The Nation Newspaper

Category: Foreign

  • Our exit from ECOWAS irreversible, says Mali

    Our exit from ECOWAS irreversible, says Mali

    Mali’S Foreign Minister Abdoulaye Diop has reiterated the irreversible exit of his country, Burkina Faso and Niger from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), despite reconciliatory efforts from the bloc.

    The military leaders of Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso broke away from the regional grouping earlier this year and formed a confederation of their own on Saturday.

    ECOWAS heads of state met in Abuja a day later and appointed the presidents of Senegal and Togo as mediators of dialogue with the three Sahel states.

    Diop said Mali remained open to cooperation with ECOWAS during an appearance late Monday on state broadcaster ORTM.

    But he spoke out against the possible introduction of visas for nationals of the three countries travelling within ECOWAS.

    Read Also: Reps deputy speaker to ECOWAS: let’s adopt non-kinetic means to address conflicts

    The three countries’ decision to leave the bloc was fuelled in part by their accusation that France was manipulating ECOWAS and not providing enough support for anti-jihadist efforts.

    “Our heads of state were very clear in Niamey when they said the withdrawal of the three countries from ECOWAS is irrevocable and was done without delay, and from now on, we must stop looking in the rear-view mirror,” Diop said on Monday.

    Mali remains “open to working with our neighbours and other organisations with which we share this space”, he added.

    “We will have to maintain discussions with others in order to move forward, but I believe that the path we have embarked upon is not reversible,” he said.

    Diop said the creation of a confederation was only one stage of the process, adding that “the vision is to work towards a federation of the three states”.

    ECOWAS has said the three countries must abide by a one-year exit timeframe, but the juntas say their withdrawal is effective “without delay”.

    The departure has raised concerns over the consequences for the free movement of goods and people within the region.

    If visas are re-introduced, “we will be proven right in the sense that some ECOWAS officials have not abandoned the old methods of frightening and blackmailing people”, said Diop.

  • Lorry driver rams van into church in Austria

    Lorry driver rams van into church in Austria

    A lorry driver has rammed a van into a Pentecostal church near Vienna several times, police said on Monday night.

    No one was injured but the church in the town of Brunn am Gebirge was severely damaged, police said.

    The 32-year-old driver has been arrested, according to the police.

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    When questioned on his motive, he said that the church had destroyed his life, according to a police spokeswoman, who didn’t give further details.

    The man, who has been based in Austria since 2020, is said to have aroused suspicion a few weeks ago when ripping up a Bible.

    A regional counter-terrorism unit of the intelligence service has launched an investigation into the incident.

    (dpa/NAN)

  • Biden’s doctor dismisses White House neurologist visit concerns

    Biden’s doctor dismisses White House neurologist visit concerns

    U.S. President, Joe Biden’s personal physician on Tuesday stated that the president had not seen a neurologist outside of his annual physical examination.

    This was as a result of the U.S. media reports about a Parkinson’s specialist visiting the White House multiple times.

    Biden’s personal physician, Kevin O’Connor, said in a letter published on Monday that neurological specialist Dr Cannard examined President Biden for each of his annual physicals.

    “Biden has not seen a neurologist outside of his annual physical,” he said.

    O’Connor said Cannard had been visiting patients at the White House for a dozen years and was not chosen because he was a movement disorder specialist.

    The statement by Biden’s personal physician comes after a heated debate had broken out at a press conference between journalists and White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.

    The New York Times, citing official visitor logs, reported that Cannard had visited the White House eight times since last summer.

    Jean-Pierre refused to respond to questions about why Cannard had been visiting the White House regularly over the past few months.

    Read Also: I’m staying in race, Biden insists in letter to Democrats, TV interview

    According to O’Connor, the results of the neurological examination by Cannard were made public each time, most recently at the end of February.

    The published health report stated that there were no indications of possible strokes or Parkinson’s disease, and that the president showed “no tremor, either at rest or with activity,” the letter said.

    Biden, 81, has increasingly faced questions about his mental fitness since his TV debate with Republican challenger Donald Trump.

    A debate was sparked in the U.S. over whether Biden is the right Democratic presidential candidate for the November election due to his age.

    Biden has rejected any doubts and refuses to take a cognitive health test to assess his mental abilities.

    The White House’s recent action is uncommon and indicates the increasing pressure.

    The release of the letter likely aims to dispel any rumours suggesting the possibility of Parkinson’s disease.

    Jean-Pierre told the press briefing that he was not being treated for the disease.

    (dpa/NAN)

  • Sunak appoints ‘shadow’ cabinet after historic election loss

    Sunak appoints ‘shadow’ cabinet after historic election loss

    British opposition leader Rishi Sunak set out his shadow cabinet on Monday, with some senior ministers reprising the roles they held in government prior to last week’s parliamentary election, while former Foreign Secretary David Cameron resigned.

    Andrew Mitchell will handle the foreign policy brief in the interim shadow cabinet, a team of senior spokespeople picked by the opposition party leader to mirror the cabinet in government.

    The Conservative Party suffered a historic election defeat last week with a record number of cabinet ministers, including former Defence Secretary Grant Shapps, losing their seats.

    In his resignation speech, former Prime Minister Sunak took responsibility for the party’s election loss while Labour Party’s Keir Starmer became the country’s new leader on Friday.

    Richard Holden, who managed to hold onto his seat by just 20 votes, also stepped down as Conservative Party Chairman, saying in his resignation letter to Sunak that “a thorough review into the General Election campaign” was needed.

    “While I will obviously feed into that, this would best take place with a new set of eyes to help provide the clearest view,” he wrote.

    The shadow cabinet includes James Cleverly continuing to hold the home office brief, while James Cartlidge would handle defence matters, the party’s statement said.

    Read Also: The UK people have spoken, Sunak out, Starmer in

    “The Conservative Party has had a difficult election and it is important that we regroup and reflect on these results,” new interim Chairman Richard Fuller said in the statement.

    “We should also challenge ourselves candidly and deeply on the strengths of the Conservative Party across the country and outline where improvements can be made.”

    Chris Philp will be Shadow Leader of the House Of Commons, the party said, taking over from Penny Mordaunt, who was one of the senior lawmakers to have lost their seats. Former business minister Kemi Badenoch was given the “levelling up” brief.

    Jeremy Hunt continues with the finance brief, while former deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden becomes deputy leader of the opposition, the party said.

    Newsnow

  • Reps deputy speaker to ECOWAS: let’s adopt non-kinetic means to address conflicts

    Reps deputy speaker to ECOWAS: let’s adopt non-kinetic means to address conflicts

    Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Benjamin Kalu said yesterday that leaders in the West African sub-region should consider adopting a non-kinetic approach to resolving conflicts and similar issues in the sub-region.

    According to him, such an approach is already yielding results in Nigeria.

    The deputy speaker said the non-kinetics approach adopted by the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration has greatly reduced the crises in the Southeast region occasioned by the various agitations.

    A statement issued by Chief Press Secretary to the Deputy Speaker, Levinus Nwabughiogu, quoted the deputy speaker as saying that the new approach by the President was a paradigm shift from the norms.

    The statement said Kalu gave the testimony at the plenary season of the ongoing 2024 First Ordinary Season of the Sixth Legislature of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Parliament in Abuja.

    The deputy speaker said that the military has toned down their operations and have heeded the directive of President Tinubu in subscribing to the non-kinetics means of settling the conflicts in the zone rather than wielding the guns.

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    According to him, this understanding has helped to restore tranquility in region and enabled the zone to appeal to the authorities to release the agitators, who are in prison by activating a political solution.

    He said: “The usual tradition has been to send the military with their arms to crisis areas, to the battle of barrels of gun against barrels of gun. But there is a new wave now in my country where issues are being resolved without sending a military task force with guns. And it’s a non-kinetic approach. It’s happening in my region, the southeastern region.

    “Before his (President Bola Ahmed Tinubu) emergence, it was about Operation Crocodile, Operation Lion, and Operation this and that. But through his initiative, he has been able to speak to the military, to look at sociological problems that remain the causative factors for the crisis and begin to look at ways of interpreting them and finding ways to bring the people to the table for resolution purposes. It’s a good template that Africa should actually absorb and ECOWAS should also look into.

    “And it’s working in my region; the nerves that we are frayed before now, those who were agitating, the radicalised ones are beginning to see opportunities to look at non-kinetic approaches towards resolving the conflict in the area.

    “Remember I mentioned that my zone is the zone that suffered from the civil war. So the pain is still there but the approach Mr. President is using now is calming the tension there and it’s commendable.

  • Senegal’s President urges dialogue with Sahel military juntas

    Senegal’s President urges dialogue with Sahel military juntas

    Senegalese President and West Africa’s ECOWAS “facilitator” Bassirou Diomaye Faye called yesterday for dialogue and peaceful reconciliation with three countries that recently split from the bloc.

    The military leaders of Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso broke away from the Economic Community of West African States earlier this year and formed a confederation of their own on Saturday.

    ECOWAS heads of state met in Abuja on Sunday and deplored the “lack of progress in interactions” with Burkinabe, Malian and Nigerien authorities, who came to power in a series of recent coups.

    “We cannot stand idly by”, Senegal’s President Faye said in a video posted yesterday.

    “Our responsibility is to work on bringing everyone closer and reconciliation — to ensure there is room for dialogue”, he said, vowing that the bloc will work towards peace.

    The three countries’ decision to leave was fuelled in part by their accusation that France was manipulating ECOWAS and not providing enough support for anti-jihadist efforts.

    Read Also: NDDC moves to avert cholera outbreak in Niger Delta

    ECOWAS has warned the region faced “disintegration”, though its efforts to bring the seceding countries closer so far have failed.

    Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger have called their withdrawals “irreversible”.

    ECOWAS appointed Senegal’s president as a “facilitator” in negotiations with the three states, alongside Togolese President Faure Gnassingbe.

    President Faye stressed that, on paper, Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger remain members for another year, as per article 91 of the organisation’s founding treaty.

    “I hope that by the end of the (one-year) notice period, we will have had enough conversations to reconcile views and strengthen the organisation so that it can better tackle our shared challenges,” Faye said.

    ECOWAS announced on Sunday that it would draft a “prospective emergency plan” to “address any contingency” in the tense relations with the breakaway countries.

  • I’m staying in race, Biden insists in letter to Democrats, TV interview

    I’m staying in race, Biden insists in letter to Democrats, TV interview

    United States (U.S.) President Joe Biden came out swinging yesterday against critics of his calamitous June debate performance, telling Democrats in an open letter and Americans in a pugnacious live TV interview he is staying in the presidential race.

    This means he has rejected growing calls to concede that at 81 he is too old and ineffective to beat Donald Trump, and should drop out in favour of a younger candidate.

    The president lashed out at “elites in the party” in a live telephone interview with the MSNBC show Morning Joe, saying they were behind calls for him to quit. He added: “If any of these guys don’t think I should run, run against me. Go ahead. Announce for president – challenge me at the convention!”

    Touting what he said was a demanding campaign schedule around his hosting of a NATO summit this week, the president insisted: “The American public is not going to move away from me.

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    “I’m here for two reasons, pal. One, to rebuild the economy for hard-working middle class people, to give everybody a shot. It’s a straight shot. Everybody gets a fair chance. Number two, people always talk about how I don’t have the wide support. Come on, give me a break. Come with me. Watch.”

    Concerns about Biden’s fitness have dogged him throughout his time in office, but they exploded into open view late last month after the first of two scheduled debates with Trump.

    Onstage in Atlanta on 27 June, Biden appeared hesitant, confused and physically diminished, struggles aides put down to a cold and jet lag.

    In comparison, Trump spewed lies virtually unchecked by his opponent or CNN moderators working to rules that precluded instant fact checks.

  • India’s Modi meets Putin in Russia to discuss Ukraine peace

    India’s Modi meets Putin in Russia to discuss Ukraine peace

    Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is visiting Russian President Vladimir Putin for the first time since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began more than two years ago.

    Indian foreign ministry spokesman in New Delhi said ahead of the trip that Modi would likely discuss the Russia-Ukraine conflict during his visit.

    “We will always strive for a peaceful resolution of this issue as quickly as possible, which will be beneficial for everyone,” he said.

    The spokesman said the return of Indians from the war in Ukraine is likely to be discussed as well.

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    He added that they had been coerced under false pretenses to work for the Russian army. Estimates suggest that this involves around 30 to 45 Indian citizens.

    Modi plans to travel to Austria after his trip to Russia.

    Yesterday, Modi wrote on X: “These visits will be a wonderful opportunity to deepen ties with these nations, with whom India has time-tested friendship.”

    A banquet with Putin is planned for yesterday evening. Russia is an important energy supplier for India.

  • Russian missiles kill 31 in Ukraine, damage children’s hospital

    Russian missiles kill 31 in Ukraine, damage children’s hospital

    Russia struck cities across Ukraine yesterday with a missile barrage that killed 31 people and heavily damaged a Kyiv children’s hospital in an assault condemned as a ruthless attack on civilians.

    Dozens of volunteers, doctors and rescue workers were digging through debris of a part of Okhmatdyt paediatric hospital in a desperate search for survivors after the rare day-time bombardment, AFP reporters on the scene reported.

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    The first responders ran for cover when sirens and an explosion sounded after the initial strikes — a repeat attack that left four dead at a maternity hospital in a separate district of Kyiv, emergency services said.

    President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russian forces fired more than 40 missiles toward at least five major civilian hubs, mainly in the south and east of the country, as well as the capital.

    Zelensky arrived in Poland as news of the strikes broke to sign a security deal with Prime Minister Donald Tusk in Warsaw, where the leaders held a minute of silence for the victims.

  • Macron asks Attal to stay as PM as France faces hung parliament

    Macron asks Attal to stay as PM as France faces hung parliament

    Emmanuel Macron has asked Gabriel Attal to stay on temporarily as France’s prime minister to maintain stability after a snap general election left the country facing a hung parliament and fraught negotiations to form a new government.

    Parties on the left want to seize the moment after their shock win over the far right and yesterday met to discuss policy and potential prime minister candidates. The green-left alliance, the New Popular Front (NFP), surprised pollsters by coming first in the final round – a win that was considered highly unlikely, with pre-election polls predicting a far-right surge.

    However, with no absolute majority, efforts to form a new French government may take weeks.

    The snap election was called last month after a humiliating defeat to the far-right National Rally (RN) of Marine Le Pen in European parliamentary elections.

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    The NFP won 182 seats in the 577-seat national assembly, with Macron’s centrist Together coalition returning 168 deputies and the RN – which after the first round on 30 June had been eyeing a majority – finishing third on 143.

    With no single group securing an absolute majority, the options include a technocratic government of experts, the NFP trying to form a minority government and seeking bill-by-bill support, or a broad coalition of the centre left and centre right.

    Attal tendered his resignation yesterday morning after Macron’s camp lost more than a third of its MPs.

    The president asked Attal to remain in power in a caretaker capacity to see out the period of the Paris Olympics and to reassure the international community and markets that France still had a functioning government.