United Arab Emirates
Turkey and Russia put off talks expected to tackle Libya and Syria
Russia and Turkey have postponed ministerial-level talks which were expected to focus on Libya and Syria, where the two countries support opposing sides in long-standing conflicts. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu and his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov decided to put off the talks during a phone call on Sunday, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said. “The two countries deputy ministers will continue contacts and talks in the period ahead. Minister-level talks will be held at a later date,” the ministry said in a statement. Lavrov and Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu had been set to visit Istanbul for the discussions. The Russian foreign ministry said discussion will be held on the date of the ministers’ meeting. The United Nations said this week that warring sides had begun ne...
Libya’s GNA says it is targeting retreating renegade strongman’s forces
Libya’s internationally recognised government has launched air strikes against forces loyal to renegade military commander Khalifa Haftar after his forces announced they were pulling back from Tripoli front lines. Air strikes by the Government of National Accord (GNA) targeted several locations in the west of the country, including in the Haftar stronghold of Tarhouna near the capital, Tripoli, according to GNA army spokesperson Colonel Mohamed Qanunu. In Tarhouna, two military vehicles and a vehicle carrying ammunition that belonged to Haftar’s Libyan National Army (LNA) were destroyed, the spokesperson said. On Thursday, Turkey’s state-run Anadolu Agency said the GNA carried out five air operations against forces loyal to Haftar in the past 24 hours. A day earlier, the LNA announced it w...
292 Nigerian nationals arrive Abuja from Saudi Arabia
The Federal Government on Tuesday received a batch of 292 stranded Nigerians from Saudi Arabia. According to Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Geoffrey Onyeama, the evacuees with a large number of nursing mother and children were flown to Abuja. This is coming after the country successfully evacuated Nigerians from United Arab Emirates (265); United Kingdom (253) and the United States (160). The latest returnees bring to 970 the total number of stranded Nigerians who have been evacuated. Onyeama, via his verified Twitter account, stated that the returnees are doing well and have all settled down in hotels for the mandatory 14-day quarantine. “We received 292 evacuees stranded in Saudi Arabia yesterday. The Saudi Government transported them to Abuja. A large number are nursing mothers and ch...
Coronavirus: They’re treated like prisoners – Dubai returnees
Some Nigerians recently evacuated from Dubai, United Arab Emirates, have stated that they are being treated like prisoners. They told newsmen that the hotel where they are being quarantined in Lagos is surrounded by soldiers who do not allow them to even get fresh air or receive some sunlight within the compound. One of them, who wished to remain anonymous for fear of being victimized, said, “Sincerely, we have not had it good since we returned from Dubai. We all tested negative for COVID-19 but we are being treated as if we have the disease. “We have been here for three days now but we have not been allowed to even breathe fresh air or even feel sunlight on our skin. It is as if we are in prison. Even the food we are being given is not good at all. We are just managing it.” Another evacue...
