The Nation Newspaper

Category: Foreign

  • Heavy bombing drives exodus of 235,000 in Syria

    Agency Report

    IN the olive groves of north-west Syria, tarpaulin sheets stretched across barren trees do little to keep out the sleeting rain.

    The families huddle together for warmth as the temperatures drop towards freezing point. Babies are bundled in coats and blankets, while the adults burn wood and use up the last of their dwindling gas supplies.

    They are among the 235,000 people who have fled airstrikes and shelling elsewhere in Idlib province in recent weeks, an exodus triggered by the ramped-up Syrian and Russian attacks on some of the most densely populated areas of the country’s last rebel bastion.

    So many fled in such a short period that even the sprawling tent cities that abut the Turkish border are full, forcing thousands to sleep out in the open.

    The International Rescue Committee warned on Saturday that continued violence could displace as many as 400,000 in the coming weeks.

    Activists and the war monitor Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported limited clashes on the south-eastern edge of the enclave as well as an airstrike that destroyed a bakery in Maasran.

    A baby is lifted onto a truck carrying civilians fleeing Maaret al-Numan, Syria, last week, ahead of the government offensive.

    Rehana Zawar, the IRC’s country director for northwest Syria, said the enclave was already in the midst of a major humanitarian crisis. Zawar warned that if violence escalated, the number of displaced in Idlib could pass a million.

    The enclave is already home to many displaced from previous rounds of violence in the war. “Conditions in Idlib are already at a breaking point,” Zawar said, calling for an immediate ceasefire.

    On Tuesday, the United Nations in Syria sent an email to local NGOs saying its request for a pause in fighting had been met, and encouraged people in Maaret al-Numan to leave. Hours later, Russian warplanes bombed a school, killing six children.

    Read Also: 12 killed in Syria warplane crash

    Aid agencies warn the situation is untenable and is threatening to turn into one of the worst humanitarian disasters of the eight-year war.

    A man sorts through the damage to a shop in the city of Saraqeb in the Idlib countryside after an air strike by Syrian aircraft last week.

    Even Donald Trump, not usually moved to speak out about the plight of Syrians, tweeted on Thursday: “Russia, Syria, and Iran are killing, or on their way to killing thousands of innocent civilians in Idlib province. Don’t do it!”

    Most of the 3.5 million people in the province have been displaced from formerly rebel-held areas across the country and have nowhere left to go.

    Turkey, which already hosts the most refugees of any country in the world, closed the frontier with Syria in response to the 2015 migrant crisis and built a wall to stem the flow.

  • VISA REQUIREMENT

    O avoid any disappointment, applicants are advised to submit their complete files at least three working weeks before the intended date of departure.

    All applicants will submit their applications to VFS Application Centre with the following exceptions:

    • Holders of Diplomatic Passports
    • Spouses/husbands of EU Citizens. Children of EU citizens.

    These groups can/will apply directly to the Embassy.

    Spouses/husbands and children of EU-citizens can apply directly at the Embassy after obtaining a prior appointment by an e-mail to visa.abuja@diplobel.fed.be

     

    Except

    If they voluntarily opt or prefer to submit at the VFS Visa Application Centre, in which case service charges must be borne by the applicant and paid at the Centre only.

     

    Interviews

    Submission at any Visa Application Centre does not foreclose the possibility of an interview. An applicant may be invited by the embassy if the need arises to do so.

    Interviews are compulsory for Student Visas and Family Réunion… Applicants in this category should have a mindset on this, as they can be called upon anytime for the interview in Abuja

    Applicants are requested to read the following steps carefully before submitting their application at the Belgium Visa Application Centre, Lagos and Abuja.

    Steps to take:

    Step 1

    Applicant is required to submit their application personally at the application centre. In the case of minor, parent or guardian must accompany them on the day of submission.

    Step 2

    Make a clear copy of all the original documents, three clear copies of passport data pages and applicant’s any previous visas.

    Step 3

    Fill online application form

    Step 4

    Pay the applicable visa fee and service fee at the bank teller counter at the Visa Application Centers (Lagos & Abuja).

    Step 5

    Along with application form and documents mentioned on this site applicant can come to VFS application centre between 08.00 AM to 2.00 PM (Monday – Friday, except the holidays observed by the Belgium Embassy and Nigeria).

     

     

     

  • No survivor, as six die in Hawaii helicopter crash

    Our Reporter

    Six bodies been have recovered and authorities believe there are no survivors after a helicopter carrying seven people crashed on the Hawaiian island of Kauai. Wreckage from the crash was located Friday in Kōke’e near Nu’alolo, according to the Kauai Police Department.

    Before fog and poor visibility ended recovery efforts Friday, first responders located six bodies, a spokesman for the Kauai Fire Department said during a press conference. The National Transportation Safety Board said Friday it would send three representatives to investigate the fatal crash.

    “First and foremost, our thoughts and prayers are with the families of these passengers,” Kaua’i Mayor Derek S.K. Kawakami said in a press release. The wreckage was found in a mountainous area of Kauai, authorities said. Two of the passengers are believed to be minors, the Coast Guard said.

    Read Also: 15 dead after passenger jet crashes in Kazakhstan

    Searchers began looking for the helicopter carrying a pilot and six passengers after it was reported overdue from a tour of Kauai’s Na Pali Coast on Thursday evening. According to a preliminary report, the pilot said the tour was leaving the Waimea Canyon area, known as the “Grand Canyon of the Pacific,” about 4:40 p.m., which was the last contact with the helicopter, Kauai police said.

    In its initial response Thursday evening, the Coast Guard sent out a chopper, supported by a Coast Guard cutter, after the tour operator said its helicopter failed to return as expected at 5:21 p.m.

    In addition to the military support, search teams included the Kauai Fire Department, Kauai National Guard and commercial helicopter pilots. Steep terrain, low visibility, choppy seas and rain had complicated the search, the Coast Guard has said. Helicopter tours above Kauai are common to view such sites as Jurassic Park Falls, the Hanapepe Valley and Waimea Canyon.

  • Issues that shaped the world in 2019

    2019 was packed full with news on the international scene. Important news items broke at regular intervals, some happening even while readers or listeners were yet to finish digesting the ones that broke earlier. Below are some of events that made the headlines on the international scene in 2019.

     

    Nancy Pelosi regains speakership as shutdown continues

    On January 3, Nancy Pelosi regained her power as the Speaker of the United States of America House of Representatives after Democrats regained majority control of the House. However, she was still to bring to an end the government shutdown that had lasted for a few weeks then.

     

    Brazil dam disaster kills over 230

    The first major disaster of the year occurred on Janury 23 when a dam at the Córrego do Feijão iron ore mine in Brazil ruptured near the municipality of Brumadinho.

    There was a massive mudflow which destroyed the mine offices during lunch time, along with several houses, roads and farms.

    About three months later, the Civil Police of Minas Gerais posted a final death tally of 237, with 33 missing.

     

    Maduro begins second term in office

    January 20 saw embattled Venezuelan President Nicholas Maduro begin his second term of six-year tenure amidst protests by thousands of Venezuelans.

     

    Kelly arrested

    Hugely gifted but very controversial American singer, R. Kelly, was arrested on February 2 after turning himself in on ten counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse, including with three minors.

     

    Trump meets Kim Jong-Un

    February 27 witnessed the beginning of a second summit between US President Donald Trump and North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-un in Hanoi, Vietnam.

    The following day, the summit collapsed as the two leaders could not reach an agreement

     

    Ethiopian Airlines plane crashes, kills 157

    On March 10, a Nairobi-bound Ethiopian Airlines Max 737 Flight 302 crashed near the town of Bishoftu, Ethiopia. It had taken off from Addis Ababa Bole International Airport. All the 157 people onboard lost their lives.

    The crash sparked a global debate about safety of the aeroplane, resulting in the grounding of the model by carriers and regulators around the globe.

     

    Cyclone Idai makes landfall in Mozambique

    March 14 was a day of nightmare for Mozambicans. Over 1,000 people lost their lives after the Category 3 cyclone made landfall in the country.

    The cyclone left in its trail a lot of havoc in the country along with neighboring Zimbabwe and Malawi. It also led to heavy rains and serious flooding.

    According to estimates by the World Bank, the affected countries faced financial damages of over $2 billion.

     

    Terror attack kills 50 in New Zealand

    Terror visited New Zealand on March 15 when no fewer than 50 people were killed and 50 others wounded after a gunman opened fire at the Al Noor Mosque and Linwood Islamic Centre in Christchurch.

    The assailant, later identified as Australian citizen Brenton Harrison Tarrant, was arrested and charged with murder.

    Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern described the attacks as “one of New Zealand’s darkest days.” The country passed a sweeping ban on semi-automatics and assault rifles six days later.

     

    Julian Assange is arrested

    On April 11, WikiLeak co-founder Julian Assange, who had been a fugitive at the Ecuadorian embassy in the United Kingdom for seven years, was arrested.

    The WikiLeaks co-founder was arrested after he was found guilty of failing to surrender to the court.

    He faces federal conspiracy charges in the U.S. for leaks of government secrets. At present, extradition hearings are going on against Assange in the British courts.

     

    Fire outbreak at Notre-Dame Cathedral

    On April 15, fire broke out at the 850-year-old cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris, France, causing heavy damage to the iconic structure.

    A large part of the roof and its spire were destroyed in the blaze.

    Officials suggested that the fire might have been ignited by ongoing renovation work at the gothic landmark.

     

    Serial bomb blasts rattle Sri Lankan capital, kills 250

    On April 21, an Easter Sunday, a series of bomb blasts at churches, hotels and a housing complex in and around Colombo killed more than 250 people and wounding hundreds of others. An island-wide curfew was imposed until the next day.

    On April 23, the Islamic State militant outfit claimed responsibility for the attacks.

     

    Comedian becomes Ukrainian President

    On April 22, final results revealed that comedian Volodymyr Zelenskiy won the Ukrainian election.

    Zelenksiy had no political experience aside from playing a parody president on television.

     

    Japan Emperor steps down

    History was made On April 30 when for the first time in over 200 years, Japan Emperor Akihito announced he was stepping down. His son is expected to succeed him.

     

    Uprising against Venezuela President Nicolás Maduro

    Also on April 30, Nicolás Maduro’s re-election to a second term in May 2018 was met with popular uprising.

    In January 2019, Popular Will party leader Juan Guaidó had declared himself interim president, gaining support from the citizens as well as winning recognition from over 50 nations.

    On April 30, he led an uprising called “Operation Freedom” to oust Maduro’s regime. Maduro, at the end of the uprising and with the support of Russia, managed to cling to power.

     

    Narendra Modi’s wins India’s general elections by landslide

    May 23 saw Indian incumbent Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) attain a landslide victory, winning 303 out of the 543 seats available.

    The substantial win confirmed a second term for Modi as the country’s prime minister.

    South Africa appoints majority women cabinet

    On May 30, South Africa made history after it was revealed that more than half of its cabinet members are women.

     

    Theresa May formally resigns

    After much of bickering and going back and forth, Theresa May resigned on June 7 as British Prime Minister.

    She served for nearly three years as the United Kingdom’s Prime Minister.

    May formally quit as the leader of the ruling Conservative Party over failed Brexit negotiations.

     

    100 die in Mali attack

    On June 10, a Mali village was burnt, killing at least 100 Dogon people.

     

    Boris Johnson becomes British Prime Minister

    On July 24, the Queen of England promoted Boris Johnson to become the Prime Minister. He took over from Theresa May who resigned on June 7.

     

    Trump gets funding for wall

    On July 26, the Supreme Court ruled to give the American President, Donald Trump, the sum of $2.5 billion to fund the building of a wall between the United States and Mexico border.

    The court ruled in a 5-4 vote.

     

    Jeffrey Epstein found dead

    American financier and friend to movers and shakers of the society, Jeffrey Epstein, was found dead by apparent suicide in his prison cell on August 10.

    Epstein was awaiting federal charges after a story broke about him owning a sex trafficking business. Epstein was originally on suicide watch before the incident.

    Xenophobic attacks in South Africa

    On September 3, there were looting and attacks on foreign-owned businesses in South Africa. The president has said he is hoping for arrests to be made in respect of the attacks.

    Since the attacks began on September 1, five people have died.  Nigerians and their business were the main targets of these attacks.

     

    US house announces Trump’s impeachment probe

    On September 24, 2019, House Speaker Pelosi announced that six committees of the House of Representatives would begin a formal impeachment inquiry into President Trump. Pelosi accused Trump of betraying his oath of office, U.S. national security, and the integrity of the country’s elections.

     

    Ground offensive launched in Syria

    On October 9, Turkey launched a ground offensive in Northern Syria. The EU has urged Turkey to end its offensive.

     

    Ethiopian Prime Minister awarded the Nobel Peace Prize

    On October 11, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. The Ethiopian leader helped end his country’s 20 years old war with Eritrea.

     

    America kills ISIS leader

    On October 26, it was announced that ISIS leader Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi was killed in a raid by US troops.

     

    53 Malian armed forces personnel killed in attack

    The world woke up on November 2 to the news that terrorist attack on the Malian Armed Forces had left 53 soldiers and one civilian dead. No group claimed responsibility.

     

    Bolivian President resigns

    On November 11, after nearly a month of protests, President Evo Morales resigned after his 14-year reign.

    Protesters accused him of election fraud, and cheered when he announced his resignation. By November 16, at least five people died during clashes between pro-Morales and anti-Morales sides.

     

    World’s youngest Prime Minister elected in Finland

    Finland, on December 9, made history by appointing the youngest prime minister in the world. 34-year-old Sanna Marin was selected by Finland’s Social Democratic Party to take over as the country’s leader.

     

    Boris Johnson returns to power with big majority

    Boris Johnson returned to Downing Street on December 12 with a big majority after the Conservatives swept aside Labour in its traditional heartlands.

    The Conservatives won with a landslide.  The prime minister said it would give him a mandate to “get Brexit done” and take the UK out of the EU next month.

    Jeremy Corbyn said Labour had a “very disappointing night” and he would not fight a future election.

     

    Trump impeached

    On December 18, US President Donald Trump became the third American president to be impeached.

    He was accused of improperly seeking help from Ukraine to boost his chances of re-election in 2020. Trump became only the third president in US history to be impeached after two votes in the Democratic Party-controlled House of Representatives.

  • Security clampdown in India to contain protests

    Agency Reporter

    Mobile internet services were on Friday suspended and security tightened in several areas of India’s northern state of Uttar Pradesh, which has seen violent protests over a new citizenship law.

    “The law and order is absolutely under control, we continue to have strategic deployment of forces,’’ Uttar Pradesh Police chief OP Singh said in the state capital, Lucknow.

    “Several police personnel have been deployed to sensitive areas of Delhi, and social networking sites are being monitored to check rumours,’’ Delhi police spokesman, M.S. Randhawa said.

    Police were seen carrying out flag marches in north-east, an area with a large Muslim population, and which has witnessed a breakout of violence after Friday prayers, Delhi as a precautionary measure.

    Uttar Pradesh also saw deadly clashes between protesters and police on Thursday and after Friday.

    At least 25 people have died so far in the nationwide protests over the most of the demonstrations outside of Uttar Pradesh have been peaceful.

    Read Also: My husband was killed like goat, says wife of murdered ex-NNPC staff

    The Citizenship Amendment Act 2019 gives Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Christian and Parsi immigrants from three neighbouring Muslim-majority countries a path towards fast-track citizenship.

    Critics say it goes against India’s secular constitution and is aimed at marginalising Muslims, who comprise about 14 per cent of India’s population of 1.3 billion.

    Fresh demonstrations were being held on Friday in several Indian cities including financial hub Mumbai, where two separate rallies were planned against and in support of the law.

    A large number of people had gathered in Delhi to protest the law at the city’s main Jama Mosque, and at Jantar Mantar, a designated protest spot.

    (NAN)

  • Buhari pledges to stand by Burkina Faso after attacks

    From Bolaji Ogundele, Abuja

    President Muhammadu Buhari has assured Burkina Faso of Nigeria’s and other West African countries’ solidarity after it was attacked by suspected terrorists.

    Burkina Faso, on Tuesday, suffered a devastating attack, to which it lost 35 of its citizens.

    Seven soldiers and 80 armed fighters were also killed in Tuesday’s double attack on a military base and Arbinda town in Soum province, in the country’s north, according to the military.

    The President, in a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, said the country would not be abandoned to its fate.

    Speaking on the attack carried out in Arbinda, northern part of the country, Buhari said the slaying of 31 women among the innocent victims was cowardly and remains condemned by reasonable opinion all over the world.
    He noted his meeting last weekend with the country’s President, Roch Marc Christian Kabore, on the sidelines of the ECOWAS meeting, at which both leaders agreed to hold a summit in the new year to discuss the issues of security and economy.

    “I look forward to that meeting,” said the President, assuring that “as we have done all the time, we will stand with our brothers and sisters in West Africa in all situations.”
    Buhari hailed the Burkinabe troops for repelling the deadly attack and prayed for the repose of the souls of those killed.

    Burkina Faso, bordering Mali and Niger, has seen regular attacks – hundreds have been killed since the start of 2015 when violence began to spread across the Sahel region.

    Read Also: Don’t label people for helping Buhari, says Presidency

    “A large group of terrorists simultaneously attacked the military base and the civilian population in Arbinda,” the army chief of staff said in a statement.

    “The heroic action of our soldiers has made it possible to neutralise 80 terrorists,” Kabore said.

    Islam is the dominant religion in Burkina Faso, a country of about 20 million people, but there is a sizeable Christian minority of about 20 per cent.

    The president has declared 48 hours of national mourning.

    The morning raid was carried out by dozens of fighters on motorbikes and lasted several hours before troops, backed by the air force, drove the attackers back, the army said.

    No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, but previous violence in Burkina Faso has been blamed on fighters linked to al-Qaeda and

  • Bloomberg has lot of money to spend, so do we – Trump campaign team

    U.S. President Donald Trump’s campaign team says it is unfazed by billionaire Michael Bloomberg’s spending in the race for the Democratic nomination.

    Bloomberg has spent more than 100 million dollars of his own money on advertising and voter registration efforts for a relatively late entry in the race for the Democratic nomination.

    Trump has been uncharacteristically quiet on Bloomberg.

    He has declined to publicly attack the media mogul and philanthropist since the Democrat launched his White House bid last month.

    The president has not mentioned Bloomberg at rallies, where he regularly derides Democratic presidential candidates Joe Biden, Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders and Pete Buttigieg with zeal.

    That amount does not include other campaign spending such as on staff, travel and offices since Bloomberg entered the race in November after saying earlier in the year that he would not compete in 2020.

    “At this point in the game, I don’t know that you recover from that. He hasn’t been in any debates, people haven’t really heard much from him.

    “While he does have a lot of money to spend, so do we.

    “We have a ton of money at the Trump campaign,” said Lara Trump, a senior adviser to the president’s reelection campaign and his daughter-in-law.

    The Republican National Committee and the Trump campaign raised a combined 125 million dollars in the third quarter of 2019.

    Bloomberg’s fundraising will not be revealed until next week, when every presidential candidate is required to file a year-end report.

    However, the candidate has said he will reject all political donations and will self-fund his entire campaign.

    The former New York City mayor – who Donald Trump taunted in 2016 as not having “the guts to run for president” – currently has a net worth of 55.9 billion dollars.

    According to Forbes, Bloomberg is the eighth wealthiest American. Donald Trump ranks 275th on the list with a projected net worth of 3.7 billion dollars.

    Republicans close to the national party told McClatchy that when Bloomberg was preparing to enter the race they worried the self-made billionaire would get under Trump’s skin.

    But Tim Murtaugh, a Trump campaign spokesman, told McClatchy in a statement, “We don’t spend a lot of time thinking about Mike Bloomberg.”

    Bloomberg spokesman Michael Frazier, in an email to McClatchy, responded, “The Trump campaign has a funny way of showing they aren’t thinking about Mike.

    “Maybe they can explain why they’ve criticised each of our office openings in battleground states, or why their campaign manager banned Bloomberg News from their events?”

    After Bloomberg entered the race, the Trump campaign said it would no longer give credentials to reporters who work for Bloomberg News, although none of them have been prevented from attending his rallies so far.

    While Trump may privately be bothered by the rival billionaire, he has barely let it show in public.

    The president has mentioned Bloomberg once on Twitter, calling him “Mini Mike Bloomberg,” since the party-switching New Yorker announced his candidacy for the Democratic nomination.

    Trump has acknowledged Bloomberg just two other times during the same time frame in retweets of others’ comments.

    In a recent interview Trump only referred to Bloomberg to compare him unfavorably to Rudy Giuliani, another former New York City mayor who currently serves as the president’s personal attorney.

    Trump responded to a question about Bloomberg’s bid for the Oval Office on the South Lawn of the White House on Nov. 8.

    Read Also: How Trump lost an Evangelical stalwart

    “He doesn’t have the magic to do well.

    “Little Michael will fail. He’ll spend a lot of money.

    “He’s got some really big issues, he’s got some personal problems, and he’s got a lot of other problems,” Trump said.

    Money isn’t one of them, as Trump himself acknowledged.

    Bloomberg’s billions have allowed him to invest early in states in the upper Midwest that will be crucial in next year’s general election.

    He is not competing in four states that have traditionally shaped the Democratic primary.

    The states that Bloomberg is targeting were intended to form a “Blue Wall” that would prevent Trump from winning the 2016 presidential election.

    Trump carried three – Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, and Michigan – by less than 1 per cent. A poll conducted by public affairs firm Firehouse Strategies, which is run by former aides to Republican Marco Rubio, shows Trump with an edge in those three states.

    Trump campaign officials say they are building up their operation in 17 states, including the Midwest, to fend off any Democrat who wins the party’s nomination.

    One official, at a December 12 briefing for reporters, suggested the campaign is expecting to face a Democratic opponent who has spent the last eight months focusing on states that hold early primaries and caucuses while Trump rallies his supporters repeatedly in states such as Pennsylvania.

    Bloomberg’s campaign told McClatchy in December that the candidate plans to open 13 offices in Pennsylvania, 12 in Ohio, nine in Michigan and seven in Wisconsin. He says he will keep offices in those states open until next November, irrespective of whether he becomes the Democratic nominee for president.

    “Somebody said to me the other day that you’re spending a lot of money.

    “And I said, ‘yes, I’m making an investment in replacing Donald Trump. It’s the best investment I could ever make. You want me to spend more or less?’, ” Bloomberg said at his office opening in Milwaukee on Saturday.

    Lara Trump, who is married to the president’s son Eric, told McClatchy that Bloomberg does not have widespread name recognition and campaign advertising dollars generate a finite amount of voter enthusiasm.

    “Yeah, he’s a very wealthy guy, he can spend a lot of money, but I don’t think a lot of people around this country quite frankly know Michael Bloomberg very well,” she added.

    Bloomberg has not charted double-digit support in any national surveys, but he has consistently polled in fifth place behind Joe Biden, Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, and Pete Buttigieg.

    He polls at 4.9 per cent nationally on average.

    Lara Trump said she doesn’t see Bloomberg catching up.

    The candidates attracting the most combined support in the Democratic field are Warren and Sanders, both of whom are shunning the ultra-wealthy and have focused their campaign fundraising on grassroots donations.

    “Those are the people that seem to have a lot of momentum behind them.

    “I don’t see him getting that energy,” Lara Trump said of Bloomberg.

  • 15 dead after passenger jet crashes in Kazakhstan

    News agency Kazinform reported on Friday that no fewer than 15 people have died after a passenger jet carrying about 100 people from Almaty in Kazakhstan crashed just after take-off.

    The Fokker 100 aircraft operated by Kazakh airline Bek Air broke through a concrete wall before hitting a two-storey residential building.

    Pictures showed ambulances arriving in the snowy area. Rescue teams were trying to retrieve those left inside the severely damaged plane.

    Paramedics said many passengers had suffered severe head injuries.

    Read Also: Attempted stow away on aircraft arrested at Lagos Airport

    Kazakh authorities published a passenger list showing 93 guests on board and 5 crew members, including eight children.

    According to the airport where the crash happened, 30 people were injured, with 17 of them believed to be in critical condition, adding that more than 60 people survived.

    Russian news agency TASS reported that no one was inside the building the plane collided with.

    The plane was flying from Almaty to Nursultan, Kazakhstan’s capital city, which was formerly known as Astana.

    Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev took to Twitter to express his condolences and said he had formed a government commission and that all those responsible would be severely punished in accordance with the law.

    According to Kazinform, Tokayev said Saturday would be a day of national mourning.

  • Over 28 killed in Philippines typhoon

    The national disaster risk reduction office on Friday said over 28 persons were killed in typhoon Phanfone’s onslaught in the Philippines, with 12 still missing.

    The office said of the victims, 13 were from the province of Iloilo, 463km south of Manila, where the fatalities included a family of six who were swept away by raging floods.

    It added that the other victims were from the provinces of Capiz, Aklan, Eastern Samar, Leyte, Southern Leyte, Biliran, Samar and Cebu.

    Mark Timbal, spokesman for the national disaster risk reduction office said most of the dead were hit by falling trees or drowned.

    He said a 13-year-old boy and a 38-year-old man were also electrocuted in separate accidents in Leyte and Southern Leyte.

    Read Also: Ronaldo not interested in coaching

    Timbal added that the 12 missing were from Iloilo, Capiz and Eastern Samar.

    Phanfone battered eastern and central provinces on Christmas Day, forcing over 58,000 residents to stay in evacuation centres as gale-force winds tore off rooftops and destroyed less sturdy houses.

    The weather bureau said the typhoon was packing maximum sustained winds of 120km per hour (kph) and gusts of up to 150 kph as it moved north-west away from the country.

    It added that the Typhoon was no longer affecting the country, but the tail-end of a cold front would bring heavy rain over the northern Philippines.

    Phanfone was the 21st cyclone to hit the Philippines in 2019.

    One of the strongest typhoons ever recorded, Typhoon Haiyan, hit the country in November 2013, killing more than 6,300 people and displacing more than 4 million.

     

    (dpa/NAN)

  • Philippines counts cost of deadly Typhoon Phanfone

    TYPHOON Phanfone has killed no fewer 16 people in the Philippines, leaving a trail of devastation through the centre of the country.

    Gusts of up to 190km/h (118mph) struck, destroying homes and power lines, and flooding is severe in some provinces.

    Many people are missing. Thousands were left stranded as they tried to make their way home for Christmas.

    Access to some islands off the coast has been hampered by the suspension of shipping by the coastguard.

    Phanfone struck close to regions hit by Typhoon Haiyan – the most powerful storm ever to make landfall – in 2013.

    More than 6,000 people were killed in November that year, making it the Philippines’ deadliest typhoon.

    Expressing his sympathy to a country overwhelming Roman Catholic, Pope Francis said: “I join in the pain that affected the dear people of the Philippines because of the Typhoon Phanfone. I pray for the numerous victims, for the injured and for their families.”

    Typhoon Phanfone made landfall on Tuesday night but continued to pass over the many islands of the central Philippines throughout Christmas Day.

    More than 58,000 people had been evacuated in advance and about 15,000 others were stranded at ports when ferry services were suspended.

    The extent of the damage began to emerge only yesterday. Most deaths occurred in Iloilo and Capiz provinces.

    One family was killed when they were swept away by a flash flood as they attempted to get to higher ground, the Philippine ABS-CBN network reports. At least 12 people reportedly went missing in Iloilo province alone.