News
Israel War Is Taking Attention Away From Ukraine– Zelensky
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The sprawling frontline between the two warring sides has barely moved in almost a year, with one senior πΊπ¦ Ukrainian official warning this week that the conflict was deadlocked.
“Time has passed, people are tired… But this is not a stalemate,” Zelensky told a press conference in Kyiv with πͺπΊ EU Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen.
The Ukrainian leader also rejected the idea Western countries were putting pressure on Kyiv to enter negotiations with π·πΊ Russia, amid reports US and EU officials had discussed what such talks would entail.
“No one among our partners is pressuring us to sit down with Russia, talk to it, and give it something,” he said.
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With the war now in its 20th month and Ukraine struggling to gain ground in its counteroffensive, Zelensky has routinely met Western leaders in a bid to stave off fatigue with the conflict.
Zelensky said the war between Israel and Hamas had also drawn attention away from Ukraine, and said that this was “Russia’s goal”.
“Of course, it’s clear that the war in the Middle East, this conflict, is taking away the focus and attention,” Zelensky said.
“We have already been in very difficult situations when there was almost no focus on Ukraine,” he said, but added: “I am absolutely sure we will overcome this challenge.”
Ukraine’s backers, including the United States, have maintained they are ready to support Kyiv with military and financial support for as long as it takes to defeat Russia.
News
Woman killed while crossing road in Anambra
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The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Anambra State Sector Command, has confirmed the death of a woman in an accident at Okpoko Market on the Asaba-Onitsha Road.
The Sector Commander, Mr Adeoye Irelewuyi, who confirmed the accident to journalists in Awka on Thursday, said that the woman was hit while she was crossing the road.
He said that the accident, which occurred on Wednesday, involved a commercial tow truck with registration number XA550BMA.
βEyewitness report reaching us indicates that the truck was towing a vehicle in an uncontrollable speed along the axis.
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βThe vehicle that was being towed got detached from the tow truck.
βIt hit and killed a female adult, who was said to be crossing the road, while the tow truck continued its movement.
βFRSC rescue team came to the scene and took the woman to Toronto Hospital, Onitsha, where she was confirmed dead and her body deposited at the hospitalβs mortuary,β he said.
While sympathising with the family of the dead, the sector commander urged motorists, especially tow truck drivers, to exercise a high level of professionalism.
He also urged the drivers to always use standard equipment and avoid speeding.
News
LASGβs maize palliative impactful, says poultry association chair
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The Chairman, Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN), Lagos State Chapter, Mr Mojeed Iyiola, said the state governmentβs maize palliative to members of the association made a positive impact on the sector.
Iyiola said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Lagos.
βWe received about 150,000 tons of maize in February from the Lagos State government as palliative to cushion the effect of high feed prices.
βThe major benefit of the palliative is that it actually cushioned the cost of production for most poultry farmers in the state.
βThe palliative was beneficial as it made the cost of some poultry produce, especially eggs to drop,β Iyiola said.
He noted that prior to the palliative, a crate of egg was sold between N3,500 and N3,700 at the farm gate, but after the palliative, it now sells between N3,200 and N3,400.
According to the PAN chair, retailers and middlemen who sell from N3,800 to N4,200 do that for their personal gain.
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βWe have urged our members to sell their eggs at reasonable prices following the receipt of the palliative from the government.
βWe appreciate the Lagos State government for the palliative but we also urge the federal government to do likewise, to further reduce the cost of production in the sector.
βThis will consequently lead to drop in the prices of all poultry produce across board,β he said.
He said the palliative was shared among financial members of the association at no extra cost.
βAs an association we shared the grains equally across PANβs eight zones in the state equally. We also mandated each zone not the sell even a grain of the maize.
βWe, however, considered new poultry farmers who wanted to the join the association as beneficiaries of the palliative,β said Iyiola.
He noted that through the palliative, more poultry farmers were recruited into the association.
βThe maize was shared only to poultry farmers and not feed millers, it is the major component of poultry feed formulation,β he said.