The Nation Newspaper

Tag: French

  • Osaka, Alcaraz off to winning starts at French Open

    Osaka, Alcaraz off to winning starts at French Open

    Naomi Osaka swept to her first victory at the French Open in three years yesterday, setting up a potential showdown with Iga Swiatek, as Carlos Alcaraz maintained his record of never losing in the first round of a Grand Slam.

    Osaka, a four-time major winner who has yet to get past the third round in Paris, needed three sets to defeat Italy’s 48th -ranked Lucia Bronzetti on the showpiece Court Philippe Chatrier, 6-1, 4-6, 7-5.

    The 26-year-old fired 31 winners, including six aces, and 45 unforced errors in a match where she gave up a 4-0 lead in the decider before finding herself 5-4 down.

    Read Also: Returning Osaka looking at tennis’  ‘bigger picture’ 

    However, she rallied strongly to register her first win at a Grand Slam since the 2022 Australian Open.

     “It feels really nice to be back and I’m just really grateful to be here in front of everybody,” said Osaka. “I think there were moments when I played really well.”

    The Japanese star, a former world number one now at 134 in the rankings, has endured a bittersweet relationship with the French capital.

    In 2021, she was fined for opting out of mandatory media commitments before withdrawing from the tournament in order to protect her mental health.

    A year later, she fell in the first round before leaving the sport in September 2022 for 16 months to give birth to her daughter.

    Top seed and defending champion Swiatek, chasing a fourth French Open, will face Osaka if the Pole gets past qualifier Leolia Jeanjean.

    World number three and reigning Wimbledon champion Alcaraz eased to a 6-1, 6-2, 6-1 win over America’s J.J. Wolf, the 107th -ranked player who entered the main draw as a ‘lucky loser’ from qualifying.

    Alcaraz, 21, who made the semi-finals in 2023 where he was defeated by Novak Djokovic, took his first-round record at the majors to 13-0.

    Alcaraz showed no sign of suffering from the right arm injury which sidelined him from the Rome Open as he coasted to victory on the back of 27 winners and nine breaks of serve.

    ‘Don’t need too many matches’: Carlos Alcaraz on his way to victory over J.J. Wolf “I don’t need too many matches to be at my best,” said Alcaraz.

     “I only played four times in Madrid. Of course, I’d have loved to have played more but I don’t need many to be at 100%.

     “I have practised with a lot of top players in Paris this week and the forearm is feeling better and better.”

  • Lawmaker receives fellowship award from French Language Village

    Lawmaker receives fellowship award from French Language Village

    By Mujeeb Oyedeji

    The main auditorium of the Nigerian French Language Village was filled to capacity, recently, as Sesi Oluwaseun Whingan, member representing Badagry Constituency at the House of Representative, was honoured with the institution’s prestigious Fellowship Award alongside other distinguished Nigerians.

    Prof. Lateef Babatunde Ayeleru, the Director and CEO of the institution, commended Whingan for his steadfast support for the institution’s growth and development, highlighting his significant contributions in the National Assembly and his dedication to continuing projects started by his predecessor, Hon. Babatunde Hunpe.

    He said the award was a token of appreciation for Whingan’s extensive support and encouragement to the institution.

    Read Also: ‘Nigerian leaders

    Hunpe, a fellow awardee, praised his successor in his acceptance speech, and for carrying on the projects he started during his term. He noted that Whingan has demonstrated himself to be a worthy successor deserving of the support of the Badagry people and promised to continue collaborating with him for the constituency’s advancement.

    During his acceptance speech, Whingan expressed gratitude to the management of the Nigerian French Language Village for the honour. He highlighted the development of the institution as a top priority and that he was committed to tirelessly supporting its growth.

    Whingan also extended congratulations to his predecessor, Hon. Babatunde Hunpe, and other co-awardees, underscoring his dedication to the collective responsibility of advancing Badagry.

    Prior to his election, Whingan served as the Managing Director of Pogs Luxury and as the Regional Manager and Partner of FAB Pharmaceutical Nigeria Limited, where he demonstrated strong business management and strategic planning skills.

  • French charity boycotts Olympic torch relay over Coca-Cola

    French charity boycotts Olympic torch relay over Coca-Cola

    A French environmental charity said it had turned down the chance to take part in the torch relay ahead of the Paris Olympics over the role of Coca-Cola as a major sponsor.

     “Clean My Calanques”, an NGO in Marseille which specialises in beach-cleaning, received funding from the 2024 Paris Olympics organising committee for its work educating school children.

    But it announced on Monday that it would not take part in the torch relay which will begin in Marseille on May 8, thanks in part to financing from premium Olympics sponsor Coca-Cola.

     “We are not going to carry a flame which is paid for by the same people who make us bend over,” the founder of Clean My Calanques, Eric Akopian, told AFP.

    Read also: Google opens applications for Startups AI Accelerator Africa

    Set up in 2017, the organisation’s volunteers clean beaches around Marseille and in the nearby national Calanques park, whose narrow coves and azure waters make it a popular spot for tourists and locals.

    Akopian said Coca-Cola was one of the “most polluting (companies) in the world”, with its bottles and cans some of the products found most frequently during the charity’s beach-combing operations.

    In a video message posted on Instagram, he said the organisation had decided it was “not at ease” with the commercial aspects of the Olympics, although he stressed they had “nothing against sports, or the athletes”.

    Akopian noted the mass production of so-called “goodies” linked to the Games such as stickers, key rings, pens or mascots.

     “They can seem cute, but we know that we’re going to find them on the coastline,” he told AFP.

    French authorities say up to 150,000 people are set to gather in Marseille for the start of the torch relay, which will see the Olympic flame carried through mainland France and the country’s overseas territories in the Caribbean and Indian Ocean.

    The Olympics are set to start on July 26 and run until August 11, followed by the Paralympics from August 28-September 8.

    Paris 2024 organisers have worked with Coca-Cola to reduce plastic waste from its drinks packaging.

    The group has agreed to install 700 newly designed drink fountains at Olympic venues, meaning that around 50 percent of soft drinks will be served without a plastic bottle, according to the organising committee.

  • Bayelsa to prioritise teaching of Ijaw, French, other subjects in public schools

    Bayelsa to prioritise teaching of Ijaw, French, other subjects in public schools

    Bayelsa State Government has said plans are underway to make the teaching and learning of Ijaw, French and Chinese languages a priority in public schools.

    It said science and mathematics would also be prioritised.

    Deputy Governor Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo made this known yesterday during a visit by the state chapter of the Association of Professional Women Engineers of Nigeria (APWEN), at the Government House in Yenagoa.

    He said government was emphasising the teaching of the three languages, and the core science subjects, including mathematics, to prepare and equip children to take advantage of career opportunities in the subjects.

    The deputy governor said the growing economic influence of China in global affairs as a major state actor in world trade and commerce, justified the inclusion of Chinese as a subject in the curriculum.

    Read Also; ‘I wasn’t sexually molested in DSS custody’

    Sen. Ewhrudjakpo said:  “I am happy about the programme you are introducing. For us, we have made it compulsory; we are pursuing STEM because we believe with this, the negative impression of Bayelsa State will change sooner or later.

    “We will really be available for anything you want us to do from the government angle. As I told you earlier, in our teachers’ recruitment, we deliberately laid emphasis on science, ICT and mathematics.

    “We are recruiting more teachers in mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, agric science and computer science. The other subjects we are placing priority are: Chinese, French and Ijaw languages.”

    The deputy governor, who urged APWEN members to make team work their watchword to achieve their objectives as a professional body, advised them to also include male students in their programmes.

    He said engineering career required a lot of hard work for one to be awarded fellowship, enjoining the association to work together in closer synergy to gain more visibility in the male-dominated profession.

    He advised APWEN to redouble its effort in marketing engineering to the girl-child at the secondary school level for more female pupils to embrace and develop interest in engineering as a course and profession.

    He thanked the national and state executive councils of APWEN for honouring him with awards in recognition of his contributions to the growth and development of engineering in the state and country.

    Ewhrudjakpo noted: “For everything you are committed to do, do it as much as you can. I always tell people to be paced, to be prayerful, have a positive attitude, courageous, put in effort, and to be determined.

    “Your profession is one that requires a lot of hard work. For you to be inducted as a fellow, real hard work is required in this profession, unlike politics where anybody is given any position.

    “Once you are not together as a team you will fail. Together everyone achieves more. This is what team work is all about. Nobody is an island; a tree standing alone can’t make a forest. I want you to continue to work as a team.”

    The state Chairman of APWEN, Mr. Diepreye Owana-Omubo, and the Vice Chairman, Dr. Ann Obuebite, said the association was doing everything to push its corporate social responsibility project aimed at introducing the girl-child to engineering at the basic education level.

    They hailed the state government for establishing more technical colleges and recruiting science and mathematics teachers to promote science technology engineering and mathematics (STEM) education in the state.

    Obuebite thanked the deputy governor for his support to the Bayelsa State chapter of APWEN, which had helped it to gain a lot of recognition and prominence at the national level.

  • ‘Why Nigeria must adopt French as second language’

    ‘Why Nigeria must adopt French as second language’

    Recently, the French Nigeria Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) celebrated the French Week at the Alliance Francais, Lagos, to showcase French interests in Nigeria as well as encourage Nigerian students’ mobility towards France. Professor Adamu Abubakar Gwarzo, founder, Maryam Abacha American Universities in Kano and Niger Republic, and a French enthusiast, shared his thoughts with Gboyega Alaka on why Nigeria should make the French language a compulsory second language.

    AS Founder of a set of universities, how does this French Week celebration benefit you?

    I don’t like looking at things from a personal angle. So I’d rather, how does it benefit Nigerians in general? If it’s about me, then there would be no need for the conference. I’m here because I believe it is very important to promote bilingualism. This is because Nigeria as a country is surrounded by francophone countries. Let me give you an example: If you, as a journalist, are sent on an assignment to cover an event in Côte d’Ivoire, and you’re not bi-lingual, you’re not going to be able to execute it very well – because you will need an interpreter; and the interpreter can mislead you. So the best option is to be serious about learning French.

    When you have competence in a second language like French (or any other international language), you get the opportunity to access international jobs, like in the UN, ECOWAS, AU, EU etc, which many Nigerians are missing, due to their not being bi-lingual. Once, I was invited to be part of the screening team at a job interview in Abidjan; a major requirement was for the candidate to have competence in French, but unfortunately, most of the Nigerian CVs we had, showed that the candidates were not bi-lingual; so they were disqualified. Meanwhile, their CVs were very rich, very sound; but that one thing put them at a disadvantage. If you ask me, I’d say everybody should learn a second language- whether you’re a journalist, businessman, politician, student…. This is so that you are able to internationalise yourself. As a Nigerian, if you don’t have French as a second language, I don’t think you can be said to have internationalised yourself. Yes, most of you speak impeccable English and think it’s ok; but it is not okay. You need to be bi-lingual.

    Is it safe to say you’re here to exhibit your schools?

    No, I’m here to share my experience on how I aspired and became a Frenchman. As we speak, I am French by nationality. By virtue of my being bi-lingual, I have been able to open the first bi-lingual private university in Niger Republic, a francophone country. With my competence and fluency in French, I am able to handle the administrative aspect seamlessly.

    Are you therefore saying that having competence in French is by all means an edge?

    Absolutely. It is part of the self development and skill that we need in life. If you go to the francophone countries around us, most of them speak English, even if it’s beginners’ level. That way, they are able to communicate with Anglophone Africans. If you go to France and you’re bi-lingual, you can browse your phone and search for opportunities, and you would find it easier to integrate.

    How did you learn French?

    After my secondary education in Nigeria, I did my first degree in France, Master’s degree in France; I also acquired two PhDs – Linguistics, and Higher Education Administration, also in France. So now, I’m a professor of General Linguistics (Option French). I actually didn’t speak French before I left for France, but living and studying there for so long, meant I acquired the language.

    And this exposed you to so many opportunities?

    Yes, so many opportunities. I even invested in France. I have a hotel in France; and a lot of other interests. And like I said earlier, I’m French by paper. Lest I forget, I was a journalist like you. My mission here is to share my experience and help people understand why they should learn and acquire competence in the French language.

    The name Maryam Abacha American University suggests that it is owned by Mrs Maryam Abacha; true?

    No, no; I am the founder; they don’t have any share in the university. But that will be hard to explain. Maybe, but a lot of people know that I am the founder. I actually named it after her because she’s like a mother to me. The university is over ten years now, and so far so good. In Niger Republic, we have 10,000 strong population, while in Kano, we have around 4,000. And our fees are affordable.

    Read Also: Raedial Farms signs partnership deal with French firm

    How many of your courses are accredited?

    In Kano, we have four faculties, all accredited. We have Faculty of Nursing; we made it a faculty because we realised there are lots of interest in Nursing. We have Faculty of Health Sciences, where we do doctor of Physiotherapy; Medical lab; public healthcare. We have Faculty of Law; we do Bachelor in law; and we have Faculty of Social Sciences, Business Admin, Marketing. We have School of Digital Media, where we have Mass Communication, Journalism etc. We also have faculty of Computing, where we have Software Engineering; Data science, Information System. Next phase, next year, we start medicine and Pharmacy.

    What’s your take on the Campus France campaign with regard to prospective Nigerian students?

    To be honest, this is what the French Embassy and the Cultural Centre should be doing. If you have something to sell, you have to showcase and invite people to it, so that they can buy it. If they are not doing this yearly, people would not understand the importance of their language and what they have to offer. With this, Nigerians can know that there are schools in France that you can go to for your Masters and PhD that are run in English. In the past, hardly would you see Nigerians in France, but that is changing.

  • Raedial Farms signs partnership deal with French firm

    Raedial Farms signs partnership deal with French firm

    The Management of Raedial Farms Limited a subsidiary of Raedial Holdings Limited has signed a Partnership Agreement with Compagnie Fruitere, a French company that markets over 900,000 tons of fruits and vegetables across the European markets as well as a major fruit producer in the Africa-Caribbean-Pacific region.

    This great economic relationship occurred at the French Week 2023 Business Summit held at Access Towers, Lagos. The signing was witnessed by prominent persons in the Nigerian and French governments such as the French Minister Delegate for Foreign Trade, Economic Attractiveness and French Nationals Abroad, Olivier Becht; Herbert Wigwe, C.F.R, the President of the France-Nigeria Business Council & CEO Access Bank Plc; Usman Mohammed, the President of the Franco-Nigerian Chamber of Commerce and Industry; Taiwo Oyedele, the chairman of the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms to name a few.

    Read Also: A nonprofit’s steady strides

    The French Week 2023 Business Forum, touted as the largest business networking event in Nigeria, drew together an impressive array of key figures in both countries in a bid to deepen the business and economic interests between the two nations especially since Nigeria accounts for about 20% of France’s trade with sub-Saharan Africa, amounting to an estimate of €3.53 billion.

    With this partnership, Raedial Farms Limited will diversify its operations from solely oil palm full-fledged farming activities spread over more than 2500 hectares of land and livestock products to the production of fruits for exportation. The operation will include planting, cultivating, harvesting, processing, distribution, and exportation of pineapples and bananas.

    Given the long-standing presence of Compagnie Fruitere in Africa and Europe, and its expertise in the production, import and export, transportation, ripening, and distribution of fresh fruits and vegetables, the partnership will see both companies synergize to benefit from each other’s strengths in the technical, procurement, marketing, production, and distribution aspects of agriculture.

    The collaboration also aims for improved cultivation techniques, product quality, sustainability practices, and operational efficiency of both companies.

    The MD of Raedial Farms Limited, Mr. Uwadiale Agenmonmen said: “For us at Raedial Farms, this partnership further exemplifies our dedication to contributing to the growth of the France-Nigeria Agricultural relationship and shows the pivotal role large-scale farming plays in the Agric sector.”

    Didier Mas, Technical Director for Africa at Compagnie Fruitere, stated, “Nigeria is a country with massive financial potentials, especially following the current government’s pledge to open up its economy to others in a bid to grow the GDP.”

    Speaking at the event, Olivier Becht stated: “This collaboration reflects a commitment to strengthening the countries’ ties and fostering mutual benefits in agriculture since the agri-food industry stands as a beacon for cooperation between our two great nations especially as Nigeria is France’s first trading partner in Sub-Saharan Africa.”

  • Niger court gives junta nod to expel French ambassador

    Niger court gives junta nod to expel French ambassador

    • Thousands mass in Niamey to demand exit of troops from Paris

    Niger’s top court has approved a request by the junta seeking the expulsion of the French ambassador, Sylvain Itte, from the country.

    French President Emmanuel Macron had rejected the junta’s earlier 48 hour ultimatum  for  Itte to leave the country.

    Macron said Paris did not recognise the junta.

    He has remained in touch with President Mohammed Bazoum who is being detained by the soldiers who ousted him.

    Macron said he speaks with Bazoum by phone every day.

    Read Also: Niger coup: Military option will be the last choice for ECOWAS – Tinubu

    The junta had approached the court after its order to the genderme to forcefully eject the ambassador did not work.

    Niger’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Itte “no longer enjoys the privileges and immunities attached to his status as a member of the diplomatic staff of the embassy.”

    The French military warned it would respond if any renewed tensions target its military and diplomatic facilities in Niger which hosts around 1,500 French troops as part of a regional counter-insurgency forceThousands demand withdrawal of French troops

    Nigeriens responded in their thousands yesterday to an invitation by a civil rights group  to protest the refusal of the French troops in their country to quit.

    Social media video footage showed protestors chanting anti-French slogans.

    Some of the placards carried by them  read “French army should leave our country.”

    On August 3, Niger’s military leaders announced the scrapping of military agreements with France, a decision Paris rubbished, citing lack of legitimacy.

    The weekend protests came a day after Niger’s military administration accused France of “blatant interference” following remarks by President Emmanuel Macron hailing the courage of Itte – who defied the 48-hour ultimatum to leave the West African country.

  • Ganduje, French embassy sponsor 10 for PhD in Cyprus

    Kano State Governor, Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje in collaboration with the French Embassy, has sponsored 10 candidates from Kano state-owned tertiary institutions for their PhD in the Near East University in Cyprus for 2018/2019 academic year.

    The scholarship will cost over N30 million.

    Giving background about the scholarship, Deputy Governor, Prof. Hafiz Abubakar who represented Ganduje during the award of scholarship, said: “The French government approached the state government in 2015 and first offered 11 scholarship opportunities for 2016/2017 academic session for students from the state to study second degrees in various fields of study.

    “After the successful completion of their courses, five of them were retained by their universities to study up to PhD level.

    “Last year, another round of 11 students was sent to France for 2017/2018 academic session. Out of which five were for PhD programmes and nine for Masters Degrees.

    “In the 2018/2019 academic session, 10 slots were given to the state for another round of Kano students to go to France and study up to higher degrees level. All scholarships were on tuition-free arrangement.”

    Hafiz, who doubles as the Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology further noted that, “Kano is the only state in Nigeria that was contacted by the French Embassy to have this tuition-free relationship.”

    Congratulating the beneficiaries, he said they should thank Ganduje for his support to the education ministry, “especially looking at the large sum of money being appropriated on education.”

    He urged the students to be focused on their academics and well behaved.

    “You are going to a world-class university, especially as an engineering environment. We are looking forward for your academic seriousness and good behaviour,” he said.

    In her remarks the Executive Secretary, Kano State Scholarship Board, Prof. Fatima Umar said over 800 students have successfully completed various programmes overseas and returned home since 2015.

    On the academic partnership between Kano and Cyprus she said with the new beneficiaries, the state has 29 students studying at various levels in Cyprus.

    Umar explained that in the tuition-free arrangement, “the universities bear the cost of tuition fees plus VAT for the students, while the state government is expected to provide the cost of accommodation, upkeep and other incidental expenses for the students.”

  • French ignorance

    French ignorance

    It went viral on the internet. And it should. Nigerian novelist and essayist Chimamanda Adichie asserted what should be a routine pride of Nigeria and even Africa when at a high-octane intellectual event in France.

    A French journalist Caroline Broue propounded a disgraceful question: do we have bookshops in Nigeria. Adichie’s reply, delivered with poise and intelligence, hit the bull’s eye of western racism: “I think it reflects very poorly on French people that you have to ask me that question.”

    She was a star guest at a global event organised and hosted by the French Government. The event called A Night of Ideas, drew the high society of the French society. The award-winning author said further that “I think surely…I mean it’s 2018.”

    It is interesting that it was such base questions that a French journalist should signpost in a night of ideas, which should focus issue demanding of more rigour. She would not have to ask an American author such a question, or a Swiss or Australian.

    She asked quite a few other questions before she landed on this faux pas. She wanted to know if her books were read in Nigeria. “You’ll be shocked to know that they are, yes…They are read and studied, not just in Nigeria but across the continent of Africa.”

    It is a little cheering that the crowd gasped at her question that a French commentator described as a “cocktail of racism and mediocrity.” The crowd knew there was no place for such condescension in an intellectual fest.

    The journalist tried to contextualise her question after her ears tingled from the collective gasp. She explained that “not too much is said about Nigeria in France.” She said further: “We speak very little about Nigeria in France, certainly not enough, and when we do it’s about Boko Haram and the problems of violence and security…I would like to take advantage of your presence for us to talk about other things and things that we don’t know about your country.”

    Adichie tried to play down the severity of the gaffe by saying that Broue aimed at addressing her ignorance of her fellow nationals. After describing her as “intelligent, thoughtful and well prepared,” she explained that “I know now that she was trying to be ironic… it was a genuine, if flat, attempt at irony and I wish she would not be publicly pilloried.”

    But the racial quality was not lost on her: “To be asked to ‘tell French people that you have bookshops in Nigeria because they don’t know’ is to cater to a wilfully retrograde idea – that Africa is so apart, so pathologically ‘different,’ that a non-African cannot make reasonable assumptions about life there.”

    This incident only reflects the shortcomings of globalisation, and the preponderance of mass ignorance. It shows that, in spite of some good things that happen here, the west has not saved itself from an immersion in stereotypes that Adichie has highlighted in her talk, The Danger of a Single Story.

    It is also ironic that one of the recurrent features in Nigeria’s literary affairs is the Allianz Francais that has tried to bring writers together and encourage literature. The French organisation may not be doing enough to evangelise our literary fertility and literacy back home.

    Of course, the level of reading has taken a beating today, and the rise of book clubs and other literary activities aim to revive this. Although we have seen bookshops disappear, new and vibrant ones have emerged across the country.

    The irony that the French journalist did not pick was that Boko Haram could not thrive if the militant group did not think people read in Nigeria. Such an issue would have been worthy of a night of ideas.

     

  • Cameroonian separatist leader deported to Cameroon from Nigeria

    Cameroonian separatist leader deported to Cameroon from Nigeria

    A key Cameroonian separatist leader arrested in Abuja earlier this month has been deported by Nigerian authorities to Cameroon, his lawyer and the government in Yaounde said.

    Nigerian authorities on Friday deported Julius Tabe, president of a self-declared breakaway state made up of the Anglophone regions of majority-Francophone Cameroon, said his Nigerian lawyer Abdul Oroh.

    His deportation marks an escalation in Cameroon’s fight against the separatists who have taken up arms over the past year in their bid to create a nation which they call Ambazonia.

    “A group of 47 terrorists, among them Tabe, has for some hours been in the hands of Cameroonian justice, before which they will answer for their crimes,” Communications Minister Issa Bakary said in a statement.

    The Ambazonian movement has gathered widespread support due to a government crackdown on peaceful protests by Anglophones who complain of being marginalized by the French majority.

    Nigeria and Cameroon are increasingly coordinating efforts to deal jointly with the growing insurgency that Yaounde has struggled to contain – in part because most of the leading actors are orchestrating events from abroad.

    Read Also: FG to bring back 91,000 Nigerians from Cameroon

    The countries had previously been at loggerheads over the latter’s violent crackdown on the separatist movement, which has sent tens of thousands of refugees flooding across the border into its neighbour.

    In his statement, Cameroon’s communications minister praised his government’s cooperation with Nigeria, adding that the two countries “will never tolerate their respective territories serving as a base for activities that destabilise one or the other.”

    Tabe, a former businessman who had lived in Nigeria, is seen as a moderate voice in the separatist movement and has in the past promoted dialogue over violence.

    Nevertheless, he has been the target of Cameroonian authorities as a leading member of a resurgent movement to break away from French-speaking Cameroon.

    In December, his family home in Anglophone Cameroon was surrounded by government troops, he told Reuters at the time from Nigeria.

    “If you can kidnap someone like Ayuk, who wanted meaningful dialogue, who will you be able to speak to?” said Cho Ayaba, head of the Ambazonian Governing Council, a separatist body established to create an independent state called Ambazonia.

    “This is an intolerable act. Now we have no choice but to defend our homeland.”

    Reuters/NAN