Foreign News
UN Chief Urges Immediate Action to prevent Israel-Gaza Conflict Spillover

UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Wednesday voiced grave concern over the escalating conflict in Israel and Gaza and stressed the need to prevent the violence from spreading into the wider region
The UN chief raised alarm over clashes along the Blue Line, the demarcation between Israel and Lebanon, as well as reported attacks from southern Lebanon.
Guterres, who made the call at a news briefing at the UN Headquarters in New York, appealed to all the parties to avoid further spread of the conflict.
“I appeal to all parties – and those who have an influence over those parties – to avoid any further escalation and spillover,” he said.
The UN chief reiterated the need to always protect civilians, as guaranteed by international law.
“I call for the immediate release of all Israeli hostages held in Gaza,” he said.
The UN chief underscored that UN premises, hospitals, schools and clinics must never be targeted, and stressed the urgency of humanitarian access to the enclave.
“Crucial life-saving supplies – including fuel, food and water – must be allowed into Gaza. We need rapid and unimpeded humanitarian access now,” he said.
According to the UN humanitarian affairs Coordination Office (OCHA), the death tolls in Israel from attacks by Palestinian armed groups, and in Gaza due to Israeli bombardments, have continued to rise, with mass displacement soaring across the enclave.
OCHA cited Israeli media, which reported that as of Tuesday evening, more than 1,000 Israelis, including foreign nationals, were killed and at least 2,806 people were injured, according to the Ministry of Health.
The Ministry of Health in Gaza said at least 830 Palestinians have been killed and 4,250 injured.
Over a tenth of the population in Gaza, more than 260,000 people, have been displaced since the start of the current conflict on October 7 and the numbers are rising fast.
Amidst the volatile situation, UN agency for Palestine refugees (UNRWA) reported that eleven of its staff members have been killed since Saturday, while 30 students its schools died and a further eight injured.
UNRWA is a lifeline for most of the roughly two million Palestine refugees in Gaza, providing essential services such as education and healthcare.
The conflict has forced the closure of its 14 food distribution centres as well as a reduction in operations.
In addition, about 220,000 Palestinians have sought shelter in about 90 UNRWA facilities across the enclave.
According to UNRWA Director of Communications Juliette, many staffers are still working.
She said, “We have people who are responding to the needs of the people in the shelters. They are giving them mattresses, a place to sleep, clean water, some food, in cooperation with the UN World Food Programme (WFP).’’
At the same time, UN agencies, including WFP, highlighted the urgency of humanitarian corridors, and safe and unimpeded access passage for personnel.
Samer Abdeljaber, Palestine Country Director, described the situation as “devastating”.
He said,“We are on the ground doing everything we can to be sure the people in need – the ones who fled their homes, the ones living in shelters – are getting the food and help they need to survive.”
In the immediate aftermath of the conflict, WFP initiated food distribution to 100,000 people in UNRWA shelters, with a target of reaching over 800,000, requiring $17.3 million for immediate relief and $45 million over six months.
Meanwhile, senior UN officials, including the Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Tor Wennesland, continue engagement with parties to the conflict and key stakeholders.
Wennesland held “productive meetings” on Wednesday with Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry and other senior officials, according to a post on his official account on X, formerly Twitter.
He said the priority was to avoid further loss of civilian lives and provide access for humanitarian aid into Gaza. (NAN)
Foreign News
Israel Rejects Latest Gaza Ceasefire Proposal

The Israeli Government has rejected the latest proposal for a ceasefire and release of hostages in the Gaza Strip, local media reported on Monday.
“The proposal received by Israel cannot be accepted by any responsible government,’’ the Times of Israel quoted an unnamed senior official as saying, who didn’t give any further details.
According to the ynet news website, the proposal was made by a Palestinian-American businessman who has reportedly been involved in direct negotiations with Palestinian extremist group Hamas for some time.
According to Hezbollah-affiliated Arab broadcaster Al-Mayadeen, the proposal involves a 70-day ceasefire to allow both sides to conduct negotiations on an end to the war.
With Hamas is to release five living hostages and the bodies of a further five from Gaza.
The draft is far removed from the proposal drawn up by U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, ynet quoted an Israeli official as saying.
Witkoff’s recently submitted draft provides for the release of 10 living hostages in exchange for 45 to 60 days of ceasefire.
According to Israeli sources, at least 20 hostages are still being held alive in the Gaza Strip, with the fate of three further abductees unclear.
In addition, the Islamists are still holding the bodies of 35 hostages abducted from Israel during the attacks it launched on Oct. 7, 2023. (dpa/NAN)
Foreign News
Fate of Nigerian Medical Students from Sudan Hangs in Balance

A group of 47 Nigerian medical students who escaped war-torn Sudan in May 2023 are now struggling to register for the Nigerian Medical and Dental Council (MDCN) examination due to a document snag.The students, many of who fled or were evacuated by the Federal Government without exit visas, are currently racing against time to meet the registration deadline, with their future careers hanging precariously in the balance.
Report says that these students, who were enrolled at Sudan International University (SIU), were evacuated to Nigeria during the 2023 conflict in Sudan while in final year of study. According to the students, with the approval of the National Universities Commission (NUC), they were permitted to continue their academic programme at Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital (UDUTH) in Sokoto.Speaking to NAN on Sunday in Abuja, one student said: “We successfully completed our studies and graduated in 2024, receiving our certificates as students of SIU.”He added that they were currently preparing to sit for the MDCN examinations.The student, however, added that one of the requirements was presenting a first entry visa and a last exit visa.“Unfortunately, none of us have these documents as most of our passports remained in Sudan due to the emergency evacuation.“We respectfully request permission to sit for the examinations scheduled for June 2025,” he said.The President of the Nigerian Students Association at SIU, Najid Hassan, confirmed that due to the war in Sudan, Nigerian students were evacuated by the Federal Government.Hassan explained that with NUC approval, the affected students were allowed to continue their academic programme at UDUTH following a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between SIU and UDUTH.“After the MoU, we resumed studies at UDUTH in December 2023 and spent one year there.“We completed clinical rotations, lectures in gynaecology, pediatrics, surgery, and medicine, and graduated in October 2024.“We took examinations supervised by consultants at UDUTH,” Hassan said.He added that after graduation, students were awarded certificates bearing the SIU name.Hassan, however, said that when they approached MDCN for registration, the process, expected to be seamless, became challenging.“We are currently preparing for the MDCN exams, but one requirement is the submission of a ‘first entry visa and a last exit visa.’“Unfortunately, none of us have these documents because most passports remain in Sudan due to emergency evacuation,” Hassan said.He appealed to the Federal Government to intervene.NAN reports that MDCN is the regulatory body for Medicine and Dentistry in Nigeria and was established by the Medical and Dental Practitioners Act.The Act had been operational since Dec. 18, 1963, and updated under the Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.The council’s statutory functions include setting and reviewing standards for medical and dental education.Section 9(3) and (4) of the Act empowers the council to conduct assessment exams for holders of foreign medical or dental qualifications recognised by their countries of origin.Candidates expected to sit for these examinations are trained outside Nigeria at institutions listed in the World Directory of Medical Schools.One of the application requirements is submitting relevant portions of international passports, including visa and arrival/departure stamps.In a 2024 publication addressing students returning from conflict zones, MDCN Registrar Dr Fatima Kyari, reaffirmed these rules but expressed sympathy for students affected by COVID-19 and conflicts in Ukraine and Sudan.“The council has held extensive consultations and developed remediation pathways to facilitate integration.”“Students graduating in 2023 or later were advised to return to a designated campus of their foreign university to complete studies physically.“They can also transfer to an accredited Nigerian university, subject to NUC approval; or integrate into a Nigerian university per NUC guidelines.“Many students from Sudan and Ukraine have successfully integrated through these pathways, exempting them from the foreign-trained medical and dental graduates (FTMDG) exams if graduating from Nigerian institutions,” Kyari said.She explained that the MoU with UDUTH was an academic collaboration and did not equate to clinical training for medical qualification recognised by MDCN.She noted that students who properly transferred and graduated from Nigerian universities approved by MDCN had been indexed, graduated, and registered as doctors.The Federal Ministry of Education, through the Director of University Education, Hajiya Rakiya Ilyasu, acknowledged the situation.She advised the affected students to formally write to the Minister of Education, including their names, and to copy the Director of Education Support Services to help facilitate a resolution.Similarly, NUC Deputy Executive Secretary, Chris Maiyaki, confirmed awareness of the development and advised students to contact the Ministry of Education to resolve the issues.However, all efforts by NAN to obtain a response from Mrs Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Chairman/CEO of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), regarding the students’ plea proved unsuccessful.Similarly, all efforts to get a reaction from Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto (UDUS) failed.The Deputy Provost of the Medical School, said he had no authority to speak on the issue, while the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Bashir Garba, said he was on transit and would respond appropriately.(NAN)Foreign News
Philippine President Calls for Resignation of All Cabinet Secretaries

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has asked all of his Cabinet secretaries to submit their resignations on Thursday in what he called a “bold reset” of his administration following last week’s mid-term elections.
The elections saw more opposition candidates win crucial Senate seats, signaling shifting political tides.
Marcos, the 67-year-old son of the late Philippine dictator overthrown in 1986, won the presidency in a landslide in 2022, a stunning political comeback marked by a call for national unity.
However, his vice-presidential running mate, Sara Duterte, also widely popular, later distanced herself from Marcos in a falling-out that had sparked intense political discord.
Marcos had since emerged as one of the region’s most vocal critics of China’s aggression in the disputed South China Sea, bolstered by support from the United States and other allies. Domestically, he continued to face significant challenges, including high inflation, unfulfilled promises to lower rice prices, and growing concerns over kidnappings and other crimes.
“This is not business as usual,” Marcos said in a government statement.
“The people have spoken and they expect results, not politics, not excuses. We hear them and we will act.” (AP/NAN)