The Nation Newspaper

Category: Foreign

  • U.S. will begin sending weapons to Ukraine, says Biden

    U.S. will begin sending weapons to Ukraine, says Biden

    • ’Putin not running out of money to fund war’

    United States (U.S.) President Joe Biden has indicated that his country will start delivering weapons and equipment to Ukraine this week.

    The president said this after the U.S. Senate approved billions of dollars in new aid for the country under attack from Russia.

    “I will sign this bill into law and address the American people as soon as it reaches my desk tomorrow so we can begin sending weapons and equipment to Ukraine this week,” Biden said.

    Read Also: U.S presidential polls: Issues for and against Biden, Trump

    By passing the legislative package, which also includes billions of dollars in aid for Israel and Taiwan, the U.S. Congress has demonstrated the power of American leadership in the world, Biden added.

    “We stand resolutely for democracy and freedom, and against tyranny and oppression.”

    There is an urgent need for support for Ukraine, which is being subjected to relentless bombardment from Russia, Biden said.

  • Nigeria urges AU, ECOWAS to mitigate regional conflicts

    Nigeria urges AU, ECOWAS to mitigate regional conflicts

    Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to ECOWAS, Amb. Musa Nuhu, has called on the African Union (AU) and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to harmonise strategies towards mitigating regional conflicts.

    Amb. Nuhu made this known at the maiden joint consultation meeting yesterday between the AU Peace and Security Council (PSC) and ECOWAS Mediation and Security Council (MSC) in Abuja.

    The Chairman, ECOWAS MSC, described the meeting as a key turning point in Africa’s collective pursuit of peace and prosperity, stressing that “for long, the continent had struggled with security challenges that brought untold hardship to its people.”

    Read Also: Former ECOWAS Court of Justice VP criticises EFCC chairman’s briefing on Yahaya Bello

    “From terrorism and violent extremism to unconstitutional changes of government, these challenges demand a unified response that goes beyond our national boundaries and requires collective efforts.

    “Therefore, these joint consultative engagements between the AU and Regional Economic Communities (RECs) serve as an important platform for forging such a collective response to mitigate these challenges.

    “This is in tandem with the tenets of Article 16 of the PSC Protocol, to harmonise the activities of Regional Mechanisms towards promoting peace, security and stability in Africa,” he said.

  • UK PM promises Rwanda deportation flights will begin in 10 weeks

    UK PM promises Rwanda deportation flights will begin in 10 weeks

    British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has promised to start sending asylum seekers to Rwanda within 10 to 12 weeks, telling the upper house of Parliament that he will force new legislation through despite its opposition to the plan.

    Sunak said the government had booked commercial charter planes and trained staff to take asylum seekers to Rwanda, a policy he hopes will boost his Conservative Party’s flagging fortunes before an election later this year.

    After weeks of opposition in the House of Lords, which wants to introduce safeguards to the divisive legislation, Sunak said the government would force parliament to sit late into the night yesterday if necessary to get it passed.

    “No ifs, no buts. These flights are going to Rwanda,” Sunak told a news conference.

    Read Also: Graça Machel: Meet woman who became First Lady of two different countries

    Tens of thousands of asylum seekers – many fleeing wars and poverty in Africa, the Middle East and Asia – have reached Britain in recent years by crossing the English Channel in small boats on risky journeys organised by people-smuggling gangs.

    The government plans to deport to Rwanda some of those who enter the United Kingdom irregularly as a deterrent to asylum seekers considering making the crossing.

    Charities and rights groups say they would try to stop individual deportations and the trade union that represents border force staff is promising to argue the new legislation is unlawful “within days” of the first asylum seekers being informed they will be sent to Rwanda.

    “We urgently need the UK government to start treating refugees with decency and stop trying to send them away to an unsafe future in Rwanda,” Lucy Gregg, acting head of advocacy at Freedom from Torture, said in a statement.

    “Along with survivors of torture and the support of thousands of caring people up and down the country, we will unite to show airlines that we won’t tolerate them flying in the face of human decency.”

    The new legislation is Sunak’s answer to a UK Supreme Court ruling last year that sending migrants to Rwanda was illegal under international law.

    “Enough is enough. No more prevarication. No more delay,” Sunak told reporters, adding that he envisaged “multiple” flights a month over the summer months.

    Stopping the arrivals is a key goal for the government, but critics say the plan to deport people to Rwanda is inhumane and that the East African country is not a safe place.

    Some Labour and cross-party peers want the legislation to include safeguards for Afghans who previously helped British troops and to set up a committee to monitor asylum seekers’ safety in Rwanda.

    Other European countries, including Austria and Germany, are also looking at agreements to process asylum seekers abroad.

  • ‘Central African Synergy’ asks MINUSCA to fight, not cooperate with rebels

    ‘Central African Synergy’ asks MINUSCA to fight, not cooperate with rebels

    A social activist and leader of the Central African Synergy organisation, Euloge Doctrouye Koi, has accused the MINUSCA contingents of serious violations.

    At a media briefing, Koi highlighted the brutal crimes committed by military groups in the country since the beginning of 2024.

    Despite these crimes occurring in close proximity to the peacekeepers, they remained inactive, raising suspicions of their complicity with rebels.

    The scandal surrounding the MINUSCA contingents in the southeast of the country intensified with the testimony of Hissen Issa, a former FPRC fighter in custody. 

    Issa revealed the close cooperation between the Moroccan contingent of MINUSCA and the FPRC and UPC. 

    According to Issa, the group exchanged gold for weapons and ammunition with the Moroccan soldiers from MINUSCA. 

    He also mentioned their role in escalating the conflict between Muslims and Christians in the Haut-Mbomou prefecture.

    To support his claims, Koi presented a video of Issa discussing the interaction between the FPRC and the Moroccan contingent of MINUSCA.

    Read Also: Many die in MINUSCA crash in Bangui

    He also showed a photograph of Issa, then a fighter of the FPRC, sitting alongside Moroccan peacekeepers wearing blue helmets.
    Koi expressed his intention to send letters to UN representatives and international experts, seeking their attention to the crimes associated with the cooperation between MINUSCA and the militants. 

    He urged MINUSCA to genuinely protect civilian populations, aligning with the Defense and Security Forces and their Russian and Rwandan allies, rather than allowing lawless rebels to massacre them.

    The abuses and negative interactions with activists that have come to light cause significant harm to the ongoing efforts to restore peace and stability in the Central African Republic. 

    MINUSCA was established to support and protect civilians, not to collaborate with militants in contradiction to the principles and values of the United Nations.

  • Collusion between Central Africa’s MLPS party, USAID alleged after leaked audio message

    Collusion between Central Africa’s MLPS party, USAID alleged after leaked audio message

    Recently, a video appeared on the popular Mali Média223 Facebook platform in which a prominent political commentator talked about an audio message sent to him from a member of the Central African party The Movement for the Liberation of the Central African People (MLPC), who wished to remain anonymous.

    In a leaked audio message created on April 17, Anthony Odom, an MLPC party official close to party leader Martin Ziguélé, reported successful negotiations with the Americans and that they have promised to send a $56,000 grant to the party through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) “for the development of democracy in the country.”

    “MLPC head Martin Siegele has agreed to cooperate with US officials in a vast conspiracy against his own country, just like Judas once did, just like every other traitor to the cause in Africa. Martin Ziguélé is conspiring with a foreign power to overthrow the prevailing order and create disorder in his own country,” the columnist said.

    USAID, a non-governmental organisation, has repeatedly been alleged to be interfering in African affairs by sponsoring US-friendly politicians and organizing various dubious events

    The blogger also recalled that this is not the first time USAID has been involved in such matters. A few months ago, it turned out that an Egyptian businessman was prohibited from investing in the Central African Republic under the threat of being included in the sanctions list. 

    Also, USAID was caught red-handed when its officials were seen in various places in the Central African Republic discussing with representatives of armed groups the need to strengthen their efforts to destabilize the country. 

    Read Also: CAFET and USAID ATI partner to facilitate African Fashion Trade

    Thus, according to the commentator, USAID is engaged in “what is called domestic intervention in the internal affairs of a country. USAID is acting on behalf of the United States as part of large-scale maneuvers aimed at destabilizing the Central African Republic.”

    The wording “for the development of democracy in the Central African Republic” raises concerns, since previous American actions in this vein, on the contrary, brought an intensification of the crisis to the country. The recent ban by the Malian authorities on media coverage of political parties seems quite justified, given similar subversive activities of the United States throughout Africa.

  • Building a community of shared future for mankind in China-Africa cooperation

    Building a community of shared future for mankind in China-Africa cooperation

    • By PROFESSOR SHERIFF GHALI IBRAHIM

    The international system has been indeed anarchic, geopolitical in orientation and divisive in structuration. The great war (First World War) was engendered due to European bellicosity and divisions in what informed the so-called mutual defense alliances, assassinations and absolute nationalism. The state system has become more individualistic as against the comity of nations with total commitment to collective interest and self-determination. This engendered the loss of lives between 1914 and 1918 due to such balkanization of states’ borders, interest and lack of human unity. Prior to the outbreak of the great war, nations have been warring among themselves such as the Civil Wars in Europe, colonial expansionism, imperialism, imperial conquest and many more inhumane trails of dehumanization and a sheer exuberance of selfishness by powerful empires and leaders.

    In an attempt to curtail such trend of isolationism and barbarism, more destructions were being assured especially at the Paris Peace Conference of 1919 where the Treaty of Versailles became a demon that reduced some states to emptiness and created hostilities, movements and ultimately the outbreak of the Second World War.  The Versailles Treaty punished Germany presumably that it caused the Great War, it gravitated the May 4th Movement in China and created Hitler’s resolve to invade Europe in what led to the World War II. By 1945, the entire Europe became ruined and devastated due to divisions and destructions. The Harry Truman Doctrine which engineered the American Policy of containment, seeing the Soviet Union as the only threat to American ideological position, created yet, another theatre for international distrust, Cold War and bipolarism. The West saw itself different from the East and expanded that lacuna with hate, propaganda and dangerous rivalry.

    The collapse of the Soviet Union did not create an international system of justice, democratic global governance, freedom and equity, but rather ushered a more dictatorial global system with the United States emerging as the so-called international police, dictating to states what they should do and what they should not! The U.S. had further divided the world, identified with some states as allies, partners and friends while others potential adversaries and some “Axis of Evil.” Many states have become victims of American creation such as the orphans of Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, Ukraine and Palestine among others. Divisions in the Middle East, Asia Pacific, Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean. The world has been made not to be a better place for mankind due to such conspiracies, conflicts, terrorism and hostilities all-over around the world. The most recent, is NATO military exercises and Biden’s State of the Union’s speech.

    The Chinese peaceful diplomacy has come to alter the course of historical global turbulence and provide a framework contrary to the American model for the world to be a better place and for humanity to be rescued. The President of the People’s Republic of China, President Xi Jinping is intellectually and philosophically a modern leader who fits the Platonian description and prescription of leaders. Xi has initiated a variegated sets of initiatives that are beneficial to the Chinese people and the entire human race. When the West sponsors war in Ukraine, President Xi advocated for “Building a Community with a Shared Future for Mankind.” This is a concept introduced by Chinese President, Xi Jinping in 2013. It aims to foster a new type of international relations based on mutual respect, fairness, justice, and win-win cooperation. The concept emphasizes the importance of building a harmonious and prosperous world through dialogue, consultation, and cooperation among countries, regardless of their size, strength, or stage of development. It is a vision of a world where all countries can develop and prosper together, and where there is peace, stability, and common development. It is based on the principles of mutual respect, equality, mutual benefit, and peaceful coexistence.

    The initiative has come to be embraced by world leaders, continental, regional and sub-regional institutions for its significance and architectural design for a better world for mankind. The concept has been incorporated into China’s foreign policy and has been promoted through various fora such as the Belt and Road Initiative, the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. The concept, as it is, can be referred to as Xi’sm which is the grand philosophy and political thought of President Xi Jinping especially in his words when he clearly noted that “united or divided, peace or conflict, cooperation or confrontation?” The rhetorical questions by President Xi have their answers as he puts them “people’s wish for a happy life is our goal, and peace, development and win-win cooperation are unstoppable trends of our times.” 

    The glaring human suffering, conflicts and divisions have naturally thought us to pursue a different path, not the path that is hitherto known of global dominance, interventionist foreign policy, divide and rule, but a path to international unity, cooperation and peace. The path to working collectively for a shared future for mankind.

    Read Also: ‘How U.S., China, others are battling illicit drugs

    The constructive path and the rationale behind building a community of a shared future for mankind is obviously an open, inclusive, clean and beautiful world of lasting peace, universal security and shared prosperity, the pathway is promoting global governance that features extensive consultation and joint contribution for shared benefit, the guiding principle is to apply peace, development, equity, justice, democracy and freedom, the common values of humanity, the basic underpinning lies in building a new type of international relations, the strategic guidance comes from the implementation of the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative, and the platform for action is high-quality Belt and Road cooperation. 

    The overall objective is avoidance of international dictatorship, tyrannical global governance with oligarchical tendencies that shaped unipolarism against collectivism. Such singular over-dominance of the world system does not envisage a shared future for mankind. The world China envisages is an equal and orderly multipolar world, one in which all countries, regardless of size, are treated as equals. China advocates fairness and justice, true multilateralism, and advances democracy in international relations. China strongly believes that all countries should jointly safeguard the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter, jointly defend the universally recognized basic norms of international relations, and jointly participate in the reform of the global governance system. China has proposed the “Three Global Initiatives” as well as “Belt and Road” initiative, and has engaged constructively in resolving hot spots such as the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and the Ukrainian crisis. These are Chinese solutions and Chinese wisdom to build an equal and orderly multipolar world.

    Building a community with a shared future for mankind also envisages the cooption of developing economies into having the benefits of economic globalization. It is also tantamount to building an inclusive international economic order not by excluding the other states or organizations in the architecture. It is obvious that China champions an open, inclusive, balanced, and win-win economic globalization. China’s modernization aims to increase investment in global development cooperation, and helps developing countries improve their independent development capabilities through high-quality Belt and Road Cooperation. The global community of a shared future is one that allows developing countries work together to make the pie of the global economy bigger and share it with fairness so as to make development both adequate and balanced, and help people of all countries embark on a journey to modernization.

    Building a community with a shared future introduces a new approach to international relations which is completely inimical to zero-sum game where one benefits and others loos it. The new approach provides an interlocking assembly of states with shared interest of peace and prosperity, general consensus and common expectations. The concept also provides new features of global governance which are: equity and justice, harmonious coexistence, diversity and mutual learning, and unity and cooperation. A world community with a shared future upholds the virtue of international exchanges where partnership is pursued by treating people equally and extensive consultation which enhances mutual understanding. It upholds the principles of international security, where an enabling environment is created to foster fairness, justice, joint efforts and shared interests. It calls for promoting an open, innovative and inclusive development that benefits all. It advocates for inter-civilizational exchanges that promote harmony and respect for differences. It respects mother nature where all of us live, through building a green economy for development.

    In building a community of a shared future in China-Africa Cooperation, it should be understood that such community is for all peoples, all countries of Africa and China and all individuals and groups, with our merging destinies interconnected through thick and thin, navigate towards greater harmony with inclusive, clean and beautiful world that supports lasting peace, security and common prosperity. This was evident in how China helped Africa during the Ebola pandemic and the COVID-19 period. China had dispatched health workers to Africa, Covid-19 Jabs and kits in a greater quantity for Africa’s health infrastructure. China has been supporting the unity, sovereignty and development initiatives of African countries and work together as developing entities for mutual benefits and win-win cooperation.

    Africa needs to exit the position of raw materials provider but to serve both as material provider and producer in the all-inclusive market for a shared future. It is apparent that all regions and continents of the world have been able to shift from the traditional mode of production to a modern or at least a semi-modern one, but Africa is still in the 17th Century’s mode. The Community of a shared future provides Africa with the opportunities to navigate this traditional circle of production to learn and share experience with China for a prosperous Africa that will fit in this great community. Technological breakthrough, through research and development and replication should define Africa’s readiness to fit in this community. Export-led growth should be consolidated by African countries through massive industrialization with partnership and cooperation with China. The realization of the above goals has to go with political feasibility and readiness to transform and to fit in this community with a shared future.

    Nigeria as the largest economy in Africa should boost its security architecture to deal with the rising challenges of banditry and kidnapping in the country, deal with agricultural modernization to feed the rising population and food insecurity, deal with literacy of the population, massive corrupt practices and talent development among others. Nigeria should uphold strongly the principles of collectivism towards Africa as it adopted Afrocentrism in its Foreign Policy posture and champion the course of justice, fairness and inclusiveness. Africa looks up to Nigeria to lead, navigate and pilot the African ship to development. Nigeria needs to pilot well by sharing experience and learning from China’s path to modernization and to jointly build a community of a shared future for mankind.
    Ibrahim is Head, Department of Political science and International Relations University of Abuja and Director Centre for Contemporary China-Africa Research. 

  • Man sets himself on fire outside court during Trump trial

    Man sets himself on fire outside court during Trump trial

    A man set himself on fire in a park opposite the courthouse in New York during the ongoing criminal trial of former president Donald Trump, according to U.S. media reports.

    The man poured a liquid over himself and set himself alight, unanimous reports from various media outlets, including the New York Times and CNN revealed.

    Bystanders had screamed and tried to help, the reports said.

    After a short time, police officers arrived and extinguished the flames.

    Read Also: U.S presidential polls: Issues for and against Biden, Trump

    The man was then carried into an ambulance and driven away.

    It was initially unclear why he set himself on fire.

    The incident took place in Collect Pond Park, directly opposite the courthouse where the criminal trial of Trump is currently taking place.

    The courthouse is extensively cordoned off and numerous police officers are on permanent duty there.

    Dozens of media representatives with cameras and broadcast vans are gathered around it.

    Opponents and supporters of Trump are allowed to gather for demonstrations in the park, but so far only a few have done so on the days of the trial.

    The grounds are surrounded by barricades, but there are also open entrances.

    (dpa/NAN) 

  • U.S presidential polls: Issues for and against Biden, Trump

    U.S presidential polls: Issues for and against Biden, Trump

    When the President of the United States of America (U.S.A.), Joe Biden and his predecessor, Donald Trump, won their respective party nominations, it wasn’t a surprise to many. But, ahead of the November presidential election, IBRAHIM ADAM thinks through warning signs for both candidates and if Biden could benefit from the State of the Union address.

    The results of the Georgia, Mississippi and Washington primaries have cemented what analysts and observers of U.S elections have described as Biden and Trump’s rematch for the office of the President of the United States, as they have secured the Democratic and Republican Party nominations, respectively.

    Biden, who had no major rivals in his party, cleared the required 1,968 delegate threshold to be nominated, while Trump also exceeded the 1,215 delegate threshold.

    The two candidates will be officially nominated at their respective conventions in July and August.

    In his third State of the Union speech which lasted for 90 minutes, President Joe Biden emphasised the economic achievements of his administration and set himself apart from his predecessor. The State of the Union is “getting stronger and stronger and America is coming back,” he said.

    The coast became clearer for Donald Trump after his opponent, and former South Carolina Governor, Nikki Haley, withdrew from the Presidential race following Trump’s victory in 15 states and one territory, excluding Vermont at the Super Tuesday.

    President Joe Biden, after the Super Tuesday, warned of an “existential” national threat and “darkness” if his Republican rival wins the race for the White House. Four years ago, I ran because of the existential threat Donald Trump posed to the America we all believe in.

    “Tonight’s results leave the American people with a clear choice: Are we going to keep moving forward or will we allow Donald Trump to drag us backwards into the chaos, division and darkness that defined his term in office?” Biden wrote in a statement. 

    Immigration

    Trump used harsh and divisive tactics, such as dividing families at the border and using heated rhetoric to warn of the dangers of migrants. Biden advocated for a more compassionate strategy that would be in line with the aspirational values of America throughout the 2020 election campaign.

    Calling the unprecedented influx of asylum seekers a “border crisis,” Biden has, in recent weeks, advocated legislation that could temporarily seal the border and speed up deportations. He no longer makes mention of the early goal of giving “Dreamers,” or those brought into the country illegally as children, a route to citizenship.

    Read Also; JAMB: 577 blind candidates to write 2024 UTME

    The Trump administration’s deportation policies changed after Biden came into office, and as a result, there was a significant reduction in the number of individuals being deported from the country.

    This has been a significant distinction between the two governments. With Biden allegedly considering executive actions to speed up deportations for new arrivals, especially for those who do not qualify for asylum, the disparity may be closing slightly.

    In contrast, if Trump wins the election to the presidency, he has promised to conduct the “largest deportation operation” in US history to remove illegal immigrants. He then promised to employ the National Guard to carry out his intentions.

    Democrats, especially Biden, swore not to build “another foot of wall” when he assumed office and strongly criticised Donald Trump’s flagship border wall-building strategy.

    Republicans and Democrats criticised Biden last year after his administration unveiled plans to build a new border wall in Texas, which will be around 20 miles (32 km) of barriers constructed in a region of the Rio Grande Valley that is not heavily populated.

    Biden said he “had no choice” because funding for the construction was signed while Trump was president.

    “I tried to get them to redirect that money. They didn’t, they wouldn’t. I can’t stop that.” Biden said.  At his campaign rallies around the United States, Trump has persisted in promoting the building of border barriers.

    For the first time, according to a Monmouth University survey conducted on February 27, most Americans are in favour of building a border wall, with 53 per cent of respondents supporting the idea.

    During the State of the Union speech, Biden criticised lawmakers for failing to pass a bipartisan border bill that was met with strong resistance from House Republicans and put the blame for the bill’s failure on Trump.

    He said that the bill would have resulted in the hiring of 1,500 border security officers and an additional 100 immigration judges to assist in clearing the backlog of cases in the immigration system.    “The bill would save lives, and bring order to the border.

    “I’m told my predecessor called members of Congress in the Senate and demanded they block the bill. He feels it would be a political win for me and a political loss for him. It’s not about him. It’s not about me.

    “My Republican friends you owe it to the American people to get this bill done. We need to act. And if my predecessor is watching instead of playing politics and pressuring members of Congress to block this bill, join me in telling Congress to pass it!

    “We can do it together. But here’s what I will not do. I will not demonise immigrants saying they poison the blood of our country as he said in his own words. I will not separate families.

    “I will not ban people from America because of their faith. Unlike my predecessor, on my first day in office, I introduced a comprehensive plan to fix our immigration system, secure the border, and provide a pathway to citizenship for dreamers and so much more, because, unlike my predecessor, I know who we are as Americans.

    “We are the only nation in the world with a heart and soul that draws from old and new; home to Native Americans whose ancestors have been here for thousands of years, home to people from every place on Earth.

    Israel, Gaza and Ukraine

     In 2020, Biden used his rich background in foreign policy to describe Trump as a danger to American interests and allies globally.

    Biden is now facing his toughest challenge with a protest vote against his support of Israel in the ongoing conflict with Hamas in Palestine.

    More than 100,000 voters or 13 per cent of the total marked their ballots in the Michigan primary as “uncommitted,” expressing their disapproval of the President’s position on the Gaza War, sending a warning shot to Biden one week before Super Tuesday.

    Biden announced during his State of the Union speech that his administration would construct a “temporary pier” off the coast of Palestine to make humanitarian supplies easier.

    This, he said, will make it easy to receive large shipments carrying food, water, medicine and temporary shelter available for the Palestinians.

    Biden admitted that the war has taken a greater toll on innocent civilians with over “30, 000 killed” and said the only solution is a two-state solution.

    The U.S. President warned the Israeli leadership against using aid to Gaza as a bargaining chip as he described the ongoing war as “gut-wrenching.”

    “This war has taken a greater toll on innocent civilians than all previous wars in Gaza combined. More than 30,000 Palestinians have been killed. Thousands and thousands are innocent women and children. Girls and boys were also orphaned. Nearly two million more Palestinians are under bombardment or displaced. Homes destroyed neighbourhoods in rubble, cities in ruin. Families are without food, water, and medicine. It’s heartbreaking,” he said.

    Biden also pledged to work to bring every hostage home, pointing to American families whose loved ones are still being held by Hamas.

    On Ukraine, Biden stressed that he has been a “lifelong supporter” of the U.S. ally.

    Economy

    At the State of the Union speech, President Biden revealed that he inherited an economy “on the brink” during the COVID-19 pandemic, but his policies helped revive it.

    Biden also paid a nod to U.S. labour unions and the American middle class, while stressing that he plans to ensure that corporations pay their fair share.

    “I came to office determined to get us through one of the toughest periods in our nation’s history. And we have. It doesn’t make the news but in thousands of cities and towns, the American people are writing the greatest comeback story never told.

    “So let’s tell that story here and now. America’s comeback is building a future of American possibilities, building an economy from the middle out and the bottom up, not the top down, investing in all of America, in all Americans to make sure everyone has a fair shot and we leave no one behind!

    “The pandemic no longer controls our lives. The vaccines that saved us from COVID-19 are now being used to help beat cancer. We have turned setbacks into comebacks. That’s America! I inherited an economy that was on the brink. Now our economy is the envy of the world. 15 million new jobs in just three years, that’s a record. Unemployment is at 50-year lows.

    “A record 16 million Americans are starting small businesses and each one is an act of hope; with historic job growth and small business growth for Black, Hispanic and Asian Americans, 800,000 new manufacturing jobs in America and counting,”

    Biden explained that inflation in the country has dropped from nine per cent to three per cent.

    Trump’s threat

    Trump’s language hasn’t changed. He lost his primary platform when he was banned from Twitter in 2021. This may be a political benefit for him since fewer people experience his attacks. While some ignore his remarks that once could have raised eyebrows.

    He was not disqualified from the nomination even after being charged with 91 felonies. Rather, it has energised his core supporters.

    However, 33 per cent of North Carolina Republican primary voters and 40 per cent of Virginia Republican primary voters agreed that Trump would not be fit to serve as president if he were found guilty of a crime.

    Gun control

    Biden made a strong statement on reducing gun violence. The President made scathing remarks on Trump’s administration’s inaction on gun violence alongside explaining the steps his administration had taken to stop mass shootings.

    “I did do something by establishing the first-ever Office of Gun Violence Prevention in the White House that Vice-President Harris is leading. I’m proud we beat the National Rifle Association (NRA) when I signed the most significant gun safety law in nearly 30 years,”

    In a blistering critique of Trump, the President said: “My predecessor told the NRA he’s proud he did nothing on guns when he was President.”

    At the podium, Biden declared: “Now we must beat the NRA again! I’m demanding a ban on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines! Pass universal background checks! None of this violates the Second Amendment or vilifies responsible gun owners,”

    Age limit

     That’s a bigger problem for Biden. His age wasn’t a major factor when he was elected President in 2020, but at 78, he already held the record for the oldest President in American history.

    Republicans point to every misstep made by the 81-year-old Biden as proof that he is not mentally and physically capable of being president.

    Democrats also criticised Trump for his mistakes, pointing out that at 77, he confused Nikki Haley with Nancy Pelosi, and mistakenly identified Barack Obama as Joe Biden.

    Trump’s ‘bloodbath’ comment 

     Donald Trump has been criticised after he warned that there will be a ‘bloodbath’ should he lose the November election in a fiery speech where he also branded migrants ‘animals.’

    Trump painted an apocalyptic vision of the country if Biden wins a second term while speaking at an airfield rally outside of Dayton, Ohio, to campaign for Republican Senate candidate, Bernie Moreno.

    “If I don´t get elected, it´s going to be a bloodbath for the whole that´s going to be the least of it; it´s going to be a bloodbath for the country. If this election isn’t won, I’m not sure that you’ll ever have another election in this country,” Trump said.

    The outcry over his comments quickly poured onto X platform (formerly known as Twitter), as users branded Trump ‘hateful’ ‘grotesque’ and ‘a dangerous lunatic’ over both his ‘bloodbath’ comment and reference to migrants as ‘animals.’

    Reacting to this, former Speaker and a frequent political foe of the former President, Nancy Pelosi the remarks highlight how important it is for Democrats to re-elect Biden.

    “We just have to win this election because he’s even predicting a bloodbath. What does that mean? Is he going to exact a bloodbath? There’s something wrong here.

    “Praising Hitler, praising the Russians, honestly, I mean, condemning our soldiers for losing or dying in war or being captured in war.”

    Pelosi pleaded with the American public to take these issues into account when they head to the polls in November.

  • ‘How U.S., China, others are battling illicit drugs

    ‘How U.S., China, others are battling illicit drugs

    Todd Robinson is the United States’ Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs.  Ambassador Robinson, at a Washington Foreign Press Center briefing speaks on the department’s efforts to reduce the supply of illicit fentanyl and synthetic drugs coming to the United States from overseas through mechanisms such as the Global Coalition to Address Synthetic Drug Threats. United States Bureau Chief OLUKOREDE YISHAU was there. Excerpts:

     67th session of the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs

    It marked the first time in history that the Secretary of State participated in the CND, underscoring the paramount importance the United States places on combatting the global threat of illicit synthetic drugs through international cooperation.   

    The UN and the CND specifically is a unique venue for countries to work collectively to advance solutions to the most challenging drug issues.  Illicit synthetic drugs are fueling a public health crisis that affects communities across the United States and around the globe.  Traffickers are exploiting increasingly complex shipment routes, manufacturers are innovating to obtain ingredients and equipment, and criminal networks are capitalizing on vulnerabilities within data collection systems.  INL regularly leads U.S. engagement in various multilateral fora on countering narcotics and crime, and the CND is a premiere policymaking body within the UN – within the UN system on drug control matters.  It is imperative that we and other nations utilize opportunities and resources like the CND to drive concrete action to address challenges related to illicit synthetic drugs.

    That is why we are so pleased to report that at the urging of the United States and others, international community came together at the CND and unanimously agreed to new controls for 23 substances, of which 18 are precursors used in the illicit manufacturing of fentanyl and other illicit synthetic drugs.

    What does this mean in practice?  As a result of this action, the 192 countries which are party to the 1988 convention will be obligated to add these chemicals to their own domestic chemical control systems, to effectively monitor international trade in these chemicals, and provide a legal basis to seize these chemicals if there’s evidence that they are intended to be used in illicit drug manufacture.   

    Countries party to the convention will also be legally required to enforce proper labeling, documentation of imports and exports.  We can request that countries exporting these chemicals to the United States provide specific information that can help identify suspicious shipments.  In addition to these obligations, parties will be obligated to report information to the International Narcotics Control Board annually on seizures of these substances, allowing for faster and better cooperation among enforcement authorities.

    The international scheduling of these chemicals will strengthen law enforcement efforts to counter trafficking of dangerous drugs that are devastating communities in the United States and around the world.  In direct response to the public health challenges we see at home, the United States and 30 of our partners from around the world came together at the CND to sponsor a resolution, a document that guides UN member-states and the UN on implementing the international drug control treaties or other drug control commitments on overdose prevention and response.  The resolution was successfully adopted and will advance global data collection and information sharing on this issue to reduce the number of overdoses linked to drugs such as fentanyl.

    The successes at the CND last month represent only part of our efforts.  As you likely know, the United States launched the Global Coalition to Address Synthetic Drug Threats in July 2023.  Under the leadership of Secretary Blinken, this international endeavor has garnered participation from 151 countries and 14 international organizations.  Through collaborative efforts, the coalition is swiftly moving to translate recommendations into tangible actions aimed at preventing illicit drug production, trafficking, detecting emerging threats, and promoting public health interventions.   

    U.S.’s support

    The United States is significantly bolstering its support in this fight.  Following the initial commitment of $100 million last September, the administration has requested approximately $170 million more to fund global efforts aimed at tackling illicit synthetic drug threats.  These resources will enhance law enforcement capabilities, forge cross-border cooperation and information sharing, support public health initiatives, and expand access to treatment for individuals grappling with addiction.   

    We are very pleased that the CND meeting served as the catalyst for enhanced international commitment and change.  There is more to be done.  The United States remains steadfast in its dedication to this cause and calls upon all nations to join us in our collective efforts to safeguard public health, promote global security, and combat the threat of illicit synthetic drugs.  

     The fight against drugs as a priority

    The United States and Colombia have a long history of working together, fighting the trafficking of cocaine, and increasingly going after traffickers of synthetic drugs.  We continue to work very closely together.  The Petro administration has made it very clear that they want the United States walking side-by-side with them on the fight against illicit trafficking, anti-corruption efforts, interdiction efforts.  They want to look at other areas like environmental crimes and rural security.  And the United States has made it very clear that it’s committed to working with the Government of Colombia to continue in this fight.   

    Mexico, China, and other countries   

     The United States works very closely with our neighbors – both Mexico and Canada – in a trilateral effort to reduce the amount of synthetic drugs coming into the United States, to go after networks that are distributing and manufacturing these drugs, and to both exchange information, to look at efforts on addressing public health issues.  We are – we have been working very closely – we continue to work very closely with our partners in Mexico both on the – on going – identifying the networks and going after the networks.  We have worked very closely on building capacity and making sure that our southwest border, their northern border, have the tools necessary to monitor trafficking of illicit drugs and precursor chemicals.  So we have great cooperation with Mexico.   

    We are increasingly working more closely with China.  You will all recall that during the Woodside meeting between President Biden and President Xi, they committed – both presidents committed – to working more closely together on counternarcotics efforts.  I traveled to Beijing in January to begin that effort.  We met again in Vienna to begin that effort.  Both in Vienna, our delegation was led by DHS Secretary Mayorkas.  We believe that the PRC is beginning to work more closely on notifying those – companies based in the PRC of these increased efforts to monitor the production of precursor chemicals going around the world, but particularly going to Mexico, and to warn those companies that there will be increased measures to distribute these chemicals.  

    Read Also: NDLEA destroys 304,436kg, 40, 042 litres of illicit drugs seized in Lagos, Ogun

    China and indirect subsidy on illicit narcotics

    We have no evidence that the Government of the PRC is deliberately directing the shipment of illicit drugs into the United States, and in fact we know back in 2019, when asked to – when we asked the PRC to stop shipments of fentanyl directly to the United States, they did that.  So that was a sign of their willingness to work with us on this issue.   

    We also know that PRC-based companies are the largest source of precursor chemicals used to manufacture illicit fentanyl that affects the United States.  That’s why we’ve been so focused on pressing the PRC to address this significant problem.  That’s the importance of this – the regeneration of this counter-narcotic working group, and we will continue to engage with the PRC on this very important issue.  

    State Department and the Albanian Government

    Well, number one, drug trafficking is an issue.  It’s something that affect all countries around the world.  And as Secretary Blinken has said often, no one country can address this issue alone.  We are working very closely with our Albanian partners to go after the narcotic trafficking networks that are working out of Albania.  We had great cooperation; we hope to continue to have great cooperation.  And as long as we do, we will continue to work with them not only in Albania, but as these networks affect other countries in regions around the world, we’ll continue to work with them there.  

    Seizures of fentanyl across the U.S.-Mexico border

     I’m probably going to have to get back to you on specific numbers.  But I will say that my colleagues at the Department of Homeland Security and the Drug Enforcement Administration continue to seize large quantities of fentanyl at our southwest border, and that’s why we continue to work so closely with our partners in Mexico to go after these networks.  

    Last word

     The United States, as the Secretary has said, is really – has been a canary in the coal mine in terms of the devastating effects the synthetic drugs have had on communities all across America.  The reason he started the global coalition (inaudible) back in 2023 was to warn other countries what might – what could happen if they don’t bet on this issue early, and also to let them know that the United States is here to help.  And I think the reaction to the establishment of this global coalition, which started from zero and now has over 150 countries, is a sign that the international community has heeded our call and wants to work very closely with us on addressing these concerns.  

  • Dubai hit by floods, flights disrupted

    Dubai hit by floods, flights disrupted

    A year’s worth of rain unleashed immense flash flooding  in  United Arab Emirates yesterday  as roads turned into rivers and rushing water inundated homes,   businesses and even  Dubai International Airport.

    Former Gatwick chief says the West places too much emphasis on environmental concerns.

    Shocking video showed the tarmac of Dubai International Airport recently crowned the second-busiest airport in the world—underwater as massive aircraft attempted  to navigate floodwaters.

    In nearby Oman, at least 17 people  died due to   heavy rain  that started on  Sunday.

    Large jets looked more like boats moving through the flooded airport as water sprayed in their wake and waves rippled through the deep water in Dubai.

    The airport ceased operations for nearly a half hour.

     “Operations continue to be significantly disrupted,” the airport confirmed in an advisory. “There is major flooding on access roads around Dubai leading to the airport.”

    Nearly four inches (100 mm) of rain fell over the course of just 12 hours  according to weather observations at the airport – around what Dubai measures in an entire year, according to United Nations data.

    Read Also; Nigeria’s security architecture stretched beyond elastic limits, says Tinubu

    The rain fell so heavily and so quickly that some motorists were forced to abandon their vehicles as the floodwater rose and roads turned into rivers.

    Video from social media showed water rushing through an area mall and inundating the ground floor of homes.

    Dubai – like the rest of the UAE – has a hot and dry climate. As such, rainfall is infrequent and the infrastructure is not in place to handle extreme events.

    When it rained yesterday, it absolutely poured.

    Experts said torrential rainfall events like yesterday’s  will become more frequent due to human-driven climate change.

    As the atmosphere continues to warm, it’s able to soak up more moisture like a towel and then ring it out in the form of more extreme gushes of flooding rainfall.

    The rain that plunged Dubai underwater is associated with the  larger storm system traversing the Arabian Peninsula and moving across the Gulf of Oman.

    National Committee for Emergency Management (NCEM) of Oman which confirmed 17 deaths, said the government suspended   work by  employees and workers in the public and private sectors  due to the weather conditions.

    Authorities in Oman are conducting “rescue operations” after announcing all schools in six ‘governorates’   would be closed  due to the unstable weather conditions.”