Foreign News
Breaking: Nigeria Recalls Ambassador to S/ Africa Over Attacks on Citizens
- Pulls out of economic forum
- Demands full compensation
By Mathew Dadiya, Abuja
Nigerian President, Muhammadu Bubari Wednesday, recalled the country’s High Commissioner, to South Africa, Ambassador Kabiru Bala over the xenophobic attacks on her citizens in the former apartheid nation.
A source in the presidency who pleaded for anonymity disclosed this to State House correspondents at the Presidential Villa, Abuja
The source disclosed that Nigeria has also pulled out of World Economic Forum on Africa in Capetown, South Africa, on September 4-6 over the xenophobic attacks.
Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo was to represent Nigeria at the forum but has now cancelled her participation.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda and Malawi had on Tuesday pulled out of the event.
Presidents Paul Kagame (Rwanda), Felix Tshisekedi (DRC) and Peter Mutharika (Malawi) have all withdrawn from the event.
The source added that Nigeria has also demanded for full compensation for the victims of the attacks in South Africa.
According to the source, this is the outcome of President Muhammadu Buhari, Osinbajo and Foreign Affairs Minister, Geoffrey Onyeama, brainstorming session on the raging xenophobic attacks on Nigerians in South Africa.
Onyeama had on Tuesday at a joint news briefing with the South African High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mr. Bobby Moroe, insisted that the issue of compensation must be addressed.
The Foreign Affairs minister said, ”There has to be accountability and there has to be the responsibility for compensating all those Nigerians that have suffered loss and we are going to absolutely push forward.”
Already, some protesters Wednesday morning stormed a Shoprite mall in Abuja to protest the attack on Nigerians in South Africa while South African telecom giant MTN announced temporary shut down of its offices in the entire African continent attributing the action to a series of attacks it received while calling on both South Africa and the Nigerian government to urgently resolve the issue amicably.
Foreign News
Earthquake Shakes Western Greece
A strong earthquake has shaken western Greece on Friday morning, but no casualties reported.
The Greek Geodynamic Institute in Athens, said the 5.8 magnitude quake occurred at 9:12 am (0812 GMT) local time.
The epicentre of the quake was about 20 kilometres below the seabed off the west coast of the Peloponnese peninsula near the islet of Stamfani, also known as Strofades.
It was preceded by a smaller quake with a magnitude of 4.
1.Greece’s Civil Defence organisation did not initially say whether there were any casualties or damage to buildings.
A tsunami warning was not issued.
“We felt the tremors very strongly,” a resident of the nearby Olympia region said, adding that
“everyone here is on the streets.
”Local media reported that many schools had been evacuated as the quake was felt throughout western Greece, and on the tourist island of Zakynthos and as far away as Athens, about 300 kilometres away.
The deepest point of the Mediterranean Sea is located between western Greece and Sicily in Italy, with a depth of over 5,000 metres.
The African and European tectonic plates meet in this region, which make it prone to strong earthquakes. (dpa/NAN)
Foreign News
Russian Army Fires Ballistic Missiles at Kiev from Crimean Peninsula
The Russian Army has hit the Ukrainian capital, Kiev, with ballistic missiles, injuring four people and damaging an uninhabited three-storey building, according to officials.
Kiev Mayor Vitali Klitschko said that two of the injured people were in a central neighbourhood and had been taken to hospital.
Rocket debris also fell in two other neighbourhoods.
According to the Ukrainian air force, two ballistic missiles were fired at the city of millions, from the Russian-controlled Crimea Peninsula.
Both were shot down.Half a dozen explosions from anti-aircraft missiles had previously been heard in the city centre.
The air raid warning was only triggered a few seconds beforehand, it said.
Ukraine has been facing Russian invasion for over two years.
Since then, the Ukrainian air defence system has been massively reinforced with Western systems. (dpa/NAN)
Foreign News
Cambodia Arrests 2 Foreigners for Smuggling 2.27 kg Narcotics
Cambodian customs police at the Phnom Penh International Airport said they have arrested two South Korean nationals for an attempt to smuggle 2.27 kg narcotics to South Korea.
The duo, a man and woman, were caught Sunday night while they checked in for a ZA215 flight bound for Seoul.
The General Department of Customs and Excise of Cambodia said in a news release on Monday.
In their body searches, our customs officials found many packs of drugs wrapped around their waists, the news release said.
“As a result, some 1.29 kg of crystal methamphetamine and 0.98 kg of ketamine were seized from the two suspects’ possession.’’
The Southeast Asian country has no death sentence for a drug trafficker.
Under its law, someone found guilty of trafficking more than 80 grammes of illicit drugs could be jailed for life.
According to the country’s Anti-Drug Department (ADP), Cambodia nabbed 3,899 drug-related suspects, including 106 foreigners, in 1,659 cases from Jan. 1 to March 3, 2024.
According to the report they confiscated a total of 2.79 tonnes of narcotics.
Most of the seized drugs were ketamine, crystal methamphetamine, methamphetamine tablets, heroin, ecstasy, and cocaine. (Xinhua/NAN)
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