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AU Head Says ‘Reassured’ After Talks With Putin On Food Shortages

Published

3 years ago

June 8, 2022

African Union head Macky Sall said on Friday he was “reassured” after talks in Russia with President Vladimir Putin on food shortages caused by Moscow’s military campaign in Ukraine.

Putin hosted the Senegalese president, who chairs the African Union, at his Black Sea residence in Sochi on the 100th day of Moscow’s offensive. Global food shortages and grain supplies stuck in Ukrainian ports were high on the agenda.

“I found Vladimir Putin committed and aware that the crisis and sanctions create serious problems for weak economies, such as African economies,” Sall told journalists, adding that he was leaving Russia “very reassured and very happy with our exchanges”.

Putin in a televised interview in the evening accused the West of “bluster” by claiming Moscow was preventing grain exports from Ukraine.

“There is no problem to export grain from Ukraine,” he said, suggesting several possible routes.

Exports could transit through the Russian-controlled ports of Mariupol and Berdyansk, or the Ukrainian-held port of Odessa as long as Ukraine “cleared” the waters around it of mines, according to Putin.

Other transport options include the Danube River via Romania, Hungary or Poland, he added.

“But the simplest, the easiest, the cheapest would be exports via Belarus, from there one can go to Baltic ports, then to the Baltic Sea and then anywhere in the world.”

But Putin said any export via Belarus would be conditional on the “lifting of sanctions” by the West against Minsk, allied to Moscow.

‘On Africa’s side’
Ahead of the talks, which lasted three hours, Sall asked Putin “to become aware that our countries… are victims” of the conflict.

He said it was important to work together so that “everything that concerns food, grain, fertiliser is actually outside” Western sanctions imposed on Moscow after Putin sent troops to Ukraine on February 24.

In his remarks before the talks, Putin did not mention grain supplies but said Russia was “always on Africa’s side” and was now keen to ramp up cooperation.

“We place great importance on our relations with African countries, and I must say this has had a certain positive result,” Putin added.

Washington and Brussels have imposed unprecedented sanctions against Moscow, pushing Putin to seek new markets and strengthen ties with countries in Africa and Asia.

The Kremlin said the two leaders discussed expanding “political dialogue” between Russia and the African Union as well as economic and humanitarian cooperation.

Speaking to reporters earlier on Friday, Putin’s spokesman said the Russian leader would explain to Sall “the real state of affairs” concerning grain supplies stuck in Ukrainian ports.

“No-one is blocking these ports, at least not from the Russian side,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

Putin has said Moscow is ready to look for ways to ship grain stuck at Ukrainian ports but has demanded the West lift sanctions.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is expected in Turkey next Wednesday for talks on creating a “security corridor” to unblock grain exports from Ukraine.

‘Food emergency’
Moscow’s military campaign in Ukraine and a barrage of international sanctions on Russia have disrupted supplies of fertiliser, wheat and other commodities from both countries, pushing up prices for food and fuel.

Cereal prices in Africa, the world’s poorest continent, have surged because of the slump in exports from Ukraine, sharpening the impact of conflict and climate change and sparking fears of social unrest.

The UN has said Africa faces an “unprecedented” crisis caused by the military operation.

On Thursday, landlocked Chad declared a “food emergency”, urging the international community to help.

Ships loaded with grain remain blocked in Ukraine, which before February was a leading exporter of corn and wheat and alone accounted for 50 percent of world trade in sunflower seeds and oil.

Navigation in the Black Sea has also been hampered by mines placed by both Russian and Ukrainian forces.

In 2019, Putin hosted dozens of African leaders in Sochi in a bid to reassert Russia’s influence on the continent.

Though never a colonial power in Africa, Moscow was a crucial player on the continent in the Soviet era, backing independence movements and training a generation of African leaders.

Russia’s ties with Africa declined with the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 and in recent years China has emerged as a key foreign power on the continent.

AFP

Headline

Four Places In The World Without Traffic Lights

Published

15 hours ago

August 29, 2025

Editor

In a world where traffic lights are an essential part of road management, a few countries and regions stand out for functioning without them. These places rely on alternative systems ranging from police officers and roundabouts to cultural driving habits to manage traffic. Here’s a closer look at the nations and areas where traffic lights are absent.

Bhutan

Bhutan is famously known as the only country in the world that operates entirely without traffic lights. Even in its capital city, Thimphu, which has witnessed growing traffic due to urbanisation, automated signals have never been adopted. Instead, traffic management is handled by police officers who stand at major intersections, directing vehicles with hand signals.

In 1995, when a set of traffic lights was briefly installed in Thimphu, public complaints led to their swift removal, as locals felt the system clashed with the country’s traditions and culture of cooperation. Bhutan’s reliance on human-directed traffic reflects both its small population and strong sense of civic responsibility.

Vatican City

Vatican City, the world’s smallest sovereign nation, also operates without any traffic lights. With an area of just 44 hectares and a population of around 800 people, the city-state does not require traffic signals to regulate movement. Roads inside the Vatican are short and few, and traffic is mostly managed by signage and the Vatican’s own police force. However, just outside the Vatican’s walls, in Rome, traffic lights are abundant, highlighting the contrast between the bustling Italian capital and the tranquil governance of the Holy See.

Niue

In the South Pacific, Niue, one of the world’s smallest island nations, also has no traffic lights. With a population of less than 2,000 people and very limited vehicle traffic, there is little need for automated signals. Roads are quiet, and driving is relaxed, with motorists often waving to one another as they pass.

The absence of traffic lights in Niue is less a necessity than a reflection of the island’s lifestyle, where community trust and minimal congestion make formal traffic control unnecessary.

Tekesi County, China

A unique example of urban planning without traffic lights can be found in Tekesi County, Xinjiang, China. The county town was designed based on the ancient Bagua (Eight Trigrams) symbol from Taoist philosophy. Its distinctive circular and radiating street layout relies on roundabouts to direct vehicles.

In 1996, authorities cancelled the installation of traffic lights in order to preserve the Bagua system, making Tekesi a rare modern settlement that manages traffic without signals. The design has since become both a cultural attraction and a point of pride for residents, who see it as a symbol of harmony and balance.

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Nigerian Student Wins ‘Top In World’ Cambridge IGCSE English Award

Published

15 hours ago

August 29, 2025

Editor

A Nigerian student, Kenechukwu Oluwanifemi Uba, has emerged the “Top in World” candidate in the November 2024 Cambridge IGCSE English as a Second Language (Speaking Endorsement).

Uba, a pupil of Caleb International College, Magodo, Lagos, received the Outstanding Cambridge Learners Award for her performance, which was recognised by Cambridge University Press & Assessment.

This was contained in a statement signed by the Spokesperson to the Proprietor and Founder, Caleb Group of Schools and University, Prof. Elvis Otobo, and made available to The PUNCH on Friday.

The certificate, signed by the Group Managing Director of International Education at Cambridge, Rod Smith, was presented during a ceremony organised by the British Council and Cambridge University Press & Assessment at the Civic Centre, Lagos.

Speaking on the achievement, the Proprietor/CEO of Caleb Group of Schools and University, Dr. Oladega Adebogun, said the recognition reflected the school’s values of integrity, perseverance and innovation.

“We are overjoyed by Kenechukwu’s outstanding performance.

“Her success embodies our core values of integrity, perseverance, and innovation. We invest heavily in cutting-edge teaching methods—from flipped classrooms to AI-driven language labs—so that every student can discover their potential and lead with confidence,” Adebogun said.

Uba expressed gratitude to her teachers, classmates and family, noting that preparing in the school’s language lab helped build her confidence.

“From the moment I joined Caleb, I felt inspired by teachers who challenged me to think deeply and by peers who encouraged me to persevere. Preparing for the speaking endorsement in our state-of-the-art lab sharpened my confidence. This recognition belongs to everyone—my mentors, my classmates, and my family,” she said.

Caleb International College described the award as proof of its commitment to raising globally competitive students through advanced learning facilities and strong character development programmes.

Headline

Iran Has Executed At Least 841 People This Year — UN

Published

16 hours ago

August 29, 2025

Editor

At least 841 people have been executed in Iran since the start of the year, the UN said Friday, decrying “a systematic pattern of using the death penalty as a tool of state intimidation”.

The United Nations’ human rights office said there had been a “major increase in executions” by Tehran during the first half of 2025.

“Iranian authorities have executed at least 841 people since the beginning of the year,” spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani told reporters in Geneva.

“The real situation might be different,” she added. “It might be worse, given the lack of transparency.”

In July alone, she said, Iran had executed at least 110 individuals — twice the number of people executed in July 2024.

“The high number of executions indicates a systematic pattern of using the death penalty as a tool of state intimidation, with disproportionate targeting of ethnic minorities and migrants,” Shamdasani added.

She cited the executions of Afghan nationals, and of Baluch, Kurdish, and Arab citizens.

In the first six months of the year, at least 289 people were executed for drug-related offences.

Shamdasani said the pattern witnessed across multiple countries showed that when their governments perceive threats to their grip on public order, they become increasingly repressive and less tolerant of dissent.

– Hangings before children –

The spokeswoman in particular criticised the staging of public executions in Iran. The rights office documented seven such cases since the beginning of the year — some reportedly in front of children.

“Public executions add an extra layer of outrage upon human dignity… not only on the dignity of the people concerned — the people who are executed — but also on all those who have to bear witness,” she said.

“The psychological trauma of bearing witness to somebody being hanged in public, particularly for children, is unacceptable.”

The UN human rights office said there were serious concerns over due process in capital punishment cases.

“What we are particularly worried about is that a lot of these death sentences are imposed based on vague laws,” the spokeswoman said, such as charges of enmity against God.

Shamdasani said that 11 individuals were currently facing “imminent execution” in Iran, including six charged with “armed rebellion” due to alleged membership of the exiled opposition People’s Mujahedeen Organization of Iran (MEK).

The other five had been sentenced to death over their participation in large-scale protests in 2022, she said. Iran’s supreme court last week confirmed the death sentence against workers’ rights activist Sharifeh Mohammadi, she added.

The UN rights office was urging Iran’s government “not to implement the death penalty against these and other individuals on death row”, Shamdasani said.

“The death penalty is incompatible with the right to life and irreconcilable with human dignity,” she added.

“It creates an unacceptable risk of executing innocent people. It should never be imposed for conduct that is protected under international human rights law.”

UN human rights chief Volker Turk is calling on Tehran to impose a moratorium on the application of capital punishment, as a step towards abolition.
AFP