The Nation Newspaper

Category: Foreign

  • Trump, Putin to meet in Hungary after conclusion of high-level talks

    Trump, Putin to meet in Hungary after conclusion of high-level talks

    United States (U.S.) President Donald Trump said  yesterday that he and Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet in Hungary to discuss an end to the Kremlin’s war in Ukraine after high-level delegations meet next week.

    Trump said that he and Putin agreed to send their respective teams during a “very productive” call.

    The U.S. will be led by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who is also serving as the president’s national security advisor. An exact location for next week’s sit-down has yet to be decided, but Trump said he and Putin agreed they would meet in Budapest.

    “President Putin and I will then meet in an agreed upon location, Budapest, Hungary, to see if we can bring this ‘inglorious’ war, between Russia and Ukraine, to an end,” he wrote on his Truth Social platform.

    “President Zelenskyy and I will be meeting tomorrow, in the Oval Office, where we will discuss my conversation with President Putin, and much more. I believe great progress was made with today’s telephone conversation,” he added.

    Trump is slated to host Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy today at the White House.

    Trump’s post came at nearly the same time White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt confirmed the “very good and productive” call between the leaders had concluded with an agreement on next week’s meeting.

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    He last met Putin in August during a historic summit in the US state of Alaska, but diplomatic momentum to end the war in Ukraine has stalled in the ensuing roughly two months, prompting Trump to work with NATO allies to ramp up pressure on Moscow, including compelling nations to halt all purchases of Russian oil.

    Trump said Wednesday that India, a major focus of his effort, acceded to his demand, but acknowledged that doing so would take time. India, however, appeared to push back on the comments, saying that purchases of Russian crude help “safeguard the interests of the Indian consumer in a volatile energy scenario.”

    “India is a significant importer of oil and gas. It has been our consistent priority to safeguard the interests of the Indian consumer in a volatile energy scenario. Our import policies are guided entirely by this objective,” Randhir Jaiswal, spokesman for India’s Ministry of External Affairs, said in response to Trump’s comments.

    Jaiswal said New Delhi is “broad-basing” energy sourcing and “diversifying as appropriate to meet market conditions.” On the US, he added, “We have for many years sought to expand our energy procurement” and this has “steadily progressed in the last decade.”

    “The current (Trump) administration has shown interest in deepening energy cooperation with India. Discussions are ongoing,” said Jaiswal.

  • Israel, Hamas trade blame over truce violations, border opening

    Israel, Hamas trade blame over truce violations, border opening

    Israel on Thursday traded blame with Hamas over violations of the U.S.-mediated ceasefire.

    It said it was preparing for the reopening of Gaza’s Rafah crossing with Egypt to let Palestinians in and out, but set no date.

    A row over the return of bodies of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza retains the potential to upend the truce along with other major planks of the plan yet to be resolved, including disarmament of militants and Gaza’s future governance.

    Israel demanded that Hamas fulfill its obligations in turning over the bodies of the 28 deceased hostages.

    The Islamist faction said it had handed over 10 bodies but Israel said one of them was not that of a hostage.

    Israel’s government spokesperson said on Wednesday that “we will not compromise on this, and we will spare no effort until our fallen hostages return, every last one of them.”

    The armed wing of Hamas said the handover of more bodies in Gaza, which was reduced to vast tracts of rubble by the war, would require the admission of heavy machinery and excavating equipment into the Israel-blockaded Palestinian enclave.

    On Thursday, a senior Hamas official accused Israel of flouting the ceasefire by having killed at least 24 people in shootings since Friday, and said a list of such violations was handed over to mediators.

    “The occupying state is working day and night to undermine the agreement through its violations on the ground,” he said.

    The Israeli military did not immediately respond to the Hamas accusations.

    It has previously said that some Palestinians have ignored warnings not to approach Israeli ceasefire positions and troops “opened fire to remove the threat”.

    Israel has said the next phase of the 20-point plan to end the war engineered by U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration calls for Hamas to relinquish its weapons and cede power, which it has so far refused to do.

    Hamas has instead launched a security crackdown in urban areas vacated by Israeli forces, parading its power through public executions and clashes with local armed clans.

    Twenty remaining living hostages were freed on Monday in exchange for thousands of Palestinians jailed in Israel.

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    The Gaza health ministry said Israel had released 30 bodies of Palestinians killed during the conflict, taking the total of bodies it has received since Monday to 120.

    Longer-term elements of Trump’s plan, including the make-up of an international “stabilization force” for the small, densely populated territory and moves towards creating a Palestinian state rejected by Israel have yet to be hashed out.

    Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa said the Western-backed Palestinian Authority (PA) would work with international institutions and partners to address Gaza’s security, logistical, financial and governance challenges.

    An upcoming conference in Egypt on Gaza’s reconstruction would need to clarify how donor funds are organised, who would receive them and how they would be disbursed, he told reporters.

    Hamas ejected the PA from Gaza in a brief civil war in 2007.

    (Reuters/NAN)

  • Kenyan political icon Raila Odinga dies at 80

    Kenyan political icon Raila Odinga dies at 80

    • Tinubu mourns

    Raila Odinga, Kenya’s long-time opposition leader and former prime minister, has died at the age of 80 while visiting India.

    The Devamatha Hospital in Kerala confirmed that Odinga collapsed during a morning walk yesterday and was pronounced dead shortly after.

    A central figure in Kenya’s fight for democracy, Odinga spent years in detention during the struggle for multiparty rule in the 1990s.

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    He later served as prime minister from 2008 to 2013 under a coalition government formed after post-election unrest.

    Despite five unsuccessful presidential bids, Odinga remained one of Kenya’s most influential and respected politicians, known for his resilience, reform advocacy, and role in shaping modern Kenyan politics.

    His passing leaves a major void in the nation’s political landscape and could strengthen President William Ruto’s hand as Kenya approaches the 2027 elections.

    President Bola Tinubu has extended his condolences to the government and people of Kenya over the passing of Odinga, describing him as a towering figure in African politics and a lifelong advocate of democracy and justice.

    This is as Kenyans, South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa and the United States mourned the death of the towering figure in the country’s political landscape, who ran for the presidency five times over three decades.

    Odinga died after suffering a heart attack, marking the end of an era in Kenyan politics.

    In a condolence message issued yesterday by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, President Tinubu paid tribute to the late Odinga’s enduring contributions to Kenya’s political evolution and Africa’s democratic advancement.

    The President lauded Odinga’s courage in the face of adversity, his resilience in championing electoral reforms, and his unwavering belief in the power of the people.

    “His courage, resilience and belief in the people’s power will remain sources of inspiration for generations to come,” he said.

    Tinubu described the former prime minister as a freedom fighter and a pan-Africanist, whose legacy extended beyond his country’s borders.

    “As a statesman of international repute, Odinga embodied the spirit of pan-Africanism and was a steadfast advocate for inclusive governance and regional cooperation,” the statement read.

  • NIIA expresses grief over ex-director-general Ogwu’s passing

    NIIA expresses grief over ex-director-general Ogwu’s passing

    The Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA) has joined others in mourning the passing of its former director-general, Prof. Joy Ogwu.

    Its director-general, Prof. Eghosa Osaghae, in a statement yesterday, said the news of her passing has left a void not only in the hearts of the institute’s management and workers, but in the diplomatic and academic community of Nigeria and beyond.

    Prof. Osaghae said: “Prof. Ogwu was a trailblazer in the truest sense, a visionary leader, whose career was distinguished. She was a scholar, diplomat, administrator, and stateswoman, who served our country with dignity and a sense of mission. Her legacy is etched in the annals of our nation’s history.

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    “As the first female Director General of the NIIA, she reinvigorated our premier foreign policy think tank. Her appointment as Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and subsequently as the first female Permanent Representative of Nigeria to the United Nations were landmark achievements that inspired a generation of Nigerians.

    “At the UN, her leadership was further cemented when she made history as the first Nigerian female to preside over the UN Security Council.

    “Professor Ogwu has to her credit several academic publications. The NIIA family join her children, grandchildren, siblings and the entire nation to mourn this colossal loss.  We are comforted by the extraordinary life she lived and indelible impact she made.

    “May her gentle soul rest in the bosom of God.”

  • Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince unveils 900,000 King Salman Gate Project

    Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince unveils 900,000 King Salman Gate Project

    His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince, Prime Minister, and Chairman of RUA AlHaram AlMakki Company, has announced the launch of the King Salman Gate, a landmark multi-use development in Makkah.

    Covering up to 12 million square meters adjacent to AlMasjid AlHaram, the project aims to transform Makkah’s urban landscape and strengthen its position as a global model for modern city planning. It will enhance access to the Grand Mosque, improve service quality, and enrich the experience of pilgrims and visitors in line with the Pilgrim Experience Programme.

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    The integrated mixed-use destination will feature residential, hospitality, commercial, and cultural facilities, accommodating about 900,000 indoor and outdoor worshippers. With a seamless connection to public transport networks, the project is designed for accessibility, sustainability, and comfort.

    King Salman Gate will also preserve the city’s cultural heritage by restoring and developing 19,000 square meters of historical sites, blending Makkah’s traditional architecture with world-class infrastructure.

    Expected to generate over 300,000 jobs by 2036, the project aligns with Saudi Vision 2030’s economic diversification goals.

    Developed by RUA AlHaram AlMakki Company, a subsidiary of the Public Investment Fund (PIF), the project underscores Saudi Arabia’s commitment to sustainable development and to enhancing Makkah’s status as a spiritual, cultural, and global destination.

  • Cameroon opposition candidate Tchiroma claims victory in presidential election

    Cameroon opposition candidate Tchiroma claims victory in presidential election

    Cameroon’s opposition candidate Issa Tchiroma Bakary claimed victory early yesterday in the Oct. 12 presidential election, urging President Paul Biya, who has been in power for over four decades, to concede.

    “Our victory is clear, it must be respected,” Tchiroma said in a video statement on Facebook, calling on Biya to “accept the truth of the ballot box” or “plunge the country into turmoil.”

    Elections Cameroon, the independent body in charge of overseeing the poll, and the constitutional court have not yet announced any results. Official results are expected at the latest by Oct. 26.

    Biya’s Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement party rejected Tchiroma’s claim yesterday.

    Gregoire Owona, the deputy secretary-general of the CPDM, said the opposition candidate did not win and does not have the results from the polling stations.

    Tchiroma said he will share a detailed report of the votes by region in the coming days.

    Minister of Territorial Administration Paul Atanga Nji warned last week that any unauthorised release of results would be deemed “high treason,” saying only the Constitutional Council can declare a winner.

    The 76-year-old opposition candidate was a government spokesperson and minister of employment under Biya but quit the government last year to launch his presidential run. His campaign drew large crowds and backing from a coalition of opposition parties and civic groups.

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    Analysts have predicted a victory for Biya, 92, as the opposition remained divided and his strongest rival was barred from running in August. Eleven opposition candidates were on the ballot for the Oct. 12 election.

    Biya is the world’s oldest president. He has been in power since 1982, nearly half his lifetime, making him Cameroon’s second president since independence from France in 1960.

    During Biya’s decades in power, the Central African nation of nearly 30 million people has struggled with challenges from a deadly secessionist movement in the west and chronic corruption that has stifled development despite rich natural resources like oil and minerals.

    Around 8 million voters were eligible to vote in Cameroon’s election, which uses a single-round electoral system that awards the presidency to the candidate with the most votes.

    During the last presidential election in 2018, the opposition leader Maurice Kamto claimed victory a day after the vote. He was later arrested, leading to protests and dozens of his supporters being detained.

    Biya cruised to victory with over 70% in an election marred by irregularities and a low turnout.

  • Madagascar military takes control of govt

    Madagascar military takes control of govt

    A Colonel in an elite military unit in Madagascar said yesterday that the armed forces are taking power in the Indian Ocean nation in what appeared to confirm that President Andry Rajoelina had been removed in a coup.

    Col. Michael Randrianirina’s announcement in front of a ceremonial presidential palace in the capital, Antananarivo, came almost immediately after parliament voted to impeach Rajoelina, who has fled the country because of the rebellion by soldiers.

    “We are taking power,” the colonel said.

    Randrianirina said in front of reporters that the military would form a council composed of officers from the military and the gendarmerie law enforcement force. A prime minister would be appointed to “quickly” form a civilian government, he said.

    He also said the constitution and the powers of the High Constitutional Court had been suspended. He said a referendum would be held in two years, although the details of that were not immediately clear.

    Rajoelina had faced calls to resign through weeks of anti-government demonstrations that rocked the country and were led by young Gen Z protesters.

    The turning point in the protests came on Saturday when Randrianirina and troops from his elite CAPSAT military unit joined the protests and turned against Rajoelina. That prompted Rajoelina to say there was an attempt to seize power and go into hiding.

    Earlier yesterday, Rajoelina issued a decree from his secret location that dissolved the lower house of parliament, apparently to avoid being impeached. It was ignored by lawmakers and they voted overwhelmingly to impeach the 51-year-old leader.

    Rajoelina’s whereabouts are unknown. He had said in a speech broadcast on social media on Monday night that he left the country for a “safe place” in fear for his life after the rebellion by soldiers over the weekend.

    Madagascar, a former French colony, has a history of military-backed coups since independence in 1960, including in 2009, when Rajoelina himself first came to power as the leader of a transitional government following a military-backed coup.

    The youth-led protests against Rajoelina’s government first erupted last month over electricity and water outages but have snowballed into larger dissatisfaction with the government and the leadership of Rajoelina. Protesters have brought up a range of issues, including poverty and the cost of living, access to tertiary education, and alleged corruption by government officials and their families and associates.

    The protesters have said they were inspired by other Gen Z-led movements of frustrated youth that toppled leaders in Nepal and Sri Lanka.

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    Thousands of young protesters continued their anti-government demonstrations in Madagascar earlier  yesterday, packing into a main square in the capital, Antananarivo, and repeating their calls for Rajoelina to resign. They also cheered the soldiers.

    Madagascar has deep problems with poverty, which affects around 75% of the population of 31 million people, according to the World Bank.

    “We do not get a constant supply of electricity and water from the government,” said one protester, Soavololona Faraniaina. “If Madagascan children are studying in darkness where will the future of this nation be? Where is the wealthy Madagascar that many countries envied?”

    CAPSAT is the same powerful military unit that turned against the government in 2009, leading to Rajoelina first coming to power. The unit had said this weekend it was taking charge of all of Madagascar’s armed forces, and new heads of the military and the gendarmerie security forces have been appointed.

    CAPSAT commanders had previously denied that they carried out a coup and had said Madagascar’s people should decide what happens next, but the unit appeared to be in a position of authority in some areas of government decision-making since Saturday and Rajoelina called their rebellion against the government “an attempt to seize power illegally and by force.”

    There was no major violence on the streets — and soldiers riding around on armored cars have celebrated with ordinary Madagascans in the past few days.

  • Bianca Ojukwu, NTAC DG partner to expand Nigeria’s global technical cooperation

    Bianca Ojukwu, NTAC DG partner to expand Nigeria’s global technical cooperation

    The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, and the Director-General of the Nigeria Technical Aid Corps (NTAC), Yusuf Buba Yakub, have initiated plans to promote Nigeria’s technical expertise and capacity-building initiatives on the global stage.

    The move is part of ongoing efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s international cooperation and development partnerships.

    Since its establishment in 1987, NTAC, the agency responsible for advancing international cooperation, has deployed over 10,000 Nigerian professionals to more than 40 countries across Africa, the Caribbean, and the Pacific.

    According to a statement by Ojo Adetoun Olubunmi, Head of Information and Public Relations at NTAC, the collaboration plan was unveiled during a working visit by the NTAC Director-General to Ambassador Odumegwu-Ojukwu at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs headquarters in Abuja.

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    “The meeting aimed to strengthen collaboration and discuss ways to enhance Nigeria’s international cooperation and development. Both leaders exchanged views on how to further promote Nigeria’s technical expertise and capacity-building initiatives globally,” the statement noted.

    Ambassador Odumegwu-Ojukwu commended Yakub for his leadership and the progress recorded by NTAC, reaffirming the Ministry’s support for the agency’s mandate.

    The NTAC boss, in his briefing, outlined key achievements and challenges over the past two years and presented an account of his stewardship to the Minister.

  • Hamas swaps last 20 Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners

    Hamas swaps last 20 Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners

    •U.S., Egypt, Qatar, Turkey, others sign Gaza declaration

    Hamas has freed the last living Israeli hostages under a ceasefire deal, a big step towards ending two years of ruinous war in Gaza as U.S. President Donald Trump addressed Israel’s parliament, urging it to turn military success into peace.

    The Israeli military said it had received all hostages confirmed to be alive after their transfer from Gaza by the Red Cross, prompting cheering, hugging and weeping among thousands waiting at “Hostage Square” in Tel Aviv.

    Some of the nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees freed by Israel as part of the accord, ahead of a summit in Egypt to cement the ceasefire, began arriving in the Gaza Strip and the Israeli-occupied West Bank, some hoisted on the shoulders of delighted relatives.

    “The skies are calm, the guns are silent, the sirens are still and the sun rises on a Holy Land that is finally at peace,” Trump told the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, saying a “long nightmare” for both Israelis and Palestinians was over.

    “Now, it is time to translate these victories against terrorists on the battlefield into the ultimate prize of peace and prosperity for the entire Middle East,” he said before his planned trip to Egypt for the summit.

    Also yesterday, world leaders gathered in Egypt for a summit aimed at supporting the ceasefire reached in Gaza.

    Before the summit co-chaired by Egyptian President Abdel Fatah el-Sissi and Trump began, el-Sissi hailed Trump as the “only one” able to bring peace to the region.

    The 20 world leaders, who attended the summit, include King Abdullah of Jordan, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the French president and the British prime minister.

    However, formidable obstacles remain even to a resolution of the Gaza conflagration, let alone to the wider, generations-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict or other longstanding schisms running through the Middle East.

    The release of hostages and Palestinian detainees was pivotal to the first phase of the Gaza accord concluded last week in the Egyptian seaside resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, where Monday’s summit will take place.

    Over 20 world leaders will weigh how to carry out the next steps under Trump’s 20-point blueprint for an end to the war.

    The deal came two years after the October 7, 2023 cross-border Hamas assault that killed 1,200 people with 251 taken hostage, the deadliest day for Jews since the Holocaust.

    Israeli airstrikes, bombardments and ground offensives have since killed over 67,000 Palestinians, the enclave’s health officials say, and laid waste to much of the enclave.

    A global hunger monitor said Gaza City and surrounding areas are suffering from a famine afflicting over half a million Palestinians, and most of Gaza’s 2.2 million people are homeless.

    Aid supplies are meant to flow more smoothly into the enclave under Trump’s plan. U.N. aid chief Tom Fletcher underlined the need to “get shelter and fuel to people who desperately need it and to massively scale up the food and medicine and other supplies going in.”

    The war has also reshaped the Middle East through spillover Israeli conflicts with Iran, Lebanon’s Tehran-backed Hezbollah and Yemen’s Houthis.

    Bodies of some of the 26 confirmed dead hostages, and another two whose fate was unknown, will also be released on Monday. A committee has been established to locate some bodies likely lost in the wreckage of Gaza.

    But major questions remain over what happens next, raising the risk of a slide back into war. The gathering reflects the international will to follow through on the deal.

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    Israel has rejected any role in Gaza for the internationally backed Palestinian Authority, whose leader, Mahmoud Abbas, arrived in the Egyptian Red Sea resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh before the gathering.

    El-Sissi’s office said the leaders’ summit aimed to “end the war” in Gaza and “usher in a new page of peace and regional stability” in line with Trump’s vision.

    Egyptian Air Force jets escorted Trump’s Air Force One for a spin above the resort before he landed and was received by el-Sissi at the airport.

    In Israel, Trump urged the country’s lawmakers to work toward peace. To the Palestinians, he said it was time to concentrate on building.

    Under the first phase, Israeli troops pulled back from some parts of Gaza, allowing hundreds of thousands of Palestinians in Gaza to return home from areas they were forced to evacuate. Aid groups are preparing to bring in large quantities of aid kept out of the territory for months.

    The next phase of the deal will have to tackle disarming Hamas, creating a post-war government for Gaza and handling the extent of Israel’s withdrawal from the territory. Trump’s plan also stipulates that regional and international partners will work to develop the core of a new Palestinian security force.

    Abdelatty said the international force needs a U.N. Security Council resolution to endorse its deployment.

    Turkey, which hosted Hamas political leaders for years, played a key role in bringing about the ceasefire agreement.

    Jordan, alongside Egypt, will train the new Palestinian security force.

    British Prime Minister Keir Starmer pledged 20 million British pounds ($27 million) to help provide water and sanitation for Gaza and that Britain will host a three-day conference on Gaza’s reconstruction and recovery.

    Speaking in Egypt, Starmer said Britain was ready to “play its full part” in ensuring that the current ceasefire results in a lasting peace.

    UN Secretary-General António Guterres, European Union President António Costa and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni also attended the summit.

  • Israel embassy hails end of war, return of hostages

    Israel embassy hails end of war, return of hostages

    The Embassy of Israel in Nigeria has hailed the return of the 20 hostages after 738 days in Hamas’s captivity.

    The embassy said it was never a war that Israel wanted to go into.

    Ambassador of Israel to Nigeria Michael Freeman, in a statement yesterday, said the return of the hostages marks an end to the war.

    Freeman also commended President Donald Trump for brokering the agreement leading to the return of the hostages.

    He said: “Today, we welcome home the 20 living hostages who have endured the unendurable. We give thanks for their survival, and we pray for their healing. We remember with broken hearts those who did not make it home, and we renew our commitment to bring back the bodies of the 28 remaining hostages who were murdered by Hamas.

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    “Israel did not seek this war. It was forced upon us by terror, hatred, and darkness. But after 738 days, we also see light — the light of freedom, the light of truth, and the light of hope.

    “As Israel has always said, the release of the hostages will bring the end of the war.

    “The end of this war must bring an end to Hamas’s reign of terror, and open the door to a future of security, dignity, and coexistence — for Israelis and Palestinians alike.

    “We extend our deepest gratitude to President Donald J. Trump, whose steadfast leadership, moral clarity, and tireless diplomacy played an instrumental role in bringing our hostages home and in advancing peace in the Middle East. His friendship with Israel and his courage in standing with the Israeli people will never be forgotten.”