UK Ex-prime Minister Boris Johnson Resigns as MP

'I am bewildered and appalled that I can be forced out, anti-democratically... with such egregious bias,' said Johnson
JUSTIN TALLIS
'I am bewildered and appalled that I can be forced out, anti-democratically... with such egregious bias,' said Johnson JUSTIN TALLIS
TT

UK Ex-prime Minister Boris Johnson Resigns as MP

'I am bewildered and appalled that I can be forced out, anti-democratically... with such egregious bias,' said Johnson
JUSTIN TALLIS
'I am bewildered and appalled that I can be forced out, anti-democratically... with such egregious bias,' said Johnson JUSTIN TALLIS

Britain's former prime minister Boris Johnson on Friday said he was quitting as a member of parliament.

The 58-year-old populist politician has been under investigation by a cross-party committee about whether he repeatedly lied to parliament over Covid lockdown-breaking parties when he was in office.

In evidence earlier this year he angrily insisted he had not, AFP reported.

But as the committee prepares to make public its findings, he said they had contacted him "making it clear... they are determined to use the proceedings against me to drive me out of parliament".

Ordinarily, suspension of more than 10 working days leads to a by-election in the MP's constituency.

"It is very sad to be leaving Parliament - at least for now -- but above all I am bewildered and appalled that I can be forced out, anti-democratically... with such egregious bias," he said.



Fuel Tanker Blast Kills 18 in Nigeria's South East

Firefighters battle a fire at a building in Lagos, Nigeria, Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025. (AP PhotoSunday Alamba)
Firefighters battle a fire at a building in Lagos, Nigeria, Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025. (AP PhotoSunday Alamba)
TT

Fuel Tanker Blast Kills 18 in Nigeria's South East

Firefighters battle a fire at a building in Lagos, Nigeria, Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025. (AP PhotoSunday Alamba)
Firefighters battle a fire at a building in Lagos, Nigeria, Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025. (AP PhotoSunday Alamba)

A fuel tanker truck explosion killed 18 people in Nigeria's southeastern Enugu state on Saturday, the national road safety agency said, a week after another incident left about a 100 residents dead in the north of the country.
The truck suffered brake failure and the driver lost control, crashing into more than a dozen vehicles on an expressway, Olusegun Ogungbemide, spokesperson of the Federal Road Safety Corps said in a statement late on Saturday.
According to Reuters, he said 10 people were rescued with different degrees of injuries and another three were unharmed.
"Unfortunately, the remaining 18 victims were burnt beyond recognition," said Ogungbemide.
Accidents involving fuel tanker trucks have become common in Africa's largest oil producer, which authorities blame on bad roads and reckless driving, often with dozens of fatalities.