The Nation Newspaper

Category: Foreign

  • Russia launches a record number of drones into Ukraine

    Russia launches a record number of drones into Ukraine

    Russia launched more strike drones into Ukraine overnight on Saturday than in any other single attack of the war, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said  yesterday, one day before the three-year anniversary of Moscow’s full-scale invasion.

    Writing on social media, Zelenskyy said 267 strike drones had been sent in what he called “the largest attack since Iranian drones began hitting Ukrainian cities and villages.” Ukraine’s air force said 138 drones had been shot down over 13 Ukrainian regions, with 119 more lost en route to their targets.

    Three ballistic missiles had also been fired, the air force said. One person was killed in a missile strike on the city of Kryvyi Rih, according to the city military administration.

    The attack came as leaders in Kyiv and across Europe are seeking to navigate rapid changes in U.S. foreign policy under President Donald Trump, who in a matter of days has upended years of firm support for Ukraine, leading to fears that he would join with Moscow to force a settlement to the war without involving Ukraine and its European backers.

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    Trump’s engagement with Russian officials and his agreement to reopen diplomatic ties and economic cooperation with Moscow marked a dramatic about-face in U.S. policy.

    Zelenskyy has expressed fears that Trump pushing a quick resolution would result in lost territory for Ukraine and vulnerability to future Russian aggression, though U.S. officials have asserted that the Ukrainian leader would be involved if and when peace talks actually start.

    Trump, however, prompted alarm and anger in Ukraine when this week he suggested that Kyiv had started the war, and that Zelenskyy was acting as a “dictator” by not holding elections, despite Ukrainian legislation prohibiting them during martial law.

  • Pope Francis is conscious, receiving supplemental oxygen, says Vatican

    Pope Francis is conscious, receiving supplemental oxygen, says Vatican

    Pope Francis was conscious but still receiving high flows of supplemental oxygen yesterday following a respiratory crisis and blood transfusions, as he remains in critical condition with a complex lung infection, the Vatican said.

    “The night passed quietly, the pope rested,” Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said in an early statement.

    Further clinical tests were being performed on the 88-year-old pope, who had part of one lung removed as a young man, and a more detailed medical update was expected later yesterday.

    On Saturday, Francis suffered a prolonged asthmatic respiratory crisis that required “high flows” of oxygen to help him breathe through a nasal tube. He also received blood transfusions after tests showed low counts of platelets, which are needed for clotting, the Vatican said.

    Doctors have said Francis’ condition is touch-and-go, given his age, fragility and pre-existing lung disease. His condition has revived speculation about what might happen if he becomes unconscious or otherwise incapacitated, and whether he might resign.

    Francis was supposed to have celebrated Mass yesterday morning in St. Peter’s Basilica and ordained deacons as part of the Vatican’s yearlong Holy Year commemoration.

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    The organiser of the Holy Year, Archbishop Rino Fisichella, celebrated the Mass in his place and offered a special prayer for Francis from the altar before delivering the homily the pope had prepared.

    “Even though he is in a hospital bed, we feel Pope Francis close to us, we feel him present among us,” Fisichella told the hundreds of white-robed deacons.

    A pre-written message that Francis had prepared for his yesterday noon prayer but did not deliver said he was “confidently continuing my hospitalisation at the Gemelli Hospital, carrying on with the necessary treatment; and rest is also part of the therapy!” The message noted the upcoming anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, “a painful and shameful occasion for the whole of humanity.”

  • Hundreds of thousands attend funeral of Hezbollah leader Nasrallah

    Hundreds of thousands attend funeral of Hezbollah leader Nasrallah

    Hundreds of thousands of people packed into a stadium in Beirut and the streets outside yesterday for the funeral of Hezbollah’s former leader, Hassan Nasrallah, nearly five months after he was killed in an Israeli airstrike.

    Nasrallah died after Israel’s air force dropped more than 80 bombs on the militant group’s main operations room in a southern suburb of the Lebanese capital. His death was a major blow for the Iran-backed militant group and political party that he had transformed into a potent force in the Middle East.

    He was one of the group’s founders and led it for more than 30 years, enjoying wide influence among Iran-backed groups in the region. He was widely respected in the so-called Iran-led axis of resistance that included Iraqi, Yemeni and Palestinian factions.

    Nasrallah also became an iconic figure in other parts of the Arab world after Hezbollah fought Israel to a draw in a brutal month-long war in 2006, but the group’s image in much of the region suffered after it intervened on the side of former President Bashar Assad in Syria’s civil war.

    Hezbollah had called on its supporters to attend the funeral in large numbers in what appears to be a move to show that the group remains powerful after suffering major blows during a 14-month war with Israel that left many of its senior political and military officials dead.

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    A Lebanese official who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to comment estimated the crowd size at 450,000.

    “This massive crowd confirms that Hezbollah is still the most popular party at the Lebanese level, and as a result, all the talk that Hezbollah is weak or degraded is out of place,” said Ali Fayyad, a lawmaker with the group’s political wing, who attended the funeral.

    Sahar al-Attar, a mourner who travelled from Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley for the funeral said,“We would have come even under bullets” to attend Nasrallah’s burial.

    Nasrallah shared the funeral with his cousin and successor, Hashem Safieddine, who was killed in an Israeli airstrike on a Beirut suburb a few days later. Nasrallah will be laid to rest later  yesterday in Beirut while Safieddine will be buried in his hometown in southern Lebanon. Both had temporarily been buried in secret locations.

  • Israel delays Palestinian prisoners’ release over Hamas’ treatment of hostages

    Israel delays Palestinian prisoners’ release over Hamas’ treatment of hostages

    Israel will delay the seventh hostage-prisoner exchange in protest of Hamas’ “humiliating” treatment of hostages, according to Israeli officials.

    The release of 620 Palestinian prisoners, which was scheduled for Saturday, was postponed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Yesterday morning, Netanyahu’s office issued a statement condemning Hamas propaganda generated during the exchange.

    “In light of Hamas’s repeated violations, including the ceremonies that humiliate our hostages and the cynical exploitation of our hostages for propaganda purposes, it has been decided to delay the release of terrorists that was planned for yesterday until the release of the next hostages has been assured, and without the humiliating ceremonies,” the office’s statement said.

    The statement came after reports of Hamas fighters exploiting Israeli prisoners while they were being released. On Saturday, five of the six freed hostages were accompanied by armed militants in front of a crowd, including three Israeli hostages who posed alongside terrorists.

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    Omer Wenkert, Omer Shem Tov and Eliya Cohen were among the hostages forced to pose with the terrorists. Shem Tov was also forced to appear cheerful, kiss two militants on the head and blew kisses to the crowd.

    The three also wore fake army uniforms, though they were not enlisted when they were captured by Hamas.

    In another recent ceremony orchestrated by Hamas, four coffins were placed in front of a caricature of Netanyahu with a banner that said, “The war criminal Netanyahu & his Nazi army killed them with missiles from Zionist warplanes.”

    Hamas condemned Israel’s decision to postpone the release of Palestinian prisoners and detainees, arguing that Israel’s claim that the hostages’ handover ceremonies are “humiliating” was false and a pretext to evade obligations under the ceasefire agreement.

  • Musk’s DOGE seeks access to personal taxpayer data

    Musk’s DOGE seeks access to personal taxpayer data

    •Plan raises alarm at IRS

    Elon Musk’s U.S. DOGE Service is seeking access to a heavily guarded Internal Revenue Service system that includes detailed financial information about every taxpayer, business and nonprofit in the country.

    According to three people familiar with the activities, the move has sparked alarm within the tax agency.

    Under pressure from the White House, the IRS is considering a memorandum of understanding that would give officials from DOGE — which stands for Department of Government Efficiency — broad access to tax-agency systems, property and datasets.

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    Among them is the Integrated Data Retrieval System, or IDRS, which enables tax agency employees to access IRS accounts — including personal identification numbers — and bank information. It also lets them enter and adjust transaction data and automatically generate notices, collection documents and other records.

    According to a draft of the memorandum obtained by The Washington Post, DOGE software engineer Gavin Kliger is set to work at the IRS for 120 days, though the tax agency and the White House can renew his deployment for the same duration. His primary goal at the IRS is to provide engineering assistance and IT modernization consulting.

    The agreement requires that Kliger maintain confidentiality of tax return information, shield it from unauthorised access and destroy any such information shared with him upon the completion of his IRS deployment.

  • Saudi Arabia insists on independent Palestinian state

    Saudi Arabia insists on independent Palestinian state

    The Saudi Arabia Ministry of Foreign Affairs has affirmed that the kingdom’s position on the establishment of a Palestinian state is firm and unwavering.

    In a statement yesterday, the ministry declared that the kingdom’s Crown Prince and Prime Minister, Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, clearly and unequivocally reiterated this stance during his speech at the opening of the first session of the ninth term of the Shura Council on September 18, 2024.

    The statement reads: “His Royal Highness emphasized that Saudi Arabia will continue its relentless efforts to establish an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital, and will not establish diplomatic relations with Israel without that.

    “His Royal Highness also reiterated this firm position during the extraordinary Arab-Islamic Summit held in Riyadh on November II,2024. He stressed the continuation of efforts to establish a Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital, demanding an end to the Israeli occupation of Palestinian lands.

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    “His Royal Highness also urged more peace-loving countries to recognise the State of Palestine, and emphasised the importance of mobilising the international community to support the Palestinian people’s rights, as expressed in United Nations General Assembly resolutions, recognising Palestine’s eligibility for full UN membership.”

    The statement also affirmed that the kingdom unequivocally rejected any infringement on the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, “whether through Israeli settlement policies, land annexation, or attempts to displace the Palestinian people from their land”.

    “The international community has a duty today to alleviate the severe humanitarian suffering endured by the Palestinian people, who will remain steadfast on their land and will not move from it.”

    “The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia emphasises that this unwavering position is non-negotiable and not subject to compromises. Achieving lasting and just peace is impossible without the Palestinian people obtaining their legitimate rights in accordance with international resolutions, as has been previously clarified to both the former and current U.S. administrations,” the statement added.

  • European leaders meet over U.S.-Russia talks on Ukraine

    European leaders meet over U.S.-Russia talks on Ukraine

    Reeling from shocks delivered by the Trump administration last week, European leaders are holding emergency talks in Paris to plan a response, as United States and Russian officials are set to hold talks in Saudi Arabia on how to end the war in Ukraine. The U.S. and Russian officials are meeting today without European or Ukrainian involvement.

    Aside from a brief call yesterday between French President Emmanuel Macron and his U.S. counterpart Donald Trump, European leaders have been sidelined at the start of a pivotal week for the continent’s security.

    Instead, the focus will be on U.S.-Russia talks in Riyadh, where Secretary of State Marco Rubio will sit down today with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who said the discussion will aim to end the “abnormal period” in relations between the two “great powers”.

    The talks could lay the ground for a potential meeting between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

    Faced with the prospect of a diminished U.S. footprint in Europe, the European leaders’ meeting is expected to centre on the potential deployment of European troops to Ukraine to keep the peace after a negotiated settlement.

    United Kingdom Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who called the Paris meeting a “one in a generation” moment for the continent’s national security, wrote in the Daily Telegraph newspaper that he was “ready and willing” to put British troops on the ground in Ukraine to enforce a peace deal if necessary. Whether other European leaders are willing is not yet clear.

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    Over three years of war in Ukraine, Europe and the United States had remained remarkably united in their stance towards Russia. But just over three weeks into Trump’s second presidency, much of that unity had unravelled.

    The Trump administration delivered a series of blows to Europe and Ukraine last week.

    First, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said that NATO membership for Ukraine was not a realistic outcome of a negotiated settlement, and that European security was no longer a priority for the U.S.

    Then, Trump held a long phone call with Putin, effectively ending the Western policy of “nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine.”

    Then Vice President JD Vance turned on European leaders in a blistering speech at the Munich Security Conference on Friday, lambasting them for alleged crackdowns on free speech.

  • Fed Govt to probe Ethiopia’s revocation of e-visa, visa on arrival for Nigerians

    Fed Govt to probe Ethiopia’s revocation of e-visa, visa on arrival for Nigerians

    The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, has disclosed that the Federal Government will look into the recent cancellation of the e-visa and Visa-on-Arrival options for Nigerian travellers by the Ethiopian government.

    This is as the minister canvassed for a more liberal visa regime for Nigerian companies seeking to establish factories and businesses in foreign countries.

    Idris, according to a statement, spoke in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on Sunday when he represented President Bola Tinubu at a meeting with the executive members of the Nigerian Community in Ethiopia, on the sidelines of the 38th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union (AU) Heads of State and Government.

    The minister was also quoted in the statement issued by his media aide, Mr. Rabiu Ibrahim, to have told Nigerians in Ethiopia that the visa issue would be escalated to the Minister of Foreign Affairs for appropriate diplomatic engagement.

    “While acknowledging the concerns raised by Nigerians in Ethiopia, the minister emphasised that visa policies among nations are typically based on the principle of reciprocity.

    “He noted that governments often implement visa regulations in response to the policies extended to their citizens, highlighting the need for balanced and mutually beneficial agreements in international travel and diplomacy.

    “Every relationship with other countries is reciprocal. So, if we give them Visa-on-Arrival, there is no reason why they should not give us Visa-on-Arrival,” he said.

    The minister explained that as Nigeria continues to provide an enabling environment for foreign companies to invest and operate within its borders, it is only fair and mutually beneficial for other nations to extend similar support to Nigerian businesses looking to expand internationally.

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    The minister, therefore, urged Nigerians living abroad to consistently demonstrate good conduct and responsible citizenship in order to promote the image of the country to the outside world.

    The minister used the occasion to inform the Nigerian community about the policy direction of the Tinubu Administration, stressing that a lot has been achieved in revamping the economy, provision of infrastructure, curbing insecurity, and the restoration of investor confidence in Nigeria.

    Idris said Nigeria has recently secured approximately $1.07 billion in Foreign Direct Investment for the establishment of drug and pharmaceutical manufacturing industries.

    He emphasised that this significant investment marks the beginning of Nigeria’s medical industrialization by positioning the country as a key player in pharmaceutical production to enhance local drug manufacturing capacity, reduce dependency on imports, create jobs, and strengthen the nation’s healthcare sector.

  • Netanyahu banks on America’s help to ‘finish the job on Iran’

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

    ISRAEL “will finish the job” on Iran, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said yesterday in sharp comments that come amid growing speculation that Israeli forces could soon launch direct attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities.

    Speaking at a joint press conference in Jerusalem alongside U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Netanyahu hailed the leadership of the Trump administration and said the two countries are fully aligned in the need to protect Israel’s security and counter the regional threats from Iran.

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    “Israel and America stand shoulder to shoulder in countering the threat of Iran. We agree that the ayatollahs must not be allowed to have nuclear weapons. We also agreed that Iran’s aggression in the region has to be rolled back,” Mr. Netanyahu said, according to Israeli media.

    Netanyahu’s remarks come just days after U.S. media reports indicated that American intelligence officials believe Israel could directly strike key facilities in Iran’s nuclear program. It appears that the Netanyahu government believes it would have at least tactic support from Washington in carrying out such strikes, if not outright logistical and military assistance from America.

  • U.S. drops website’s wording on not backing Taiwan’s independence

    U.S. drops website’s wording on not backing Taiwan’s independence

    The United States State Department has removed a statement on its website that it does not support Taiwan independence, among changes that the island’s government praised yesterday as supporting Taiwan.

    The fact sheet, opens new tab on Taiwan retains Washington’s opposition to unilateral change from either Taiwan or from China, which claims the democratically governed island as its own, Reuters reported.

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    But as well as dropping the phrase “we do not support Taiwan independence”, the page has added a reference to Taiwan’s cooperation with a Pentagon technology and semiconductor development project and says the US will support Taiwan’s membership in international organisations “where applicable”.

    The United States, like most countries, has no formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan but is its strongest international backer, bound by law to provide the island with the means to defend itself.