Ethiopian Ministry Urges All to Empower Girls with Skills

October 12, 2024

Marks Int’l Day of Girl

ADDIS ABABA – Urging all to encourage and empower girls with social skills to serve their country with good behavior in the future, stated Ministry of Women and Social Affairs (MoWSA)

The 2024 International Day of the Girl was marked yesterday under the theme: “Girls’ Vision for the Future.”

During the event, MoWSA Minister Ergoge Tesfaye (PhD) noted that all communities and states should empower girls to be self-sufficient fostering their social skills and encouraging them to serve their country with good behavior in the future.

“Their dreams for tomorrow will bear fruit in the nation-building process when we emphasize advancing girls’ access to education and skills training to serve their country through such actions,” she said.

“Girls need to experience a better environment throughout their lives, starting from their families and communities, compared to previous generations.”

The aforementioned institutions need to minimize the obstacles that girls face today, strengthens their roles to ensure their rights, and encourage their potential by involving them equally in all activities, she added.

She further emphasized the need to end discrimination against girls and to combat negative attitudes and stereotypes that hinder their access to education and opportunities.

“Actions to improve girls’ talents, protect them from violence, and amplify their voices, choices, and participation remains urgent and relevant.”

This year’s theme conveys both the necessity for urgent action and a persistent hope, driven by the power of girls’ voices and their vision for the future.

She stated that young girls should receive support and attention in all areas to further develop their talents and avoid harmful traditions.

The aim of marking this day is to contribute to the ongoing discussion each year.

She said that success requires a variety of efforts and energy, navigating both the ups and downs of life. Here, girls need to guard against peer pressure that affects their lifestyles and education.

The day was marked in Ethiopia under the theme: “Working with Girls is Building a Better Nation for Tomorrow,” as to her.

BY MISGANAW ASNAKE

THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD SATURDAY 12 OCTOBER 2024

Ethiopia Intensifies Cyber-security Efforts Amid Rising Threats

October 12, 2024

INSA thwarts 8,854 cyber-attack attempts

ADDIS ABABA – The Information Network Security Administration (INSA) has intensified its efforts to combat the increasing threat of cyber-attacks, successfully thwarting approximately 8,854 attempted breaches during the 2023/24 fiscal year.

INSA officially launched the fifth National Cyber security Month at the Science Museum yesterday, under the theme “Critical Infrastructure Security for Digital Sovereignty.”

In her address, INSA Director General Tigist Hamid highlighted the growing vulnerability to cyber threats worldwide, noting that Ethiopia is not immune. In the 2022/23 fiscal year, the country faced around 6,959 attempted cyber-attacks, which were also successfully countered.

Tigist emphasized that data theft has become a daily concern and that INSA is ramping up its efforts to address the rising number of cyber threats. “This initiative aims to strengthen cyber security and protect the nation’s sovereignty,” she stated.

The director general warned that cyber-attacks are escalating and increasingly targeting critical institutions, including hospitals and the financial sector. INSA is dedicated to countering these threats and stresses the importance of raising awareness and enhancing human resources focused on innovation and technology.

National Cyber security Month is part of INSA’s broader strategy to educate the public about cyber security and strengthen the agency’s capacity to prevent attacks. Key sectors such as financial institutions, hospitals, media, and government agencies remain particularly vulnerable.

National Bank of Ethiopia (NBE) Governor Mamo Mihertu acknowledged the significant impact of cyber security on digital infrastructure. He emphasized its crucial role in safeguarding society and underscored the need for focused attention as the country works towards achieving its Digital Ethiopia 2025 strategy.

“It is essential to strengthen human resources and focus on innovation and technology. Cyber security is critical for advancing the digital sector and is deeply integrated with the protection of infrastructure, including telecommunications, energy, finance, transportation, and healthcare,” Mamo remarked.

Since its inception in 2012, Cyber security Month has been celebrated annually in Ethiopia, marking its fifth observance this year and the 21st global recognition of the initiative. In the Ethiopian context, this month serves as a vital platform for raising awareness about the importance of cyber security amid the country’s increasing digital transformation.

BY HAILE DEMEKE

THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD SATURDAY 12 OCTOBER 2024

Ethiopia Gears Up for Major Continental Events in October

October 12, 2024

ADDIS ABABA – The Government Communication Service (GCS) announced that Ethiopia is preparing to host a series of significant continental and international tourism events in October 2024.

In a briefing for journalists yesterday, GCS’s State Minister, Selamawit Kassa, confirmed that Ethiopia will host the Confederation of African Football (CAF) conference from October 15 to 17 in Addis Ababa. This event is pivotal for Ethiopia’s ambition to host the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) in 2029 and is expected to enhance the country’s tourism profile while showcasing its warm culture.

“Constructing sports infrastructure is essential to successfully host the upcoming AFCON 2029,” she noted.

Additionally, Ethiopia will host the 3rd African Defense Ministers Meeting from October 21 to 22, which aims to highlight the country’s role in fostering peace and security across the African continent and beyond.

Selamawit also announced the inaugural “World without Hunger Conference,” scheduled for October 26, where Ethiopia will showcase its initiatives on food security, the Green Legacy Initiative, and climate action. Over 1,500 participants from all African countries and 30 international organizations are expected to attend.

The state minister recalled Ethiopia’s successful celebration of national, religious, historical, and cultural events in September, including Enkutatash (Ethiopian New Year), Demera (burning of a large bonfire), Meskel (The Finding of the True Cross), and Irreechaa (Oromo Thanksgiving).

Recognizing September and October as critical months for promoting tourism, Selamawit mentioned the recent launch of the “Tourism Satellite Account” by the Ministry of Tourism. This internationally recognized framework measures the positive impact of tourism and its contributions to the national economy.

“The Tourism Satellite Account will serve as a vital resource for evidence-based policy-making, strategic planning, and maximizing economic benefits,” she stated. Selamawit emphasized Ethiopia’s successful diplomatic role at both regional and global levels.

BY MESERET BEHAILU

THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD SATURDAY 12 OCTOBER 2024

FDI Flows Surging After Macroeconomic Reform: Ethiopia Commission

October 12, 2024

DUKEM – The flows of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) have been on rise since the implementation of the macroeconomic reform, which adjusted the foreign exchange regime to market rates, according to the Ethiopian Investment Commission.

During a media trip to the Eastern Industry Park in Dukem, Deputy Investment Commissioner Zeleke Temesgen (PhD) briefed journalists that the number of incoming foreign investors has increased, motivated by the recently endorsed reforms.

“The Commission is receiving investment proposals from investors of various nationalities, and several investment licenses are expected to be issued soon,” Zeleke stated.

Companies that have already been operating for several years are also expanding their business, addressing past challenges through government initiatives and the benefits of the reform, he added.

Dagato Kunbie, another Deputy Commissioner at the Investment Commission, emphasized that legal reforms allowing foreign investors to engage in wholesale and retail trading have also been well-received.

“We have been receiving many requests from foreign investors following the announcement of this reform, and several companies will soon enter the local market,” he remarked.

He further noted that the government remains committed to supporting foreign investors who make significant contributions to the local market.

The Commission received 72 new investment proposals during the past three months, marking a 12 percent increase compared to the same period last year.

Chinese firms, predominantly engaged in industrial production and supplying goods to the local market, have also praised the reform.

De Yifan, General Director of Linda- Ethiopia Garment, stated that his company is overcoming the foreign exchange shortage following the reform.

“The macroeconomic reforms have created a better business environment, allowing us to produce more efficiently,” De Yifan said. Linda-Ethiopia Garment supplies its products to the local market, substituting imports, The Ethiopian Herald was learnt . BY YESUF ENDRIS

THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD SATURDAY 12 OCTOBER 2024

Sustainable Development Top Priority for Ethiopia: President Taye

October 12, 2024

Ambassador Taye Atske-Selassie was appointed as new president of Ethiopia during the fourth-year joint opening session of the House of Peoples Representatives (HPR) and the House of Federation (HoF) on Monday. Following his oath, President Taye addressed the two houses and presented government’s plans for the 2024/25 fiscal year. Here are the major tips from the president’s speech.

Ethiopia’s economy to grow by 8.4 percent: President Taye

The government has an ambitious plan to develop the economy sector in this fiscal year, 2024/25. The government’s focus is to ensure sustainable development by giving top priority for climate-resilient agriculture, fiscal policy reforms, and expansion of construction and service sectors.

Ethiopia’s economy recorded a growth rate of 8.1 percent during the concluded Ethiopian fiscal year. For the current budget year, the country’s economy is projected to grow by 8.4% and government revenue from tax and non-tax sources expected to reach 1.5 trillion Birr.

Interms of export, Ethiopia has a plan to earn five billion USD incomes from value-added export commodities and total export revenue to reach 10 billion USD.

Ethiopia’s firm stance to remain stabilizing force in HOA region

Ethiopia’s diplomatic approach focuses on balanced and give-and-take principle. Ethiopia’s win-win diplomatic approach is unwavering stance of the country. By strengthening its traditional approach of win-win diplomacy, Ethiopia is committed to peace and stability in the Horn of Africa.

Ethiopia’s foreign policy prioritizes peace and cooperation with neighboring countries and with the rest of the world. Despite the challenges Ethiopia is facing, Ethiopia will continue to remain a stabilizing force in the region. Our diplomatic efforts are concentrated on preserving Ethiopia’s positive standing in regional peacemaking processes.

National Dialogue key to ensure all-rounded peace

Ethiopia is undertaking National Dialogue process to ensure sustainable peace. Ethiopia is working extensively to achieve the goal of the National Dialogue and the process is ongoing based on plans.

National Dialogue is crucial to nation building process and the Ethiopian National Dialogue Commission (ENDC) is working demonstratively to realize the country’s vision of ensuring sustainable peace.

By completing the preparation phase, ENDC already is undertaking agenda gathering stage.

Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) inflow and Job creation

During the fiscal year, Ethiopia has a plan to attract 5 billion USD FDI inflows in to the country. In addition, job creation remains a major focus of the government in the budget year. Accordingly, the government has a plan to create 4.3 million new jobs, including 700,000 overseas positions.

National Dialogue key to ensure all-rounded peace

Ethiopia is undertaking National Dialogue process to ensure sustainable peace. Ethiopia is working extensively to achieve the goal of the National Dialogue and the process is ongoing based on plans.

National Dialogue is crucial to nation building process and the Ethiopian National Dialogue Commission (ENDC) is working demonstratively to realize the country’s vision of ensuring sustainable peace.

By completing the preparation phase, ENDC already is undertaking agenda gathering stage.

Ethiopia earns 700 million quintals from crop production

Following the national reform, the agriculture sector is among the top sectors registered development. During the concluded budget year, the agricultural sector has registered a growth of 6.9 percent.

Ethiopia earns some 700 million quintals of major crops in the last fiscal year. 230 million quintals of production was achieved from irrigation. Efforts to supply wheat to the export market are strengthened.

GERD symbol of Ethiopia’s remarkable achievement

In modern Ethiopian history, the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) is a mega project that represents Ethiopia’s outstanding achievements. The civil engineering works of the flagship project is already completed.

The achievement registered on the construction of the flagship project, GERD is due to the remarkable contribution of all Ethiopians. The collective efforts of Ethiopians in this giant hydropower dam will be remembered in the history of Ethiopia.

THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD SATURDAY 12 OCTOBER 2024

Ghana Oil Production Dip Wake-Up Call for Alternative Revenue Source - Dr Manteaw

8 October 2024

Ghanaian Times (Accra)

By Daniel Dzirasah Sunyani

Recent reductions in oil production from Ghana's oil fields should be a wake-up call to the government to diversify its revenue sources in funding its flagship programmes such as the free Senior High School policy(SHS), Dr Steve Manteaw, Co-chair of Ghana Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative GHEITI) has reiterated.

He noted that the free SHS policy could face a possible collapse in its current structure if a more feasible financing mechanism were not instituted to safeguard it future implementation and sustainability.

He explained that since 2021 all the three oil fields; jubilee, TEN and SGN fields were recording decline oil production contrary to their expected life span, adding that, "this was likely to affect government estimated revenues in prosecuting its developmental initiatives."

He further called for more investments into the sector to either re-engineer the existing oil fields to increase productivity or discover new oil fields.

Dr Manteaw made the call during a presentation on the 2021/2022 GHEITI reports for the mining and Oil/Gas sectors in Sunyani of the Bono Region.

The dissemination workshop, organised by GHEITI, in partnership with the Ministry of Finance was aimed at sharing findings and recommendations of revenue use and management of mineral sectors of the economy to ensure transparency and participation by citizens.

It was attended by a cross section of the general public including officials from the Minerals Commission, Administrator of Stool lands, Ghana Gas and some nongovernmental organisations.

Mr Fadi Iddi, assistant economic officer at GHEITI, in a presentation disclosed that aggregated out put of gold production of small and large scale rose from 2.820 million ounces in 2021 to 3.735 million ounces in 2022.

He emphasised that growth in production was due to concurrent growth in production in both small scale, artisanal mining and large scale producers.

Gold revenue also increased from four milion dollars to over five million dollars in the same year period.

The Bono Regional Minister, Justina Owusu Banahene, said the decline in revenue from the extractive sectors of the economy called for prudent public financial management measures to ensure such development did not distort government's public expenditure projections.

Read the original article on Ghanaian Times.

Ghana Prof. Opoku-Agyemang Poised to Become First Female Veep of Ghana

8 October 2024

Ghanaian Times (Accra)

By Times Reporter

The NDC Running Mate of former President, John Dramani Mahama, Prof. Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, would be sworn into office as the first female Vice President of Ghana on January 7, 2025, Nana Oppong Panyea II, the Chief of Achimfo in the Aowin Constituency of the Western North Region has predicted.

He said the unsurpassed record of the previous NDC administration under former President, John Mahama, provided enough rational and reference for the people of Ghana to vote for the NDC and to ensure that the country voted in office the first female vice president.

Nana Panyea made the prediction when the NDC running mate called on him and his elders at his palace to announce her presence in the community and to seek their permission to enable her engage with the people in the communities during her campaign tour of the area.

He stated that he was making the remark very much aware that Chiefs are not expected to engage in partisan politics but the reality was that "Chiefs are not barred from telling the truth which is that Prof. Naana Opoku -Agyemang from her accomplishment so far is more than qualified to hold the position of the first female vice president of the country."

Added to that, Nana Panyea revealed that Naana Opoku- Agyemang was contesting on the ticket of the NDC which had helped in the development of the Achimfo community more than any other government in the history of the country.

In her response, Prof. Naana Opoku-Agyemang noted that development was the goal of the NDC and former President, John Mahama, and for that reason any citizen who genuinely wanted development in their communities and lives ought to vote for the NDC.

She took pains to explain aspects of the 24 Hour Economy proposal by the former President, John Mahama, and the establishment of the National Women's Development Bank to the Chiefs and elders which she said, were well thought out policies to alleviate the hardships the citizens were currently going through in the country as well as provide more jobs for the youth.

Prof. Naana Opoku-Agyemang has since ended the 4-day tour of the Western North region which took her to Achimfo, in Aowin Constituency, Dadieso in the Suaman Constituency, Datano and Suiano in the Bodi Constituency, Camp Junctionand Adabokrom in the Bia East Constituency, Essam and Elluokrom in the Bia East Constituency and Asawinso and Bopa in the Sefwi Wiaso constituency.

She was accompanied on the tour by Mr Alex Segbefia, her campaign manager, Mr Agyenim Boateng, her campaign spokesperson and other members of the campaign team.

Read the original article on Ghanaian Times.

Scotland's ex-First Minister Alex Salmond Dies Aged 69

He took ill while giving a speech in North Macedonia.

BBC NEWS

12 October 2024 - 19:43

In Summary

Scotland's former First Minister Alex Salmond has died at the age of 69.

The former MP and MSP led the country between 2007 and 2014. 

Scotland's former First Minister Alex Salmond has died at the age of 69. The former MP and MSP, who led the country between 2007 and 2014 during the independence referendum, took ill while giving a speech in North Macedonia.

Scotland's former First Minister Alex Salmond has died at the age of 69.

The former MP and MSP, who led the country between 2007 and 2014, took ill while in North Macedonia.

It is understood he collapsed after delivering a speech earlier on Saturday.

Salmond led the Yes campaign during the Scottish independence campaign, and resigned as first minister after Scottish voters backed remaining in the UK by 55% to 45% in 2014.

He had led the SNP to power when they won the Scottish Parliament election in 2007.

The party then won an unprecedented majority in the election four years later - which paved the way for the referendum to be held. He had a spectacular fallout with his successor as first minister, Nicola Sturgeon over her government’s mishandling of harassment complaints against him.

Mr Salmond was also acquitted of serious sexual offence charges at a trial in Edinburgh in 2020.

After quitting the SNP in 2018, he set up an alternative independence supporting party, called Alba, of which he was the leader.

Alba has approached the UK foreign office for help in returning Mr Salmond’s body to the UK.

Planned Nuclear Plant in a Kenyan Top Tourist Hub and Home to Endangered Species Sparks Protest

6:17 AM EDT, October 12, 2024

KILIFI, Kenya (AP) — Dozens rallied against a proposal to build Kenya’s first nuclear power plant in one of the country’s top coastal tourist hubs which also houses a forest on the tentative list of the UNESCO World Heritage site.

Kilifi County is renowned for its pristine sandy beaches where hotels and beach bars line the 165-mile-long coast and visitors boat and snorkel around coral reefs or bird watch in Arabuko Sokoke forest, a significant natural habitat for the conservation of rare and endangered species, according to the U.N. organization.

The project, proposed last year, is set to be built in the town of Kilifi — about 522 kilometers (324 miles) southeast of the capital, Nairobi. Many residents have openly opposed the proposal, worried about what they say are the negative effects of the project on people and the environment, leading to a string of protesters which at times turned violent.

Muslim for Human Rights (MUHURI) led the march Friday in Kilifi to the county governor’s office where they handed him a petition opposing the construction of the plant.

Some chanted anti-nuclear slogans while others carried placards with “Sitaki nuclear”, Swahili for “I don’t want nuclear.”

The construction of the 1,000MW nuclear plant is set to begin in 2027 and be operational by 2034, with a cost of 500 billion Kenyan shillings ($3.8 billion).

Francis Auma, a MUHURI activist, told the Associated Press that the negative effects of the nuclear plant outweigh its benefits.

“We say that this project has a lot of negative effects; there will be malformed children born out of this place, fish will die, and our forest Arabuko Sokoke, known to harbor the birds from abroad, will be lost,” Auma said during Friday’s protests.

Juma Sulubu, a resident who was beaten by the police during a previous demonstration, attended Friday’s march and said: “Even if you kill us, just kill us, but we do not want a nuclear power plant in our Uyombo community.”

Timothy Nyawa, a fisherman, participated in the rally out of fear that a nuclear power plant would kill fish and in turn his source of income. “If they set up a nuclear plant here, the fish breeding sites will all be destroyed.”

Phyllis Omido, the executive director at the Centre for Justice Governance and Environmental Action, who also attended the march, said Kenya’s eastern coastal towns depended on eco-tourism as the main source of income and a nuclear plant would threaten their livelihoods.

“We host the only East African coastal forest, we host the Watamu marine park, we host the largest mangrove plantation in Kenya. We do not want nuclear (energy) to mess up our ecosystem,” she said.

Her center filed a petition in Nov. 2023 in parliament calling for an inquiry and claiming that locals had limited information on the proposed plant and the criteria for selecting preferred sites. It also raised concerns over the risks to health, the environment and tourism in the event of a nuclear spill, saying the country was undertaking a “high-risk venture” without proper legal and disaster response measures in place. The petition also expressed unease over security and the handling of radioactive waste in a country prone to floods and drought.

The Senate suspended the inquiry until a lawsuit two layers filed in July seeking to stop the plant’s construction, claiming public participation meetings were rushed and urging the Nuclear Power and Energy Agency (Nupea) not to start the project, was heard.

Nupea said construction would not begin for years and environmental laws were under consideration, adding that adequate public participation was carried out.

The nuclear agency also published an impact assessment report last year that recommended policies be put in place to ensure environmental protections, including detailed plans for the handling of radioactive waste, measures to mitigate environmental harm, such as setting up a nuclear unit in the national environment management authority, and emergency response teams.

US Imposes Fresh Sanctions on Iran Over its Retaliatory Operation Against Israel

Saturday, 12 October 2024 2:33 AM

The US has imposed new sanctions on Iran’s oil and petrochemicals sectors in reaction to the Islamic Republic’s recent retaliatory missile attacks against Israeli targets.

The US Treasury Department on Friday designated 10 companies and 17 vessels as blocked property, claiming they were involved in shipments of Iranian oil and petrochemical products. 

The department said that the sanctions are designed to intensify financial pressure on Iran, including by limiting its ability to earn the energy revenue it uses to help resistance movements across the Middle East.

The department said its sanctions targeted “a significant portion” of the shadow fleet of tankers that move Iran’s petroleum exports.

US officials separately described the measures as an attempt to disrupt revenues they claim Iran uses to fund its military activities.

Tehran says its military development program is defensive. It says the unilateral sanctions by the US are part of an economic war on the people of Iran and undermine the country’s independence.

US Secretary of the Treasury Janet L. Yellen said, "In response to Iran’s attack on Israel, the United States is taking decisive action to disrupt further the Iranian regime’s ability to fund and carry out its destabilizing activity.”

 “Today’s sanctions target Iranian efforts to channel revenues from its energy industry to finance deadly and disruptive activity—including development of its nuclear program, the proliferation of ballistic missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles,” he said.

“We will not hesitate to take further action to hold Iran accountable,” he added.

Earlier in the day, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that the United States is “committed to curtailing Iran’s sources of revenue for its malign activities.”

“As long as Iran devotes its energy revenues to funding attacks on our allies, supporting terrorism around the world and pursuing other destabilizing actions, we will continue to use all the tools at our disposal to hold it accountable,” Blinken said, leveling baseless accusations against the country.

An advisor to the IRGC commander says Iran’s recent retaliatory missile attack was only the “mapping” of fatal blows that the Islamic Republic will deal to the Israeli regime in the future.

The Treasury Department said sanctions were imposed in the spirit of the Stop Harboring Iranian Petroleum Act, bipartisan legislation to sanction foreigners involved in oil trade from Iran.

“The United States is taking this action in the spirit of the Stop Harboring Iranian Petroleum Act (SHIP Act), enacted as a part of the Emergency Supplemental Appropriations for the 2024 Fiscal Year (P.L. 118-50), which imposes sanctions against foreign persons involved in the trade of petroleum and petroleum products originating in Iran and was recently delegated by the President to the Departments of the Treasury and State,” the department said.

On October 1, Iran launched a barrage of missiles toward the Zionist entity’s military and intelligence and spying bases in a retaliatory attack.

The operation came in response to the regime’s assassinations of Hamas’s chief Ismail Haniyeh, Hezbollah’s leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, and IRGC commander Abbas Nilforoushan.

Iran

Iran’s defense minister said the Islamic Republic’s retaliatory operation against the Israeli regime, dubbed Operation True Promise II, has been more than 90% successful.

“Operation True Promise II was carried out with more than 90% success and was fully compliant with international laws,” said Brigadier General Aziz Nasirzadeh.

Nicaragua Severs Diplomatic Relations with Israel Over Ongoing Atrocities in Gaza

Saturday, 12 October 2024 6:01 AM

Palestinians walk past a house hit in an Israeli strike in the Bureij refugee camp, in the central Gaza Strip, on October 8, 2024. (Photo by Reuters)

The government of Nicaragua has stated that it is breaking off diplomatic relations with Israel over the ongoing genocidal war against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, which has killed over 42,000 people, more than half of them women and children.

Nicaraguan Vice President Rosario Murillo announced the move to state media on Friday.

The Central American nation’s Congress had, earlier in the day, passed a resolution requesting Nicaragua take action to coincide with the one-year anniversary of the Gaza war.

The conflict, the Nicaraguan government said, now also “extends against Lebanon and gravely threatens Syria, Yemen and Iran.”

Murillo, who is President Daniel Ortega’s wife, said her husband instructed the government to sever diplomatic relations with the “fascist” and “genocidal” Tel Aviv regime.

Israel launched the war on Gaza on October 7 after the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas carried out Operation Al-Aqsa Storm against the occupying entity in response to intensified Israeli atrocities against Palestinians in the West Bank.

The regime’s bloody onslaught on Gaza has so far killed at least 42,150 Palestinians and injured another 98,117 individuals. Thousands more are also missing and presumed dead under rubble.

Brazil condemns Israel’s latest attacks on Palestinians in Gaza, calling for global action to stop the regime’s massacres.

Nicaragua has twice before cut relations with Israel – once in 2010 under Ortega and also in 1982 under the Sandinista revolutionary government led by Ortega following the country’s 1979 revolution.

The rupture of diplomatic relations comes at a time when Israel is under growing isolation on the global stage amid a brutal campaign in Gaza and expanding attacks across West Asia, including in Lebanon.

Condemnation of Israel’s yearlong war on Gaza is relatively widespread in Latin America, where leaders in countries such as Brazil, Colombia and Chile have fiercely criticized the Tel Aviv regime’s brutalities in the Palestinian coastal sliver.

On Friday, the Palestinian mission to the United Nations announced that those three nations had helped spearhead a letter of support for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, whom Israel declared persona non grata last week.

Colombian President Gustavo Petro cut diplomatic ties with Israel in May, calling the administration of Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu “genocidal”.

Brazilian leader Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva also recalled the country’s ambassador to the occupied territories that same month.

France, Spain Urge Israeli Arms Embargo, Italy Slams Attacks on UNIFIL

By Al Mayadeen English

11 Oct 2024 23:12

French President Emmanuel Macron has proposed halting arms exports to "Israel" as a decisive measure to stop the escalating struggle.

France, Italy, and Spain have strongly condemned recent attacks on UN peacekeepers in Lebanon by Israeli forces, calling them "unjustifiable" and demanding an immediate halt to the violence.

This comes after the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) warned of "very serious risks" to its peacekeepers after two mission members were injured by explosions near the Palestinian-Lebanese border, the second such attack in two days.

In a joint statement, the three nations expressed their outrage after several peacekeepers were injured in Naqoura, adding that "these attacks constitute serious violation of the obligations of Israel under UNSCR (United Nations Security Council Resolution) 1701 and under humanitarian international law."

The statement also called for the protection of all peacekeepers and urged an immediate ceasefire in the region.

France, which contributes 700 troops to UNIFIL, demanded an explanation from "Israel" after summoning the envoy.

Other contributors, including Italy and Ireland, also condemned the incidents, with Ireland's Foreign Minister labeling the situation "unacceptable".

Halt arms exports

French President Emmanuel Macron has proposed halting arms exports to "Israel" as a decisive measure to stop the escalating conflict.

Speaking at a summit of European and Mediterranean leaders in Cyprus, Macron condemned the targeting of UN peacekeepers by Israeli forces, calling it "absolutely unacceptable".

He stressed that stopping the flow of weapons could be the key to ending the ongoing violence.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on Friday urged the international community to stop selling weapons to "Israel" as he condemned Israeli attacks on UNIFIL.

None of the Spanish soldiers who were part of the mission were hit, the Spanish Defence Ministry said on Friday.

Spain has deployed 650 peacekeepers in Lebanon and a Spanish general leads the mission.

"Let me at this point criticize and condemn the attacks that the Israeli armed forces are carrying out on the United Nations mission in Lebanon," said Sanchez, whose country has been critical of "Israel" in the recent escalation in the Middle East, after meeting Pope Francis at the Vatican.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni condemned as unacceptable Friday Israeli fire against UN peacekeepers in Lebanon, where Italy has more than 1,000 troops.

"UNIFIL mission headquarters and two Italian bases were hit by gunfire fired by Israeli forces... It is not acceptable, it violates what is established under UN resolution 1701," which governs the peacekeepers' presence, Meloni said at a summit of European and Mediterranean leaders in Cyprus.

Biden, on his part, said Friday he was asking "Israel" to stop firing at UN peacekeepers in Lebanon.

"Absolutely, positively," Biden said when asked by a reporter at the White House if he was asking "Israel" to stop, amid condemnation of the entity from the UN chief and its Western allies.

Leaders of EU states in Mediterranean call for immediate ceasefire in Middle East

Leaders of nine European Union member states in the Mediterranean on Friday called for an immediate ceasefire after a sharp escalation in the Middle East.

"Amid the backdrop of the conflict in Gaza in the broader region, we express our deep concern at the escalation of a military confrontation between Israel and Hezbollah," a statement from EU leaders attending a summit, known as MED9, read after meeting in Cyprus.

"We seek an immediate ceasefire throughout the Blue Line and the timely dispatch of humanitarian aid to Lebanon," leaders including France, Italy, Spain, Greece, and Portugal said in a joint statement, referring to a UN-mapped demarcation line separating Lebanon from occupied Palestine and the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.

'Israel' Blocks Two WHO Aid Missions to Besieged Northern Gaza

By Al Mayadeen English

11 Oct 2024 23:38

A United Nations inquiry further accused "Israel" of committing war crimes, stating that "Israel" has been deliberately targeting medical personnel and facilities in Gaza.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has accused "Israel" of blocking two humanitarian missions attempting to enter northern Gaza, where the besieged region is suffering from relentless attacks and a crumbling health system.

The missions, which aimed to evacuate critical patients and deliver essential fuel, blood units, and medical supplies, were forced to turn back due to Israeli checkpoints and other barriers, the WHO said on Thursday.

A total of seven such missions have been denied or obstructed this week.

The blockade comes amid "Israel’s" genocidal campaign in the Jabalia refugee camp and surrounding areas of northern Gaza, where Israeli forces have ordered residents to relocate to so-called "humanitarian zones" in the south.

However, Palestinian and UN officials have said that there are no safe areas in the densely populated strip.

The Israeli military also ordered the evacuation of several hospitals, including the Indonesian, Al-Awda, and Kamal Adwan hospitals, threatening patients and medical personnel with assault if they failed to comply.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus called on "Israel" to stop the evacuation orders and to protect hospitals and humanitarian missions.

"North Gaza has barely any health services left. People have nowhere to go," he warned, calling for an immediate ceasefire to protect those trapped in the genocide.

Earlier, a United Nations inquiry accused "Israel" of committing war crimes, stating that "Israel" has been deliberately targeting medical personnel and facilities in Gaza, constituting the crime against humanity of extermination.

Navi Pillay, former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and chair of the inquiry, said children have been disproportionately affected by the collapse of the health system.

According to the Palestinian Health Ministry, approximately 1,000 medics have been killed in Gaza over the past year, which the WHO called an "irreplaceable loss".

North Gaza hospitals out of service

For seven consecutive days, "Israel" has blocked fuel deliveries, leaving hospitals in critical condition, Gaza's Civil Defense spokesperson, Mahmoud Basal, told Al Mayadeen.

Only Kamal Adwan Hospital remains operational in the North, as others struggle to function without fuel.

"The residents in northern Gaza are suffering from a severe shortage of all basic needs—there is no water, no food, and no medicine," Basal said.

The spokesperson noted that Israeli drones are bombing anything that moves in Jabalia camp, putting civilians at even greater risk.

The Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) in Gaza reported earlier that six of its ambulances were now out of service in northern Gaza due to fuel shortages and the continued Israeli blockade, further crippling emergency services in the area.

The blockade and relentless attacks are intensifying the already catastrophic humanitarian situation in Gaza.

Ghana President Akufo-Addo Reaffirms Commitment to End Illegal Mining

10 October 2024

GhanaToday (Accra)

By Rex Mainoo Yeboah

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has taken some actions in response to Organised Labour's call for an immediate halt to illegal mining ("galamsey") in and around water bodies and forest reserves.

President Akufo-Addo, through the relevant sector ministers, on Tuesday, 8th October 2024, invited the leadership of Organised Labour to a meeting at the Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations.

Following the meeting, the President has, in a letter dated 9th October 2024, addressed to the leadership of Organised Labour, outlined the following measures to address their concerns:

1. Deployment of Additional Military Personnel: The President has directed the Minister for Defence to deploy additional military forces to intensify the ongoing "Operation Halt", which aims to curb illegal mining activities.

The operation will be bolstered by the deployment of naval boats on polluted river bodies to ensure the immediate cessation of all mining activities, legal or illegal, in and around these water bodies.

2. Suspension of Mining in Forest Reserves: The President has instructed the Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, along with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), to suspend the enforcement of the Environmental Protection (Mining in Forest Reserves) Regulations, 2023 (L.I. 2462), with immediate effect.

3. Strengthened Prosecution of Illegal Mining Cases: Four (4) dedicated courts have already been established to enhance legal action against illegal mining activities.

The President has further directed the Attorney General to work with the Chief Justice to increase the number of courts handling cases related to illegal mining.

4. Call for a National Pact on Illegal Mining: The government has urged Organised Labour to encourage all presidential candidates and their political parties to sign a pact, committing themselves to the fight against illegal mining as part of their election pledges.

In light of these actions, the government respectfully requests that Organised Labour suspend its planned "strike action" on 10th October 2024 and collaborate with the government and other stakeholders to ensure the effective combat of the galamsey menace.

These measures were contained in a press release issued Wednesday by the Presidency.

President Akufo-Addo said he remains determined to end illegal mining and called on all citizens, political leaders, and stakeholders to unite in this critical national effort.

Read the original article on Ghana Today.

Algeria Offers to Build School in Zimbabwe

11 October 2024

The Herald (Harare)

Mukudzei Chingwere

Algeria has offered to construct a new state-of-the-art high school in Zimbabwe at a place to be chosen by the Government as part of their efforts to support the country's education system.

Algerian Ambassador to Zimbabwe Mohamed Seoudi said this after paying a courtesy call on Vice President Dr Constantino Chiwenga in Harare yesterday.

He also took the occasion of the courtesy call to extend an invitation to President Mnangagwa to the North African country for an economic corporation entrenchment visit.

The two countries are seeking to deepen collaborations as well as come up with new areas for economic cooperation.

"Let me first tell you that I have met a person of a very valuable personality as is all those ruling Zimbabwe. We discussed the issues of cooperation between our countries in all fields," said Amb Seoudi.

"Algeria is going to build a high school here in Zimbabwe. The school is a donation from Algeria and a promise from our President to His Excellency President Mnangagwa.

"Maybe the President will choose the area where this high school will be built. It will be a high school of a high level. It's a high school of more than 600 students and a boarding school.

"We also discussed the scholarships that Algeria is offering to Zimbabwe for students in all fields, especially the technical and medical ones.

"Top of the discussion also is the next visit of His Excellency President Mnangagwa to Algeria, I hope in the near future," said Amb Seoudi.

He also acknowledged that there has been very little progress in terms of collaboration between the two countries through the Joint Permanent Commission and Cooperation (JPCC).

Amb Seoudi said his country will make a donation to Zimbabwe to help its mitigation strategy in the wake of the El Nino-induced drought.

"We are also planning to give a very big aid to our brothers in Zimbabwe to face this El Nino drought that we have coming maybe next week.

"We also discussed organising the JPCC between our two countries in the coming months. Since the last JPCC, there were very few steps, but we are now reviving it," said Amb Seoudi.

Algeria is on record saying that it is committed to enhancing trade, investment and economic cooperation with Zimbabwe to match the two countries' long-standing excellent political relations.

The Second Republic is on a drive to construct over 2 000 schools across the country as part of efforts to improve access to all communities and the gesture by the Algerians will aid in covering the deficit.

The North Africans have also been collaborating and supporting the growth of Zimbabwe's education sector over the years through offering scholarships to local students.

Read the original article on The Herald.

Zimbabwe Can Exploit AfCFTA Automotive Opportunities'

11 October 2024

The Herald (Harare)

By Michael Tome, Business Reporter

Zimbabwe is well positioned to exploit opportunities in Africa's automotive industry, taking advantage of favourable trade terms established under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), a Cabinet minister said.

Foreign Affairs and International Trade Minister, Dr Frederick Shava, said this while addressing participants at the Zimbabwe Economic Society and Friedrich-Ebert Stiftung organised a breakfast meeting in Harare yesterday.

The event was held under the theme "Perspectives on Opportunities and Challenges for Zimbabwe under the AfCFTA".

Minister Shava noted that the country was home to abundant key raw materials including lithium, needed in the automotive industry.

This, he said, gave Zimbabwe a competitive advantage across the continent's automotive sector.

Zimbabwe's lithium production has been increasing in recent years, with the Southern African country already the world's sixth-largest producer of the new energy mineral.

Active producers include Bikita Minerals, Prospect Zimbabwe's Arcadia Mine and Sabi Start. Several others, including Zulu Lithium, are at various stages of development.

Lithium is a key element in the production of electric vehicle batteries, a vital part of global efforts to reduce emissions that harm the environment.

Zimbabwe is also set to become a significant steel producer following the completion of the initial phase of the Manhize Steel Plant, near Mvuma.

Manhize's annual steel production capacity is expected to reach approximately 200 000 tonnes, including mild steel, reinforcing bars and structural steel.

This further places Zimbabwe as a major supplier of key raw materials used in the automotive industry.

The AfCFTA's secretariat and the African Association of Automotive Manufacturers (AAAM), have identified Chloride Zimbabwe, a battery manufacturing company, United Springs which is in spring manufacturing, Supreme Gaskets and Kabot Brothers, which makes vehicle load boxes and fuel tanks as significant players with the potential to immensely contribute towards the African automotive value chain.

"Currently, trends in the automotive sector reveal a high demand for electric vehicles.

"On the back of abundant mineral resources that are vital raw materials for the manufacture of electric vehicles, Zimbabwe is primed to play a significant role in the automotive value chain.

"For instance, Zimbabwe can be a hub for the manufacture of lithium and steel-related components, given the abundance of these minerals in the country

"Let me hasten to say that with the increase in intra-Africa trade, the AfCFTA unlocks opportunities for both local and global businesses to enter and expand into new markets, while consolidating their footprints in existing markets.

"Opportunities exist for Zimbabwean businesses to exploit in the African market, as well as attract Foreign Direct Investment in various sectors of the economy," said Minister Shava.

He said Zimbabwe was close to starting preferential trading under the AfCFTA, following the technical verification of the country's Provisional Schedules of Tariff Concession by the AfCFTA Secretariat.

Speaking at the same event, Zimbabwe Economic Society vice president, Dr Eddie Mahembe, said the Government, industrialists and the private sector in general should be forward-thinking and solidly prepare for the full implementation of the continental trade arrangement.

"We should focus on how we can position Zimbabwe to benefit from the AfCFTA, and also look at the bottlenecks. We should find out how we can do things better so that we can put our foot forward strongly, we look at quick wins and have greater impact.

"We should look at industries that can be helped quickly to stand up on their feet and be able to export, what are the industries which might take more time and give us greater impact," said Dr Mahembe.

Economic experts say Zimbabwe could easily be one of the first countries to benefit from the AfCFTA, given the robust potential in the manufacturing and mining sectors.

According to the World Bank, Zimbabwe has a strong competitive advantage in key areas, among them agriculture, mining, and tourism.

The lender says Zimbabwe is highly competitive in several value chains of agriculture and agribusiness industries, including sugar, cotton, horticulture, as well as meat and dairy.

Read the original article on The Herald.

Zimbabwe Set to Start Trading Under AfCFTA

11 October 2024

The Herald (Harare)

Farirai Machivenyika 

The Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) secretariat has approved Zimbabwe's provisional schedules of tariff concession, paving way for the country to start trading, Foreign Affairs and International Trade Minister, Ambassador Frederick Shava, said yesterday.

He was speaking at a breakfast meeting organised by the Zimbabwe Economic Society and the Friedrich-Ebert Stiftung, which ran under the topic, "Perspectives on opportunities and challenges for Zimbabwe under the AfCFTA". Said Ambassador Shava: "This is in view of the fact that Zimbabwe is now close to commencing preferential trading under the AfCFTA, following the technical verification of the country's provisional schedules of tariff concession by the AfCFTA Secretariat.

"This is one of the key prerequisites for a State party to commence preferential trading under the AfCFTA."

The Protocol on Trade in Goods to the AfCFTA Agreement mandates AfCFTA State parties to adopt tariff concession schedules showing the tariff lines that will be liberalised in intra-Africa trade with the progression in the reduction of customs duties from the ordinary rates to zero percent, over a period ranging from five years to 15.

The AfCFTA, which was established in 2018, creates a single continental market for goods and services in Africa.

It further aims to reduce trading problems such as different regulations from one African country to another.

"As you are already aware, the AfCFTA is the world's largest free trade area whose estimated population of 1,3 billion people and combined GDP of approximately US$3,4 trillion offers great trade and investment opportunities to the outside world.

"In this regard, the AfCFTA seeks to eliminate trade barriers among member States and enhance trade liberalisation, while promoting structural transformation. Importantly, it endeavours to advance trade in value-added products across the continent and beyond," Ambassador Shava added.

He said that with the increase in intra-Africa trade, the AfCFTA unlocks opportunities for both local and global businesses to enter and expand into new markets, while consolidating their footprints in existing markets.

"Opportunities, therefore, exist for Zimbabwean businesses to exploit in the African market, as well as attract Foreign Direct Investment in various sectors of the economy," Ambassador Shava said.

"Currently, trends in the automotive sector reveal a high demand for electric vehicles. With abundant mineral resources that are vital raw materials for the manufacture of electric vehicles, Zimbabwe is primed to play a significant role in the automotive value chain. For instance, Zimbabwe can be a hub for the manufacture of lithium and steel-related components, given the abundance of these minerals in the country."

A study on the African automotive value chain that was done by the African Export and Import Bank (Afreximbank), AfCFTA Secretariat and African Association of Automotive Manufacturers (AAAM), identified several Zimbabwean companies as significant potential players which can contribute towards the African automotive value chain.

These are Chloride Zimbabwe, United Springs, Supreme Gaskets and Kabot Brothers.

Read the original article on The Herald.

After a 2-year Investigation, South African President Won’t Be Charged Over $580K Hidden in a Couch

FILE - Cyril Ramaphosa waves as he arrives ahead of his inauguration as President, at the Union Buildings in Tshwane, South Africa, June 19, 2024. (Kim Ludbrook/Pool Photo via AP, File)

By GERALD IMRAY

3:47 PM EDT, October 10, 2024

CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) — South African President Cyril Ramaphosa won’t face criminal charges over a hidden cash scandal that was revealed more than two years ago and led to an investigation by a special police unit, prosecutors said Thursday.

A former national security chief laid a criminal complaint against Ramaphosa in June 2022, accusing him of kidnapping, bribery and other crimes in relation to the theft of $580,000 in U.S. banknotes that was stashed in a couch at the president’s ranch.

The former security boss, Arthur Fraser, alleged that Ramaphosa had been keeping the cash hidden in furniture at his ranch to evade South Africa’s foreign currency laws when it was stolen.

Instead of reporting the theft, Ramaphosa tried to cover it up by having members of his presidential protection unit track down the thieves, kidnap them and then bribe them to keep quiet about the existence of the money, Fraser said in the affidavit filed with police.

The theft happened at Ramaphosa’s game farm in rural northern South Africa in early 2020 and had been kept quiet until Fraser’s allegations. It forced Ramaphosa to admit the theft took place and threw his presidency into turmoil ahead of a crucial party leadership vote.

He survived the scandal and was reelected as South African leader this June, while the criminal investigation had been ongoing. Ramaphosa, 71, was also accused of money laundering, tax evasion and breaching foreign currency laws over the cash.

He denied wrongdoing and said the cash came from the legitimate sale of buffaloes at his Phala Phala game farm.

Ramaphosa said he reported the theft to the head of his police protection unit, though he didn’t explain why the money was hidden in the couch.

Prosecutors said in a statement that the decision not to bring any charges against Ramaphosa or anyone on his security detail came after “a comprehensive investigation process.”

The scandal, at times referred to as “farmgate” in South Africa, led to opposition parties bringing an impeachment motion against Ramaphosa in Parliament. His African National Congress party used its majority to block the motion in late 2022, while Ramaphosa was also cleared by the reserve bank and an independent watchdog.

Two men and a woman, one of whom was reportedly a worker at Ramaphosa’s farm, were arrested last year and charged with breaking and entering and theft.

The allegations against Ramaphosa were seen by some to be politically motivated, with Fraser a close ally of former South African President Jacob Zuma. Zuma stepped down in 2018 while facing allegations of corruption and was replaced by Ramaphosa, who was his vice president. Zuma and Ramaphosa have since become fierce political foes.

Somalia Says it Welcomes Egypt’s Offer to Deploy Peacekeepers There

FILE - Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi gestures during a joint news conference in Cairo, Egypt, Oct. 25, 2023. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena, Pool, File)

By OMAR FARUK

3:34 AM EDT, October 11, 2024

MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) — Somalia says Egypt has offered to deploy peacekeeping troops to the Horn of Africa nation in a security partnership that is emerging as the mandate of a long-time group of African Union peacekeepers winds down.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi on Thursday attended a summit in the Eritrean capital, Asmara, where he and the leaders of Somalia and Eritrea pledged strong cooperation in regional security.

Somali authorities said in a statement at the end of the summit that they welcomed Egypt’s offer to deploy troops in Somalia as part of a stabilization force when the present African Union force disbands in December.

The statement said the leaders welcomed the African Union Peace and Security Council’s decision to launch the African Union Mission to Support Stabilization in Somalia, or AUSSOM, under whose mandate the Egyptians or others would be deployed.

A separate statement following the summit signed by representatives of Somalia, Egypt and Eritrea asserted Somalia’s sovereign right to determine the composition, tasks and deployment timeline for the AUSSOM troops.

Somalia’s federal government has been supported by an African Union peacekeeping mission since 2007 in fighting the Islamic extremist group al-Shabab, which has ties with al-Qaida and is responsible for deadly attacks in the country.

The summit in Asmara followed a period of tensions in the region stemming from disputes pitting Ethiopia against others.

The first dispute — between Ethiopia and Egypt — is over Ethiopia’s construction of a $4 billion dam on the Blue Nile, a key tributary of the Nile River. Egypt fears it will have a devastating effect on water and irrigation supplies downstream in Egypt unless Ethiopia takes its needs into account. Ethiopia plans to use the dam to generate badly needed electricity.

The second dispute — between Ethiopia and Somalia — is over Somalia’s breakaway region of Somaliland.

Somalia has sought to block landlocked Ethiopia’s ongoing efforts to gain access to the Red Sea via a contentious agreement with Somaliland to lease a stretch of land along its coastline, where Ethiopia would establish a marine force base. In return, Ethiopia would recognize Somaliland as an independent country, according to Somaliland authorities.

Somaliland seceded from Somalia more than 30 years ago but is not recognized by the African Union or the United Nations as an independent state. Somalia still considers Somaliland part of its territory.

Kenya and Haiti Urge Partners to Boost Support for Peacekeeping Mission Amid a Funding Shortfall

By EVELYNE MUSAMBI

6:59 AM EDT, October 11, 2024

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — The leaders of Kenya and Haiti on Friday urged international partners to honor their commitment to the U.N.-backed peacekeeping mission in Haiti, saying the mission needs more resources and that its budget will run out in March 2025.

Kenya, which leads the mission to quell gang violence in the Caribbean nation, has sent nearly 400 officers. They are joined by nearly two dozen police officers and soldiers from Jamaica, but the numbers fall significantly short of the 2,500 pledged by various countries, including Chad, Benin, Bangladesh and Barbados, for the mission.

Kenyan President William Ruto, who met with Haiti Prime Minister Garry Conille in Nairobi on Friday, said Kenya would deploy 600 additional officers next month.

The U.N. has $85 million in pledges for the mission, of which $68 million has been received.

“We have a window of success that is evident from the operations that have been carried out already,” Ruto said.

Conille asked international partners to send the officers they’d pledged to ensure the “contingent from Kenya has the resources they need.”

Conille said his regular meetings with the Kenyan commander were filled with words of encouragement that the fight against Haiti’s gangs “is winnable.”

The gangs in Haiti have grown in power since the July 7, 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moïse and are now estimated to control up to 80% of the capital. The surge in killings, rapes and kidnappings has led to a violent uprising by civilian vigilante groups.

A U.N. Security Council voted unanimously in early October to extend the mandate of the Kenya-led multinational force, after brushing off a call from Haiti to start talks on transforming it into a U.N. peacekeeping mission.

Newark's People's Organization for Progress Calls for Another Defeat of Trump

DONALD TRUMP MUST BE DEFEATED: HAMM ENDORSES HARRIS-WALZ TICKET

The following endorsement was issued today by Lawrence Hamm, Chairman, People’s Organization For Progress, and former candidate for U.S. Senator (NJ):

Today, I am personally and publicly endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris and Governor Tim Walz, the Democratic Party nominees for President and Vice President of the United States. I urge all voters to cast their ballots for the Harris-Walz ticket on Election Day, Tuesday, November 5, 2024. 

The election will take place In less than thirty days. As of today, all things remaining the same, there are two possible outcomes as far as who will win the election. It will either be Harris-Walz team or that of former president Donald Trump and Senator J. D. Vance, the Republican nominees. 

Between these two I believe the Harris-Walz ticket to be the better choice for the country. Trump has already shown us what he can do. He served one term in the White House and it was a disaster. 

He was a failed president. That is why he was defeated by Joe Biden and Kamala Harris in 2020. I have every reason to believe a second Trump term would be more catastrophic than the first. 

It is imperative that Trump is defeated in November. He was one of the worst presidents in American history. He must be prevented from winning a second term in the White House. 

The Harris-Walz team is the only ticket with the potential strength to defeat Trump at the ballot box. Doing all we can to ensure their victory is the means by which to keep Trump out of the White House again.

The race between Harris and Trump is very close. As of today it is too close to call. Every vote is going to count. We must vote in record numbers and do everything else necessary to realize a Harris-Walz victory and defeat Trump in November. 

My endorsement of the Harris-Walz ticket does not mean I agree with the Vice President on all of her policy positions. In particular, I have strongly opposed the Biden-Harris administration’s support of Israel’s genocidal war against the Palestinians. 

I have issued statements opposing U.S. support for this war since it began last October. Over the past year U.S. has given billions in military aid to Israel for its genocidal war against the Palestinians. In so doing our country has become a partner in genocide. 

With U.S. made bombs, aircraft, and weapons of war Israel has killed, according to conservative estimates, more that 45,000 Palestinians, the majority of whom have been women and children. Others have put the death toll has high as 186,000 when you include those that are missing and buried under the rubble. 

It has wounded more than 100,000, and displaced more than 2,000,000 which is nearly the entire population of Gaza. The majority of Palestinians are suffering from starvation and disease because of the war. 

Israel has bombed and destroyed more than 86,000 housing units and damaged more than 300,000 more. It has destroyed 32 hospitals, 100 universities and schools, and more than 25,000 other buildings including mosques and churches. 

Israel has turned Gaza into an apocalyptic uninhabitable wasteland, but the destruction has not stopped there. It has expanded the war to the West Bank. It is bombing Lebanon, Syria, Yemen and threatening all out war with Iran. Israel is turning the war in Gaza into a regional conflagration and dragging the international community closer to world war. 

As a candidate for U.S. Senate in the NJ Democratic Primary I ran in opposition to the war and called for an immediate ceasefire. Because of the Biden-Harris administration‘s continued support for the war I voted uncommitted in the presidential primary race and urged others to do the same in order to send a strong message to the administration to change course. 

In July, President Biden bowed out of the race and threw his support behind Vice President Harris who went on to the Democratic National Convention to win her party’s nomination for president. At that time she said she wanted a ceasefire and that the administration was working to bring the war to an end. 

Whatever the Biden-Harris administration is doing to bring about a ceasefire in Gaza is not working. In fact, it has produced the opposite effect. Saying you want a ceasefire while doing everything possible to send more weapons to Israel will prolong the war and genocide, not end it. 

The Biden-Harris administration must drastically change course on the Gaza war and Middle East policy. Just saying you want a ceasefire is not enough. Vice President Harris must call for an arms embargo against Israel in order to bring the fighting to an end. 

Other nations have announced a halt to weapons sales to Israel. The U.S. should do the same. The majority of Americans want a ceasefire in Gaza. The majority of Americans want the U.S. to stop sending weapons to Israel for the war in Gaza. 

I believe that if the Vice President called for an arms embargo against Israel to bring about an end to the war it would improve her chances for victory in November. Continuing on the current course will only increase the chances of defeat. 

I have opposed and protested against Israel’s genocidal war in Gaza, and U.S. support for it under the Biden-Harris administration. And I will continue to do so if there is no change and policy under a Harris-Walz administration. 

Trump must be defeated. We cannot allow a would be dictator who tried to seize power through a right wing coup attempt, conspired to overturn an election, and led a violent insurrection, become president of the United States. A second term will only allow him to try to do it again. 

He is leading a reactionary movement that has in its ranks white supremacists, neo-nazis, and violent extremists. Their movement wants to roll back nearly one hundred years of hard won rights and social progress. A Trump victory will only strengthen that movement. 

Trump has used the U.S. Supreme Court to also accomplish the goals of that movement. He has by made appointments that have led to a conservative super majority on the court. It has issued decisions that will negatively impact the lives of millions of people. 

Trump is a racist, fascist, sexist, bigot, and pathological liar. When he was elected he failed to win the popular vote. While president he was impeached twice. He is the only former president convicted of a crime. 

He is facing upcoming trials on other charges. He has vowed to pardon those of his followers who violently attacked the Capitol on January 6, 2021. Trump is corrupt and unfit to hold office. 

Both he and his enablers in the Republican Party must be defeated. Democrats must must win the White House, win back the majority in the House of Representatives, and hold on to and widen their majority in the Senate. 

There are less than 30 days until the election on November 5th. I urge everyone to engage in voter registration efforts until the October 15th cut-off date. Those folks who are registered should check their registration and make sure everything is in order. 

There must be massive voter mobilization. Everyone must vote. Don’t sit this election out. Everyone must get involved. Those who can should help get people to the polls. 

We must vote in record landslide numbers in order to hand Trump a crushing and incontestable defeat on Election Day in both the popular vote and the electoral college.

Lawrence Hamm

Chairman People’s Organization For Progress

Former Candidate For U.S. Senator

Israel Launches Airstrikes on Central Area of Beirut, Killing 22, Injuring 117

Thursday, 10 October 2024 10:25 PM

People gathered in front of a destroyed building hit by an Israeli air strike on Thursday night. (AP photo)

Israel has launched an airstrike in central Beirut, Lebanon, outside of the city’s southern suburbs, killing about two dozen people and wounding scores of others.

The Ministry of Public Health in Lebanon said on Thursday night at least 22 people were killed and 117 wounded in Israeli strikes on Beirut this evening.

The Israeli army attacked the central area of the city.

A huge number of people were injured they were brought to nearby hospitals in the surrounding neighborhood.

The hospitals have asked for no one to come and donate blood at the moment because they are already overwhelmed.

People could be seen overwhelmed with grief outside the American University of Beirut Medical Center, where some of the casualties were being treated.

People outside told reporters that they saw streaks in the sky and, of course, big explosions.

People were running and screaming in these neighborhoods, absolutely traumatized.

Many people have come from the southern suburbs of Beirut and are sheltering in the densely packed neighborhoods in central Beirut. About 700,000 people emptied from these suburbs into these areas.

Outside the emergency ward of Beirut Medical Center, an elderly woman rocked back and forth with a dazed look in her eyes.

A man came to her with terrible news: “Abbas’s son and daughter are martyrs,” he said, his hand on her shoulder.

A few moments later, the woman burst into tears.

Lebanon’s Health Ministry said that more than 2,000 people have been killed in Israel’s attack on Lebanon, including dozens of children and scores of women, since October 2023.

Hundreds of thousands of civilians have fled their homes in Beirut to escape the Israeli air raids.

Lebanese health officials have denounced Israel for indiscriminately attacking emergency rescuers and civilians.

The UN has warned that Lebanon is facing a ‘catastrophic’ situation as 600,000 people have been displaced due to the Israeli war.

Lebanon’s health minister said the country's healthcare system is teetering on the brink of collapse.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has already warned that Lebanon could face “a long war... like we see in Gaza.”

Mozambique Counts Votes in its Presidential Election as Opposition Alleges Fraud

By CHARLES MANGWIRO

4:20 PM EDT, October 9, 2024

MAPUTO, Mozambique (AP) — Mozambique began counting votes late Wednesday in a presidential election that is expected to extend the ruling party’s 49 years in power, though the opposition was already alleging fraud and manipulation.

Independent candidate Venancio Mondlane, a newcomer to national politics, posed the biggest challenge to the governing party’s candidate, Daniel Chapo.

Mondlane and the two other challengers raised concerns over the election’s fairness, claiming among other things that ballot boxes had been unsealed before voting ended and that some of their delegates were denied accreditation to monitor the voting.

“I trust the electoral process, but not the people deployed to run the election,” Mondlane said.

The governing Front for the Liberation of Mozambique, or Frelimo, has routinely denied that it rigs elections following allegations of tampering in previous votes. The leftist former liberation movement has been in power in the southern African country since independence from Portugal in 1975.

Chapo, 47, seeks to succeed President Filipe Nyusi, who has served a maximum two terms.

But the 50-year-old Mondlane has invigorated disaffected youth in a country blessed with rich natural resources, but weighed down by instability, climate shocks and unemployment.

People also voted for the makeup of Parliament and for provincial governors in the country of around 33 million people that still bears the scars of a 15-year civil war that ended in 1992, and more recently has been shaken by an ongoing violent jihadi insurgency in the north.

Ending that seven-year insurgency and bringing stability to Cabo Delgado province, where a multibillion-dollar natural gas project has stalled because of the violence, is a pledge by both leading candidates.

“All Mozambicans have high hopes from the new president,” said 69-year-old Baptista Antonio, who voted at a school in the capital and Indian Ocean port city of Maputo. “I was born during the colonial era and saw many transformations of the country, from wars to development, and all I can say is it’s a work in progress. There are many challenges ahead.”

Counting began soon after polls closed during the early evening in the one-day election. The full results must be delivered to the Constitutional Council within 15 days of polls closing to be validated and formally declared. Around 17 million people are registered to vote.

The credibility of the election was expected to come under scrutiny. Frelimo was accused of ballot-stuffing and falsifying results in previous votes, including last year’s local elections. Borges Nhamire, an analyst at the Institute for Security Studies in neighboring South Africa, said that those elections were manipulated by Frelimo and that more of the same was expected this time.

“In Mozambique, the person who is declared the winner is not always the winner at the polls,” Nhamire said.

Teams of regional and international election observers are in Mozambique, including from the European Union and African Union.

Frelimo effectively established a one-party state following independence and fought a civil war against the rebel Mozambique National Resistance, or Renamo, for a decade and a half. The country held its first elections in 1994, two years after a peace agreement.

Renamo is contesting this election and party leader Ossufo Momade, a military commander in the civil war, is its candidate for president. The peace between Frelimo and Renamo has been fragile, with an outbreak of more fighting in 2013. Momade and outgoing President Nyusi signed another peace deal in 2019.

Tensions remain, although the AU has said that this is the first election in Mozambique without the presence of armed groups connected to political parties after a successful process to disarm Renamo militias.

The fourth candidate for president is Lutero Simango of the Mozambique Democratic Movement, who is viewed as an outsider.

Frelimo’s Chapo praised Mozambicans for a peaceful campaign period as he voted in the southern city of Inhambane. “I thank the entire Mozambican population for this opportunity we have today,” he said.

The independent Mondlane, who broke away from Renamo, is supported by a new party after an opposition group that he aligned with before the election was barred from contesting, which drew more accusations that Frelimo was trying to manipulate the process. His emergence, with large crowds at his rallies, is a new challenge to Frelimo, which has traditionally won national elections comfortably.

Frelimo was declared the winner with more than 70% of the vote in an election five years ago. The Pangea risk company, which provides security and investment advice on developing countries, said that Chapo’s election has been “carefully stage-managed” by Frelimo.

Chapo, a law professor, was the governor of southern Inhambane province — Mozambique’s flagship tourism region — before winning an internal party vote in May to become Frelimo’s presidential candidate.

Chapo would be Mozambique’s first leader born after independence if he wins.

Mali’s Traditional Theater Gives Psychiatric Patients the Stage

By MOUSTAPHA DIALLO and BABA AHMED

12:15 AM EDT, October 10, 2024

BAMAKO, Mali (AP) — In the courtyard of a psychiatric ward in Mali’s capital, a small group of patients acts out scenes of a village dispute to the beat of a djembe, a traditional West African drum.

One patient, Mamadou Diarra, cries out to another in the Bambara language, mocking: “You don’t know anything! Just nonsense!”

But both break into smiles, and Diarra dances as he continues launching insults at his fellow performer.

The group is taking part in koteba, a traditional form of theater practiced by Mali’s largest ethnic group, the Bambara. It mixes acting, singing and dancing and is usually performed in villages as an outlet to work through problems and an open space for satire.

But here at Point G, one of the largest hospitals in Bamako, koteba is also a way of offering support and a sense of community to people receiving psychiatric care.

Mali has fewer than 50 mental health professionals for a population of more than 20 million, according to a 2022 report by the World Health Organization. People with mental illnesses are often left without treatment and excluded from society.

Though the use of koteba as therapy hasn’t been formally studied, Souleymane Coulibaly, a clinical psychologist at the Point G hospital, said the traditional form of theater is uniquely positioned to help people in the psychiatric ward work through their problems.

“Patients who attend koteba leave the hospital more quickly than those who refuse to attend the theater session,” he said.

In the courtyard, Diarra was the star, and other patients gathered as he spoke.

“I’ve never done any kind of theater before. I’ve never danced. But once I started, God gave me the knowledge of these things,” he said.

Adama Bagayoko, 67, the director of the visiting theater troupe, said the weekly performances at Point G are a rare space where patients feel heard and respected.

“We talk to each other, we dance together, we laugh together,” Bagayoko said. “To touch someone shows that we are equal, to listen to them shows that they are important, and what they say is important.”

Bagayoko was part of a troupe that brought koteba to the Point G psychiatric ward in 1983, as mental health workers looked for a way to use Mali’s cultural practices to help people receiving psychiatric care.

The first performance was so effective that patients asked the doctors if the actors could return the next day, he said.

Patients and actors have been meeting for koteba performances every Friday since then.

The koteba performances at Point G unfold in three phases, Bagayoko said. First, the troupe plays music to invite patients into the courtyard. Then the troupe asks what the topic or theme of that day’s performance should be. After the performance, they sit in a circle and give the floor to any patients who wish to speak.

Because the patients feel at ease, they often tell the actors details about their lives they are not comfortable sharing with their family or doctors, which can help doctors get to the core of any issue they might be dealing with, Bagayoko said.

On a recent Friday, the patients acted out a familiar scene in Mali: A man in a village is accused of stealing. The thief screams and claims he hasn’t stolen anything, while the villagers ask Diarra, playing the village chief, what punishment he deserves.

“Kill him!” Diarra yells amid the screams. But as the angry mob gathers around the man, he escapes and flees.

Bagayoko said the troupe performs other themes proposed by patients including those about women beaten by their husbands, drug problems and alcoholism.

The hospital at Point G is only a short walk from Mali’s political stage — the presidential palace and main military base — where a 2020 military coup has left the country struggling with increased extremist violence and economic hardship. Last month, Islamic militants attacked Bamako for the first time in almost a decade.

But those problems are far away during the koteba performances at the hospital, as Diarra and his fellow patients are immersed in the world they create.

“You know what my problem is? That I see things for what they are,” Diarra said, laughing, during a break.

Bagayoko chimed in: “Okay, we’ll lighten that load for you.”