International
Saudi Arabia worries over US strikes on Iran
Saudi Arabia worries over US strikes on Iran
READ ALSO:
- Two warders suspended for assisting Lagos robbery inmate to process passport
- Traditionalists frustrating police investigation of Ekiti masqueraders attack on Muslim ladies – MURIC
- Netanyahu praises Trump after U.S. strikes Iran’s nuclear sites, calls it ‘pivot of history’
Oman
Oman, which was mediating nuclear talks between Washington and Tehran, on Sunday strongly condemned US strikes on nuclear sites in Iran.
The Gulf sultanate “expresses deep concern, denunciation and condemnation of the escalation resulting from the direct air strikes launched by the United States on sites in the Islamic Republic of Iran”, the official Oman News Agency said.
Lebanon
Lebanese president Joseph Aoun, in statement released by the Lebanese Presidency on X, meanwhile said: “Lebanon, its leadership, parties, and people, are aware today, more than ever before, that it has paid a heavy price for the wars that erupted on its land and in the region. It is unwilling to pay more, and there is no national interest in doing so, especially since the cost of these wars was and will be greater than its ability to bear.”
“The bombing of Iranian nuclear facilities raises fears of an escalation of tensions that could threaten security and stability in more than one region and country.
“The President of the Republic calls for restraint and the launch of constructive and serious negotiations to restore stability to the countries of the region and avoid further killing and destruction,” the statement added.
UK
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer called on Iran to “return to the negotiating table” over its nuclear ambitions after the US carried out strikes on Iranian nuclear sites.
“Iran can never be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon and the US has taken action to alleviate that threat,” Starmer said on X, adding that “stability in the region is a priority”.
“We call on Iran to return to the negotiating table and reach a diplomatic solution to end this crisis.”
Iraq
Iraq warned on Sunday that the US attacks on its neighbor Iran’s nuclear facilities threaten peace and stability in the Middle East.
Iraq “expresses its deep concern and strong condemnation of the targeting of nuclear facilities” in Iran, government spokesperson Basim Alawadi said. “This military escalation constitutes a grave threat to peace and security in the Middle East and poses serious risks to regional stability,” he added.
European Union
The European Union’s top diplomat said Iran must not be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon but she urged those involved in the conflict to show restraint.
“I urge all sides to step back, return to the negotiating table and prevent further escalation,” EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said in a post on social media.
Kallas will chair a meeting of the 27-nation bloc’s foreign ministers in Brussels on Monday, with the Israel-Iran war high on the agenda.
New Zealand
New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters urged “all parties to return to talks.”
He wouldn’t tell reporters Sunday whether New Zealand supported President Trump’s actions, saying they had only just happened.
The three-time foreign minister said the crisis is “the most serious I’ve ever dealt with” and that “critical further escalation is avoided.”
READ ALSO:
- Iwuanyanwu’s Will bans young widow from remarrying
- Police arrest 22 suspects over killing of 12 travelers in Plateau
- Shettima refuses Ganduje’s handshake amid 2027 VP ticket crisis ( Video)
“Diplomacy will deliver a more enduring resolution than further military action,” he said.
Italy
Italy’s foreign minister Antonio Tajani, on state broadcaster RAI, said: “Now we hope that, after this attack, which caused massive damage to nuclear weapons production and posed a threat to the entire region, a de-escalation can begin and Iran can sit down at the negotiating table.”
China
A flash commentary from China’s government-run media asked whether the US is repeating “its Iraq mistake in Iran.”
The online piece by CGTN, the foreign-language arm of the state broadcaster, said the US strikes mark a dangerous turning point.
“History has repeatedly shown that military interventions in the Middle East often produce unintended consequences, including prolonged conflicts and regional destabilization,” it said, citing the American invasion of Iraq in 2003.
It said a measured, diplomatic approach that prioritizes dialogue over military confrontation offers the best hope for stability in the Middle East.
Japan
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba told reporters Sunday it was crucial to calm the situation as soon as possible, adding that the Iranian nuclear weapons development also must be prevented.
Ishiba, asked if he supports the US attacks on Iran, declined to comment. He was speaking to reporters after an emergency meeting with officials from key ministries over the US military action.
Ishiba said officials are still assessing details and doing their utmost to protect the safety of the Japanese nationals in Iran, Israel and elsewhere in the region.
While the US attacks on Iran do not affect Japan’s stable energy supply for the time being, Ishiba said, he has instructed officials to “watch the development with a sense of urgency and take every precaution” to prevent an increase in oil and utility costs ahead of the summer when energy demand rises.
South Korea
South Korea’s presidential office said it would hold an emergency meeting Sunday to discuss the security and economic ramifications of the US strikes and potential South Korean responses.
READ ALSO:
- Trump calls US strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities ‘spectacular success’
- Police deny fresh herdsmen attack in Benue community
- Keyamo mocks Atiku, El-Rufai, says new ADA party lacks strength to challenge APC
Australia
Australia, which shuttered its embassy in Tehran and evacuated staff Friday, continued to push for a diplomatic end to the conflict.
“We have been clear that Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile program has been a threat to international peace and security,” a government official said in a written statement. “We note the US President’s statement that now is the time for peace.”
“The security situation in the region is highly volatile. We continue to call for de-escalation, dialogue and diplomacy.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was predictably all praises for Trump’s decision.
“Your bold decision to target Iran’s nuclear facilities, with the awesome and righteous might of the United States, will change history,” he said in a video message directed at the American president.
Netanyahu said the US “has done what no other country on earth could do.”
Israel’s Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon also thanked Trump for his “historic decision to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons. Today, President Trump proved that ‘Never Again’ is not just a slogan — it’s a policy.”
In Washington, Congressional Republicans — and at least one Democrat — immediately praised Trump after he announced his fateful attack order.
“Well done, President Trump,” Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina posted on X. Texas Sen. John Cornyn called it a “courageous and correct decision.” Alabama Sen. Katie Britt called the bombings “strong and surgical.”
Oklahoma Sen. Markwayne Mullin posted: “America first, always.”
The Senate Armed Services Committee chairman, Roger Wicker of Mississippi, said Trump “has made a deliberate — and correct — decision to eliminate the existential threat posed by the Iranian regime.”
Wicker posted on X that “we now have very serious choices ahead to provide security for our citizens and our allies.”
The quick endorsements of stepped up US involvement in Iran came after Trump had publicly mulled the strikes for days and many congressional Republicans had cautiously said they thought he would make the right decision. Senate Majority Leader John Thune said Saturday evening that “as we take action tonight to ensure a nuclear weapon remains out of reach for Iran, I stand with President Trump and pray for the American troops and personnel in harm’s way.”
Thune and House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Louisiana, were briefed ahead of the strikes on Saturday, according to people familiar with the situation and granted anonymity to discuss it.
Johnson said in a statement that the military operations “should serve as a clear reminder to our adversaries and allies that President Trump means what he says.”
House Intelligence Committee Chairman Rick Crawford, R-Arkansas, said he had also been in touch with the White House and “I am grateful to the US servicemembers who carried out these precise and successful strikes.”
Breaking from many of his Democratic colleagues, Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, an outspoken supporter of Israel, also praised the attacks on Iran. “As I’ve long maintained, this was the correct move by @POTUS,” he posted. “Iran is the world’s leading sponsor of terrorism and cannot have nuclear capabilities.”
Both parties have seen splits in recent days over the prospect of striking Iran. Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie, a Republican and a longtime opponent of US involvement in foreign wars, posted on X after Trump announced the attacks that “This is not Constitutional.”
Many Democrats have maintained that Congress should have a say. The Senate was scheduled to vote as soon as this week on a resolution by Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine requiring congressional approval before the US declared war on Iran or took specific military action.
Connecticut Rep. Jim Himes, the top Democrat on the House intelligence panel, posted on X after Trump’s announcement: “According to the Constitution we are both sworn to defend, my attention to this matter comes BEFORE bombs fall. Full stop.”
Saudi Arabia worries over US strikes on Iran
ARAB NEWS
International
233 children poisoned in Chinese pre-school
233 children poisoned in Chinese pre-school
Over 200 children are being treated in hospitals in northwestern China for lead poisoning after school chefs decorated their food with inedible paint.
Eight persons were arrested after testing revealed that food samples from a kindergarten in Tianshui City, Gansu province, contained lead levels that were 2,000 times higher than the national safety limit.
Following the consumption of steamed red date cake and sausage corn bun, 233 youngsters from Peixin Kindergarten exhibited elevated lead levels in their blood.
According to a police statement, the school principal requested that the culinary staff purchase the paint online.
However, as the children were unwell, cops had to seek for the goods that had been hidden.
According to the statement, the paint was clearly marked as not edible.
READ ALSO:
- ADC has no favourite presidential aspirant – David Mark
- Twitter ex-CEO introduces ‘BitChat’ internet-free messaging app
- Stop blaming Tinubu for your self-inflicted confusion, APC tells ADC
One parent told the BBC that he was concerned about the long-term effects of lead poisoning on his son’s liver and digestive system.
Mr Liu took his child to the hospital in Xi’an for testing last week after other parents raised concerns. His son now requires ten days of care and medications.
Chinese state media broadcast footage from CCTV cameras in the kitchen that showed employees applying paint pigment to the food.
Investigators discovered that the red date cake and corn sausage rolls contained lead levels of 1052mg/kg and 1340mg/kg, respectively, which exceeded the national food safety standard limit of 0.5mg/kg.
The principle of the privately owned kindergarten, along with seven others, including its main investor, will now be probed for creating hazardous and unsafe food.
It is unclear how long the paint has been present in the meal, but numerous parents have told Chinese state media that their children have been complaining of stomach and leg pain, as well as a lack of appetite, since March.
They reported their concerns to local authorities, and an investigation was initiated.
The mayor of Tianshui, Liu Lijiang, stated that the incident showed flaws and gaps in public food safety supervision and that the city would learn from the experience.
233 children poisoned in Chinese pre-school
International
Leaked audio shows ex-Bangladesh leader authorised deadly crackdown
Leaked audio shows ex-Bangladesh leader authorised deadly crackdown
A deadly crackdown on student-led protests in Bangladesh last year was authorised by then prime minister Sheikh Hasina, according to audio of one of her phone calls verified by BBC Eye.
In the audio, which was leaked online in March, Hasina says she authorised her security forces to “use lethal weapons” against protesters and that “wherever they find [them], they will shoot”.
Prosecutors in Bangladesh plan to use the recording as crucial evidence against Hasina, who is being tried in absentia at a special tribunal for crimes against humanity.
Up to 1,400 people died in last summer’s unrest, according to UN investigators. Hasina, who fled to India, and her party reject all charges against her.
A spokesperson for her Awami League party denied the tape showed any “unlawful intention” of “disproportionate response”.
The leaked audio of Hasina’s conversation with an unidentified senior government official is the most significant evidence yet that she gave direct authorisation to shoot anti-government protesters, tens of thousands of whom had taken to the streets by last summer.
The protests began against civil service job quotas for relatives of those who fought in the 1971 war of independence and escalated into a mass movement that ousted Hasina, who had been in power for 15 years. It is the worst violence Bangladesh had seen since the 1971 war.
Some of the bloodiest scenes occurred on 5 August, the day Hasina fled by helicopter before crowds stormed her residence in Dhaka.
The BBC World Service investigation established previously unreported details about a police massacre of protesters in the capital – including a much higher death toll.
Hasina was at her residence in Dhaka, known as the Ganabhaban, for the duration of the call which took place on 18 July, a source with knowledge of the leaked audio told the BBC.
READ ALSO:
- Texas floods: 161 people still missing in one county
- NYSC member, eight others die in Delta boat accident
- Aina signs three-year deal with Nottingham Forest
It was a crucial moment in the demonstrations. Security officials were responding to public outrage at police killings of protesters captured on video and shared across social media. In the days following the call, military-grade rifles were deployed and used across Dhaka, according to police documents seen by the BBC.
The recording the BBC examined is one of numerous calls involving Sheikh Hasina that were made by the National Telecommunications Monitoring Centre (NTMC), a Bangladeshi government body responsible for monitoring communications.
The audio of the call was leaked in early March this year – it’s unclear by whom. Since the protests, numerous clips of Hasina’s calls have appeared online, many of them unverified.
The leaked 18 July recording was voice matched by the Criminal Investigation Department in the Bangladesh Police with known audio of Sheikh Hasina’s voice.
The BBC conducted its own independent verification by sharing the recording with audio forensics experts Earshot, who found no evidence the speech had been edited or manipulated and said it was highly unlikely to have been synthetically generated.
Earshot said the leaked recording was likely to have been taken in a room with the phone call played back on a speaker, due to the presence of distinctive telephonic frequencies and background sounds. Earshot identified Electric Network Frequency (ENF) throughout the recording, a frequency that’s often present in audio recordings due to interference between a recording device and mains-powered equipment, an indicator that the audio has not been manipulated.
Earshot also analysed Sheikh Hasina’s speech – the rhythm, intonation and breath sounds – and identified consistent noise floor levels, finding no evidence of synthetic artefacts in the audio.
“The recordings are critical for establishing her role, they are clear and have been properly authenticated, and are supported by other evidence,” British international human rights barrister Toby Cadman told the BBC. He is advising Bangladesh’s International Criminal Tribunal (ICT), the court hearing cases against Hasina and others.
An Awami League spokesperson said: “We cannot confirm whether the tape recording referenced by the BBC is authentic.”
Alongside Sheikh Hasina, former government and police officials have been implicated in the killings of protesters. A total of 203 individuals have been indicted by the ICT, of whom 73 are in custody.
BBC Eye analysed and verified hundreds of videos, images and documents detailing police attacks against demonstrators across 36 days.
The investigation found that in one incident on 5 August in Jatrabari, a busy Dhaka neighbourhood, at least 52 people were killed by police, making it one of the worst incidents of police violence in Bangladesh’s history. Initial reports at the time suggested 30 dead in Jatrabari on that day.
READ ALSO:
The BBC investigation uncovered new details about how the massacre started and ended.
Gathering eyewitness footage, CCTV and drone imagery, BBC Eye established that police opened fire indiscriminately on protesters immediately after army personnel, who were separating the police from the protesters, vacated the area.
For more than 30 minutes the police shot at fleeing protesters as they tried to escape down alleyways and on the highway, before the police officers sought shelter in a nearby army camp. At least six police officers were also killed as protesters retaliated hours later, setting fire to the Jatrabari police station.
A spokesperson for the Bangladesh Police told the BBC that 60 police officers had been arrested for their role in the violence in July and August last year.
“There were regrettable incidents in which certain members of the then police force engaged in excessive use of force,” said the spokesperson. “Bangladesh Police has launched thorough and impartial investigations.”
Sheikh Hasina’s trial began last month. She has been charged with committing crimes against humanity, including issuing orders that led to mass killings and targeted violence against civilians, as well as incitement, conspiracy and failure to prevent mass murder.
India has so far failed to comply with a Bangladeshi request for her extradition. It is unlikely that Hasina will return to the country for the trial, Mr Cadman said.
The Awami League maintains that its leaders are not liable for the force used against protesters.
“The Awami League categorically denies and rejects claims that some of its senior leaders, including the prime minister herself, were personally responsible for or directed the use of lethal force against crowds,” a spokesperson for the party said.
“The decisions made by senior government officials were proportionate in nature, made in good faith and intended to minimise the loss of life.”
The party has rejected the findings of United Nations investigators, who said they had found reasonable grounds to believe the actions of Hasina and her government could amount to crimes against humanity.
The BBC approached the Bangladesh army for comment but did not receive a response.
Since Hasina’s fall, Bangladesh has been ruled by an interim government led by Nobel Prize winner Muhammad Yunus.
His government is preparing for national elections. It’s unclear if the Awami League will be allowed to contest the vote.
Leaked audio shows ex-Bangladesh leader authorised deadly crackdown
International
Texas floods: 161 people still missing in one county
Texas floods: 161 people still missing in one county
At least 161 people are still missing in a single Texas county four days after deadly and devastating flash floods hit parts of the state last week, Governor Greg Abbott said, as hope fades for survivors to be found alive.
The missing in the hard-hit Kerr County include five campers and one counsellor from Camp Mystic, a Christian all-girls summer camp located on the banks of Guadalupe river.
At least 109 people have died in the disaster, including 94 in the Kerrville area alone, Abbott said in a news conference on Tuesday.
Texas is not alone. New Mexico saw a flash flood emergency as well, with the National Weather Service (NWS) warning of intense flooding on Tuesday night.
In Texas, frantic search and rescue efforts continue, with Abbott vowing emergency crews “will not stop until every missing person is accounted for”.
Abbott added that it is very likely more missing will be added to the list in the coming days, and urged people to report anyone they think is unaccounted for.
General Thomas Suelzer from the Texas National Guard said search efforts include Chinook and Black Hawk helicopters with rescue hoists.
He said there are 13 Black Hawk helicopters helping in the search effort, including four that arrived from Arkansas. He added that authorities were also using reaper drones.
Responders from various agencies are working together on rescue efforts, including agents from border patrol, the FBI and the National Guard.
More than 250 responders from various agencies have been assigned to the Kerrville area alone to help with search and rescue.
READ ALSO:
- NYSC member, eight others die in Delta boat accident
- Aina signs three-year deal with Nottingham Forest
- Wike cannot be trusted, Momodu warns Tinubu
One of those rescue volunteers, named Tim, told the BBC he has never seen any destruction at this scale before.
“I’ve done the floods down in East Texas and Southeast Texas, and hurricanes, and this is a nightmare,” he said.
Another rescue volunteer, named Justin, compared the effort to “trying to find a single hay in a haystack”.
“There’s a wide trail of destruction for miles, and there’s not enough cadaver dogs to go through all of it,” he told the BBC.
“It’s hard to access a lot of it with heavy machinery. Guys are trying to pick at it with tools and hands, and they’re not even putting a dent in it – not for lack of effort.”
Questions have been raised about whether authorities provided adequate flood warnings before the disaster, and why people were not evacuated earlier.
Experts say there were a number of factors that contributed to the tragedy in Texas, including the extreme weather, the location of the holiday homes and timing.
The governor, who had spent part of the day surveying the flood zone, said authorities had issued a storm warning and knew about a possible flash flood, but “didn’t know the magnitude of the storm”.
No one knew it would lead to a “30-foot high tsunami wall of water”, he said.
The governor responded to a question about who was to “blame” for the enormous death toll, saying: “That’s the word choice of losers.”
READ ALSO:
- Lagos, Edo, Benue, Sokoto, 16 others at risk of flooding – NiMet
- ASUU orders lecturers to begins nationwide strike over salary delay
- Galatasaray make €55m bid for Osimhen as Napoli demand more
He made a sports analogy, saying American football teams make mistakes; champion teams are the ones who don’t “point fingers”.
Most of the victims died in Kerr County, where the Guadalupe River was swollen by torrential downpours before daybreak on Friday, the July Fourth public holiday.
Camp Mystic had earlier confirmed at least 27 girls and staff were among the dead.
Those who survived are now focused on trying to rebuild.
Justin Brown has lived along the Guadalupe River for more than 25 years.
A week ago, he lived in his mobile home at the Blue Oak RV Park with his two young daughters and dog. Now, there is a huge puddle where his home once stood – his RV swept away in the floods.
“We were one of the few parks that got almost everybody out,” Mr Brown told the BBC as he described the efforts of his landlord and emergency workers, who evacuated almost all of the park’s residents.
Looking out over the empty lot where his home once stood – now just debris – he said he hopes to move back in as soon as he can.
President Donald Trump will travel to the flood-ravaged areas with First Lady Melania Trump on Friday.
Separately, in New Mexico, the NWS declared a flash flood emergency on Tuesday and told residents of Ruidoso to be on high alert for flooding.
Officials there are already working to rescue people trapped in floodwaters and houses are reportedly being washed away.
A flood wave on the Rio Ruidoso has reached 15 feet (4.5m), the NWS in Albuquerque said in a post on X.
The waters receded about two hours later, according to CBS, the BBC’s US partner.
Officials had to perform some swift boat rescues and some people were unaccounted for as of Tuesday evening.
Texas floods: 161 people still missing in one county
-
metro2 days agoJUST IN: Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Olakulehin, is dead
-
metro2 days agoWhy we requested 6 constitutional amendments – MURIC
-
Entertainment2 days agoDavido, Zlatan celebrate Black Axe cultist group in viral post
-
metro2 days agoRashidi Ladoja: 10 things to know about incoming Olubadan of Ibadan
-
Education1 day agoASUU orders lecturers to begin nationwide strike over salary delay
-
News2 days agoTinubu speaks on how funds saved from subsidy is being used
-
metro2 days agoPolice speak on viral video of woman giving her child alcohol
-
metro2 days agoPolice arrest man in Anambra with human breast