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Author: Ummul Idris

  • Floods in Germany’s Bavaria disrupt European Parliament elections

    Floods in Germany’s Bavaria disrupt European Parliament elections

    Floods

    Nuremberg, Germany, June 6, 2024 (dpa/NAN) The recent floods in Germany’s state of Bavaria has affected voters for the European Parliament elections, with a number of polling stations forced to relocate and reports of lost voting documents.

    Bavaria’s state election officer, Thomas Gössl, on Thursday said that town halls were not yet usable in some affected regions, which is why provisional municipal administrations have been set up.

    However, conversations with the election officers in these areas have shown that the election can be conducted properly, he said.

    According to Gössl, voters who had lost their voting documents due to the floods or have not received them should contact their local authority promptly to request and collect new documents.

    Gössl said new voting cards can still be issued in Bavaria until 12 pm (1000 GMT) on Saturday. (dpa/NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

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    Edited by Ummul Idris/Halima Sheji

     

     

     

  • Germany’s Scholz supports deporting criminals from Syria, Afghanistan

    Germany’s Scholz supports deporting criminals from Syria, Afghanistan
    Criminals
    Berlin June 6, 2024 (dpa/NAN) German Chancellor Olaf Scholz wants to allow the deportation of serious criminals to Afghanistan and Syria again.
    “Such criminals should be deported even if they come from Syria and Afghanistan,” he said this on Thursday.
    “Serious criminals and terrorist threats have no place here.”he added.
    The chancellor did not explain exactly how he intends to make this possible.
    According to him,the Interior Ministry is working on the practical implementation and was already in talks with Afghanistan’s neighbouring countries.
    His comments come after a recent stabbing attack in the south-western city of Mannheim.
    At a rally organised by the anti-Islam movement Pax Europa, an Afghan injured several people, including a police officer who later died.
    The attack triggered a debate about easing the current ban on deportations to Afghanistan.
    Scholz also said that the glorification and celebration of terrorist offences would no longer be tolerated.
    “That is why we will tighten our deportation regulations so that a serious interest in deportation arises from the creation of terrorist offences,” Scholz said.
    “Anyone who glorifies terrorism is against all our values and should be deported.”  (dpa/NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
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    Edited by Ummul Idris/Buhari Bolaji

  • EU Fundamental Rights Agency says European democracy is under threat

    EU Fundamental Rights Agency says European democracy is under threat

     

    Democracy

     

    Vienna, June 5, 2024 (dpa/NAN) The EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) believes that democracy and human rights in Europe are at risk, its boss said on Wednesday.

     

    “Polarisation across Europe is leading to widespread intolerance and dividing societies, causing many groups to suffer,” FRA Director Sirpa Rautio said in Vienna.

     

    In its annual report, the agency warned that civil society organisations were coming under increasing pressure.

     

    In a survey of more than 200 organisations, more than 60 per cent reported threats on the internet and 40 per cent reported personal threats or attacks against employees.

     

    Around a quarter of the organisations surveyed had been confronted with attacks by hackers.

     

    The FRA experts criticised the fact that the democratic scope is also becoming ever smaller because state authorities are excessively interfering with freedom of assembly and the right to express opinions.

     

    They pointed to restrictive rules and planned legislative changes in Spain, Hungary, France, the Netherlands and Italy.

     

    The report mentioned Germany in connection with surveillance measures, house searches and preventive detention of climate activists.

     

    The Fundamental Rights Agency also expressed concern about economic inequality in Europe.

     

    Around a fifth of the population in the EU is at risk of poverty, according to surveys.

     

    The surveys also showed a large number of people are dissatisfied with how governments and EU institutions have reacted to the sharp rise in prices.

     

    The FRA is also alarmed about the rise in anti-Semitism in connection with the terrorist attacks by Palestinian Islamist group Hamas and Israel’s military response in the Gaza Strip.

     

    The increasing intolerance throughout Europe also affects Muslims, people with roots in Africa, migrants and the Roma minority, it said. (dpa/NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

     

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    Edited by Ummul Idris and Abiemwense Moru

     

     

     

  • Indian PM Modi resigns, stays in office awaiting new govt.

    Indian PM Modi resigns, stays in office awaiting new govt.
    Resign
    New Delhi, June 5, 2024 (Xinhua/NAN) Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday tendered his resignation to the country’s President Droupadi Murmu, after his cabinet recommended the dissolution of the lower house of parliament Lok Sabha.
    Murmu accepted the resignation of Modi and the council of ministers, requesting Modi to act as the prime minister till the new government is formed, an official of the President’s House said.
    Modi’s resignation was a part of the protocol followed before the formation of the next government in the country.
    The Election Commission of India released the official data on its website early Wednesday, suggesting that the ruling National Democratic Alliance, led by Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party, is to form the next government. (Xinhua/NAN) (www.nannews.ng)
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    (Edited by Ummul Idris/Emmanuel Yashim)

  • Hamas insists on permanent ceasefire, withdrawal for deal to end war

    Hamas insists on permanent ceasefire, withdrawal for deal to end war
    War
    Beirut, June 5, 2024 (dpa/NAN) Palestinian Islamists Hamas say they are sticking to their demands and will only agree to a deal to end the Gaza war if it includes a permanent ceasefire.
    In addition, the Israeli military would have to withdraw completely from the Gaza Strip, a representative of the Islamist organisation emphasised at a press conference in the Lebanese capital Beirut.
    If the Israeli side does not agree to these points, no agreement could be reached.
    Hamas is waiting for the Israelis’ response.
    Hamas representatives have made similar demands several times in the past.
    Earlier on Friday, U.S. President Joe Biden unexpectedly presented details of a draft agreement to end the war in three phases, starting with a complete and unrestricted ceasefire of six weeks.
    During this period, a certain group of hostages would be released.
    In return, Palestinians imprisoned in Israel would be released too.
    In the next phase, the fighting would then stop permanently and the remaining hostages would be released.
    In a final phase, according to the draft, the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip should begin.
    Egypt’s intelligence chief Abbas Kamel traveled to Qatar on Wednesday for mediation talks.
    He is expected to meet with Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani and the head of the U.S. foreign intelligence service CIA, William Burns, according to Egyptian local media.
    For months, Qatar, the U.S. and Egypt have been indirectly mediating between Israel and Hamas in order to achieve a ceasefire and an exchange of hostages for Palestinian prisoners.  (dpa/NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
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    Edited by Ummul Idris/Tayo Ikujuni

  • U.S. President Biden in France for state visit

    U.S. President Biden in France for state visit
    Visit
    Paris, June 5, 2024 (dpa/NAN) U.S. President Joe Biden landed in France on Wednesday for a visit to meet European leaders and mark the D-Day landings.
    French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal received Biden at Paris Orly Airport on Wednesday morning.
    Biden is set to attend ceremonies in Normandy on Thursday to mark the Allied landings in Normandy 80 years ago during World War II.
    The arrival of the troops marked the start of the successful campaign to liberate Europe from Nazi Germany.
    On Friday, Biden is scheduled to give a speech in Normandy in defence of freedom and democracy.
    On Saturday, Biden is to be welcomed by French President Emmanuel Macron as a state guest at the Élysée Palace in Paris.
    During his visit to France, Biden is also due to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.(dpa/NAN) (www.nannews.ng)
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    Edited by Ummul Idris/Tayo Ikujuni

  • UNHCR: Migrants face ‘unimaginable horrors’ on major routes to Europe

    UNHCR: Migrants face ‘unimaginable horrors’ on major routes to Europe

    Migrants

    Geneva, June 5, 2024 (dpa/NAN) The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) on Wednesday called for an expansion of rescue efforts for people on major migration routes to Europe, who are facing “unimaginable horrors.”

    UNHCR special envoy Vincent Cochetel has urged for increased cooperation with local authorities and called for additional funding from donor countries.

    “This includes better access to legal pathways to safety and improving protection services for victims, as well as those at risk of becoming victims along the routes,” Cochetel said in Geneva.

    According to a new UNHCR report, each year hundreds of thousands of people risk their lives to migrate from sub-Saharan countries in Africa as well as from Asia and the Middle East.

    UNHCR said that a lot of those on the move underestimate the journey’s risks and dangers, with many dying while crossing the desert or near borders, while others suffer serious human rights violations.

    “Many don’t go to capital cities where humanitarian actors are based and well represented,” Cochetel said.

    “They embark to secondary routes, reaching smaller cities in hard-to-reach areas” including in the Sahara Desert.

    “This is where services should be located.”

    The UNHCR said three-quarters of the more than 108 million forcibly displaced people worldwide live in low- and middle-income countries.

    According to figures by the UN migration agency IOM, more than 280 million people or 3.6 per cent of the global population are international migrants.  (dpa/NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

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    Edited by Ummul Idris/Halima Sheji

     

     

     

     

  • EU pressures Israel, Hamas to accept Biden’s peace plan

    EU pressures Israel, Hamas to accept Biden’s peace plan
    Plan
    Brussels, June 5, 2024 (dpa/NAN) The European Union (EU) is urging Israel and the Palestinian militant movement Hamas to accept a plan laid out by U.S. President Joe Biden to end the Gaza war.
    The plan sets out three phases of de-escalation, principally featuring a truce that would become permanent and Israel’s withdrawal from the Palestinian territory.
    The EU gave its “full support to the comprehensive roadmap,” a statement said.
    “Too many civilian lives have been lost.
    “Peace and stability in the Middle East are in the interest of both peoples, of the region as a whole, as well as globally,” it said.
    Qatar, the United States, and Egypt have been mediating between Israel and Hamas for weeks to achieve a ceasefire and an exchange of hostages for Palestinian prisoners.
    Neither Israel nor Hamas have yet officially agreed to or rejected the plan.
    The EU said it was also “increasingly concerned” about rising tensions at the border between Israel and Lebanon.
    “It is concerned about the ever-growing destruction and the forced displacement of civilians on both sides” of the Israeli-Lebanese border.
    “Nobody stands to win from a broader regional conflict. A de-escalation of the situation would significantly contribute to addressing the broader conflict in the Middle East.”
    Since the war in the Gaza Strip began almost eight months ago, there have been daily military confrontations between the Israeli army and Hezbollah in the border area between Israel and Lebanon.
    There have been deaths on both sides and about 150,000 people in both countries have been evacuated or left the combat zone. (dpa/NAN) (www nan.ng)
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    (Edited by Ummul Idris/Emmanuel Yashim)

  • Slovenia officially recognises Palestinian state

    Slovenia officially recognises Palestinian state
    Palestine
    Ljubljana, June 5, 2024 (Xinhua/NAN) The Slovenian Parliament has voted to approve the proposal of recognising the statehood of Palestine, a move the legislative body said would hopefully help stop the violence in Gaza.
    Fifty-two parliamentary members out of 90 seats voted for the recognition, making Slovenia the fourth European country after Spain, Norway, and Ireland in recent weeks to make the decision.
    “The Republic of Slovenia recognised Palestine as an independent sovereign state,” Parliamentary Speaker Urska Klakocar Zupancic said after the vote.
    “The recognition of a Palestine state enhances the reputation of Slovenia as a state that respects international law and the United Nations resolutions.
    “At the same time we would exert pressure on both sides: on Israel to stop attacks on Gaza and on Hamas to release hostages,” Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon told Parliament before the vote.
    “We are working towards peace and the solution of two states,” she added.
    Most members of the main opposition party, the center-right Slovenian Democratic Party (SDS), did not attend the parliamentary session but proposed a referendum to postpone the parliament vote by at least 30 days.
    Their proposal was rejected earlier on Tuesday by a majority in parliament.
    The SDS claims that the recognition of Palestine will not stop the war in Gaza but will only hurt Slovenian interests.
    Norway, Ireland, and Spain made a coordinated announcement on May 22, declaring their recognition of Palestine as a state effective May 28.
    But their decision was condemned by Israel.
    On Monday, over 20 UN experts and special rapporteurs called for all countries to recognise a Palestinian state.
    So far, over 140 countries have already recognised a Palestinian state, representing more than two-thirds of the United Nations membership. (Xinhua/NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
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    (Edited by Ummul Idris/Emmanuel Yashim)

  • U.S. President Biden to meet Ukraine’s Zelensky in France

    U.S. President Biden to meet Ukraine’s Zelensky in France
    Meeting
    Washington, June 5, 2024 (dpa/NAN) U.S. President Joe Biden will meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky while the pair are in France, the White House said.
    Biden will discuss with Zelensky the “state of play in Ukraine, and how we can continue and deepen our support for Ukraine,” White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said.
    On Thursday, both Zelensky and Biden will take part in the commemoration of the Allied landings in Normandy 80 years ago in World War II.
    French President Emmanuel Macron will receive Zelensky at the Élysée Palace on Friday, according to the Élysée.
    The two planned to discuss the situation in the defence against the Russian invasion and the needs of Ukraine, it said.
    Biden and Zelensky would also meet at the summit of the G7 leading industrialised nations from June 13 to 15 in the southern Italian region of Apulia.
    The G7 is an informal forum of the heads of state and government of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States.
    The European Union is also represented at the meetings. (dpa/NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
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    (Edited by Ummul Idris/Emmanuel Yashim)