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Israel cancels all import duties on American-made goods

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Tel Aviv [Israel], April 2 (ANI/TPS): At the directive of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and Economy and Industry Minister Nir Barkat, Israel has cancelled all of the customs duties – tariffs – that have been levied until now on products from the US, Israel‘s largest trading partner.

After the approval of the Knesset Finance Committee and the Economy and Industry Minister’s signature on the order, the amendment to the order regarding trade levies and protective measure will take effect and customs duties on all imports from the US will be cancelled.

The US is Israel‘s closest ally and its most significant trading partner. In 2024, the export of goods to the US stood at USD 17.3 billion, while the export of services was estimated at USD 16.7 billion.

Israel‘s government explained that the 1985 free trade agreement with the US has led to the fact that the overwhelming majority (approximately 99 per cent) of goods imported from the US are already fully exempt from customs duties. Therefore, the reduction in customs duties will begin on a very limited number of products, in the category of imported food and agricultural products from the US.

“The reduction in customs duties will, in effect, expand the US-Israel trade agreement and strengthen bilateral strategic relations,” the Prime Minister’s Office, Finance Ministry and Economy and Industry Ministry said in a joint statement.

The reduction also entails an assurance to Israeli consumers in the form of a possible reduction in the cost of living with the anticipated expansion in imports of food and agricultural products from the US, which will benefit from a zero customs rate. (ANI/TPS)

Politics

BREAKING: Peter Obi, Alex Otti summon Labour Party NEC meeting

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Two leading figures of the Labour Party, the 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and Abia State governor, Alex Otti, have summoned a meeting of the National Executive Committee, NEC, of the party.

The NEC meeting is scheduled to hold in Abuja on Wednesday, April 9, 2025.

A notice issued by Obi and Otti said the NEC meeting will be followed concurrently by an interactive town hall engagement with major stakeholders and other organs of the party at Transcorp Hilton.

The notice was signed by Ibrahim Umar, the POMR spokesman and forwarded to Ekwutosblog.

According to Umar, stakeholders listed to attend the meeting include the vice presidential candidate for the 2023 election, serving and former senators and senatorial candidates of the LP in the 2023 election, serving and former members of House of Representatives and LP House of Representatives candidates in 2023 election.

Others include all members of the National Caretaker Committee and NTC, all former governorship candidates who are still in the party, representatives of the NLC/TUC Political Commission, and all members of the former LP National Working Committee.

The meeting is coming after last week’s Supreme Court ruling which terminated the Julius Abure-led NWC.

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Atiku, Obi in talks to join SDP – Adebayo

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Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and former Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate Peter Obi are reportedly in discussions about joining the Social Democratic Party (SDP), according to Adewole Adebayo, the party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 general election.

Adebayo disclosed this during an interview on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, where he revealed that associates of both Atiku and Obi are exploring the possibility of their principals joining the SDP.

“You mentioned El-Rufai, Atiku Abubakar, and Peter Obi; many of them are in talks, and we are open to receiving them,” Adebayo said.

He confirmed that the party had recently admitted a former governor of Kaduna State and a senior member of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), signaling a growing realignment in Nigeria’s political space.

“People are joining the party, and we are welcoming them,” he stated. “The only challenge is the need for a shift in political culture, particularly around adherence to internal rules and procedures.”

When asked directly whether Obi was set to join the party, Adebayo responded, “Until someone officially joins, we can’t be certain. But I’ve received information from party officials, including the Financial Secretary, that discussions are ongoing.”

He emphasized that the SDP would only accept politicians who align with its values and respect its internal democratic process.

“If they can align with our values and participate in a transparent, credible internal democratic process as we did in 2022, then together we can offer Nigerians a viable alternative,” he said.

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Mr. Val’s defection from the Labour Party (LP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) was indeed a highly miscalculated move- John Okenwa

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I do my best to avoid political takes but Mr.Ozigbo’s recent outing woke me up like a loud neighbor.

As a student of strategy, I’d argue that Mr. Val’s defection from the Labour Party (LP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) was indeed a highly miscalculated move,

One that could very well have been orchestrated or at least capitalized on by the ruling party to dilute his influence ahead of the Anambra governorship election in November…..allegedly.

For someone that has a strong corporate track record which marks him a genius, his political moves raise eyebrows.

A charismatic figure with a strong grassroots following just seemed to squander his momentum by abandoning the Labour party (LP), a party whose ticket he would have comfortably won and still remained on the ballot and with Peter Obi’s populist appeal, he had higher chances of the odds being in his favour this time.

Instead he went for the APC which struggles to resonate in the South-East particularly Anambra, due to its national reputation and limited regional foothold.

Their trick? Welcome him in, promise him the big prize of being their candidate, then let him flop in the primaries… 67 votes for him as against Dr. Nicholas’ 1455 votes.

Ouch! The APC didn’t just edge him out,they quietly shrank his influence,leaving his ‘Obidient supporters’ highly disappointed at his move.

A master stroke by the APC if you ask me…alas he would be compensated with a federal appointment.

In the coming Anambra election, the battleground will be shaped by perception and credibility.

The electorate, now more politically aware, will be watching closely not just for party manifestos, but for authenticity, consistency, and grassroots alignment.

With the APGA still commanding strong loyalty in various parts of the state, and APC struggling to connect with the average voter, the fragmentation of the opposition may ironically hand APGA an edge if they play their cards right.

Now, Governor Soludo is chilling in the APGA driver’s seat, counting his money and watching the mess.

Unless Ozigbo recalibrates quickly and rebuilds trust across both the elite and grassroots structures, his momentum may stall. In this election, optics and timing will be everything.

Soludo’s probably going to win unless the others are smart enough, but Dr. Ozigbo’s slip-up handed the APC a softer landing and lesser forces to deal with. They’re probably somewhere laughing while he’s left kicking dirt.

Politics is a wild game, and Ozigbo just traded his gold for a lump of coal.

The lessons are there for you to pick

Let me know what you think about it in the comments.

Cheers to a glorious week

 

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