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Author: Cecilia Odey

  • Women who value equality with men may qualify as refugees

    Women who value equality with men may qualify as refugees

    Equality

    Brussels, June 11, 2024 (dpa/NAN) Female asylum seekers who believe in equality between the sexes may qualify as refugees if that becomes a “motive for persecution” in their home country, the European Union’s top court ruled on Tuesday.

    Nevertheless, the case concerned two teenage Iraqi girls whose initial applications for asylum in the Netherlands were rejected.

    They then applied again, arguing that they had adopted Western customs during their long stay in the country.

    Their applications were rejected again, so they went to court.

    The EU Court of Justice ruled Tuesday that women and girls who “identify with the fundamental value of equality between women and men’’.

    This may qualify them for refugee status if the conditions in their home country make that a motive for persecution.

    The court also said a long stay in a member state, especially when it coincided with a period during which an applicant minor has forged his or her identity.

    This has to be mindful when determining whether they’re at risk of persecution for adopting Western values.

    The judges added that where an asylum-seeker is a minor, EU countries have to “determine concretely the best interests for that minor as part of an individual assessment.’’

    As the Court of Justice is the EU’s highest court, the judgment is final and cannot be appealed. (dpa/NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

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    (Edited by Cecilia Odey/Emmanuel Yashim)

  • Israeli forces kill 4 Hamas militants in West Bank

    Israeli forces kill 4 Hamas militants in West Bank

    Militants

    Ramallah/Tel Aviv, June 11, 2024 (dpa/NAN) Four members of the armed wing of the Islamist Palestinian organisation Hamas have been killed in an Israeli military operation in the West Bank.

    The army said on Tuesday that Israeli security forces had entered a town near Ramallah on Monday evening, to arrest a suspect following an attempted attack.

    When the troops approached the building in which the suspect and three other Hamas members were hiding, they tried to flee in a vehicle.

    They then tried to drive towards the soldiers, according to the Israeli account.

    The soldiers then opened fire on them.

    A rifle and explosive devices were found in the vehicle.

    Hamas media reported that the four people killed were members of al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas’ military wing.

    The situation in the occupied West Bank has worsened significantly since the war between Israel and the Islamist Hamas in the Gaza Strip began on Oct. 7.

    According to the local Health Ministry, 516 Palestinians in the West Bank have been killed in Israeli attacks.

    This included clashes on their own attacks since then.(dpa/NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

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    Edited by Cecilia Odey and Abiemwense Moru

     

  • Former German environment minister Klaus Töpfer dies at 85

    Former German environment minister Klaus Töpfer dies at 85

    Death

    Berlin, June 11, 2024 (dpa/NAN) A former German environment minister and longtime politician with the centre-right Christian Democrats (CDU), Klaus Töpfer has died at age 85.

    Töpfer, lead the Environment Ministry from 1987 to 1994, died on Saturday after a short but serious illness, A CDU spokeswoman confirmed his death on Tuesday.

    He was credited with leaving a lasting mark on the German environmental party, and was viewed as the “green conscience” of the Christian Democrats for decades.

    He remained outspoken in his advocacy for sustainable policies into old age.

    He took over the ministry less than two years after it was created in the wake of the April 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster in the Soviet Union.

    The disaster had sent radioactive fallout into the air over Europe.

    Then-chancellor Helmut Kohl responded by combining environmental issues and nuclear reactor safety programmes into a single ministry.

    As early as 1988, Töpfer was advocating for a future without nuclear energy as well as fewer fossil fuels.

    He was replaced as environment minister in 1994 by Angela Merkel, then a rising star in the CDU who went on to lead the country from 2005 to 2021.

    Töpfer was born in Silesia, in what is now Poland, in 1938, He moved with his family to the town of Höxter in western Germany after World War II.

    After stepping down from the Cabinet, Töpfer went on to work with the United Nations in several capacities between 1996 and 2006.

    At the end of his life, Töpfer again lived in Höxter along with his wife. (dpa/NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

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    (Edited by Cecilia Odey/Emmanuel Yashim)

  • Hezbollah fires dozens of rockets into northern Israel

    Hezbollah fires dozens of rockets into northern Israel

    Rocket

    Beirut/Tel Aviv, June 11, 2024 (dpa/NAN) The pro-Iranian Hezbollah movement has fired dozens of Katyusha rockets at targets in northern Israel.

    The Israeli military confirmed on Tuesday that it had recorded about 50 missiles fired from Lebanon and there were no injuries from the impacts.

    In a statement on Tuesday, Hezbollah said that “in response to an Israeli overnight attack in Hermal, eastern Lebanon, fighters bombed the headquarters of the Artillery Regiment.

    They also bombed the Armored Brigade of the 210th Golan Division in the Yardun Barracks with dozens of Katyusha rockets.”

    The Israeli attack in an area at the border with Syria caused five deaths, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported.

    A Lebanese security source said two Hezbollah commanders were among those killed.

    Since the war in the Gaza Strip began eight months ago, there have been daily military confrontations between the Israeli army, the Hezbollah militia, and other groups in the border area between Israel and Lebanon.

    There have been reports of deaths on both sides.

    The mutual shelling had caused severe destruction in towns on both sides of the border.

    Around 150,000 people have been evacuated or left the combat zone.

    Recently, the situation has escalated even further and there are fears of a larger military confrontation in the region if the Israel-Hamas conflict continues. (dpa/NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

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    (Edited by Cecilia Odey/Emmanuel Yashim)

  • U.S. push for Gaza ceasefire, peace deal in Israel visit

    U.S. push for Gaza ceasefire, peace deal in Israel visit

    Ceasefire

    Tel Aviv, June 11, 2024 (dpa/NAN) U.S. Secretary of State, Antony Blinken met the Israeli President, Isaac Herzog on Tuesday to negotiate a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.

    The negotiation was part of the efforts by the U.S. Qatar and Egypt on Gaza, the meeting was delayed for months.

    Antony Blinken’s trip to the Middle East aimed to garner support for the latest proposal for a ceasefire in three phases.

    The UN Security Council clarified the multi-stage plan presented by U.S. President Joe Biden on Monday in New York.

    According to the U.S. only the Palestinian Islamist Hamas movement had not agreed to the plan.

    However, the government of Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu has not given its clear and public approval to the plan either.

    Antony Blinken arrived in Egypt on Monday for the first leg of the tour and later held a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem.

    According to a statement by the U.S. State Department, Blinken told Netanyahu that “the United States and other world leaders will stand behind the comprehensive proposal outlined by President Biden”.

    Blinken in the statement also “updated the prime minister on ongoing diplomatic efforts to plan for the post-conflict period”.

    He also met opposition leader Yair Lapid on Tuesday and is due to hold talks with Israeli lawmaker Benny Gantz.

    Benny Gantz had just quit the Israeli emergency government formed following the Oct. 7 attacks.

    Antony Blinken’s Middle East tour is expected to last until Wednesday and also includes a stop in Qatar. (dpa/NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

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    (Edited by Cecilia Odey/Emmanuel Yashim)

  • ASEAN seeks to enhance disaster response

    ASEAN seeks to enhance disaster response

    Response

    Vientiane, June 10, 2024 (Xinhua/NAN) The One ASEAN One Response (OAOR) Road show was launched on Monday and it was focused on enhancing disaster response mechanisms.

    The response mechanisms are for both Laos and the broader Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) community.

    The event brought together key stakeholders to discuss regional cooperation and ASEAN regional disaster management mechanisms, Lao News Agency reported on Monday.

    The primary objective of the OAOR road show is to introduce and reinforce ASEAN regional disaster management mechanisms, demonstrating their connection within national and international frameworks.

    By fostering interoperability and cooperation, these mechanisms aimed to improve speed, scale, and solidarity of disaster response across ASEAN nations, said the report. (Xinhua/NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

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    Edited by Cecilia Odey

     

  • UK’s PM denies resignation reports, says he’s ‘energised’ by campaign

    UK’s PM denies resignation reports, says he’s ‘energised’ by campaign

    Rumours

    London, June 10, 2024 (dpa/NAN) British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said he had not considered quitting ahead of the election amid the continued fallout over his early departure from D-Day commemorations.

    Sunak vowed to carry on “until the last day of this campaign” as he sought to dampen reports that he might resign ahead of polling day on July 4.

    Criticism of his early exit from the 80th anniversary of the Normandy landings dogged the British prime minister over the weekend when he kept a low profile and avoided questions from reporters.

    He was out campaigning on Monday, where he said that he would not stop “fighting for the future of our country.”

    Asked whether resigning had crossed his mind, Sunak told broadcasters during a visit to the Dog and Bacon pub in Horsham: “No, of course not.

    “I’m energised about the vision that we’re putting forward for the country.

    “This campaign is not even halfway through yet, and I’m finding an enormous amount of support for the policies that we’re putting on the table.”

    On the rumours, he also told reporters on the campaign trail: “People are gonna say what they’re gonna say.”

    “There are lots of people who want to write me off, write this off, say this campaign or the election is a foregone conclusion.”

    Sunak added: “The reality is I’m not going to stop going, I’m not going to stop fighting for people’s votes, I’m not going to stop fighting for the future of our country.”

    The prime minister also struck a renewed conciliatory tone over his D-Day departure, telling reporters he “absolutely didn’t mean to cause anyone any hurt or upset.”

    “I just hope people can find it in their hearts to forgive me and look at my actions that I have taken as a prime minister, both to support our armed forces with an increase in defence spending.

    “I also have a minister focused on veterans affairs around the Cabinet table, making sure this is the best country in the world to be a veteran,” he added.

    Chris Philp, a Home Office minister and Sunak ally, earlier conceded that he was surprised and disappointed by the prime minister’s early D-Day exit.

    But he said the prime minister would be back bouncing around the campaign trail this week and would be talking to journalists whenever they want to ask him some questions.

    It came as the Liberal Democrats launch their full election manifesto, with an offer of a 9.4 billion Pounds (11.9 billion dollars) package for the UK’s National Health Service (NHS) and social care in England. (dpa/NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

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    (Edited by Cecilia Odey/Emmanuel Yashim)

  • Australian govt. to use TikTok in anti-smoking, vaping campaign

    Australian govt. to use TikTok in anti-smoking, vaping campaign

    Campaign

    Canberra, June 10, 2024 (Xinhua/NAN) The Australian government on Monday started a new campaign encouraging people to quit smoking and vaping.

    Mark Butler, the minister for health, announced a 63.4 million Australian dollars (41.7 million U.S. dollars) advertising campaign to raise awareness about the health harms of smoking and vaping.

    The campaign marked the first time that the Federal Government has advertised to the public about the risks and harms of vaping and its first national anti-smoking advertising campaign for almost 10 years.

    The campaign would run across television, radio and social media.

    For the first time, TikTok would be used in a Federal Government advertising campaign.

    “Nicotine is highly addictive and before you know it, what starts as an occasional thing becomes something much more serious.

    “But it’s never too late to quit,’’ Butler said in a statement.

    According to NGO the Cancer Council, tobacco smoking is the leading cause of preventable death and disease in Australia, accounting for 24,000 deaths every year.

    The government’s National Drug Strategy Household Survey for 2022-23, which was released in February, found that 21 per cent of Australians aged 18-24 and 9.7 per cent of those aged 14-17.

    These categories used an e-cigarette in the previous 12 months, up from 5.3 and 1.8 per cent in 2019, respectively.

    Butler in March introduced legislation to parliament that would outlaw the domestic manufacturing, advertisement, supply and commercial possession of non-therapeutic and disposable single-use vapes in Australia.

    The government in January banned the import of disposable, single-use vapes. (Xinhua/NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

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    Edited by Cecilia Odey and Abiemwense Moru

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  • Ukrainian reconstruction chief resigns ahead of Berlin conference

    Resignation

    Kiev, June 10, 2024 (dpa/NAN) The head of the Ukrainian agency for reconstruction, Mustafa Nayyem, handed his resignation shortly before the start of the next round of talks on rebuilding Ukraine began in Berlin.

    “Since November 2023, the agency’s team has been confronted with constant resistance and the creation of artificial obstacles,” Nayyem wrote on Facebook on Monday.

    Nayyem in his post lamented the underfunding of his agency and excessive bureaucracy, which delayed reconstruction measures.

    Further work became impossible since the dismissal of Infrastructure Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov at the beginning of May.

    Nayyem’s resignation was prompted by Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal’s refusal to authorise a business trip to the reconstruction conference in Berlin.

    The third international conference to date was planned for Tuesday and Wednesday.

    According to a media report, a large part of Nayyem’s team is also quitting, which calls the agency’s future work into question.

    Nayyem, a former journalist, has headed the State Agency for Restoration and Infrastructure Development since January 2023.

    He first became internationally known for his prominent role in starting the 2013 pro-Western protests in Ukraine.

    The war in Ukraine was estimated to have caused damage to several hundred billion dollars since Russia started it more than two years ago. (dpa/NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

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    Edited by Cecilia Odey and Halima Sheji

     

  • Zelensky refutes Russian claims of village capture in Sumy region

    Zelensky refutes Russian claims of village capture in Sumy region

    Claim

    Kiev, June 10, 2024 (dpa/NAN) Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has dismissed Russian statements regarding the capture of a village in Ukraine’s north-eastern Sumy region.

    “As of this morning, the Russian flag in the village (of Ryzhivka) has been destroyed, and there are no occupiers present,’’ Zelensky wrote on Telegram on Monday.

    He added that the alleged conquest of the village was a Russian propaganda campaign.

    On Sunday evening, the head of Russia’s semi-autonomous republic of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, stated that a special unit had seized the border village of Ryzhivka.

    Ryzhivka is in the Sumy region and inflicted significant losses on Ukrainian forces.

    However, military observers quickly cast doubt on the claim, although for weeks there has been mounting speculation about Russian troops opening another front in Sumy.

    Ukraine has been fending off an all-out Russian invasion for more than two years. (dpa/NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

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    Edited by Cecilia Odey and Abiemwense Moru