In USA European Commission investigates on MC Donald’s tax affairs

The European Commission has launched an investigation into the corporate tax affairs ofMCDonald’s in Luxembourg.

The investigation will focus on McDonald's tax deals with Luxembourg. The European Commission says the deals allowed McDonald's to avoid paying taxes in both Luxembourg and the US on royalties from Europe and Russia.

MCDonald’s became the fourth U.S. multinational to be targeted by European Union regulators as part of a widening investigation into alleged illegal tax deals.

Under the Luxembourg-US Double Taxation Treaty, McDonald's has been exempt from paying tax on the income from its franchising business in Europe based on the understanding that these revenues are taxed in the US.

However, a tax ruling six years ago determined that McDonald's did not have to prove that it was paying taxes on this income in the US.

However, a tax ruling six years ago determined that McDonald's did not have to prove that it was paying taxes on this income in the US.

According to the commission, the McDonald's Europe Franchising, the company that manages the restaurant chain's franchise licenses in Europe, has virtually not paid anycorporate tax in Luxembourg nor in the US on its profits since 2009.

"A tax ruling that agrees to McDonald's paying no tax on its European royalties either in Luxembourg or in the US has to be looked at very carefully under EU state aid rules," said Margrethe Vestager, European Commissioner for Competition.

"The purpose of Double Taxation treaties between countries is to avoid double taxation – not to justify double non-taxation."

If regulators decide McDonald’s did benefit from an illegal arrangement, the company could be required to repay a significant amount of back taxes.

The EU has been examining whether companies including Amazon.com Inc. and Apple Inc. have benefited from illegal tax deals in Europe that allegedly shift profits from one corporate division to another to avoid tax.

Bayelsa Elections Ex-Governorship aspirant hijacks election materials in Yenegoa!

There are reports that a former governorship aspirant in Bayelsa State threw caution into the wind and hijacked election materials.

Read: Political thugs wreck havoc in Minister of Agriculture's home

According to a report by Vanguard Newspaper, the politician whose name was not disclosed and hails from Kpansia in Yenagoa local government allegedly hijacked election materials including results sheets.

It was further reported that confusion started when the results was in favour of the PDP in ward 9 unit 7 in Yenagoa council area.

Read: 4 reportedly killed as INEC withdraws Corps members

The APC chieftain allegedly alighted from a black jeep with thugs and hijacked the election materials and forced the INEC officials to go with them.

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See Forbes List Of Richest Africans, Guess Who Is Number 1?

Aliko Dangote still remains the king of the pack, topping the list of Forbes Africa’s Richest 50.

See full list below

Aliko Dangote Why Africa's richest man resigned from Dangote Flour Mills

Africa’s richest man and Chairman, Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote has resigned from the board of Tiger Branded Consumer Goods Plc, formerly known as Dangote Flour Mills.

READ MORE: Dangote resigns from Flour Mills

In a notice to the Nigerian division, and received also by the Nigerian Stock Exchange, the South African fast consumer goods company said:

“Tiger Brands has decided not to provide further financial support with respect to its investment in Tiger Branded Consumer Goods Plc of Nigeria.”

According to OSG, sources close to the South African company said Tiger Brands decision followed their inability to make money from Dangote Flour Mills after committing about 200 million dollars or 65 per cent equity in the Nigerian flour mill in 2013.

Aliko Dangote holds 10 percent of the company’s equity through Dangote Industries.

Dasuki ‘Presidency is desperate,’ former NSA says

The man in the eye of the over N337b storm,Sambo Dasuki, Nigeria's former National Security Adviser (NSA), has come out to tell his own side of the story.

He said the Presidency is acting out a script.

According to Daily Post, Dasuki said “While awaiting judicial process on these allegations, it is proper to make some references to show that the presidency was just desperate to hang some former public and military officers who served this nation at the risk of their lives.”

Adding that “There were no fictitious contracts; contract sums were not diverted and the relevant services in writing acknowledged delivery of equipment. For all procurements, the Nigerian Army, the Air Force and the Nigerian Navy have their contractors.”

He also claimed that former President Goodluck Jonathan approved all the purchases made during his tenure, adding that he followed due process.

Read: DSS operatives, trucks on standby at ex-NSA's Abuja home

Dasuki took a swipe at President Buhari’s aide,Femi Adesina  saying “The statement issued by the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, who should know better as a former President of the Nigerian Guild of Editors and a witness to history, was nothing sort of propaganda to cast aspersions on Dasuki.”

Sambo Dasuki was allegedly implicated by a13 man committee set up by President Buhari to investigate various arms purchase deals.

John Kerry Republicans slam US Secretary over comment on Paris attacks

U.S. Republicans lashed out at Secretary of State John Kerry on Wednesday after he suggested that Islamist militants had a "rationale" for the attack on the Charlie Hebdosatirical magazine in Paris in January that killed 12 people.

Speaking to U.S. Embassy staff in France after attacks last Friday that killed 129 people, Kerry sought to contrast the two incidents, saying the Charlie Hebdo killings appeared to have a motivation, while those last week were indiscriminate.

The magazine had angered some Muslims by publishing cartoons depicting the ProphetMohammad and Islamic themes. The gunmen who attacked the magazine's offices were shown on video shouting: "We have avenged the Prophet Mohammad."

Referring to Friday's attacks, Kerry said:"There's something different about what happened from Charlie Hebdo, and I think everybody would feel that."

"There was a sort of particularized focus and perhaps even a legitimacy in terms of - not a legitimacy, but a rationale that you could attach yourself to somehow and say, OK, they're really angry because of this and that," Kerry said.

"This Friday was absolutely indiscriminate. It wasn't to aggrieve one particular sense of wrong. It was to terrorize people," he added.

Republican Senator John McCain, who was defeated by Democrat Barack Obama in the 2008 U.S. presidential election, denounced Kerry, who is a fellow Vietnam War veteran and worked alongside him in the Senate for years.

"It does reveal an underlying view of these things that is really harmful and ... that is damaging,"McCain told Fox News. "John Kerry has probably been the most inept secretary of state, certainly in my lifetime."

Republican presidential candidate George Pataki, a former New York governor, called on Twitter for Kerry to resign. Several other Republican presidential contenders, including former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, also criticized Kerry for the remarks.

State Department spokesman John Kirby, asked at a briefing about Kerry's comment, told reporters the secretary was simply citing the militants' own rationale for the attack on Charlie Hebdo, not trying to say it was justified.

He added that Kerry had said in Paris after both attacks that "no act of terrorism is justified, and there can be no rationale for the senseless, indiscriminate killing of innocent people."

Buhari Presidency spent N2bn not 6bn on maintenance of private jets – Garba Shehu

The Presidency has denied spending N6 billion on the maintenance of Nigeria’s presidential fleet.

This clarification was made by the Senior Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu following reports that the whopping sum had been spent on the jets in the last six months.

Shehu said further, in a statement released in response, that only N2.3 billion had been spent on maintaining the aircraft.

The statement, according to Vanguard, reads:

“The government is focused on solving the many major issues our country faces in the areas of the economy, corruption and security. Yet almost every week, the Presidency has to also deal with the distractions which do nothing but distract from the task of government.”

“Referring to documents he had requested from the Operational Office of the Presidential Fleet after his attention was drawn to the speculative report, Malam Shehu pointed out that the sum of N2.3 billion was released to the Presidential Air Fleet (PAF) by the office of the Accountant General of the Federation between May and November 2015.”

“This includes releases for personnel cost, overhead and capital expenditure out of the sum of N5,190,381,386.00 appropriated for PAF on the 2015 budget. The documents also showed that the sum of N2,127,103,086.66 had so far been expended, leaving a balance of N172,568,912.34 from the amount released.”

“Thus, the Fleet expended the sum of N449,081,037.25 within the last months comprising N98,500,218.00 for operations, N165,373,176.91 on training and N85,500,116.75 on personnel medicals and overhead. Additionally, the sum of N99,715,493.51 was expended on aircraft maintenance, spares, and subscription services required for operations.”

“Any of these documents could have been made available had the newspaper reached out to me or to any one of my colleagues. The damage to the image of government and the good management of the Presidential Air Fleet could have been avoided”.

Shehu also said that Nigeria had only 10 aircraft in its presidential fleet and not 14 as widely reported.

READ: Presidency denies planned sale of presidential jets

Earlier rumours had it that Buhari wasplanning to sell off some of the jets to save cost but the Presidency denied the claims

Olisa Metuh Party accuses APC of plotting to assassinate top PDP leaders

The People's Democratic Party (PDP) has accused the All Progressives Congress (APC) of plotting to assassinate the Deputy Senate President (DSP), Ike Ekweremadu and several other PDP chieftains.

In statement released on Tuesday, November 17, Ekweremadu's media aide, Uche Anichukwu, had alleged that the suspected assassins trailed the senator, who was on his way to the office at about 10.00am, from  Apo Flyover and Dantata Construction Company’s yard, close to the Old Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) junction in Abuja.

He stated that the alleged killers drove a tinted white-coloured Mercedez Benz AMG E63 without a plate number, adding that the vehicle was driven by a long-bearded light skinned foreigner - whom he believed was a mercenary.

READ: Deputy Senate President escapes assassination attempt

However, speaking to newsmen on Wednesday, PDP National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh, has described the attempt on Ekweremadu's life as an indication that political assassination era is back in Nigeria.

Metuh, who held the APC responsible for the attempted assassination, said the party is apparently still bitter that Ekweremadu emerged the Deputy Senate President.

He further alleged that the APC is not only targeting the DSP's life, but lives of some other notable PDP leaders.

He listed PDP chieftains' names targeted for assassination as;  acting BOT Chairman, Bello Haliru, Acting National Chairman, Uche Secondus National Secretary, Adewale Oladipoand members of the National Working Committee, as well as Senate Minority Leader,Godswill Akpabio, House Minority leader, Leo Ogoh among others.

He said the government should be held responsible if anything happens to the PDP members, by way of terror attacks, unexplained accidents, kidnapped or 'suddenly killed by armed robbers’.

“Some desperate power-mongers close to President Muhammadu Buhari, particularly those privy to his interest to contest the 2019 presidential election, and who have been reading his body language against the opposition, have gone ahead to establish a killer squad to wipe off strong opposition, deeming such a service to the President

“This killer squad, our intelligence further revealed, has key marksmen recruited from within and outside the country with directives to trail, track down and hit strategic opposition elements and instill fear among PDP members," Metuh said.

READ: Ekweremadu calls for special anti-terrorism courts

He however called on President Buhari to call his "overbearing" party members and security officials to order.

Buhari UN reassures support for President's war against B/Haram

Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon on Wednesday reiterated the UN’s support to PresidentMuhammadu Buhari government's fight against terrorism.

Ban in a statement in New York, condemned the bomb attack on Yola, which resulted in dozens dead and scores injured.

The UN chief commiserated with the families of the victims, as well as to the Government and people of Nigeria.

He also wished a speedy recovery to those injured.

The Secretary-General reiterated that no political or ideological objective whatsoever justifies the loss of life and terror to which civilians are being subjected.

In Canada Officials scramble to prepare for Syrian refugees amid unknowns

Operating with a sense of urgency but few details, Canadian officials said on Tuesday they did not know how many Syrian refugees would arrive or when as part of the prime minister's plan to bring 25,000 displaced Syrians toCanada by year end.

"I guess we just have to be ready," said Jennifer Fowler, acting director of multicultural relations for City of Edmonton. She said the five largest municipalities in the western province of Alberta were still waiting for details.

"If we have to handle it, we will. Our service agencies may not have the proper resources, but they definitely have the will to support (the plan),"she added.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, sworn in this month after a landslide victory, has stood firm in his pledge to bring the refugees to Canada, using military transport and housing if necessary, despite criticism from political opponents that his Jan. 1 deadline is too tight to allow for adequate security screening in the wake of the Paris attacks.

The leader of at least one province said this week the plan should be suspended, and another said the deadline was impossible to meet.

But other provincial and municipal leaders as well as resettlement experts said they were gearing up to accept the refugees within weeks although they had no information yet about who was coming or when.

"There are many unknowns at this point including confirmation of resettlement locations, timing and pacing of resettlement, and total numbers of refugees," said Bryan Leblanc, communications director for Ontario Immigration MinisterMichael Chan.

Canada's most populous province has previously said it could accommodate 10,000 Syrian refugees before the end of 2016.

While Canada's immigration minister met Tuesday with city officials to exchange information about the latest preparations, detailed numbers and timing of arrivals were not made public.

The sense of urgency but lack of information extended to federal civil servants and visa officers who are expected to travel to Beirut to screen potential refugees.

"Everybody's ready to march, but nobody knows in which direction or how fast," said Michael Molloy, a retired diplomat who also worked as a manager on refugee issues in Canada's Immigration Department.

The military, which could be called upon to fly the refugees to Canada and to feed and house at least some of them after their arrival, was also awaiting direction.

"At this point, details remain to be determined,"said Ashley Lemire, senior communications advisor at the Department of National Defence.

Bobby Jindal "It's not my time" - Republican Presidential candidate quits White House race

Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal, polling near the bottom of the crowded 2016 Republican presidential field, suspended his campaign on Tuesday, saying: "This is not my time."

"We spent a lot of time developing detailed policy papers, and given this crazy, unpredictable election season, clearly there just wasn't a lot of interest," Jindal said on Fox News after announcing his exit from the race.

"I think the Republican Party has to lay out the pathway why we are the party for opportunity and growth," he said. His exit left 14 Republicans in the presidential race.

Jindal, 44, was the first person of Indian-American heritage to run for U.S. president. A Christian who converted from Hinduism as a teenager, his message was aimed at social conservatives and evangelical Christians.

Jindal's campaign focused especially on Iowa, which votes first in the series of state contests to choose the Republican nominee. Conservative evangelicals often do well there, and several candidates hoped for a strong showing.

But he struggled after entering the race in June to separate himself from the pack seeking the Republican nomination for the November 2016 election. He received 0.8 percent support in a recent Reuters/Ipsos poll.

Jindal spent more money than he raised in the third quarter. Other Republican candidates had already quit after burning through cash too quickly.

He failed to qualify for the prime-time Republican debate on Nov. 10, but during the forum for lower-polling candidates, he went on the attack against his rivals onstage.

On Monday, Jindal's campaign said he would continue his tour of Iowa's 99 counties this week.

"But this is not my time," Jindal said in a statement on Tuesday, "so I am suspending my campaign for President."

Former Iowa Republican Party Chairman Matt Strawn said Jindal's withdrawal would buoy U.S. Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, who appeals to the same evangelical voters and on Monday won the backing of an influential Iowa lawmaker.

"It means a good week for Senator Cruz just got better as he attempts to consolidate evangelical and anti-establishment support in Iowa," Strawn said.

Louisiana voters will go to the polls on Saturday to pick Jindal's successor as governor.

Jindal said that after leaving office, he would work on a think tank he formed. He did not endorse another Republican presidential candidate on Tuesday, saying he would support the party's nominee.

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DPR Petroleum regulatory body supplies 294 trucks of PMS in Abuja

The Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) said that 149 trucks loaded with petrol were supplied to Abuja and its environs on Tuesday.

Mr Mohammed Saidu, Head, Public Relations of DPR in a statement in Abuja, said that the supply brought the number of PMS supplied to Abuja between Monday and Tuesday to 294 trucks.

Saidu said the measure was to ease off fuel queues at filling stations in the city.

He added that 145 trucks were earlier supplied on Monday.

Giving the breakdown of the PMS supplied on Tuesday, he explained that 99 trucks were supplied to Abuja city with Forte oil receiving four trucks, while Conoil received 10.

According to him, Mobil has eight trucks, as MRS gets seven, while Nipco and Oando have six and 11 trucks respectively.

He stated that Total plc received 14 trucks, while NNPC retail was allocated 34 as IPMAN had five.

He said that 50 trucks were dispersed to immediate and extended environment of the capital city.

It will be recalled that the DPR Director,Mordecai Ladan, had earlier warned petroleum products marketers against engaging in sharp practices.

He said any station caught would face sanctions,including N2 million fine and licence revocation.

Boko Haram Terror group rated world's deadliest, ISIS second

A new report by the Global Terrorism Index has rated terror group, Boko Haram world's deadliest terrorist organisation, overtaking theIslamic State (ISIS).

According to the data collected by the Global Terrorism Database (GTD), Boko Haram killed 6,644 people in 2014 in comparison to ISIS's 6,073.

READ: Army stops 9 Boko Haram terrorists from bombing Maiduguri

Over the years, the report said, Nigeria witnessed a 300 per cent rise in fatalities from terror acts to 7,512 - which was described as the largest increase in terrorist-caused deaths ever recorded by any country.

Nigeria ranked fifth in the highest levels of deaths in 2013, but moved to second in 2014. This is largely believed to have been possible by Boko Haram's expansion.

The group, which is also known as Islamic State’s West’s Africa province (ISWAP), was initially domiciled in Nigeria but branched out to neighboring countries like Chad andCameroon overtime.

It has so far, according to the report, launched about 46 attacks in Chad and Cameroon, resulting to 520 deaths.

READ: Military makes more progress in Borno

However, the Nigerian army has lately intensified assaults on the terrorists' hideout in the northeast of the country - the counter attacks have fairly recorded successes, with many towns under the authority of the group recaptured and several arms and bomb-making factories seized.

Sadly, the bombings and killings by have not stopped.

President Muhammadu Buhari had given the military a December ultimatum to rid the country of the terrorists.

Yola Blast Update 32 killed, 80 wounded, Red Cross confirms

Following the explosion that ripped through the city of Yola, Adamawa State on Tuesday, November 17, the RED Cross has put the number of deaths at 32, with 80 wounded.

The explosion was said to have occurred around 8pm at a fruit and vegetable market beside a main road in the Jimeta area of the state.

READ: BREAKING NEWS: Massive explosion hits Motor Park in Yola, scores dead

It has not been confirmed as at press time if it was another Boko Haram attack - but all indications are that the terrorists were behind the blast.

The insurgents had hit Yola with two deadly bomb attacks this year, with more than 50 people killed.

The last attack is said to have occurred in October.

NAFDAC Why Guinness will not pay N1bn agency's fine

Mr Sesan Sobowale, the Director, Corporate Relations in Guinness Nigeria, on Friday denied that the company ever used raw materials considered to be expired by NAFDAC.

He said that the company had already gotten extension on the 'best before date' from the supplier of the malt extract in question.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that NAFDAC imposed one billion naira fine on Guinness over alleged usage of expired raw materials in the company's production lines.

Sobowale told journalists in Lagos that the company usually considered due process in the way it destroyed expired raw materials.

Sobowale said that the company usually destroyed its expired products and materials at Ado-Ado in Ogun State with relevant documents from government.

Sobowale, also the Company Secretary, said that prior to the day NAFDAC visited the warehouse, it had fumigated the place in Oct. 25 to prevent rodents from entering the warehouse.

He also said that the company, upon receiving a letter from NAFDAC, replied NAFDAC with the documents seeking approval on the extension of "best before date".

Sobowale said that Guinness also got relevant papers from the Ado-Ode Local Goverment on disposal of expired raw materials.

Other papers presented included the certificate on the pest control treatment from a company called AC Fumen International and the FSSC 2200 ISO certificate.

The Managing Director of Guinness Nigeria, MrPeter Ndegwa, said that the company would not compromise on the highest standards of quality which were in line with globallly accepted code of manufacturing practice.

He said that those standards had also be so-certified by NAFDAC and the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON).

Ndegwa said that company believed more in its reputation than the financial benefits it gained from the sale of its products.

NAFDAC Agency re-arraigns businessman over sale of unregistered Custard, Sugar

A 40-year-old man, Adumeta Nduka, on Tuesday re-appeared before a Federal High Court in Lagos over the sale of unregistered food products.

The accused is being charged by the National Agency for Food Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) on five counts bordering on the offence.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the accused was first arraigned on Dec. 9, 2014 on the charges.

He had pleaded not guilty and Justice John Tsoho had granted him bail in the sum of N1 million with one surety in like sum.

The judge had then adjourned the case for trial.

NAN also reports that the accused had failed to show up for his trial on April 27 and on several other adjournments.

The court had consequently issued a bench warrant for his arrest on Sept. 22.

When the case was mentioned on Tuesday, counsel to the accused, Mr Oluwole Olusi, craved the indulgence of the court on behalf of his client.

He informed the court that the accused had been absent from court following an injury he sustained from a road accident.

He, therefore, implored the court to vacate the bench warrant issued against the accused, adding that the accused was now in court to stand trial.

Justice Tsoho in a short ruling held that he was satisfied with the explanation adduced by defence counsel.

Consequently, he vacated the bench warrant.

"The bench warrant issued on Sept. 22 is hereby discharged,’’ he said.

NAN reports that the prosecutor, MrWashington Adumen, then prayed the court for the accused to be re-arraigned on the charges.

After the charge was read over to the accused, he pleaded not guilty.

The court ordered that the accused to continue to enjoy the earlier bail granted.

The judge then adjourned the case to Feb. 9 for trial.

The prosecutor had told the court that the accused committed the offence on Nov. 6, 2014.

He said that the accused engaged in the manufacturing of some food products without registration and approval from NAFDAC.

According to the prosecutor, the accused manufactured Nourish Gold Banana, Vanilla and Chocolate Custard, as well as Falcon Refined Sugar without due registration.

He said that the products were packaged and labelled at No 3, Saturday Close, Salolo in Lagos.

According to the prosecutor, the accused engaged in the sale of the unregistered products to members of the public contrary to the provision of the law.

He said that the offence contravened the provision of sections 1, 5 (a), and 17 of the Food and Drugs Act, Cap. F32, Laws of the Federation, 2004.