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Category: Foreign

  • Zelensky refutes Russian claims of village capture in Sumy region

    Zelensky refutes Russian claims of village capture in Sumy region

    Claim

    Kiev, June 10, 2024 (dpa/NAN) Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has dismissed Russian statements regarding the capture of a village in Ukraine’s north-eastern Sumy region.

    “As of this morning, the Russian flag in the village (of Ryzhivka) has been destroyed, and there are no occupiers present,’’ Zelensky wrote on Telegram on Monday.

    He added that the alleged conquest of the village was a Russian propaganda campaign.

    On Sunday evening, the head of Russia’s semi-autonomous republic of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, stated that a special unit had seized the border village of Ryzhivka.

    Ryzhivka is in the Sumy region and inflicted significant losses on Ukrainian forces.

    However, military observers quickly cast doubt on the claim, although for weeks there has been mounting speculation about Russian troops opening another front in Sumy.

    Ukraine has been fending off an all-out Russian invasion for more than two years. (dpa/NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

    COO/AMM
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    Edited by Cecilia Odey and Abiemwense Moru

  • Hajj: NAHCON to reduce days pilgrims spend in Saudi – Arabi

    Pilgrims

    By Salisu Sani-Idris

    Madinah (Saudi Arabia), June 10, 2024 (NAN) The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) says it has adopted a strategy to reduce the number of days Nigerian pilgrims spend in Saudi Arabia during pilgrimage.

    Its Executive Chairman, Malam Jalal Arabi, stated this on Monday in an interview with newsmen, shortly after he arrived at the Prince Mohammed Bin Abdulaziz International Airport, Madinah.

    Arabi explained that the commission had succeeded in transporting 100 per cent of Nigeria pilgrims direct to Madinah.

    “And you know the secret? Allah helping us, if we are able to achieve this target, we hope to succeed again for the first time in reducing the number of days that Nigerians spend each time they come to perform pilgrimage.

    “In the past, you see Nigerians in disarray, loitering about while their counterparts from other countries would have been evacuated back home.

    “It is a very good starting and by God’s grace, we will get good results,’’ he said.

    He commended the presidency and the National Assembly for their tremendous support towards the success of the ongoing hajj operations.

    He also commended air carriers for living up to expectations, saying that “this is because there is trust and we didn’t lie to them. We made them to believe and they believe and they performed.

    “We lack adequate words to give praises to our Creator and to thank Him, we can’t thank him enough for what he has done for us.

    “I think this day will go down in history as I don’t want to say the first time in history but the first time in a very long time since the commencement of Hajj preparations to say that 72 hours be the closure of Saudi air space, 100 per cent of our pilgrims are here.

    “At least those in our cluster and we hope the tour operators too will be able to beat the target as well.

    “Of course, that was able to be achieved through the cooperation and collaboration of all stakeholders, both the public and the private sector.

    He said that the commission had put adequate arrangements for feeding and medical care services for pilgrims at Masha’eer (core hajj rites period) which is expected to start on June 13.

    “We are hopeful that the principle of Tafweej (grouping of pilgrims) will come to play where pilgrims are group for ease of movement and identification.

    “Secondly, like we said we have come with a new innovation in monitoring and distribution of food which is very critical and fundamental.

    “In fact, this is one of the reasons we won’t even stay in Madinah, myself and a few members of my team are now heading to Makkah to do an assessment of what happened, the report we have received based on what had happened.”

    Arabi said that tonight the commission would invite all service providers that were indicted in one way or the other to read the riot act on them.

    “Because this time around, a pilgrim is a king and queen and we won’t let them be shortchange, neglected, humiliated.”

    According to NAHCON boss, all Nigerian pilgrims should be patient, law abiding and be ready to worship because it is not going to be cat walk.

    “From what I have seen while landing in Madinah, the weather is harsh but they (pilgrims) have been told and warned and I’m sure they are ready for it.” (NAN)

    SSI/ADA

    Edited by Deji Abdulwahab

     

  • Switzerland says cyber attacks surge ahead of Ukraine summit

    Attack

    Bern, June 10, 2024 (Reuters/NAN) Switzerland said that it registered an increase in cyber attacks and disinformation in the run-up to a summit this weekend that aims to create a pathway for peace in Ukraine.

    The government said this on Monday.

    According to the government, ninety states and organisations have registered to take part in the talks to be held at Lucerne from June 15  to 16, roughly half of them from South America, Asia, Africa and the Middle East.

    Russia has not been invited, but the Swiss government said the talks aimed to “jointly define a roadmap’’ on how to involve both it and Ukraine in a future peace process.

    Swiss President Viola Amherd told a press conference cyber attacks had increased in recent weeks and was asked how her government was addressing personal attacks against her in Russian media that have been publicised in Switzerland.

    “We haven’t summoned the ambassador,” she said. “That’s how I wanted it, because the disinformation campaign is so extreme that one can see that little of it reflects reality.”

    Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis said there was a clear “interest” in disrupting the talks, but avoided saying who was behind the attacks when asked if Russia was involved.

    Switzerland has agreed to host the summit at the behest of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, and has tried to drum up support for it among countries that have better relations with Moscow than leading Western powers.

    Russia has dismissed the summit as a waste of time. It was not invited to participate, Switzerland says, because it signalled it had no interest in attending.

    Cassis reiterated though, that Russia must be part of the peace process.

    Its absence had encouraged powerful allies of Moscow such as China to say there is no point in peace talks unless both Russia and Ukraine take part.

    That has dampened expectations for any kind of major breakthrough in Switzerland.

    The summit at the Buergenstock resort is due to discuss areas of international concern, such as the need for nuclear and food security, freedom of navigation as well as humanitarian issues, such as prisoners of war exchanges, Cassis said.

    Turkey and India will participate, Swiss officials said, though it was not clear at what level. Whether Brazil and South Africa would take part remained unclear.

    Roughly half the countries taking part will be represented by heads of state or government, Switzerland said.

    The summit is due to conclude with a final declaration, “ideally” one backed unanimously, Cassis said.

    It also aims to set out what the next step would be in the peace process.

    When asked who might succeed Switzerland in the next phase, Cassis said he could not give details.

    He noted that efforts were underway for something “outside the western part of the world”.Doing so could boost inclusion of the “Global South and Arabian countries” in the process, he said.(dpa/NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

    HS

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    Edited by Halima Sheji

  • Judgment enforcement: ECOWAS court dismisses Dasuki’s suit against FG

    ECOWAS Court sitting

     

    Judgment enforcement: ECOWAS court dismisses Dasuki’s suit against FG


    Enforcement
    By Mark Longyen

    Abuja, June 10, 2024(NAN)The ECOWAS Court has dismissed an application filed by former National Security Adviser, retired Col. Sambo Dasuk., praying the court to compel Nigeria to enforce its judgment delivered in his favour on Oct.  4, 2016.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the court had in the judgment declared Dasuki’s arrest and detention by the Nigerian government unlawful and a violation of his rights.

    Justice Sengu Koroma, the Judge Rapporteur, while delivering judgment in Abuja on Dasuki’s application for enforcement, dismissed it on the ground that the court lacked jurisdiction to entertain or enforce the earlier judgment.

    Koroma said the court was guided by laid down procedures regarding the enforcement of its judgments as enshrined in the Community Law, and the proper party to institute an enforcement failure claim.

    “Having thoroughly assessed the claims and constitutive texts of the Court, it lacks the competence to adjudicate the present claim,” the court said.

    NAN reports that in the suit marked: ECW/CCJ/JUD/23/16, Justice Friday Nwoke had declared the government’s action against Dasuki as “arbitrary, unlawful, a mockery of democracy and the rule of law, and a violation of local and international rights to liberty.”

    The court had further held that the government’s action violated Dasuki’s rights under the African Charter of Human and People’s Rights (ACHPR) and the International Convention on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).

    It, therefore, ordered the release of all the seized properties of the applicant, as well as the payment of N15, 000,000 damages to him.

    Following the federal government’s failure to comply with and enforce the said judgment, the applicant, therefore, filed the application before the court for its enforcement.

    Earlier at the hearing of the matter, the federal government denied the applicant’s allegations, stressing that the properties being claimed by Dasuki were subjects of ongoing criminal proceedings, which he did not disclose in the suit.

    The respondent’s counsel had argued that the government had already fulfilled its obligations, adding that the court’s Chief Registrar had issued a Writ of Execution, making the relief prayed for by the applicant unnecessary.

    The panel, which comprised Justice Edward Asante (presiding), Justice Sengu Koroma (Judge Rapporteur), and Justice Ricardo Claúdio Gonçalves (member), awarded no costs to parties in the suit.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

    YEN/SH

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    edited by Sadiya Hamza 

  • Japan Govt. inspects Honda headquarters over vehicle test fraud

    GJapan Govt. inspects Honda headquarters over vehicle test fraud
    Inspection
    Tokyo, June 10, 2024  (Xinhua/NAN)  Japan’s transport ministry has inspected  Honda Motor Co.’s headquarters in Tokyo after the company and other automakers admitted to carrying out improper tests for vehicle certifications required for mass production.
    According to local media reports, after the inspections, the Ministry will decide whether to impose administrative punishments to prevent a recurrence.
    It would also determine if recalls are required by examining whether the affected vehicles meet its safety and environmental performance standards, the report said.
    Honda said vehicle tests for 22 models were improperly conducted, including the reporting of falsified data.
    None of its current models are affected, according to the report.
    Honda became the fourth company to be inspected under the road transport vehicle law following Toyota Motor Corp., Yamaha Motor Co. and Suzuki Motor Corp., a week after five automakers unveiled safety tests were not conducted in line with government specifications.
    A total of 38 models manufactured by the five automakers are affected.
    Six of the affected models produced by Toyota, Mazda and Yamaha Motor are currently on the market and the ministry has ordered shipments to be halted, the report said.
    The ministry wiould commence a probe into Mazda Motor Corp. soon, it added.
    The latest misconduct was disclosed after the ministry instructed 85 automakers and parts suppliers to investigate whether certifications were acquired properly, following a series of similar scandals that hit Toyota group firms in 2022 and later.  (Xinhua/NAN)(www.nannes.ng)
    UMD/HA
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    Edited by Ummul Idris/Hadiza Mohammed-Aliyu

  • Australia to attend int’l conference on Gaza humanitarian aid

    Australia to attend int’l conference on Gaza humanitarian aid
    Conference
    Canberra, June 10, 2024 (Xinhua/NAN)  Australia will attend an international conference on the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, the government confirmed on Monday.
    Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong announced that Anne Aly, the minister for early childhood development and minister for youth, will represent Australia at the conference in Amman, Jordan, that has been convened by Jordan, Egypt and the United Nations (UN).
    Wong said that Egyptian-born Aly was chosen because of her lived experience and understanding of the conflict in the Middle East.
    They said in a joint statement that Australia has been clear that Israel must comply with the orders of the International Court of Justice and allow the provision of basic services and humanitarian assistance to Gaza and reiterated calls for the war to end.
    “The humanitarian situation in Gaza is catastrophic. Over one million Palestinians are facing catastrophic levels of food insecurity and around 1.7 million people have been displaced, many several times over.
    “Humanitarian access remains grossly inadequate,” Aly said.
    Since the beginning of the conflict,  Australia has committed 62.5 million Australian dollars (41.1 million U.S. dollars) in humanitarian assistance to the region, including 41 million Australian dollars (27.0 million U.S. dollars) to address urgent needs in Gaza. (Xinhua/NAN)(www.nannes.ng)
    UMD/HA
    Edited by Ummul Idris

  • Israeli war cabinet minister resigns, calls for new elections

    Israeli war cabinet minister resigns, calls for new elections
    Minister
    Jerusalem, June 10, 2024 (Xinhua/NAN)  Israel’s centrist War Cabinet Minister, Benny Gantz, announced his resignation from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s emergency government and called for new elections.
    In response, Netanyahu released a statement saying that “Israel is in an existential war on several fronts.
    “Benny, this is not the time to abandon the campaign.”
    In a televised press conference, Gantz accused Netanyahu of prioritising his political survival over a ceasefire deal that would secure the release of about 100 hostages held in Gaza.
    “Unfortunately, Netanyahu is preventing us from advancing toward the real victory,” said Gantz.
    “Strategic decisions are met with hesitation due to political considerations.”
    Echoing increasing public protest against Netanyahu’s government, Gantz called for a new round of elections in the fall.
    He urged Netanyahu to set an agreed date to hold them.
    “Don’t let our people to be torn apart,” he said.
    Gantz’s decision to withdraw his centrist party from Netanyahu’s far-right coalition left it with extremist ministers, including Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, who advocate for reoccupying the Gaza Strip and expanding Israeli settlements there.
    Gantz’s resignation followed a May ultimatum he issued to the right-wing prime minister, demanding that Netanyahu develop a clear post-conflict strategy for Gaza, where Israel has been conducting a fatal assault, and agree to a hostage-ceasefire agreement. (Xinhua/NAN)(www.nannes.ng)
    UMD/HA
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    Edited by Ummul Idris/Hadiza Mohammed-Aliyu

  • Iraqi court sentences 7 drug dealers to death

    Iraqi court sentences 7 drug dealers to death
    Sentence
    Baghdad, June 10, 2024 (Xinhua/NAN) An Iraqi court has issued death sentences to seven drug dealers, including a foreigner.
    “The Central Criminal Court issued a verdict to execute seven drug dealers, including a foreigner, who were convicted of trafficking narcotic substances,” the Supreme Judicial Council said in a statement, without specifying the nationality of the foreigner.
    The council noted that the convicts were sentenced to death for importing and exporting narcotic substances from neighboring countries.
    The chaos and conflicts that have engulfed Iraq since the U.S. invasion in 2003 impeded Iraqi governments from effectively addressing the threat of drugs.
    In May 2023, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani underlined the importance of waging “a war on drugs.
    He said that drug dealing remains one of the main ways of financing terrorism, and the circulation of drugs flourishes in the shadow of terrorism. (Xinhua/NAN) (www.nannes.ng)
    UMD/SH
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    Edited by Ummul Idris/Sadiya Hamza

  • Libya seeks to increase daily oil production

    Libya seeks to increase daily oil production
    Oil
    Tripoli, June 10, 2024 (Xinhua/NAN) Libyan Prime Minister Abdul-Hamed Dbeibah has emphasised the importance of consolidating the efforts of all government institutions to enhance oil production.
    The prime minister made the remarks in a meeting with Farhat Bengdara, chairman of the Libyan National Oil Corporation (NOC), according to a statement by the Libyan government.
    To bolster oil production, Dbeibah also issued instructions to support the Libyan private oil sector and to “increase the efficiency of Libyan workers,” the statement added.
    During the meeting, Bengdara confirmed that NOC has set a goal to increase production to two million barrels per day by the end of next year.
    As of Sunday, its daily oil production stands at 1,250,775 barrels, according to the company.
    Oil and gas exports are the primary source of income for Libya.
    However, the sector has faced setbacks over the past years due to domestic conflicts and political instability.  (Xinhua/NAN) (www.nannews.ng )
    UMD/SH
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    Edited by Ummul Idris/Sadiya Hamza

  • Emmanuel Macron announces dissolution of National Assembly

    Emmanuel Macron announces dissolution of National Assembly
    Dissolution
    Parìs, June 10, 2024 (Xinhua/NAN) French President Emmanuel Macron has announced the dissolution of the National Assembly, following defeat of his party in 2024 European Parliament (EP) elections, according to local media report.
    “I have decided to give you back the choice of your parliamentary future through the vote. I am therefore dissolving the National Assembly,” Macron said in a short speech.
    “This is a serious, weighty decision. But it is above all an act of trust,” he added.
    He added that the elections to the National Assembly are to take place in two rounds on June 30 and July 7.
    Macron’s Renaissance party gained 15.2 per cent of the votes in 2024 European Parliament elections, far behind far-right National Rally who received 31.8 per cent.
    “The unprecedented gap between the presidential majority and the leading opposition party reflects a stinging disavowal and rejection of the policies led by Emmanuel Macron,” RN President Jordan Bardella said after the EP elections results were unveiled, quoted by local media.
    “We’re ready for it. I call on French people to join us in forming around the RN a majority in the service of the only cause that guides our steps: France.” parliamentary party leader of RN, Marine Le Pen, said Sunday evening on social media platform X.
    The EP elections were held from June 6 to June 9, with voters of the 27 EU member states selecting 720 lawmakers to the 10th EP.(Xinhua/NAN)(www.nannes.ng)
    UMD/SH
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    Edited by Ummul Idris/Sadiya Hamza