France air traffic responsible for third of Europe delays: report

France air traffic responsible for third of Europe delays: report
source: AFP

AFP/File / KENZO TRIBOUILLARD French air traffic control is responsible for a third of delays in Europe, according to a senate report

Hindered by strikes and outdated equipment, French air traffic control is responsible for a third of aviation delays in Europe, Le Parisien said Monday, citing a senate finance committee report.

Between 2004 and 2016, French air traffic controllers were on strike 254 days, while second-placed Greece only had 46 days of stoppages, Italy 37 and Germany four, according to the report seen by the daily.

"Every day of a strike in France has a much bigger impact on European traffic than (strikes) in other European countries", the report's author, senator Vincent Capo-Canellas, noted after six months of work including numerous field visits.

In addition to frequent industrial action France is also the champion for delays, linked to obsolescent equipment, the report said.

"Our country is responsible for 33 percent of delays due to air traffic control in Europe," Capo-Canellas said, representing 300 million euros in annual losses for airlines.

"In France, the control equipment is outdated," and maintenance costs are high at 136 million euros a year, added Capo-Canellas.

"We are way behind our neighbours," the senator complained, despite France having spent more than two billion euros to modernise air traffic control since 2011.

The report also noted that the 4,000 French air traffic controllers have to cope with a sharp increase in traffic each year.

They controlled more than 3.1 million flights in 2017, up four percent from 2016 and 8.6 percent from 2015.

THE NEWS: US lawmakers want to end 'evil' migrant family separations

US lawmakers want to end 'evil' migrant family separations
source: AFP

 AFP / Loren ELLIOTT A 4-year-old Honduran girl carries a doll while walking with her immigrant mother in McAllen, Texas, after their release from detention to await a hearing in their case

Democratic lawmakers vowed Sunday to end the "evil" separation of migrant children from their parents at the US border, as First Lady Melania Trump made a rare political plea to end the deeply controversial practice.

The "zero-tolerance" border security policy implemented by President Donald Trump's administration has sparked outrage on both sides of the political aisle and took on particular resonance as America celebrated Father's Day.

"They call it 'zero tolerance,' but a better name for it is zero humanity, and there's zero logic to this policy," said Senator Jeff Merkley of Oregon, after leading a group of Democratic lawmakers to the Mexican border.

"It's completely unacceptable under any moral code or under any religious tradition to injure children, inflict trauma on them in order to send some political message to adults somewhere overseas."

After touring a converted Walmart supermarket that is now housing about 1,500 immigrant children, Merkley said "hurting kids to get legislative leverage is unacceptable. It is evil."

The government has said that during one recent six-week period nearly 2,000 minors were separated from their parents or adult guardians -- a figure that only stoked the firestorm.

Trump has said he wants the separations to end, but continues to blame opposition Democrats for the crisis, which critics say is one of his own making.

Amid deep divisions, congressional Republicans have struggled to craft a viable immigration plan.

The Republican-led House of Representatives may vote in the coming days on two immigration measures -- a hardline bill and a compromise measure that would limit legal immigration while also ending family separations.

- 'Massive child abuse' -


AFP / Loren ELLIOTT A father and son seeking asylum watch a World Cup match at a Catholic Charities relief center in McAllen, Texas, near the border with Mexico


Representative Sheila Jackson Lee accused Trump of lying by claiming he was simply following to the letter a previously existing law.

"The president is not telling the truth. There is no law, there is no policy that has allowed him to snatch children away from their families," she said.

"I can assure you we'll be fighting to the end to stop this ugly, vile program that is harming children and creating massive child abuse."

Earlier, Representative David Cicilline said the policy was "undermining the founding values of this country."

"We saw the fear in the eyes of these children who are wondering when they will see their parent ever again. It's a disgrace, it's shameful and it's un-American," he added.

- Melania weighs in -


 AFP / Gianrigo MARLETTA A gate on the US side of the US-Mexican border

Trump's wife, who seldom wades into the political arena, opted to call for bipartisan immigration reform to fix the issue, rather than denounce the policy.

"Mrs Trump hates to see children separated from their families and hopes both sides of the aisle can finally come together to achieve successful immigration reform," her spokeswoman Stephanie Grisham said.

"She believes we need to be a country that follows all laws, but also a country that governs with heart."

The president himself later tweeted: "The Democrats should get together with their Republican counterparts and work something out on Border Security & Safety. Don't wait until after the election because you are going to lose!" he tweeted.

Immigration is one of the most divisive issues plaguing the Trump administration.

The number of separations has jumped since early May, when Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced that all migrants illegally crossing the US border with Mexico would be arrested, regardless of whether the adults were seeking asylum.

Since children cannot be sent to the facilities where their parents are held, they are separated, which the American Academy of Pediatrics has warned causes "irreparable harm" to the children.

Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen insisted, however, that "we do not have a policy of separating families at the border. Period."

"For those seeking asylum at ports of entry, we have continued the policy from previous Administrations and will only separate if the child is in danger, there is no custodial relationship between 'family' members, or if the adult has broken a law," she wrote on Twitter.

- Republican criticism -

Some of Trump's fellow Republicans have said the policy must end.

"What the administration has decided to do is to separate children from their parents to try to send a message that if you cross the border with children, your children are going to be ripped away from you," Senator Susan Collins told CBS television's "Face the Nation."

"That's traumatizing to the children who are innocent victims, and it is contrary to our values in this country."

Laura Bush, the former first lady and wife of Republican ex-president George W. Bush, was unflinching in her rejection of the policy.

"I live in a border state. I appreciate the need to enforce and protect our international boundaries, but this zero-tolerance policy is cruel. It is immoral. And it breaks my heart," Bush, who lives in Texas, wrote in a Washington Post opinion piece.

Ex-president Bill Clinton, a Democrat, also weighed in.


 AFP / Loren ELLIOTT A pregnant woman from El Salvador seeking US asylum touches her stomach at a Catholic Charities relief center near the border with Mexico, in McAllen, Texas

THE NEWS: Three dead, 300 hurt as strong quake jolts Japan's Osaka

Three dead, 300 hurt as strong quake jolts Japan's Osaka
source: AFP

JIJI PRESS/AFP / STR People pause to look at a collapsed house following an earthquake in Ibaraki City north of Osaka

A powerful earthquake rocked Japan's second city of Osaka on Monday, killing three people including a nine-year-old girl and injuring more than 300, according to an official tally.

Television images showed buildings swaying and burst pipes spewing water after the quake, which struck at the height of rush hour in the city of around two million.

However, there was no large-scale destruction and no tsunami warning issued after the earthquake, although commuters were stranded and tens of thousands were left without power.

Among the casualties was a nine-year-old girl who died in the city of Takatsuki north of Osaka, reportedly trapped by a collapsed wall following the 5.3-magnitude quake.

Local officials told AFP that the other two dead were an 80-year-old man -- killed by a collapsing wall -- and a 84-year-old man trapped under a bookcase in his home.

The Fire and Disaster Management Agency said more than 300 people were injured in total, but many of them suffered minor injuries.


 JIJI PRESS/AFP / STR Passengers walk along railroad tracks following the quake

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told reporters the government was "working united, with its first priority on saving people's lives".

"Gas supply has still been stopped at more than 100,000 houses while water outage continued in large areas," Abe told his ministers and government officials later in the day.

"I want you to make your utmost effort to restore public transport as well as gas and water supplies," he added.

And government spokesman Yoshihide Suga cautioned there was a possibility of strong aftershocks.

"Large-scale quakes are likely to happen in the next two to three days," he told reporters.

Japan sits on the Pacific "Ring of Fire" where many of the world's earthquakes and volcanic eruptions are recorded.


 JIJI PRESS/AFP / STR Police check a collapsed road in Takatsuki, north of Osaka prefecture


On March 11, 2011, a devastating magnitude 9.0 quake struck under the Pacific Ocean, and the resulting tsunami caused widespread damage and claimed thousands of lives.

It also sent three reactors into meltdown at the Fukushima nuclear plant, causing Japan's worst postwar disaster and the most serious nuclear accident since Chernobyl in 1986.

- 'Strong vertical jolt'-

Local residents described the moment the quake jolted the highly urbanised area at 8:00 am, when platforms would have been heaving with passengers waiting to board their commuter trains.

"The floor moved violently. It was a strong vertical jolt. Nearly all of the dishes fell and shattered on the floor," said Kaori Iwakiri, a 50-year-old nurse in Moriguchi just north of Osaka city.

"My parents suffered a blackout and they have no water. I plan to take water to them now."

Despite its relatively low magnitude, the quake caused quite a shake, registering a lower six on the Japanese experiential scale of up to seven -- meaning it is hard to stay standing.


JIJI PRESS/AFP / STR The quake struck during the morning rush hour, when platforms are usually heaving with commuters waiting to board their trains

Eiji Shibuya, 52, said the tremor reminded him of the devastating 1995 Kobe earthquake, which killed nearly 6,500 people.

"I was stunned. I couldn't do anything," he told AFP from Itami, a city near Osaka.

"I was worried about my son as he had just left for his high school. I was relieved when I confirmed he was safe."

NHK showed footage of firefighters tackling a blaze that ripped through a home north of Osaka.

A number of train services were suspended, including the "shinkansen" bullet train, as multiple smaller aftershocks followed the quake.

Some 80 flights were cancelled, according to NHK, and TV footage showed huge queues of travellers, including many foreign tourists, waiting for taxis as local train services remained suspended in large parts of the region.

The Nuclear Regulation Authority said it had detected no problems at its local atomic power plants, but some companies including Honda said they had suspended operations at local plants.


 AFP / Laurence CHU Japan quake


Kansai Electric said on its website that around 170,000 homes in the Osaka region were briefly left without power.

Shunsuke Kosaka, an Osaka government official, told AFP an evacuation advisory had been issued to 12 households as it was forecast to rain in the region, possibly triggering landslides.

Around 850 people were evacuated to shelters, a local government spokesman told AFP.

Some 40 soldiers were deployed to areas where the water supply was damaged.

Local officials also issued a warning against spreading fake news online after a tweet claiming a zebra was on the loose after the quake went viral.

THE NEWS: Audi boss arrested in diesel probe

Audi boss arrested in diesel probe
source: AFP

AFP/File / CHRISTOF STACHE Stadler's arrest is the most high-profile yet in the dieselgate crisis

Audi chief executive Rupert Stadler has been arrested in connection with parent company Volkswagen's "dieselgate" emissions cheating scandal, German prosecutors said Monday.

The dramatic development comes a week after Munich prosecutors raided Stadler's home after charging him with fraud and the falsification of documents that allowed diesel vehicles equipped with cheating software to be sold to European customers.

Prosecutors said the arrest was justified because of the "risk of concealment of evidence".

Audi confirmed the arrest to AFP, declining to give further details.

"For Mr Stadler, the presumption of innocence continues to apply," a spokesman said in a statement.

Stadler's arrest is the most high-profile yet in the dieselgate crisis, which started when the Volkswagen group admitted in 2015 to equipping some 11 million diesels worldwide with "defeat devices" designed to dupe pollution tests.

VW's luxury subsidiary Audi has long faced suspicions that its engineers developed the software used in the scam.

Audi's former head of engine development was taken into custody in September 2017.

German authorities earlier this month ordered the recall of some 60,000 Audi A6 and A7 cars across Europe to remove illegal emissions control software, using a different technique however than the one at the heart of dieselgate.

Former VW chief executive Martin Winterkorn stepped down soon after the scandal broke in September 2015, while successor Matthias Mueller was hastily replaced earlier this year.

Both are suspected of knowing earlier than they have so far admitted about the cheating, meaning they may have failed in their duty to inform investors in the car giant about the financial risks.

US prosecutors also indicted Winterkorn last month, saying he knew of the company's emissions cheating as early as May 2014 but decided to continue.

Present boss Herbert Diess has been accused of knowing about diesel cheating before it became public -- an allegation rejected by the firm last month.

The scandal has so far cost the VW group more than 25 billion euros ($29 billion) in buybacks, fines and compensation, and the company remains mired in legal woes at home and abroad.

THE NEWS: Afghan peace marchers arrive in Kabul as Taliban end ceasefire

Afghan peace marchers arrive in Kabul as Taliban end ceasefire
source: AFP

AFP / WAKIL KOHSAR Afghan peace activists shout slogans demanding an end to fighting as they arrive in Kabul

Dozens of peace protesters arrived in Kabul on Monday after walking hundreds of kilometres across war-battered Afghanistan, as the Taliban ended an unprecedented ceasefire and resumed attacks in several parts of the country.

Exhausted after their 700-kilometre (430-mile) 38-day trek, most of it during the Islamic fasting month of Ramadan, the marchers walked double file through the Afghan capital shouting "We want peace!" and "Stop fighting!"

"We want our people to stay united for peace and get rid of this misery for the next generation," Mohammad Naikzad, one of the marchers, told Tolo News.

"I am calling on both sides -- the government and the Taliban -- for God's sake... find a way for peace and reconciliation."

Fellow peace marcher Karwan also urged both the parties to work together to "bring lasting security in this country".

"Enough blood has been shed. So many people have been martyred in this ongoing conflict," he told Tolo News.

The Taliban refused to extend their three-day ceasefire beyond Sunday night despite pressure from ordinary people, the government and the international community.

Their fighters attacked security forces in the eastern provinces of Nangarhar, Kunar and Laghman, and in the southern provinces of Helmand and Kandahar, officials told AFP.

There were few details on casualties.

The governor of Ghani Khel district in Nangarhar was shot dead and his bodyguard wounded on Monday, provincial governor spokesman Attaullah Khogyani told AFP, blaming the Taliban.

Defence ministry spokesman Mohammad Radmanesh said there had been fighting in nine provinces since the end of the Taliban's ceasefire, with 12 soldiers killed or wounded.

Around 2,500 Taliban fighters entered Kabul during the three-day ceasefire and most had refused to return to the battlefield, Radmanesh said.

"They are tired of war and have given up fighting, but our security and defence forces are ready to prevent and respond to any threat," he added.

- War-weary -

The peace march, believed to be the first of its kind in Afghanistan, grew out of a sit-in protest and hunger strike in Lashkar Gah, the capital of the southern province of Helmand which is a Taliban stronghold.

That demonstration, which began spontaneously after a car bomb attack in the city on March 23, triggered similar movements by war-weary Afghans nationwide.

But when the Taliban and security forces failed to heed their demands to stop fighting, some protesters decided to take their message directly to the country's top leaders.

Initially ridiculed for their plan to walk from Helmand to Kabul, the marchers now enjoy strong public support.

They are calling for an extended ceasefire, peace talks and a timetable for the withdrawal of foreign troops from Afghanistan -- which is also a key demand of the Taliban.

The Taliban announced Sunday they would not extend their ceasefire with Afghan police and troops despite describing the truce as "successful" and a demonstration that the militants were united.

"The mujahedeen across the country are ordered to continue their operations against the foreign invaders and their domestic stooges as usual," the group said in a statement.



 AFP / NOORULLAH SHIRZADA An Afghan Taliban militant carries a rocket-propelled grenade as residents celebrate a ceasefire on Saturday


The group also repeated its demand for direct talks with the United States and the withdrawal of foreign forces.

The first formal nationwide ceasefire since the 2001 US-led invasion had sparked extraordinary scenes of Taliban fighters, security forces and civilians happily celebrating the Eid al-Fitr holiday together.

But the jubilation appeared to alarm Taliban leaders, who on Sunday ordered their fighters to stay at their posts or in areas under their control.

Some people took to social media to express disappointment and anger at the Taliban's refusal to extend the truce.

"Once again, they have shown that they love shedding the blood of innocent Afghans," Madena Momad wrote on Facebook.

Another user wrote: "The Taliban have no respect for the norms and lives of Afghan people."

str-mam-emh-us-amj/sm

THE NEWS: Koreas to form joint teams at Asian Games

Koreas to form joint teams at Asian Games
source: AFP

AFP/File / Mark RALSTON Athletes from the two Koreas marched together at the Winter Olympics this year

North and South Korea agreed Monday to form unified teams for some sports at the upcoming Asian Games -- a move which highlights the rapprochement on the peninsula that began with the Winter Olympics.

At their historic summit in April, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in had agreed to joint participation in "international sports events such as the 2018 Asian Games".

Officials from the two Koreas met at the border truce village of Panmunjom on Monday and reached several agreements aimed at strengthening sporting ties.

"The South and the North agreed to march together at the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2018 Asian Games... and to form joint teams for certain sports," said a joint Seoul-Pyongyang statement released by the South's sports ministry.

The games will be held in the Indonesian capital Jakarta and in Palembang from August 18 to September 2.

The athletes from the Koreas will march under a neutral Korean peninsula flag and under the "Korea" name, the statement said.

They will also hold a friendly basketball match -- proposed by Kim, a fan of the sport, at his summit with Moon -- in Pyongyang on July 4 and another in Seoul in the autumn.

"The South and the North will continue to form unified teams for other international sporting events... while holding joint training to strengthen inter-Korea cooperation and exchanges," said the statement.

The two Koreas formed their first-ever unified Olympic team -- a joint women's ice hockey squad -- for February's games in the South Korean resort of Pyeongchang.

The idea for a joint team initially sparked a backlash in the South on the grounds that Seoul was depriving its own athletes of the chance to compete.

Ultimately, the sight of North and South Korean players wearing the same jerseys drew emotive responses from spectators and the squad quickly became an Olympic favourite despite being thrashed in all its matches.

The rapprochement on the Korean peninsula was triggered earlier this year when Kim decided to send athletes, cheerleaders and his sister as an envoy to the Pyeongchang Games.

Diplomatic efforts have gathered pace since then, leading to a landmark summit between Kim and US President Donald Trump in Singapore last week.

THE NEWS: UAE demands 'unconditional' rebel withdrawal from Yemen port

UAE demands 'unconditional' rebel withdrawal from Yemen port source: AFP


AFP / - An image grab from AFPTV video shows a pro-government Yemen fighter bracing as another fires a recoiless gun in the al-Fazah in Yemen's Hodeida province on June 16, 2018

The UAE, a key player in the coalition battling Huthi rebels in Yemen, on Monday warned the insurgents to withdraw unconditionally from the flashpoint port city of Hodeida, after UN peace efforts fizzled.

"There can be no conditions in any offers to withdraw," the United Arab Emirates' minister of state for foreign affairs Anwar Gargash told a press conference in Dubai.

"If the rebels wanted to set conditions, they should have thought of that a year ago... Now is not the time to negotiate."

Huthi rebels have controlled Hodeida, a key entry point for desperately-needed aid, since 2014, when they drove the government out of the capital Sanaa and seized large swathes of the country.


AFP / MOHAMMED HUWAIS The United Nations' Yemen envoy Martin Griffiths descends from a plane in Sanaa on June 16, 2018 for talks on the fighting around the key port city of Hodeida


Neighbouring Saudi Arabia and its allies -- chief among them US-trained UAE troops -- intervened in the conflict on the government's side the following year, sparking what the United Nations has called the world's worst humanitarian crisis.

The alliance last week launched a major operation to drive the rebels out of Hodeida, triggering fears of a fresh humanitarian crisis in a country already on the brink of famine.

- UN's 'last chance' -

Gargash's statement came hours before the UN's top Yemen envoy, Martin Griffiths, was due to brief the Security Council on his efforts to end the crisis over Hodeida, whose port handles over 70 percent of Yemen's imports.

Gargash said the Saudi and UAE-led offensive aimed "to help the UN envoy in his last chance to convince the Huthis to withdraw unconditionally from the city and avoid any confrontation."


 AFP / - Yemeni pro-government forces man a barricade in al-Fazah district of Yemen's Hodeida province on June 16, 2018

Griffiths held two days of talks with the Huthis over the weekend in Sanaa, but the rebels rejected a ceasefire under current conditions.

The head of their unofficial government, Abdulaziz Saleh bin Habtoor, accused Saudi-led forces of "escalating their attacks on the western coast when they felt there were serious moves towards a solution".

The Saudi alliance imposed a near-total blockade on Hodeida port earlier this year, alleging Iran was using it as a major conduit for illicit arms deliveries to the Huthis.

Gargash said on Monday that his country and its allies aimed to "avoid civilian casualties", adding that the operation was "going very well".

Civilians deaths have not yet been confirmed in Hodeida.

Four UAE troops have died in the operation, according to state media, while medical and military sources say at least 164 mostly rebel fighters have died.

- Thousands displaced -

The UAE's Gargash said the Arab coalition had kept the Hodeida-Sanaa road "open for the Huthi militias to withdraw".


AFP / KARIM SAHIB Emirati minister of state for foreign affairs Anwar Gargash speaks during a press conference in Dubai on June 18, 2018


The UAE minister denied reports that French troops had been helping the coalition to take Hodeida, but said France had offered to remove mines when it becomes necessary.

The Saudi and Emirati-backed assault has displaced thousands of families as loyalist forces battle towards the Red Sea port city.

Rights groups, including the International Committee of the Red Cross, have been forced to suspend operations in the area.

Since 2015, the war for control of the Arab world's poorest country has killed at least 10,000 people and triggered what the UN says is the world's largest single humanitarian crisis.

Some 22 million people are now in need of aid in Yemen, with 8.4 million on the brink of starvation.

THE NEWS: Hardline ally fires migrant ultimatum at Merkel as Trump wades in

Hardline ally fires migrant ultimatum at Merkel as Trump wades in
source: AFP

 dpa/AFP/File / Michael Kappeler Angela Merkel faces an ultimatum from hardliners to tighten asylum rules

Hardliners in Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservative bloc on Monday gave her a two-week ultimatum to tighten asylum rules or risk pitching Germany into a political crisis that would also rattle Europe, as US President Donald Trump poured fuel on the fire.

A defiant Interior Minister Horst Seehofer warned that he would give Merkel a fortnight to find a European deal to curb new arrivals by a June 28-29 EU summit, failing which he vowed to order border police to turn back migrants.

But Merkel immediately rejected the threat, saying there would be "no automatism" if no European deals were found, and warning Seehofer and his Bavarian CSU party that she is ultimately in charge of government policies.

The sharp escalation of tensions between Merkel and her long-time Bavarian allies came with EU nations once again at loggerheads over immigration, triggered by Italy's refusal this month to allow a rescue ship carrying 630 migrants to dock.

Seehofer has been one of the fiercest critics of Merkel's liberal stance, under which over one million asylum seekers have been admitted into the country since 2015.

Wading into the crisis, Trump tweeted: "The people of Germany are turning against their leadership as migration is rocking the already tenuous Berlin coalition.

"We don't want what is happening with immigration in Europe to happen with us!"

- 'No grip' on migration '

Popular misgivings over the migrant influx have given populist and anti-immigration forces a boost across several European nations, including Italy and Austria where far-right parties are now sharing power.

In Germany, voters in September's election handed Merkel her poorest score ever, giving seats for the first time to the far-right anti-Islam AfD.

Several high-profile crimes by migrants have also fuelled public anger. They include a deadly 2016 Christmas market attack by a failed Tunisian asylum seeker and the rape-murder in May of a teenage girl, allegedly by an Iraqi.

Stressing that Germany must change direction on immigration, Seehofer said: "I cannot say that we have a grip on the issue."


AFP / Thorsten EBERDING Monthly asylum requests in Germany since 2014


Seehofer, who took on the interior ministry portfolio less than 100 days ago, said he had only recently learnt that migrants who had already been denied asylum by Germany and been issued re-entry bans were still being allowed back in.

"In essence, that is a scandal," he said, promising to reverse the practice immediately.

He also wants to close the border to new arrivals who have previously been registered in another EU country -- often their first port of call, usually Italy or Greece.

With an eye on October's Bavaria state election, the CSU is anxious to assure voters that it has a roadmap to curb the migrant influx.

"We must send a signal to the world: it's no longer possible to just set foot on European soil in order to get to Germany," a leading CSU figure, Alexander Dobrindt, told the party meeting.

But Merkel says that would leave countries at the EU's southern periphery alone to deal with the influx. Instead, she wants to find a common European solution at the EU summit in Brussels.

"Turning away migrants at our borders at the heart of Europe will lead to negative domino effects that could hurt Germany, and put into question European unity," she warned.

- 'Almost a miracle' -


AFP/File / ODD ANDERSEN Interior Minister Horst Seehofer has been one of the fiercest critics of Merkel's liberal stance on migrants

Merkel now faces the challenge of persuading EU governments to sign up to a common plan on the migrants.

Central and eastern EU nations such as Hungary and Poland have either refused outright or resisted taking in refugees under an EU quota system.

A populist-far right government in Italy and the conservative-far right cabinet in neighbouring Austria have also taken an uncompromising stance.

Merkel, asked at a press conference what Berlin can offer other EU countries in return for cooperation to stem the influx, cited the EU-Turkey deal in which the bloc paid Ankara for housing and schooling refugees.

Her talks later Monday with Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte in Berlin could prove crucial if she is to have any chance of forging an agreement in Brussels.


AFP/File / Pau Barrena The rescue of 630 migrants by the Aquarius sparked a major row in Europe after Italy and Malta refused to let it dock


On Tuesday, she will also meet French President Emmanuel Macron in Germany.

Berlin is also reportedly preparing to call a meeting between Merkel and the leaders of several EU frontline nations in the migrant crisis ahead of the EU summit.

"It would be almost a miracle if she emerges a winner from the next EU summit," Welt daily said.

But the chancellor may have no choice, given Seehofer's vow to launch the nuclear option of shutting Germany's borders in defiance of her -- an act of rebellion which would force his sacking.

That "would be the end of the government and the alliance between CDU and CSU," an unnamed CDU source told Bild.

THE NEWS: Iraqi force says US strike killed fighters in east Syria

Iraqi force says US strike killed fighters in east Syria
source: AFP

AFP / AFP Syria

An Iraqi paramilitary force key to the battle against the Islamic State group on Monday accused the US-led coalition of killing more than 20 of its fighters in an air raid in eastern Syria.

The bombing raid hit Al-Hari, a town controlled by regional militias fighting in Syria's complex seven-year war alongside President Bashar al-Assad's forces.

Both Syrian authorities and Iraqi forces pointed the finger at the US-led coalition, which denied it was involved in Sunday night's attack.

The raid slammed into a regime-controlled position in the border town and left at least 52 fighters dead, according to a Britain-based monitor.

Among them were fighters from Iraq's powerful Hashed al-Shaabi military alliance, some of whom have crossed into Syria to fight against IS.

"US planes fired two guided missiles at a fixed position of Hashed al-Shaabi units on the border with Syria, killing 22 fighters and wounding 12," the Iran-backed Hashed said.

The bodies of three Iraqi fighters killed in the raid were returned on Monday to their hometowns for burial, said AFP's correspondent in the southern Iraqi city of Nasiriyah.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said a total of 30 Iraqi forces were among the dead in Al-Hari, as well as 16 Syrian forces and six unidentified fighters.

- 'No strikes' -

The attack was first reported overnight by Syrian state media, which cited a military source accusing the coalition of bombing one of its positions in Al-Hari.

It said several people were killed and wounded but did not give a specific number or their nationalities.

Later on Monday, a military source in Syria's Deir Ezzor province where the targeted area lies told AFP that coalition warplanes hit "joint Iraqi-Syrian positions in Al-Hari".

The coalition's press office said it had received reports of a strike in the area that had killed and wounded Iraqi fighters, but denied it was involved.

"There have been no strikes by US or coalition forces in that area," it told AFP by email.

Syria's army has been gutted by the country's seven-year conflict and has relied heavily on reinforcements from local militias and from regional allies.

Those groups have played a key role in the fight against IS, helping Syrian government forces recapture swathes of the country that the jihadist group had overrun in 2014.

Hashed was vital to the fight against IS in Iraq, but has also battled the jihadists across the border in their eastern Syria bastions.

Separate offensives have since whittled down IS territory in Syria to just a handful of pockets in the eastern desert, including in Deir Ezzor province.

A US-backed alliance of Kurdish and Arab fighters and Russia-supported regime forces are carrying out separate operations against those IS-held pockets.

The two forces have mostly avoided each other thanks to a de-confliction line that runs across the province along the winding Euphrates River.

- 'Highest toll' -

Syrian troops are battling IS on the western river bank, while the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces fight on the east. Iraqi warplanes also have occasionally bombed IS positions in eastern Syria.

Al-Hari lies on the western side, close to the river and the de-confliction line.

The buffer has largely been successful in keeping the two offensives apart, but there have been exceptions.

The deadliest incident was in February, when US-led coalition air strikes killed at least 100 pro-regime fighters in Deir Ezzor province, including Russians.

"The strike on Al-Hari produced the highest death toll for regime forces since the February incident," Observatory head Abdel Rahman told AFP.

Syria's conflict began in 2011 with protests against Assad, but then spiralled into a full-blown war that has drawn in world powers and given rise of jihadists like IS.

The strike on Al-Hari came a day after the US-backed SDF announced it had ousted IS from Dashisha, a village to the north in Syria's Hasakeh province.

The village had been one of the last IS-controlled areas in a corridor linking Syria with Iraq.

"For the first time in four years, Dashisha, a notorious transit town for weapons, fighters and suicide bombers between Iraq and Syria, is no longer controlled by ISIS (IS) terrorists," Brett McGurk, the US president's special envoy for the war against IS, said on Monday.

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• To lead, develop and manage the provision of comprehensive financial support services to the Company including accounting and budgeting, financial analysis and advice, financial planning, internal audit, insurance and risk management, fixed assets management, treasury management and payroll, ensuring accurate and timely financial information and advice in accordance with company’s financial policies and guidelines.

Key Duties & Responsibilities

• Provide sound, accurate and timely financial information and advice to Management, to cover bank account and cash management, cash flow forecasts, expenditure management and CAPEX procedures, tax management, fixed assets management and depreciation
• Daily, weekly, monthly and annual financial statements and company-wide financial performance report, management reports, etc., meeting deadlines
• Ensure the Treasury Management functions are carried out, managing appropriate financial risk in accordance with the Company’s agreed policies and that treasure arrangements have an appropriate balance of risk and return.
• Ensure that payroll is managed effectively and salaries paid promptly as at when due
• Ensure petty cash, cash and bank accounts are managed effectively and customer invoices are paid promptly with accurate records kept.
• Work with the Director to prepare and finalize budgets, forecasts and other financial plans and carry out continuous follow-ups.
• Work with all Business Units to ensure that their individual budgets, as well as the overall company budget, are monitored and managed for the most effective and efficient use of financial resources.
• Day to day liaison and relationship management with the banks, company’s internal auditors, statutory auditors and other legal authorities, ensuring compliance with statutory accounting requirements, regulations and fiscal obligations.
• Manage the day to day effective control and management of the company's financial control systems, the company’s accounting and auditing policies and ensure procedures are appropriate and are complied with
• Ensure that statutory accounts are maintained, most especially in such areas as PAYE, Withholding tax, Pension, Company tax, etc
• Ensure prompt receipt of monies on accounts receivables and payment of account payables due
• Supervise the input and processing of financial data Financial Application (NAVISION) ensuring data integrity
• Keep abreast of changes in financial regulations and legislation.
• Develop, monitor and review departmental accounting policies, procedures and processes.
• Verify and approve payment transactions (including transfers, payroll transactions, etc) correctly classified and supported by appropriate source documentation.
• Verify and approve master file information (creditors, debtors, payroll, assets) on the accounting system.
• Perform month-end and year-end accounts closure process
• Review and approve statutory and other payroll returns for submission.
• Analyze and interpret data in order to provide financial management information for decision making.

Academic Qualifications and Experience

• HND/B.Sc Accounting, Business, Economics or related fields. A masters degree will be added advantage.
• Additional qualification of ACA or ACCA is essential
• Minimum of 5-10 years previous experience in REAL ESTATE

Application Closing Date
20th June, 2018.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should send their CV's to: uwaifo.imafidon@thepetronomics.com Using "Chief Financial Officer (CFO)" as the subject of the mail.

Job Vacancy For Marketing Officer - Real Estate at Petronomics Limited

Petronomics Learning and Development has been relied upon by industry practitioners and their advisors for its building Logoof competence over the years. Given our pedigree, it is no surprise that we are trusted provider of superior intellectual resource pool that leading industry practitioners approach to bridge competency gap in the industry.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Marketing Officer - Real Estate

Location: Lagos

Job Description

• Outspoken, Persuasive, young and have a flair for sales
• Be a smart and energetic marketer to accomplish the marketing funnel for the company.
• They will be in charge of attracting potential clients converting that traffic into new leads for the business, and nurturing those leads to close into customers, the latter of which sales leadership will help you accomplish.

Responsibilities

• Build and manage a rich Client base.
• Grow new leads, including marketing-qualified
• Establish customer base with sales to understand how our outbound marketing activity turns into customers, and continually refine our process to convert customers.

Requirements

• OND/HND/B.Sc in any field with an equivalent work experience in real estate will be an added advantage.
• Excellent communicator, persuasive and creative thinker.

Application Closing Date
20th June, 2018.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should send their CV's to: uwaifo.imafidon@thepetronomics.com Using "Marketing Officer - Real Estate" as the subject of the mail.

Job Vacancy For Graduate Architect at Petronomics Limited

Petronomics Learning and Development has been relied upon by industry practitioners and their advisors for its building Logoof competence over the years. Given our pedigree, it is no surprise that we are trusted provider of superior intellectual resource pool that leading industry practitioners approach to bridge competency gap in the industry.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Architect

Location: Lagos

Responsibilities/Requirements

• Responsible for creating a design concept that meets the requirements of that client and provides a facility suitable to the required use
• Must meet with and question the client/rep to ascertain all the requirements and nuances of the planned project to be clear at the beginning, entailing a degree of risk in the design undertaking.
• Make early proposals to the client or project team which may rework the terms of the brief, this is to ensure the brief is essential to producing a project that meets all the needs of the owner - it is a guide for the architect in creating the design concept.
• Must be able to Design buildings no matter how very complex and demanding or what the scale of the project might be.
• Must possess HND/B.Sc with minimum of 1-4 year cognate experience
• Must have a strong degree of foresight is a prerequisite. Any design concept must at a very early stage in its generation take into account a great number of issues and variables which include qualities of space(s), the end-use and life-cycle of these proposed spaces, connections, relations, and aspects between spaces including how they are put together as well as the impact of proposals on the immediate and wider locality.
• Selection of appropriate materials and technology must be considered, tested and reviewed at an early stage in the design to ensure there are no setbacks (such as higher-than-expected costs) which may occur later.
• The site and its environs, as well as the culture and history of the place, will also influence the design. The design must also countenance increasing concerns with environmental sustainability.
• May often consults with engineers, surveyors and other specialists throughout the design, ensuring that aspects such as the structural supports and air conditioning elements are coordinated in the scheme as a whole.
• Must control and planning of construction costs are also a part of these consultations.
• Coordination of the different aspects involves a high degree of specialized communication, including advanced computer technology such as BIM (Building Information Management), CAD, and cloud-based technologies.

Application Closing Date
20th June, 2018.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should send their updated CV's to: uwaifo.imafidon@thepetronomics.com Using "Architect" as the subject of the mail.

Note: Residence within the Lekki axis or Lagos Island, is an edge (Location not a challenge).

Job Vacancy For Entry-level Call Centre Officer at Petronomics Limited

Petronomics Learning and Development has been relied upon by industry practitioners and their advisors for its building Logoof competence over the years. Given our pedigree, it is no surprise that we are trusted provider of superior intellectual resource pool that leading industry practitioners approach to bridge competency gap in the industry.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Call Centre Officer

Location: Lagos Island, Lagos

Responsibilities/Requirements

• Handle inbound calls while offering the highest level of customer service, and providing information regarding the organisation.
• Provide timely resolutions to customer inquiries, including concerns and/or issues to ensure customer satisfaction.
• Must possess OND/HND/B.Sc with minimum of 1 year experience
• Must answer calls promptly, courteously and professionally
• Must be a “people person”, take great pride in delivering memorable customer service
• Ensure customers have an unforgettable experience
• Ability to find creative solutions to complex customer situations;
• Ability to work independently with a minimum of supervision;
• Effectively manage multiple tasks concurrently.
• Customer service experience within a Call Centre environment,
• Working knowledge of computer applications and internet.
• Must be fluent in English.
• Excellent computer appreciation skills
• Must be resident on the lekki axis or lagos island

Salary
N50,000.

Application Closing Date
18th June, 2018.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should send their updated CV's to: uwaifo.imafidon@thepetronomics.com Using "Call Centre Officer" as the subject of the mail.

Job Vacancy For Driver - Atiku Center at the American University of Nigeria (AUN)

The American University of Nigeria (AUN) was established in 2003. The institution was conceived as Africa's first Development University. Its mission is to pioneer service learning and build leaders who will be prepared to tackle societal concerns. Located in Yola, Adamawa State, the University is a world-class career-oriented institution missioned to be an agent of change in the development of the region. AUN has a strong commitment to providing the skills and the leadership essential to solving the continent's critical social and economic problems.

The American University of Nigeria, Yola, invites applications from suitably qualified candidates in the position below, this position is opened to indigenous and/or legal residents of Nigeria:

Job Title: Driver - Atiku Center

Location: Mubi Project Office with Travel to other Project Field Locations
Project: Building Resilience through Sustainable Agriculture
Department: Atiku Center
Duration of Employment: Two (2) Years

Summary of Position

• The Driver/Logistics Assistant provides administrative and logistics support to all project activities.
• The position holder reports to the Finance Manager.

Requirements

• Minimum 2 years’ experience in similar position on donor funded projects.
• Evidence of experience working with government and NGO partners required
• Hausa language proficiency, preferred.

Description of Benefits
Salary and benefits are commensurate with experience and job classification as approved by the University and Project Donors.

Application Closing Date
29th June, 2018.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should submit their Resumes/Cover Letters (same page) and references to: recruitment@aun.edu.ng The position being applied for should be the subject of the mail.

Note

• Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted
• AUN is an equal opportunity employer and strives to provide a culturally diverse workforce; we do not discriminate in employment on the basis of race creed, colour, nationality, origin, age, sex, religion and marital status.

Job Vacancy For Project Director - Atiku Center at the American University of Nigeria (AUN)

The American University of Nigeria (AUN) was established in 2003. The institution was conceived as Africa's first Development University. Its mission is to pioneer service learning and build leaders who will be prepared to tackle societal concerns. Located in Yola, Adamawa State, the University is a world-class career-oriented institution missioned to be an agent of change in the development of the region. AUN has a strong commitment to providing the skills and the leadership essential to solving the continent's critical social and economic problems.

The American University of Nigeria, Yola, invites applications from suitably qualified candidates in the position below, this position is opened to indigenous and/or legal residents of Nigeria:

Job Title: Project Director - Atiku Center

Location: AUN Yola with Travel to Field Office in Mubi and Locations in Mubi North. Maiha, and Mubi South LGAs of Adamawa State
Project: Building Resilience through Sustainable Agriculture
Department: Atiku Center
Duration of Employment: Two (2) Years

Summary of Position

• Reporting to the Administrator of Grants and Contracts of the American University of Nigeria, the Project Director is the technical and management lead of the project.
• In this position, she/he ensures that project is implemented according to contract and work plan.
• She/he ensures efficient use of project funds.
• In this role, she/he supervises all senior project staff including the Specialists, Security Adviser and finance manager.
• As capacity development lead, she/he designs and supports the implementation of capacity strengthening activities for state and non-state actors.

Requirements

• Minimum 5 years’ experience leading similar donor funded projects.
• Evidence of experience working with government and NGO partners required
• Hausa language proficiency, preferred

Description of Benefits
Salary and benefits are commensurate with experience and job classification as approved by the University and Project Donors.

Application Closing Date
29th June, 2018.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should submit their Resumes/Cover Letters (same page) and references to: recruitment@aun.edu.ng The position being applied for should be the subject of the mail.

Note

• Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted
• AUN is an equal opportunity employer and strives to provide a culturally diverse workforce; we do not discriminate in employment on the basis of race creed, colour, nationality, origin, age, sex, religion and marital status.

Job Vacancy For Monitoring, Evaluation, Results & Learning Specialist - Atiku Center at the American University of Nigeria (AUN)

The American University of Nigeria (AUN) was established in 2003. The institution was conceived as Africa's first Development University. Its mission is to pioneer service learning and build leaders who will be prepared to tackle societal concerns. Located in Yola, Adamawa State, the University is a world-class career-oriented institution missioned to be an agent of change in the development of the region. AUN has a strong commitment to providing the skills and the leadership essential to solving the continent's critical social and economic problems.

The American University of Nigeria, Yola, invites applications from suitably qualified candidates in the position below, this position is opened to indigenous and/or legal residents of Nigeria:

Job Title: Monitoring, Evaluation, Results & Learning Specialist

Location: Mubi Project Office with Travel to Other Project Field Locations
Department: Atiku Center
Duration of Employment: Two (2) Years

Summary of Position

• Reporting to the Project Director, the Monitoring, Evaluation, Results and Learning Specialist is responsible for all the monitoring, evaluation and learning activities of the project.
• She/he develops tools, designs monitoring plans, designs and implements evaluations as well as collate and report on learning that emanates from project activities.
• In this role, she/he is responsible for developing data and reports that will enable the Project director to write project reports.

Position Requirements

• Minimum 5 years' experience leading M&E functions for projects in conflict and post conflict settings
• Evidence of experience working with government and NGO partners required
• Hausa language proficiency, preferred

Description of Benefits
Salary and benefits are commensurate with experience and job classification as approved by the University and Project Donors.

Application Closing Date
29th June, 2018.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should submit their Resumes/Cover Letters (same page) and references to: recruitment@aun.edu.ng The position being applied for should be the subject of the mail.

Note

• Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted
• AUN is an equal opportunity employer and strives to provide a culturally diverse workforce; we do not discriminate in employment on the basis of race creed, colour, nationality, origin, age, sex, religion and marital status.

Project Officers - Atiku Center at the American University of Nigeria (AUN) -

The American University of Nigeria (AUN) was established in 2003. The institution was conceived as Africa's first Development University. Its mission is to pioneer service learning and build leaders who will be prepared to tackle societal concerns. Located in Yola, Adamawa State, the University is a world-class career-oriented institution missioned to be an agent of change in the development of the region. AUN has a strong commitment to providing the skills and the leadership essential to solving the continent's critical social and economic problems.

The American University of Nigeria, Yola, invites applications from suitably qualified candidates in the position below, this position is opened to indigenous and/or legal residents of Nigeria:

Job Title: Project Officer - Atiku Center

Locations: Each for Mubi North, Mubi South and Maiha Project Offices
Project: Building Resilience through Sustainable Agriculture
Department: Atiku Center
Duration of Employment: Two (2) Years
Slot: 3

Summary of Position

• Reporting to the Agriculture Specialist, the Project officers, one at each local government authority (LGA), will be responsible for community engagement and sensitization, constant and proper monitoring and follow-up on farmers and FBOs activities within their LGA of assignment.
• These Officers are the entry point of the project in the communities together with CBOs Field Staff. They conduct regular field-visit in the communities of intervention.
• They support state and LGA extension workers in organizing the logistics for the trainings.
• The officers at each LGA are also responsible for ensuring that within each LGA, there are demonstration plots that are functional and can be used for training purposes.
• The Projects Officers also support the Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Specialist.

Requirements

• Minimum 2 years’ experience in similar position on donor funded projects.
• Evidence of experience working with government and NGO partners required
• Hausa language proficiency, preferred.

Description of Benefits
Salary and benefits are commensurate with experience and job classification as approved by the University and Project Donors.

Application Closing Date
29th June, 2018.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should submit their Resumes/Cover Letters (same page) and references to: recruitment@aun.edu.ng The position being applied for should be the subject of the mail.

Note

• Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted
• AUN is an equal opportunity employer and strives to provide a culturally diverse workforce; we do not discriminate in employment on the basis of race creed, colour, nationality, origin, age, sex, religion and marital status.