Foreign News
EU commissioners slam Russian president on European Remembrance Day

Two European commissioners raised serious charges against Russian President Vladimir Putin ahead of the European Day of Remembrance for victims of totalitarian and authoritarian regimes.
Putin returned “war, persecution, and illegal occupation” to Europe with the invasion of Ukraine, EU Commission Vice President Věra Jourová and EU Justice Commissioner Didier Reynders said on Tuesday.
The European Union has observed the Europe-Wide Day of Remembrance for the victims of all totalitarian and authoritarian regimes or “Black Ribbon Day” every August 23 since 2009.
The date is also the anniversary of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, a military non-aggression agreement between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union, which paved the way for the German invasion of Poland in September 1939.
In recent years, the EU has underlined the importance of the date for highlighting the Soviet Union’s crimes and abuses in Europe, pushing back against Russian-led revisionism.
Jourová and Reynders stressed in their statement that the EU would continue to push back against Russia’s efforts to spread conspiracies and “provide facts to dismantle such distortions.”
Reaffirming the bloc’s support for Ukraine against the Russian invasion, Jourová and Reynders said the sustained peace in Europe after World War II offers hope for the future amid the return of war.
Foreign News
Macron to Meet Trump at the White House for Talks on Ukraine

French President Emmanuel Macron will be in Washington on Monday to discuss Russia’s war against Ukraine with U.
S. President Donald Trump.The meeting comes on the day of the third anniversary of Russia’s all-out invasion of Ukraine and days after Trump falsely blamed Ukraine for starting the war.
It also comes after Trump held a 90 minute phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin – without Ukrainian or European participation.
Last week Macron called European heads of state and prime ministers to Paris for crisis talks and then spoke to Trump on the phone.
Among other things, the meeting dealt with the question of European peacekeeping forces to secure a possible ceasefire.
Trump is also expected to meet UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer in Washington in the next few days.
According to media reports, Starmer could be keen to present the concept for a peacekeeping force.
On Saturday, Trump had a brief exchange with Polish President Andrzej Duda on the fringes of the CPAC conservative political conference just outside of Washington.
There had been concern that the United States would reduce its troop strength in Europe or even withdraw its soldiers altogether.
However, Duda said he was convinced that this would not happen following a visit on Feb. 14 by U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to Poland, which shares a border with Ukraine. (dpa/NAN)
Foreign News
International Criminal Court condemns U.S. Sanctions Move

The International Criminal Court (ICC) on Friday condemned an executive order signed by United States President Donald Trump imposing punitive sanctions, countering that the order sought to “harm its independent and impartial judicial work.
”The court was established by the Rome Statute, negotiated within the UN – but it is a fully independent court set up to try the gravest crimes, including crimes against humanity.
Thursday’s executive order said the U.
S. government would “impose tangible and significant consequences” on ICC officials who work on investigations that threaten national security of the U.S. and allies – including Israel.The directive follows the decision by ICC judges to issue arrest warrants in November for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defence minister Yoav Gallant, which accuses them of alleged war crimes in relation to the conduct of the war with Hamas on Gaza.
The ICC also issued a warrant for a former Hamas commander, Mohammed Deif.
Neither the U.S. nor Israel recognise the ICC’s jurisdiction; there are 125 states parties to the Rome Statute, which came into effect in 2002.
The U.S. executive order says that the ICC actions against Israel and preliminary investigations against the U.S. “set a dangerous precedent, directly endangering current and former” personnel.
The order details possible sanctions including the blocking of property and assets of ICC officials and barring them and their families from entering the U.S.
A bid to impose sanctions on the ICC by the US Congress in January prior to the change in administration, failed to garner enough support in the Senate.
“The ICC condemns the issuance by the US of an Executive Order seeking to impose sanctions on its officials and harm its independent and impartial judicial work,” said the court in a press release.
“The Court stands firmly by its personnel and pledges to continue providing justice and hope to millions of innocent victims of atrocities across the world, in all Situations before it.”
The court also called on all parties to the ICC together with civil society and other nations to “stand united for justice and fundamental human rights.” (NAN)
Foreign News
NICASA Decries Death of Nigerian in S/African Police Custody

The Nigerian Citizens Association in South Africa (NICASA) has condemned the death of a 40-year-old Nigerian citizen, Benjamin Okoli, while in police custody.
Okoli’s death comes less than a month after NICASA condemned the alleged killing of another Nigerian, 50-year-old Jeremiah Okoye, who died in police custody on Jan.
13.NICASA President-General, Dr Frank Onyekwelu, described the curious deaths of Nigerians in South Africa as unbearable during a midnight telephone interview.
Okoli, from Akpu in Orumba South, Anambra, is survived by his wife and child.
“The Nigerian community in South Africa is mourning yet another loss in police custody.
“Okoli was stopped, searched by police officers, and taken to his house with his brother for further inspection.
“In spite of finding nothing, the officers tortured, beat, and brutalised them. Okoli couldn’t withstand the assault and fell into a coma,” Onyekwelu said.
“His brother’s attempts to revive him failed while the police stood by and watched as Okoli’s life slipped away. Paramedics later pronounced him dead,” he added.
He noted that investigations into Okoye’s death were still ongoing when Okoli died in similar circumstances, allegedly at the hands of the same police unit.
“This is the same group of officers accused of killing Okoye. Now, two Nigerians have died in police custody in less than a month,” Onyekwelu stated.
According to him, NICASA leaders in Limpopo are struggling to come to terms with the disturbing trend, which is increasingly targeting Nigerians in the province.
“We call on the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) to ensure the officers responsible for these gruesome deaths are brought to justice,” he urged.
NICASA has informed the Nigerian Missions in Pretoria and Johannesburg about these disturbing incidents. The organisation hopes the killings will stop.
“We appeal to our nationals to remain calm, law-abiding, and continue their daily activities peacefully,” Onyekwelu prayed. (NAN)