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Category: Foreign

  • Wildfire breaks out near Greek capital, settlements evacuated

    Wildfire breaks out near Greek capital, settlements evacuated

    Wildfire

    Athens, June 20, 2024 (Xinhua/NAN) A wildfire broke out at the outskirts of Koropi, a suburban town in east Attica region, near Athens, forcing the evacuation of at least two settlements, Greek authorities said Wednesday.

    The wildfire started near a boat parking yard, Greek national news agency AMNA reported, and eyewitnesses told Xinhua that the blaze had reached the yards of a few homes.

    No injuries were reported.

    Dozens of firefighters assisted by 10 water-dropping planes and helicopters were battling the flames against strong winds blowing in the area, a Greek Fire Brigade spokesperson told a news conference.

    Greece suffered from many wildfires every summer due to high temperatures, heatwaves linked to climate change and arsonists.

    Twenty people lost their lives in 2023 as a result of the wildfires.

    Due to unusually high temperatures in spring and June, authorities have said that the risk will be high this summer. (Xinhua/NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

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  • Berlin police launch raids aimed at int’l weapons trade

    Berlin police launch raids aimed at int’l weapons trade

    Weapon

    Berlin, June 20, 2024 (dpa/NAN) Berlin police conducted a series of raids on Thursday morning in connection with investigations into the international trade in weapons, authorities announced.

    About 150 officers were deployed as part of the searches in several districts across the city, a police spokesman said.

    He declined to provide further details of the police operation.

    “Berlin is and remains a hotspot for international criminal networks, this applies to drugs as well as to the trade in sharp weapons, which are distributed via the darknet or well-organised gangs.’’

    The head of the police union in Berlin, Stephan Weh explained, according to a statement on Thursday. (dpa/NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

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    (Edited by Cecilia Odey/Emmanuel Yashim)

  • Philippines, Nigeria share mutually beneficial relations – Envoy

    Philippines, Nigeria share mutually beneficial relations – Envoy

    Relations

    By Maureen Okon

    Abuja, June 20, 2024 (NAN) Mr Mersole Mellejor, the Philippines Ambassador to Nigeria said both countries shared mutually beneficial relations, especially in trade and people-to-people partnerships since 1962.

    The envoy said this at the Diplomatic Reception held to mark the 126th Anniversary of the Philippines’ Independence on Wednesday in Abuja.

    The ambassador said the occasion was symbolic of strengthening relations between Nigeria and the Philippines for more than six decades.

    According to him, although the countries may be located on two different continents, with no fewer than 18 hours of flight time between them, relations between the two have been robust.

    “Since the establishment of diplomatic ties in 1962, the two countries have signed bilateral agreements and are in the process of concluding more, to generate concrete mutually beneficial outcomes.

    “At the political level, the Philippines and Nigeria have a regular Joint Commission Meeting between our respective Ministries of Foreign Affairs.

    “This year, we are resuming to hold another edition. The joint commission meeting was suspended due to the Coronavirus pandemic.

    “We have a respectable level of bilateral trade reaching more than a million US dollars at its highest in 2020 and a steady flow of tourists from both sides.

    “The most concrete manifestation of our relations has always been our people. At its peak before the global financial crisis in 2009, there were an estimated 8,000 Filipinos in Nigeria.”

    “Mostly professionals in various capacities, in the oil and industrial states, factories in many parts of Nigeria, and more importantly, in the services sectors.

    “Now, estimated to be around 3,000, the number is rising again as we emerge from the global pandemic. We certainly thank Nigeria for welcoming and hosting our nationals,’’ Mellejor said

    Speaking on educational exchange, Mellejor said the Philippines had hosted more than 10,000 Nigerians studying in various higher institutions in his country.

    On governance, he said, “There are many areas in which both countries can work continually to strengthen democratic governance and law enforcement.

    “Meanwhile, the Philippines hosts some 10,000 Nigerians, the majority of whom are studying in various tertiary institutions in the country.

    “I was told that the number was even higher in the 90’s. The graduates even have an association here in Nigeria called the Philippine Graduates in Nigeria, or PHILGRAN.

    “There is also a good number of Nigerians pursuing productive careers in the Philippines – perhaps in the medical and the entertainment industry,’’ he said.

    The ambassador also seeks Nigeria’s support for a non-permanent seat in the United Nations Security Council for the 2027-2028 June elections of 2026 expected to be held in New York.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the highpoint of the event was the cultural dance performance by a Filipino group and a song from a Nigerian artist. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

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    (Edited by Perpetua Onuegbu/Emmanuel Yashim)

  • Ifo raises German economic growth forecast for 2024 to 0.4%

    Ifo raises German economic growth forecast for 2024 to 0.4%

    Economic

    Munich, June 20, 2024 (dpa/NAN) The ifo Institute has raised its forecast for German economic growth in the current year from 0.2 per cent to 0.4 per cent, an indication of a tepid recovery for Europe’s largest economy.

    The Munich-based institute, one of the country’s most influential economic think tanks, released the updated forecast on Thursday.

    “The German economy is slowly working its way out of the crisis,” ifo’s economic director, Timo Wollmershäuser, said in Berlin on Thursday.

    He said it was not a summer fairytale but “new hope is emerging.”

    Next year, the ifo expects economic growth of 1.5 per cent.

    The institute said that the purchasing power of private households is increasing, while global trade and industrial production should continue to recover in the second half of the year.

    The easing of monetary policy will also support investment, said Wollmershäuser.

    He said the institute expects the European Central Bank to cut interest rates twice more this year.

    The institute also now forecasts inflation to ease further to 2.2 per cent this year and 1.7 per cent next year.

    However, the number of unemployed people in Germany is forecast to rise from 2.6 million to 2.7 million over this year, hitting an unemployment rate of 5.9 per cent.

    But next year, the number of unemployed is expected to fall again to 2.6 million.

    The number of people in employment is expected to rise slightly from 45.9 million to 46.1 million this year and to 46.2 million next year.

    According to the ifo Institute, the German government’s budget deficit will fall significantly from 99 billion euros (106 billion dollars) to 73 billion euros this year and to 54 billion euros next year.

    Germany’s large current account surplus, which has drawn international criticism, is likely to rise further from 258 billion to 312 billion euros this year and then to 306 billion euros next year.

    Ifo is one of several economic research institutes that prepare twice-annual joint forecasts for the German government in the autumn and the spring.

    The other institutes presented their individual forecasts last week, which also forecast economic growth of between 0.2 per cent and 0.4 per cent this year, inflation of between 2.2 per cent and 2.4 per cent, and total unemployment of 2.7 million to 2.8 million.

    The European Commission has forecast the overall economy across the entire European Union to grow by 1.0 per cent this year. (dpa/NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

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    (Edited by Cecilia Odey/Emmanuel Yashim)

  • Putin lauds ties with Hanoi on state visit to Vietnam

    Putin lauds ties with Hanoi on state visit to Vietnam

    Ties

    Hanoi, June 20, 2024 (dpa/NAN) Russian President Vladimir Putin has stressed the importance of expanding his country’s strategic partnership with Vietnam.

    He expressed his thoughts at talks with Vietnamese President To Lam on the first day of his state visit to the south-east Asian country.

    The Russian leader also invited Lam to participate in commemorations in Moscow next year marking the 80th anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany in World War II.

    The Russian state news agency TASS reported on Thursday.

    Putin arrived in Hanoi late on Wednesday after a visit to North Korea.

    He is expected to attend a state banquet on Thursday after meetings with Nguyen Phu Trong, the general secretary of the country’s ruling Communist Party, and Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh.

    Having been isolated on the international stage, Putin plans to shore up support from Russia’s remaining allies.

    Commentators suggest his brief tour of Vietnam and North Korea is of practical as well as symbolic importance.

    “Putin’s trip to Vietnam will reinvigorate their comprehensive strategic partnership and shore up economic relations through trade and investment commitments by adopting a rouble-đồng currency exchange mechanism for goods and services payments.’’

    Vietnam expert Carl Thayer the emeritus professor of politics at the University of New South Wales in Australia has said.

    Another item on the agenda could be Russia’s war with Ukraine.

    The Ukrainian ambassador in Hanoi, Oleksandr Haman, told dpa that he did not expect Vietnam to abandon its neutral stance in the conflict.

    During his stay in Hanoi, Putin stays at The Sofitel Metropole, a French-owned hotel.

    Before his arrival, a Russian-chartered jumbo jet shipped in limousines for Putin’s use throughout his visit. (dpa/NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

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    (Edited by Cecilia Odey/Emmanuel Yashim)

  • Unexploded WWII bomb found in Germany’s Cologne defused overnight

    Unexploded WWII bomb found in Germany’s Cologne defused overnight

    Bomb

    Cologne, June 20, 2024 (dpa/NAN) An unexploded aerial bomb from World War II retrieved from the Rhine River in Germany’s Cologne on Wednesday evening was safely defused overnight on a ship positioned away from residential areas, city officials said.

    Discovery of unexploded bombs is common in Cologne and other German cities, which were heavily bombed by Allied air forces during the war.

    Specially trained crews are dispatched to defuse or safely detonate the bombs.

    The British-made five-tonnes bomb had a rear-mounted fuse that was defused on board the ship, according to the Cologne city administration.

    The city said that there had been no need to evacuate residents to defuse the bomb, in spite of initial assumptions.

    The ship had been moved to a position on the Rhine far enough from residential areas.

    During the operation, the Rhine was closed to shipping, as was the airspace above the area. (dpa/NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

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    Edited by Cecilia Odey/Hadiza Mohammed-Aliyu

     

  • Germany scraps controversial packaging rules for shisha tobacco

    Germany scraps controversial packaging rules for shisha tobacco

    Tobacco

    Dusseldorf, June 20, 2024 (dpa/NAN) Germany’s Finance Ministry has revoked controversial rules for packaging of shisha tobacco which saw fierce backlash as well as some retailers going bankrupt.

    The government originally introduced the new regulation in 2022 to clamp down on tax evasion, which was seen as a frequent problem in shisha bars.

    Bars were buying large packages which they sold divided into small portions.

    The government pointed to this as tax evasion in the majority of cases, as they paid less tax than they should have when selling in portions.

    In spite of fines by customs officials, the practice continued to be profitable, until the introduction of the new regulation.

    It banned 200-grammes and 1,000-grammes pack from the market.

    As per the new rules, only sizes of a maximum of 25 grammes were permitted.

    From July 1, these restrictions would be lifted and packs of all sizes were legal again, according to new regulations made available to dpa.

    Under the 2021 reform of the Tobacco Tax Act, the Finance Ministry estimated that there would be around 155 million euros in additional tax revenue from the shisha industry in 2023.

    However, it turned out that tax income declined significantly due to a booming black market, according to the German shisha tobacco association.

    While consumption had remained stable despite soaring prices due to the new packaging rules, the legal market collapsed to just a tenth of the 2021 level.

    Some retailers forced to close down, the association said.

    Lawmaker Till Mansmann from the pro-business Free Democrats, a junior partner in Germany’s coalition government, welcomed the latest step in the shisha saga.

    By introducing restrictions on the packaging of shisha tobacco, the previous government had “given a gift to smugglers and fraudsters in particular, who have since placed illegal products on the market on a large scale,’’ he said.

    Germany has approximately 5,000 shisha bars, where around a quarter of the shisha tobacco sold in the country was consumed, with the remainder purchased for private use. (dpa/NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

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    Edited by Cecilia Odey/Ekemini Ladejobi

     

  • Male shooter charged after death of woman in Australia’s Queensland

    Male shooter charged after death of woman in Australia’s Queensland

    Shooter

    Sydney, June 20, 2024 (Xinhua/NAN) A male was charged on Thursday after he fatally shot a woman and seriously injured one man in the Australian state of Queensland.

    Police were called to the Robb Place address in South Mackay just after 4:30 p.m. local time on Wednesday.

    A woman was found deceased at the scene and a man suffered non-life-threatening injuries.

    According to Queensland Police, the 34-year-old South Mackay woman was sitting in a parked vehicle, when she was approached by the 31-year-old South Mackay man armed with a firearm.

    It was believed that the duo were not known to each other but resided on the same street.

    There were two children inside the vehicle when the incident occurred.

    They ran away from the scene on foot and were not physically harmed.

    Police noted that a 66-year-old man, who lived nearby, approached the man a short time later and was also shot.

    He sustained non-life-threatening wounds to the hand and sternum, before being taken to a hospital in serious but stable condition.

    At approximately 5:20 p.m. local time on Wednesday, police made an emergency declaration under the Public Safety Preservation Act (PSPA), as the shooter fled the scene in a car.

    He was later taken into custody at a service station along the Bruce Highway near Hilton Street, with the PSPA revoked on Wednesday evening.

    Police have confirmed that there was no ongoing threat to the public.

    The police said that the 31-year-old shooter has been charged with one count each of murder and attempted murder.

    South Mackay is a coastal suburb of Mackay City, 970 km north of Brisbane. Australia’s 2021 Census suggested that the suburb had a population of 6,918. (Xinhua/NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

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    (Edited by Cecilia Odey/Emmanuel Yashim)

  • Ukraine’s energy infrastructure targeted in latest Russian attack

    Ukraine’s energy infrastructure targeted in latest Russian attack

    Infrastructure

    Kiev, Jun e 20, 2024 (dpa/NAN) Several Ukrainian energy facilities have been hit in a severe Russian aerial attack, Ukraine’s national energy provider, Ukrenerho said on Thursday morning, while Ukrainian drones targeted fuel depots in Russia overnight.

    Ukrenerho reported damages from the Vinnytsia, Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk and Kiev regions, saying that the exact extent was still being investigated.

    The damage in Ukraine’s Vinnytsia region was caused by debris from a downed Russian combat drone, regional governor Serhiy Borsov said on Telegram.

    A power line and an unspecified industrial plant were hit in the Kiev region, according to the regional administration.

    Explosions were reported overnight from the city of Dnipro and the Zaporizhzhya region.

    According to the Ukrainian air force, Russia used four cruise missiles, two guided missiles and 27 combat drones in the combined attack.

    All drones and five of the other missiles were intercepted, according to Commander Mykola Oleshchuk.

    According to the Ukrainian army, three Iskander-M ballistic missiles could not be intercepted.

    Iskander missiles, which have a range of up to 500 kilometres, were rarely intercepted.

    Meanwhile Ukrainian drone attacks caused fires at two fuel depots overnight, according to Russian authorities.

    A fuel depot in the town of Enem near Krasnodar in southern Russia and a depot in the Tambov region south of Moscow were affected.

    According to the Russian Defence Ministry, 15 drones were shot down.

    It was not possible to independently verify the claim from either warring party.

    Ukraine has been defending itself against a full-scale Russian invasion for more than two years.

    Its attacks on targets in the Russian hinterland are primarily intended to disrupt fuel supply to Moscow’s forces. (dpa/NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

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    Edited by Cecilia Odey/Buhari Bolaji

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  • Israel pounds central Gaza camps, deepens invasion of Rafah

    Israel pounds central Gaza camps, deepens invasion of Rafah

    Pounding

    Cairo, June 20, 2024 (Reuters/NAN) Israeli forces pounded areas in the central Gaza Strip overnight, killing three people and wounding dozens of others, according to medics, while tanks deepened their invasion into Rafah in the south, residents said.
    Israeli planes struck a house in Al-Nuseirat camp, killing two people and wounding 12 others, while tanks shelled areas in Al-Maghazi and Al-Bureij camps, wounding many other people, health officials said. Nuseirat, Maghazi, and Bureij are three of Gaza’s eight historic refugee camps.
    In Deir al-Balah, a city packed with displaced people in the central Gaza Strip, an Israeli air strike killed one Palestinian and wounded several others on Thursday, medics said.
    The Israeli military said on Wednesday forces were continuing their operations across the enclave targeting militants and military infrastructure in what it described as “precise, intelligence-based” activities.
    More than eight months into the war in Gaza, Israel’s advance is now focused on the two last areas its forces had yet to storm: Rafah on Gaza’s southern edge and the area surrounding Deir al-Balah in the centre.
    The operations have forced more than a million people to flee since May, the vast majority already displaced from other parts of the enclave.
    In Rafah, near the border with Egypt, Israeli tanks stationed deep in the western and central areas of the city stepped up bombardment, forcing more families living in the far coastal areas to flee northward. Some residents said the pace of the raid has been accelerated in the past two days.
    “The tanks took control of most of the areas in Rafah. People living by the beach have also started to leave toward Khan Younis and central areas in fear because of the continued bombardment,” said Abu Wasim, a resident from Rafah’s Al-Shaboura neighbourhood, who quit his home over a week ago before tanks rolled in reaching the heart of the city.
    Rafah housed over half of Gaza’s 2.3 million people until May 7 when Israeli forces began the ground offensive into the city. Fewer than 100,000 are now believed to be left behind.
    There has been no sign of let-up in the fighting as efforts by international mediators, backed by the United States, have failed to persuade Israel and Hamas to agree to a ceasefire.
    The armed wings of Hamas and Islamic Jihad said fighters battled Israeli forces with anti-tank rockets and mortar bombs, and have in some areas detonated pre-planted explosive devices against army units.
    On Thursday, Israeli authorities freed 33 Palestinians who had been detained during the past months by Israeli forces in different areas of the enclave.
    The freed detainees were admitted into Al-Aqsa Hospital in Deir Al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip after they complained of torture and mistreatment by Israeli jailers.
    Israel denies mistreatment of Palestinian detainees.
    Palestinian and international human rights groups have criticised what they say is Israel’s ill-treatment of Gaza detainees and repeatedly demanded it discloses their whereabouts and information about their well-being.
    Israel’s ground and air campaign was triggered when Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel on Oct. 7, killing around 1,200 people and seizing more than 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies.
    The offensive has left Gaza in ruins, killed more than 37,400 people, according to Palestinian health authorities, and left nearly the entire population homeless and destitute.
    Since a week-long truce in November, repeated attempts to arrange a ceasefire have failed, with Hamas insisting on an end to the war and full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.
    Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he will agree only to temporary pauses and will not end the war until Hamas is eradicated and the hostages are freed. (Reuters/NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

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    (Edited by Emmanuel Yashim)