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Category: Foreign

  • Hajj: Forum condemns infiltration of illegal migrants, seeks improved security

    Infiltration

    By Salisu Sani-Idris

    Makkah (Saudi Arabia), June 22, 2024 (NAN) The Forum of Chief Executive Officers of State Pilgrims Welfare Boards, Agencies and Commissions, has condemned the infiltration of Mina by illegal migrants (Takarai) during the period of the core hajj rituals.

    The forum’s Chairman, Alhaji Idris Al-Makura, made the condemnation while briefing newsmen on the outcome of the just-concluded 2024 Hajj rituals, on Saturday in Makkah, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Mina, also known as Muna, and commonly known as the “City of the Tents” is a valley located eight kilometres southeast of the city of Mecca.

    The city accommodates the pilgrims for over multiple nights in the month of Dhu al-Hijjah (months of Hajj).

    Al-Makura, who is the Chairman, Nasarawa State Pilgrims Welfare Boards, said that the infiltration of Mina by the illegal migrants constitutes a nuisance to the environment.

    He, therefore, called on the Saudi’s Government to tighten its hole on the Mina entry.

    Al-Makura said, ” We are here today because of the just concluded 2024 Hajj rituals and normally we used to sit down and review what has happened and adopt a resolution.

    ” So that we will be able to plan ahead. As you rightly heard during the post-afarat meeting, the Chairman of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), Malam Jalal Arabi, said that 2025 had kick-started.

    ” So, we are here to let the whole world know what happened during the just concluded hajj ritual.”

    Al-Makura said that the forum commended the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) for early processing and approval of the 2024 hajj visas.

    ” This is the first time that state pilgrims got visas between two to three weeks before an outbound flight.

    ” And the state pilgrims note with admiration that all the pilgrims spent an equal number of days in Madinah and the commission felicitates entrance into the Rawdah (holy site of worship inside the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah).

    “This is commendable and the forum encourages NAHCON to sustain them,” he said.

    Al-Makura, who said that the inbound transportation of Nigerian pilgrims was commended, prayed that the outbound operation would be seamless.

    He added, ” We also commend NAHCON and the service providers effort’s during the core hajj period. The Forum notes an improvement in accommodations and feeding in this year’s Masha’eer (sites of hajj rituals) compared to the 2022 and 2023 Hajj.

    ” The Forum, however, called for the inclusion of more local food vendors for future Masha’eer feeding.

    ” The Forum expresses its dismay with the disappointment of NAHCON by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), despite the arrangements to give all pilgrims 500 dollars each as Basic Travels Allowance (BTA) only to turn around and sell their dollars at the prevailing market rates.”

    On Medical services, the forum’s Secretary, Alhaji Abubakar Salihu, said the National Medical Team had done its best in the provision of effective service delivery to the Nigerian pilgrims.

    ” We still have services optimally rendered. I was in one of the clinics and saw how triaging is actually perfectly being carried out.

    ” And a health worker, myself I can attest to that. So the team is actually working hard to meet the health needs of the pilgrims,” Salihu said. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

    SSI/BRM

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    Edited by Bashir Rabe Mani

  • Attacker of Nancy Pelosi’s husband convicted, again, in California court

    Attacker of Nancy Pelosi’s husband convicted, again, in California court

    Conviction

    June 22, 2024 (Reuters) – A right-wing conspiracy theorist who attacked the husband of former U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi with a hammer was convicted of a host of charges in state court on Friday, following his conviction in federal court last year.
    A California jury convicted David DePape of kidnapping, burglary, false imprisonment, threatening the family member of a public official, and dissuading a witness.
    The state conviction could add more prison time for DePape, who in May was sentenced by a U.S. district judge to 30 years in federal prison for attempted kidnapping and assault of an immediate family member of a federal official.
    The state charges carry a potential sentence of up to life in prison.
    DePape, 44, broke into the Pelosis’ San Francisco home and struck Paul Pelosi over the head with a hammer in the early morning hours of Oct. 28, 2022, while Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat, was still speaker of the House of Representatives and away in Washington.
    Pelosi remains a member of the House.
    After the conviction, a spokesperson for Nancy Pelosi issued a statement on behalf of the Pelosi family praising Paul Pelosi for his “bravery” in testifying in the state trial, as he had in the federal case.

    “For nearly 20 grueling months, Mr Pelosi has demonstrated extraordinary courage and fortitude every day of his recovery.
    “The Pelosi family is grateful for the kind thoughts and prayers they continue to receive,” said the statement.”
    It added that there would be no further comment until sentencing is complete.
    Paul Pelosi was knocked unconscious and hospitalised for several days, undergoing surgery for skull fractures.
    He also sustained injuries to his hands and right arm.
    Evidence in the federal trial showed DePape was driven by right-wing conspiracy theories, embracing the fictions spread by QAnon, questioning the Holocaust, and feeding off political accusations against Hunter Biden, the son of President Joe Biden, and George Soros, the billionaire Holocaust survivor.
    DePape’s defense attorneys did not contest the evidence at either trial, and focused on DePape’s state of mind and how he was consumed by conspiracy theories.
    DePape told the federal jury he wanted to kidnap Nancy Pelosi, interrogate her, and break her kneecaps if he found her to be lying.
    However, after breaking in, he instead found her husband, then age 82, asleep in his bed.
    DePape said the attack was a reaction to his original plan going awry.
    “He was never my target and I’m sorry that he got hurt,” DePape said. (Reuters/NAN) (www.nannews.ng)
    YEE
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    (Edited by Emmanuel Yashim)

  • Israel attacks Hezbollah positions in Lebanon as UN chief urges calm

    Israel attacks Hezbollah positions in Lebanon as UN chief urges calm

    Calm

    Tel Aviv, June 22, 2024 (dpa/NAN) The Israeli army announced on Friday that it conducted airstrikes against Iran-backed militia Hezbollah positions in southern Lebanon in response to ongoing attacks on northern Israel.

    There were no reports of injuries, according to a statement issued by the Israeli military on Friday evening.

    The information could not be independently verified.

    UN Secretary-General António Guterres expressed his “profound concerns” about the escalation of the conflict between Israel and Lebanon along the Blue Line, a demarcation line between both countries set by the United Nations.

    “The risk for the conflict in the Middle East to widen is real – and must be avoided,” he said.

    Since the start of the war in the Gaza Strip in October, there have been daily clashes between the Israeli army, Hezbollah and allied groups in the border area between Israel and Lebanon.

    There have been numerous casualties on both sides. The mutual shelling caused heavy destruction in villages on either side of the border. About 150,000 people have been evacuated or have left the combat zone due to the violence.

    Hezbollah is allied with the Islamist group Hamas in the Gaza Strip but is considered to be much more powerful.

    Israel wants to use military and diplomatic pressure to ensure that Hezbollah retreats behind the Litani River, 30 kilometres from the border – as stipulated in an important UN resolution on the 2006 conflict.

    “The parties must urgently recommit to the full implementation of Security Council resolution 1701 and immediately return to a cessation of hostilities,” Guterres said. (dpa/NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

    YEE

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    (Edited by Emmanuel Yashim)

  • Huawei reaches 900m active users amid U.S. sanctions

    Huawei reaches 900m active users amid U.S. sanctions

    Users

    Washington, June 22, 2024 (dpa/NAN) Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei has reached 900 million active consumer devices with the company’s HarmonyOS operating system.

    The company announced that its premium devices sales have surged by 72 per ent during the first five months of 2024.

    “No one can extinguish the starlight in the sky.

    “Today, the future of HarmonyOS is set,” Huawei’s consumer business chairman Richard Yu said during a developer conference in Dongguan, China.

    “Let’s enjoy the brilliant galaxy that belongs to us,” Richard added.

    One of the notable reasons for the surge in sales was the launch of Mate 60 Pro smartphones in September.

    Huawei reported a profit of 19.6 billion yuan (2.7 million dollars) in the first quarter, up 564 per cent from the previous year.

    Sales within the same period rose 37 per cent to 178.8 billion yuan.

    During the meeting, Yu mentioned that the company is preparing to launch the Mate 70, the successor of the Mate 60 Pro, later this year.

    U.S. sanctions have denied Huawei access to modern U.S. technologies for several years.

    As a result, Huawei smartphones hardly play a role outside China anymore – even with the company overtaking Samsung as the top smartphone player in 2020. (dpa/NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

    YEE

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    (Edited by Emmanuel Yashim)

  • U.S. Supreme Court upholds federal domestic-violence gun ban

    U.S. Supreme Court upholds federal domestic-violence gun ban

    Gun

    Washington, June 21, 2024 (Reuters/NAN) The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday upheld a federal law that makes it a crime for people under domestic violence restraining orders to have guns.
    The ruling handed victory to President Joe Biden’s administration as the justices opted not to further widen firearms rights after a major expansion in 2022.
    The 8-1 ruling, authored by conservative Chief Justice John Roberts, overturned a lower court’s decision striking down the 1994 law as a violation of the U.S. Constitution’s Second Amendment right to “keep and bear arms.”
    The law was challenged by a Texas man who was subject to a restraining order for assaulting his girlfriend in a parking lot and later threatening to shoot her.
    The New Orleans-based 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals had concluded that the measure failed the Supreme Court’s stringent test set in 2022 that required gun laws to be “consistent with the nation’s historical tradition of firearm regulation” to comply with the Second Amendment.
    Roberts wrote in the ruling that since the nation’s founding, firearm laws have targeted people who threaten physical harm to others.
    “When a restraining order contains a finding that an individual poses a credible threat to the physical safety of an intimate partner, that individual may – consistent with the Second Amendment – be banned from possessing firearms while the order is in effect,” Roberts wrote.
    Biden’s administration defended the law as critical to protect public safety and abuse victims, who often are women.
    It emphasised that guns pose a particularly serious threat in domestic violence situations and also are extremely dangerous to police officers called to respond.
    “No one who has been abused should have to worry about their abuser getting a gun,” Biden said, touting his record on gun control.
    “As a result of (Friday’s) ruling, survivors of domestic violence and their families will still be able to count on critical protections, just as they have for the past three decades.”
    Conservative Justice Clarence Thomas, who authored the 2022 ruling in a case called New York State Rifle and Pistol Association v. Bruen, was the lone dissenter.
    “Not a single historical regulation justifies the statute at issue,” Thomas wrote.
    He added that “in the interest of ensuring the government can regulate one subset of society, (Friday’s) decision puts at risk the Second Amendment rights of many more.”
    The case involved Zackey Rahimi, who pleaded guilty in 2021 to illegally possessing guns in violation of this law while subject to a restraining order.
    Police found a pistol and rifle while searching Rahimi’s residence in connection with at least five shootings, including using an assault-type rifle to fire at the home of a man to whom he had sold drugs.
    A federal judge had rejected Rahimi’s Second Amendment challenge and sentenced him to more than six years in prison. Violating the domestic violence gun law initially was punishable by up to 10 years in prison but has since been raised to 15 years.
    Gun safety groups called Friday’s ruling a legal victory that will help counter firearms violence. But they condemned actions by the 5th Circuit, perhaps the most conservative federal appeals court, that let the case get this far.
    “As millions of domestic violence victims breathe a sigh of relief, it’s worth remembering who put them in jeopardy: extreme Trump-appointed judges on the 5th Circuit who sided with an abuser who wanted to keep his guns,” said John Feinblatt, president of Everytown for Gun Safety, referring to Republican former President Donald Trump.
    Rahimi’s lawyer declined to comment on the ruling.
    In a May Reuters/Ipsos poll, 75 per cent of registered voters, including 84 per cent of Democrats and 70 per cent of Republicans, said that a person subject to a domestic violence restraining order should not be allowed to possess firearms.
    In a nation bitterly divided over how to address firearms violence including frequent mass shootings, the Supreme Court often has taken an expansive view of the Second Amendment, broadening gun rights in landmark rulings in 2008, 2010, and 2022.
    The 2022 Bruen ruling recognized a constitutional right to carry a handgun in public for self-defense, striking down a New York state’s limits on carrying concealed handguns outside the home.
    In another case, the Supreme Court in a 6-3 ruling on June 14 declared unlawful a federal ban on “bump stock” that enable semiautomatic weapons to fire rapidly like machine guns.
    The 5th Circuit last year set aside Rahimi’s conviction, concluding that although he was “hardly a model citizen,” the 1994 law was an “outlier” that could not stand under the “historical tradition” standard the justices announced in Bruen.
    Supporters of Rahimi have argued that judges too easily issue restraining orders in an unfair process that results in the deprivation of the constitutional gun rights of accused abusers. (Reuters/NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

    YEE
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    (Edited by Emmanuel Yashim)

  • UN, NHRC advise youths against inciting hatred

    Youths

    By Chinenye Offor

    Abuja, June 21, 2024 (NAN) The United Nations (UN) and the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) have urged young people not to allow themselves to be used to incite and deepen hatred in Nigeria.

    The organisations gave the advice at the commemoration of the third International Day for Countering Hate Speech, jointly organised by NHRC and UN on Friday in Abuja.

    The Executive-Secretary of NHRC, Mr Tony Ojukwu, decried the impact of hate speeches in the society.

    Ojukwu said hate speech had promoted discrimination; divisions; incited violence; and such impeded voters participation and access to elections.

    Ojukwu said that in order to ensure peaceful, prosperous and united nations; Nigerians, particularly young people should reflect on things that would bind compatriots together, rather than separate them.

    “Young people are more invested in the future of Nigeria than any other group in our population, and should not allow themselves  to be used as cannon fodders to incite and deepen hatred in the country.

    “Coincidentally, youths form the bedrock of our nation and this demographic dividend should at all times be mobilised for the social and economic development of our dear nation.

    “Sensitising and mobilising young people to combat hate speech is crucial in today’s world, where they are not only the target, but also influential voices in their communities,” he said.

    He promised to work closely with the UN system in Nigeria, youth leaders and other stakeholders to create relevant awareness to identify and counter hate speeches.

    The UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator, Mr Mohammed Fall, said that hate speech contradicted all the values and principles enshrined in international human rights law.

    Fall, who was represented by Mr Phillippe Delanghe, added that it undermined  efforts to achieve the aim of 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals to leave no one behind.

    “Hate speeches often target the most vulnerable in our societies and minorities,  if left unchecked, it can harm peace and development.

    “It lays the foundation for conflicts and tensions, undermine social cohesion and contribute to wide scale human rights violations and crime.

    “The devastating effect of hatred is not new. However, new technologies of communication has amplified the scale and impact of hate speech.

    “Social media and the internet are now the most frequent methods for spreading divisive rhetoric and ideologies on a global scale,” he said. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
    CSO/FON/JNC
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    Edited by Florence Onuegbu/Chinyere Joel-Nwokeoma

  • FG reiterates move to deepen Nigeria-China bilateral ties

    FG reiterates move to deepen Nigeria-China bilateral ties

    Ties

    By Fortune Abang

    Abuja, June 21, 2024 (NAN) The Minister of Foreign Affairs Yusuf Tuggar has reiterated its move to deepen bilateral ties between Nigeria and China on grounds of mutual respect and shared developmental goals.

    Tuggar disclosed this in a statement on Friday in Abuja by Alkasim Abdulkadir, Special Assistant on Media and Communication to the Minister.

    The minister had arrived in China on June 19, on official working visit at the invitation of Mr Wang Yi, his Chinese counterpart.

    Tuggar delivered a keynote address at the China-Nigeria Business Exchange jointly organised by the Nigerian Embassy and Yingke Law Firm to ease bilateral-trade, investment and strengthen Nigeria-China business matchmaking.

    “This event is a testament to our commitment to strengthening Nigeria-China relations.

    “By fostering direct business engagements, we are paving way for increased bilateral trade, investment opportunities and innovative collaborations that will benefit both nations.

    “Over 200 Chinese companies took part in the event, showing astrong interest in fostering economic collaboration between the two nations,” Tuggar said.

    The statement revealed Tuggar would take part in high-level meetings, including the inaugural plenary of Nigeria-China intergovernmental committee in Beijing and the World Economic Forum Annual meeting of the New Champions in Dalian.

    The minister is also expected to meet with ECOWAS Ambassadors and inaugurate the 4-D Cultural Diplomacy Programme of the Renewed Hope Agenda by President Bola Tinubu at the Embassy of Nigeria.

    These, according to the statement, are expected to further solidify the strategic partnership between Nigeria and China.

    “The visit is aimed at deepening economic and trade collaboration, enhancing high-level exchanges and strengthening mutual support at multilateral fora.

    “Outcomes from the visit include advancing Nigeria’s development drive, boosting infrastructure development, improving healthcare and educational systems, stimulating job creation and economic opportunities.

    “Also, implementing bilateral agreements, increasing trade volume and diversification, attracting Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), promoting entrepreneurship and strengthening industrial capabilities, and competitiveness,” the statement said.

    The event attracted notable Nigerian dignitaries and business leaders including; Aisha Rimi, Managing Director/CEO of Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC), Khalil Suleiman Halilu, Executive Vice-Chairman/CEO, National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI).

    Oluwaseun Fakuade, Commissioner for Innovation, Science, and Digital Economy, representing Gov. Ekiti Abiodun Oyebanji of Ekiti, as well as key private sector leaders including Dr Adegboyega Austen-Peters, Chairman, Dorman Long Engineering Ltd.

    Others include, Bolanle Austen-Peters, Founder/Artistic Director, Terra Academy for The Arts (TAFTA), Bruce Ayonote, CEO, Suburban Fiber Company, Tunde Hassan-Odukale, Group CEO, Leadway Holdings, Olusegun Alebiosu, Managing Director/CEO, First Bank of Nigeria Plc, Jawad Saleh Mustapha, Renecon Energy Ltd. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)
    FEA/MNA

    Edited by Maureen Atuonwu
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  • Hajj flights: Kebbi maintains first-in first-out arrangement 

  • Hajj Flynas begins transportation of Nigerian pilgrims back home Saturday

    Transportation

    By Salisu Sani-Idris

    Makkah (Saudi Arabia), June 21, 2024 (NAN) Flynas, a Saudi-designated air carrier, says it will commence the transportation of the first batch of Nigerian pilgrims back home on Saturday.

    The Managing Director, First Planet Travels and General Sales Agent (GSA) of Flynas, Alhaji Umar Kaila, said this in a statement on Friday in Makkah, Saudi Arabia.

    He said the maiden return flight would begin with the pilgrims from Kebbi from the King AbdulAziz International Airport, Jeddah to Sir Ahmadu Bello International Airport (SABIA) in Birnin Kebbi.

    Kaila said, ” We are happy to announce that Flynas is fully set to begin phase two of the airlift operation of Nigerian pilgrims from Saudi Arabia to Nigeria from Saturday, June 22, with pilgrims from Kebbi state.

    “Like we had a seamless transportation operation from Nigeria to Saudi Arabia during phase one without any delay.

    ” We have made adequate arrangements to transport our pilgrims back to Nigeria in a seamless and efficient manner.”

    He said the airline has concluded arrangements to ensure a smooth and seamless return airlift operation from Saudi Arabia to Nigeria.

    Kaila added,  Flynas will transport pilgrims from Kebbi, Lagos, Sokoto, Zamfara, Yobe, Borno, Osun, Ogun, and Niger states back to Nigeria in the second leg of the operation. ”

    He said the airline would conduct the return operation in 49 flights with five aircraft.

    The Makkah Coordinator of the airline, Malam Ahmad Ruma, said ground staff of Flynas have started processing Kebbi state pilgrims in their accommodations in the holy city of Makkah.

    He  said, “Our staff have already processed the Kebbi state pilgrims for the first return flight.

    ” They met them in their accommodations in Makkah, manifested them in the aircraft, weighed and tagged their 32-kg luggage, among others.”

    The Makkah coordinator said the airline has also started processing pilgrims from Lagos state for the return journey.

    Flynas is one of the three airlines engaged by the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) to transport over 50,000 state pilgrims to Saudi Arabia for 2024 hajj pilgrimage.

    The two others are Max Air and Air Peace. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

    SSI/BRM

    ===========

    Edited by Bashir Rabe Mani

  • 1 person killed, more than 200 injured in Kenya anti-tax demonstrations

    1 person killed, more than 200 injured in Kenya anti-tax demonstrations

    Demonstration

    Nairobi, June 21, 2024 (Reuters/NAN) One person was killed and at least 200 people injured across Kenya in Thursday’s nationwide protests against government plans to raise 2.7 billion dollars in additional taxes, an alliance of rights groups and the police watchdog said.
    Police fired tear gas and water cannons to disperse protesters in the capital Nairobi, the five rights groups, which include Amnesty International and the Kenya Medical Association, said in a joint statement late on Thursday.
    The presence of spent cartridges implied the use of live rounds, they said, adding that more than 100 protesters had been arrested across Kenya.
    The Independent Policing Oversight Authority said on Friday it had documented the death of a man “allegedly as a result of police shooting and several serious injuries suffered by other demonstrators including police officers.”
    The 29-year-old man died during treatment for a wound on his thigh at a hospital on Thursday night, according to a police report seen by Reuters.
    The report did not state how he was injured.
    Gillian Munyau, the mother of the dead man, Rex Kanyike, who worked at a casino in Nairobi, said his friend had told her a plainclothes officer had shot him while they ran away from teargas.
    “If someone is fighting for their rights, why use live bullets? Had he been armed, we would have understood. But he was just walking with his friend,” Munyau told Reuters outside a mortuary, where she had gone to collect her son’s body.
    Munyau told privately-owned Citizen Television that Rex’s friends told her police officers who had past him being attended to offered no help.
    “The officers said “let him die there” and continued walking by,” she told Citizen Television.
    Nairobi county police commander Adamson Bungei did not answer phone calls from Reuters seeking comment.
    “We commend the several thousands of protesters, many of whom are youthful, for picketing peacefully (and) exhibiting restraint and decorum despite provocation by police,” the rights groups said.
    Protesters want the government to abandon its finance bill, saying it will choke the economy and raise the cost of living for Kenyans who are already struggling to make ends meet.
    The International Monetary Fund, however, says that the government needs to increase revenues to reduce the budget deficit and state borrowing.
    Earlier this week the government softened its position a little, with President William Ruto endorsing recommendations to scrap some of the new levies, including on car ownership, bread, cooking oil, and financial transactions.
    Despite the widespread demonstrations, which broke out in 19 of Kenya’s 47 counties, lawmakers passed the finance bill in its second reading on Thursday, moving the contested tax proposals to their next stage for approval.
    Lawmakers are expected to meet on Tuesday to vote on proposed changes to the bill, which parliament’s budget committee says would blow a 200 billion Kenyan shilling (1.56 billion dollars) hole in the 2024/25 budget, and compel the government to make spending cuts. (Reuters/NAN) (www.nannews.ng)
    YEE
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    (Edited by Emmanuel Yashim)