MINISTER of Finance Alexander Chikwanda has told Parliament that over K15 million is the balance remaining in the Privatisation Revenue Trust Fund account as at June 30 this year.
Mr Chikwanda said the balance of K15, 273, 280 will be spent following guidelines stipulated in the Privatisation Act.
“These funds were spent on various activities, including purposes of funding the course of privatisation, facilitating the creation of Zambian investments, supporting new capital investments, supporting new structures in some entities that were about to be privatised, supporting alternative income generation activities, among other programmes,” Mr Chikwanda said.
The minister was responding to a question from Lumezi member of Parliament Isaac Banda (MMD) who wanted to know how much was in the account, what the money will be used for and why it has taken long to utilise the money.
Mr Chikwanda said utilisation of the privatisation trust fund is carefully considered because there are several factors that were looked at.
“There are issues to do with redundancy which these funds are used for and it is also used in mitigating eventualities that may arise as a result of privatisation,” Mr Chikwanda said.
But Mr Banda asked why Government is not using the money to work on dilapidated schools and collapsed bridges.
In response, Mr Chikwanda said the K15 million balances are not enough to fund capital projects, which are usually funded through the national budget.
Earlier, Lubansenshi MP Patrick Mucheleka (Independent) asked how many Multi -Facility Economic Zones (MFEZ) are in the country as at end of 2013 and if they have been subjected to environmental impact assessments (EIA) as provided for under the Environmental Management Act of 2011.
In response, Deputy Minister of Commerce, Trade and Industry Miles Sampa said there are four MFEZs at Lumwana, Chambishi, Lusaka East and Lusaka South and two industrial parks at Sub Saharan Gemstone in Ndola and Roma Park in Lusaka.
“The developers of MFEZ are required to submit EIA and they have complied except Lumwana which has not yet commenced the works,” Mr Sampa said.

In Zambia today, the number of people buying cars has increased dramatically. A car is no longer seen as a luxury but a necessity. One of the fastest growing car trends in Zambia is the efficient and convenient online purchase of cars from Japanese companies. Japan is renowned for good quality second hand cars at affordable prices.

Quality
One of the most important advantages of buying a car from Japan is quality assurance. Japan has a strict ‘condition examination’ system called “Shaken”. All vehicles being driven in Japan have to pass this Shaken inspection every two to three years. If inspectors find that any part of the vehicle is not working properly, the examination will be declared as ‘failed’. Vehicles that fail Shaken must be repaired and then inspected again. As well as keeping vehicles in tip top condition, this system ensures that Japanese users drive their vehicles with great care and pay attention to regular maintenance. Replacing engine oil and other consumable items without delay is standard practice. As a result of this culture, most Japanese used cars are in superb condition.

Convenience
With more than ten major Japanese websites that supply vehicles to Zambia at the click of a button, shopping for cars online has become much more convenient. These websites offer a variety of models at different prices, allowing anybody with internet access the opportunity to choose their dream car from the comfort of their home or office.

Purchasing costs
The first step is to choose a car online and request for an invoice that includes freight (delivery) charges. The breakdown of the total cost of the invoice should be as follows:

• Car cost (Free On Board)
  
• Freight charge up to Dar es Salaam
  
• Freight insurance
  
• JEVIC inspection fee
  

JEVIC is an inspection required by the Zambian Government for all vehicles imported from overseas. Vehicle should successfully pass this inspection in Japan before shipment. Additional expenses that will be incurred are port facility charges at Dar es Salaam and transportation costs from the port to Zambia. These costs may vary depending on vehicle size, so it is necessary to ask clearing agents about the specific cost for each imported vehicle. Transit time or delivery time from Japan to Dar es Salaam is about one month, and from Dar es Salaam to Zambia is about two weeks.

Important tips for a safe purchase
Despite the advantages, there is always a danger of fraudulent companies that ship cars in a bad condition, or even a completely different vehicle from what was actually ordered. In the worst case scenario, some cars have been known not to arrive at all. Whilst nothing can absolutely guarantee a safe purchase, there are things you can do to minimise the risk:

1. The payment beneficiary account should be a bank account based in Japan
The beneficiary account of a website offering Japanese cars should be a Japanese account. The most common Japanese banks are Bank of Tokyo – Mitsubishi UFJ, Mitsui Sumitomo Bank and Mizuho Bank. Using these well known bank accounts minimises the risks.

2. Be suspicious of really cheap cars
While comparing different websites, you may come across some offering extraordinarily cheap vehicles. In that case, it is very important to compare the total cost of the car including the expenses mentioned above. The total landing cost of an attractively cheap car may not be so appealing after all calculations have been made. Another reason to be wary of extremely cheap cars is that some exporters try to hide the bad condition of a car by selling it cheap. It is important to check the listed photos carefully. Take note of aspects that may not have been covered by the pictures.

3. Phone the exporter
When dealing with a car company from Japan for the first time, it is important to
communicate with the sales person of that company by phone. If your intention to
purchase a car has been expressed through an email and a call, the sales staff will definitely contact you back. One round of communication should be able to give you an intuitive idea of whether or not you can trust that company.

cardealpage.com
One of the major websites offering Japanese used vehicles to the Zambian market isCardealPage. This company offers a variety of cars that include trucks, buses and other commercial vehicles at a reasonable price. cardealpage.com is currently developing a promotional offer especially for clients based in Zambia. To find out about this offer, email sales@cardealpage.com.

Sales consultants at cardealpage.com have more than eight years experience in selling vehicles via the their website. These professional sales consultants guarantee a prompt response to all enquiries. There is also a useful FAQ section from cardealpage.com website.

With thanks to Mr Hidefumi Yano, President of Green Net Co Ltd of Japan, for the content of this blog post. Green Net Co Ltd operates the website www.cardealpage.com.

Maintaining his controversial stand that the tragic collapse of a building at The Synagogue, Church Of All Nations (SCOAN) was an ‘attack’, T.B. Joshua has released new security footage of the incident through Emmanuel TV’s official YouTube channel.

The new footage from a security camera stationed in the church premises shows the bottom of the building as people walk innocently around the environment.

Suddenly, a huge plume of smoke is seen coming from the side of the building, bystanders running for dear life as the collapse occurs in mere seconds.

A still picture at the end of the shocking footage shows the extent of the disaster with ‘floors piled on top of each other’.

Through a Facebook post, the embattled cleric reiterated that, while co-operating with the ongoing investigation into the cause of the fatal collapse, “The church views this tragedy as part of an attack on The Synagogue, Church Of All Nations.”

The SCOAN had earlier warned media not to pre-empt the investigation with ‘unconfirmed stories’ that ‘give the impression the collapse was due to structural failure’.

The Foundation for Democratic Process (FODEP) says political parties should stop putting themselves in pole position to win the 2016 General Elections.
FODEP Executive Director MacDonald Chipenzi has told Qfm News that political parties should not waste time claiming victory ahead of the 2016 elections, but should rather concentrate on more important issues such as mobilizing their parties ahead of the 2016 elections.

Mr. Chipenzi says political parties especially opposition political parties have a lot to do right ahead of 2016 if they are to wrestle power from the Patriotic Front.

He notes that two years is a lot of time for the political parties to sale their manifestoes to the people of Zambia who will eventually decide which party to vote for when time comes.

Mr Chipenzi adds that it is not too late for any political party to prove to the people of Zambia that it is worthy voting for between now and 2016.

Police in New York say Zambian President Michael Sata was treated by State Department doctors in his hotel this week, but was not hospitalized.

No other details on his condition were available.

Sata was in New York for the annual gathering of world leaders at the United Nations General Assembly, where he was scheduled to speak Wednesday.

He did not deliver the address to the 193-member world body.

The 77-year-old president had not been seen in public in almost three months before he attended the opening of Zambian parliament last week.

At the start of his address in Lusaka, Sata jokingly told the legislative body, “I am not dead.”

Concerns about Sata’s health have been mounting in Zambia since he traveled to Israel for medical treatment in June and then withdrew from the public eye.

VOA News

Cemetery workers raced to a newly-dug grave after they heard banging and muffled shouting an hour after a 45-year-old woman was buried.

As they grabbed tools and anything they could find, they rushed to dig the grave up again after the woman woke up to find herself buried alive in a coffin.

But tragically, the un-named woman died before her would-be rescuers could reach her inside the plot at a cemetery near Greece’s Thessaloniki.

Now police are probing why the woman was pronounced dead by doctors treating her for cancer, only to be found alive.

Her grieving family arranged her funeral at the graveyard in Peraia, a small town 16 miles south of Thessaloniki, Greece’s main city in the north.

Shortly after the last relatives left the cemetery on Thursday, residents and a group of children playing outside reportedly heard a female voice shouting for help from inside the grave.

They called the police, and began digging up the grave to save her but she had suffocated to death inside the coffin, it was reported.

However, a doctor who was at the scene and examined the woman’s body, said she had been dead for hours and could not have been revived.

Dr Chrissi Matsikoudi told Greek TV channel MEGA: “I just don’t believe it. We did several tests including one for heart failure on the body. It would have been impossible for someone in a state of rigor mortis to have been shouting and hitting the coffin like that.”

A coroner is expected to examine the body.

Meanwhile, relatives of the dead woman say they are considering filing a complaint against the doctors responsible for her treatment at the cancer clinic.

Source: UK Mirror

Just when we thought that nothing weirder could come out of Japan, this happened: The condom cookbook.
Yes, you read that right.
A cookbook centred around condoms. According to Kotaku, the book is called Condom Meals I Want To Make For You and contains 11 utterly delicious condom-based recipes like “Condom Meat Stuffing”, “Condom Escargot (snails) Cooked with Butter” plus desserts like “Condom Cookies.” The book aims to show the durability of condoms and believes that this could potentially lead to the spread of condoms in cooking. It also has a serious side – Japanese men are the third worst in the world for using condoms, and the book was also created to help promote safe sex. Would you eat a meal cooked in a condom, guys?

Nadia shamed all those who wished she and Jim Iyke had separated with his lovely message. Sweet love!

Islamic State fighters besieging the Syrian town of Kobane on the Turkish border have been targeted by air strikes, the BBC’s Paul Wood reports from the area.

Warplanes circled the area through Friday night and explosions were heard.

Kurdish fighters have been defending the town from an advance by Islamic State militants.

There has been no word from the US-led coalition on whether it carried out air strikes in the area.

Kobane has become a flashpoint over the past week, as an estimated 140,000 civilians have fled the town and surrounding area.

Those displaced Kurds have crossed the nearby border with Turkey.

The situation has been tense, with Turkish troops trying to prevent Turkish and Syrian Kurds crossing the border to help defend the town.

BBC

Former Transparency International Zambia (TIZ) President Reuben Lifuka has observed that the country lacks a well articulate policy on how to fight corruption.

Mr. Lifuka has told Qfm news in an interview that it is unfortunate that government has failed to seal loopholes of corruption in all sectors of the economy.

Mr. Lifuka who is also a member of the TIZ international board of directors says three of the Patriotic Front in government have not yielded much in terms of results in the fight against corruption and that more needs to be done.

He says government should clampdown on corruption in public procurement by tightening loopholes.

Mr. Lifuka adds that it disheartening to note that the Patriotic Front is following the route the previous government took in fighting corruption which failed to yield desired results.

Vice President Guy Scott says Konkola Copper Mines still remains viable as long as its disputes such as tax rebates and electricity prices are resolved.

Dr Scott told Parliament today during the Vice President’s question time in response to a question by Bwacha Member of Parliament Sydney Mushanga who wanted to know what the futures holds for KCM following recent happenings at the mining giant.

Dr Scott says government’s view is that Konkola Copper Mines needs a fresh capital injection.

He says this is the conclusion that has been arrived at by advisors, experts and consultants at the Ministry of Mines.

Dr Scott says government has put it to Vedanta Resources the majority shareholder in KCM that they needed to bring in more capital to recapitalize the mine, but that Vedanta has also responded that if it is to put in more capital ZCCM-IH as a shareholder in the mining company will have to do the same.

KCM is currently embroiled in a dispute over a $44 million electricity bill with the Copperbelt Energy Corporation which has resulted in power supply to the mine being restricted thereby paralyzing operations.

Daniel Munkombwe says Vice-President Dr Guy Scott and President Michael Sata have sacrificed a lot for the PF.

Commenting on revelations by Vice-President Scott that there is a plot to oust him, Munkombwe said he would not entertain any attempts to have the Vice-President hounded out of the party and government.

He said anybody organising demonstrations against Vice-President Scott was merely bent on creating disunity in PF and seeing the ruling party lose the 2016 general elections.

“I’m not one of the people who want destabilisation. I will not entertain disunity. President Sata and Dr Scott sacrificed quite a lot and now we want him out? [They] already got Wynter Kabimba out, and I am told that there is a list of people who should be dismissed. I will not entertain that myself,” Munkombwe said.

He said in Southern Province, there was a list of people identified as parallel leaders at provincial and district levels and “strangely, some of the people appearing on the list are deceased”.

“It is nonsense; those youths are just anti-PF, and anybody who is PF should know that we are in a difficult situation and if there is anybody who is using them, that person is wrong. We now need everybody.

To demonstrate at this time when we need unity is wrong,” Munkombwe said.

“We now need everybody, so there is no way you can still continue demonstrating. The party now needs every one of us, and if you are a reasonable leader, you should discourage the youths from demonstrating against people.”

He said politicians don’t gain political strength by inciting demonstrations against others.
“You lose out by demonstrating. There are people who can do without the party but this time, PF needs more people than any other party because we want to get back in government by 2016,” Munkombwe said.

Munkombwe, who is also Southern Province PF chairperson, said whoever was behind the plot to oust Vice-President Scott was putting people in a difficult situation.

“Those people in leadership, those members of the central committee, the provincial executive committee members in the country, we need them; district executive committees, we need them; wards, we need them.

This is the time for unity and I don’t think it is right for anybody to encourage demonstrations or if there is a reasonable youth, it is them who should know that the new secretary general [Edgar Lungu] the central committee, the President needs everybody,” he said.

Munkombwe said even being seen in the presence of people who were once in trouble with the PF over disciplinary issues should be healthy for party unity.

He said political experience had taught him that unity was cardinal for any political party in hard times.

“A person of a long political standing like me knows how unity is important at this particular time,” said Munkombwe.

“Political parties collapse in some special ways, they collapse by people organising demonstrations in the hope that they be seen to be strong.”

Speaking to journalists at his Parliament office on Thursday, Vice-President Scott said some cadres had been mobilised to demonstrate against him in the way they used to be set on Wynter Kabimba but they changed their plans at the last minute after the police got wind of it.

“There was supposed to have been some demonstration in which some youths wanted to say stuff against me. The whole thing is nonsense. People are trying to use frustrated youths without jobs. There is an attempt to subvert my position. I have a good idea of the people I suspect to be behind this plot but I don’t want to bring out their names for now,” he said.

Vice-President Scott urged PF members across the country to be constructive, saying people were sympathetic to the party, going by the victories in the recently held parliamentary by-elections.

He said PF members should be cautious as the remaining two years before 2016 was long enough a period to destroy the party if the members conducted themselves carelessly.

“My job is to keep things together and it seems the job of others is to break things to pieces. It is not my job to play games. These activities by those who want to destroy the party are very destructive and will end up bad for the PF. If we are not careful we will end up to be the fourth largest party in the country. Let us not undermine the unity of the party by fighting amongst ourselves,” Vice-President Scott warned.

He also said there are attempts to frame him.

“Yesterday, I had a lot of journalists coming to my office, that there was a briefing when there was no briefing that was planned. Afterwards, there were some stories that appeared online that I will be fired when the President gets back from the US for holding a briefing. So it’s clear there are some people who are trying to stir up things,” said Vice-President Scott.

You know how one incident can destroy everything you’ve worked hard for all your life? Well, that’s what’s happening to Pastor T.B Joshua now. He has come under severe criticism and scrutiny following the collapse of a building inside his church premises that left more 115 people dead. Now, many people believe his miracles are not real. Yesterday, a South African journalist published a report where he rubbished all the miracles that supposedly happens at the Synagogue Church of All Nations.
“I challenged the pilgrims to provide me with medical proof that they had been healed. None did.” journalist Jacques Pauw wrote..
The church has reacted to the published report via their Facebook page, claiming that all their miracles are 100% real because they were performed before the church and broadcast live via their Emmanuel TV. See their statement after the cut…

OFFICIAL STATEMENT FROM THE SCOAN
The SCOAN released a public statement yesterday, September 26, 2014 regarding a false story published in The Vanguard Newspaper, “Synagogue: We Sealed Off Building Before Collapse – LSBCA” which was a total fabrication intended to divert people’s attention from the issue at hand. The writer needs to be investigated concerning the building collapse.

To our surprise, a cover story with even greater fabrications was published today, September 27, 2014 in The Saturday Vanguard, “Are T.B. Joshua’s Miracles Real?” The writer(s) fabricated names of people who do not exist and remained nameless and faceless in order to hide their evil intentions. They need to be investigated.

It is our belief that these stories were intended to divert people’s attention from the evil that has been done. Those involved in these stories need to be investigated concerning the building collapse. If they are not directly involved, they will help the investigation. If they are not the ones who did it, they know those who did. Perhaps, they were involved in the building collapse because they claim what is happening in The SCOAN is fake. They are suspect.

Please note, all of The SCOAN services are public and broadcast live on Emmanuel TV.

Do not be misled and diverted from the truth. No matter how long a lie is sustained, the truth will someday prevail. Jesus is the Truth.

-Enigerianews

President SATA

Republican President Michael Chilufya Sata has arrived back home from New York where he had led a delegation to the 69th Session of the United Nations General Assembly.

And President Sata yesterday hailed Ministers for competently representing him and Zambia at the just ended meetings 69th Session of the United Nations General Assembly.

President Sata, who addressed the ministers shortly before his departure back home yesterday in new york, stressed the need for Ministers to work hard because Zambians are relying on them.

The Head of State also took time to ask each Minister to explain about the meetings they attended while in New York.

In response, the Ministers briefed President Sata about the High-Level meetings they attended including the General Debate, Climate Summit, International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) and Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDCs), among others.

The ministers who briefed the President include Foreign Affairs Ministers Harry Kalaba, Transport, Works, Supply and Communication Minister Yamfwa Mukanga, Lands, Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Minister Mwansa Kapeya, Community Development, Mother and Child Health Minister Emerine Kabanshi and Zambia%u2019s Permanent Representative to the UN Dr Mwaba Kasese-Bota and Ministry of Foreign Affairs acting Chief of Protocol Humphrey Chibanda.

A fire-fighter from Chipata Municipal Council who fell from the roof while putting out a fire that gutted Zanaco Bank on Friday has died.

And an undisclosed amount of money was burnt in the inferno.

Eastern Province police commissioner Grace Chipalila confirmed the fire-fighter’s death in an interview.

She said Prince Zulu died from head injuries sustained in the fall.

“This man…wanted to climb on top of the building using a sewer pipe, so it broke and he fell down and hit his head on the ground,” Chipalila said.

The cause of the inferno, which started shortly after 15:00 hours on Friday, has not yet been established, but sources say it started from the bank’s computer room.

The council fire brigade team arrived just after 15:20 hours but failed to extinguish the fire after running out of water twice, much to the irritation of onlookers.

“Aba banthu bakangiwa chabe. Onani so manzi yabasilila (These people have failed. Look, they have run out of water),” an onlooker shouted.

Fire officers from Chipata Airport with an advanced fire tender arrived an hour later to help their colleagues from the council, by which time extensive damage had already been done to the building.

Security was tight as armed police prevented residents from getting near the bank.
The officers, led by Eastern Province deputy police commissioner Hudson Namachila, formed a cordon to keep people at bay.

Council chief fire officer Fackson Mbewe said the bank delayed to inform the fire brigade and that by the time it arrived, the fire had already extended to most parts of the building.
Meanwhile, Chipalila said the amount of money lost in the inferno had not yet been established.

“The bank has not counted the money that was burnt. They are waiting for people from Lusaka who wanted to be part of that process.

Once they count, that’s when we are going to give you the amount of money that was burnt. Whatever was on the counters which was being paid and deposited was burnt,” said Chipalila.

And scores of Chipata residents rushed to the bank upon seeing the fire.
Some thought it would to be easy to help themselves to the money, but police ensured that no one got near the bank.

Edgar Lungu says PF members should respect Vice-President Guy Scott because he was appointed by the President.

Commenting on the plot by some ‘disgruntled’ party members to hound Vice-President Scott out of the PF, Lungu, who is acting president and party secretary general, said in an interview in Lusaka yesterday that the Vice-President should be respected as an appointee of the President.

“I don’t want to even talk about this subject anymore, my brother. Those who know the kind of party [PF is] know that we respect hierarchy. We respect our seniors,” said Lungu, who is also justice and defence minister.

“Secondly, and most important, the President is elected and if the President puts somebody in office, out of respect for the President, we should respect that person. Whether we like him or not, that’s the culture of PF.”

Lungu said he did not know the source of calls for the removal of Vice-President Scott’s from the PF.

“I don’t even know where the calls are coming from because I don’t even know who is making those calls. I just hear that there are these calls, but I cannot even talk about them anymore because no one has even come out in the open,” Lungu said.

“Dr Scott should actually tell me those advocating his removal so that we can follow them up and talk to them to see how we can put them in line.”

Last Thursday, Vice-President Scott disclosed that there was a plot to oust him.
He told journalists at his Parliament office that some PF cadres had been mobilised to demonstrate against him in the manner they used to be set on former justice minister Wynter Kabimba, but changed their plans at the last minute after the police got wind of it.

“There was supposed to have been some demonstration in which some youths wanted to say stuff against me. The whole thing is nonsense. People are trying to use frustrated youths without jobs. There is an attempt to subvert my position. I have a good idea of the people I suspect to be behind this plot, but I don’t want to bring out their names for now,” said Vice-President Scott.

Movement for Multi Party Democracy (MMD) Vice President for Administration Brian Chituwo has maintained that the former ruling party is as good as dead under the leadership of Nevers Mumba.

Dr. Chituwo says electing Dr Mumba during the national convention was a regrettable mistake that the party made.

Dr. Chituwo says it is clear that things are not well in the party and should not pretend that things will be better under Dr. Mumba.

Dr. Chituwo, who is also Mumbwa MMD Member of Parliament, says the performance of the mmd in the parliamentary by-election is a clear indication that the party is not going anywhere.

He has since called for an extraordinary convention to usher in new leadership after realizing that the entire party national executive has failed to lead the party

A twenty nine-year-old woman of Lusaka’s Garden Township has refused to reconcile with her husband who allegedly contracted a sexual transmitted infection and enrolled on treatment without her knowledge.
Emma Siamaleli, who is now on separation with her spouse, said she could not reconcile with her husband Brian Mwape, 34, because he changes women like clothes.
This was in a case where Mwape sued Siamaleli for divorce. Mwape had previously sued for reconciliation but was advised to file for divorce after Siamaleli refused to reconcile.
Mwape said his wife called him a dog seven years ago and had not apologised despite
He said although he had been accused of behaving like a dog, he vowed to live with Siamaleli as his wife because he loved her.
However, Mwape told the court that he was surprised that his wife decided to leave the matrimonial home in July this year after the couple had a marital dispute.
He said he was also shocked to note that Siamaleli was wearing an engagement ring within three months the two had been on separation while efforts to get her on phone were failing because she had stopped picking his calls.
“My wife refused to reconcile with me, hence suing her for divorce but I still love her if only she can apologise for calling me a dog seven years ago, I will forgive her and take her back,” he said.
But Siamaleli told the court that she did not want to reconcile with Mwape because she has gone through psychological trauma since she got married to him.
She accused her husband of being a womaniser who had at one point been put on STI treatment without the knowledge of the wife.
She said she only discovered that her husband was sick when she noticed some sores on his private parts.
Siamaleli said her husband used to chat with other women in her presence and later started drinking sex pills without her consent.
She said her husband further stopped supporting the family and when she provided for the children he accused her of being promiscuous.
The matter has since been adjourned to October 1, this year for judgment.

A-24-year old peasant farmer of Chief Simwatachela’s area in Kalomo has been jailed for five years by the Livingstone High Court for manslaughter.
This was in a case in which Trouble Mupengo was charged with manslaughter.
The particulars of the offence are that on January 16, this year, in Kalomo, Mupengo allegedly murdered Foster Makuba, of the same area.
In mitigation, the convict pleaded for leniency and that he is a first offender.
“A plea of guilty is a sign of contrition. The convict is 24 years old and is married with four children. He is seeking the court to be lenient by not meting out a stiffer sentence,” defence lawyer Sandra Lukwesa said.
Livingstone High Court judge-in-charge Ernest Mukulwamutiyo said the court had considered all the facts presented before the court.
Judge Mukulwamutiyo said the court had considered that the convict is a youth and if given another opportunity could contribute positively to the community.
“You have pleaded guilty to the charge, you have shown remorse and the charge has been reduced to manslaughter. I have considered that you are still a youth with an opportunity to contribute positively to your community and family,” he said.

Cabinet Office minister, Brooks Newmark has resigned from the government after allegedly being caught sending explicit pictures of himself over the internet to a freelance male reporter who was posing as a young female activist.

After being told that the story would appear in a Sunday newspaper, the Conservative MP for Braintree and campaigner to increase the role and number of women in politics issued a statement saying he was quitting. He appealed for privacy for himself and his family.

Newmark said: “I have decided to resign as minister for civil society having been notified of a story to be published in a Sunday newspaper,” he said.

“I would like to appeal for the privacy of my family to be respected at this time. I remain a loyal supporter of this government as its long term economic plan continues to deliver for the British people.”

Downing Street said his resignation had been accepted and that Newmark had been replaced by Rob Wilson, a former aide to the chancellor, George Osborne.