Flowerbud News

Category: Foreign

  • Assad discusses Syrian settlement with Russian delegation

    MOSCOW, (Xinhua) — Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Wednesday discussed Syrian settlement with a high-level Russian delegation in Damascus, Russia’s Foreign Ministry said on Thursday.

    The delegation included Russia’s special presidential envoy to Syria Alexander Lavrentyev, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Vershinin and representatives of the Defense Ministry, it said in a statement.

    The parties confirmed the necessity to “continue uncompromising fight against terrorism and active efforts to achieve a long-term political settlement in the interests of all Syrians without exception.”

    Particular attention was paid to the tasks of post-conflict reconstruction of the country, including ensuring the prompt return of Syrian refugees and displaced people to their places of permanent residence, it said.

    Assad expressed the willingness to create necessary conditions for the safe and decent reception and accommodation of Syrians returning to their homeland.

    Russia’s Defense Ministry said in a separate statement Thursday that 232,541 Syrian citizens have returned home from abroad since Sept. 30 2015, when Russia announced the start of an anti-terrorist operation in Syria.

    Currently, 6.9 million Syrian refugees have registered in 45 countries and 1.7 million of them have expressed intentions to return home, it said.

  • Xi says China firmly supports free trade, opens market with new platforms

    JOHANNESBURG,  (Xinhua) — Chinese President Xi Jinping said China is taking major steps to firmly support trade liberalization and open its market while addressing the BRICS Business Forum on Wednesday.

    China will host the first China International Import Expo in Shanghai this November, which will serve as a new platform for the world to access the Chinese market, Xi said.

    He told the forum that over 130 countries and regions and more than 2,800 companies have confirmed participation in the expo by now, and over 150,000 buyers in and outside China are expected to attend this fair.

    “I welcome business leaders from other BRICS and African countries to attend the Expo,” Xi said.

    China will also continue to vigorously pursue the Belt and Road Initiative to create new opportunities of social and economic development for participating countries and for them to implement the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, said the Chinese president.

    The Belt and Road Initiative, guided by the principle of seeking shared benefits through extensive consultation and joint contribution, originated in China but belongs to the world, Xi said.

    It is our sincere hope that other BRICS countries, African countries and other emerging markets and developing countries will forge strong partnerships with this initiative so that its benefits will reach more countries and their peoples, he said.

  • Pakistan: Imran Khan declares victory in elections

    As the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)  is well ahead in the general election winning majority of the national and provincial seats, its chairman Imran Khan has promised to deliver to the common people and not resort to retaliatory measures against his political rivals.

    While giving a victory speech, the cricket star turned politician said that in his “new Pakistan” accountability will begin from him and his electoral representatives. “We will set a precedence of supremacy of law.”

    “We will introduce a system of law which will be applicable to everyone alike.” “We will build the institutions that will rectify the system of governance of the country,” he added.

    “Investment will not come to Pakistan unless the system of governance in Pakistan is rectified,” Imran asserted.

    The PTI chief promised to open probe into any electoral constituency following the general elections, as requested.

    Imran further said that “we will run this country like it has never been run before”, and added that he pledges to guard the wealth and taxes of the people. He also said he will not live in the Prime Minister’s house but a simple, non-extravagant residence.

    Nation reacts to election results – some celebrate, others disappointed

    “We will lower governmental expenditures and spend on the people,” the PTI chief said. “We will introduce a culture of taxation in the masses.”

    On the upcoming foreign policy, Imran said Pakistan is facing major challenges on the global level and said that the government will establish good relations with the neighbours, such as China. “Saudi Arabia has stood with us in all difficult times.”

    “Afghanistan has a lost majorly in the war on terror,” he said and added. “Peace in Afghanistan will mean there will be peace in Pakistan.” He further said Pakistan may have an ‘open border’ with Afghanistan in the days to come.

    The PTI chief stressed that Pakistan and India must resolve the issue of Kashmir through talks. “The two countries should sit down and resolve their issues through dialogue.” He lamented at how the Indian media had projected him as a ‘villain’ during the elections.

    “We will play the role of a mediator in the Middle East,” Imran said. “We will opt for balanced relations with the US”.

    Culled from The Express Tribune

  • Ramaphosa to Putin: weak economy means S.Africa can’t sign nuclear deal yet

    JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) – Russian President Vladimir Putin raised the issue of a nuclear power deal at a private meeting with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa in Johannesburg on Thursday, but his host said Pretoria could not sign such a deal for now, Ramaphosa’s spokeswoman said.

    “Our economy is stagnant, it is not growing at the rate that we want it to, so while we remain committed to an energy mix that includes nuclear, South Africa is not yet at the point where it is able to sign on the dotted line,” Ramaphosa’s spokeswoman Khusela Diko said.

    Reporting by Alexander Winning; Editing by James Macharia

  • BRICS emerging economies reaffirm support for multilateral trade under WTO rules

    JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) – Leaders of the BRICS bloc of emerging economies, meeting in the wake of tariff threats by U.S. President Donald Trump, signed a declaration supporting an open and inclusive multilateral trading system under World Trade Organisation rules at their summit in South Africa on Thursday.

    Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa agreed at the three-day meeting to fight unilateralism and protectionism.

    “We reaffirm the centrality of the rules-based, transparent, non-discriminatory, open and inclusive multilateral trading system, as embodied in the World Trade Organisation, that promotes a predictable trade environment and the centrality of the WTO,” the declaration signed by the five leaders said.

    The leaders said: “We recognise that the multilateral trading system is facing unprecedented challenges. We underscore the importance of an open world economy.”

    They called on all WTO members to abide by WTO rules.

    The meeting of BRICS leaders is the first since the U.S. administration launched a push to rebalance trade multilateralism that Trump has deemed unfair – relationships that the United States once championed.

    Earlier on Thursday, Chinese President Xi Jinping called for a concerted effort by global institutions such as the United Nations and the WTO to fight unilateralism and protectionism.

    Xi, who leads the world’s second-biggest economy, also called for dialogue to settle disputes on global trade, underlining remarks he made at the opening of the summit the previous day.

    ‘REJECT PROTECTIONISM’

    “We must work together … to safeguard the rule-based multilateral trading regime, promote trade and investment, globalisation and facilitation, and reject protectionism outright,” Xi said.

    On Wednesday, Xi said there would be no winner in a global trade war.

    Russian President Vladimir Putin called for more trade within the BRICS bloc.

    “We should work to reduce administrative barriers to stimulate trade between our countries,” Putin said.

    Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi called for the bloc’s members to harness technology to develop their economies.

    A handful of protesters gathered near the conference hall where the summit was being held. Their leader, activist Trevor Ngwane, said “none of these heads of state speak for the working class or the poor”.

    He handed a list of complaints to South African Public Works Minister Thilas Nxesi, who said the BRICS forum would help attract investment and create jobs.

    “The forum must not be seen as if it is for the rich or the bourgeoisie,” he said.

    Additional reporting by Nomvelo Chalumbira; Writing by James Macharia; Editing by Andrew Bolton

  • South Africa opens door to future Russian nuclear power deal

    JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) – South Africa cannot afford large-scale expansion of its nuclear power capacity but would still be open to future deals with Russia, a senior ruling party official said on Thursday, shortly before the arrival of President Vladimir Putin for a summit.

    Russian state firm Rosatom was one of the front runners for a project to increase South Africa’s nuclear power-generating capacity championed by former president Jacob Zuma.

    South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has put nuclear expansion on the back burner since taking office in February, saying it is too expensive, and has focused instead on pledges to revive the economy and crack down on corruption.

    African National Congress Treasurer General Paul Mashatile, one of the six most powerful members of the ruling party, said Pretoria would not rush into major nuclear investments but that it was still open to deals.

    “Once we are clear that this is affordable for us to do, we are open for business including with Russia,” Mashatile said on the sidelines of a three-day BRICS summit due to be attended by the leaders of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

    “I think the approach we will take is to avoid the Big Bang approach. The initial intervention was that we would do close to 10,000 megawatts… It’s unaffordable,” he said.

    Mashatile also said the ANC wanted greater private investment in struggling state-owned power utility Eskom, which swung to a loss for the year to end-March.

    Russia wants to turn nuclear energy into a major export industry. It has signed agreements with African countries with no nuclear tradition, including Rwanda and Zambia, and is set to build a large nuclear plant in Egypt.

    Rosatom signed a separate agreement with South Africa’s state nuclear firm on Thursday to explore joint production of nuclear medicines and other ways of harnessing nuclear technology, a statement from the two firms showed.

    The agreement, which is non-binding and is not related to large-scale power generation, is a further sign that Rosatom is keen to cement its position on the African continent.

    The deal will involve the construction of two small reactors and a commercial cyclotron to produce medical isotopes and radiopharmaceuticals at a facility near Pretoria.

     

  • Abdulsalami Abubakar’s Commonwealth Group says Pakistan’s election ‘credible’

    By Prudence Arobani
    The Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar-led Commonwealth Observer Group has given a pass mark to the Pakistan’s general election, saying the poll has generally strengthened the country’s democracy.
    The Commonwealth team said the election marked “important milestone” in the history of the country, following two consecutive democratically-elected civilian governments completing their full terms.
    Final results of the elections are yet to be released by the Election Commission of Pakistan, said the Commonwealth Secretariat, in a statement by Josephine Latu-Sanft, its Senior Communications Officer.
    In an Interim Statement released on the Group’s observations of the election, the former Head of State of Nigeria commended the people of Pakistan for exercising their right to vote.
    More than 50 million Pakistanis came out to exercise their franchise, in spite of terrorists attacks claiming more than 200 lives in the weeks prior and on the election day itself.
    Latu-Sanft quoted Abubakar, Chairman of the Commonwealth Observer Group, as saying: “The 2018 General Election was an important milestone in strengthening democracy in Pakistan…
    “We commend the voters, the election commission, polling staff, political parties, candidates, their agents, the security forces and all others for their respective roles.”
    The Commonwealth Observer Group arrived in Pakistan on July 18.
    Members held a wide range of consultations with the electoral commission, political parties, government officials, observers, members of civil society, the media and the diplomatic community.
    They also held consultations with the military, before they were deployed to polling stations across the country.
    These polling stations included locations in Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Lahore, Multan, Faisalabad, Karachi and Hyderabad.
    Announcing its interim findings, the Commonwealth group noted a clear improvement in election laws since the previous elections.
    “For example, the new Elections Act 2017 gave more independence and autonomy for the election commission and new measures to enhance women’s political participation.
    “We noted that women responded to these reforms positively and voted in greater numbers compared to earlier elections. Women also played a commendable role in the administration of elections.
    “We observed that the election commission was generally well-prepared for the polls in most areas and that the process was, on the whole, well-administered,” Abubakar said on the election day.
    However, the former Nigerian leader said there were key areas for improvement, as counting methods, the results transmission system, and inconsistency in applying electoral procedures, were amongst several areas highlighted.
    The final report, including recommendations, would be submitted in a final report to the Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland.
    Scotland would, in turn, forward the report to the Government of Pakistan, Election Commission of Pakistan, political parties taking part in the elections and all Commonwealth Governments.
    Thereafter, the report would then be made public.
    The Commonwealth Observer Group was constituted by the Commonwealth Secretary-General to consider the various factors impinging on the credibility of the electoral process as a whole.
    It determines, in its own judgment, whether the elections have been conducted according to the standards for democratic elections to which Pakistan has committed itself, with reference to national election-related legislation and relevant regional, Commonwealth, and other international commitments.(NAN)
    APT/ABI
    Edited by Ali Inuwa

  • UN chief urges peaceful presidential poll in Mali

    UN chief urges peaceful presidential poll in Mali

    UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has sued for a peaceful presidential election in Mali as the country goes to the poll to elect a new president on Sunday.

    Guterres, in a statement in New York by Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesman for the Secretary-General, said he was closely following developments in Mali ahead of the presidential election.

    Incumbent President Ibrahim Keïta is seeking a second and final five-year term.

    There are 23 other presidential candidates, including Soumaila Cisse who faced him in a run-off in the last election, former Prime Minister Modibo Sidibe, Dramane Dembele, retired Brig.-Gen. Moussa Sinko Coulibaly, and a woman candidate, Djeneba N’Diaye.

    Eight million people are eligible to vote in the election and a candidate must get more than 50 per cent of the vote to win.

    If not, a run-off is held between the two candidates with the most votes, while the winner of the run-off only needs a simple majority.

    The UN chief said the election was important for peace and reconciliation in Mali.

    The Secretary-General said he was encouraged by the overall peaceful climate that has characterised the electoral campaign to date, in spite of continued security challenges in the north and center of the country.

    He called on voters in the arid African country of around 18 million, to maintain the peaceful course and ensure that the key poll was first and foremost “an important celebration of democracy”.

    Guterres urged all political actors in Mali to commit to making the poll a peaceful, free and transparent process, and to resolve any possible dispute through the appropriate institutions in accordance with the law.

    The Secretary-General stressed that peace and reconciliation for all Malian citizens must prevail, irrespective of the electoral outcome.

    The UN chief reiterated the commitment of the United Nations to supporting the electoral process in Mali.

    The UN Stabilisation Mission in the country has been busy providing logistical support to the Government, especially in the restive north and centre, where an alliance of militant Islamists and Tuareg rebels have been launching attacks with increasing frequency and ferocity against government troops and UN peacekeepers.

    When Keïta was elected in 2013, his administration replaced a transitional government which had wrested back control – with international support – of the outlying regions following a failed coup, that saw the iconic and ancient city of Timbuktu occupied by militants.

    Dozens of UN peacekeepers have made the ultimate sacrifice defending Mali’s fragile recovery in recent years.

    On Friday, the head of UN mission, Mahamat Annadif, said that while tensions were high and the threat of attacks persisted, the result had to be respected if democratic rule was to be viewed as “irreversible”.

    The mission has been providing transportation to candidates, training and support for officials involved in the democratic process, and distributed 200 tonnes of electoral material, mainly to remote areas where the political process is most vulnerable to abuse, and voters are most likely to feel intimidated going to the polls. (NAN)

  • U.S. jails Nigerian-American, Emeka, 4 years for scams

    Emeka Ndukwu, 46, a Nigerian-American based in Maryland, has been sentenced to four years in prison for engaging in business e-mail scheme and conspiring to launder more than $900,000 proceeds of scams.

    The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), in a statement, said Ndukwu tricked seven companies in the United States and abroad into wiring more than $900,000 into accounts controlled by various co-conspirators.

    “A co-defendant, Chuka Mbonu, 33, of Nigeria, remains at large,” the U.S. authorities said.

    FBI said: “Ndukwu, a dual citizen of the United States and Nigeria, pleaded guilty in April 2018 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to one count of money laundering conspiracy.

    “He was sentenced by the Honourable Timothy J. Kelly. Following his prison term, he will be placed on three years of supervised release.

    “The judge also ordered Ndukwu to pay $791,870 in restitution to the companies.

    “Additionally, Judge Kelly ordered Ndukwu to forfeit a 2014 Mercedes-Benz GL450 and to pay a forfeiture money judgment in the amount of $429,848, representing the share of the criminal proceeds that Ndukwu personally obtained”.

    According to documents filed at the time of the plea, Ndukwu participated in an ongoing conspiracy from 2013 through 2017 to receive and launder the proceeds of various cyber frauds, primarily arising from business e-mail (“BEC”) compromise schemes.

    In a typical BEC scheme, a co-conspirator tricks a company into transferring large sums of money into accounts controlled by others participating in the scheme.

    Using fake e-mails, often containing forged sender addresses, co-conspirators impersonate someone connected to the victim company and deceive an employee of that company into wiring funds.

    Soon after the wire transfers are completed, the co-conspirators drain the bank accounts and launder the criminal proceeds.

    “This particular conspiracy targeted at least seven companies in the United States and overseas, including victims in Texas, Illinois, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, India, Japan, and China.

    “The victims were fraudulently induced into sending $916,056 in wire transfers to accounts controlled by Ndukwu and other co-conspirators.

    “The funds were then laundered through transactions conducted in Washington, D.C. and other jurisdictions, including layering through shell company accounts and accounts controlled by co-conspirators,” the FBI said.

    According to the court documents, Ndukwu used false aliases and forged Nigerian passports to facilitate these schemes, and he used encrypted messaging to communicate with co-conspirators.

    Ndukwu was indicted in December 2017 and has been in custody since his arrest that month.

    The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office, with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service for the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Brown and Michael Marando are prosecuting the case, with assistance from Paralegal Specialist C. Rosalind Pressley, while former Assistant U.S. Attorney Natalia Medina participated in investigating the case. (NAN)