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Tag: Theresa May

  • UK to announce new £50m malaria programme for Nigeria

    The United Kingdom (UK) says it will announce a new malaria programme worth £50 million in Nigeria that will run until 2024.

    The UK said it would also provide a £9.2 million of new research funds to develop new triple artemisinin combination treatments.

    A statement issued by Ready to Beat Malaria, an NGO, said the UK Government had re-affirmed its commitment to spend £500 million a year on malaria through to 2020-21.

    The statement said that the UK would also announce additional £100 million match fund commitment to the Global Fund to match new contributions from private donors pound for pound.

    It said the funds were part of the Britain’s renewed commitment to accelerate progress against malaria.

    Read Also: http://staging.thenationonlineng.net/fg-ngos-sensitise-community-world-malaria-day/ 

    The statement said the UK government would make this known at the Malaria Summit London 2018, co-hosted by the UK Government, and the Heads of State of Rwanda and Swaziland.

    It said 15 Heads of State and Government from across the Commonwealth were to attend the Malaria Summit together with senior ministerial attendance and leaders from the world of business, science, civil society and international organisations.

    It said the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria would also announce commitments totalling 2 billion dollars from 46 countries affected by malaria between 2018 and 20.

    According to the statement, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation will extend its investments in malaria by an additional 1 billion dollars (£700 million) through to 2023.

    It said the 1 billion dollars investment was to reduce the burden of the disease towards ending malaria for good.

    The statement however noted that most effective tools in the fight against malaria such as nets, sprays and treatments are under threat from drug and insecticide resistance.

    “ The malaria parasite and the mosquitoes that carry it are evolving resistance to existing interventions – malaria is fighting back.

    “The Malaria Summit call for new tools to stay ahead of the disease, announcing commitments to invest in future innovations,’’ it said.

    It said GSK is committing to invest a further 175 million dollars in its research and development efforts against malaria.

    The statement added that Novartis would invest more than 100 million dollars through 2023 to advance research and development of next-generation treatments to combat emerging anti-malarial drug resistance.

    It quoted Ms Theresa May, Prime Minister of United Kingdom, saying that: “UK is a proud leader in the fight against malaria, which has seen deaths cut by 60 per cent and saved seven million lives since 2000.

    “We have made a major contribution to that progress, including investing 500million dollars each year over the next three years, developing new drugs and technologies and making life-saving solutions available to millions at risk from malaria.

    “But the job is not yet done. Today there are millions still at risk, economies held back and a child’s life needlessly taken every two minutes from this disease.

    “This is why I am championing a new Commonwealth commitment to halve malaria across member countries by 2023.

    Bill Gates, Co-chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation who are co-convening the Malaria Summit, said: “History has shown that with malaria there is no standing still – we move forward or risk resurgence.’’

    He added that the commitments made today, from the UK, country leadership and the private sector, show that the world is ready to beat malaria.

    NAN

  • U.S. will condemn Russia if it was behind attack on ex-spy – Trump

    President Donald Trump suggested that he thinks Russia was involved in the attempted murder of an ex-spy, Sergei Skripal, in Britain and said that the U. S. will condemn Moscow if this is determined conclusively.

    “It sounds to me like it would be Russia based on all the evidence they have,” Trump told reporters.

    “It sounds to me like they believe it was Russia and I would certainly take that finding as fact,” he continued.

    “As soon as we get the facts straight, if we agree with them, we will condemn Russia or whoever it may be.”

    Russia has denied involvement in the poisoning of Skripal, and is ready cooperate with the UK on the issue, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Tuesday.

    On Monday, UK Prime Minister Theresa May said that it was “highly likely” that Russia was responsible for the suspected poisoning of Skripal.

    May said that the substance used in the poisoning was identified as a Novichok class, military-grade nerve agent developed in Russia.

    “We have already made a statement that this [Russia’s involvement] is rubbish … Russia is innocent, Russia is ready to cooperate in accordance with the Chemical Weapons Convention, if the UK … implements its international legal obligations under this document,” Lavrov told reporters.

    In an ultimatum to Russia, May demanded an explanation for the poisoning by the end of Tuesday and threatened to apply harsh response measures.

    The prime minister added that she would discuss the measures against Russia with parliament on Wednesday.

    “If procedures envisioned by the convention are implemented, then I assure you Russia will respond to the relevant request in the time allotted to prepare a response,” he added.

    dpa/NAN

  • British PM rejects EU’s Brexit draft

    British PM rejects EU’s Brexit draft

    The British Prime Minister, Mrs. Theresa May, said on Wednesday the European Union proposal for the Northern Ireland border threatens the “constitutional integrity” of the United Kingdom.

    The EU’s draft legal agreement proposes a “common regulatory area” after Brexit on the island of Ireland – in effect keeping Northern Ireland in a customs union – if no other solution is found, the BBC reports.

    Mrs. May said “no UK prime minister could ever agree” to this.

    The EU said the “backstop” option is not intended to “provoke” the UK.

    Unveiling the draft agreement, EU chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, urged the UK to come up with alternatives.

    He said the text was “no surprise” and was just a legally-worded assessment of what had been agreed so far.

    Mr. Barnier said the document contained “concrete and realistic solutions” in relation to the question of how to avoid a hard border once the UK leaves the EU’s customs union.

    Other options – a UK-EU deal that means checks are not needed and technological solutions – will also be explored.

    Speaking at Prime Minister’s Questions, Mrs. May said she would be making her opposition to the “backstop” option “crystal clear” to the EU Commission.

  • UK, EU set for clash over citizens’ rights during transition

    UK, EU set for clash over citizens’ rights during transition

    Prime Minister Theresa May has warned that European citizens arriving in Britain after Brexit in 2019 may lose some rights, setting up a clash with the EU over their treatment during any transition period.

    Curbing immigration was a key reason why Britons voted to leave the EU in 2016, following a large influx of EU citizens, especially from poorer countries in eastern Europe.

    The European Union has offered Britain a status quo transition until the end of 2020 after Brexit. The bloc wants its three million citizens to remain eligible for all the same rights until the end of that period.

    May has suggested EU citizens coming to Britain after March next year will be treated differently.

    “People who had come to the UK when we were a member of the EU had set up certain expectations – they made a life choice and set up certain expectation,” May told reporters on her way to China.

    “I‘m clear there’s a difference between those people who came prior to us leaving and those who will come when they know the UK is no longer a member of the EU.”

    Read Also:  EU to enhance SMEs growth in Nigeria

    This is one obstacle Britain and the EU will need to resolve to reach a transitional deal, which will give the two sides time to prepare for the far-reaching impact of the end of 46 years of union.

    Philippe Lamberts, a European lawmaker who deals with Brexit, told our reporter on Thursday of the looming clash: “Citizens’ rights will be a negotiation point and we want to stand firm on this that new provisions only enter into force after the end of the transition period.”

    Many Brexit backers are voicing concern that the referendum result may be betrayed with the plan to change little of the current relationship immediately after Britain formally leaves on March 29, 2019.

    May dismissed some of those concerns.

    “They did not vote for nothing to change when we come out of the EU.

    “What we’re doing now is doing the job that the British people asked the government to do which is to deliver on Brexit.”

    NAN

  • Trump asked to finalise details of visit to Britain – May

    Trump asked to finalise details of visit to Britain – May

    British Prime Minister Theresa May and U.S. President Donald Trump have asked officials to “work together on finalising the details of Trump’s visit to the UK later this year,’’ May’s office reports.

    May and Trump met on Thursday on the sidelines on the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, a day ahead of a scheduled keynote speech by Trump.

    They discussed Iran and Syria, while May briefed the U.S. president on the “good progress’’ in Britain’s negotiations on leaving the European Union, Downing Street said.

    “The two leaders reiterated their desire for a strong trading relationship post-Brexit, which would be in the interests of both countries,’’ it said.

    Trump announced earlier this month that he had cancelled a visit to London coinciding with the opening of a new U.S. embassy on February 26, when mass protests against him were planned in London.

    He said he did not like the building and thought it was a “bad deal’’ financially.

    Critics said the real reason for Trump’s cancellation of the trip was the strong opposition to him in Britain.

    Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson on Monday blamed the opposition Labour party for whipping up anti-Trump sentiment, which risks “damaging the national interest.’’ (dpa/NAN)

  • Trump says ready to apologise for retweeting UK right-wing group’s videos

    Trump says ready to apologise for retweeting UK right-wing group’s videos

    U.S. President Donald Trump said in an interview with the UK ITV broadcaster, partially released on Friday, that he was prepared to apologise for his retweets of UK right-wing group’s anti-Muslim videos.

    In November, Trump retweeted several unverified videos, originally posted on Twitter by Jayda Fransen, the deputy leader of the far-right Britain First movement, which claimed to show violent acts committed by what the group considered Islamists.

    “If you’re telling me they’re horrible racist people, I would certainly apologise if you would like me to do that. I knew nothing about that,” Trump said, referring to Britain First.

    Read Also: Nigerians live in huts Donald Trump

    Trump emphasised that he was a great supporter of the UK, adding that he did not want to cause any difficulty for the country.

    The U.S. president explained that he had retweeted the videos because he is a “big believer in fighting radical Islamic terror,” which was depicted on those videos.

    Trump’s retweets of Britain First’s videos provoked criticism by many UK and U.S. politicians and public figures.

    Particularly, UK Prime Minister Theresa May called Trump’s move to retweet the videos the wrong thing to do.

    NAN

  • Brexit talks move to next stage – EU

    Brexit talks move to next stage – EU

    European Union (EU) leaders have agreed to move Brexit talks on to the second phase but called for “further clarity” from the United Kingdom about the future relationship it wants.

    The first issue to be discussed, early next year, will be the details of an expected two-year transition period after the UK’s exit in March 2019.

    Talks on trade and security co-operation are set to follow in March.

    British Prime Minister,Theresa May, hailed an “important step” on the road but Germany’s Angela Merkel said it would get “even tougher.”

    The president of the European Council, Donald Tusk, broke the news that the 27 EU leaders were happy to move on to phase two after they met in Brussels.

    He congratulated Mrs. May on reaching this stage and said the EU would begin internal preparations for the next phase right now as well as “exploratory contacts with the UK to get more clarity on their vision.”

    While securing a deal in time for the UK’s exit in March 2019 was realistic, he suggested that the next phase would be “more challenging and more demanding.”

     

  • Man to appear in court over plot to kill British PM

    Man to appear in court over plot to kill British PM

    A man is due to appear in court later over an alleged plot to kill the British Prime Minister, Theresa May.

    The BBC understands that Naa’imur Zakariyah Rahman, 20, from north London, is accused of planning to bomb Downing Street security gates and then attack the Mrs. May with a knife.

    A second man, Mohammed Aqib Imran, 21, of Birmingham, is accused of the preparation of terrorist acts for allegedly planning to travel overseas.

    They were both arrested on  November 28.

    The pair are due to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court, in central London.

    It comes a day after a security review said it was “conceivable” that the Manchester Arena bombing in May, in which 22 people were killed, could have been prevented.

    But MI5 Chief, Andrew Parker, told Mrs. May and the Cabinet on Tuesday that about nine alleged Islamist terror plots have been foiled since March.

  • Forbes names Merkel as world’s most powerful woman for 7th time

    Forbes names Merkel as world’s most powerful woman for 7th time

    German Chancellor Angela Merkel has been named the world’s most powerful woman for the seventh time in a row by Forbes magazine, the publication announced on Thursday.

    “Merkel this year won a hard-fought election that saw the far-right Alternative for Germany party creep into the Bundestag.

    “She’ll have to continue to hold tight to the EU rudder as she faces oncoming storms from Brexit and the growing anti-immigrant sentiment in Europe,” Forbes said in a statement.

    British Prime Minister, Theresa May, took second place in the ranking, while Hillary Clinton, who was ranked the world’s second-most powerful woman in 2016, fell to 63rd place after her election defeat to U.S. President Donald Trump.

    Trump’s daughter, Ivanka, who has been serving as a White House advisor in his administration, ranked 19th on the list, while the U.S. Ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley, came in 43rd.

    Melinda Gates of the Gates Foundation, Sheryl Sandberg of Facebook and Mary Barra, the head of General Motors, took third, fourth and fifth place, respectively.

    NAN

  • Macron to address terrorism, climate at UN

    Macron to address terrorism, climate at UN

    French President Emmanuel Macron will give his first address to the UN General Assembly on Tuesday, with terrorism and climate change as his top priorities.

    Elysee officials were tight-lipped about the likely contents of Macron’s speech ahead of his travel.

    But his agenda included a security-focused meeting on Monday evening with fellow heads of state from the Sahel region of West Africa, where French troops are supporting local forces against militants.

    Macron and British Prime Minister Theresa May, as well as Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni would host a meeting on preventing terrorist use of the internet.

    The French president, who took office in May, would also open a summit on a French-backed proposal for global pact on environment, aimed at creating binding international code of environmental law.

    French officials say Macron will also discuss the Syrian conflict with leaders of the other four permanent members of the UN Security Council – Britain, China, Russia and the U.S.