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Author: Ummul Idris

  • Macron receives Biden as state guest in Paris

    Macron receives Biden as state guest in Paris
    Biden
    Paris, June 8, 2024 (dpa/NAN) French President Emmanuel Macron to receive his U.S. counterpart Joe Biden as a state guest in Paris on Saturday.
    Following an official welcoming ceremony, the two are scheduled to hold bilateral talks in Macron’s official residence, after which Biden and Macron are expected to appear before the press.
    A state banquet is scheduled for the evening.
    Unlike regular working visits, official state visits are accompanied by special pomp and protocol.
    The U.S. president is currently on a visit to France lasting several days.
    He arrived on Wednesday and took part in commemorations in Normandy on Thursday to mark the D-Day landing of Allied troops 80 years ago.
    The White House said in advance that the state visit reflected the close ties between the two countries.
    Biden and Macron plan to discuss a wide range of global challenges and bilateral issues.
    The French government said that they would discuss further support for Ukraine in its defence against Russia.
    This would also serve to prepare for next week’s G7 summit in the Italian city of Bari and the NATO summit in the U.S. capital Washington in July.
    Biden received Macron as a state guest in Washington in 2022.
    At the time, the French leader was the first foreign guest to be honoured in this way during Biden’s term of office.  (dpa/NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
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    Edited by Ummul Idris and Abiemwense Moru

  • China hopes U.S. makes concrete contribution toward Africa’s development  

    China hopes U.S. makes concrete contribution toward Africa’s development

    Development

    Beijing, June 7, 2024 (Xinhua/NAN) China hopes the United States will contribute real money to and do something concrete for the development and revitalisation of Africa, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said on Friday.

    Spokesperson Mao Ning, made the remarks at a regular press conference, when asked to comment on U.S. President Joe Biden’s negative comments on the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

    Mao said the people of the BRI participating countries have the best say on the initiative.

    China has signed in excess of 200 Belt and Road cooperation documents with more than 150 countries and over 30 international organisations since the initiative was put forward over a decade ago.

    She noted that Belt and Road cooperation had brought tangible benefits to the people of participating countries and had been widely welcomed by the international community.

    Africa is one of the regions actively participating in the Belt and Road cooperation, Mao said.

    “Thanks to the Belt and Road, many African countries have built their first highways, first sea bridges and first industrial parks.

    “Africa has seen the construction of its first disease control centre with complete facilities, covering the whole continent.

    “It is easy to criticise others in doing something, but the hard part is doing it better than others.

    “We hope the United States will contribute real money to and does something concrete for the development and revitalisation of Africa,” Mao said. (Xinhua/NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

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    Edited by Ummul Idris and Abiemwense Moru

  • German president pays respects to slain officer in Mannheim

    German president pays respects to slain officer  in Mannheim
    Officer
    Mannheim, Germany June 7, 2024 (dpa/NAN) German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier commemorated the death of police officer Rouven Laur at a ceremony in the western city of Mannheim on Friday.
    Laur died in an attack at Mannheim’s market square a week ago.
    Steinmeier, state premier Winfried Kretschmann and state interior minister Thomas Strobl all paused for a minute’s silence at 11:34 am (0934 GMT).
    Laur died on Sunday, days after he was injured as he sought to intervene when a man attacked several people during a rally by the anti-Islam movement Pax Europa in Mannheim.
    Steinmeier laid a floral tribute at the scene as many gathered on the square to mourn the death of the policeman, aged 29.
    The 25-year-old Afghan also injured five participants at the rally on May 31. (dpa/NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
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    Edited by Ummul Idris/Ekemini Ladejobi

  • Sri Lankan president stresses need to advance towards competitive agriculture

    Sri Lankan president stresses need to advance towards competitive agriculture

    Agriculture

    Colombo, June 7, 2024 (Xinhua/NAN) Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe, has stressed the need to advance towards competitive agriculture by 2030 through the adoption of modern technology, the President’s Media Division (PMD) said on Friday.

    According to the PMD, the president emphasised the importance of focusing on products that can succeed in the competitive export market by prioritising paddy production.

    Wickremesinghe highlighted that the future cannot be secured without focusing on competitive products.

    He added that it was advisable to discontinue products that could not compete in the export market.

    He made the remarks during the progress review meeting of the Agriculture Modernisation Programme, convened at the Presidential Secretariat, the PMD said. (Xinhua/NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

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    Edited by Ummul Idris and Abiemwense Moru

     

     

     

     

  • Somalia celebrates win at UN

    Somalia celebrates win at UN
    Council
    Mogadishu, June 7, 2024 (Xinhua/NAN) Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has welcomed the country’s election to the 15-member United Nations Security Council (UNSC) for a two-year term starting in 2025.
    The president made the welcome remarks in a statement issued in Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia.
    According to him, for Somalia to be among the five countries that received the winning votes for UNSC non-permanent would enable the country regain its global status.
    Mohamud said the historic vote shows how the world perceives development and governance taking place in the country.
    He said that Somalia, alongside Denmark, Greece, Pakistan, and Panama, would for the first time in 50 years, receive the winning votes for UNSC non-permanent seats.
    He said the countries would have influence in global affairs in terms of peace and conflicts.
    “The diplomatic success we have reached today translates to how the world is witnessing the efforts and development of Somalia, especially the recovery and rebuilding of our country,” he said.
    The election is an opportunity for Somalia to take part in the promotion of peace and security in the world, Mohamud said.
    Meanwhile, the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) has also congratulated Somalia on the country’s election as a non-permanent member of the UNSC.
    African Union Special Representative for Somalia and Head of ATMIS Mohamed El-Amine Souef said the election is a clear demonstration of the trust and confidence the UN member countries have in Somalia.
    “The achievement will embolden Somalia’s drive to secure the safety and prosperity of its people,” Souef said in a statement.
    He said Somalia’s historic election will also provide vital lessons for the quest for international peace and security in parts of the world experiencing conflict and instability.
    The five countries that were elected on Thursday will join existing non-permanent members Algeria, Guyana, the Republic of Korea, Sierra Leone and Slovenia. (Xinhua/NAN) (www.nannews.ng)
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    Edited by Ummul Idris/Ekemini Ladejobi

  • Biden apologises to Zelensky for months-long delay in military aid

    Biden apologises to Zelensky for months-long delay in military aid
    Apologise
    Paris, June 7, 2024 (dpa/NAN) U.S. President Joe Biden apologised to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for Washington’s long delay in approving a sweeping new military aid package for his country.
    Biden, during a meeting with Zelensky in Paris, said he wanted to “apologise” for the months-long hold-up in a 61 billion U.S.dollars aid package, which was finally passed by Congress in late April.
    The U.S. president blamed “some of our very conservative” members of Congress.
    “I’m not gonna walk away from you,” Biden told Zelensky during a brief exchange of remarks made in front of reporters.
    On Thursday, Biden and Zelensky took part in the commemoration of D-Day, the Allied landings in Normandy, France 80 years ago during World War II.
    Zelensky addressed the French parliament on Friday morning.
    Biden is due to give a speech on democracy and freedom in Normandy on Friday afternoon. (dpa/NAN) (www.nannews.ng)
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    Edited by Ummul Idris/Ekemini Ladejobi

  • Fiji, New Zealand to tackle drug problem in Pacific region

    Fiji, New Zealand to tackle drug problem in Pacific region

    Drug

    Suva, June 6, 2024 (Xinhua/NAN) Fijian Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka and his New Zealand counterpart Christopher Luxon have pledged to bolster efforts to combat the growing drug trafficking problem in the Pacific region.

    Both leaders expressed deep concern over the impact of drugs on the countries at a press conference on Thursday.

    Luxon highlighted that Fiji and New Zealand police forces have been working closely together on tackling drug problem, which is “a big challenge.”

    Luxon visited the Fiji Police Detector Dog Unit and urged continued investment in detector dogs to strengthen efforts against drug trafficking.

    He reiterated New Zealand’s commitment to assisting Fiji and the region in combating narcotics.

    Rabuka highlighted the recent significant drug bust in Fiji, emphasising the scale of the problem.

    Earlier this week, the Fijian cabinet endorsed the National Counter Narcotics Strategy 2023-2028.

    Key focus areas under the strategy include reducing demand for narcotics, reducing supply, reducing harm and legislative reform.

    Others are data collection, analysis, and information sharing, the establishment of a drug addiction treatment centre, partnership, coordination, and international cooperation.  (Xinhua/NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

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    Edited by Ummul Idris and Abiemwense Moru

     

     

     

     

  • UN inaugurates project to help Somalia improve food security

    UN inaugurates project to help Somalia improve food security

     

    Project

     

    Mogadishu, June 6, 2024 (Xinhua/NAN) The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and its partners have inaugurated an initiative, the Jowhar Offstream Storage Programme (JOSP), in Somalia to improve food security and climate resilience.

     

    The JOSP aimed to build resilience against climate shocks in communities along the Shabelle River by enhancing access to water, reducing drought and flood risk and boosting agricultural production.

     

    “The programme is expected to enhance access to water for 368,887 people across five districts, reduce flood risk for 1.5 million people, and mitigate drought impact for 1.65 million people,” FAO said.

     

    According to FAO, increased local food production is expected to generate more than 50 million U.S. dollars per season in production value and income.

     

    “It will also lead to savings of up to 36 million dollars per year in humanitarian assistance costs as the food security situation improves.”

     

    The programme is a collaborative effort between the government of Somalia, FAO, and its UN partners, the International Organisation for Migration.

     

    Others partners are the UN Settlement Programme, the UN Industrial Development Organisation and the UN Environment Programme.

     

    Deputy Prime Minister of Somalia Salah Ahmed Jama, called the JOSP initiative a testament to the power of collaboration in averting humanitarian needs and driving the country toward a better future.

     

    Jama said community ownership and integration were essential, noting that the community must understand that the programme belonged to them and that a sense of ownership was crucial for its success.

     

    “We need to change the perception that the canal is a government project so people recognise it as their own.

     

    “This programme should pave the way for new initiatives and demonstrate to donors the great potential of investing in Somalia,” he added.

     

    Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation, Mohamed Abdi Hayir, said JOSP would significantly impact the regions by reducing upstream flooding and supplying water to downstream communities. (Xinhua/NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

     

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    Edited by Ummul Idris and Abiemwense Moru

     

     

     

     

  • Spain to join South Africa’s genocide case against Israel at ICJ

    Spain to join South Africa’s genocide case against Israel at ICJ

    Genocide

    Madrid, June 6, 2024 (Xinhua/NAN) Spain announced that it will join South Africa’s genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) over the ongoing Israeli aggression in the besieged Palestinian Gaza Strip.

    Spain made this decision so that “peace returns to Gaza and the Middle East,” Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares explained in a press conference on Thursday.

    “A large-scale war that does not distinguish between civil and military objectives” is taking place and the risk of escalation is increasing,” he said.

    South Africa submitted the case in late December 2023, accusing Israel of committing acts of genocide in the Gaza Strip in violation of the 1948 Genocide Convention.

    On Jan. 26, the ICJ ordered Israel to take all measures within its power to prevent genocide, to ensure that its military does not commit genocide.

    It further called on Israel to halt incitement against Palestinians as a group and to take immediate measures to ensure humanitarian aid.

    On May 24, the ICJ ordered Israel to stop its military offensive in Rafah in southern Gaza with immediate effect.

    “The ICJ precautionary measures are very far from being fulfilled,” Albares remarked.

    “Spain does not rule on the crime itself, that is the Court’s job,” he said.

    We intervene in the lawsuit, supporting the court in the interpretation of the precautionary measures and helping to apply them.

    Albares added that Spain will present a report to the court to justify its participation in the case.  (Xinhua/NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

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    Edited by Ummul Idris/Halima Sheji

     

     

     

  • Ukraine damages Russian oil refinery in Rostov with drone attack

    Ukraine damages Russian oil refinery in Rostov with drone attack
    Attack
    Moscow, June 6, 2024 (dpa/NAN) A Ukrainian drone attack has damaged a refinery in southern Russia, the governor of the Russian region of Rostov, Vasily Golubiev, said on Thursday.
    He said no one was injured, although the attack on the plant in the city of Novoshakhtinsk caused a fire that spread over 50 square metres.
    However, the fire looked larger in videos that were shared in social networks during the night.
    Russian Telegram channels reported that local residents had noticed the use of air defence and heard explosions.
    The Novoshakhtinsk refinery, located close to the Ukrainian border, was previously under aerial attack in April.
    Ukraine has been attacking Russian fuel production sites for several months, in an attempt to interrupt Moscow’s supplies by using drones capable of travelling longer distances, carrying small explosive charges.
    Russia said Ukraine also attacked a fuel depot in the Belgorod region during the night.
    Meanwhile, Ukraine’s military also reported Russian attacks during the night using 18 combat drones and two Iskander missiles.
    Kiev said 17 drones had been shot down.
    Russia aimed the two Iskander-M ballistic missiles at the southern Ukrainian region of Dnipropetrovsk, Kiev said, without providing any information about damage caused.
    Ukraine has been fending off a full-scale Russian invasion for more than 27 months.
    Russia occupies almost a fifth of Ukraine’s territory, including the Black Sea peninsula of Crimea, which it illegally annexed in 2014. (dpa/NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
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    Edited by Ummul Idris/Tayo Ikujuni