Adversaries
Morocco says Madrid seeks to ‘Europeanise’ its crisis with Rabat
Morocco’s foreign minister on Wednesday accused Spain of trying to turn a political crisis between the two countries into an EU problem by focusing on migration and ignoring the root causes. The row blew up in April after Spain admitted the leader of the Western Sahara independence movement, Brahim Ghali, for medical treatment without informing Rabat, which regards the disputed territory as its own. Morocco then appeared to relax border controls with Spain’s North African enclave of Ceuta on May 17, leading to an influx of at least 8,000 migrants. Since then Spain and Morocco have traded accusations of violating good neighbourliness, with Spain saying Morocco used the migrants while Rabat says Spain acted in connivance with “adversaries” of its territorial integrity. “Spain tries to Europe...
COAS: Why President Buhari settled for General Yahaya – minister
The Minister of Defence, Maj. Gen. Bashir Salihi Magashi (retd) said President Muhammadu Buhari has expediently put national interest above ethnic and religious chauvinism in the appointment of Major General Farouk Yahaya as the new Chief of Army Staff (COAS). Magashi noted that certain factors were considered and General Yahaya satisfied all requirements. The Minister said, “these include his unblemished track records of service, Professional, Command and Operational competences among other yardsticks that culminated into his emergence as most suitably qualified new Army boss.” He, therefore, commended the appointment of General Yahaya as the 22nd Chief of Army Staff, succeeding the late Lt. Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru, who died in a plane crash alongside ten others last Friday in Kaduna. The m...
Nokia to cut up to 10,000 jobs worldwide
File Photo Telecoms company Nokia has announced its plan to cut between 5,000 and 10,000 jobs globally in the next two years. It said the move will enable it reduce cost, catch up on 5G, and invest in cloud computing and digital infrastructure research. Nokia said on Tuesday that the restructuring is aimed at boosting its performance against opponents such as Sweden’s Ericsson and China’s Huawei. The company did not indicate regions affected by the measure, but said about 96 jobs in the UK were under threat as part of the €600m (£518m) cost cuts, BBC reported. A Nokia spokesperson was quoted as saying, “We currently expect the consultation process in the UK to cover an estimated 96 roles.” “At this stage, however, these are only estimates. It is too early to comment in detail, as we have o...
U.S. sanctions Turkey over purchase of Russian defense system
The United States imposed long-anticipated sanctions on Turkey on Monday over Ankara’s acquisition of the Russian S-400 air defense systems, further complicating already strained ties between the two NATO allies. Turkey condemned the sanctions as a “grave mistake” and urged Washington to revise its “unjust decision.” Senior U.S. officials said in a call with reporters that Ankara’s purchase of the S-400s and its refusal to reverse its decision left the United States with no other choice. The sanctions, first reported by Reuters last week, target Turkey’s top defence procurement and development body Presidency of Defence Industries, its chairman Ismail Demir and three other employees. While limited to one company, they are still likely to weigh on the Turkish economy, analysts said, at a ti...
Group dismisses Nigerian Army chief’s coup alarm as diversionary
A Coalition of elders under the auspices of Nigeria Elders for Peace and Good Governance (CONEPAGG), has accused the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai, of raising false alarm about “imaginary” coup to divert the attention of Nigerians from the failings of the Service Chiefs. Buratai had while decorating the 39 newly promoted Major Generals, said he was aware that some Generals were being approached by politicians, warning that his eyes are on them. He vowed that the Nigerian Army will never tolerate any agent of destabilization bent on scuttling the current democratic dispensation. “Democracy has come to stay. We will not tolerate any agent of destabilization. The years of military misadventure in politics have never carried us anywhere. It is over,” Buratai had stresse...
