Foreign
New York Consulate installs machines for 10-year passport

The Consulate-General of Nigeria in New York has started installing machines to produce passports with 10 years of validity for its nationals.
The Consul-General, Amb. Lot Egopija announced this at the virtual 5th Town Hall Meeting with the Nigerian Community within the New York jurisdiction.
Egopija had during the February Town Hall meeting said that the Consulate had communicated with the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs and would soon start the process of issuance of the passport.
“In the last meeting, we informed you that the enhanced 10-year passport process would soon come to New York.
“The Vice-Consul in charge of Immigration will inform you better when this will take off, but a team is already on the mission today.
“To this end, we have expanded the second floor and it will be the hub of our activities. We are bringing all the biometrics machines to the same floor,’’ he said.
Egopija, however, urged the nationals who have not enrolled for National Identity Number (NIN) to do so, noting that without the number it would be impossible to get the passport.
“We have published NIN centres and those responsible should also inform the Consulate so that we can pass the information to our nationals,’’ he said.
The envoy said the Consulate was doing everything possible to ensure that the nationals get improved services.
He said the mission had just embarked on passport intervention in Michigan, noting that more than 450 applicants enrolled for the intervention.
On cultural matters, he said the Consulate had partnered with Bayelsa indigenes within its jurisdiction on cultural shows as there were plans to combine trade and cultural events together.
In addition, Egopija urged the nationals to do diligent work before bringing their documents for authentication, noting that the Consulate still had records of some people bringing fake documents for authentication.
“We will always insist on doing the right thing. I‘m encouraging Nigerians to do the right thing and any Nigerian in doubt, let them call and ask us.
“We are always available in rending assistance in this regard. We want to be sure that documents presented or certified by this mission are authentic and that doubts are not cast,’’ he said.
(NAN)
Foreign
Trump calls for Keystone XL pipeline plans to be revived

U.S. President Donald Trump has called for the revival of the Keystone XL pipeline, which would carry oil from Canada to the U.S.
Trump took to his online platform Truth Social to urge the company building the pipeline to come back to America.
“The Trump administration is very different, easy approvals, almost immediate start.
“If not them, perhaps another pipeline company. We want the Keystone XL pipeline built,’’ he said.
The pipeline, first proposed in 2008, has been controversial from the start.
It would carry crude oil from oil sands in Alberta, Canada to Nebraska in the Midwestern U.S., where it would link up existing pipelines that connect to the Gulf of Mexico and the Mississippi River.
It was opposed by environmental groups and Native American tribes.
A long-standing battle between the oil industry and environmentalists trickled into politics and U.S. and Canadian courts.
Then U.S. president, Barack Obama, rejected the project in 2015 due to environmental concerns before Trump revived it during his first term in office.
Then, in one of his first actions as U.S. president in 2021, Joe Biden revoked Trump’s permit for the pipeline, stating that its construction was not consistent with his administration’s economic and climate goals.
Foreign
Trump plans 25% tariffs on steel, aluminium imports

U.S. President Donald Trump plans to impose tariffs of 25 per cent on steel and aluminium imports into the United States, he said on Sunday.
“Any steel coming to the United States is going to have them, 25 per cent tariff,” Trump said, according to journalists travelling with the president. When questioned about tariffs on aluminium imports, Trump replied, “25 Per cent for both.”
Trump also confirmed his plan to announce further reciprocal tariffs in the coming week.
He spoke of an announcement on Tuesday or Wednesday.
“Very simply, if they charge us, we charge them, Trump told reporters, adding that the tariffs would go into effect almost immediately.”
U.S. tariffs of 10 per cent on Chinese goods took effect from Feb. 4.
The planned tariffs of 25 per cent on Mexico and Canada were suspended for an initial period of 30 days following promises from the two countries to increase border security measures.
Trump won November’s presidential election promising to slap high tariffs on foreign goods to reduce U.S. trade deficits.
He implemented a number of duties during his first term from 2017 to 2021.
Foreign
U.S. president considering 25% tariffs on Canada, Mexico starting in February

Donald Trump said tariffs of 25 per cent on products from Canada and Mexico could be introduced as early as February, hours after taking office as US president on Monday.
Speaking at the White House while signing various orders shortly after his inauguration, Trump said, “We’re thinking in terms of 25 per cent on Mexico and Canada, because they’re allowing vast number of people … to come in.”
“I think we’ll do it Feb. 1,” Trump added, referring to the potential start date for the tariffs.
Earlier on Monday, the Wall Street Journal reported that Trump did not intend to impose tariffs on trading partners like Canada, Mexico, and China.
Instead, he planned to instruct the authorities to assess trade relations with China and its neighbours on the North American continent, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing a summary of a planned memorandum and Trump’s advisers.
Shortly after winning the election in November, Trump threatened to impose tariffs on goods from Canada, Mexico, and China.
There are also fears in the EU that Trump could impose new tariffs.
Tariffs are a type of surcharge on imported goods. They are paid as goods enter the country.
Trump imposed a range of tariffs on imported goods during his first term in office from 2017 to 2021.
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