The Nation Newspaper

Category: Foreign

  • Trump blasts Putin as Russia targets Ukraine

    Trump blasts Putin as Russia targets Ukraine

    Russia launched its biggest drone attack against Ukraine overnight, a Ukrainian official said  yesterday, part of an escalating bombing campaign that has further dashed hopes for a breakthrough in efforts to end the theree-year-old war.

    On the third straight night of significant aerial bombardments, U.S. President Donald Trump lashed out at Russian leader Vladimir Putin, saying he had gone “crazy” by stepping up attacks on Ukraine.

    The expansion of Russia’s air campaign appeared to be another setback to U.S.-led peace efforts, as Putin looks determined to capture more Ukrainian territory and inflict more damage. It comes after Kyiv accepted an unconditional 30-day ceasefire in March that was proposed by the U.S. but that Moscow effectively rejected.

    This month alone, Russia has broken its record for aerial bombardments of Ukraine three times.

    Russia is also still pushing along the roughly 1,000-kilometre (620-mile) front line, where it has made slow and costly progress, and is assembling its forces for a summer offensive, analysts said.

    “Only a sense of complete impunity can allow Russia to carry out such attacks and continually escalate their scale,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote on Telegram  yesterday. “There is no significant military logic to this, but there is considerable political meaning.”

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    The Russian bombardment on Sunday night included 355 drones, Yuriy Ihnat, head of the Ukrainian air force’s communications department, told The Associated Press, calling it the biggest of the war.

    The previous night, Russia fired 298 drones and 69 missiles in what Ukrainian officials said was the largest combined aerial assault of the conflict. From Friday to Sunday, Russia launched around 900 drones at Ukraine, officials said.

    Russia’s Defence Ministry, meanwhile, said  yesterday that its forces shot down 103 Ukrainian drones overnight that were flying over southern and western Russia, including near Moscow. Russia’s Federal Air Transport Agency said 32 flights scheduled to land at three Moscow airports on Sunday and  yesterday had to divert amid Ukrainian drone attacks.

    The numbers from Ukraine and Russia could not be independently verified.

    Soon after Russia’s Feb. 24, 2022, invasion, the conflict became a testing ground for increasingly sophisticated drone warfare. Drones are generally cheaper to produce than missiles.

    Russia has received Iranian-made Shahed drones since 2022 and is now believed to be manufacturing its own version. Ukraine, as well as receiving smaller battlefield drones from its allies to help it compensate for a troop shortage, has developed its own long-range drones for strikes deep inside Russia.

     Yesterday, the European Union’s top diplomat, foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, described Russia’s latest attacks as “totally appalling” and said the bloc intended to impose more sanctions on Moscow.

    Trump has threatened massive sanctions, too, but so far hasn’t taken action. But he made it clear Sunday night that he is losing patience with Putin.

    “I’ve always had a very good relationship with Vladimir Putin of Russia, but something has happened to him. He has gone absolutely CRAZY!” Trump wrote in a social media post.

    Trump said Putin is “needlessly killing a lot of people,” pointing out that “missiles and drones are being shot into cities in Ukraine, for no reason whatsoever.”

    The U.S. president also expressed frustration with Zelenskyy, saying that he is “doing his Country no favors by talking the way he does.”

    Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Putin makes decisions that are necessary to ensure Russia’s security and that the attacks were Moscow’s response to deep strikes by Ukraine.

    He said negotiations are at “a decisive moment that is linked to emotional overloading for everyone and emotional reactions.”

    Russia and Ukraine swapped hundreds more prisoners Sunday in the third and last part of a major exchange. All told, each side released more than 1,000 prisoners — soldiers and civilians — in the biggest swap of the war.

  • Dozens killed overnight in Gaza by IDF strikes

    Dozens killed overnight in Gaza by IDF strikes

    Dozens of Palestinians were killed overnight by further Israeli air strikes on the war-torn enclave amid a breakdown in a new cease-fire agreement.

    An estimated 54 Palestinians sheltering at Fahmi Al-Jargawi School in Gaza City have been killed by airstrikes carried out by the Israeli Defence Forces, the BBC reported  yesterday.

    The scores of dead refugees included children from Beit Lahia after fires were seen engulfing two classrooms fixed as living quarters in the school, which was housing hundreds of people, according to the Hamas-run civil defence authority.

    At least 35 were reported to be killed when the school was hit.

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    Video footage depicted fire engulfing parts of the school and graphic images of severely burned victims, including kids.

     Yesterday morning, the IDF said it hit 200 “terrorist organisations” across the Gaza Strip in 28 hours as military ops carried on.

    The IDF claimed it targeted a “Hamas and Islamic Jihad command and control centre” in an area used by “terrorists” to presumably “plan” attacks against Israeli civilians and IDF troops, accusing Hamas of using the Gaza population “as human shields.”

  • S’Africa pledges commitment on Israel case

    S’Africa pledges commitment on Israel case

    The South African government has confirmed that it will not back down on its International Court of Justice (ICJ) case against Israel, despite concern from some senior ANC officials that President Cyril Ramaphosa was considering withdrawing the case after a meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump.

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    The case, which accuses Israel of genocide in Gaza, has generated significant international interest and support and has been thrust back into the spotlight after concerns were raised by ANC senior members that Ramaphosa was considering doing a U-turn on government’s stance on Israel.

    Ramaphosa, with his delegation last week visited Washington to meet with Trump after the US President made fake allegations that a genocide was being carried out against white Afrikaner farmers.

  • U.S. military to African allies: prepare to stand more on your own

    U.S. military to African allies: prepare to stand more on your own

    The United States (U.S.) military is backing off its usual talk of good governance and countering insurgencies, telling its fragile allies in Africa they must be ready to stand more on their own.

    At African Lion, its largest joint training exercise on the continent, that shift was clear: “We need to be able to get our partners to the level of independent operations,” General Michael Langley said in an interview.

    “There needs to be some burden sharing,” Langley, the US military’s top official in Africa, said at the weekend, the final day of the exercise.

    For four weeks, troops from more than 40 countries rehearsed how to confront threats by air, land, and sea. They flew drones, simulated close-quarters combat and launched satellite-guided rockets in the desert.

    Manoeuvers mirrored previous editions of African Lion, now in its 25th year. But mostly gone now is language that emphasises ideas the U.S. once argued set it apart from Russia and China.

    Messaging about the interwoven work of defence, diplomacy and development once formed the core of Washington’s security pitch. In their place now are calls for helping allies build capacity to manage their own security, which Langley said was a priority for President Donald Trump’s Defence Department.

    “We have our set priorities now — protecting the homeland. And we’re also looking for other countries to contribute to some of these global instability areas,” he said, referencing U.S. support for Sudan.

    The shift comes as the U.S. military makes moves to “build a leaner, more lethal force,” including potentially cutting military leadership positions in places like Africa, where America’s rivals continue to deepen their influence.

    China has launched its own expansive training programme for African militaries. Russian mercenaries are recalibrating and cementing their role as security partner of choice throughout North, West and Central Africa.

    In an interview a year ago, Langley emphasised what U.S. military officials have long called a “whole of government approach” to countering insurgency. Even amid setbacks, he defended the U.S. approach and said force alone couldn’t stabilise weak states and protect U.S. interests against the risk of violence spilling out.

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    “I’ve always professed that AFRICOM is just not a military organisation,” Langley said last year. He called good governance an “enduring solution to a number of layered threats — whether it be desertification, whether it be crop failure from changing environments, or whether it be from violent re of U.S. messaging, though Langley said holistic efforts have worked in places like Ivory Coast, where development and defence had reduced attacks by jihadi groups near its volatile northern border.

    But such successes aren’t a pattern. “I’ve seen progression and I’ve seen regression,” said Langley, who is scheduled to exit his post later this year.

    The U.S. military’s new posture comes even though many African armies remain ill-equipped and insurgent groups expand.

    “We see Africa as the epicentre for both al-Qaida and Islamic State,” a senior U.S. defence official said earlier this month, noting both groups had growing regional affiliates and the Islamic State group had shifted command and control to Africa. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn’t authorised to discuss the issue publicly.

    Africa has rarely ranked high on the Pentagon’s list of priorities, but the U.S. has still spent hundreds of millions of dollars on security assistance and has roughly 6,500 Africa Command personnel on the continent.

    In some regions, the U.S. faces direct competition from Russia and China. In others, regional affiliates of al-Qaida and the IS still require direct military action, Langley said.

    The messaging shift from “whole of government” to more burden-sharing comes as fears grow that rising violence could spread beyond hotspots where insurgents have expanded influence and found vacuums in which they can consolidate power.

    Parts of both East and West Africa have emerged as epicentres of violence.

    In 2024, more than half of the world’s terrorism victims were killed across West Africa’s Sahel, a vast desert territory ruled by military juntas, according to the Institute for Economics and Peace. The group, which compiles yearly terrorism statistics, also found Somalia accounted for six per cent of all terrorism-related deaths, making it the deadliest for terrorism in Africa outside the Sahel.

    Since Trump took office, the U.S. military has escalated airstrikes in Somalia, targeting IS and al-Shabab operatives. But despite air support, Somalia’s army remains far from being able to maintain security on the ground, Langley acknowledged.

  • How Trump altered images to support claims of ‘White genocide’ in South Africa

    How Trump altered images to support claims of ‘White genocide’ in South Africa

     In his Oval Office meeting Wednesday with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, President Trump made allegations of persecution of White farmers in South Africa, which he used to justify granting refugee status to a group of Afrikaners earlier this month.

    Ramaphosa denied there is genocide, and some Afrikaners say Trump is being lied to about a “White genocide” in the country.

    In the last three months of 2024, 12 people were murdered on farms in South Africa, according to South African police. One was a White farmer, while the others were Black labourers or security workers, police said.

    Some estimates say in recent years there have been about 50 farm murders a year, but those do not specify race. The country had nearly 27,000 total murders last year, according to police data.

    Trump played videos and held up articles during the White House meeting this week to support his unsubstantiated claims. But much of what he showed was being misrepresented. Here are three examples:

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    Trump held up a printed article from “American Thinker,” a conservative online magazine, that included a screenshot, credited to Reuters, that the president said showed “all White farmers that are being buried.”

    But the video the screenshot was taken from was of humanitarian workers lifting body bags in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Reuters said. The footage was taken in February after deadly battles with a Rwanda-backed Congolese rebel group in the city of Goma.

    The “American Thinker” article was about both the Congo and South Africa, but the image does not show South Africa. Andrea Widburg, managing editor at “American Thinker” and the author of the post, told Reuters that Trump had “misidentified the image.”

    Trump claimed images of white crosses seen in the video played during his meeting with Ramaphosa showed burial sites of White farmers. However, the crosses were symbolic, part of a protest in 2020 after the killing of a White farming couple, according to local media coverage. A participant said they represented all farm murders, not solely White farmers, over the years.

    The demonstration, held near Normandien, South Africa, was calling on the government to take more action against farm killings.

    Ramaphosa acknowledged a problem of crime in his country.

    “There is criminality in our country,” he said to Trump. “People, who do get killed unfortunately through criminal activity, are not only White people. Majority of them are Black people.”

    The video Trump presented included clips of Julius Malema, the leader of a far-left South African political party, the Economic Freedom Fighters. He is heard singing an anti-apartheid song that includes the lyric, “kill the Boer,” referring to White farmers, in multiple clips from recent years.

    Malema was kicked out of Ramaphosa’s governing party, African National Congress, 13 years ago, and Ramaphosa said the EFF is a “small minority party” that does not represent the government. The ANC also distanced itself from the song more than a decade ago.

    In a statement to Reuters after the meeting between Trump and Ramaphosa, the EFF said the song “expresses the desire to destroy the system of white minority control over the resources of South Africa.”

    Three South African courts have ruled against attempts to have it designated as hate speech, saying it is a historical liberation chant, not a literal incitement to violence, Reuters reported.

  • Tuggar seeks partnership to tackle global challenges

    Tuggar seeks partnership to tackle global challenges

    The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, has called for collaboration amongst members of international community in tackling global challenges.

    This is as Tuggar re-affirmed Nigeria’s commitment to multilateralism.

    He spoke at the European Union–African Union Ministerial Follow-Up Committee and the 3rd EU–AU Ministerial Meeting in Brussels, Belgium.

    Tuggar, according to his media aide, Alkasim Abdulkadir, also acknowledged the EU’s enduring support for African-led initiatives.

    He outlined a familiar but pressing list of issues as including the proliferation of small weapons; climate change; violent extremism; irregular migration; the fragility of democracy; technology, trade and markets. Tuggar challenged the routine nature of such discussions, urging his counterparts to move beyond recitation and towards genuine reflection.

    “At this point, typically, we all nod and pledge further collective action. And we have indeed seen many positives.

     “But I wonder if perhaps our focus on the symptoms of despair and conflict obscure our vision of the underlying cause and how best we manage the condition,” he said.

    Pointing to the broader international context, the minister warned of an increasingly fragile global framework.

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    “We are here today as one of the most prominent expressions of faith in multilateral agencies, a rules-based international order and the search for common solutions to common problems. And yet we know that it is a framework that has never appeared so fragile,” the minister said.

    He cited the disruptive roles played by non-state actors, disinformation and unregulated digital currencies—factors that pose existential risks to nations rich and poor alike.

    Tuggar, the statement further read, “reaffirmed Nigeria’s belief in multilateralism and the promise of strategic partnerships’.

    He highlighted the potential of the African Continental Free Trade Area, Nigeria’s stake in the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, and regional gains within ECOWAS, including freedom of movement as a viable economic alternative for African youth.

    “Nigeria believes that agencies survive only when they can adapt to circumstance,” he said, while reiterating Nigeria’s long standing calls for UN reform, fairer trade, and equitable access to capital. “Little was done,” he observed, “and into that emerging vacuum we now face even greater uncertainty.”

    He addressed the internal pressures faced by African governments—struggling to meet rising public expectations with limited capacity.

     “It’s a process that crowds out serious debate and empowers political snake oil salesmen,” he warned, noting that while West Africa has witnessed several coups in recent years, “the crisis of democracy is global”.

    “Drawing on his tenure as Nigeria’s Ambassador to Germany, Tuggar referenced the simultaneous popularity of two seminal works—Jean Raspail’s Camp des Saints and Hannah Arendt’s Origins of Totalitarianism.

    “We should recognise the fears expressed in the former and the lessons in the latter,” he said. “We cannot allow our responsibilities to be diluted by our rights. The truth is not a supermarket, to be picked or discarded according to taste.”

    He noted the double standards in global responses to hate speech and disinformation. “We were told online hate speech in Africa was the price of freedom; when it happens here, arrests follow.”

  • German targets Nigeria for hydrogen demands

    German targets Nigeria for hydrogen demands

    The German Ambassador to Nigeria, Annett Gunther, has said the abundant natural resources, location and forward thinking leadership has positioned Nigeria advantageously in the emerging global hydrogen economy.

    The administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu since assumption of office in 2023 has embarked on series of reforms all aimed at diversifying the economy and positioning it as an investment destination.

    Besides, Nigeria is rated among the countries with the largest deposit of gas to the tune of 309 trillion cubic gas reserves.

    Gunther noted that with the move to green energy, her country would not be able to meet its hydrogen needs and would be looking towards Nigeria.

    She spoke in Abuja yesterday at the opening of a two-day working group meeting on Nigeria’s hydrogen policy.

    The meeting is sponsored by a German agency, Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and it brings together key stakeholders in the hydrogen economy with the aim of reviewing the country’s draft policy, identify key strengths and gaps.

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    She stressed that Germany recognised Nigeria’s immense potential in renewable energy, essential for the production of green hydrogen.

    She said: “Germany recognises Nigeria’s immense potential in renewable energy, essential for the production of green hydrogen.

    “Your country’s abundant natural resources, strategic location, and forward-thinking leadership position Nigeria advantageously in the emerging global hydrogen economy.”

    She explained that for her country to reach its climate goals, including net-zero 2045, strong and reliable international partnerships like Nigeria  are essential.

    Speaking on Germany’s hydrogen economy, she said: “Recognising the pace of global innovation, this strategy has since been updated and expanded—most recently with the introduction of our hydrogen import strategy.

    “This reflects a clear understanding: Germany will not be able to meet its hydrogen needs through domestic production alone. To reach our climate goals, including net-zero 2045, strong and reliable international partnerships are essential. It is also in this context that we see pioneering countries like Nigeria as key partners—countries that combine renewable potential with ambition, technical expertise, and a shared vision for a climate-neutral future.”

    The envoy added: “Looking ahead, Germany envisions deepening our collaboration with Nigeria on green hydrogen across the entire value-chain from production, transportation, storage, and utilisation. We believe this partnership can create a model for sustainable development that balances economic growth with environmental responsibility.”

     “The policy framework you are further developing today will lay the groundwork for Nigeria to potentially become a leading green hydrogen producer in Africa, with Germany as a committed partner and potential market for your sustainable energy exports.”

    In his remarks, the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Atiku Bagudu, said hydrogen can become the country’s next major foreign income earner with strategic planning.

    Bagudu, who was represented by Mr. Auwal Mohammed, Director Economic Growth Department, said: “It is important to know distinguished stakeholders that Nigeria possesses the core assets to lead in the hydrogen economy space due to its abundant renewable energy sources ideal for hydrogen production. With strategic planning, hydrogen can become a cornerstone of our diversification agenda, reducing our overreliance on crude oil exports while unlocking new revenue streams, industrial development, regional trade, and exports to the international market.”

    He said the primary objective of the workshop is, therefore, “to present the Zero Draft Hydrogen Policy to this distinguished gathering of professionals, with the aim of gathering your expert feedback, constructive criticism, and valuable insights to further refine and strengthen the policy.”

    He also explained that “In partnership with key stakeholders, the ministry with support from the German-Nigerian Hydrogen Office has crafted a Zero Draft of the National Hydrogen Policy, designed to establish a comprehensive framework for Nigeria’s hydrogen economy.

    “This policy outlines the roles and responsibilities of government agencies, private sector entities, and research institutions, providing a roadmap for the development of hydrogen infrastructure, research and development initiatives, and stringent safety and regulatory standards.”

    Also, Country Director, GIZ Nigeria and ECOWAS, Dr. Marcus Wagner assured of his country’s readiness to continue to support Nigeria’s  path towards energy diversification and creating a sustainable hydrogen economy.

    He said: “Germany looks forward to continuing to support Nigeria on its path towards energy diversification and in creating a sustainable hydrogen economy.

    “We are convinced that today’s discussions will provide valuable insights that will contribute to the finalisation of the hydrogen policy.”

    He, therefore, pointed out the importance of the  process, saying that national hydrogen policy is to form the foundation upon which a future-oriented, sustainable hydrogen economy in Nigeria can be built.

    “A time of global transition towards sustainable energy systems, Nigeria is positioning itself as a pioneer on the African continent with this step,” Wagner added.

    He also explained that the working group meeting will provide a unique platform for inclusive dialogue among all relevant stakeholders.

  • Many dead as plane crashes into California neighbourhood

    Many dead as plane crashes into California neighbourhood

    Several people are feared dead after a small plane crashed into a California neighborhood before dawn yesterday, destroying homes and setting cars on fire.

    At least 10 houses were burned or hit by debris that spread over a wide area, and cars on both sides of a street went up in flames when the Cessna 550 slammed into the ground in San Diego.

    “There are more than one fatality that we found so far, but we’re waiting to get the registered numbers that were on the plane itself,” said San Diego’s Assistant Fire Department Chief Dan Eddy.

    “When it hit the street, as the jet fuel went down, it took out every single car that was on both sides of the street,” he said, adding: “We have jet fuel all over the place.”

    One resident told the local Fox affiliate he had fled his home in a hurry.

    “I looked out the window and there was just flames everywhere,” said the man, who did not give his name.

    “Then we heard the chain reaction of boom, boom, boom. And I’m like: ‘Whoa’.”

    Footage of the immediate aftermath of the crash showed a line of burning fuel linking the flaming cars.

    Eddy said “miraculously” no one on the ground had been killed or seriously hurt.

    Daylight revealed what a close call it had been for some people, with images showing the roof of one home blackened and collapsing.

    Vehicles were twisted and charred, and several trees were burned. The smell of fuel hung in the air hours after the crash as authorities combed the area for clues.

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    The accident happened in thick fog when the plane, which had come from Kansas, was nearing the Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport.

    The plane, which can carry up to eight people, went down around 3:45 am (1145 GMT), according to the Federal Aviation Administration, striking the Murphy Canyon neighborhood.

    The residential area it hit is largely military housing. San Diego is home to US Navy facilities, Marine Corps bases and Coast Guard stations.

    Zane Baker, a high school senior who lives in the area, said police officers had gone door-to-door getting people out of their homes.

    The accident came at a time of heightened tension in the skies above America, with a number of incidents rocking public confidence in flying.

    Air traffic control outages have struck the busy Newark airport on the East Coast at least twice in recent weeks, and in January there was a mid-air collision over Washington between a passenger plane and a military helicopter.

    This month, two people who were onboard a small plane died when it crashed into a residential neighborhood northwest of Los Angeles.

  • Trump revokes Harvard University’s authority to enroll foreign students

    Trump revokes Harvard University’s authority to enroll foreign students

    The Trump administration on Thursday revoked Harvard University’s ability to admit international students, who comprise more than a quarter of its total enrollment. The decision marks a significant escalation in President Donald Trump’s ongoing conflict with the elite academic institution.

    The action follows Harvard’s refusal to comply with the administration’s demand for federal oversight of its admissions and hiring processes. President Trump has accused the university of being a breeding ground for anti-Semitism and what he calls a “woke” liberal ideology.

    Harvard, which has produced 162 Nobel Prize laureates, has pushed back against the accusations and defended its independence. The revocation is expected to spark legal and political fallout, with critics warning of potential long-term consequences for academic freedom and international education.

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    “Effective immediately, Harvard University’s Student and Exchange Visitor (SEVIS) Program certification is revoked,” Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem wrote in a letter to the Ivy League institution, referring to the main system by which foreign students are permitted to study in the United States.

    Last month, Trump threatened to stop Harvard from enrolling foreign students if it did not agree to government demands that would put the private institution under outside political supervision.

    “As I explained to you in my April letter, it is a privilege to enroll foreign students,” Noem wrote.

    “All universities must comply with Department of Homeland Security requirements, including reporting requirements under the Student and Exchange Visitor Program regulations, to maintain this privilege,” she said.

    “As a result of your refusal to comply with multiple requests to provide the Department of Homeland Security pertinent information while perpetuating an unsafe campus environment that is hostile to Jewish students, promotes pro-Hamas sympathies, and employs racist “diversity, equity, and inclusion” policies, you have lost this privilege.”

    University data shows that foreign students represented over 27 percent of Harvard’s enrollment during the 2024-25 academic year.

    Harvard has not responded immediately to requests for comment.

  • Yuan strengthens 7.1903 against dollar

    Yuan strengthens 7.1903 against dollar

    The central parity rate of the Chinese currency renminbi, or the Yuan, strengthened 34 pips to 7.1903 against the dollar on Thursday.

    This is according to the China Foreign Exchange Trade System.

    In China’s spot foreign exchange market, the Yuan is allowed to rise or fall by two per cent from the central parity rate each trading day.

    The central parity rate of the Yuan against the dollar is based on a weighted average of prices offered by market makers before the opening of the interbank market each business day. (Xinhua/NAN)