Category: Foreign

Jordan’s King Abdullah and his half-brother Prince Hamzah have appeared in public for the first time since claims of a royal rift.

Prince Hamzah last week said he had been put under house arrest as part of a crackdown on critics. He was accused of plotting to destabilise the kingdom, which he has denied.

King Abdullah expressed his “shock” at the alleged plot in a statement.

The pair were seen attending a ceremony together yesterday.

They joined other members of the royal family commemorating the 100th anniversary of Jordan’s independence. Images posted to social media show members of the royal family laying wreaths at the memorial to the unknown soldier.

It is the first time Prince Hamzah has been seen since the rift erupted a week ago.

On April 3, Prince Hamzah, 41, released two videos to the BBC in which he said he had been placed under house arrest.

He said a senior official had told him he was not allowed to go out or communicate with people because of criticisms of the government or king voiced at meetings where he had been present.

The apparent house arrest is thought to have followed a visit by the prince to tribal leaders, where he is said to have garnered some support to destabilise the kingdom.

Deputy Prime Minister Ayman Safadi said the prince had been liaising with “some foreign entities” and had been monitored for some time.

He accused the prince of seeking to mobilise “clan leaders against the government”. Mr Safadi said officials had tried to discourage the prince rather than take legal action, but Prince Hamzah had “dealt with this request negatively”.

He added that at least 16 people, including a former adviser to King Abdullah and another member of the royal family, had been arrested over the plot. But no members of the armed forces were said to be among those detained.

On Monday, Prince Hamzah signed a letter confirming his loyalty to King Abdullah. In the letter, released by the palace, Prince Hamza is quoted as saying: “I place myself in the hands of his majesty the king… I will remain committed to the constitution of the dear Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.”

On Wednesday, King Abdullah released a statement which was read out on state television, describing news of the alleged plot as “painful”.

He reassured Jordanians that the crisis was now over.

“Parties behind the sedition came from within our house and outside it,” his address said, adding: “The sedition has been nipped in the bud.”

The eldest son of the late King Hussein and his favourite wife Queen Noor, Prince Hamzah is a graduate of the UK’s Harrow School and the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst. He also attended Harvard University in the US and has served in the Jordanian armed forces.

He was named crown prince of Jordan in 1999 and was a favourite of King Hussein, who often described him in public as the “delight of my eye”. However, he was seen as too young and inexperienced to be named successor at the time of King Hussein’s death in 1999.

Instead his elder half-brother, Abdullah, ascended the throne and stripped Hamzah of the title of crown prince in 2004, giving it to his own son. The move was seen as a blow to Queen Noor, who had hoped to see her eldest son become king.

Israeli intelligence was responsible for the incident yesterday at Iran’s Natanz nuclear plant, which saw a blackout at an electricity distribution network, Israeli media outlets are claiming, citing unnamed “Western sources.”

Calling it an “attack” and an example of “nuclear terrorism,” Iranian officials said the incident had not caused any damage, but reports in the Israeli media that followed disputed that.

Citing anonymous sources, various outlets, including the Times of Israel and the Jerusalem Post, claimed the facility sustained “severe” and “extensive” damage as a result of a “cyber-attack.”

While Tehran stopped short of naming the culprit, the Jerusalem Post did not shy away from naming the intelligence service Mossad as being responsible for the attack. A source quoted by the Post specifically claimed that the incident in Natanz – one of the key sites of Iran’s nuclear enrichment programme – was “not an accident.”

While no evidence has yet been provided, “Western sources” have been cited as confirming Mossad’s role.

The incident at the facility was initially described as an “electricity problem” within the power grid that had caused neither injuries nor any pollution. However, the head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organisation, Ali Akbar Salehi, later described the incident as “nuclear terrorism,” and said Tehran reserved the right to respond and take action against those responsible.

Israeli officials have not made any public comments on the incident thus far. The media have been quick to interpret statements by both Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Israeli Defence Force (IDF) chief of staff as a nod to Tel Aviv’s alleged involvement.

“The battle against Iran and its proxies, and against Iranian armament, is a giant task,” Netanyahu said, in what the Jerusalem Post described as a “hint” at the possibility of Mossad’s involvement. “The situation that exists today is not necessarily the one that will exist tomorrow,” he added.

The words of IDF Chief of Staff Lieutenant-General Aviv Kochavi were summed up by the Post, in turn, as “a rare strong hint pointing to Israeli involvement.”

The contest to succeed Angela Merkel as the centre-right candidate for Chancellor in this September’s Bundestag election has been opened after the leaders of both Bavaria’s Christian Social Union (CSU) and the Christian Democrats (CDU) said yesterday they were ready to run for the post.

Speaking after attending a meeting of the executive committee of the CDU/CSU coalition parliamentary group in Berlin, CSU leader Markus Söder confirmed he would be rival to the CDU chief Armin Laschet.

“We have found out that both are suitable and both are willing,” said Söder. “What is important is that we also give each other respect. And I can say this from the beginning: no matter what the decision will be in the end, we will both personally work together very well.”

“We have both declared our willingness to run for chancellor,” Laschet said. “The readiness of two is on the table, the tasks are also on the table. And now we will begin consultations, first in the CDU tomorrow and then in the CSU.”

Laschet had already spoken out in favour of reaching a decision quickly before Söder’s announcement. The Prime Minister of North Rhine-Westphalia has recently faced criticism of his proposals on dealing with the pandemic.

Laschet and Söder agreed that the person with the better chances in the Bundestag elections should enter the race as candidate for chancellor.

Vote counting began in Benin yesterday in the presidential poll that was boycotted by some opposition parties over violence triggered by objections to President Patrice Talon’s quest for a second five-year mandate.

Talon, a multi-millionaire cotton magnate who touts strong economic growth under his leadership, is accused by his opponents of undermining Benin’s standing as one of West Africa’s most stable democracies.

Voter turnout was low compared to previous elections, and there were widespread problems in identifying or registering voters, a group of civil society organisations monitoring the election said in a statement.

They did not provide comparative figures.

“Incidents such as ballot box stuffing, sequestration of observers and intimidation of voters were recorded almost everywhere,” said the Electoral Platform of Civil Society Organisations of Benin.

Protests in several cities this week turned violent. Some people were killed in gunfire on Thursday in the central town of Bante when security forces fired warning shots, its mayor told local radio, without saying how many died.

After casting his vote at a primary school in the commercial capital Cotonou, Talon said Benin was “writing another page in its history despite the intimidation”.

“There are people who have mobilised fighters to attack the republic. Police officers have been attacked with weapons of war. It is regrettable,” he said.

Reuters was not immediately able to confirm where or when such violence occurred.

Among the protesters’ complaints are Talon’s U-turn on a pledge he made as a candidate in 2016 to serve only one term, and changes he pushed through to election laws, which resulted in total control of parliament by Talon’s supporters and the exclusion of leading opponents from the presidential race.

A coalition of opposition parties in a statement late on Saturday called on their supporters to boycott the poll, and voters largely stayed away from at least five polling stations in opposition-supporting areas of Cotonou.

“I think it is an election whose results are known in advance. My vote will not change anything,” said Nadine Abibou, a 27-year-old shopkeeper.

Others were undeterred by the boycott call.

“I came to vote this morning to choose the president. I hope that the Beninese will come out massively to do the same as I did,” said Diane Fanou, a 30-year-old hairdresser, in the Zogbo neighbourhood.

U.S. democracy watchdog Freedom House downgraded Benin last year in its annual rankings from “free” to “partly free”.

Talon faces two relatively little-known opposition candidates. Several prominent opposition leaders have been detained this year on terrorism-related charges, Amnesty International said. Talon has denied his government is targeting his opponents.

Benin, a country of about 12 million people, became Africa’s top cotton exporter in 2018.

Provisional results of the first round of the election are expected by April 13.

By Ibrahim Adam

The U.S. Department of State’s Alumni Engagement Innovation Fund (AEIF) has partnered with a firm, iStarter Hub, to train young girls in entrepreneurship and skill acquisition in Lagos State.

Founder, iStarter Hub, Modupe Adeoye, who spoke at the closing ceremony of the training programme tagged: ‘The Girls Creativity Hub Cohort 1’, said the training was to ensure that young girls are empowered, safe, and made resourceful.

She said iStarter Hub, in partnership with the Leader of Isolo Local Council Development Area (LCDA), Remy Shittu, got the support and sponsorship from the U.S Consulate in Lagos under the AEIF funding grant.

She noted that with the Girls Creativity Hub initiative, iStarter Hub is taking girls and young women off the street who have found themselves in a difficult situation they do not have control over, to help them become skilled and productive during their gap year(s).

“The Girls Creativity Hub initiative is an intensive creative designing and entrepreneurship skills acquisition programme that would see 100 young girls between the ages of 16 and 25 years old engaged productively, learning the act of putting their creative minds to creating jobs and adding value to self and the society. The first batch is being graduated today and there will be other batches with each expected to run for 10 weeks.

“The training entails graphics designing using Corel draw, canvas; heat transfer, photography, entrepreneurship t-Shirt, and souvenir printing as well as internship and mentorship,” adeoye said.

According to Modupe, iStarter Hub provides a safe space for young people and women, where they can come to gain access to resources that enable their creative expressions.

“iStarter Hub provides enabling environment for young people and women to meet, work, learn and collaborate. New Data from the Nigerian National Bureau of Statistics stated that only 26% of the 10 million young people that wrote JAMB between 2010 and 2015 got admission into the university. Needless to say, we had 7,400,000 young people who did not go to a tertiary institution for 5 straight years – technically, they advanced to become unemployed youth even before they got the opportunity to acquire the education they need.

“The project is committed to funding the three most outstanding beneficiaries with startup resources and a small fund to kickstart their business in the Printing and Branding industry. These awards shall be presented at the end of the program to the winners.

“We intend setting up more business hub clusters around town for a number of our beneficiaries with support from our project partners and stakeholders,” She said.

Leader of Isolo Local Council Development Area Remy Shittu emphasised that any outstanding participant from each of the batches stands a chance to receive startup resources and a small fund to kick start their business in the printing and branding industry.

One of the participants, Miss Divine Alibe said: “It has been a wonderful experience and I am ready to market my skill. My experience throughout the training has been amazing. I’ve learned the basics of graphic designing, screen printing, digital printing as well as leadership skills, storytelling, and strategies for business development among other things.

Agency Reporter

Gun salutes rang out across Britain, in Gibraltar and from vessels at sea on Saturday to mark the death of Prince Philip, the husband of Queen Elizabeth II.

Saluting batteries fired 41 rounds at one round every minute from midday (1100 GMT), the Ministry of Defence said.

Buckingham Palace said the prince, also known as the duke of Edinburgh, died on Friday morning at Windsor Castle to the west of London.

Members of the royal family led the tributes to Philip, who was also remembered by leaders around the world.

Pope Francis added his condolences to the royal family on Saturday, remembering his “devotion” to his family and contribution to education.

READ ALSO: Prince Philip’s children pay tribute to him as royal family’s ‘rock’

Philip is expected to be given a ceremonial royal funeral, but the event will take on a different form due to the restrictions imposed by the coronavirus pandemic.

During his more than 70 years at the side of the queen, Philip was remembered for his strong sense of duty and remarkable charm.

He was the oldest and the longest-serving consort in British history, as well as being what the queen called her “constant strength and guide.”

Prince Edward visited his mother the queen on Saturday.

His wife, Sophie, said “the Queen has been amazing,” the broadcaster BBC reported.

(dpa/NAN)

Agency Reporter

A tribe in the remote island nation of Vanuatu who saw Prince Philip as a god will greet his death with ritual wailing and ceremonial dancing, an expert said.

The group, based in villages on the island of Tanna in the former Anglo-French colony, revered the Duke of Edinburgh and believed him to be a reincarnation of an ancient warrior who left the island to fight a war.

The heavily spiritual group in Yaohnanen and surrounding villages felt the leader of the fighters would return to the islands with a rich white wife.

Kirk Huffman, an authority on what is known as the Prince Philip Movement, told the Daily Telegraph: “I imagine there will be some ritual wailing, some special dances.

“There will be a focus on the men drinking kava (an infusion made from the root of a pepper plant) – it is the key to opening the door to the intangible world.

“On Tanna it is not drunk as a means of getting drunk. It connects the material world with the non-material world.”

READ ALSO:What to know about late Prince Philip

He added the islanders could continue their beliefs with Prince Charles, who most recently visited Vanuatu in 2018.

There, the Prince of Wales met Jimmy Joseph, from the village of Yaohnanen, during a tour of the country, formerly known as the New Hebridies.

The prince warmly shook Mr Joseph’s hand as he was presented with a gift.

Mr Joseph said: “I gave him a walking stick for his father made by the hands of the Prince Philip Movement.

“I told him a lot of people in the movement have now died but there are some still living.

“The prince said he would deliver the message personally.”

(NAN)