Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on Wednesday, called on Lagosians to be safety conscious to avoid fire incidents, which had become a regular occurrence in the state. The governor spoke at the opening of new fire stations at Ijegun-Egba and Ijede, Ikorodu. The governor was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Abimbola Salu-Hundeyin,

The Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, has cautioned that national development should not be seen as the sole responsibility of the government, its officials or institutions. Rather, he said the government, the citizens and security agencies must play their roles in the pursuit of sustainable growth and development. The IG made this call while

The Federal Government says it will collaborate with the private sector in raising a portion of the $10bn needed to ensure the provision of consistent and reliable electricity across the country. This initiative is part of the government’s broader strategy to address the country’s chronic power supply challenges and is expected to span a period

Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, on Wednesday, presented a proposed budget estimate of N678,086,767,322.18 to the state House of Assembly for legislative consideration and approval. Makinde, while presenting the budget, tagged, “Budget of Economic Stabilisation,” said it was 35 per cent higher compared to the 2024 budget. He said, “Out of the budget, capital expenditure

The Nigerian Navy has taken delivery of three Agusta Westland 109 Trekker helicopters. The helicopters, which were purchased by the Ministry of Defence, were handed over to the Navy on November 12, 2024. A statement on Wednesday by the Director of Naval Information, Commodore A. Adams-Aliu, said the ministry handed over the helicopters to the

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited has announced a reshuffling in key management positions to strengthen its operational efficiency and boost its competitive edge in the global oil and gas industry. A statement signed by the NNPCL spokesperson, Femi Soneye, on Wednesday, revealed that the board of directors had approved the replacement of Mr Umar

The Nigerian Bottling Company has partnered with Women in Management, Business, and Public Service to support female entrepreneurship, including awarding an N1 million grant to a pastry chef. In a statement, NBC said it awarded an N1m grant to a pastry chef and entrepreneur, Achiv Ngusurun, in recognition of her innovative business approach at the

Leading health researchers have urged Africans to embrace clinical trials, emphasising their vital role in addressing local health challenges and boosting economic opportunities. Ahead of the 2024 Impact Africa Summit in Lagos, the group of experts highlighted the need to create a robust and sustainable clinical trial ecosystem in Sub-Saharan Africa. They noted that this

Edo Queens on Wednesday battled FC Masar of Egypt to a goalless draw in their second Group B match of the 2024 CAF Women’s Champions League in Morocco, leaving their chances of progressing to the semifinals in the balance, PUNCH Sports Extra reports. The Nigerian and West African champions still maintain their pole position on

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation, on Wednesday, began training Nigerian teachers and students in the use of artificial intelligence and robotics engineering. The two-day programme, conducted in collaboration with Infinix Nigeria and Google, took place at the United Nations office in Abuja. Addressing the participants, UNESCO’s Head in Abuja, Abdourahamane Diallo, emphasised

The Minister of Works, David Umahi, has decried the deplorable condition of the Abuja-Minna federal road, saying he did not see any work done by the contractor handling the project. The minister who travelled by road from Abuja to attend a stakeholders’ engagement on the construction of the 125KM three-lane single carriage of the Niger

For the third time in six months, Nigeria and the Benin Republic will do battle on Thursday (today) in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, as they seek to seal their automatic spots for the 2025 AFCON, PUNCH Sports Extra reports. After beating the Cheetahs 3-0 during the first leg at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium, Uyo, in

The Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, has urged labour unions, especially those within the educational sector, including the Academic Staff Union of Universities, the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities and others to prioritise the welfare and education of Nigerian students over strikes. Alausa spoke at the opening of the 359th Quadrennial National delegates

The Edo State chapter of the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees has pledged its support to the union’s national leadership, headed by President-General Akeem Ambali. In a statement released on Wednesday, the Edo NULGE, led by Clifford Dauda, praised Ambali’s ability to unite stakeholders and members from across the country, highlighting this as a

A Professor in the Department of Geography at the Kaduna State University, John Laah, has defended the proposed Federal University of Applied Sciences in Kachia, stressing that it would benefit all Nigerians, not just the people of Southern Kaduna. During an interactive session with journalists in Kaduna on Wednesday, Laah, speaking on behalf of the

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has withheld the international passport of the former governor of Delta State, Ifeanyi Okowa. Okowa was arrested by the anti-graft agency on November 4, 2024, over an alleged diversion of N1.3tn derivation fund. The N1.3trn amounted to a 13 per cent derivation fund from the federation account between 2015

Armed men suspected to be bandits, on Tuesday, attacked the site of the ongoing construction of the 330/132/33kV transmission substation in Obajana, Kogi State. The armed men, shooting sporadically, destroyed a 150MVA 330/132/33kV power transformer, causing a significant setback to the government’s efforts to increase power generation. The Transmission Company of Nigeria disclosed the latest

A 35-year-old man, Felix Vhimga, has been found dead in a mysterious circumstance in the Ojowo area of Ijebu Igbo in Ogun State. PUNCH Metro learnt that the deceased had gone missing after visiting his brother, Sunday Robert, in the community on Monday. On the completion of his visit, Vhimga was however said to have

Former Commonwealth Secretary-General, Chief Emeka Anyaoku, on Wednesday, warned that if Nigeria refused to do away with the 1999 Constitution, it would be hard for anyone to fix the country. He described Nigeria as a pluralistic country that needed to address its diversity with true federal constitutions. “To those who think that the trouble with

GUBIO, Nigeria — Unrelenting price rises and a brutal insurgency had already made it hard for Nigerians in northeastern Borno State to feed their families. When a dam collapsed in September, flooding the state capital and surrounding farmland, many people ran out of options. Now they queue for handouts in camps for those displaced by fighting between extremist Boko Haram rebels and the military. When those run out, they seek work on local farms where they risk being killed or raped by local bandits. "I can't even cry anymore. I'm too tired," said Indo Usman, who tried to start again in the state capital Maiduguri, rearing animals for the two annual Muslim holy days, after years of repeatedly fleeing rebel attacks in rural Borno. The flood washed that all away, driving her, her husband and their six children to a bare room at Gubio, an unfinished housing project about 96 km northwest of Maiduguri that has become a displacement camp. Torrential rains and floods in 29 of Nigeria's 36 states this year have destroyed more than 1.5 million hectares of cropland, affecting more than 9 million people, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Climate change is a factor, as is Nigeria's poorly maintained or non-existent infrastructure as well as vulnerabilities caused by the weakening Naira currency and the scrapping of a government fuel subsidy. The cost of staples like rice and beans has doubled, tripled or even quadrupled in a year, depending on location — an unmanageable shock for millions of poor families. Mass kidnappings for ransom in the northwest and conflict between farmers and pastoralists in the central belt, traditionally the nation's bread basket, have also disrupted agriculture and squeezed food supplies. 'Hungriest of the hungry' Roughly 40% of Nigeria's more than 200 million people live below the international poverty line of $2.15 per person per day, the World Bank estimates. Already, 25 million people live in acute food and nutrition insecurity - putting their lives or livelihoods in immediate danger, according to a joint analysis by the government and U.N. agencies. That number is expected to rise to 33 million by next June-August. "The food crisis in Nigeria is immense because what we are seeing is a crisis within a crisis within a crisis," said Trust Mlambo, head of program for the northeast at the World Food Program, in an interview with Reuters in Maiduguri. With international donors focused on emergencies in Gaza, Ukraine and Sudan, Mlambo said there was not enough funding to fully meet Nigeria's growing need for food aid. "We are really prioritizing the hungriest of the hungry," he said. In Borno, the Alau dam, upriver from Maiduguri, gave way on Sept. 9, four days after state officials had told the public it was secure. Local residents and engineers had been warning that it was under strain. Hundreds of people were killed in the resulting flood, according to aid workers who did not wish to be identified for fear of offending the state government. A spokesperson for the state government did not respond to requests for comment. Zainab Abubakar, a self-employed tailor in the city who lived in relative comfort with her husband and six children in a house with a refrigerator, was awoken at midnight by water rushing into her bedroom. They ran for their lives while the flood destroyed their house and carried everything away, including her sewing machine. Now, they are sheltering at Gubio and collecting rice from aid agencies in a plastic bucket. "There is no alternative," she said. In Banki, on Nigeria's border with Cameroon about 133 km southeast of Maiduguri, Mariam Hassan lost crops of maize, pepper and then okra in repeated flooding of her subsistence farm this year, leaving her with nothing to eat or sell. "I beg the neighbors or relatives to give me food, not even for me but for my children, for us to survive," said Hassan, who has eight children. "The situation has turned me into a beggar."

Yaounde, Cameroon — An estimated 8 million voters in Chad go to the polls Dec. 29 in legislative, local and district elections. Female leaders and activists, however, say women candidates are being underrepresented. Chadian officials say the legislative elections will mark an end to a three-year transition from military to civilian rule that began when General Mahamat Idriss Deby seized power in April 2021 following the death of his father, long-serving President Idriss Deby Itno. During the transitional period, Deby said he would make sure women, who constitute more than 51% of Chad's population, were nominated in legislative, provincial and district elections. He said Chad would respect its pledges as a signatory to the Maputo Protocol, a commitment by African nations through the African Union to ensure gender equality in political decision making. But activists say women constitute just over one-third of the candidates in this year’s races, in which 180 political parties have nominated more than 8,500 candidates. They say limiting women from elective positions prohibits a majority of the central African nation’s civilians from participating in their country's development and legislating and voting on laws that will improve living conditions. Ahmed Bartchiret, president of ANGE, Chad’s national elections management body, acknowledged the low number of women running for elected office.  He said women constitute less than 35% of the lists of nominees submitted by political parties, including Deby's Patriotic Salvation Movement, or MPS, for the Dec. 29 elections. ANGE also acknowledged that some nominations, including those of women, were turned down, but gave no further details. ANGE said anyone whose nomination was rejected can take up the issue through the courts. Women’s groups, including the Association of Indigenous Women and People and the Civil Society Group Against Injustice and Inequality, said in a release that ANGE rejected nomination papers of women candidates who could not pay the roughly $250 application fee. Activists, however, say some political parties are still very reluctant to nominate women, at times claiming that women are not educated enough to occupy political office. Amina Priscille Longoh is Chad's minister of women and child protection. Speaking Wednesday on state television, she noted that in some communities, there is resistance to women seeking higher office.   Longoh said Deby’s strong political will to involve more women in politics is facing opposition from communities, traditional rulers and some clerics, who think that women should stay at home to take care of their husbands and children. She said Deby has ordered that a mass education campaign be carried out to advocate for the respect of women's rights and political participation. Longoh also said many women lack the financial means to run in elections. Some Chadian women have complained that Prime Minister Allamaye Halina, whom Deby appointed on May 23 as part of a new civilian government, has reduced the number of female ministers from 12 to eight. Activists say the government has not respected a resolution of the central African nations’ 2022 Inclusive and Sovereign National Dialogue which states that more women should be appointed to government positions. Female leaders say women constitute the majority of Chad’s population and can have more influence than men in peacekeeping processes.

Nairobi — As African farmers struggle with unpredictability caused by climate change, some are looking into contract farming, which involves growing a certain crop for a price set in advance. About 400 people attended the International Conference on Contract Farming in Nairobi this week to learn more about the practice.  Peris Wanjiku, the conference director, said such agreements can help solve the challenges that many smallholder farmers face in Africa.  "It's always important to farm with a plan. I believe it's not enough to simply plant a crop, whatever it is, without knowing where it will end up," Wanjiku said. "Farmers should know beforehand what to grow and where to sell. This is why contract farming is so important, as it provides the framework for certainty and sustainability. "But it's not only about the traditional farmer. I believe we can extend the benefit of contract farming to those who may not be farmers themselves right now, but they own a piece of land."    Experts say the growing interest in contract farming is associated with increasingly complicated systems in food production, marketing and distribution, which has made it difficult for farmers to meet consumers' demands.  Contract farming, experts say, is an instrument that manages and reduces production risks for both parties.  Wilson Milito Ole-Rampei, a vegetable farmer in Kenya, is attending the conference and is optimistic that the practice would help him.   "I will benefit because if, for example, I am growing vegetables, we will arrange with them to get a market. They will give me their technical advice, then our arid land will be used. Because of [a] shortage of rain, we will do irrigation. I would have knowledge of what I am growing," Ole-Rampei said.    An economist for the U.N.’s Food and Agriculture Organization, Lan Li, said contract farming is often a good deal for small-scale farmers.   "It sets the agreements on what products to produce, quantity, and price," Li said. "As such, it helps secure more stable income and better production planning for producers. It can improve access to inputs for small-scale holder farmers, technical assistance training, and financing solutions."  African farmers have seen reduced harvests due to global warming and drought. For many, a lack of knowledge and skills also contributes to low food production.  In areas where farmers can produce enough food, they sometimes face obstacles such as bad roads or insecurity that prevent them from getting to market.   Carole Kariuki, head of the Kenya Private Sector Alliance, said the private and public sectors need to collaborate to improve the agriculture sector.  "The private sector is doing its best. It's filling that gap where it can, but we cannot do it all, and we need the government to be able to go back and say we can get agriculture extension officers helping out small farmers and all the farmers in the country. Contract farming holds immense potential to transform African agriculture,” she said.  Contract farming can have drawbacks, such as making farmers less able to sell to alternative buyers when produce prices increase. In addition, there are environmental risks from growing only one crop for a long time.   Buyers, meanwhile, can face high transaction costs from contracting with many farmers.  But Kariuki believes the benefits outweigh the risks. She called contract farming a model to lift up small-scale farmers, boost food production, and drive sustainable growth.

Harare, Zimbabwe — Zimbabwe has recorded new cases of cholera several months after declaring the end of an outbreak that killed more than 700 people over an 18-month period.  On Wednesday, Zimbabwe confirmed a new outbreak of cholera has been recorded in the district of Kariba — on the border with Zambia — where 21 cases have been confirmed and one person died.  Dr. Godfrey Muza, the Kariba district medical officer, said the government is working to contain the situation:  "We have set up cholera equipment camp and also some oral rehydration points within the affected villages," said Muza. "We are getting assistance from our local and regional partners like MSF [Medecins Sans Frontieres, also known as Doctors Without Borders] and UNICEF. And our teams are on the ground doing risk communication and community engagement activities on health promotion, hygiene promotion and assisting the community in terms of improving sanction."   In August, the Zimbabwe government declared that the 18-month long cholera outbreak was over. The outbreak  affected up to 35,000 people and claimed more than 700 lives. Zimbabwe has dealt with cholera outbreaks in the past.  In 2008, an outbreak resulted in more than 98,000 cases and more than 4,000 reported deaths.   Independent health experts such as Dr. Norman Matara of Zimbabwe Doctors for Human Rights said the government needs to address the conditions that enable the waterborne disease to spread.  "In public health, we often say cholera is a disease of poverty which mainly affects people with inadequate access to safe water and basic sanitation," said Matara. "In Zimbabwe, we have witnessed perennial cholera outbreaks in recent years and these outbreaks are being caused by a lack of safe drinking water supply and a broken-down sanitation system which leaves residents in densely populated communities surrounded by flowing sewer. This sewer will then contaminate alternative sources of water such as shower wells, streams, rivers and even boreholes resulting in people drinking or eating food contaminated with the cholera bacteria."  He said that those conditions have been chronic over the years in Zimbabwe, contributing to the repeated outbreaks.  How does Zimbabwe get out of this cycle of recurring cholera outbreaks?  "We need to make sure that our hospitals are well-supposed with the real addressing solutions and medicines so that people can be assisted," said Matara. " ... Also, those high-risk communities, especially in towns and urban cities, we may give them the oral cholera vaccine so that they may be protected. In the long term, the government needs to invest more in proper sanitation facilities and infrastructure as well as making sure that people are provided with clean safe water for drinking and cooking."  Matara said he hopes the current outbreak is contained quickly and does not spread to other parts of Zimbabwe.  But with raw sewage flowing in some streets of Harare, it might be a question of time.  

BAKU, Azerbaijan — COP29 negotiators welcomed as an early boost to the two-week summit a pledge by major development banks to lift funding to poor and middle-income countries struggling with global warming. A group of lenders, including the World Bank, announced a joint goal on Tuesday of increasing this finance to $120 billion by 2030, a roughly 60% increase on the amount in 2023. "I think it's a very good sign," Irish Climate Minister Eamon Ryan told Reuters on Wednesday. "It's very helpful. But that on its own won't be enough," Ryan said, adding countries and companies must also contribute. The chief aim of the conference in Azerbaijan is to secure a wide-ranging international climate financing agreement that ensures up to trillions of dollars for climate projects. Developing countries are hoping for big commitments from rich, industrialized countries that are the biggest historical contributors to global warming, and some of which are also huge producers of fossil fuels. "Developed countries have not only neglected their historical duty to reduce emissions, they are doubling down on fossil-fuel-driven growth," said climate activist Harjeet Singh. Wealthy countries pledged in 2009 to contribute $100 billion a year to help developing nations transition to clean energy and adapt to the conditions of a warming world. But those payments were only fully met in 2022 and the pledge expires this year. With 2024 on track to be the hottest year on record, scientists say global warming and its impacts are unfolding faster than expected. Climate-fueled wildfires forced evacuations in California and triggered air quality warnings in New York. In Spain, survivors are coming to terms with the worst floods in the country's modern history. Albania's Prime Minister Edi Rama said he was concerned that the international process to address global warming, now decades old, was not moving swiftly enough. "This seems exactly like what happens in the real world everyday," he told the conference. "Life goes on with its old habits, and our speeches, filled with good words about fighting climate change, change nothing," Rama added.

London — Germany's plan to hold a snap election in February has raised uncertainties over the country's military aid program for Ukraine, as the government has not yet approved its 2025 budget. Berlin is the second biggest donor of weapons and equipment to Kyiv, after the United States. The political turmoil in Europe's biggest economy comes as allies prepare for a second term for President-elect Donald Trump in the United States. Trump has repeatedly questioned U.S. support for Ukraine. February vote Germany's main political parties agreed to hold the election on February 23, following the collapse of the ruling three-party coalition government earlier this month. Chancellor Olaf Scholz is due to introduce a confidence motion in parliament next month, which he is expected to lose, paving the way for a general election. Scholz has said he will stand again as the Social Democrats' candidate, although some in the party have questioned whether he is the best choice amid low approval ratings. The chairman of the Social Democrats in the German parliament, Rolf Mützenich, insisted Tuesday that Scholz was the right candidate. "I am firmly convinced that Olaf Scholz has done this country good in the last three years under the most difficult conditions. He has done everything to ensure that the coalition stays together. We have not only experienced the attack by Russian troops on Ukraine, but we have also helped Ukraine. We have also created important economic stabilization effects in Germany," Mützenich told reporters in Berlin. Opposition poll lead However, the main opposition Christian Democrats have a big lead in the polls. The party's leader, Friedrich Merz, argued for a quicker election. "We are basically losing around a month for the election to the next German parliament and thus also for the formation of a government after the next election," Merz told reporters Tuesday. "I just want to remind you that we do not have a federal budget for 2025. We are going into 2025 with this serious omission, with this heavy burden. And that is why it is completely unknown what will become of it," he added. Debt dispute The current government — a coalition between the Social Democrats, the Green party and the Free Democrats — collapsed last week following disagreements over raising new debt to finance the 2025 budget, including the provision of military aid to Ukraine. A so-called debt brake in Germany's constitution restricts the government's ability to take on new loans. Berlin has given Kyiv around $11 billion in weapons and equipment since Russia's February 2022 full-scale invasion. The outgoing government had planned to cut that aid to just over $4 billion next year. "Broadly speaking, there was a consensus that supporting Ukraine remains a priority for Germany. The question was just where and how to get and raise the finances for that," said Mattia Nelles, founder of the German-Ukraine Bureau, a political consultancy based in Düsseldorf, who said the February election was "bad timing for Ukraine, bad timing for Europe." 'Leadership vacuum' "It means Germany will be preoccupied with itself for a few months before we have a new government with a hopefully strong mandate — a coalition that could take literally until next summer, or in the worst case, even until autumn. So that is a leadership vacuum in Europe, and that's bad news for everyone involved," Nelles said. The election is due to take place just weeks after the January 20 inauguration of Donald Trump as the next U.S. president. "The worst case that many fear in Berlin and Kyiv [is] an incoming Trump administration taking power in January then slashing or ending the Ukraine aid, that will force the German government, the lame duck Scholz government with the current parliament, to increase the funding for Ukraine." "It's important to note that there is still a majority in the old parliament, even before the new parliament is elected, to increase the aid, to take new debt and amend the constitution for that, to take new debt to support Ukraine ... but it's going to be difficult politically to implement that," Nelles said. European security Trump's presidency could have wider implications for European security, including the deployment of U.S. forces and equipment, such as long-range missile systems, says analyst Marina Miron, a defense analyst at Kings College, London. "What else might be reversed is the placement of Tomahawk [U.S. missiles] in Germany. So, we have quite a situation where, let's say, Trump might pursue an anti-globalist agenda and push NATO countries to invest more of their GDP into defense," Miron told VOA. Russian assets Europe froze around $200 billion in Russian assets following Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. The interest is being used to help fund weapons for Kyiv, while the G7 group of rich nations has implemented a loan plan for Ukraine using the Russian assets as collateral. At a time of fiscal pressures in Europe, some argue it's time to seize the assets entirely and give them to Ukraine. "Europe is sitting on a war chest of 200 billion U.S. dollars of frozen Russian assets," said analyst Mattia Nelles. "And I think the incoming Trump administration will push the Europeans to go further. And that's welcome news from the Ukrainian side — to not just give loans and credit based on frozen Russian assets, but to move to confiscate the assets themselves. And that's certainly something many in Germany also support," he added. Economic pressures Chancellor Scholz oversaw German efforts to end reliance on cheap Russian energy. However, analysts say that has driven inflation and undermined confidence in Europe's biggest economy. Scholz also was seen as reluctant to make bolder decisions on arming Ukraine, including the supply of long-range Taurus missiles, something Kyiv has repeatedly requested. Ukraine may be hoping that a change in leadership in Berlin could unblock more military aid, said Nelles. "We are looking at a new, potentially stronger government, which, if it's led by [Christian Democrat leader] Friedrich Merz, might be taking some of the bolder decisions which Scholz had hesitated to take, including the delivery of Taurus. But everyone hoping for that, I would urge caution," he said. Germany's economic constraints won't disappear with new leadership, said analyst Marina Miron. "Let's assume, for a moment, there is somebody who would drive this policy forward and who would have much more resolve than Scholz. The problem is the German budget. The problem is also that defense contractors in Europe are now affected, as other companies, by the disruption in the global supply chain," she told VOA. Germany is also struggling to overcome decades of underinvestment in its armed forces, something the next government will have to address, Miron added. "The dictates of German strategic culture just go against the grain of the current threat landscape, when it comes to bigger investment in defense," she said.

The United States opened a new air defense base in northern Poland on Wednesday, an event the European nation's president said showed the country was secure as a member of NATO even as Russia wages war in neighboring Ukraine.  Situated in the town of Redzikowo near the Baltic coast, the base has been in the works since the 2000s.   At a time when Donald Trump's election victory has caused jitters among some NATO members, Warsaw says the continued work on the base by successive U.S. presidents shows Poland's military alliance with Washington remains solid whoever is in the White House.  "The United States... is the guarantor of Poland's security," President Andrzej Duda said.  He said the permanent presence of U.S. troops at the base showed that Poland, a communist state until 1989, was "not in the Russian sphere of influence."  The Kremlin on Wednesday called the base a bid to contain Russia by moving American military infrastructure nearer its borders.  The opening comes amid a nervous reaction among some NATO members to the election of Trump, who has vowed not to defend countries that do not spend enough on defense.   However, Poland says it should have nothing to fear as it is the alliance's biggest spender on defense relative to the size of its economy, and conservative Duda has stressed his warm ties with Trump.  The U.S. base at Redzikowo is part of a broader NATO missile shield, dubbed "Aegis Ashore," which the alliance says can intercept short- to intermediate-range ballistic missiles.  Other key shield elements include a site in Romania, U.S. navy destroyers based in the Spanish port of Rota and an early-warning radar in Kurecik, Turkey.  Moscow had already labeled the base a threat as far back as 2007, when it was still being planned.   NATO says the shield is purely defensive.  Military sources told Reuters the system in Poland can now only be used against missiles fired from the Middle East and the radar would need a change in direction to intercept projectiles from Russia, a complex procedure entailing a change of policy.  Polish Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz said on Monday the scope of the shield needed to be expanded, which Warsaw would discuss with NATO and the United States.  NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte will meet Duda and Prime Minister Donald Tusk in Warsaw later on Wednesday. 

Brussels, Belgium    — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken assured Ukraine and its NATO allies on Wednesday that Washington remains committed to putting Ukraine “in the strongest possible position” in the final months of President Joe Biden’s administration, before President-elect Donald Trump takes office in January. At the same time, Blinken expressed alarm about Russia possibly bolstering North Korea’s missile and nuclear capacities, as North Korean troops fight alongside Russian forces in Ukraine.   “President Biden has committed to making sure that every dollar we have at our disposal will be pushed out the door between now and January 20th,” Blinken told reporters at NATO headquarters in Brussels on Wednesday. “We’re making sure that Ukraine has the air defenses it needs, that has the artillery it needs, that it has the armored vehicles it needs,” he added. Blinken told VOA he expects U.S. allies' support for Ukraine to increase and emphasized that it’s critical for Washington’s partners to “continue to more than pick up their share of the burden.”    Speaking alongside NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, Blinken reiterated that Washington will “continue to shore up everything” to enable Ukraine to defend itself effectively against Russian aggression. Rutte and other European leaders voiced serious concerns over North Korea’s active support for Russia in its war on Ukraine. “These North Korean soldiers present an extra threat to Ukraine and will increase the potential for Putin to do harm,” Rutte told reporters. The U.S. State Department says that more than 10,000 North Korean troops have been deployed to eastern Russia, and most of them have moved to the far western Kursk oblast, part of which Ukraine controls. On Wednesday, Blinken described the military collaboration between Pyongyang and Moscow as “a two-way street.” “There is deep concern about what Russia is or may be doing to strengthen North Korea’s capacities — its missile capacity, its nuclear capacity,” as well as the battlefield experience North Korean forces are gaining, he told reporters. In Brussels, Blinken held talks with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, European Union High Representative Josep Borrell and British Foreign Secretary, David Lammy, among others. The possibility of Ukraine using Western-supplied long-range missiles on Russian soil was among the topics discussed during Sybiha’s meeting with Blinken. “We need to speed up all critical decisions,” the Ukrainian foreign minister said before the meeting. “Ukraine has always cherished strong bipartisan support.  We maintain contact with both [Democratic and Republican] parties and work both with the [U.S.] president-elect and his team and also with the outgoing administration,” he added. In Washington, officials say Biden was expected to ask Trump during their talks at the White House on Wednesday not to walk away from Ukraine. Trump’s political allies have indicated that the incoming administration will prioritize achieving peace in Ukraine over enabling the country to reclaim Crimea and other territories occupied by Russia. Blinken has concluded talks with European counterparts in Brussels. He will next travel to Lima, Peru, for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, or APEC meetings, followed by stops in Manaus and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, for a summit of the 20 largest economies, the G20. He will join Biden in Peru and Brazil. 

Madrid — New storms in Spain caused school closures and train cancellations on Wednesday, two weeks after flash floods in Valencia and other parts of the country killed more than 220 people and destroyed thousands of homes. Coastal areas of Valencia were placed under the highest alert on Wednesday evening. Forecasters said up to 180 millimeters (7 inches) of rain could fall there within five hours. Cleanup efforts in parts of Valencia hardest hit by the Oct. 29 storm were still continuing, and there were concerns over what more rain could bring to streets still covered with mud and debris. In southern Malaga province, streets were flooded, while 3,000 people near the Guadalhorce river were moved from their homes as a preventive measure. Schools across the province were closed, along with many stores. High-speed AVE train service was canceled between Malaga and Madrid as well as Barcelona and Valencia. There were no reports of any deaths. Spanish weather forecaster AEMET put Malaga on red alert, saying up to 70 millimeters (roughly 3 inches) of rain had accumulated in an hour. Parts of Tarragona province in the east also faced heavy rain and remained under red alert. The forecast in Malaga delayed the start of the Billie Jean King Cup tennis finals between Spain and Poland, which was set for Wednesday. The storm system affecting Spain is caused by warm air that collides with stagnant cold air and forms powerful rain clouds. Experts say that drought and flood cycles are increasing with climate change.

Ukrainian overnight drone attacks have set several non-residential buildings on fire in Russia's Kaluga and Bryansk regions, regional governors said on Sunday. "Emergency services and firefighters are on the site," Alexander Bogomaz, governor of the Russian border region of Bryansk, wrote on the Telegram messaging app, without providing further detail. The defense ministry said its air defense units had destroyed 23 Ukrainian drones overnight, including 17 over Bryansk. Vladislav Shapsha, governor of the Kaluga region, which borders the Moscow region to its northeast, said a non-residential building in the region was on fire as result of Ukraine's drone attack. Reuters could not independently verify the reports. There was no immediate comment from Ukraine. Kyiv has often said its drone attacks on Russian territory are aimed at infrastructure key to Moscow's war efforts and are in response to Russia's continued attack on Ukraine's territory.