International News
EU Lawmakers Approve Cat, Dog Welfare Rules
Compulsory microchips as well as bans on ear-cropping and tail-docking are among a set of new rules to protect cats and dogs that European lawmakers approved Thursday.
The European Union is home to more than 72 million dogs and 83 million cats, according to the European Commission, which so far has only regulated health requirements for them related to travel within the bloc.
But an uptick in trafficking pushed the EU to propose a set of common rules for breeding, housing and handling the animals, whose sales generate an estimated 1.3 billion euros ($1.5 billion) annually.
The European Parliament in Strasbourg voted on a text put forward by the commission in 2023, which introduces minimum welfare criteria for dogs and cats in kennels and shelters.
Lawmakers also voted to ban the keeping or selling of dogs and cats in pet shops, a provision not included in the original text, meaning buyers would have to buy them directly from breeders or kennels.
“With this proposal, we would create the first-ever minimum rules, giving member states the possibility to go beyond these standards,” said the text’s rapporteur, Veronika Vrecionova of the hard-right ECR group.
Approved with 457 votes in favour and 17 against, the bill says all dogs and cats should be identified with a subcutaneous microchip when they are sold — a system already in use in some member states — and registered in an EU database.
That would increase traceability and tackle illegal traffic, predominantly of dogs, with animal protection groups singling out eastern EU countries like Romania and Bulgaria.
Hunting Exception
Painful mutilations, like cutting tails or ears, will also be banned in most cases, as will electric, choke and spiked collars without safety stoppers.
The law also prohibits inbreeding and the breeding of animals with accentuated traits, such as overly short legs, that could affect their welfare.
The measures enjoyed broad consensus among political groups but the extent of their application had been the cause of contention, leading to some amendments.
An exception for breeders keeping a small number of animals, which had upset some on the left, was weakened by parliament, which lowered the threshold for breeders to qualify.
Yet other exemptions opposed by animal rights activists remained.
The ban on mutilations for example is less stringent for hunting dogs. Similarly, coercive collars will still be allowed to train police, military and border patrol dogs.
“This text lays some interesting foundations, but it does not go to the heart of the matter,” said Christophe Marie of the French animal protection group Fondation 30 Millions d’Amis.
The legislation must still be approved by EU member states before coming into force.
AFP
German authorities deported at least 137 Nigerian citizens across five chartered flights between February and June 2026, according to migration monitoring reports.
Data from the DERS Team and Refugees4refugees.org shows the deportations occurred in phases, with 27 Nigerians returned in February, 37 in March through a joint European Union operation, 24 in April, 23 in May, and 26 in June.
The February operation departed from Stuttgart and landed at Lagos Cargo Airport, with Baden-Württemberg listed as a primary participant. The March operation represented the largest single return of Nigerians recorded over three years and was executed in collaboration with Spain, Austria, and Belgium.
The reports indicate a growing reliance on multi-national chartered flights by European states to repatriate undocumented or non-resident individuals to Nigeria.
The United States has condemned the killing of members of the family of Plateau-based cleric, Rev. Ezekiel Dachomo, describing the attack as horrific and urging Nigerian authorities to ensure those responsible are brought to justice.
In a statement shared on X on Thursday, the US Department of State’s Bureau of African Affairs expressed condolences to the victims’ families and called for stronger measures to prevent further attacks on vulnerable communities across Nigeria’s Middle Belt.
“The United States strongly condemns the horrific killing of members of Rev. Ezekiel Dachomo’s family in Plateau State, Nigeria. The continued violence targeting Christian communities and other vulnerable populations in Nigeria’s Middle Belt is deeply alarming,” the bureau said
The US said it had already engaged Nigerian officials on the worsening security situation, stressing that urgent action was needed to curb recurring attacks and hold perpetrators accountable.
“As I discussed last week with Nigerian officials, we must do more to prevent violent acts. The perpetrators must be held accountable, and urgent action is needed to strengthen security and protect Christians and other vulnerable communities,” the statement added.
The bureau reaffirmed Washington’s commitment to working with the Nigerian government to combat terrorism and violent extremism, stressing that Christians and other Nigerians should be able to practise their faith without fear of violence.
The statement followed the July 12 attack on Kum community in Riyom Local Government Area of Plateau State, where nine members of Rev. Dachomo’s extended family, including a two-month-old baby, were killed.
According to the cleric, the attackers, believed to be armed Fulani militias, asked for him by name before opening fire on his relatives.
Dachomo, who serves as Regional Chairman of the Church of Christ in Nations (COCIN) in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area, said his family had repeatedly been targeted because of his outspoken criticism of the violence in Plateau State.
He recalled that his grandmother and an uncle were also killed in previous attacks, adding that days after burying his relatives, he received a written death threat from the same group, warning that he would be their next target.
Saudi Arabia has updated its tourist eVisa programme for 2026, limiting eligibility in Africa to only three countries as part of its list of 66 nations whose citizens can apply through the Kingdom’s online visa platform.
The move leaves most African countries, including Nigeria, outside the simplified entry scheme.
The electronic visa allows eligible travellers to visit Saudi Arabia for tourism, leisure activities, family visits and Umrah, excluding the annual Hajj pilgrimage. Applications are completed online, eliminating the need for embassy visits and lengthy visa processing.
Saudi authorities said the eVisa forms part of ongoing efforts to expand tourism, attract international visitors and simplify travel procedures through a fully digital application system. The visa is available only to citizens of approved countries and territories listed on the Kingdom’s official tourism portal.
Below is the list of African countries eligible for Saudi Arabia’s eVisa.
1. Mauritius
2. Seychelles
3. South Africa
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