Odey – NAN Archive

Odey
Apr, Thu, 2023

Foreign

Marin submits resignation of outgoing Finnish government

Resignation

Helsinki, April 6, 2023 (dpa/NAN) Following her defeat in Finland’s parliamentary election, Prime Minister Sanna Marin has submitted the resignation from her government.

President Sauli Niinistö accepted the request, his office announced on Thursday.

However, the 37-year-old Social Democrat would remain in office on an acting basis until her successor is found.

Marin had been prime minister since the end of 2019.

She headed a centre-left coalition consisting of no less than five parties.

In Sunday’s election, however, her Social Democrats only came third behind the conservative National Coalition Party and the right-wing populist party The Finns.

This meant that a change of government in Helsinki was imminent.

The conservative election winner Petteri Orpo wanted to hold talks with all parties after Easter about a possible new coalition government.

Marin announced on Wednesday that she would leave her post as leader of the Social Democrats at a party conference in September.

Afterwards, she wanted to continue as a normal member of parliament in Helsinki. (dpa/NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

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Edited by Cecilia Odey/Chioma Ugboma

Odey
Apr, Thu, 2023

Foreign

NATO holds exercise with live ammunition in north-eastern Poland

Ammunition
Warsaw, April 6, 2023 (dpa/NAN) Several hundred soldiers from six NATO countries took part in
a joint land forces exercise in north-eastern Poland.

In the course of the Amber Lynx 23 exercise on a military training area near Orzysz in the Warmia-Masuria
province, live ammunition firing exercises were also to take place on Thursday.

This was a demonstration of the alliance’s readiness to defend NATO’s eastern flank, Polish Defence
Minister Mariusz Błaszczak wrote on Twitter.

The training exercise was organised by the Multinational Corps North-East, which is currently
under the command of German Lieutenant General Jürgen-Joachim von Sandrart.

Poland’s eastern borders include the Kremlin ally Belarus, as well as Ukraine, which has
been fighting off a full-scale Russian invasion for more than a year.

Poland has been a member of the NATO defence alliance since March 1999.
(Xinhua/NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

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Edited by Cecilia Odey/Hadiza Mohammed-Aliyu

Odey
Apr, Thu, 2023

Foreign

Sri Lanka finalises negotiations with creditors before 1st review of IMF-assisted programme

Negotiation

Colombo, April 6, 2023 (Xinhua/NAN) The Governor, Central Bank of Sri Lanka, Nandalal Weerasinghe , says the country can finalise negotiations with both bilateral and commercial creditors in advance of the first review of the IMF-assisted programme.

The negotiation was scheduled to take place in six months.

Addressing a meeting Wednesday night, Weerasinghe said after nearly a year of discussion, Sri Lankan authorities secured a lifeline of approximately three billion dollars from the International Monetary Fund.

The fund was on the condition that they would stay on course with reforms over the next four years.

Sri Lanka had received the first tranche of about 330 million dollars from the IMF.

This had not only eased liquidity conditions in the domestic foreign currency market but also restored confidence among investors and other creditors, he said.

He added that, if Sri Lanka failed to remember the reason for obtaining the IMF Extended Fund Facility and reverted to the actions that led to fiscal imbalances, it would not have another opportunity to correct its mistakes.

Sri Lanka started negotiations with the international lender in 2022 after it was hit by a severe economic crisis. (Xinhua/NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

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Edited by Cecilia Odey/Chioma Ugboma

Odey
Apr, Thu, 2023

Foreign

Chinese scientists discover key genes for lodging resistance in maize

Maize

Beijing, April 6, 2023 (Xinhua/NAN) Chinese researchers have recently discovered key genes in maize to improve its root lodging resistance, offering new hope for increasing planting density and crop yield.

This is according to a Science and Technology Daily report published Thursday.

Increasing the planting density of maize is an effective way to increase crop yielld but it would greatly increase the risk of root lodging.

This posed a major threat to maize production, resulting in reduced grain yield and quality, and increased harvest costs.

The researchers from the Biotechnology Research Institute under the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, and other institutions in China identified ZmYUC2 and ZmYUC4, two key genes to regulate maize root architecture.

The study demonstrated that the ZmYUC4 single mutant and ZmYUC2/4 double mutant exhibit, enlarged brace root angle compared with the wild-type plants, and evidently displayed enhanced root lodging resistance.

The findings provided effective targets for agronomists to breed root-lodging resistant maize cultivars which were suitable for high-density planting and machine harvesting.

The study was published in the journal, New Phytologist said. (Xinhua/NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

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Edited by Cecilia Odey/Chioma Ugboma

Odey
Apr, Thu, 2023

Foreign

EU’s von der Leyen in China to discuss ‘complex’ Relationship

Relationship

Beijing, April 6, 2023 (dpa/NAN) European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Thursday, stressed the need to discuss a relationship that has grown more complex in recent years.

The president said this at the start of talks in Beijing with Chinese Premier Li Qiang.

“China is of great importance to Europe with interdependencies and a long shared history,’’ von der Leyen said in a video posted on her Twitter account.

She added that both sides had benefited immensely from the relationship.

“However EU-China relations have become more complex in recent years,’’ she added.

She said it was important that we discussed together all the aspects of our relations today.

“This will help both the European Union and China to navigate a complex and volatile geopolitical environment.’’

Von der Leyen made reference to her father Ernst Albrecht, who had visited China as premier of the German state of Lower Saxony in the 1980s.

At the time, he had struck one of the first cooperation deals between a Chinese province and a German state, she noted. (Xinhua/NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

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Edited by Cecilia Odey/Chioma Ugboma

Odey
Apr, Thu, 2023

Foreign

Lithuania mulls suing Belarus over migrant border crisis in 2021

Migrant

Riga, April 6, 2023 (dpa/NAN) Lithuania is considering taking legal measures against Belarus for deliberately bringing migrants across its border, and may file a case with the International Court of Justice (ICJ), officials said on Wednesday.

“We have enough evidence that for two years the Belarusian regime has not only been deliberately pushing people onto the territory of Lithuania, but also taking measures to ensure that migrants can enter the territory of Lithuania,’’ Justice Minister Ewelina Dobrowolska said.

Dobrowolska said that first, the Foreign Ministry would send a note to Minsk with a proposal to settle the dispute through arbitration.

If this is rejected, Lithuania would file a lawsuit for non-compliance with international laws against Belarus and demand compensation of at least 120 million euros (130 million dollars).

The Lithuanian government agreed to a corresponding proposal by the Justice Ministry on Wednesday.

Specifically, Lithuania accused Belarus of violating the Protocol Against the Smuggling of Migrants by Land, Sea and Air, supplementing the United Nations Convention Against Transnational Organised Crime.

“Lithuania will claim damages. To cover the costs, we have borne not only to provide for the migrants but also in strengthening our controls and infrastructure.

“This was not available in the country at the time,’’ Dobrowolska said.

Lithuania’s shared border with Belarus extended for nearly 680 kilometres.

The move came after a surge in undocumented border crossings from Belarus in the summer and autumn of 2021 when thousands of people tried to enter the EU.

At the time, the European Union accused Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko of deliberately orchestrating the border crisis by bringing migrants from war-torn regions to the EU’s external border.

The government in Vilnius responded by stepping up the protection of the border and building a border fence. (dpa/NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

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Edited by Cecilia Odey/Chioma Ugboma

Odey
Apr, Thu, 2023

Foreign

Gaza militants fire rockets into Israel after fresh Jerusalem clashes

Rockets

Tel Aviv, April 6, 2023 (dpa/NAN) Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip once again fired several rockets towards Israel after a second night of violence at a contested Jerusalem holy site.

Seven rockets were launched from Gaza on Wednesday night and Thursday morning, the Israeli military reported.

The rockets that landed on Israeli territory fell on open areas and there were no casualties.

Local media said Islamic Jihad forces claimed the rocket fire and that it was a reaction to the events in Jerusalem.

The Iranian-funded Palestinian organisation was mainly active in the Gaza Strip and regularly launches rocket attacks on Israel from there.

The border violence came after a second night of clashes between Israeli security forces and Palestinians.

Groups of young Palestinians set off fireworks and threw stones at police officers on Wednesday night.

This happened when they tried to barricade themselves inside the al-Aqsa Mosque on the Jerusalem hilltop site known to Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary and to Jews as the Temple Mount.

Similar scenes had played out in the city on Tuesday, triggering rocket fire from Gaza. (dpa/NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

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Edited by Cecilia Odey/Chioma Ugboma

Odey
Apr, Thu, 2023

Foreign

Clashes erupt at Jerusalem holy site for 2nd consecutive night

Clash

Tel Aviv, April 6, 2023 (dpa/NAN) Israeli security forces clashed with Palestinians for a second consecutive night at a Jerusalem holy site during a convergence of Islamic and Jewish holidays.

Groups of young Palestinians set off fireworks and threw stones at police officers on Wednesday night as they tried to barricade themselves inside the al-Aqsa Mosque.

The barricade happened on the site known to Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary, Israeli media reported, citing the police.

Police said the young Palestinians were trying to prevent worshippers from leaving the mosque, but authorities eventually cleared the way.

A night earlier, several people were injured in clashes at the site.

According to the police, around 350 people were arrested.

Police reportedly used tear gas, batons, rubber bullets and stun grenades to evacuate the mosque.

Some 40 Palestinians were injured by rubber bullets and beatings, according to the Red Crescent.

In response, Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip fired a number of rockets at Israel.

The Israeli army hit back by shelling several targets in the coastal enclave.

The Noble Sanctuary, or al-Haram al-Sharif, is the third holiest site in Islam.

To the Jews, it is known as the Temple Mount, where both of Judaism’s ancient temples once stood.

The Muslim holy month of Ramadan is underway and Wednesday marked the beginning of the major Jewish holiday of Passover.

Muslims came to the Noble Sanctuary to pray during Ramadan.

Jews meanwhile traditionally make a pilgrimage to Jerusalem for Passover.

The sensitive hilltop holy site is under Muslim administration, while Israel is responsible for security. (dpa/NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

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Edited by Cecilia Odey/Chioma Ugboma

Odey
Apr, Wed, 2023

Foreign

Germany Quibbles as top NATO official urges more defence spending

Spending

Brussels, April 5, 2023 (dpa/NAN) NATO must increase defence spending as in a contested and dangerous world alliance security cannot be taken for granted, Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on Wednesday.

The alliance chief told a meeting of NATO foreign ministers that he expected allies to agree on a new pledge of 2 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP) as a minimum to be invested in defence.

Flush from admitting freshly minted new member Finland, NATO foreign ministers are gathered for a second day of talks focused on the familiar topics of China and defence spending.

A perennial issue, alliance members have long struggled to reach NATO’s self-imposed pledge to spend 2 per cent of GDP on defence by 2024, with the United States making up the majority of defence investment.

In 2022, seven of the alliance members met NATO’s self-imposed 2 per cent pledge on defence spending as a proportion of GDP, down from eight in 2021 and 11 in 2020.

This is according to the alliance’s annual report.

This is up however from just three countries in 2014, the year NATO members committed to reaching this spending pledge faster after Russia annexed Crimea in Ukraine.

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine meant allies have to up defence spending but cautioned against using the 2 per cent-of-GDP pledge as the only metric.

“It’s so critical we don’t just talk about percentages, but also about the ability to achieve goals,’’ she said before the start of the meeting.

Baerbock noted that in economically difficult times, NATO members could meet the spending pledge as economic growth is lower without achieving any real military development.

Other NATO members are pushing for more spending.

Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Reinsalu backed a target of 2.5 per cent.

Estonia has set a goal of at least 3 per cent of GDP spent on defence from next year, he added.

NATO allies were also hosting representatives from Australia, New Zealand, Japan and South Korea to discuss China in the wake of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to Moscow.

Stoltenberg said allies were to confer with each other about how to deal with the growing strategic competition, including China’s increasing alignment with Russia.

As well as concerns that China was considering supplying arms to Russia and Beijing’s aggressive stance towards Taiwan, NATO allies were to discuss the Ukraine war’s impact on the Indo-Pacific region.

“What happens in Europe matters for the Indo-Pacific, for Asia. And what happens in Asia matters for Europe,’’ Stoltenberg said.

“And the war in Ukraine demonstrates that with all its global ramifications,’’ he said. (dpa/NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

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Edited by Cecilia Odey/Ekemini Ladejobi

Odey
Apr, Wed, 2023

Foreign

German experts raise economic forecast after fears of recession

Recession

Berlin, April 5, 2023 (dpa/NAN) Following fears of a looming recession, leading economic research institutes in Germany have raised their forecast for the current year.

It said that with the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) was now expected to grow by 0.3 per cent.

Last autumn, the experts, including from the Munich-based Ifo Institute, had still expected a decline of 0.4 per cent.

The economic setback in the winter months looks set to have been less severe than was initially feared in autumn, Info head researcher Timo Wollmershäuser said on Wednesday.

This was mainly due to a lower reduction in purchasing power due to a significant drop in energy prices.

However, Wollmershäuser said he only expected inflation rates to decline slowly, from 6.9 per cent last year to 6 per cent this year.

According to the forecast, inflationary pressure will only ease in the coming year, when the inflation rate is expected to fall to 2.4 per cent.

Germany’s GDP meanwhile is expected to increase by 1.5 per cent in 2024.

Germany’s four leading economic institutes are the Info Institute, the Halle Institute for Economic Research, the Kiel Institute for the World Economy and the RWI–Leibniz Institute for Economic Research issue.

Their joint report came twice a year, one in spring and one in autumn. (dpa/NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

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Edited by Cecilia Odey/Idris Abdulrahman

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