Author: Sheji Halima

Tehran mayor withdraws from Iran’s presidential race

Withdrawal

Tehran, June 27, 2024 (Xinhua/NAN) Iranian presidential candidate Alireza Zakani on Thursday pulled out of the country’s presidential race, becoming the second nominee to announce his withdrawal ahead of the election scheduled for Friday.

Zakani, 58, the incumbent mayor of the Iranian capital Tehran, announced his pullout on social media X, and asked fellow principlists candidates, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf and Saeed Jalili, to unite in order to prevent the ascent of a reform-leaning candidate.

“We must consolidate our efforts to address the rightful aspirations of revolutionary factions, thereby preventing the formation of another Rouhani administration.”

The announcement came one day after another principlist candidate Amir-Hossein Ghazizadeh Hashemi, 53, pulled out from the race. Hashemi is current serving as the vice president.

Hashemi said his decision aims to “preserve the unity of the forces of the revolution,” and strengthen the principlist front.

Two other presidential candidates are Masoud Pezeshkian and Mostafa Pourmohammadi.

Pezeshkian, 70, was Iran’s health minister during 2001-2005 and Pourmohammadi, 64, used to serve as Iran’s interior minister and justice minister.

Iran’s 14th presidential election, initially set for 2025, was rescheduled following Raisi’s unexpected death in a helicopter crash in the country’s mountainous northwestern region on May 19. (Xinhua/NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

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Edited by Halima Sheji

Treatment

Al-Arish, Egypt, June 27, 2024 (dpa/NAN) Some 21 children suffering from cancer have been transferred from Gaza to Egypt, the first time Palestinian patients have left the territory in nearly two months.

An Egyptian Red Crescent official in North Sinai said on Thursday.

The patients were transferred through the Kerem Shalom crossing under the supervision of the World Health Organisation.

The official said that the child will be admitted into an Egyptian hospital for treatment.

On May 7, Israel took control of the Gaza side of the Rafah crossing with Egypt, in an operation that halted the movement of people and aid deliveries.

Since then, Egypt has repeatedly said it will not coordinate aid transports through Rafah until the Israeli forces withdraw.

In late May, Cairo resumed aid delivery through the Israeli-controlled Kerem Shalom crossing, following an agreement between Egypt and the United States. (dpa/NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

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Edited by Halima Sheji

Deaths

Berlin, June 26, 2024 (Xinhua/NAN) Germany has seen an increase in drug-related crime in 2023, with figures for trafficking, consumption, and deaths all rising.

This is according to a report published by the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) on Wednesday.

The report says that a total of almost 347,000 drug-related offences were recorded, 1.8 per cent more than in the previous year.

While it says that consumption rose by 1 per cent and trafficking by as much as 6 per cent.

Trafficking of hard and soft drugs via social media is on the rise, with increasing availability for young people, according to BKA.

However, the number of drug-related deaths in Germany has risen continuously in recent years and had reached 2,227 in 2023.

“An effective fight against internationally organised drug-related crime requires a holistic approach,” said BKA vice president Martina Link in a statement, adding that state institutions, law enforcement authorities, and the private sector must pull together.”

Cannabis, which was recently partially legalised in Germany, remained the drug with the most offences in 2023, accounting for two-thirds of all cases.

A total of around 24.6 tones of the drugs marijuana and hashish which are produced from the plant were seized.

Europe’s North Sea ports “have become the most important gateways for the import of narcotics,” Link said.

“Increasing escalation of violence, particularly in the Netherlands and Belgium, shows us the many dangers this poses to the state and society,” she warned.

To curb the import of drugs by sea, the European Union had established a port alliance at the beginning of the year.

“We want to achieve tougher and internationally coordinated action against trafficking in cocaine and other drugs,” said German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser in January. (Xinhua/NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

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Edited by Halima Sheji

Narcotics

Yangon, June 26, 2024 (Xinhua/NAN) Myanmar authorities on Wednesday burnt seized narcotics in Yangon, Mandalay, Taunggyi and over 20 townships to mark the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking.

The Information Team of the State Administration Council reported.

The report said that a total of 77 kinds of narcotics and chemicals were burnt on the occasion.

It said the burnt narcotics included 1,366 kg of opium, 2,178 kg of heroin, 239 million stimulant tablets, 23,393 kg of ICE, 1,775 kg of kratom powder.

Others include 1,257 kg of cannabis, 4,165 kg of ketamine and 12 kg of brown opium powder.

Chairman of the State Administration Council, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing in his World Drug Day message,said Myanmar is facing challenges related to opium poppy cultivation, synthetic drug production and drug abuse.

He said that to address the narcotics issues, the Central Committee for Drug Abuse Control has been established, and its tasks are carried out as a national duty.

He added that Myanmar has been actively engaged in fighting against drug activities in collaboration with neighboring countries. (Xinhua/NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

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Edited by Halima Sheji

Grant

Nairobi, June 25, 2024 (Xinhua/NAN) Kenya has announced that it has signed six grants totaling 59.7 billion shillings (about 462 million U.S. dollars) to support programmes targeting HIV, tuberculosis and malaria.

In a statement issued in Nairobi, the Kenyan capital, the Ministry of Health said that the three-year grants from the Global Fund, an international financing and partnership organisation, will also be used to strengthen health and community systems from July 2024 to June 2027.

“The total amount for each component includes 232.5 million dollars for HIV, 72.9 million dollars for malaria, 67.7 million dollars for tuberculosis, and 34.6 million dollars for health systems strengthening,” the ministry said.

The Global Fund is a worldwide movement to defeat HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria.

In Kenya, the fund has supported the provision of HIV test kits and antiretroviral drugs to about 1.4 million people.

According to the Ministry of Health, this has led to a significant decline in new HIV infections by 78 per cent, HIV-related deaths by 68 per cent and mother-to-child transmissions by 65 per cent.

“Regarding the tuberculosis program, we have recorded a treatment success rate of 86 per cent.

The ministry had reported that the positivity rate among tuberculosis cases declined from 7.35 per cent in 2021 to 5.6 per cent in 2024.

The ministry added that the malaria programme contributed to an overall reduction in the disease burden, with the national prevalence level declining from 8.2 per cent in 2025 to 6 per cent in 2023.

It aims to reduce malaria incidence and deaths by at least 75 per cent by 2027.

The new grants will enhance the provision of quality care and prevention services for people with tuberculosis, leprosy, and lung diseases.

It has also contributed to achieving Universal Health Coverage through comprehensive HIV prevention, treatment and care.

According to the Global Fund, it invested more than 5 billion dollars annually to fight HIV, tuberculosis and malaria, ensuring a healthier, safer and more equitable future for all. (Xinhua/NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

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Edited by Halima Sheji

Kremlin denounces latest EU sanctions as illegal

Sanctions

Moscow, June 25, 2024 (Xinhua/NAN) Russia has firmly opposes the package of sanctions adopted recently by the European Union (EU) and considers them illegal, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday.

“We are convinced that this is a double-edged sword and that in many ways these restrictions backfire on the interests of those countries that implement them,” Peskov said.

He added that Moscow has enough experience in mitigating the impact of such restrictions.

The Council of the European Union earlier on Monday announced that it has adopted the 14th package of economic and individual restrictive measures against Russia.

According to a statement released by the council, these measures targeted high-value sectors of the Russian economy, including energy, finance and trade, making it more difficult to circumvent EU sanctions. (Xinhua/NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

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Edited by Halima Sheji

Pilgrimage

Riyadh, June 25, 2024 (Xinhua/NAN) Saudi Arabia has accused tourism companies from other countries of misleading visit visa holders into participating in the Hajj pilgrimage.

The Security Spokesperson of the Saudi Interior Ministry, Talal Shalhoub, said that those companies issued visas not intended for Hajj, and encouraged them to violate regulations by staying in Mecca two months before the Hajj season, according to the Saudi Press Agency.

The spokesperson emphasised that a Hajj permit is not merely a transit card but a crucial tool that facilitates access to pilgrims and identifies their locations to provide necessary care and services.

The spokesperson underscored that individuals without a Hajj permit face challenges in accessing essential services and healthcare during the pilgrimage.

According to Shalhoub, 83 per cent of the total mortalities during the Hajj season this year, amounting to 1,079 out of 1,301, were those without Hajj permits.(Xinhua/NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

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Edited by Halima Sheji

UNHCR: 1.5% of the world’s population displaced

Population

Geneva, June 13, 2024(dpa/NAN) Report from the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) released on Thursday, says that more people than ever before were forcibly displaced worldwide in May due to war, conflict, violence, and persecution.

The UNHCR said that in May, 120 million people were displaced globally, almost 10 per cent more than the previous year, and some 1.5 per cent of the world’s population,.

According to the agency, more than two-thirds of the refugees have been internally displaced.

Two-thirds of those who had fled abroad remain in neighboring countries, under often difficult conditions, in the hope of quickly returning to their home countries.

In 2023, the United States and Germany were the top destinations for those seeking long-term protection, with Germany receiving the second highest number of asylum applications after the US.(dpa/NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

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Edited by Halima Sheji

Crash

Lilongwe, June 11, 2024 (Xinhua/NAN) Vice President of Malawi Saulos Chilima and nine other individuals on board a military aircraft have been confirmed dead, President Lazarus Chakwera said Tuesday.

“I am deeply saddened and sorry to inform you all that it has turned out to be a terrible tragedy.

The search and rescue team found the aircraft near a hill in the Chikangawa Forest. They found it completely destroyed, with no survivors, as all passengers on board were killed on impact,” Chakwera said in a televised address.

Chilima was “a good man, a devoted father and husband, a patriotic citizen who served his country with distinction,” he added.

The vice president was traveling  to the  funeral of the country’s former Attorney General and Minister of Justice Ralph Kasambara, who was found dead at a lodge in Lilongwe, the capital of Malawi, on Friday.

His body was buried on Monday at his home village in Nkhata Bay, a few kilometers from Mzuzu Airport.

The aircraft, a Donier 228 belonging to the Malawi Defence Force, failed to make its scheduled landing at Mzuzu Airport at 10:02 a.m. (0802 GMT) Monday in northern Malawi, according to the country’s Secretary to the President and Cabinet Colleen Zamba.

The aircraft returned due to bad weather, heading to Kamuzu International Airport in Lilongwe before it went off the radar.

A search and rescue operation was launched by security agencies in the afternoon around the Chikangawa Forest where it was believed to have been lost.(Xinhua/NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

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Edited by Halima Sheji

Compensation

Bangkok, June 11, 2024 (dpa/NAN) Singapore Airlines has offered compensation to passengers who suffered injuries during a flight that hit major turbulence last month.

A 73-year-old man died of a suspected heart attack and more than 50 others were injured in severe turbulence during a Singapore Airlines flight from London to Singapore on May 20.

The Boeing 777-300ER plane carrying 211 passengers and 18 crew members plummeted almost 1,800 metres over the west coast of Myanmar and had to be diverted to Bangkok for an emergency landing.

“Singapore Airlines (SIA) deeply apologised to all passengers for the traumatic experience on board flight SQ321 on 20 May 2024,” the airline said in a statement published on Facebook on Tuesday.

The airline confirmed that compensation would be offered to passengers.

“For passengers who sustained minor injuries from the incident, we have offered 10,000 dollars in compensation,” the carrier wrote.

“For those who sustained more serious injuries from the incident, we have invited them to discuss a compensation offer to meet each of their specific circumstances when they feel well and ready to do so.”

The airline will offer an advance payment of 25,000 dollars to passengers who have been medically assessed and determined to have sustained serious injuries requiring long-term medical care and are requesting financial assistance to address their immediate needs.

Additionally, the airline said it offered a full refund of the air fare to all passenger who were on flight SQ321, including those who did not suffer injuries and that all passengers were provided 1,000 dollars to cover their immediate expenses in Bangkok.

“All passengers will also receive delay compensation in accordance with the relevant European Union or United Kingdom regulations.”

The airline said it has also covered the medical expenses of injured passengers and arranged for their family members and loved ones to fly to Bangkok upon request.(dpa/NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

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Edited by Halima Sheji