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Category: Foreign

  • UK is running out of jail space

    UK is running out of jail space

    Jail

    London, June 25, 2024 (Xinhua/NAN) Prisons are expected to reach full capacity within days, warned the Prison Governors Association (PGA) in England and Wales on Tuesday.

    “As this happens, courts and the police will no longer be able to freely and lawfully detain offenders,” said PGA in an open letter to political leaders in the UK.

    “This will put the public at risk, as people who should be in prison are left to roam the streets,” added the PGA.

    The latest data released by the UK’s Ministry of Justice shows that the prisoner population in the UK has reached 87,395, just 1,383 short of the total usable operational capacity.

    On May 15, the UK government triggered Operation Early Dawn, delaying the start of some court cases across England. (Xinhua/NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

     

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    Edited by Sarafina Christopher and Abiemwense Moru

  • Zelensky discusses EU accession with German Bundesrat president

    Zelensky discusses EU accession with German Bundesrat president

    Accession

    Kiev, June 25, 2024 (dpa/NAN) Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky held talks in Kiev on Tuesday with the president of Germany’s upper parliamentary chamber, the Bundesrat.

    During their hour-long discussion, Manuela Schwesig spoke in favour of Ukraine joining the European Union.

    The meeting took place just before the official start of Ukraine’s EU accession negotiations in Luxembourg on Tuesday.

    In addition to her role in the Bundesrat, Schwesig is also the premier of the northern German state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.

    The Bundesrat represents Germany’s 16 federal states at the national level.

    “This is an important day for Ukraine, but also for the European Union.

    “The states (of Germany) support this accession,’’ said Schwesig afterwards.

    The talks also covered the economy, regional partnerships and military support for Ukraine.

    Zelensky expressly thanked the German government for its help, said Schwesig, a member of the centre-left Social Democrats.

    She said that the Ukrainian armed forces must now be further supported, particularly with additional air defence systems.

    A Patriot missile system currently stationed in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern for training purposes is to be delivered shortly.

    “It is now important that it arrives in Ukraine to further protect the population from Russian attacks.

    “This is urgently needed now,’’ said Schwesig.

    Schwesig announced a German-Ukrainian economic conference in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern in the autumn.

    The main focus would be on cooperation with her state’s partner region of Chernihiv, north of Kiev, which borders Russia and Belarus.

    Schwesig has been president of Germany’s Bundesrat since November 2023, making her the fourth-highest state office holder in Germany.

    She is the first head of the upper house of parliament to visit Ukraine.

    She had already met with Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, Parliament Speaker Rusland Stefanchuk and Kiev Mayor Vitali Klitschko on Monday. (dpa/ NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

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    Edited by Cecilia Odey and Abiemwense Moru

  • Kenya secures $461m to combat HIV, tuberculosis, malaria

    Grant

    Nairobi, June 25, 2024 (Xinhua/NAN) Kenya has announced that it has signed six grants totaling 59.7 billion shillings (about 462 million U.S. dollars) to support programmes targeting HIV, tuberculosis and malaria.

    In a statement issued in Nairobi, the Kenyan capital, the Ministry of Health said that the three-year grants from the Global Fund, an international financing and partnership organisation, will also be used to strengthen health and community systems from July 2024 to June 2027.

    “The total amount for each component includes 232.5 million dollars for HIV, 72.9 million dollars for malaria, 67.7 million dollars for tuberculosis, and 34.6 million dollars for health systems strengthening,” the ministry said.

    The Global Fund is a worldwide movement to defeat HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria.

    In Kenya, the fund has supported the provision of HIV test kits and antiretroviral drugs to about 1.4 million people.

    According to the Ministry of Health, this has led to a significant decline in new HIV infections by 78 per cent, HIV-related deaths by 68 per cent and mother-to-child transmissions by 65 per cent.

    “Regarding the tuberculosis program, we have recorded a treatment success rate of 86 per cent.

    The ministry had reported that the positivity rate among tuberculosis cases declined from 7.35 per cent in 2021 to 5.6 per cent in 2024.

    The ministry added that the malaria programme contributed to an overall reduction in the disease burden, with the national prevalence level declining from 8.2 per cent in 2025 to 6 per cent in 2023.

    It aims to reduce malaria incidence and deaths by at least 75 per cent by 2027.

    The new grants will enhance the provision of quality care and prevention services for people with tuberculosis, leprosy, and lung diseases.

    It has also contributed to achieving Universal Health Coverage through comprehensive HIV prevention, treatment and care.

    According to the Global Fund, it invested more than 5 billion dollars annually to fight HIV, tuberculosis and malaria, ensuring a healthier, safer and more equitable future for all. (Xinhua/NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

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    Edited by Halima Sheji

     

  • Kremlin denounces latest EU sanctions as illegal

    Kremlin denounces latest EU sanctions as illegal

    Sanctions

    Moscow, June 25, 2024 (Xinhua/NAN) Russia has firmly opposes the package of sanctions adopted recently by the European Union (EU) and considers them illegal, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday.

    “We are convinced that this is a double-edged sword and that in many ways these restrictions backfire on the interests of those countries that implement them,” Peskov said.

    He added that Moscow has enough experience in mitigating the impact of such restrictions.

    The Council of the European Union earlier on Monday announced that it has adopted the 14th package of economic and individual restrictive measures against Russia.

    According to a statement released by the council, these measures targeted high-value sectors of the Russian economy, including energy, finance and trade, making it more difficult to circumvent EU sanctions. (Xinhua/NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

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    Edited by Halima Sheji

     

  • Worldwide alcohol consumption declining slowly — WHO

    Worldwide alcohol consumption declining slowly — WHO

    Alcohol
    Geneva, June 25, 2024 (dpa/NAN) People around the world are drinking less alcohol than they used to but the World Health Organisation (WHO) is warning that the reduction is happening far too slowly.

    The WHO reported in Geneva on Tuesday that the organisation’s goal of reducing consumption by 20 per cent by 2030 compared to the 2010 level cannot now be achieved.

    The WHO’s figures suggest per capita consumption worldwide fell from 5.7 litres of pure alcohol in 2010 to 5.5 litres of alcohol in 2019.

    Moreover, it is calling for countries to do more to reduce drinking, including introducing advertising bans and sales restrictions, as well as raising prices through taxation.

    According to the WHO’s figures, Germany is one of the world leaders in alcohol consumption.

    It said that on the average every person over the age of 15 in Germany drank 12.2 litres of pure alcohol in 2019.

    WHO does not provide precise rankings of countries because, it says, there are margins of error in all the figures.

    The organisation is also reluctant to put a figure on how much alcohol can be drunk safely.

    “There is no such thing as risk-free alcohol consumption, ‘said Vladimir Poznyak, head of the relevant WHO department.

    However, the WHO does say that two glasses of wine or two bottles of beer every day is too much.

    According to the WHO’s figures, 22 Per cent of 15 to 19-year-olds worldwide drink alcohol.

    It said that in 2019, alcohol consumption caused 2.6 million deaths, while 209 million people were addicted to alcohol and a further 200 million had at least problematic alcohol consumption.

    Data from more recently than 2019 cannot be reliably analysed, said Poznyak, due to the Coronavirus pandemic. (dpa/NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

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    Edited by Cecilia Odey/Hadiza Mohammed-Aliyu

  • Saudi Arabia warns against misuse of visas for Hajj pilgrimage

    Pilgrimage

    Riyadh, June 25, 2024 (Xinhua/NAN) Saudi Arabia has accused tourism companies from other countries of misleading visit visa holders into participating in the Hajj pilgrimage.

    The Security Spokesperson of the Saudi Interior Ministry, Talal Shalhoub, said that those companies issued visas not intended for Hajj, and encouraged them to violate regulations by staying in Mecca two months before the Hajj season, according to the Saudi Press Agency.

    The spokesperson emphasised that a Hajj permit is not merely a transit card but a crucial tool that facilitates access to pilgrims and identifies their locations to provide necessary care and services.

    The spokesperson underscored that individuals without a Hajj permit face challenges in accessing essential services and healthcare during the pilgrimage.

    According to Shalhoub, 83 per cent of the total mortalities during the Hajj season this year, amounting to 1,079 out of 1,301, were those without Hajj permits.(Xinhua/NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

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    Edited by Halima Sheji

     

  • Suspect faces 1st-degree murder in Canada’s mass shooting

    Suspect faces 1st-degree murder in Canada’s mass shooting

    Murder

    Ottawa, June 25, 2024 (Xinhua/NAN) 14 year old suspected boy was charged with two counts of 1st-degree murder in a mass shooting outside a school in Ottawa, the Toronto Police Service said.

    The shooting occurred earlier this month in the parking lot of North Albion Collegiate Institute, the police said in a news release.

    The motive of the 14-year-old suspected boy involved in the shooting remains unclear, the police said.

    The boy was scheduled to appear at the Ontario Court of Justice on Monday, the release said.

    Nine men gathered in the parking lot area after a soccer game and two suspects got out and began shooting at the group before fleeing the area, the police said.

    Delroy “George” Parkes, age 61, was pronounced deceased on the day of the shooting while 46-year-old Seymour Gibbs succumbed to his injuries three days later.

    Another three men suffered gunshot wounds, the police added. (Xinhua/NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

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    Edited by Cecilia Odey/Ekemini Ladejobi

  • German politician to pay £12,000 fine for insulting Bavarian leader

    German politician to pay £12,000 fine for insulting Bavarian leader

    Fine

    Deggendorf, Germany June 25, 2024 (dpa/NAN) The leader of the Bavarian state branch of the far-right Alternative for Germany is to pay a fine of 12,000 pounds (12,870 dollars) over insulting comments about Bavaria’s state premier.

    The AfD’s Stephan Protschka derided Bavarian state premier Markus Söder as “Södolf”, an apparent reference to Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler.

    He also called him a “traitor to the country” at a political event on Ash Wednesday in 2023 .

    The local public prosecutor’s office had brought a case against Protschka, but on Tuesday agreed to drop the proceedings in exchange for Protschka’s agreement to pay the fine.

    The dismissal also came after Protschka’s defence attorney made a statement to the court in which he said that the AfD politician did not intend to insult Söder

    The AfD politician intended to make a point in a political debate.

    Protschka did not intend to make allusions to Germany’s dark Nazi era, but instead had picked up on terms used by a previous speaker, his lawyer asserted.

    Protschka now has until the end of August to pay the fine, said the judge.

    In April, the Deggendorf district court had sentenced another speaker at the same event, the Austrian politician Gerald Grosz, to a fine of almost 15,000 pounds for insulting Söder.

    Grosz had used the same terms as Protschka to describe Söder, the leader of Bavaria’s centre-right Christian Social Union (CSU).

    Grosz argued in the court that his statements were satire, and appealed the verdict.

    A court spokesman said the verdict against Grosz was not yet legally binding. (Xinhua/NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

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    Edited by Sarafina Christopher/Halima Sheji

  • UN launches global principles to combat online hate, urges action

    UN launches global principles to combat online hate, urges action

    Principles

    New York, June 25, 2024 (dpa/NAN) Technology companies must take responsibility and mitigate harm to society, UN Secretary General António Guterres said on Monday, as he launched a set of global principles to combat online hate.

    The principles form a framework for coordinated international action to make information spaces safer and more humane, “one of the most urgent tasks of our time,” the UN said in a statement.

    According to the UN, misinformation, disinformation, hate speech and other risks to the information ecosystem were fuelling conflict, threatening democracy and human rights and undermining public health and climate action.

    “Their proliferation is now being supercharged by the rapid rise of readily available Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies, increasing the threat to groups often targeted in information spaces, including children.”

    Guterres said that the principles would empower people to demand their rights.

    “At a time when billions of people are exposed to false narratives, distortions and lies, these principles lay out a clear path forward, firmly rooted in human rights, including the rights to freedom of expression and opinion.”

    The principles, however, called on governments, tech companies, advertisers and industry to take responsibility for the spread and monetisation of content that results in harm.

    “Government, tech companies, AI developers and advertisers should take special measures to protect and empower children,” the UN said.

    Those involved in AI development are urged to ensure that applications are designed, deployed and used safely, securely, responsibly and ethically, and uphold human rights.

    A free and independent media and strong protections for journalists, researchers and civil society are also called for, according to the principles. (dpa/NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

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    Edited by Cecilia Odey/Halima Sheji

     

     

  • Australia offers assistance as Assange trial drags on

    Australia offers assistance as Assange trial drags on

    Trial

    Sydney, June 25, 2024 (dpa/NAN) Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Tuesday said his country was providing assistance to Julian Assange following the news that the Wikileaks founder agreed to plead guilty.

    He agreed to plead guilty in a deal with the U.S. and that he has left the UK.

    “The government is certainly aware that Australian citizen Assange has legal proceedings scheduled in the United States,’’ Albanese told Australia’s parliament during Question Time, calling the news a welcomed development.”

    According to court documents filed earlier on Monday, Assange was set to plead guilty to one charge of conspiring to obtain and disclose classified U.S. national defence documents.

    This was in return for being spared further imprisonment in the U.S., in a deal with the Justice Department.

    Assange is expected to attend a hearing on the Pacific island of Saipan on Wednesday before returning to Australia, the court documents state.

    Saipan, part of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands in the Pacific Ocean south of Japan, is under U.S. administration.

    The deal is still to be approved by a U.S. federal judge.

    Albanese said that he would not provide “further detailed comment as the proceedings were ongoing, but did confirmed that UK High Commissioner Steven Smith travelled with Mr Assange.

    He said they travelled when he left the United Kingdom, while Australia’s ambassador to the U.S., Kevin Rudd was also providing assistance.

    “The case has dragged on for too long. There is nothing to be gained by his continued incarceration and we want him brought home to Australia,’’ Albanese said.

    “I will have more to say when these legal proceedings have concluded, which I hope will be very soon, and I will report as appropriate at that time,’’ the prime minister said.

    Wikileaks said Assange left the high-security Belmarsh prison in London on bail on Monday morning and departed the UK from Stansted Airport at 5 p.m. local time (1600 GMT).

    Assange was accused of having stolen and published secret material from U.S. military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan together with whistleblower Chelsea Manning, putting the lives of U.S. informants in danger.

    His supporters saw the Wikileaks founder as a journalist who brought war crimes to light.

    British police arrested Assange in 2019 at the Ecuadorian embassy, where he had taken refuge for seven years, for failing to surrender to an earlier warrant linked to Swedish charges that were eventually dropped.

    The police swooped in after Quito revoked Assange’s asylum status. (dpa/NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

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    Edited by Cecilia Odey/Halima Sheji