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Niger military leader apologises to Tinubu, welcomes dialogue

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Niger military leader apologises to Tinubu, welcomes dialogue

Leader of the Niger junta, Abdourahmane Tchiani, has apologised to President Bola Tinubu for not according the Abdulsalami Abubakar-led team sent to meet with him a proper reception and regard.

He also said the military is ready to explore dialogue in resolving the political crisis in their country.

Tchiani tendered his apology on Saturday during a meeting with Nigeria’s intervention team comprising Islamic scholars.

The Islamic scholars were approved for the meeting by President Tinubu.

The team led by Bala Lau, national chairman of Jamatul Izalatu Bida Waikamatu Sunnah, met with Tchiani for several hours in Niger’s capital, Niamey.

According to a statement signed by Lau on Sunday, the coup leader and Islamic scholars deliberated on several issues including the demand by ECOWAS leaders that former President Bazoum be reinstated.

Lau said the clerics were in Niger on behalf of President Bola Tinubu who accepted their request to intervene.

He, therefore, told General Tchiani that the visit to Niger was to engage in constructive dialogue to encourage him and other military leaders behind the coup to toe the path of peace instead of war to resolve the crisis.

Responding, Tchiani said their doors were open to explore diplomacy and peace in resolving the matter.

He added that it was painful that the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) did not hear the junta’s side of the matter before issuing an ultimatum.

He said the coup was well intended, as it was meant to starve off an imminent threat that would have affected not only Niger Republic but also Nigeria.

Ali Mahamane Lamine Zeine, Niger’s prime minister, was appointed by the junta to speak to reporters.

Responding to a question on if the leader was ready for dialogue, he was quoted as saying, “Yes, for sure. That was exactly what the leader of our country told them, he did not say he was not open to dialogue”.

He also expressed optimism that talks with ECOWAS would take place in the next few days.

‘’We have agreed and the leader of our country has given the green light for dialogue.

“They will now go back and inform the Nigerian President what they have heard from us…. we hope in the coming days, they (ECOWAS) will come here to meet us to discuss how the sanctions imposed against us will be lifted,” he said.

Niger military leader apologises to Tinubu, welcomes dialogue

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Trump Links French Protests To Islam ‘Taking Over’ France

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Trump Links French Protests To Islam ‘Taking Over’ France
US President Donald Trump

Trump Links French Protests To Islam ‘Taking Over’ France

US President Donald Trump has linked the ongoing student protests in France to what he described as “out of control” mass migration and an alleged attempt by Islam to take over the country.

Trump made the claim Tuesday in a post on his Truth Social platform, rejecting the view that the protests are primarily about education and school conditions.

The protests have spread across France since late September, with students, teachers and parents demanding better-funded schools, more teachers, improved infrastructure and action over overcrowded classrooms.

More than 250,000 people took part in demonstrations across the country on Tuesday, according to French authorities, while organisers put the turnout at about 450,000.

Trump wrote that the unrest was “nothing less than out of control mass migration” and claimed: “This isn’t about schools, this is about Islam wanting to take over a once great Country!”

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However, there has been no established link between the protests and religious or identity-based demands. The grievances publicly cited by student groups have centred on teacher shortages, overcrowded classrooms, deteriorating school buildings and inadequate resources.

The demonstrations have nevertheless escalated in some areas, with clashes between protesters and police reported in cities including Paris, Strasbourg, Rennes and Toulouse.

French authorities said hundreds of people were arrested Tuesday, while hundreds of students, school staff and police officers have reportedly been injured during the unrest.

The protests have also become part of a wider debate over France’s public finances, government spending and political direction ahead of the country’s next presidential election.

Trump’s comments add an international political dimension to the crisis, as the US president continues to make migration in Europe a major focus of his political messaging.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said France was working to present its own account of the unrest rather than allowing foreign governments and political actors to define the narrative around the protests.

For now, the central demands of the protest movement remain focused on education, even as the unrest has become increasingly entangled with broader political disputes over immigration, public spending and France’s future.

Trump Links French Protests To Islam ‘Taking Over’ France

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Kemi Badenoch: I Don’t Want Migrants Turning UK Into Nation Of ‘Little Ghettos’

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Kemi Badenoch: I Don’t Want Migrants Turning UK Into Nation Of ‘Little Ghettos’
Leader of the UK Conservative Party, Kemi Badenoch

Kemi Badenoch: I Don’t Want Migrants Turning UK Into Nation Of ‘Little Ghettos’

UK Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch has warned against the emergence of what she described as “little ghettos” of separatist migrant communities in Britain, arguing that newcomers must integrate and respect the country’s culture and values.

Badenoch made the remarks while opening the Conservative Party’s annual conference in Birmingham, where she set out her vision for rebuilding the party and Britain.

Speaking about immigration and integration, the Conservative leader said she wanted Britain to remain a “high-trust” society in which people coming into the country accept the social expectations and responsibilities that come with living there.

“I don’t want lots of little ghettos of separatist communities where they are recreating the place that they came from. That will ruin the United Kingdom,” Badenoch said.

She added that Britain was “not a dormitory” or “a hotel” and argued that migrants who come to the country, including those who come primarily to work, should respect British culture and values.

Badenoch stressed that she was not advocating race-based citizenship, saying Britain had never operated such a system. However, she argued that British culture, norms and expectations remained important to maintaining social cohesion.

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“It is not just about the values and the principles,” she said, arguing that the way people conduct themselves and the expectations they share also form part of British culture.

The remarks form part of Badenoch’s broader attempt to establish a tougher Conservative Party position on immigration, integration and national identity as the party seeks to regain political ground.

She has also acknowledged failures by previous Conservative governments to deliver promised reductions in immigration. In her newly published policy document, The Right Way, she argues that the party needs clearer principles and a more consistent approach to government.

The Conservatives are also proposing tougher conditions for migrants seeking permanent settlement in the UK, including changes to the rules governing indefinite leave to remain.

Badenoch’s comments have drawn attention because of the sensitivity surrounding immigration and multiculturalism in Britain, with critics arguing that language about migrant communities risks stigmatising minority groups.

Her supporters, however, say the emphasis on integration rather than race is intended to reinforce a shared national identity and social cohesion.

The debate comes as immigration remains a major political issue in the UK, with the Conservatives facing pressure from Reform UK over migration while the Labour government continues to face questions over legal and irregular immigration.

Badenoch, who became Conservative leader in November 2024, used the conference to present her party as a political alternative focused on economic growth, stronger national security, reduced bureaucracy and stricter immigration policies.

Her comments on migrant communities are expected to remain a significant part of the Conservatives’ political message as the party seeks to redefine its approach to immigration, integration and British identity.

Kemi Badenoch: I Don’t Want Migrants Turning UK Into Nation Of ‘Little Ghettos’

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Trump Approves Firing Squad Execution For Fort Hood Shooter Nidal Hasan

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Trump Approves Firing Squad Execution For Fort Hood Shooter Nidal Hasan

Trump Approves Firing Squad Execution For Fort Hood Shooter Nidal Hasan

President Donald Trump has approved the execution by U.S. Army firing squad of former Army Major Nidal Malik Hasan, who was sentenced to death for the 2009 mass shooting at Fort Hood, Texas, that left 13 people dead and 32 others wounded.

The Pentagon announced the decision on Monday, saying Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had recommended the firing-squad execution and Trump approved it.

Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said the Secretary of the Army would determine the date and location of the execution.

Hasan, a former Army psychiatrist, opened fire at a medical facility at Fort Hood on November 5, 2009, shortly before he was due to deploy to Afghanistan.

The attack killed 12 active-duty soldiers and one retired serviceman, while 32 others were wounded. Hasan was shot and seriously injured by a responding civilian police officer and has been partially paralysed since the attack.

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A military jury convicted Hasan in 2013 of 13 counts of premeditated murder and 32 counts of attempted premeditated murder and sentenced him to death.

During his court-martial, Hasan represented himself and did not call witnesses in his defence. He acknowledged that he carried out the shooting and argued that his actions were intended to protect Muslims whom he believed were being targeted by U.S. military operations.

Hasan has remained on military death row at the U.S. Disciplinary Barracks at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, while pursuing legal challenges to his conviction and sentence.

Trump’s approval does not mean the execution will take place immediately. Further legal and administrative procedures remain, and Hasan could seek relief through the federal courts, potentially delaying the execution.

If carried out, Hasan’s execution would be an extraordinary event in the history of the U.S. military justice system.

The U.S. military has not carried out an execution since 1961, when Army Private John Bennett was hanged. The last known U.S. military execution by firing squad took place in 1945.

The decision also comes amid renewed debate in the United States over methods of execution. The Trump administration has expanded the available methods for carrying out federal executions, while recent difficulties surrounding lethal injection have intensified scrutiny of capital punishment.

Hasan’s case has remained one of the most prominent military death-penalty cases in the United States since the Fort Hood attack nearly 17 years ago.

The Army is now expected to determine when and where the execution will take place, subject to the remaining legal process.

Trump Approves Firing Squad Execution For Fort Hood Shooter Nidal Hasan

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