Connect with us

Foreign News

Sudan Summons Ambassador to Ethiopia Amid Growing Border Tensions

Published

on

Share

The Sudanese Foreign Ministry, on Wednesday, said it has summoned its ambassador to Ethiopia for consultations as tensions between the two neighbours escalated in recent weeks over border disputes.

Khartoum’s move came amid rising tensions with Addis Ababa over the Al-Fashaqa border region, an area of fertile land settled by Ethiopian farmers that Sudan claimed to be within its boundaries.

The ministry did not give more details about why Ambassador Gamal al-Sheikh was recalled.

The border area between the two nations has been witnessing growing tensions with skirmishes and killings since late 2020.

Sudan began to deploy troops to territories it claimed, which were occupied by Ethiopian farmers and militias in mid-December, shortly after its army said some soldiers were ambushed at the border by the Ethiopian militias.

Clashes between the two sides have caused injuries and deaths.

The two sides have been exchanging barbs for weeks, blaming each other for military incursion and violation of territorial integrity.

In a statement on Tuesday, the Ethiopian Foreign Ministry accused Sudan of illegally entering its territory, saying Sudan’s acts were a “flagrant violation of international law against the use of force and the boundary re-demarcation treaties’’.

“Sudan invaded land that is part of Ethiopia’s territory.

“In its indefensible conduct, the Sudanese Army demolished Ethiopian administrative institutions, occupied military camps, killed and displaced residents, destroyed their crops and property,’’ it added.

The statement came after Sudan’s condemnation of Ethiopia on Sunday, in which Khartoum said “the aggression of Ethiopian forces on the lands, legally belonging to Sudan, was a direct violation of Sudan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity’’.

“The Ethiopian aggression was also a violation of the values of neighbourliness and positive interaction among countries that enhances stability and security,’’ it said.

Khartoum has since January prohibited aircraft from flying over the Al-Fashaqa area, after alleging that an Ethiopian military aircraft had crossed the border, an allegation denied by the Ethiopian side.

The two sides have held several rounds of talks, most recently in Khartoum in December, to settle their dispute, but had not made further progress. (Xinhua/NAN)

Foreign News

Israel Vows to Build Jewish Settlements, Rejects Macron’s Call for Palestinian State

Published

on

Share

“Do not threaten Israel with sanctions” as it will continue to build a “Jewish state” on the ground,” Israeli Defense Minister, Israel Katz, warned on Friday.He also rebuffed a call by French President Emmanuel Macron for establishing a Palestinian State.In open defiance of international law, Katz claimed that world powers may recognize a Palestinian state “on paper.

”Katz made the remarks during a visit to Sa-Nur, an illegal outpost in the northern West Bank that the Tel Aviv government recently decided to officially designate as a settlement for illegal Israeli settlers.
In a direct message, Defense Minister Israel Katz targets French President Macron and European allies.He also dismissed the potential international consequences.
He said: “They will recognise a Palestinian state on paper, while we will build the Jewish Israeli state on the ground.“Don’t threaten us with sanctions. You will not make us bow.“The State of Israel will not kneel before threats.”His comments came hours after President Macron stated that recognising the State of Palestine was a “moral duty”.Macron also reiterated that France may move toward official recognition during an upcoming international conference focused on the two-state solution.Earlier this week, Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth reported that the Israeli Security Cabinet had secretly approved the establishment of 22 new illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank.In response, the Israeli anti-settlement group Peace Now issued a statement Thursday, revealing that 12 of the newly approved settlements were previously unauthorised outposts and farming sites established in recent years.According to Peace Now, there are currently 156 illegal settlements and 224 outposts across the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, with over 736,000 illegal Israeli settlers living on occupied Palestinian land.The international community, including the UN, considers the Israeli settlements illegal under international law.The UN has repeatedly warned that continued settlement expansion threatens the viability of a two-state solution, a framework seen as key to resolving the decades-long Palestinian-Israeli conflict.In July 2024, the International Court of Justice declared Israel’s decades-long occupation of Palestinian land illegal and demanded the evacuation of all existing settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.(AA/NAN)

Continue Reading

Foreign News

Comedian Russell Brand Pleads not Guilty to Rape, Sexual Assault

Published

on

Share

British comedian and actor Russell Brand has pleaded not guilty to charges of rape and sexual assault.

The 49-year-old appeared in the dock at London’s Southwark Crown Court on Friday flanked by two officers, where he stood stock-still and looked straight ahead as he delivered his pleas.

He is accused of raping a woman in a hotel room while she attended a Labour Party conference in Bournemouth, and grabbing a TV worker’s breasts and orally raping her after dragging her into a male toilet.

Brand is also alleged to have grabbed a radio station worker’s face, pushing her against a wall and kissing her before groping her breasts and buttocks.

The final charge alleges the actor indecently assaulted another woman after grabbing her forearm and attempting to drag her into a male toilet.

The allegations against Brand are said to have taken place against four women between 1999 and 2005.

The defendant, of Hambleden, Buckinghamshire, who faces one count each of rape, indecent assault and oral rape, as well as two counts of sexual assault, is due to stand trial on June 3 next year at the same court.

As Friday’s hearing finished, the comedian replaced his sunglasses before exiting the dock and calmly walked past reporters.

He was charged following an investigation by Channel 4 and the Sunday Times newspaper in which several women made allegations against him.

Brand previously told his 11.2 million followers on X that he welcomed the opportunity to prove his innocence.(dpa/NAN)

Continue Reading

Foreign News

Man Sentenced for Blackmailing German Priest With Nude Photos

Published

on

Share

 A 50-year-old man was on Friday given a 20-month suspended sentence for blackmailing a German priest with nude photos.

During the trial at Augsburg District Court in the southern state of Bavaria, the defendant, who had no previous convictions, admitted to all charges.

According to the indictment, he sent nude photos downloaded from an internet platform hosting homosexual content, as well as a photo showing the priest, to the theologian at the end of 2022.

He threatened to give the photos to television stations and publish them in the priest’s parish, and demanded the priest send him 50,000 euros (56,600 U.S. dollars).

Later, the defendant also sent an email with the nude photos to the priest’s parish office.

The priest did not respond to either attempt or contact but reported the matter to the police.

The defendant was charged with attempted extortion and sentenced to one year and eight months in prison.

The sentence was suspended on probation.

The man must also pay 800 euros.

The verdict is not yet final. (dpa/NAN)

Continue Reading

Read Our ePaper

Top Stories

Foreign News7 hours ago

Israel Vows to Build Jewish Settlements, Rejects Macron’s Call for Palestinian State

Share “Do not threaten Israel with sanctions” as it will continue to build a “Jewish state” on the ground,” Israeli...

NEWS7 hours ago

Stock Market Sheds N48bn Amid Sell-offs

Share The stock market on Friday closed the week on a bearish note, as key performance indicators dipped by 0.07...

JUDICIARY8 hours ago

Judiciary Workers Threaten Strike from June 2

Share The Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) has directed its members in all federal courts nationwide and other judicial...

NEWS8 hours ago

Customs Intercepts 39,425 Litres of Smuggled Petrol

ShareThe Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Bashir Adeniyi, said Operation Whirlwind intercepted 39,425 litres of petrol worth ₦39.4 million...

NEWS8 hours ago

Enugu Govt. Says Suspected Ritualist, Obieze, will Face Wrath of Law

Share The Enugu State Government says the arrested suspected ritualist and kidnap kingpin, Obi-Levi Obieze, will face the full weight...

NEWS8 hours ago

Zamfara Gov., Residents Celebrate Return of Peace

ShareGov. Dauda Lawal has expressed joy over the return of peace and security in Zamfara, saying that the State Government...

NEWS8 hours ago

WHO Seeks Urgent Action to Ban Flavoured Tobacco, Nicotine Products

ShareThe World Health Organisation (WHO) on Friday launched a new publication and called on governments to urgently ban all flavours...

NEWS8 hours ago

Anniversary Celebration: C’River Govt. Showcases Otu’s Landmark Projects

Share The Cross River Government, on Friday, conducted newsmen round some of the completed and ongoing landmark projects undertaken by...

NEWS8 hours ago

Police Crack Down on Armed Robbery, Vehicle Theft in Kaduna

ShareThe Police Command in Kaduna State, said it has has made significant strides in combating crime, arresting suspects and recovering...

NEWS8 hours ago

New NSCC D-G Assumes Office, Promises Inclusion of Nigeria’s Senior Citizens

ShareThe newly appointed Director-General, National Senior Citizens Centre (NSCC) Mrs Omobolanle Akinyemi-Obe, has pledged to lead a renaissance in the...

Copyright © 2021 Daily Asset Limited | Powered by ObajeSoft Inc