Category: Foreign News

Canadians began voting Monday in a pivotal election overshadowed by escalating tensions with the United States, after President Donald Trump called for Canada to join the US as its 51st state.

The election saw Prime Minister Mark Carney’s Liberal Party fighting to retain power against Conservative challenger Pierre Poilievre. Initially trailing in the polls, Carney’s Liberals experienced a late surge following Trump’s provocative intervention.

Posting on Truth Social, Trump declared Canada would face “ZERO TARIFFS” if it agreed to become “the cherished 51st state,” adding, “IT WAS MEANT TO BE!”

Carney, 60, a former central bank chief in Canada and Britain and a newcomer to electoral politics, replaced Justin Trudeau as Liberal leader just last month. Throughout the campaign, Carney emphasized his experience in global finance, arguing it uniquely qualified him to navigate Canada through rising economic hostilities with its southern neighbor.

“The United States under Trump wants to break us so they can own us,” Carney warned, urging Canadians to choose stability over chaos. “We don’t need anger — we need an adult.”

Meanwhile, Poilievre, a 45-year-old career politician, sought to keep the focus on domestic issues that had eroded Trudeau’s popularity, particularly the surging cost of living. He argued that another Liberal government would only prolong what he called “the lost Liberal decade,” while promising a new direction on crime, housing, and economic management.

“You cannot handle another four years of this,” Poilievre told supporters over the weekend.

While Poilievre criticized Trump’s interference, he also blamed years of Liberal governance for leaving Canada vulnerable to external pressures.

Voters Caught Between Change and Stability

Heading into election day, polls indicated a tight race, but gave Carney a slight edge. Surveys consistently showed Canadians trusting the former banker more to manage the growing crisis with the US.

“This election is different,” said Montreal engineer Hamza Fahri, who initially wanted a change in leadership but ultimately decided to vote Liberal. “Carney is a strong, serious man and that’s what we need to face Trump.”

However, others like Kelsey Leschasin from Saskatchewan emphasized the need for domestic change. “I don’t agree with how the Liberals are running the country,” she said during a visit to Montreal.

Some voters lamented that American politics had dominated the Canadian campaign. “It’s unfortunate that we only talked about Trump,” said Julie Demers, a 37-year-old mother of two, noting that issues like social equality were largely sidelined.

Historic Comeback?

If Carney manages to secure a victory, it would represent one of the most dramatic comebacks in Canadian political history. At the start of the year, the Liberals were trailing by more than 20 points, and Poilievre seemed poised to win.

But Carney’s leadership and Trump’s unexpected rhetoric transformed the landscape.

According to CBC’s final poll aggregator, the Liberals held 42.8 percent support nationally, compared to 38.8 percent for the Conservatives. Still, like US elections, national polling can be a poor predictor in a parliamentary system where regional results matter deeply.

Smaller parties, including the left-leaning New Democratic Party (NDP) and the separatist Bloc Québécois, could once again play a decisive role in whether the Liberals can form a majority or minority government.

Nearly 29 million Canadians are eligible to vote across the country’s six time zones, with a record 7.3 million having already cast ballots in advance voting.

In total, 343 parliamentary seats are up for grabs, with 172 needed for a majority. The Liberals last won a majority in 2015 but have governed in a minority since 2019.

By Achadu Gabriel, Kaduna 

There were altercations between Borno born Kanuri human rights activist, Rev. Kallamu Musa Ali Dikwa and some antagonist over a recent petition submitted to President Donald Trump of US, through embassy by Rev Dikwa narrating alleged orchestrated killings of christians in Northern Nigeria by Jihadists who masquerade as fulani herdsmen and Banditry.

Rev. Dikwa who’s the Director General, Centre for Justice on Religious and Ethnicity in Nigeria, had chronicled the outrageous attacks and killings of Christians, non -muslims alike in some parts of the north during President Olusegun Obasanjo administration.

The activist signed the petition with his phone numbers, which attracted reactions from the personalities across the catchment Muslims dominated northern states. 

Amongst other things, Rev. Dikwa compiled his aggressive responses to his antagonist who held from Kano State, and made it available to our Correspondent which reads in parts: 

“In the year 2001 when you’re brother, the then Governor of Zamfara State, Sani Yarima Bakura introduced the so-call Islamic Sharia Jihad law against the then President Olusegun Obasanjo appointment of Service Chiefs from the North Central: Benue, Plateau, Kogi and Kwara and all of them are Christians. 

“Then killing of Christians started from Kaduna, Kano, Jos, Bauchi and many other places. In 2004 in you’re own state Kano Christians, including minority Muslims residing in Kano who are not Hausa/Fulani tribes: eg Igala, Ibira, Idoma and Yoruba tribes had been attacked and killed. 

“The Christians and Sen. Moh’d Magoro and the committee invited me and I went with three people, we met with them and the promised to take serious action but nothing has been done. In 2011 DSS invited me and asked me to find the phone contact of the sponsors – So what are you covering now? 

“Minority Muslims met the then Emir of Kano late Ado Bayaro concerning their attacks and killing, the late Emir advised them to meet the then governor Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau and they have met him but his responed to them was disturbing. 

‘From 2001, the starting of religious attacks on Christians and their Churches begun, but no single Mosque or Hausa/Fulani Muslim were attack or killed untill 2014 when the attackers noticed that their sponsors withdrawing from open sponsorship. 

“Replied to my letter from the office of the President of the Senate, it was refered to the Senate Chairman Committee on National Security & Intelligence”.

For obvious reasons bothering on his personal security, the Kanuri born activist volunteered a contact number of the callers, stating “This is the No. 07033800846”.

Aboard Air Force One on Thursday, U.S. President Donald Trump unveiled the first-ever “gold card” visa, a residency permit available for $5 million.

Holding a prototype featuring his face and the inscription “The Trump Card,” Trump told reporters the visa could be available “in less than two weeks.”

“I’m the first buyer,” he said. “Pretty exciting, huh?”

The new program offers a high-priced alternative to the traditional green card. Trump has argued it will attract wealthy investors and job creators while also helping to reduce the national deficit.

A vocal advocate for stricter immigration policies, Trump emphasized that the gold card could serve as a pathway to U.S. citizenship. In February, he suggested his administration could sell “maybe a million” of these visas and did not rule out the possibility of Russian oligarchs qualifying.

By Abigail Philip David

French President Emmanuel Macron is set to meet with former U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington on Monday, where he will present “proposals for action” aimed at countering the “Russian threat” in Europe and securing peace in Ukraine.

Macron’s visit coincides with the third anniversary of the war in Ukraine. He hopes to persuade Trump to include European leaders in any potential negotiations between the U.S. and Russia, amid concerns that Trump may sideline European nations and Kyiv in diplomatic discussions.

Trump recently caused alarm in Europe by signaling his willingness to negotiate directly with Russian President Vladimir Putin, while echoing Russian narratives about Ukraine’s role in the conflict. European leaders fear he may make concessions favorable to Moscow.

In response, Macron has sought to unify Europe’s position, holding meetings with key leaders last week. Emphasizing the gravity of the situation, he described Russia as “an existential threat to Europeans” and stressed the need for collective action.

“You have a power that has overly armed itself… and continues to arm itself,” Macron said before departing for Washington. “We don’t know where it will stop today. So we must all act to contain it.”

Macron will represent Europe as a whole during his talks with Trump, following consultations with leaders across the continent, including Hungary’s Moscow-friendly Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. His proposals will reflect the consensus reached in these discussions, according to a presidential advisor.

A key objective of Macron’s visit is to persuade Trump to maintain U.S. support for Ukraine while ensuring that European interests are taken into account. He also hopes to convince Trump that Russia poses a significant threat to Europe and that Putin “will not respect” a ceasefire.

Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who is scheduled to visit the White House later this week, have coordinated their approach. Both leaders are also discussing the possible deployment of European forces to Ukraine post-peace agreement, as a deterrent against future Russian aggression.

“The idea is to deploy soldiers to a second line, not on the front line. This could be combined with a multinational operation, with non-European contingents,” said a French source familiar with the discussions.

Macron and Starmer are expected to seek “solid security guarantees” from Trump for any deployed European forces. While Trump’s administration has ruled out sending U.S. troops to Ukraine, European leaders hope for other forms of American support, such as logistics and intelligence-sharing.

Additionally, European nations plan to increase defense spending, addressing Trump’s long-standing complaints about the U.S. bearing too much of the security burden for the region. Macron emphasized that closer U.S.-European cooperation is mutually beneficial.

“It is in his interest to work with the Europeans because Europe has a capacity for growth — an economic potential — to cooperate with Americans,” Macron stated.

By Abigail Philip David

An American Airlines flight from New York’s JFK Airport to Delhi was forced to make an emergency landing in Rome on Sunday following a bomb threat onboard.

The Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, carrying 199 passengers and 15 crew members, was about two hours from its destination when it was rerouted over Turkmenistan due to a potential security threat.

According to the New York Post, American Airlines confirmed the diversion was prompted by a “possible security issue.”

Passenger Neeraj Chopra, who was traveling to India to visit family, described the tense moment when the captain announced the change in course.

“I felt a little panic of, OK, what’s going on here?” he said.

The Italian Air Force later confirmed the threat involved a possible bomb. Two Italian Eurofighter Typhoon jets escorted the aircraft to Rome’s Leonardo da Vinci Airport, where it landed around 11:15 a.m. ET after nearly 15 hours in the air.

Upon landing, passengers were transported to buses for additional security screenings and had to wait more than two hours for their checked luggage.

American Airlines issued a statement thanking passengers for their patience, emphasizing that safety remains their top priority.

“We are working closely with local authorities and will provide updates as the situation develops,” the airline stated.

This incident follows another bomb threat just two weeks ago on a Texas-bound American Airlines flight, which was delayed for several hours due to a suspicious Wi-Fi hotspot.

By Abigail Philip David

France officially returned its sole military base in Ivory Coast to local authorities on Thursday, marking the end of a decades-long French presence at the site.

The handover was formalized in a signing ceremony attended by the French and Ivorian defense ministers, shortly after the Ivorian flag was raised at the base’s parade ground.

“This marks a new era in the friendship and strategic collaboration between our two countries,” said Ivorian Defence Minister Tene Birahima Ouattara. Meanwhile, French Defence Minister Sébastien Lecornu described the moment as “historic,” emphasizing that while France’s presence is evolving, it is not disappearing entirely.

The ceremony featured a change of guard to signify the transfer of security responsibilities to the Ivorian army. The 230-hectare (570-acre) Port-Bouet military camp, located near Abidjan, has played a crucial role in Ivory Coast’s stability since its establishment in 1978, particularly during periods of political unrest in the 2000s.

The site, previously home to France’s 43rd BIMA marine infantry battalion, will now be renamed Camp Thomas d’Aquin Ouattara, in honor of the Ivorian army’s first chief of staff. His portrait will be displayed on the command post’s facade.

France’s decision to adjust its military strategy in Africa follows its withdrawal from Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, where military-led governments have adopted anti-French policies.

Approximately 1,000 French troops were stationed at Port-Bouet, contributing to counterterrorism efforts in the wider region. The withdrawal will be phased throughout 2025, but around 100 French soldiers will remain to provide training and support.

French-Ivorian military ties date back to a 1961 agreement signed after Ivory Coast’s independence, while France’s presence in the country extends to the colonial era.