Connect with us

News

Britain, Canada, France Warn Israel Over ‘Egregious Actions’ In Gaza

Published

on

The leaders of Britain, France and Canada on Monday condemned Israel’s “egregious actions” in Gaza and warned of joint action if it did not halt a heightened military offensive on the Palestinian territory.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney slammed Israel’s blocking of aid and ministers in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government who have threatened the mass displacement of Palestinians.

“We will not stand by while the Netanyahu government pursues these egregious actions. If Israel does not cease the renewed military offensive and lift its restrictions on humanitarian aid, we will take further concrete actions in response,” the leaders said in a joint statement.

Advertisement

READ ALSO: Canada-based Nigerian Arrested Over $610,382 Romance Scam

They did not say what action could be taken but added: “We are committed to recognising a Palestinian state as a contribution to achieving a two-state solution and are prepared to work with others to this end.”

The statement coincided with a joint demand by 22 countries — including Britain, France and Canada — for Israel to immediately “allow a full resumption of aid into Gaza”, noting that the territory’s population “faces starvation”.

Advertisement

Israel has kept Gaza in a total aid blockade since March 2, but announced on Monday it would allow a limited number of supply trucks.

READ ALSO: Canada Votes For New Government To Take On Trump

Prime Minister Netanyahu said the limited aid access was because “images of mass starvation” in Gaza could hurt the legitimacy of his country’s war.

Advertisement

The statement by Britain, France and Canada said that Israel’s “denial of essential humanitarian assistance to the civilian population is unacceptable and risks breaching international humanitarian law”.

It also slammed “abhorrent language used recently by members of the Israeli government, threatening that, in their despair at the destruction of Gaza, civilians will start to relocate”.

READ ALSO: Gaza Talks: Pick A Side Between Us Or Hamas — Israeli PM Tells Qatar

Advertisement

The leaders said that “permanent forced displacement is a breach of international humanitarian law”.

Israel’s military has stepped up an offensive in Gaza as part of its prolonged response to Hamas’s October 2023 attack that triggered the war and resulted in the deaths of 1,218 people on the Israeli side, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures.

Advertisement

News

NiMet Predicts Three-day Rain, Thunderstorms From Monday

Published

on

Continue Reading

News

JUST IN: Ooni Visits Olubadan-designate Ladoja In Ibadan

Published

on

The Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi, on Sunday, paid a visit to the Olubadan designate, Rashidi Ladoja, at his Bodija private residence in Ibadan, Oyo State.

The PUNCH reports that Oba Ladoja will be installed as the 44th Olubadan on Friday, September 26, 2025, following the demise of the 43rd Olubadan, Oba Owolabi Olakulehin, who joined his ancestors on Monday, July 7, 2025, at the age of 90 years.

READ ALSO:Ladoja Coronation Date As 44th Olubadan Revealed

Advertisement

The two paramount rulers are currently exchanging pleasantries.

Details later…

 

Advertisement
Continue Reading

News

JUST IN: FG Revokes 1,263 Mineral Licenses Over Unpaid Fees

Published

on

The Federal Government through the Ministry of Solid Minerals Development has announced a fresh revocation of not less than 1,263 mineral licenses.

These licenses, which will now be deleted from the Electronic Mining Cadastral System portal of the Nigerian Mining Cadastral Office, include 584 exploration licenses, 65 mining leases, 144 quarry licenses, and 470 small-scale mining leases.

The minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, gave the revocation announcement in a statement issued by his special assistant on Media, Segun Tomori, on Sunday in Abuja.

Advertisement

The minister explained that the directive was issued due to the companies’ failure to comply with the requirement of paying their annual service fees.

The latest revocation brings the total mineral titles revoked under the current administration to 3, 794 including,619 mineral titles revoked for defaulting in paying annual service fees and 912 for dormancy last year.

READ ALSO:FG Introduces Chinese Language Into School Curriculum

Advertisement

By opening up the areas formerly covered by these licenses, the revocation is expected to spur fresh applications by investors looking for fresh opportunities.

The statement read, “Not less than 1,263 mineral licenses will be deleted from the portal of the Electronic Mining Cadastral system of the Nigerian Mining Cadastral Office, MCO, following their revocation by the Federal Government.

“These include 584 exploration licenses, 65 mining leases, 144 quarry licenses, and 470 small-scale mining leases.”

Advertisement

Approving the revocation following the recommendation of the MCO, the Minister said applying the law to keep speculators and unserious investors away from the mining sector would make way for diligent investors and grow the sector.

The era of obtaining licences and keeping them in drawers for the highest bidder, while financially capable and industrious businessmen are complaining of access to good sites, is over.

READ ALSO:FG Gives Mining Firms Deadline For Community Agreements

Advertisement

“The annual service fee is the minimum evidence that you are interested in mining. You don’t have to wait for us to revoke the license because the law allows you to return the license if you change your mind,” the minister said.

He warned that the revocation does not mean the Federal Government has pardoned the annual service debt owed by licensees, adding that the list will be forwarded to the Economic & Financial Crimes Commission to ensure that debtors pay or face the wrath of the law.

This is to encourage due diligence and emphasise the consequences of inundating the license application processes with speculative activities.”

Advertisement

In the recommendation to the minister, the Director-General of the MCO, Simon Nkom, disclosed that there were 1,957 initial defaulters when the MCO published the intention to revoke licences in the Federal Government Gazette on June 19, 2025.

He informed the minister that the gazette was distributed to MCO offices nationwide to sensitise licencees and encourage them to comply within 30 days in compliance with the Minerals and Mining Act 2007 and relevant regulations.

READ ALSO:FG Gazettes New Tax Reform Laws

Advertisement

He observed that the delay in the final recommendation was due to complaints of several licensees who claimed to have paid to the Federal Government through Remita and had to be reconciled.

Earlier this month, the DG MCO had hinted that more mining licences would be revoked as part of ongoing efforts to sanitise the solid minerals sector and protect investors from fraudsters.

According to Nkom, the clean-up exercise, which covers expired, speculative, and inactive titles, is necessary to make room for genuine investors and ensure compliance with the law.

Advertisement

This is part of ongoing efforts at sanitising the sector since the inception of the Tinubu administration, and the salutary effects of the reforms are massive and manifest despite the attempts to push back by defaulters and their agents.

Continue Reading

Trending