead

Yevgeny Prigozhin, the Wagner Group Chief along with 9 other people has reportedly died in a plane crash. Unconfirmed reports from Russian state media claims the Wagner boss was listed among passengers on the flight. In June, Prigozhin led a failed mutiny against the president of Russia, Vladimir Putin.

Antonio Sr Armstrong's Son Sentenced to Life Imprisonment For Killing Parents

Son of former American National Football League player (NFL) Antonio Jr Armstrong, 23, has been found guilty of murdering his parents Dawn and Antonio Sr, at their family's southwest Houston home in 2016 when he was just a teenager. Armstrong Jr was found guilty after the Houston jury deliberated for about 10 hours and heard more than 40 hours of testimony from 31 witnesses spanning 11 days during the capital murder trial. The convict, who was 16 at the time of committing the murder, was sentenced to life imprisonment and will have the possibility of parole after 40 years.

France Riot: 40,000 Policemen Deployed Following Killing Of Teen

At least 40,000 police officers are being deployed across France to deal with protests triggered by the fatal police shooting of a 17-year-old driver. The teenager, named as Nahel M, was shot at point-blank range as he refused a traffic stop and drove away. At least 180 people have been arrested after a second night of unrest, while 170 officers were injured, France's interior minister says. French president Emmanuel Macron has described the violence that spread throughout the country as “unjustifiable.”