The Nation Newspaper

Category: Foreign

  • UNGA: Jill Biden bids farewell to visiting First Ladies 

    UNGA: Jill Biden bids farewell to visiting First Ladies 

    The Wife of the United States President, Jill Biden, has said farewell to visiting First Ladies from other nations, including the First Lady of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, at the 79th United Nations General Assembly.

    Biden, who hosted the First Ladies to lunch, said the bond they have forged over the years in their struggle to promote peace in the world and attract development to their respective countries will continue beyond next January when she is expected to vacate as the First Lady of the U.S.

    In a statement by Busola Kukoyi, the media aide of Nigeria’s First Lady, Mrs. Biden described her interactions with the first ladies as impactful as the lunch will be the last she will be hosting as the First Lady of the U.S.

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    “I appreciate you all for always coming for this gathering, I have a great feeling that I will be seeing more of you in my next chapter of life.

    “I wish you all the best as you all return to your various countries as it has come to my notice that many of you have a long way back home,” the U.S. first lady was quoted to have said in a statement.

    According to Kukoyi, lunch events are common on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, serving as platforms for world leaders and their delegations to hold bilateral talks, forge partnership and strengthen diplomatic ties.

    Nigeria’s First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu attended the lunch, held at Pier 57, New York, as one of the events marking the end of her engagements and participation at the 79th session of UNGA .

  • Shettima seeks support for disaster relief, regional security in meeting with Guterres

    Shettima seeks support for disaster relief, regional security in meeting with Guterres

    Vice President Kashim Shettima on Thursday met with the United Nations (UN) Secretary-General, António Guterres, at the UN headquarters in New York, where they discussed pressing issues of regional security, humanitarian relief, and Nigeria’s role in international cooperation.

     Vice President Kashim Shettima on Thursday met with United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres, at the UN headquarters in New York where they discussed issues bordering on pressing issues of regional security, humanitarian relief, and Nigeria’s role in international cooperation.

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    The Vice President who is representing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the ongoing 79th Session of the UN General Assembly was welcomed to the UN building by the UN Deputy Secretary-General, Hajiya Amina Mohammed, with whom he had a brief meeting following his discussion with the UN Secretary-General.

    A statement issued by Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications,

  • Nigeria secures $600,000 for flood relief, health/agric sectors’ reforms

    Nigeria secures $600,000 for flood relief, health/agric sectors’ reforms

    Nigeria has secured a $600,000 relief fund and commitments from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to support flood relief efforts and reforms in the health and agricultural sectors.

    Specifically, the foundation pledged the $600,000 for flood relief in Borno State and other health sector initiatives, with an additional $5 million grant approved for Lagos Business School and partners to develop the agricultural economics of industrial cassava.

    The donation was announced when Vice President Kashim Shettima held  a meeting with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation led by its head of Global Development Programme, Dr Christopher Elias, on the sidelines of the 79th United Nations General Assembly in New York.

    Nigeria’s Vice President, Senator Kashim Shettima, reaffirmed the commitment of the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to placing health, nutrition, and agricultural development at the forefront of nation’s national agenda.

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    In a statement issued by Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications, Office of the Vice President, Stanley Nkwocha, Shettima said: “We are deeply committed to addressing the pressing developmental challenges facing our nation, particularly the significant malnutrition crisis”.

    He emphasised the Nigerian government’s dedication to integrity and effective leadership in tackling these issues, pointing out that there is an urgency in securing locations for maize production under the Telemaze programme

    Promising swift action on import permits for certified seeds, the VP said: “We recognise the critical importance of food security and industrial agricultural development. The Cassava Accelerator programme, in particular, holds immense potential for our economy.

  • Envoy seeks Taiwan’s inclusion in UN’s framework

    Envoy seeks Taiwan’s inclusion in UN’s framework

    Trade Representative and Chief of Taiwan Mission in Nigeria Mr. Andy Yih-Ping Liu has argued the inclusion of his country in United Nations (UN) framework.

    The diplomat urged the UN to resist succumbing to pressure from the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and refrain from further distorting UN General Assembly (UNGA) Resolution 2758, which was adopted in 1971.

    In a statement yesterday ahead of the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), Liu said the ultimate goal of the UN is global peace, solidarity and sustainability for all peoples of the world.

    To create a more secure and prosperous world, the envoy noted that it is imperative that the UN system includes Taiwan in its framework.

    He said that excluding Taiwan’s 23 million citizens from participating in the world body undermines the stability of the Asian region and jeopardises global peace, stressing that Taiwan is key to global peace and success of UN system

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    According to him, Taiwan has consistently engaged as a crucial partner in global supply chains, being the producer of over 90 percent of the world’s high-end semiconductors and a significant portion of the advanced chips driving the AI revolution.

    The statement reads: “Additionally, the Taiwan Strait sees half of the world’s seaborne trade, making it a vital international waterway.

    “Despite the peace and stability that have benefited billions of people worldwide, courtesy of efforts of Taiwan, China continues to escalate its aggressive actions against Taiwan. This persistent behaviour by China undermines the stability of the region and jeopardises global peace.

    “Interestingly, in recent years, world leaders have emphasised the importance of maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait during bilateral and multilateral gatherings such as the G7, EU, NATO, and ASEAN meetings.

    “However, the United Nations (UN) has yet to take action to address the challenges posed by China or to include Taiwan in its system. The 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) commences this month, while the General Debate follows subsequently. However, while the ultimate goal of the UN emphasizes global peace, solidarity and sustainability for all peoples of the world, you may wish to note that Taiwan’s 23 million citizens are still excluded from participating in the world body.”

  • Hezbollah launches 85 missiles from Lebanon deep into Israel

    Hezbollah launches 85 missiles from Lebanon deep into Israel

    •Jewish state’s airstrikes continue on terrorist targets

    Hezbollah yesterday launched around 85 missiles from Lebanon into the Haifa area – the deepest into Israel since the beginning of the war in October – with three people injured.

    Hezbollah, an Iran-backed terror group, claimed the rockets were in response to the pager and walkie-talkie blasts in Lebanon last week, which killed more than 30 members of the terror group and wounded thousands of others.

    The attack was attributed to Israel, which has not commented.

    More than 60 Israelis airstrikes have been fired on southern Lebanon since dawn yesterday.

    Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Yoav Gallant conducted security consultations with ministers and top defence officials on Saturday night. Israeli Air Force chief Maj. Gen. Tomer Bar said the IAF was on the highest level of alert.

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    “If Hezbollah didn’t get the message – I assure you – they will get the message,” Netanyahu said ahead of a government meeting yesterday, “We are determined to return our citizens in the north to their homes safely.”

    Netanyahu has delayed his trip to New York for the United Nations General Assembly. He plans to leave Friday, an Israeli official told CNN.

    U.S. officials are urging Israel to de-escalate but must defend itself against attacks, White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said yesterday.

    “We’re watching with concern the escalating tensions in the region and across that border here in the last week or so. And we don’t believe, continue to not believe, that kinetic action, military action, by either side is really in either side’s best interest … There’s a better way forward here,” Kirby said on Fox News yesterday.

  • Canada to cut international student intake by 10% in 2025

    Canada to cut international student intake by 10% in 2025

    Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau has announced that foreign students’ intake will be slashed by 10 percent from 2025.

    This means in 2025, new international student study permits will be reduced from the 2024 target of 485,000 to 437,000.

    Trudeau, who disclosed this in a post on X late Wednesday night, said the restriction has become imperative to protect the country.

    Trudeau said: “We’re granting 35 per cent fewer international student permits this year. And next year, that number’s going down by another 10 per cent.

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    “Immigration is an advantage for our economy – but when bad actors abuse the system and take advantage of students, we crack down.”

    The North American country also announced that it will be limiting work permits to spouses of master’s degree students to only those whose programme is at least 16 months long, and to spouses of foreign workers in certain sectors with labour shortages.

    Changes will also be coming to the post-graduation work permit programme to align with immigration goals and labour market needs.

    The international student cap is part of the federal government’s aim to decrease the number of temporary residents in Canada to five per cent over the next three years, down from the current 6.2 per cent. Earlier, the government announced a two-year cap on study permits to limit its international students’ intake and approve 364,000 undergraduate study permits in 2024, a reduction of 35 percent from 2023.

    Canada relies on economic immigrants to raise the revenue it needs to support social spending on services such as education and healthcare, as it strives to maintain high living standards amid the country’s low birth rate.

  • MOSOP-U.S. flays states for depending on federal allocations

    MOSOP-U.S. flays states for depending on federal allocations

    •Group supports full financial autonomy for councils

    A socio-ethnic movement in the Niger Delta, the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People USA (MOSOP-USA), has chastised many states for depending solely on federal allocations for survival.

    The movement, therefore, recommended the adoption of a revenue distribution formula among the three tiers of government that will encourage production and discourage a dependent sharing mentality.

    The recommendation was contained in a memorandum issued by the President of MOSOP-USA, DineBari Augustine Kpuinem, and submitted to the Senate Committee on Constitution Review recently.

    According to Kpuinem, “it is absurd that most states only depend on the derivation coming from the Federal Government without putting in place internal generation of revenue mechanism.”

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    He noted that the economic regression being experienced in the country is as a result of misappropriation of revenue allocation derived majorly from oil exploration in the Niger Delta.

    “The funds allocated to the various state governments in oil producing states are not judiciously and properly spent across the indigenous people of the states”, he alleged.

  • Canadian mayor honours Nigerian philanthropist

    Canadian mayor honours Nigerian philanthropist

    The founder and President of Julicare Foundation, Prince Julius Adewale Ojo, has received a commendation certificate for his philanthropy from Canada’s Mayor of Pierrefonds-Roxboro, Dimitrios Beis.

    This was made known in a statement by the Chairman, Planning Committee of his 60th Birthday, Prince Segun Akanni.

     He said Mayor Beis personally presented the certificate on Monday, September 9, praising Prince Ojo for standing up on behalf of the vulnerable people in Canada and other countries.

     On the certificate, Mayor Beis wrote that Prince Ojo is recognised “for his efforts to advocate on behalf of vulnerable populations in order to assert their rights, both on national and international levels.”

    Mayor Beis presented the commendation certificate as a prelude to Prince Ojo’s 60th birthday celebration coming up on November 16.

    Reacting, Ojo said: “I was very happy. Imagine the standing ovation given to me. Immediately mayor called my name, everybody stood up and started clapping for me.”

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     However, during the 60th birthday celebration, Ojo will also make the public presentation of his book, “Hearing the Silent Wailings”, in which he explains the style of his humanitarian service and how he began.

     The book launch will hold in Canada at Panemonte Banquet & Convention Centre, 220 Humberline Dr, Etobicoke, ON M9W 5Y4, on November 16.

     Through Julicare Foundation, a registered charity in Quebec, Canada, Ojo has committed himself and his resources in the past 23 years to supporting the less-privileged, especially the homeless and the needy in Canada and other countries like Cuba, Trinidad and Tobago, Mexico, Ghana and Nigeria. Ojo is a Nigerian-Canadian and a native of Osogbo, Osun State.

  • UK govt unveils education initiative in Southwest

    UK govt unveils education initiative in Southwest

    The United Kingdom Government, through the British High Commission, has officially launched the Partnership for Learning for All in Nigeria (PLANE) programme in Southwest.

    The event, held in Lagos yesterday, was organised in collaboration with the Development Agenda for Western Nigeria (DAWN) Commission and SEED Care and Support Foundation.

    PLANE, a seven-year education programme funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office (FCDO), commenced in 2021.

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     The initiative has already been operational in several Northern states and at the federal level, focusing on improving learning outcomes at the basic education level. Its primary goal is to create an inclusive, safe, and effective education system across the country, aligning with the Federal Government’s priorities and the UK Government’s developmental objectives.

    With the programme already active in states such as Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Borno and Yobe, PLANE is now expanding into the Southwest region, engaging key stakeholders like the DAWN Commission, a technocratic body dedicated to the sustainable development of western states.

    During the launch, Deputy British High Commissioner, Mr. Jonny Baxter, emphasised the importance of the programme’s extension to the Southwest.

  • China urges developed countries to take responsibility

    China urges developed countries to take responsibility

    The Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Yu Dunhai, yesterday urged developed countries to take responsibility regarding climate change.

     Dunhai spoke in Abuja at a “Seminar on taking new opportunities for China – Nigeria cooperation in deepening reform in the new era.”

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    Yu said it was unfair for developed nations to transfer the burden of developments on developing countries, especially climate change and other challenges caused as a result of industrialisation.

    The government envoy said China became among the top economies by adopting people centered approach and lifting 800 million people out of poverty over the past 70 years.