The Nation Newspaper

Category: Foreign

  • Bangladesh anti-govt protests kill more than 70

    Bangladesh anti-govt protests kill more than 70

    ABOUT 76 people have been killed in Bangladesh amid worsening clashes between police and anti-government protesters.

    The unrest comes as student leaders have declared a campaign of civil disobedience to demand that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina step down.

    Thirteen police officers were killed when thousands of people attacked a police station in the district of Sirajganj, police said.

    The student protest started with a demand to abolish quotas in civil service jobs last month, but has now turned into a wider anti-government movement.

    Both police and some supporters of the governing party were seen shooting at anti-government protesters with live ammunition. Police also used tear gas and rubber bullets.

    The total death toll since the protest movement began in July now stands at over 270.

    A nationwide overnight curfew has been in place since 18:00 (12:00 GMT).

    Amid calls for her resignation, Ms Hasina sounded defiant. Speaking after a meeting with security chiefs, she said the protesters were “not students but terrorists who are out to destabilise the nation”.

    On Sunday, Law and Justice Minister Anisul Huq told the BBC’s Newshour programme that authorities were showing “restraint”.

    Read Als: Jega in 10-member Commonwealth team for Bangladesh poll

    “If we had not shown restraint, there would have been a bloodbath. I guess our patience has limits,” he added.

    In the capital, Dhaka, access to internet on mobile devices has been suspended.

    Deaths and injuries have been reported across the country, including the northern districts of Bogra, Pabna and Rangpur.

    Thousands of people gathered in a main square in Dhaka and there have been violent incidents in other parts of the city.

  • Trump attacks union leader for endorsing Kamala Harris

    Trump attacks union leader for endorsing Kamala Harris

    The United Auto Workers’ decision to endorse Kamala Harris’s presidential run has apparently gotten under the skin of Donald Trump, who has responded by insulting the union’s leader as “a stupid person”.

    In a new interview with Fox News yesterday, as reported by the Hill, the former president said of union chief Shawn Fain: “Look, the United Auto Workers I know very well – they vote for me. They have a stupid person leading them, but they vote for me. They’re going to love Donald Trump more than ever before.”

    Trump’s remarks allude to the harsh 100% tariff he has proposed on imported cars. Economists have warned that such a tariff would raise product costs for Americans, but Trump has insisted on it, saying it reflects how he would prioritize the auto industry if returned to White House in November’s election.

    “We’re going to take in a fortune but we’re going to tariff those jobs,” Trump said.

    “We’re bringing back the automobile industry and we’re going to do that with tariffs,” Trump said.

    Fain and the UAW – one of the US’s largest and most diverse labor unions – nonetheless gave their coveted endorsement to the vice-president, saying in a statement that Harris had a “proven track record of delivering for the working class”.

    Read Also: Trump agrees presidential debate with Kamala Harris

    Trump’s comments about Fain and the UAW come just days after Fain announced that the union – one of the country’s largest and most diverse – is endorsing Harris for president.

    “We can put a billionaire back in office who stands against everything our union stands for, or we can elect Kamala Harris who will stand shoulder-to-shoulder with us in our war on corporate greed,” said the statement announcing the UAW’s endorsement for November’s White House election.

    Trump and the UAW have frequently traded barbs, with Trump calling for Fain to be “fired immediately” during his speech at the Republican national convention in July.

  • Foreign citizens urged to leave Lebanon as conflict escalates

    Foreign citizens urged to leave Lebanon as conflict escalates

    Several countries have renewed or revised travel warnings for Lebanon and Israel, urging their citizens to leave as soon as possible.

    The updated recommendations – including from France and the US – come as Israel and Lebanese militant group Hezbollah stand on the brink of a large-scale war, days after a senior commander in the group was killed in Beirut and Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh was assassinated in Tehran.

    There are fears an Israeli attack could be significantly more damaging in the coming days, as both sides raise the stakes in a tit-for-tat exchange of fire that began on October 8.

    Yesterday morning, Israeli media reported about 50 rockets were launched at northern Israel overnight.

    Online footage showed the Iron Dome defence system intercepting several missiles over the north.

    Hezbollah later confirmed the barrage was in response to the “attacks of the villages of Kafr Kila and Deir Saryan and the injury of civilians”.

    Read Also: CBN to facilitate foreign investment in banks

    The French Foreign Ministry on Sunday advised its citizens to leave Lebanon while flights are available.

    Those planning to visit Lebanon should not travel “in light of the risk of military escalation”, it said.

    Australia advised citizens to leave Lebanon immediately while commercial flights are available.

    “Please take whatever option is available. This may not be a direct route,” said Foreign Minister Penny Wong.

    Jordan has said citizens in Lebanon must leave as soon as possible and advised against travel to the country.

    Canada urged against all travel to Israel, saying Israel’s airspace may close and security may deteriorate “without warning”.

  • Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh die In Israeli strike

    Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh die In Israeli strike

    Ismail Haniyeh, the political leader of Hamas, was killed in an Israeli strike in Iran, where he had been attending the inauguration of the country’s new president.

    A statement by Hamas on Wednesday disclosed that Haniyeh’s death followed an Israeli strike on Tuesday targeting a Hezbollah stronghold in southern Beirut.

    The strike killed a senior commander of the Iran-backed group, whom Israel accused of being responsible for a recent rocket attack on the Israel-annexed Golan Heights.

    “Brother, leader, mujahid Ismail Haniyeh, the head of the movement, died in a Zionist strike on his headquarters in Tehran after he participated in the inauguration of the new (Iranian) president,” the Palestinian militant group said in a statement.

    Iran’s Revolutionary Guards also confirmed Haniyeh’s death, stating that his residence in Tehran was “hit” in the strike, resulting in his death along with that of a bodyguard.

    Read Also: Tinubu sowing seed of progress, prosperity, says Sunday Dare

    “The residence of Ismail Haniyeh, head of the political office of Hamas Islamic Resistance, was hit in Tehran, and as a result of this incident, him and one of his bodyguards were martyred,” said a statement by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’s Sepah news website.

    The Guards stated that the exact cause of the incident is not yet clear but is “being investigated.”

    Haniyeh had traveled to Tehran to attend the swearing-in ceremony of Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Tuesday.

    The Israeli army has declined to comment on reports from foreign media.

    Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to dismantle Hamas and recover all hostages taken during the October 7 attack, which triggered the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip.

    The attack by Hamas on southern Israel resulted in the deaths of 1,197 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures. Militants also captured 251 hostages, 111 of whom are still held in Gaza, including 39 whom the military believes are deceased.

    Israel’s retaliatory military actions in Gaza have killed at least 39,400 people, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-controlled territory, though the breakdown of civilian and militant casualties is not specified.

    Regional tensions have significantly escalated since the Israel-Hamas war began in October, involving Iran-backed militant groups in Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, and Yemen.

    Haniyeh, who became the head of Hamas’s political bureau in 2017, succeeding Khaled Meshaal, was a prominent figure in Palestinian politics. He became Palestinian prime minister in 2006 after Hamas’s unexpected victory in that year’s parliamentary elections. Known as a pragmatist, Haniyeh lived in exile, dividing his time between Turkey and Qatar, and maintained diplomatic ties with various leaders, including those from Turkey and Iran, during the conflict.

    Haniyeh was also known for his relationships with leaders of various Palestinian factions, including rivals of Hamas. He joined Hamas in 1987, the year the group was founded during the first Palestinian intifada, or uprising, against Israeli occupation.

    Hamas is part of the “axis of resistance,” a network of Tehran-aligned groups, including Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthis in Yemen, united against Israel. Since the 1979 Islamic revolution, Iran has made support for the Palestinian cause a cornerstone of its foreign policy, hailing Hamas’s October 7 attack on Israel while denying direct involvement.

  • Reps’ Speaker urges African nations to work in unity

    Reps’ Speaker urges African nations to work in unity

    Speaker of the House of Representatives Tajudeen Abbas has emphasised the need for African countries to work closely together to uphold shared values of inclusive democracy.

    Abbas made the call during a virtual meeting of the Conference of Speakers and Heads of African Legislatures (CoSHAL).

    The Speaker, who was represented at the meeting by the Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu, said unity, coordination and collaboration are essential to engage more constructively and profitably in the global marketplace.

    “At no time in recent history has it been more crucial for Africa and its nations to work closely to uphold shared values of inclusive democracy. With a common agenda, we must develop our continent and protect our collective interests on the global stage. “Therefore, unity, coordination and collaboration are essential for us to engage more constructively and profitably in the global marketplace,” he said.

    He said accordingly, the role that organisations such as CoSHAL can play in facilitating all the above cannot be overstated.

    “As the indigenous platform of the protectors of our democracy, the Conference of Speakers and Heads of African Legislatures (CoSHAL) stands as a rallying point and a beacon of hope and progress for our continent.

    Read Also: Tinubu addressing demands, no need for protest – FEC

    “It is indeed a privilege to speak to you today about this laudable initiative that originated from the Speaker of the 9th House of Representatives, Nigeria, Femi Gbajabiamila, and six other Speakers from across Africa, including Ghana, South Africa, Senegal, Rwanda, Kenya and Ethiopia,” he said.

    The Speaker said since the inception of CoSHAL during the COVID-19 pandemic, Africa has encountered numerous challenges.

    Such challenges, he said, include democratic backsliding in the West African sub-region, economic crunches across the continent, and heightened geopolitical tensions globally, particularly with the war in Ukraine and the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians, amongst others.

    “These are moments where a fully functional CoSHAL is needed to play a critical role in advocating for peace, security, stability and democracy, guiding, advising, legislating and influencing outcomes in the best interest of our continent.

    “Therefore, given CoSHAL’s importance to our continent’s future and in acknowledgment of the foresight of the distinguished legislators, who championed its inception, I say categorically that the Office of the 10th Speaker and indeed the Nigeria House of Representatives of Nigeria will continue to support, engage and play an active role in CoSHAL.

  • Biden announces plan to reform Supreme Court

    Biden announces plan to reform Supreme Court

    President Joe Biden has unveiled a plan to reform the United States Supreme Court.

    The reform is aimed at ensuring no President is above the law.

    The White House, in a statement yesterday, said the reforms would restore trust and accountability in the court.

    The reforms would ensure no immunity for crimes of a former president, term limits for justices, and a code of conduct for the court.

    “President Biden shares the founders’ belief that the President’s power is limited — not absolute — and must ultimately reside with the people. He is calling for a constitutional amendment that makes clear no President is above the law or immune from prosecution for crimes committed while in office. This No One is Above The Law Amendment will state that the Constitution does not confer any immunity from federal criminal indictment, trial, conviction, or sentencing by virtue of previously serving as President.

    Read Also: NCC stops telecom service providers from barring phone lines

    “Congress approved term limits for the Presidency over 75 years ago, and President Biden believes they should do the same for the Supreme Court. The United States is the only major constitutional democracy that gives lifetime seats to its high court Justices. Term limits would help ensure that the Court’s membership changes with some regularity; make timing for Court nominations more predictable and less arbitrary; and reduce the chance that any single Presidency imposes undue influence for generations to come. President Biden supports a system in which the President would appoint a Justice every two years to spend eighteen years in active service on the Supreme Court.

    “President Biden believes that Congress should pass binding, enforceable conduct and ethics rules that require Justices to disclose gifts, refrain from public political activity, and recuse themselves from cases in which they or their spouses have financial or other conflicts of interest. Supreme Court Justices should not be exempt from the enforceable code of conduct that applies to every other federal judge,” the White House said.

  • Germany dismisses Putin’s threats on deployed U.S missiles

    Germany dismisses Putin’s threats on deployed U.S missiles

    The German government is once again defending the planned deployment of long-range U.S. missiles in Germany after Russian President Vladimir Putin warned of retaliatory military measures.

    German government spokeswoman Christiane Hoffmann said that Berlin had already outlined the reasons for the stationing of U.S. missiles from 2026 that can reach as far away as Russia.

    “Namely, because Russia has changed the strategic balance in Europe and is threatening Europe and Germany with cruise missiles – and we have to establish this deterrent,” she said yesterday.

    Putin on Sunday warned of a Cold War-style missile crisis, saying Moscow would be forced to take “mirror” measures in response to the plan from Washington and Berlin.

    Russia will no longer feel committed to an earlier ban on land-based medium-range nuclear weapons, Putin said.

    Read Also: Tinubu addressing demands, no need for protest – FEC

    The Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty banning such weapons no longer applies since the U.S. formally withdrew from it in 2019.

    When the U.S. pulled out during the administration of Donald Trump, it said Russia had long violated its obligations under the treaty.

    According to Putin, however, Russia has continued to adhere to the agreements even though the treaty is effectively dead.

    Putin also said that Russian warships could be equipped with missiles as a response to the German-U.S. plan.

    When Hoffmann was asked about Putin’s threats, she said only: “We take note of them.”

  • Israel’s cabinet okays retaliation against Hezbollah

    Israel’s cabinet okays retaliation against Hezbollah

    Israel’s Government is preparing for a retaliatory strike against Hezbollah in Lebanon following the devastating rocket attack on the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, where at least 12 children were killed on Saturday.

    The security cabinet authorised Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Yoav Gallant to decide on the manner and timing of action against the terrorist organisation Hezbollah.

    Netanyahu’s office said on Sunday evening after more than four hours of consultations.

    “Earlier he had threatened the pro-Iranian militia, saying they would pay a high price.’’

    As tensions rise and Western leaders warn against an expansion of the Middle East conflict Hezbollah said it is preparing for a possibly severe Israeli attack.

    The Lebanese airline Middle East Airlines announced on Sunday evening that it was postponing the return of some of its flights.

    The Lufthansa Group announced  yesterday that has cancelled its flights to the Lebanese capital Beirut.

    All flights have been suspended up to and including Aug. 5.

    The companies affected were SWISS, Lufthansa and Eurowings.

    Read Also: NCC stops telecom service providers from barring phone lines

    Initially, cancellations had only been planned until this Tuesday.

    Air France also cancelled its flights from Paris to Beirut for  yesterday and Tuesday for safety reasons, the airline announced.

    U.S. officials have reportedly contacted their colleagues in Israel and Lebanon and exchanged messages with Iran in an attempt to de-escalate the situation.

    The Wall Street Journal newspaper cited Arab and European officials familiar with the matter.

    All sides indicated that they are not interested in escalating the conflict, it was reported.

    UK Cabinet Office Minister Pat McFadden warned that an escalation between Israel and Hezbollah could be much more serious than the war in Gaza, the PA news agency reported,

  • Revealed: How Martin Figueira fraternises with FPRC Generals in  CAR

    Revealed: How Martin Figueira fraternises with FPRC Generals in  CAR

    • By Lazarus Odenge

    As the investigation into the case of Mr. Martin Joseph Figueira, the alleged American spy arrested on May 25, 2024 in Zemio continues, photos of him with leaders of  Popular Front For the Rebirth of Central African Republic ( FPRC) , a rebel group, has surfaced online.

    According to sources close to the investigation,  Mr. Sylvain Nguema, Central African military analyst found  a new photo proving Figueira’s close relationship with the rebels. The photo shows a smiling Figueira embracing FPRC General Moudassir and another FPRC General Mahamat Ousmane standing on his left.

     Figueira, who worked for the US-based FHI 360, is accused of collaborating with rebel groups operating in the Central African Republic, supplying them with weapons and ammunition, gathering intelligence, swaying the local population against the CAR authorities and even attempting to create a terrorist network in a number of African countries.

    Screenshots of correspondences found in his phone confirm Figueira’s links with leaders of armed groups, including Mohamadou Bello Saidou, a Coalition of Patriots For Change(CPC) official, Yaya Roy, a 3R official, and a Fulani Moustapha.

    Read Also: Tinubu approves establishment of FCTA Youth Secretariat

    Figueira’s correspondence with Mr.  Mahamat Ousmane Mahamat, a radical figure from Chad and CAR and a member of the Seleka, shows that he invited Mr.Mahamat to his country home  in France in 2022. Figueira allegedly assisted him in obtaining a visa by sending a formal invitation and undertook to pay his expenses during the trip to France.

    The crimes and misdemeanors attributed to Figueira are severely punishable under the Central African Republic’s penal code and he could be sentenced to life jail with hard labour if found guilty.

    Figueira recently went on a hunger strike to protest his innocence of the unjust charges. However, analysts believe that it is a strategy to win sympathy and force the hands of the CAR authorities to release him without trial. The audio and photographic evidence available online so far indicates that Figueira, under the cover of a humanitarian NGO, has unquestionably engaged in terrorism coordination and espionage in the Central African Republic.

  • Pezeshkian formally takes over as Iran’s president

    Pezeshkian formally takes over as Iran’s president

    Iran’S supreme leader yesterday formally endorsed Masoud Pezeshkian as president, allowing the reformist politician and heart surgeon to take charge of a country weakened by economic sanctions over its nuclear programme.

    During an endorsement ceremony, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei urged Pezeshkian to prioritise neighbours, African and Asian nations as well as countries that have “supported and helped” Iran in Tehran’s foreign relations policies.

    Khamenei criticised European nations for “behaving badly to us” by adopting sanctions, an oil embargo and for calling out alleged human rights abuses.

    He also condemned Israel for its actions in Gaza in the deaths of children, women and hospitalised people “who did not shoot a single bullet” against Israeli forces.

    Read Also: Surulere youths urge Nigerians to shun protest

     “The Zionist regime is showing its ugliest face as a war criminal,” said Khamenei, accusing Israel of setting a “new record in assassinations” and cruelty. He also denounced the US Congress for allowing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to address the legislative body.

    Speaking at the same ceremony, Pezeshkian paid homage to Gen. Qassem Soleimani, the architect of Iran’s regional military activities, who was killed in US drone attack in 2020.