NEWS
Gaza Ceasefire Could Boost Aid Deliveries to 600 Trucks Daily- WHO

The UN World Health Organisation (WHO) says Gaza ceasefire could boost aid deliveries to 600 trucks daily amid reports that Israel’s security cabinet has given the green light to a ceasefire deal with Hamas.Dr Rik Peeperkorn, WHO representative in the occupied Palestinian territories (OPT), expressed the optimism in a statement on Friday.
“The target is to get between 500 and 600 trucks in per day over the coming weeks,” Peeperkorn said. This would represent “a huge increase” from the 40 to 50 lorries reaching Gaza in recent months and be similar to the level of aid reaching Gaza before war erupted on Oct. 7, 2023.Speaking from Jerusalem, the WHO medic described the ceasefire announcement as “a sign of hope”.He, however, warned that the challenge is massive and daunting, because of chronic and severe shortages of food, fuel and medical supplies.According to him, plans are in place for deliveries to begin on Sunday.“We have ordered temporary prefabricated clinics and hospitals.“We will integrate into the existing health facilities as part of plan to expand some needed bed capacity, address urgent health needs and health service delivery.”Humanitarians have repeatedly warned that the crisis in Gaza for civilians has reached catastrophic levels.More than 46,000 people have been killed, according to the authorities and more than 110,000 have been injured – often with life-changing injuries – since the conflict began in October 2023.“Disease is spreading and the risk of famine remains high – needs that are critical to address, especially when more than 12,000 patients – a third of them children – still await evacuation for specialised care,” Peeperkorn said.He complained that the pace of evacuations has been painfully slow.Of 1,200 requests submitted between November and December 2024, only 29 were approved, a rate of just 2.4 per cent, according to WHO.The WHO and other agencies have stressed the immediate need to provide food, water and medical supplies, but also fuel and spare parts for hospital generators.Gaza’s healthcare system has been shattered, with only half of its 36 hospitals currently operational.Critical health infrastructure continues to be targeted, according to the UN health agency, which pointed to 664 healthcare attacks since October that have caused deaths among civilians and medical workers, also damaging vital health facilities.In spite of the dire conditions, WHO aims to implement an ambitious 60-day emergency health response plan, once a ceasefire kicks in.This includes scaling up existing health efforts, setting up temporary medical clinics and restoring essential healthcare services.Efforts will also focus on combating malnutrition, bolstering disease surveillance and providing medical supplies to areas that have been difficult to access until now.According to WHO, more than $10 billion is required to restore Gaza’s shattered healthcare system, and substantial international support will be essential to avoid further loss of life and prevent a complete breakdown of the region’s health infrastructure.In addition to addressing the immediate health needs, there is also a pressing requirement for broader humanitarian aid.Food, clean water and shelter are fundamental priorities, alongside other crucial medicines and medical equipment which remain in desperately short supply.For the moment, international agencies continue to work under difficult and dangerous conditions, hoping that the ceasefire will offer a lifeline to those trapped in the besieged enclave. (NAN)Environment
First Lady Seeks Lasting Solution to Eradicate Environmental Pollution

The First Lady, Sen. Oluremi Tinubu has called for a lasting solution to eradicate environmental pollution caused by plastic wastes.
In her message to mark the year 2025 World Environment Day, with the theme ‘Ending Plastic Pollution’, in Abuja on Thursday, the first lady also advised people to curtail the way they consume food and drinks packaged in plastics.
“I join millions of Nigerians and the world in calling for urgent and united action to safeguard our environment.
Plastic pollution has become one of the most pressing environmental challenges of our time, affecting our health, our environment, and our future.“In Nigeria, we must rise to this challenge by changing how we consume packaged food items and how we dispose of plastic containers and bags.
“I particularly want to speak to our youths, the leaders of tomorrow, be it in schools or within our neighborhoods, each of you has a role to play in creating a cleaner, healthier and greener Nigeria,” she said.
Mrs Tinubu had recently promised to introduce environmental solutions clubs to schools through her NGO, Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI).
“I want to use this opportunity to introduce our students to two programmes that the RHI will be launching soon.
“First is the Environment Club for Secondary School Students and the Environment Society for Students in Tertiary institutions nationwide to help us clean up our environment and grow more trees.
“Second is the “Flow with Confidence” for our girls in rural communities.
“This programme is to provide one year’s supply of disposable sanitary pads to our adolescent girls to support them to remain in school during their menstrual cycle,” She said.
NAN further reports that some of the functions of RHI environmental clubs in schools would include raising environmental awareness; fostering social and life skills; empowering students to take action and promoting sustainable behaviours.
The clubs can also enhance critical thinking and creativity, encourage healthy lifestyles, and strengthen communities.
The club would encourage students to participate in various environmental projects, like tree planting, recycling, and garden projects, gaining practical experience and deeper understanding.(NAN))
Foreign News
Trump Bans Citizens of 12 Countries from Entering U.S.

U.S. President Donald Trump has signed a proclamation on Wednesday evening banning citizens of 12 countries from entering the United States.The countries affected are Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen.
Nationals from these countries will be “fully” restricted from entering the U. S., according to the proclamation. Similarly, the entry of nationals of Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela will be partially restricted.The proclamation is effective on June 9, 2025 at 12:01 am EDT (5:01am Nigerian time).Trump said the move was needed to protect the U.S. against “foreign terrorists” and other security threats.“We will not allow people to enter our country who wish to do us harm,” Trump said in a video posted on X.The U.S. President said the list could be revised and new countries could be added.He said the countries subject to the most severe restrictions were determined to harbour a “large-scale presence of terrorists”.He alleged others failed to cooperate on visa security and had an inability to verify travellers’ identities, inadequate record-keeping of criminal histories and high rates of visa overstays in the U.S..“We cannot have open migration from any country where we cannot safely and reliably vet and screen those who seek to enter the United States,” Trump said.Trump’s directive is part of an immigration crackdown that he launched at the start of his second term, pledging to restrict people from the Gaza Strip, Libya, Somalia, Syria, Yemen and “anywhere else that threatens our security”.Trump issued an executive order on January 20 requiring intensified security vetting of any foreigners seeking admission to the U.S. to detect national security threats.That order directed several cabinet members to submit a list of countries from which travel should be partly or fully suspended because their “vetting and screening information is so deficient.”During his first term in office, Trump had announced a ban on travellers from seven countries, a policy that generated so much controversies before it was upheld by the Supreme Court in 2018.However, former President Joe Biden, who succeeded Trump, repealed the ban in 2021, calling it “a stain on our national conscience.” (NAN)NEWS
Otuaro Lauds King Ateke Tom’s Contribution to Peace in Niger Delta
From Mike Tayese, Yenagoa
The Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, Dr Dennis Otuaro has congratulated the traditional ruler of the Okochiri Kingdom in Rivers State, His Royal Majesty, King Ateke Tom on the occasion of his 61st birthday.Otuaro was among prominent guests that graced the colourful birthday celebration of King Ateke at his palace in Okochiri, Okrika Local Government Area, on Monday.
He described the Rivers monarch as “a respectable leader whose reign has brought about unity, peace, progress and development around his community. ”He stressed that King Ateke, who is also the ‘Sekuro of the Niger Delta’, was a great asset who had contributed immensely to the peace, stability, security and development of the region.Otuaro expressed his utmost regard for the traditional institution and the vital role of traditional rulers in the peace and development of communities in the Niger Delta.He noted that traditional rulers were among the critical stakeholders that the PAP was collaborating with to strengthen the programme’s peace-building process in the region.He reiterated that the programme was in safe hands, and strongly motivated by President Bola Tinubu to bridge the region’s human capital development gap through formal education scholarships and vocational training in aviation, maritime, agriculture, and other relevant trade areas.Otuaro said his policy of inclusivity had ensured the involvement of Niger Delta women in the programme’s initiatives, stressing that there were plans designed for their empowerment and contribution to the region’s socio-economic growth.He emphasized that he was focused on rendering quality service to the people of the region, and not distracted by the shenanigans of his detractors.Otuaro called on all stakeholders of the region to remain steadfast in the effort to sustain the prevailing peace in the region so that socio-economic and developmental activities could thrive around the communities.While expressing appreciation to King Ateke for his unwavering support to the programme, the PAP boss prayed to God to grant him long reign, longevity and good health.