In Nigeria, Prince Harry Speaks of 'Brave Souls' Losing Lives in Conflict

Britain's Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and his wife Meghan, Duchess of Sussex pose on the day they attend a volleyball match played with wounded army veterans, at the Nigerian army officers' mess in Abuja, Nigeria May 11, 2024. REUTERS/Akintunde Akinleye
Britain's Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and his wife Meghan, Duchess of Sussex pose on the day they attend a volleyball match played with wounded army veterans, at the Nigerian army officers' mess in Abuja, Nigeria May 11, 2024. REUTERS/Akintunde Akinleye
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In Nigeria, Prince Harry Speaks of 'Brave Souls' Losing Lives in Conflict

Britain's Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and his wife Meghan, Duchess of Sussex pose on the day they attend a volleyball match played with wounded army veterans, at the Nigerian army officers' mess in Abuja, Nigeria May 11, 2024. REUTERS/Akintunde Akinleye
Britain's Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and his wife Meghan, Duchess of Sussex pose on the day they attend a volleyball match played with wounded army veterans, at the Nigerian army officers' mess in Abuja, Nigeria May 11, 2024. REUTERS/Akintunde Akinleye

Prince Harry spoke in Nigeria on Saturday of the tragic loss of the "brave souls" in the country's military who had lost their lives in conflicts, and said he felt "goosebumps" after seeing plans for a new center to rehabilitate injured troops, Reuters reported.
Nigerian forces are fighting militants in the northeast of the country and armed kidnapping gangs in the northwest.
Harry, the 39-year-old Duke of Sussex, and his wife Meghan arrived in Africa's most populous nation on Friday in a trip linked to the Invictus Games, an international sporting event that the Duke of Sussex started a decade ago for troops injured in action.
Nigeria first participated in the Games in 2023.
At a reception for military families in Abuja, Harry said he had on Friday met 50 wounded soldiers during a trip to northern Kaduna and could see that the injuries were defining their lives, but there were some who had smiles on their faces.
"What this proved to me, what this reminds me of, is the power of seeing what is possible post injury," said Harry, adding that "seeing the plans for the new Invictus Centre gives me goosebumps."
Harry, the youngest son of King Charles, lives in the United States with Meghan and their two children after he gave up working as a member of the royal family in 2020. He served as a military helicopter pilot in Afghanistan.
Abike Dabiri Erewa, chairperson of the Nigerian Diaspora Commission, brought wide smiles and claps from Meghan when she exclaimed: "Princess Meghan is a Nigerian."
She was referring to a podcast in which Meghan said she had Nigerian heritage.
Harry earlier played in a volleyball match as an animated Meghan clapped every point for both teams and broadly smiled and cheered when Harry's first point was notched up.



Israeli Government Orders Public Entities to Stop Advertising in Haaretz Newspaper

A woman reads the 13 February issue of the Haaretz daily newspaper in Jerusalem (AFP)
A woman reads the 13 February issue of the Haaretz daily newspaper in Jerusalem (AFP)
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Israeli Government Orders Public Entities to Stop Advertising in Haaretz Newspaper

A woman reads the 13 February issue of the Haaretz daily newspaper in Jerusalem (AFP)
A woman reads the 13 February issue of the Haaretz daily newspaper in Jerusalem (AFP)

The Israeli government has ordered all public entities to stop advertising in the Haaretz newspaper, which is known for its critical coverage of Israel’s actions in the Palestinian territories.
Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi said Sunday that the government had approved his proposal after Haaretz’ publisher called for sanctions against Israel and referred to Palestinian militants as “freedom fighters.”
“We advocate for a free press and freedom of expression, but also the freedom of the government to decide not to fund incitement against the State of Israel,” Karhi wrote on the social platform X.
Noa Landau, the deputy editor of Haaretz, accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of “working to silence independent and critical media,” comparing him to autocratic leaders in other countries.
Haaretz regularly publishes investigative journalism and opinion columns critical of Israel’s ongoing half-century occupation of lands the Palestinians want for a future state.
It has also been critical of Israel’s war conduct in Gaza at a time when most local media support the war and largely ignore the suffering of Palestinian civilians.
In a speech in London last month, Haaretz publisher Amos Schocken said Israel has imposed “a cruel apartheid regime” on the Palestinians and was battling “Palestinian freedom fighters that Israel calls ‘terrorists.’”
He later issued a statement, saying he had reconsidered his remarks.
“For the record, Hamas are not freedom fighters,” he posted on X. “I should have said: using terrorism is illegitimate. I was wrong not to say that.”