The Nation Newspaper

Category: Foreign

  • Youths march on Kenya over police brutality, poor governance

    Youths march on Kenya over police brutality, poor governance

    Youth-led protests against police brutality and poor governance have erupted across Kenya, with thousands gathering in Nairobi.

    The protests, which coincided with the first anniversary of demonstrations opposing tax hikes that left 60 people dead and 20 others missing, followed last week’s rallies that demanded answers for the unexplained death of a Kenyan blogger while in police custody.

    Frustration is growing, especially among Generation Z, over police violence, economic struggles, and government mismanagement.

    The Communications Authority of Kenya has directed local media to stop all live broadcasts of the protests halfway through the day as President William Ruto warned that violence wouldn’t be tolerated.

    Many turned to social media to share updates and remember slain protesters. Others posted anti-government messages and memes. On the streets, some could be seen offering protesters water.

    Calls for accountability have grown louder in Kenya after a street hawker was killed during last week’s protests. A Kenyan court has given detectives 15 days to complete investigations into two police officers suspected of the shooting.

    This came as young people flooded social media platforms throughout the week with commemorations of protesters killed last year. At the time, Ruto apologised and vowed to end police brutality as the top police chief resigned.

    Read Also: Reps approve ₦1.132 trillion 2025 budget for Customs

    “Not a single officer has been held to account,” said Hussein Khaled, a human rights activist, adding that people took to the streets “to demand justice in terms of compensation … arrest of those officers who were involved … police reforms because too many Kenyans are losing their lives” to police brutality.

    Last year’s deadly protests strongly opposed a finance bill that raised taxes significantly to address debt, putting an undue burden on young, educated people struggling with unemployment and a rising cost of living. Ruto later scrapped the bill.

    Some tax proposals were reintroduced later, drawing widespread criticism and calls for Ruto’s resignation, following the appointment of a new but widely criticized cabinet. A revamped healthcare levy also changed standard premiums to a progressive tax, based on income.

    United Nations’ data shows that 70% of sub-Saharan Africa is under the age of 30, with 67% of Kenya’s young people unemployed.

     “Both the health and the education sectors, which greatly affect the youth, are seemingly sinking due to misguided policies and failure to provide needed resources. At the same time, there appears to be unlimited funds for ‘aristocratic’ luxuries,” said Macharia Munene, professor of History and International Relations at United States International University Africa in Nairobi, referring to some state people’s spending that has been strongly condemned.

    Ruto has been accused of misappropriating taxpayer money on lavish trips, most notably the use of a private jet on his trip to the United States right before last year’s protests. He apologized and dismissed ministers accused of incompetence, corruption and displays of opulence amid complaints about the high cost of living.

    Meanwhile, Kenya’s opposition received its share of criticism, with many saying it avoided challenging the status quo after some of its members were appointed in Ruto’s new cabinet

     “Enough is enough … We are here for change, it is time for us to get our nation (back),” said a protester, Sevelina Mwihaki. “The blood that we have shed is enough.”

  • U.S. vows to strike again if Iran rebuilds nuclear programme

    U.S. vows to strike again if Iran rebuilds nuclear programme

    The United States (U.S.) would strike Iran again if the country attempts to rebuild its nuclear programme, President Donald Trump said yesterday.

    Trump made the statement during an exchange with reporters while attending a NATO summit in the Netherlands yesterday. The U.S. has touted a report from Israel stating that the strikes on three of Iran’s nuclear facilities set back the country’s programme “many years.”

    A reporter asked Trump whether he would strike Iran again if it were to rebuild its nuclear facilities.

    “Sure,” came Trump’s blunt response.

    The exchange came after NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte praised Trump as a “man of strength” and a “man of peace” during yesterday’s summit.

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    “I just want to recognise your decisive action on Iran,” Rutte said at the start of his joint remarks with the president. “You are a man of strength, but you are also a man of peace. And the fact that you are now also successful in getting this ceasefire done between Israel and Iran — I really want to commend you for that. I think this is important for the whole world.”

    Rutte also praised Trump’s effort to get NATO members to pay more and said the president was “flying into another big success” after all countries—except Spain—agreed to spend 5% of their GDP on defense. He added that Trump achieved something “NO American president in decades could get done.”

    Leaders of NATO member states had mixed reactions to the strikes against Iran’s nuclear facilities, with several calling for de-escalation while acknowledging the threat a nuclear Iran would pose to global security.

    Trump cajoled Iran and Israel into a ceasefire on Tuesday that has so far held after an uncertain start that saw Trump unleash his frustration with both countries.

  • NATO announces 5% GDP for defence

    NATO announces 5% GDP for defence

    • Trump reaffirms commitment

    Following a summit of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) in The Hague yesterday, the alliance announced its member nations have agreed to each invest 5% of their Gross Domestic Product toward defence.

    “This is a significant commitment in response to significant threats to our security,” NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said in a press conference.

    Rutte said the 5% breaks down to 3.5% of each country’s GDP invested in “core defence requirements” such as tanks, drones, ammunition and troops, among other items. The 1.5% remainder is to go into investments that will strengthen defence.

    “All to ensure we can effectively deter aggression and defend ourselves, and each other, should anyone make the mistake of attacking,” Rutte added.

    The previous financial benchmark for NATO was 2%, which has either been met or is expected to be met this year by all members.

    “It means that no matter the challenges we face — whether from Russia or terrorism, cyberattacks, sabotage or strategic competition — this Alliance is and will remain ready, willing and able to defend every inch of Allied territory, said Rutte. “And ensure that our one billion people can continue to live in freedom and security.”

    Rutte’s statements followed the meeting yesterday, during which U.S. President Donald Trump reassured NATO allies yesterday that the United States was fully committed to the defence alliance’s so-called Article 5 under which members pledge to come to the military defense of any NATO country that is attacked.

    “We’re with them all the way,” Trump told a joint briefing with Secretary General Mark Rutte at a NATO summit in The Hague, responding to a question on his commitment to NATO and the mutual defense pact at its heart.

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    Trump added that he was happy to commit because other members of the 32-country alliance had heeded his long-standing call to ramp up their defence budgets and would now meet his demand that they spend 5% of GDP on defense.

    “If you look at the numbers, I’ve been asking them to go up to 5% for a number of years and they’re going up to 5%. That’s a big jump from 2% and a lot of people didn’t even pay the 2%, so I think it’s going to be very big news. NATO is going to become very strong with us and I appreciate doing it,” he said.

    Earlier, Trump sparked consternation after comments made mid-Atlantic aboard Air Force One on Tuesday that his commitment to Article 5 “depends on your definition.”

    The situation in the Middle East dominated most of the rest of the briefing, setting the tone for a gathering that alternated between shows of NATO unity and discussion of the U.S. strikes on Iran and how the situation would play out, despite not being on the agenda.

    That left little room for the issue of Ukraine, which was relegated well down the agenda.

    In his opening remarks to the leaders’ session, Rutte did set out the challenges facing NATO, from Russia’s war on Ukraine and China’s “massive” military build-up to conflict in the Middle East, but hailed what he said were the historic, transformative decisions that would be made at the meeting to “make our people safer through a stronger, fairer and more lethal NATO.”

    He said the additional funds from the 5% spending commitment would go toward bolstering “core” hard defense expenditure, as well as defence and security-related investments, and ensure every country contributed their fair share to the security umbrella NATO provided.

  • Netanyahu warns Iran against restoring its nuclear programme

    Netanyahu warns Iran against restoring its nuclear programme

    Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has issued a renewed threat to Iran following the implementation of the ceasefire.

    Netanyahu said Israel had achieved “a historic victory” and destroyed Iran’s nuclear programme.

    He said if Iran moved to restore its nuclear programme, Israel would repeat its recent actions against the Islamic Republic.

    “Should Iran attempt to restore it, Israel “will act with the same determination and the same force to cut off any such attempt.”

    The head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organisation had already announced that the country intended to continue the production process at its nuclear facilities without interruption.

    Experts say the extent of the destruction caused by the attacks from Israel and the United States on Iran’s nuclear facilities remains unclear.

    U.S. media, citing a classified Pentagon assessment, reported that the U.S. strikes would only set back Iran’s nuclear programme by months.

    Tehran continues to insist that it does not intend to build nuclear weapons and is pursuing only a civilian programme.

    Read Also: Netanyahu banks on America’s help to ‘finish the job on Iran’

    However, before the war, the country possessed uranium with a purity level close to weapons-grade, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

    The Israeli army also destroyed Iran’s missile industry, Netanyahu said.

    Shortly before the ceasefire began, Israel’s military had delivered “the hardest blow of all since the start of the war” to Tehran’s government, killing hundreds of government officials.

    There has been no Iranian confirmation of this.

    The Israeli prime minister also thanked U.S. President Donald Trump for the U.S. attacks on Iran’s nuclear facilities.

    “I must tell you Israel has never had as great a friend in the White House,” he said.

    (dpa/NAN)

  • Iran, Israel differ on resolving conflict with diplomacy at UN

    Iran, Israel differ on resolving conflict with diplomacy at UN

    Iran and Israel on Tuesday at the UN Security Council, sharply disagreed over employing diplomacy to resolve Iran’s nuclear programme that led to a 13-day violent conflict between them.

    Iran had said diplomacy could and must resolve differences between it and Israel on the one hand, and the world on the other hand, over its nuclear programme.

    However, Israel differed, warning that diplomacy with Iran had failed.

    Iran’s Ambassador to the UN, Amir Iravani, told the Security Council that his country “never initiated this war”.

    Saeid said “once the aggressors stopped their attacks, Iran stopped its lawful military response as well”.

    Saeid also expressed his country’s strong commitment to diplomacy as the path through which differences can and should be resolved.

    “Iran continues to believe that a diplomatic resolution to nuclear and sanction issues is possible,” Saeid said.

    He called on the Security Council to condemn Israel’s and the United States’ attacks on Iran and their International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)-protected nuclear facilities and work to ensure that they never happen again.

    Saeid added that Iran upheld Council Resolution 2231 and the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), and that remedial measures were “fully consistent” with these two instruments.

    Howevet, Israel warned that diplomacy with Iran over its nuclear programme had failed.

    Israeli Ambassador Danny Danon defended his country’s military operation against Iran, describing it as a necessary move to neutralise a “double existential threat” from Tehran’s nuclear and missile programmes.

    Read Also: Trump announces Iran-Israel ceasefire, Iran cautious

    He said Israel achieved complete air superiority and removed key regime targets, acting in coordination with the U.S.

    Danon accused Iran of deceiving the world for years, using diplomacy as cover to advance its nuclear weapons programme.

    “There is still time to take meaningful and decisive action to ensure that the threat of a nuclear Iran does not return stronger than before,” he said.

    “We are often told that diplomacy must be given a chance, it was given every chance, every round, every channel, every deadline.

    “But so far it has failed, the regime in Tehran never had any intention of complying,” he added.

    The United States, in its position, urged Iran to return to the negotiation table and renounce its nuclear programme.

    Acting U.S. Permanent Representative to the UN, Amb. Dorothea Shea, said Iran’s increase in nuclear activity lacked “any credible civilian justification.”

    The UK Ambassador Barbara Woodward welcomed the ceasefire brokered by U.S. President Donald Trump but warned that “the situation remains extremely fragile.”

    Expressing that “now is the time for a return to diplomacy,” Woodward urged Iran to engage in talks without delay, warning that its nuclear programme had exceeded “any credible civilian justification.”

    She said all diplomatic levers would be deployed for a negotiated outcome and to “ensure Iran does not develop a nuclear weapon.”

    Echoing UN appeals for dialogue, the European Union stressed that “a lasting solution to the Iranian nuclear issue can only be through a negotiated deal, not military action.”

    Briefing the Council, Amb. Stavros Lambrinidis said, ”Ensuring that Iran does not acquire or develop a nuclear weapon remains a key security priority for the EU”.

    A fragile ceasefire brokered by the United States between Iran and Israel appears to be holding, marking a tentative halt to a dangerous regional escalation.

    UN political affairs chief Rosemary DiCarlo said the fragile ceasefire announced by U.S. President Donald Trump provided “an opportunity to avoid a catastrophic escalation and achieve a peaceful resolution of the Iran nuclear issue.”

    Amid the relative calm, the UN renewed its call for a diplomatic solution to the Iran nuclear issue, warning that the objectives of the Iran nuclear deal (JCPOA) and the resolution that endorsed it remained unmet.

    JCPOA is an agreement negotiated between Iran and the Permanent Members of the UN Security Council, with the EU.

    It aims to limit Iran’s nuclear programme to exclusively peaceful purpose in return for sanctions relief and other provisions.

    (NAN)

  • How agency uses African perspective to address global challenges

    How agency uses African perspective to address global challenges

    Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity has yet again showcased the power of creativity in advertising.

     Nigerian firm, X3M Ideas, has won the Favourite Campaign award in the Solidarity Category of the festival’s ACT Responsible exhibition with “Blood Sacrifice” for the Red Cross, captivated global audiences.

    This emotionally campaign challenges deeply ingrained cultural notions of blood sacrifice, reframing it as a vital, empowering gesture that transcends tradition and speaks to universal human values.

     Its success underscores the agency’s ability to harness culturally rooted narratives with a global conscience—an achievement that continues to elevate Africa’s voice on the world stage.

    ACT Responsible, a globally renowned platform dedicated to celebrating purpose-driven advertising, recognised “Blood Sacrifice” as a standout example of impactful storytelling that combines cultural insight with social good.

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     The win amplifies X3M Ideas’ reputation as an innovator leveraging African perspectives to address worldwide challenges.

    “We’re honoured that ‘Blood Sacrifice’ struck a chord worldwide,” said Steve Babaeko, chief executive officer and chief Creative officer.

    “This recognition is a testament to the power of African stories and values to inspire change. We believe creativity is a force for good, and this award affirms that belief.”

    This win follows its inclusion in 2025 Financial Times list of Africa’s Fastest-Growing Companies, noting its expansion, resilience, and influence on the continent.

    From transforming local brands to leading social conversations, X3M Ideas continues to redefine what African agencies can achieve on the global stage.

    Notably, in 2023, X3M Ideas broke a 70-year drought by becoming the first Nigerian and West African agency to win at Cannes Lions.

    The agency cemented its reputation by winning two awards at the 2024 Lisbon International Advertising Festival and earning the title of African Agency of the Year at the 9th African Cristal Awards for two consecutive years.

    Founded in Lagos,  X3M Ideas has grown into one of Africa’s most awarded independent creative agencies, with offices spanning Johannesburg, Nairobi, Lusaka, Dubai, Congo Brazzaville, and London. Known for bold ideas and human-centered storytelling, the agency remains committed to using creativity as a catalyst for inspiration, innovation, and societal change.

  • Iraq reopens airspace to international traffic

    Iraq reopens airspace to international traffic

    The Iraqi Civil Aviation Authority (ICAA) on Tuesday announced that it has reopened its airspace to international air traffic, citing improved security conditions following days of the Israel-Iran conflict.

    In a statement, the ICAA said the decision followed a comprehensive assessment of the security situation and coordination with relevant national and international authorities.

    The statement quoted ICAA President Bangin Rekani as saying that the decision was based on improved security conditions and Iraq’s ability to ensure the highest standards of safety and air traffic control for overflying aircraft.

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    He added that reopening Iraqi airspace will enhance Iraq’s strategic geographic position as an air corridor connecting East and West, and will help reduce flight time and fuel costs for global airlines.

    Iraq closed its airspace to international air traffic following the outbreak of the Israel-Iran conflict on June 13.

    (Xinhua/NAN)

  • US Supreme Court allows Trump to resume deportations

    US Supreme Court allows Trump to resume deportations

    The US Supreme Court has cleared the way for President Donald Trump’s administration to resume deportations of migrants to countries other than their homeland.

    By 6-3, the justices reversed a lower court order requiring the government to give migrants a “meaningful opportunity” to tell officials what risks they might face being deported to a third country.

    The court’s three liberal justices dissented from the majority ruling, saying it was “rewarding lawlessness”.

    The case involves eight migrants from Myanmar, South Sudan, Cuba, Mexico, Laos and Vietnam, who were deported in May on a plane said to be heading for South Sudan. The Trump administration said they were “the worst of the worst”.

    Boston-based US District Judge Brian Murphy ruled the removals had violated an order he issued in April that migrants must have a chance to argue they could be tortured or killed if they were removed to third countries – even if their other legal appeals had already failed.

    Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson criticised the majority’s unsigned decision on Monday, calling it a “gross abuse”.

    “Apparently, the court finds the idea that thousands will suffer violence in farflung locales more palatable than the remote possibility that a district court exceeded its remedial powers when it ordered the government to provide notice and process to which the plaintiffs are constitutionally and statutorily entitled,” Sotomayor wrote.

    “That use of discretion is as incomprehensible as it is inexcusable.”

    The Department of Homeland Security said the ruling was “a victory for the safety and security of the American people.”

    “Fire up the deportation planes,” said the agency’s spokeswoman, Tricia McLaughlin.

    The Trump administration said the eight migrants had committed “heinous crimes” in the US, including murder, arson and armed robbery.

    But the migrants’ lawyers said in a filing to the Supreme Court that many of the detainees had no criminal convictions.

    The National Immigration Litigation Alliance, which has represented the plaintiffs, called the court’s ruling “horrifying”.

    Its executive director, Trina Realmuto, said the decision exposed their clients to “torture and death”.

    Trump brought the case to the justices after a Boston-based appeals court last month declined to block the lower court ruling.

    Read Also: Trump announces Iran-Israel ceasefire, Iran cautious

    The original intervention by Judge Murphy, a Biden appointee, prompted the US government to keep the migrants in the Horn of Africa nation of Djibouti, where an American military base is located.

    US Solicitor General John Sauer told the Supreme Court that immigration agents had “been forced to establish a makeshift detention facility for dangerous criminals” in a converted conference room.

    Sauer said the government is often unable to deport violent criminal migrants to their homelands as those countries refuse to take them back, which he said allows them to stay in the US “victimising law-abiding Americans”.

    Monday’s decision is another victory for the Republican president in his pursuit of mass deportations.

    Last month, the Supreme Court allowed Trump to end Temporary Protected Status for Venezuelan nationals, affecting about 350,000 migrants.

    In another ruling in May, the justices said the president could temporarily pause a humanitarian programme that has allowed nearly half a million migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela to stay in the US for two years.

    BBC

  • Trump announces Iran-Israel ceasefire, Iran cautious

    Trump announces Iran-Israel ceasefire, Iran cautious

    U.S. President Donald Trump has announced that Iran and Israel have agreed to a ceasefire after cloae to two weeks of violent conflict between the two countries.

    Trump took to his Truth Social on Monday evening to announce that both countries had agreed to a “complete and total ceasefire”.

    According to him, the ceasefire agreement is expected to take effect at 12 midnight local time but both Iran and Israel are yet to confirm any definite ceasefire agreement.

    However, Iran said its military operations “to punish Israel for its aggression continued until the very last minute, at 4am.”

    Trump wrote: “Congratulations to everyone! It has been fully agreed by and between Israel and Iran that there will be a complete and total ceasefire”.

    Trump said the ceasefire will begin “in approximately six hours from now” after each country has “wound down” their military operations and “the war will be considered ended”.

    Trump announced that “officially, Iran will start the ceasefire and, upon the 12th hour, Israel will start the ceasefire”.

    He added that “by the 24th hour, an official end to the 12 day war will be saluted by the world”.

    The U.S. leader congratulated both countries for the courage to end the disastrous conflict.

    “During each ceasefire, the other side will remain peaceful and respectful,” Trump wrote.

    “On the assumption that everything works as it should, which it will, I would like to congratulate both countries.

    “Israel and Iran, on having the Stamina, Courage, and Intelligence to end, what should be called, “the 12 day war”.”

    He stressed that the war could have destroyed the Middle East if allowed to persist.

    “This is a War that could have gone on for years, and destroyed the entire Middle East, but it didn’t, and never will!

    “God bless Israel, God bless Iran, God bless the Middle East, God bless the United States of America, and God bless the world!” Trump concluded.

    Iran’s Foreign Minister Seyed Araghchi, in his response, said, “As of now, there is NO “agreement” on any ceasefire or cessation of military operations.

    “However, provided that the Israeli regime stops its illegal aggression against the Iranian people no later than 4 am Tehran time, we have no intention to continue our response afterwards.”

    (NAN)

  • Trump flays Medvedev over threat to supply Iran with nukes

    Trump flays Medvedev over threat to supply Iran with nukes

    President Donald Trump yesterday hailed America’s “powerful” and “lethal” nuclear-powered submarine fleet as he condemned Russian ex-president Dmitry Medvedev’s suggestion that Moscow and Iran’s allies could provide Iran with nuclear warheads following U.S. airstrikes on its nuclear facilities.

    Medvedev — who served as Russia’s president from 2008 to 2012 and as prime minister from 2012 to 2020 — had criticised the attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities that had been carried out on Saturday by seven B-2 bombers and a group of fighter aircraft accompanying them into American airspace.

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    He wrote that “a number of countries” were “ready to directly supply Iran with their own nuclear warheads” as a result of the U.S. strikes, which were intended to degrade or destroy Iran’s capacity to enrich uranium to weapons-grade levels and assemble working nuclear or thermonuclear weapons.

    Trump reacted with incredulity on his Truth Social platform, saying: “Did I hear former President Medvedev, from Russia, casually throwing around the ‘N word’ (Nuclear!), and saying that he and other countries would supply nuclear warheads to Iran?”