Top UN officials have condemned the rising tide of anti-Muslim hate as the General Assembly adopted a resolution to push back against the scourge.

The officials adopted the resolution on Friday in New York to commemorate the International Day to Combat Islamophobia, globally marked annually on March 15.

The new resolution, tabled by Pakistan, calls for, among other things, concerted action to fight ongoing violence against Muslims and requests the UN Secretary-General to appoint a special envoy to combat Islamophobia.

The world body created the International Day through a resolution adopted following attacks on two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, that left 51 people dead on this day in 2019.

Prior to adopting the new resolution, by a vote of 113 in favour to none against, with 44 abstentions, a divided Assembly rejected by a close margin two amendments proposed by a group of European nations.

The proposals would have replaced key language in the resolution, including calling for a focal point instead of a UN special envoy and removing references to the desecration of the Quran.

In his message, Secretary- General Antonio Guterres said “divisive rhetoric and misrepresentation are stigmatising communities” and everyone must unite to combat intolerance, stereotypes and bias.

“Online hate speech is fuelling real-life violence,” emphasising that digital platforms must moderate hateful content and protect users from harassment.

He added, “Institutional discrimination and other barriers are violating the human rights and dignity of Muslims, and much of this disturbing trend is part of a wider pattern of attacks against religious groups and vulnerable populations, also including Jewish people, minority Christian communities and others. We must confront and root out bigotry in all its forms. Leaders must condemn inflammatory discourse and safeguard religious freedom. Together, let us commit to promoting mutual respect and understanding, foster social cohesion and build peaceful, just and inclusive societies for all.’’

In Geneva, Volker Türk, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, said all forms of religious hatred and intolerance are unacceptable.

“The message today is perhaps more urgent than ever: we are all well past the hour to restore peace, tolerance and respect. We know that fear breeds hate, ignorance and distrust of the other.

“Islamophobia has stolen lives, dehumanising entire communities and sparking “torrents of hate speech, magnified by social media,” he said, citing multiple reports on “huge spikes” in Islamophobic incidents amid the current conflict in the Middle East, with nearly 600 per cent increase in some countries in North America and Europe.

“States must record such incidents and urgently step up their efforts to combat intolerance against people based on religion or belief using the many available tools at their disposal, including the OHCHR guide to developing anti-discrimination legislation,” he added.

Also in Geneva, Permanent Observer of the OIC, Nassima Baghli, hosted a commemorative event on Friday, saying that “Islamophobia is on the rise following the Israeli aggression on Gaza.’’

Citing recent anti-Muslim incidents, she pointed to cases of the desecration of the Quran, several months ago.

“Discrimination and stereotypes based on religion or belief are doing a lot of harm as they dehumanise people and prevent them from enjoying their rights. We need to combat these scourges with great resolve with all the tools at our disposal,” she said.

“Our common goal is to promote mutual understanding and respect for all,” Baghli added.

Nigeria’s men handball team defeated their Malian counterparts 30-18 on Friday to qualify for the semi-finals of their event at the ongoing African Games in Ghana.

The team, also known as Nigeria’s Golden Arrows, won their first match 38-19 against Togo.

The team’s Coach, Solomon Yola, said that they would finish on the podium.

He said, “The boys are here (Ghana) for serious business, they want to pick a medal at the end of the competition. They will fight whoever they are meeting in the semi-final; if possible we will feature in the final game and win it. My players have all it takes to win the final match and that is our target.’’

The 13th African Games which started on March 8 is expected to end on March 23.

Governor Alex Otti of Abia has ordered the relocation of motor parks along Milverton Avenue, Aba, to a more conducive area.

The decision to relocate the bus terminals followed the upsurge in fire outbreaks in the markets and some other business facilities in Aba, a statement on Thursday by Kazie Uko, his chief press secretary said.Mr Otti announced the relocation of the Milverton parks during an inspection of the Chisco Transport Company (CTC) located in the area, which was recently gutted by fire.

The governor added that the relocation was to allow ease in human and vehicular movements in the area.

“I think it is time we relocated the parks to a more spacious place, we cannot have everybody clustering in a place; this is a recipe for disaster.

“We are going to have a look at those parks in Osisioma and Port-Harcourt Road and ensure that we relocate a lot of these bus terminals in Milverton to those parks so that it can be easy for us to move if there is any incident,” said Mr Otti.

Vehicles and property estimated at hundreds of millions of naira were destroyed in a fire incident that engulfed the Chisco Transport terminus at Milverton in Aba.

Mr Otti expressed dismay over incessant fire cases in Aba in the last couple of weeks, insisting that there were things that were not being done right.

He directed that every business facility in the state should have fire extinguishers installed for easy containment of fire outbreaks, saying that enforcement would begin next week.

In an interview, Uche Wogu, the Transition Committee Chairman of Aba South Local Government Area, described the incident as unfortunate and thanked God that no lives were lost.

He commended the governor as well as the men of the state fire service for rising to the occasion.

On Thursday, the Yenagoa Division of the Bayelsa High Court resolved a legal dispute that threatened to stop the Oloibiri Museum and Research Centre at Otuabagi, Ogbia LGA.

The Otuabagi and Otuogidi communities, where the first oil well in Nigeria and subsequent oil fields were located, had demanded a change of name to reflect their status and correct the ‘historical error’ and injustice to them.

The high court presided over by Justice Simon Amaduobogha, held that the Otuabagi Community was the host of the first oil well in West Africa, where crude was struck in commercial quantity in 1956.

The court adopted the terms of a settlement reached by the parties, following mediation by the Ijaw National Congress as a consent judgment.

The pan Ijaw socio-cultural group had waded into the crisis and approached the court for an amicable out-of-court settlement, which was granted.

The court also ruled that the Oloibiri Museum and Research Centre, Otuabagi, should remain the name of the earmarked project proposed by the federal government.

In suit number OHC/10/2021, the court ordered the Oloibiri community to cease demanding relocation of the project or any part thereof since the earmarked project can only be cited where artefacts such as the first oil well are located.

According to the 2021 contract details, the Olobiri project, located in the Otuabagi, Otuogidi, and Opume host communities of the Oloibiri field, is expected to cost N117 billion.

The court records showed that the Oloibiri Oil field within the Oil Mining Lease (OML), hitherto operated by Shell, comprised 21 oil wells.

The wells were discovered and named sequentially, starting with the first discovery on January 15, 1956, in Otuabagi, in the then Oloibiri District, Brass Division, in pre-independence Nigeria.

Otuabagi hosted wells 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11,13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20 and 21. Otuogidi hosted wells 6 and 12, and Opume hosted wells 4, while, Oloibiri community had none.

The Petroleum Technology Development Fund and the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board are developing the project.

Other partners are Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria and the Bayelsa government.

Two more rulings in Japanese district courts have added weight to the push for same-sex marriage to be legalised.

This week, courts in Tokyo and Sapporo ruled the nation’s current ban was “unconstitutional”, in line with previous landmark verdicts.

The rulings in separate cases found that the ban breached citizens’ rights.

Even as they welcomed the verdicts, activists warned that the historic step of legalising same-sex unions would still need to come from lawmakers.

Currently, Japan remains the only G7 country not to fully recognise same-sex couples or offer them clear legal protection. But it is not an outlier in Asia, where Taiwan is the only place to allow same-sex unions.

While several municipalities and prefectures in Japan issue same-sex partnership certificates, which provide some benefits, they do not offer equal legal recognition.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s government has come under increased pressure on the issue in recent years as public support has grown significantly. Polls show up to 70% of the population supports same-sex unions.

But Mr Kishida has struggled to pass reforms in his own party in the face of fierce opposition from traditional leadership.

His government is yet to disclose any plans to change or review marriage legislation. But it has passed a law criminalising discrimination on the basis of sexuality – but this has been criticised by LGBT+ activists for stopping well short of recognising marriage equality.

On Thursday, a Sapporo court ruling said it was “strongly expected” that parliament would at some point “institutionalize an appropriate same-sex marriage law”, noting the broad public support.

The court also found that: “Living in accordance with one’s gender identity and sexual orientation is an inalienable right rooted in important person interests.

“At least half a dozen legal cases challenging the marriage ban have been waged since since 2019. In 2021, the Sapporo court made a landmark ruling declaring the ban unconstitutional.

The cases have been closely watched in a country still largely bound by traditional gender roles and family values.

The Federal Executive Council, FEC, has given the green light for the allocation of N759 billion for the construction of roads linking Obajana to Benin and Isheri to Ogun.

The FEC gave its approval yesterday for the allocation of N873.23 billion towards implementing three projects nationwide under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Works.

During a discussion with journalists at the State House in Abuja following the FEC meeting, Works Minister Dave Umahi mentioned several projects, including the Obajana-Benin Road, Isheri-Ogun Road, and the Outer Marina Shoreline protection.

“Around 2018, the past administration reviewed the project and dualised it and that’s why you have a total of 489-km and now got ‘No-Objection’ from the Bureau of Public Enterprise (BPP).

“When I came on board in August, we were supposed to present the ‘no-objection’ to FEC in line with due process and we decided to review the project, one, to determine whether the dualisation was desirable in view of the economic challenges and two, to see the texture of the soil and what to do.

“We had to restore the project now, but we didn’t increase the cost. We got approval for argumentation from N122 billion to N897 billion. The contractors were off-site because they would not be working and they would not be paid based on the new basic rate. We got them back to the site and today (yesterday) we got approval.”

The minister emphasized that the increase in cement prices is unrelated to the concrete road policy implemented by his ministry.

Umahi announced that funding has been allocated for various road projects, including additional funding for the Obajana-Benin dualisation project, the Isheri-Ogun Road, and the Outer Marina Shoreline protection.

He said: “Today we’ve got augmentation approved for Obajana in Lokoja to Benin Road, a total of 244-km and 489-km dualized. Recall that in 2012, this project was awarded to four contractors – CGC; Mothercat; Dantata & Sawoe and RCC at a total cost of N122 billion and that was for light rehabilitation.

“The Council also gave its approval for the allocation of N2.23 billion to the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency. This funding will be utilized towards the repair and maintenance of the road infrastructure connecting Isheri North to Ogun State.

“Now, under FERMA, we got approval for the construction of Isheri North, Lagos route, which is to connect Ogun State. This is an alternative route to Lagos – Shagamu Road and we’re going to toll this Lagos-Shagamu when completed. But by law, you only toll a federal road when you have an alternative.

“This approval of about N2.23 billion to connect Isheri North to Ogun State is a breakthrough that has freed the Lagos-Shagamu for tolling.”

A violent explosion east of the Chinese capital Beijing has claimed the lives of at least two people and injured more than 25, local authorities have said.

The accident occurred during the morning rush hour at a restaurant in the town of Yanjiao, which belongs to the city of Sanhe, the local government announced on Wednesday morning.

The fire brigade said it sent more than 150 rescue workers to the scene of the accident, where several shops were located. Photos showed the affected building collapsed.

Videos circulated on social media showed an explosion in a building, with the force of the detonation and flying debris causing severe damage to neighbouring buildings and cars.

A thick column of smoke rose above the city, which is around 30 kilometres from Beijing.

Fire-fighters extinguished the flames in the building.

According to the city government of Sanhe, a gas leak could have caused the explosion.

In China, there were frequent and sometimes fatal explosions, which were often caused by breaches of safety regulations.

Haiti’s Prime Minister, Ariel Henry, has agreed to resign from his office amid the breakdown of law and order occasioned by widespread violence by armed gangs.

“The government that I lead will withdraw immediately after the installation of this council,” Mr Henry said in a video posted on social media on Tuesday. Mr Henry, who has been barred from entering the country by armed gangs, lamented the breakdown of law and order in the country as armed gangs overrun it.

“It hurts us and it revolts us to see all these people dying. The government that I lead cannot remain insensitive to this situation,” he said. This month, Mr Henery visited Kenya to mobilise a multinational force led by the East African nation, to combat Haiti’s armed gangs. He has remained stranded in Puerto Rico as armed gangs overrun the country blocking him from returning into the country.

Mr Henry’s resignation comes alongside regional talks over participation in an international force, which he had requested to help police fight the gangs. He assumed power as interim leader of the Caribbean country in July 2021 following the assassination of former President Jovenel Moïse.

The Haiti leader has repeatedly postponed elections on claims that security must be restored, sparking rebellion from Haitians.

Since armed gangs took over the streets in Haiti, they have attacked prisons, freed inmates, and attacked police stations and airports.

However, Haiti declared a state of emergency early this month as the attack and clashes damaged communications.

It also led to two prison breaks after Jimmy Cherizier, a leader of an alliance of armed groups, said they would unite and overthrow Mr Henry.

The gang leader, Mr Cherizier had threatened to go after hotel owners hiding politicians or collaborating with Henry.

He demanded that the country’s next leader be chosen by the people and live in Haiti, alongside their families.

“We’re not in a peaceful revolution. We are making a bloody revolution in the country because this system is an apartheid system, a wicked system,” Mr Cherizier said.

Mr Henry, who many Haitians consider corrupt, had repeatedly postponed elections, saying security must first be restored.

He’s set to be replaced by a presidential council that will have two observers and seven voting members, including representatives from several political coalitions, the business sector, civil society and one religious leader.

The council has been mandated to quickly appoint an interim prime minister; anyone who intends to run in Haiti’s next elections will not be able to participate.

The Caribbean country has lacked elected representatives since early 2023 and its next elections will be the first since 2016.

Three Egyptian Coptic monks have been “brutally killed” inside a monastery in South Africa, the Church has said.

Father Takla Moussa, Father Minah ava Marcus and Father Youstos ava Marcus were murdered early on Tuesday, the South African Archdiocese of the Coptic Orthodox Church said in a statement.

An Egyptian member of the Church has been arrested as a possible suspect.

The murder has sent shockwaves throughout the Coptic Orthodox community in South Africa and beyond.

“Our pain and sadness, no amount [of] words can express, but we know that they rejoice in paradise in the bosom of our Fathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob,” the Church statement said.

Archbishop Angaelos of the Coptic Orthodox Church in London described the murders as “saddening and shocking”.

They were killed at the Saint Mark and Saint Samuel the Confessor monastery located in Cullinan, a small town 30 km (18 miles) east of the capital, Pretoria.

All three were discovered with stab wounds, provincial police spokesperson Col Dimakatso Nevhuhulwi was quoted as saying by Reuters news agency.

A survivor told the police he was hit by an iron rod but managed to escape and hide.

The police are still trying to determine the motive for the killings, Col Nevhuhulwi said, adding that the attackers “reportedly left the scene without taking any valuable item(s)”.

Violent crime levels are high in South Africa and the country has one of the world’s highest murder rates.

Monks in the Coptic Orthodox Church, one of the world’s oldest churches, devote their lives to prayer and spiritual growth.

World Food Programme crossed via a gate in the Gaza border fence.Tuesday night’s delivery was “part of a pilot to prevent Hamas from taking over the aid”, it added.

It comes amid global pressure on Israel to allow more access to the Palestinian territory for aid amid a looming famine as it continues its war on Hamas.

A boat carrying 200 tonnes of food aid for distribution by a charity also set sail from Cyprus on Tuesday, inaugurating a new maritime corridor into the Palestinian territory. It is expected to arrive near Gaza on Thursday.

However, it has been widely pointed out that access by road remains the quickest way to get in urgently needed supplies.

The UN said the WFP convoy was able to use an Israeli military road that runs along the Gaza border fence to reach the north and deliver enough food for 25,000 people to Gaza City.

Israeli security officials carried out a prior security check on the aid lorries at the Kerem Shalom crossing with southern Gaza, according to the military.

The UN says at least 576,000 people in Gaza – one quarter of the population – are one step away from famine.

It warns that time is running out for the estimated 300,000 people who are isolated in the north of the territory, which UN agencies have struggled to access for several months due to Israeli restrictions, the ongoing hostilities and a breakdown of law and order.

Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry says at least 27 people, most of them children, have died as a result of malnutrition and dehydration at hospitals there.

Israel insists there are no limits to the amount of aid that can be delivered into and across Gaza and blames UN agencies for failing to distribute the aid to the people who need it.

As Gaza’s humanitarian crisis deepens, Qatari and Egyptian mediators say they are continuing to push for a truce between Israel and Hamas.

The war began when Hamas gunmen attacked southern Israel on 7 October, killing about 1,200 people and seizing 253 hostages. More than 31,100 people have been killed in Gaza since then, the Hamas-run health ministry says.

Anon-governmental organisation, Plan International, has expressed outrage over the mass abduction of school children in the North-West.

“The news of mass kidnapping of schoolchildren in Kaduna and Sokoto states is a sad reminder of the precarious situation of education in Nigeria and that of children and girls,” said Charles Usie, Plan International Nigeria Country Director.

“We condemn it in totality. Taking innocent schoolchildren hostage is most regrettable and must never be normalised, as it symbolises attack on education and our collective future as a society.

“All children have an inalienable right to education, and schools must never be targets in armed conflict. Attacks on schools are an attack on the rights of the learners to education and a life of dignity.”

Mr Usie called on security forces to intensify efforts to secure the safe release of the students and teachers, highlighting the particular protection and exploitation dangers faced by the abducted girls.

He also called on President Bola Tinubu to “show the commitment of the Nigeria government in ensuring the safety and security of schools, learning centres, and learners by mandating the heads of relevant security agencies to take responsibility for the safe release of abducted children and their teachers.”

He noted that Nigeria is a signatory to the Safe School Declaration, which it endorsed in 2019, hence the need for commitments to strengthen the protection of education from attack and restrict use of schools and universities for military purposes.

Nigeria has been hit with several mass school abductions in the past decade, beginning with the Chibok girls’ incident in 2014, when more than 200 girls were taken into captivity by armed insurgents.

“Since the Chibok incident, many more abductions have taken place, including in Dapchi, Yobe State (110 students), Jangebe, Zamfara State (279 students), and Bethel School, Kaduna, Kaduna sSate (140), with the latest (Sokoto) incident of mass abductions.

On March 7, armed men were reported to have attacked a school in Kuriga, Kaduna State, forcibly abducting about 287 students aged between eight and 15 and their teachers into the vast forest.

Also, on March 9, armed men invaded the Gidan Bakuso area of Gada in Sokoto State, abducting 15 Tsangaya (Quranic) students.

Seven people, including four children, have been reported missing in Western Australia, as days of rainfall brought flash flooding in the outback Australian state.

In a statement released on Tuesday, the Western Australia Police Force expressed serious welfare concerns for the seven occupants of two vehicles that departed on Sunday.

One of the automobiles is believed to contain an elderly driver, while the other had an elderly driver and five other occupants on board.

Four of the passengers were children aged between seven and 17 years.

“Concerns are held for the occupants of these two vehicles due to serious weather conditions. It is unknown how much food and water the occupants have in their possession,’’ said the state police.

Since late last week, a low-pressure trough has brought thunderstorms and heavy rainfall in southeast Western Australia.

According to Australian weather service provider Weatherzone, the Eyre weather station saw 325 mm of rainfall in the 96 hours ending at 9:00 a.m. local time on Tuesday.

This broke the record for the heaviest rainfall in a month, which was 203.8mm as in March 1912

The 15 Field Engineering Regiment of the Nigerian Army, Topo, Badagry, has pledged to improve its relationship with the Lagos State University School of Basic Education and Advanced Studies (LASUSBAS).

Sagir Lawan, the regiment’s commanding officer, made the pledge during his courtesy visit to the institution in Badagry on Tuesday.

Mr Lawan said his visit to the institution was to strengthen the existing relationship between the army and LASUSBAS, which were just a few metres apart.

He also said the purpose of the visit was to improve mutual understanding of the school and its environs.

The commanding officer, who also visited the institution to gain firsthand knowledge of its premises and infrastructure, expressed satisfaction with what was on the ground.

Yunus Dauda, the director of LASUSBAS, revealed that the school would soon begin courses on defence and security.

According to Mr Dauda, this will allow interested officers to acquire more knowledge.

“Personnel of the Nigerian army are easy-going and friendly with people. On one side, we have the Nigerian Army, and on the other side, we have the Nigerian Navy. I always feel secure whenever I’m here.

“We had a cordial relationship with the previous commandant, and we assure you of our corporation.

“We hope that this relationship will extend to a comfortable end, as you can also enrol your child in our school. We recognise your magnanimity, humility, and simplicity,” he said.

Abia State Government says it has commenced investigation into the death of a student of Abia State University, ABSU, who lost his life in a clash between rival cult groups.

Mr Okey Kanu, the state Commissioner for Information and Culture, made this known on Monday during a press briefing on the outcome of the State Executive Council meeting, held at the Government House, Umuahia.

Kanu said: “It has come to the notice of the government that there have been skirmishes in Abia State University, Uturu, within some student groups.

“Some videos have been trending online to the effect that a student lost his life in these skirmishes.

“As a responsive and responsible government, some remedial actions have been taken to restore peace and order on campus.

“Government has dispatched security agencies to take control of the situation at ABSU.

“Investigation in that regard has been instituted.”

The Commissioner charged students of all tertiary institutions in the state to avoid engaging in any form of violence and actions that could affect their lives and studies.

The United Nations on Monday highlighted the need to defend women’s rights which were under threat, citing a reversal in hard-won progress, increasing violence against women and a growing digital gender divide.

UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, said this at the opening of the 68th session of Commission on the Status of Women at the UN Headquarters, in New York, United States of America.

CSW is a forum dedicated to promoting and safeguarding the rights of women and girls worldwide.

The 68th session of CSW has the theme, “Accelerating the achievement of gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls by addressing poverty and strengthening institutions and financing with a gender perspective.”

The UN chief, however, stressed the disproportionate impact of wars on women.

“In conflict zones around the globe, women and girls are suffering most from wars waged by men,” he said, urging immediate ceasefires and humanitarian aid.

Mr Guterres emphasised the appalling situation in Gaza, where over two-thirds of those killed and injured during Israel’s offensive were reportedly women and girls.

He also noted shocking testimonies of sexual violence against Palestinian women in detention settings, house raids and checkpoints in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.

In Israel, he added, last week’s report released by UN Special Representative, Pramila Patten, highlighted sexual violence against women and girls and indications of sexualised torture during the terror attacks launched by Hamas and other armed groups on October 7, 2023.

Mr Guterres also voiced concern over the situation faced by women in other countries, including Afghanistan and Sudan.

“In Afghanistan, the Taliban has issued more than 50 edicts suppressing women’s and girls’ rights. In Sudan, scores of women have reportedly been subjected to rape and other forms of sexual violence in the ongoing conflict,” he said.

Mr Guterres also stressed that despite evidence that women’s full participation made peacebuilding much more effective, the number of women in decision-making roles was falling.

“The facts are clear: Women lead to peace,” he said, calling for more funding and new policies to boost women’s participation and investment in women peacebuilders.

The UN chief also emphasised a growing digital gender divide, noting the dominance of men in digital technologies, particularly in Artificial Intelligence.

He warned that male-dominated algorithms could perpetuate inequalities into various aspects of life, noting that women’s needs, bodies and fundamental rights are often overlooked in the design of systems by male leaders and technologists.

The secretary-general concluded his address by urging the international community to unite in the fight for gender equality, adding that the CSW serves as a catalyst for transformative change.

He called for collaborative efforts to end poverty in all its dimensions.

“Let’s do it by investing in women and girls, betting on women and girls, and pushing for peace and dignity for women and girls everywhere,” Mr Guterres said.

Also speaking, the President of the General Assembly, Dennis Francis, continued the call to action, highlighting the need to intensify efforts to achieve Sustainable Development Goals.

With the world currently lagging in attaining the Goals, particularly the goal to eradicate extreme poverty, Mr Francis dwelt on the reality:“Currently, one in every ten women lives in extreme poverty – I repeat – one in every ten women,” he said.

“It’s time for governments, civil society and the Silicon Valleys of the world to join a massive effort to bridge the digital gender divide and ensure women have decision-making roles in digital technology at all levels,” he urged.

Mr Guterres also drew attention to the pressing need for women to hold leadership roles, particularly in financial institutions.

He highlighted the stark gender disparity in finance, with over eight of ten finance ministers and more than nine out of ten central bank governors being men.

The secretary-general emphasised that dismantling structural barriers was necessary to achieve gender parity in leadership roles.

“Overwhelmingly male-dominated financial institutions need to dismantle the structural barriers that are blocking women from leadership roles,” he said.

Drawing parallels with the UN’s successful achievement of full gender parity among senior management and leaders worldwide, he urged governments, banks and businesses to replicate these efforts, emphasising that change does not happen by accident.

Underscoring the need for a multidimensional approach, he called for equal access to resources, gender-responsive social protection policies, and measures to end gender-based discrimination inhibiting women’s leadership and decision-making roles.CSW, which holds annually, is the largest global gathering of civil society representatives, government officials, policy makers and experts.

It takes stock of progress on gender equality, discusses pressing issues and agrees on actions to transform the lives of women and girls everywhere.

It consists of a wide range of meetings, panel discussions, interactive dialogues, ministerial round tables, intergovernmental negotiations and more.

The session, which opened Monday, ends on March 22.

The Commander of the Nigerian Navy Ship, NNS Jubilee, Ikot Abasi Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, Commodore Martins Fakrogha, has warned personnel involved in aiding sea pirates and other criminals to be ready to be relieved of their duties.

Fakrogha issued the warning in an interview with journalists in Ikot Abasi where he admitted the involvement of military personnel in the illicit trade.

The commander however noted that such occurrences have reduced in the last six to nine months since the President Bola Tinubu-led administration assumed power.

He said, “I will simply say that in every twelve, there is a Judas. Yes, some personnel are complicit, but like I told you, the Chief of Naval Staff (CNS) has zero tolerance for any form of crude oil theft and even indiscipline.

“If you are part of it (oil theft), you are a bad egg amongst us, and we will fish you out and throw you out. Over the years, things like that have occurred, but in this regime, there hasn’t been any situation where an Officer was involved in such criminal activities.”

Similarly, the commander emphasized that the war against oil thieves, illegal bunkering and other oil sector fraud on the waterways have been intensified in line with the directive of the Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS), Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla, whom he said has zero tolerance for crimes amongst his officers and men.

He said the Nigerian Navy would treat anyone engaged in criminal activities on its waterways as an economic saboteur.

“I will tell them that a new sheriff is in town. If anyone is caught, we will deal with him decisively and in accordance with the law.

“This is coming as a directive from the Chief of the Naval Staff, who has zero tolerance for any form of criminality in our waterways,” Fakrogha said.

The Nigerian Correctional Service, Kano Command has described as malicious and false, a report that a minor is presently in custody at the Kurmawa Correctional Facility.

A statement by the spokesperson of the Command, Superintendent Musbahu Lawan Knass, said, the command has no Juvenile offender in any of its Custodial Centers.

He said the inmate presented in the misleading report has been confirmed to be presently 19 years and 2 months old.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the Command categorically States that it has no Juvenile offender in any of its Custodial Centers which are exclusively designated to keep inmates aged 18 years and above.

“He was remanded in the said Custodial Center for the offence of Armed Robbery by Chief Magistrate Court (CMC) Gyade-Gyade Kano on 26/January 2023, when he was 18 years and 6 months old.”

”The Command wishes to inform the public that in no circumstances does it admit minors into its facilities as such classes of offenders are usually referred to either the Bostal Training Institute or Remand Home in Goron Dutse located in Kano.

It is our duty always to Reform, Rehabilitate and Reintegrate offenders back into Society by rebranding their lives to become productive and responsible citizens upon release.”

It is obvious that the said report is a tactic coined to evade and disrupt the course of Justice, he added.

The command called on newsmen to verify and confirm reports before going to press, adding that the Command’s Public Relations Officer is always available and should be contacted for confirmation of reports to avoid misleading the public, especially on sensitive issues that pertain to national security.

“We are therefore calling on the general public to support the Command as we work towards protecting them and making the society safer.

NATO marked Sweden’s entry into the alliance on Monday with a flag-raising ceremony at its headquarters on a cold and rainy morning in Brussels.

“Sweden has taken its rightful place at NATO’s table,’’ its secretary-general, Jens Stoltenberg, said at alliance headquarters, speaking alongside Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson.

Sweden’s accession expands the Western defence alliance to 32 members, and the country is now protected by NATO’s powerful collective defence pact, article 5, after breaking from a 200-year tradition of non-alignment.

Finland and Sweden both asked to join the alliance in May 2022, following Russian President Vladimir Putin’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February of that year.

Finland managed to join NATO ahead of Sweden after Turkey, and later, Hungary opposed Stockholm’s entry.

Ankara pursued and received greater commitments from Sweden to combat terrorism.

All NATO members have to formally approve new members.Budapest never spelt out a specific objection to Swedish membership and promised Hungary would not be the last country to ratify, although it did turn out this way.

Russia warned Finland and Sweden against joining the alliance with ambiguous threats of retaliation; however, Mr Kristersson detailed no major concern.

“We should not be naive. And I think we are more aware of the risks that they pose to us now than we have ever been before. So simply stay alert,’’ Mr Kristersson added.

“We should not be naive. And I think we are more aware of the risks that they pose to us now than we have ever been before. So simply stay alert,’’ Mr Kristersson added.

Draft legislation paving the way for assisted suicide for terminally ill patients would be placed before the French National Assembly in May, French President Emmanuel Macron said in an interview published Monday.

Adults capable of making decisions with a life-threatening illness over the medium term and whose pain cannot be alleviated would be allowed to request euthanasia, according to the interview published in the Libération and La Croix dailies.

They will then receive a response to their request following a delay of at most two weeks, Mr Macron said.

“Strictly speaking, it does not create either a new right or a new freedom but sets out a path that did not exist before, opening up the possibility of requesting assistance in dying under certain strict conditions,” Mr Macron said.

Where possible, the patients would be required to administer the fatal doses to themselves.

The issue was controversial in France.

Administering fatal medication to another person is currently illegal, but passive assisted dying, by, for example, switching off life-support equipment or administering strong painkillers that accelerate death as a side-effect, is permissible.

Mr Macron announced moves towards legislation on assisted suicide in the autumn.

A lengthy consultation process was then initiated. A majority came out in favour of allowing assisted suicide.

France’s Ethics Council (CCNE) ruled that actively assisted dying was conceivable under certain strict conditions.

The decision on whether a patient should receive assisted suicide is to be taken by consultation, according to the Élysée Palace, with at least two doctors deciding together.

Health professionals are to be permitted to refuse to provide assisted suicide services but must then refer patients to other health professionals.

Activist and human rights lawyer, Mr Femi Falana (SAN), has demanded that the Nigeria Customs Service should compensate the families of seven persons who died in a stampede that ensued during the sale of low-cost rice at the Customs office in Lagos.

The Nigeria Customs announced the sale of 25kg bags of rice for N10,000, following a directive by President Bola Tinubu that rice seized from smugglers should be sold to Nigerians at a cheaper price to ease the food crisis in the country.

During the sale, which began on February 23, seven persons died in a stampede at the Customs Zonal Headquarters in Yaba, Lagos State.

The tragic incident led to the immediate suspension of the low-cost rice sale.

Falana, in a statement on Sunday, stated that it was sad that up till now the authorities of NCS had not deemed it fit to identify the families of the victims to at least commiserate with them.

The SAN said the NCS must take full responsibility for the incident.

“Since a bag of rice was selling for N77,000 at the material time, it ought to have occurred to the Nigeria Customs Service that its zonal headquarters in Yaba would not be able to contain the crowd that had been invited to purchase a 25kg bag of rice at N10,000.

“Therefore, the authorities of the Nigeria Customs Service should take urgent steps to identify the bereaved families of the seven deceased citizens with a view to paying them adequate monetary compensation.

“However, if our advice is ignored by the authorities, we shall not hesitate to approach the Federal High Court to enforce the fundamental right of each of the deceased persons to life as guaranteed by Section 33 of the Nigerian Constitution and Article 4 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights,” Falana said.

The senior lawyer, however, urged NCS to lift the suspension of the sale of the remaining bags of rice without any further delay.

“To avoid another stampede, the distribution should be carried out through the appropriate local government councils and local government development areas in Lagos State and other states of the federation,” he said.