Central News Hub

Month: December 2024

  • ‘Fadnavis’ name approved as Maha CM’  

    ‘Fadnavis’ name approved as Maha CM’  

    More than a week after the Mahayuti clinched a massive victory in Maharashtra polls with the BJP emerging as the single largest party with 132 seats, the new government is yet to be sworn in …reports Asian Lite News

    The name of Devendra Fadnavis has been finalised as the new chief minister of Maharashtra who will be elected as the legislature party leader in a meeting to be held either on December 2 or 3, a senior BJP leader said on Sunday night. 

    Earlier in the day, outgoing Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said he would support the BJP’s decision to pick the new chief minister. “The name of Devendra Fadnavis has been finalised as the new chief minister of Maharashtra. The meeting to elect the new BJP legislature party meeting will be held on either December 2 or 3,” a senior BJP leader said. 

    Amid speculation that his son Shrikant Shinde might get the deputy CM’s post and Shiv Sena is keen on the Home portfolio, Eknath Shinde said the Mahayuti allies- BJP, NCP, and Shiv Sena- will decide the government formation through consensus after sitting together. 

    More than a week after the Mahayuti clinched a massive victory in Maharashtra polls with the BJP emerging as the single largest party with 132 seats, the new government is yet to be sworn in. The oath-taking ceremony of the new Mahayuti government is scheduled for December 5 evening at the Azad Maidan in south Mumbai and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend it. 

    The BJP is moving cautiously as aspirations of its allies, especially Shiv Sena, grew after the massive poll victory. Despite Shinde’s insistence on Mahayuti unity, some leaders of allies spoke in different voices. 

    Former Union minister and BJP leader Raosaheb Danve said if the undivided Sena and BJP had contested the elections together, they would have won more seats. 

    Separately, Shiv Sena MLA Gulabrao Patil claimed that the Eknath Shinde-led party would have won 90-100 seats in polls had Ajit Pawar’s NCP not been part of the alliance, drawing a sharp reaction from the Ajit Pawar-led party. 

    The BJP legislature party meeting to elect the leader, who will be the party’s chief ministerial pick, is yet to be held even though Shiv Sena and NCP have elected Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar as their legislature party leaders, respectively. 

    A senior Mahayuti leader said the allies will jointly decide whether only the chief minister and deputy CMs will take oath on December 5 or ministers will also be sworn in. Shinde had left for his native village in Satara district on Friday amid speculation that he was not happy with the way the new government was shaping up.  

    Talking to reporters in his village on Sunday before leaving for Mumbai, Shinde said, “I have already said the decision on CM’s post taken by the BJP leadership will be acceptable to me and Shiv Sena and will have my full backing”. 

    On speculation that Shrikant Shinde will be made a Deputy CM in the new government and whether Shiv Sena has staked the claim for the home portfolio, Shinde replied, “Talks were on”. 

    “A meeting took place in Delhi last week with (Union home minister) Amit Shah, and now we three alliance partners will discuss the nitty-gritty of government formation after sitting together,” he said. Responding to a query on his health, the Shiv Sena leader said he was fine now and had come to his native village to get some rest. 

    Shinde reiterated that there are no differences among Mahayuti allies and pointed out that the BJP is yet to announce its legislature party leader. “There are no ifs and buts. My health is fine now. The work of our government will be written in golden words in the history,” he said. Shinde landed in Thane on the late Sunday afternoon.  

    Though the oath-taking ceremony of the new government just four days away, there seems no clarity on the schedule of the much-awaited BJP legislature party meeting. A BJP leader claimed the party’s MLAs have not been informed yet regarding the timing of the legislature party meeting. 

    A day earlier, BJP leaders confirmed that the meeting will be held on December 2. Maharashtra NCP chief Sunil Tatkare said,”We will sit together and decide whether only chief minister and deputy chief ministers will take oath or ministers will also be sworn in”. 

    Differences among Mahayuti allies, meanwhile, came out in the open on Sunday. “Had Shiv Sena not split into two, and contested assembly elections with the BJP, our victory would have been bigger than what we achieved today. We had also won comfortably in the 2019 assembly elections,” Raosaheb Danve said. 

    He claimed the Shiv Sena split because of Sanjay Raut, a close aide of Uddhav Thackeray. “You wait for six months, and Raut will cause a rift between Uddhav and his son Aaditya as well,” he added. 

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  • Trump Hits Biden on Hunter Pardon

    Trump Hits Biden on Hunter Pardon

    Trump called those rioters who were convicted political prisoners and “hostages” who he claims were wrongfully prosecuted and has said he would pardon them…reports Asian Lite News

    President-elect Donald Trump has taunted President Joe Biden for pardoning his son Hunter, asking if the pardon includes his supporters serving prison terms for participating in the January 6 riots when Congress was attacked

    In a post on Truth Social on Sunday night. he called the pardon “such an abuse and miscarriage of Justice”!

    “Does the Pardon given by Joe to Hunter include the J-6 Hostages, who have now been imprisoned for years,” he asked using a shorthand for the January 6, 2021 riots.

    After Trump held a rally claiming he had won the 2020 election and it was “stolen” from him, some of his supporters invaded the Capitol threatening then-Vice President Mike Pence and members of Congress as they were certifying Biden’s election.

    Trump called those rioters who were convicted political prisoners and “hostages” who he claims were wrongfully prosecuted and has said he would pardon them.

    Trump had himself indicated that he was open to pardoning Hunter Biden “despite what they’ve done to me, where they’ve gone after me so viciously, despite what, and Hunter’s a bad boy”.

    Hoping to put a sordid family case behind him as he leaves office, Biden pardoned his son Hunter who was convicted of gun and tax evasion charges sparing him the possibility of prison sentences.

    Announcing the pardon, Biden said that “raw politics has infected this process and it led to a miscarriage of justice” in his son’s case.

    “The charges in his cases came about only after several of my political opponents in Congress instigated them to attack me and oppose my election,” he said.

    Biden’s claims about the selective prosecution of his son because of political pressures echo Trump’s assertion that he was tried and convicted for political reasons by prosecutors who weaponised the justice system.

    The president asserted that others who committed the same offences as his son and under similar circumstances were not prosecuted like him unless there were other circumstances or were given non-criminal deals.

    Trump and his supporters have made the same arguments — politically motivated selective prosecution — in his two convictions in New York.

    The 34 criminal convictions that the Democrats touted in the campaign were for mislabeling payments in his account books and each cheque was made into separate offences.

    In the civil case where he was fined $354 million, he was accused of inflating his net worth in applying for bank loans, although the loans were repaid and the banks did not complain.

    Both cases were brought by elected Democratic Party prosecutors.

    Before Biden announced the pardon, a Representative from his party, Jamie Raskin cited Trump’s claims to make the case for Hunter Biden.

    “There is a defence called selective prosecution if you can show that the government has a set of cases that all look alike, but they pick one person out to prosecute based on, say, a political animus towards the person, which essentially is the claim that Donald Trump has been making about why he was targeted,” he said.

    Trump’s Spokesperson Steven Cheung said without referring to Biden’s pardon, “The failed witch hunts against President Trump have proven that the Democrat-controlled DOJ (Department of Justice) and other radical prosecutors are guilty of weaponising the justice system.”

    “That system of justice must be fixed and due process must be restored for all Americans, which is exactly what President Trump will do as he returns to the White House with an overwhelming mandate from the American people,” he said.

    Other Republicans piled on, attacking the pardon.

    Senator John Barrasso posted on X, “Tonight’s pardon is wrong. It proves to the American people that there is a two-tier system of justice”.

    Rep. Wesley Hunt posted, “Joe Biden just did the thing he told us he would never do, PARDONING his son for crimes he and the majority of the media told us he never committed.”

    And Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene said on Truth Social, “This pardon is Joe Biden’s admission that Hunter is a criminal”.

    She added that Biden’s “FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation) and DOJ (Department of Justice) raided Barron’s bedroom and Melania’s closet at Mar-a-Lago”, referring to Trump’s son and wife.

    Biden had said, “I hope Americans will understand why a father and a President would come to this decision” to pardon his son.

    Senator Tom Cotton conceded in his X post, “Most Americans can sympathise with a father’s decision to pardon his son, even if they disagree”, but he added, ”What they can’t forgive is Biden lying about it repeatedly before the election.”

    Hunter Biden played a central role in Trump’s first impeachment in which he was accused of pressuring Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky to investigate alleged business irregularities in order to impair Biden’s bid for the presidency.

    A Ukrainian gas company had appointed Hunter Biden as a director with monthly payments even though he had no experience in the energy field.

    While the House of Representatives impeached Trump, the Senate did not convict him.

    ALSO READ: Russia’s Defence Chief Visits North Korea

  • Russia’s Defence Chief Visits North Korea

    Russia’s Defence Chief Visits North Korea

    On Friday, he met with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, who expressed support for Russia’s war against Ukraine…reports Asian Lite News

    Russia’s Defence Minister Andrei Belousov has left Pyongyang after a two-day visit during which he met with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, the North’s state media reported on Sunday.

    Belousov and a Russian defence ministry delegation he led departed Pyongyang the previous day via Pyongyang Sunan International Airport after visiting the Liberation Tower and Mangyongdae in the capital earlier in the day, reports Yonhap quoting the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported.

    The Russian Minister arrived in the North Korean capital on Friday for high-level talks with North Korean military officials, amid deepening military cooperation between the two countries.

    On Friday, he met with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, who expressed support for Russia’s war against Ukraine.

    The KCNA said that Belousov and his delegation visited the Liberation Tower in Pyongyang’s Moranbong area on Saturday, where they laid flowers before departing the North Korean capital.

    The monument was established in 1946 to honour Russian soldiers who died fighting for North Korea’s liberation from the Japanese colonial rule during World War II.

    The Russian minister also visited Mangyongdae, the birthplace of North Korean founder Kim Il-sung, where he wrote in a guest book his wishes for “welfare and peace” for North Koreans and a “grand victory” for North Korea’s efforts to build a powerful nation, according to the KCNA.

    North Korean Defence Minister No Kwang-chol and Jong Kyong-thaek, director of the military’s General Political Bureau, sent the Russian delegation off at the airport, it said.

    North Korea and Russia have been bolstering military cooperation under a major defence treaty signed in June that calls for providing military assistance “without delay” if either side comes under attack.

    North Korea deployed thousands of troops to fight for Russia in its war against Ukraine, with South Korea and the US assessing that some of them already entered combat.

    No mention of an agreement has been made by North Korea in connection with the latest visit by the Russian delegation, but the two sides are expected to have discussed a potential increase in North Korea’s arms transfers or troop deployments for Russia and the rewards it would receive from Russia in return.

    ALSO READ: East African summit urges peace in Congo 

  • Interpol arrests over 1,000 cybercrime suspects in Africa 

    Interpol arrests over 1,000 cybercrime suspects in Africa 

    Operation Serengeti, a joint operation with Afripol, the African Union’s police agency, ran from Sept. 2 to Oct. 31 in 19 African countries..reports Asian Lite New  

    Interpol arrested 1,006 suspects in Africa during a massive two-month operation, clamping down on cybercrime that left tens of thousands of victims, including some who were trafficked, and produced millions in financial damages, the global police organization said Tuesday. 

    Operation Serengeti, a joint operation with Afripol, the African Union’s police agency, ran from Sept. 2 to Oct. 31 in 19 African countries and targeted criminals behind ransomware, business email compromise, digital extortion and online scams, the agency said in a statement. 

    “From multi-level marketing scams to credit card fraud on an industrial scale, the increasing volume and sophistication of cybercrime attacks is of serious concern,” said Valdecy Urquiza, the Secretary General of Interpol. 

    Interpol pinpointed 35,000 victims, with cases linked to nearly $193 million in financial losses worldwide, stating that local police authorities and private sector partners, including internet service providers, played a key role in the operation. 

    Jalel Chelba, Afripol’s Executive Director, said in the statement: “Through Serengeti, Afripol has significantly enhanced support for law enforcement in African Union Member States,” 

    Serengeti’s results were a “drastic increase” compared to operations in Africa in previous years, Enrique Hernandez Gonzalez, Interpol’s Assistant Director of Cybercrime Operations, said. Interpol’s previous cybercrime operations in Africa had only led to 25 arrests in the last two years. 

    “Significant progress has been made, with participating countries enhancing their ability to work with intelligence and produce meaningful results,” Gonzalez said. In Kenya, the police made nearly two dozen arrests in an online credit card fraud case linked to losses of $8.6 million. In the West African country of Senegal, officers arrested eight people, including five Chinese nationals, for a $6 million online Ponzi scheme. 

    Chelba said Afripol’s focus now includes emerging threats like Artificial Intelligence-driven malware and advanced cyberattack techniques. 

    Other dismantled networks included a group in Cameroon suspected of using a multi-level marketing scam for human trafficking, an international criminal group in Angola running an illegal virtual casino and a cryptocurrency investment scam in Nigeria. 

    Interpol, which has 196 member countries and celebrated its centennial last year, works to help national police forces communicate with each other and track suspects and criminals in fields like counterterrorism, financial crime, child pornography, cybercrime and organized crime. 

    The world’s biggest — if not best-funded — police organization has been grappling with new challenges including a growing caseload of cybercrime and child sex abuse, and increasing divisions among its member countries. 

    Interpol had a total budget of about 176 million euros (about $188 million) last year, compared to more than 200 million euros at the European Union’s police agency, Europol, and some $11 billion at the FBI in the United States. 

    LeT member facing Interpol notice extradited to India  

    A member of Pakistan-based terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) facing an Interpol Red Notice was extradited to India from Rwanda on Thursday in an operation coordinated by the NIA and the CBI, officials said. 

    Salman Rehman Khan, an alleged member of the internationally proscribed terrorist organisation, assisted in providing arms, ammunition and explosives to further terrorist activities in Bengaluru, they said. 

    The National Investigation Agency (NIA) lodged a case in 2023 related to criminal conspiracy to spread terror in Bengaluru in which Khan was suspect, they said. 

    An FIR was also registered against him at the Hebbal police station in Bengaluru. 

    Khan, who was previously imprisoned in a POCSO case (2018–2022), allegedly facilitated the collection and distribution of explosives for other terror accused after being radicalised and recruited during his incarceration by T Naseer, a life convict in a terror case, according to the NIA probe. Naseer allegedly orchestrated the radicalisation and subsequent criminal activities to further LeT operations in the country, besides plotting his escape en route the court from the prison, the agency said. 

    When the terror module was busted, Khan managed to give agencies a slip and escaped from the country, it added. The NIA chargesheeted Khan under the stringent anti-terror law and the Indian Penal Code while the court declared him a fugitive,” the NIA said. 

    “On NIA’s request, the CBI got a Red Notice issued against the subject from Interpol on August 2, 2024. It was circulated to all the law enforcement agencies globally for tracking the wanted criminal,” a CBI statement said. 

    Based on the notice, he was apprehended by authorities in Kigali, Rwanda, on September 9, officials said. The information was passed on to the CBI which is the designated agency for coordination of Interpol affairs in India and the NIA. 

    India placed an extradition request with Rwanda on October 29 following which an extradition order was signed on November 12, according to news reports published in the local media there. 

    “The Global Operations Centre of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) closely coordinated with the NIA and Interpol National Central Bureau, Kigali, for the return to India from Rwanda of Salman Rehman Khan, wanted by the NIA for terror-related offences,” a CBI spokesperson said in the statement. 

    The return of Khan is the latest in a series of recent operations held in coordination with Interpol, wherein two accused — one wanted by the CBI and another by the Kerala Police — were brought back from Saudi Arabia. 

    Barkat Ali Khan facing an Interpol Red Notice was wanted in a 2012 case of rioting and use of explosive substances. He was brought back from Saudi Arabia on November 14. 

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  • S African Opposition seeks top court to revive impeachment   

    S African Opposition seeks top court to revive impeachment   

    The Economic Freedom Fighters and African Transformation Movement want the Constitutional Court to overrule a vote by Parliament in late 2022 that saved Ramaphosa from impeachment hearings …reports Asian Lite News

    Two South African opposition parties asked the country’s top court Tuesday to revive impeachment proceedings against President Cyril Ramaphosa over a scandal where more than half a million dollars in cash was stashed in a couch at his ranch and then stolen. 

    The leftist Economic Freedom Fighters and African Transformation Movement want the Constitutional Court to overrule a vote by Parliament in late 2022 that saved Ramaphosa from impeachment hearings. 

    Ramaphosa’s African National Congress party used its parliamentary majority to stop an impeachment vote by lawmakers. But the opposition parties say Parliament did not fulfill its constitutional duty to hold the president to account after a preliminary investigation found some evidence of misconduct by Ramaphosa and recommended a full probe. 

    The opposition parties want a full parliamentary investigation. 

    Ramaphosa was cleared of wrongdoing by financial authorities, by a public watchdog and by police after a two-year criminal investigation. 

    The case threatened Ramaphosa’s leadership after it was revealed in June 2022 that around $580,000 in U.S. banknotes was stolen from a couch at his game farm. The theft happened in early 2020 but came to light two years later. 

    Ramaphosa was accused of money laundering and breaching foreign currency laws, and of covering up the theft. He said the money came from the legitimate sale of animals at his ranch but has not explained why it was hidden in a couch. 

    The opposition parties pushed that question again at Tuesday’s court hearing. 

    “There needs to be an explanation,” said Anton Katz, a lawyer for the ATM party. 

    Ramaphosa’s long-ruling ANC lost its parliamentary majority in May’s election. Any revival of impeachment hearings could be risky for the leader of Africa’s most advanced economy, who was reelected for a second term in June with the help of coalition partners. However, the EFF and ATM are small parties and would ultimately need support from others who joined the ANC-led coalition government to impeach Ramaphosa, which is seen as unlikely. The Constitutional Court typically takes weeks and sometimes months to deliver a ruling. 

    ‘We are committed to ending poverty ‘ 

    South Africa is committed to ending poverty in the country through collective actions and far-reaching social and economic reforms, said President Cyril Ramaphosa.  

    He remarked while delivering his annual address to the National Council of Provinces (NCOP), the upper house of parliament, in Cape Town, the legislative capital of South Africa. 

    The address and the debate on it were held under the theme “Dedicating Our Efforts towards Reducing Poverty and Tacking the High Cost of Living.” 

    “Like slavery and apartheid, poverty is not natural. It is man-made and it can be overcome and eradicated by the actions of human beings,” Ramaphosa declared, invoking the words of Nelson Mandela. He noted that poverty in South Africa has deep roots, including centuries of colonial and apartheid humiliation, dispossession and exclusion. 

    “The end of poverty and inequality in South Africa therefore requires nothing less than the fundamental social and economic transformation of our country,” he said. 

    Ramaphosa also outlined the government’s progress in lifting millions of South Africans out of absolute poverty. According to him, in 1993, 71 per cent of South Africans lived in poverty, by 2010 the poverty rate had dropped to 61 per cent and in 2020, it was at 56 per cent. 

    Ramaphosa acknowledged that challenges remain, given nearly a quarter of the population experiences food poverty, and unemployment, particularly among young people, persists as a pressing issue. 

    To address these challenges, “our focus is on the actions we must take — boldly and with urgency — to implement our electoral mandate,” he said. “Our actions must make a real difference in people’s lives now. Our actions must also build an inclusive economy that will continue to reduce poverty into the future — and ultimately eradicate it.” 

    According to the president, key reforms are underway in strategic sectors such as energy, water, telecommunications, and transport. For example, he highlighted the restoration of commuter train services, which he said is the most affordable mode of transport, as part of efforts to ease the financial burden on low-income households. 

    Ramaphosa specifically emphasised the importance of education, describing it as “the most powerful instrument we have to end poverty.” “By investing in the skills and capabilities of young people, we will be able to break the cycle of poverty that is handed down from one generation to the next.” 

    He also noted that as South Africa assumes the G20 presidency in December under the theme “Solidarity, Equality and Sustainability,” the country will use the opportunity to advocate for global partnerships to achieve Sustainable Development Goals, ensuring “no one is left behind” in the fight against poverty. 

    “Poverty, unemployment and inequality are so pervasive and so persistent that we sometimes fear we may never overcome them,” said Ramaphosa. “And yet, we overcame apartheid. We overcame slavery and colonialism. Through our collective actions, we will be able to end poverty in our country.” 

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  • Okonjo-Iweala given 2nd term as WTO chief 

    Okonjo-Iweala given 2nd term as WTO chief 

    Okonjo-Iweala, a former Nigerian finance minister who also has US citizenship, took office in 2021 as the first woman and first African to hold the job of WTO chief …reports Asian Lite News

    The World Trade Organization chief said Friday she’s “eager” to work with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump and his trade team, while taking a wait-and-see stance about Trump’s plans to impose new tariffs on goods from other countries including China, Mexico and Canada. 

    WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala made the comments to reporters after member countries handed her a second four-year term, in a vote with no opposition. 

    The Geneva-based trade body’s future is clouded by Trump’s looming return to power in January in the U.S., home to the world’s single biggest economy, because his pledges to slap unilateral tariffs on foreign goods entering the country could face challenges at the WTO. 

    “I think that I look very much forward to working with President Trump — with all the new people who will be appointed,” she said. “I’m eager for it.” 

    While Trump before his first term threatened to pull the U.S. out of the WTO, Okonjo-Iweala said there’s a “general recognition that the organization needs to be supported” and pointed to U.S. interests in intellectual property protections and product safety fostered by the trade body. 

    “The WTO and its rules underpin 75 to 80% of global goods trade,” she said. Okonjo-Iweala expressed hopes to help strike a deal in the WTO that would phase out $22 billion in “harmful subsidies” in the fisheries industry that raise worries about damage to ocean fish stocks. 

    During his first term, the Trump administration largely bypassed WTO rules by imposing tariffs on steel and other goods from countries including China and even U.S. allies. 

    On Monday, Trump vowed sweeping new tariffs on Mexico, Canada, as well as China, as soon as he takes office as part of his effort to crack down on illegal immigration and drugs. 

    Trump said he would impose a 25% tax on all products entering the country from Canada and Mexico, and an additional 10% tariff on goods from China, as one of his first executive orders. 

    Such tariffs, if imposed, could face a challenge through the WTO’s dispute resolution process, though its body that hears appeals is not operating — largely because of U.S. unwillingness to let new members be appointed to it. 

    Okonjo-Iweala, a former Nigerian finance minister who also has U.S. citizenship, took office in 2021 as the first woman and first African to hold the job of WTO chief. Her second term will officially begin next September. 

    “Until we get specifics in terms of what is planned, I think it would be a bit premature to try to pronounce on these issues,” she said, referring to Trump’s plans. “I think we should wait … for actual policies,” Okonjo-Iweala said. “And we’re very much looking forward to working in a productive fashion.” 

    The WTO’s 166 members take decisions by consensus, meaning that any one country can block them. 

    The Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, congratulated Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala on her reappointment as the Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO) for a second term. 

    In a post on the social media platform, X, Ghebreyesus said, “Congratulations, my sister @NOIweala! The trust @wto Member States have invested in you is well deserved. Looking forward to continuing our close collaboration”. 

    In a press statement, The WTO announced, “The General Council of the World Trade Organization (WTO) agreed on 29 November by consensus to reappoint Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala as Director-General for a second four-year term, set to begin on 1 September 2025. This decision reflects broad recognition of her exceptional leadership and strategic vision for the future of the WTO”. 

    It was noted that the reappointment process, initiated on October 8, 2024, was overseen by Ambassador Petter Olberg of Norway, Chair of the General Council. 

    According to the WTO, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala first assumed office as Director-General on March 1, 2021, becoming the first woman and first African to lead the WTO. Her first term concludes on August 31, 2025. Her reappointment highlights the strong support for her efforts to enhance the WTO’s relevance and capacity in addressing the evolving challenges of global trade. 

    On her reappointment, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala thanked the members and highlighted the challenges she plans to address in the next four years. 

    “While the WTO faces a significant number of challenges and has a heavy workload to accomplish, it is also confronted by new opportunities which, if it can be seized, could make a world of difference in the lives of the ordinary people that members are here to serve, and would also make a difference in preserving and sustaining our planet”, she said. 

    She also added, “My vision for the next four years is a WTO that delivers results by working on legacy agreements and other issues, focuses on reforms to make it fit for purpose for the 21st century and seizes exciting new opportunities in world trade”. 

    ALSO READ: Policymakers seek ways to end learning poverty in Africa 

  • 27 dead, over 100 missing in Nigeria boat capsized 

    27 dead, over 100 missing in Nigeria boat capsized 

    Rescues managed to pull 27 bodies from the river by Friday evening while local divers were still searching for others…reports Asian Lite News

    At least 27 people died and more than 100, mostly women, were missing on Friday, after a boat transporting them to a food market capsized along the River Niger in northern Nigeria, authorities said. 

    About 200 passengers were on the boat that was going from the state of Kogi to neighboring state of Niger when it capsized, the Niger State Emergency Management Agency spokesman Ibrahim Audu said. 

    Rescues managed to pull 27 bodies from the river by Friday evening while local divers were still searching for others, according to Sandra Musa, spokeswoman for the Kogi state emergency services. No survivor was found about 12 hours after the incident occurred, she added. 

    Authorities have not confirmed what caused the sinking but local media suggested the boat may have been overloaded. Overcrowding on boats is common in remote parts of Nigeria where the lack of good roads leaves many with no alternative routes. 

    According to Justin Uwazuruonye, who is in charge of Nigeria’s National Emergency Management Agency operations in the state, rescuers had trouble finding the location of the capsizing for hours after Friday’s tragedy struck. 

    Such deadly incidents are increasingly becoming a source of concern in Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country, as authorities struggle to enforce safety measures and regulations for water transportation. 

    Most of the accidents have been attributed to overcrowding and the lack of maintenance of the boats, often built locally to accommodate as many passengers as possible in defiance of safety measures. 

    Also, authorities have not been able to enforce the use of life jackets on such trips, often because of lack of availability or cost. 

    Niger Gov. Mohammed Umaru Bago described the accident as “shocking and sorrowful” and directed the state emergency services to assist those affected, according to a statement issued by his office. He reiterated the importance of using life jackets and avoiding overcrowded boats. 

    Concerns remained about the regular and deadly boat accidents in Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country where a number of remote and riverine communities do not have access to good roads, leaving rivers as the only available means of transportation. 

    It is still not clear what caused the latest accident but emergency services personnel said it could be as a result of overloading, the condition of the boat or a hindrance of the boat’s movement along the water. 

    Nigerian military kills more terror suspects  

    Meanwhile, Nigerian military has claimed responsibility for killing a “significant number” of suspected terrorists in a series of airstrikes recently launched to root out criminal groups around the Lake Chad Basin.  

    Olusola Akinboyewa, the spokesman for the Nigerian Air Force, told reporters in the Nigerian capital of Abuja that the airstrikes on Saturday targeted the enclaves of suspected terror groups at the Jubillaram area, located in the southern Tumbuns, near Lake Chad. 

    A suspected food depot of terrorists in the area was also destroyed during the air operation, Akinboyewa said, noting the military identified the strategic location through “meticulous intelligence efforts.” 

    The location served as a critical food storage site and a sanctuary for terrorist commanders and fighters, according to him. 

    Akinboyewa said intelligence had previously linked terrorists in the location to recent attacks, adding aside from killing terrorists on-site during the recent raid, the military also ensured the “complete elimination” of fleeing hostile elements during mop-up operations, using cannons. 

    “The destruction of the terrorist enclave, including food storage facilities, severely disrupted their logistical operations, while the neutralization of a significant number of fighters diminished their capacity to launch future attacks,” he said, without giving an exact number of suspected terrorists killed during the “successful operation.” 

    Primarily aimed at combating the Boko Haram insurgency in the region, the Lake Chad Basin is covered by a multinational joint force, which consists of troops from bounding countries, including Cameroon, Chad, Niger, Benin, and Nigeria. 

    Nigeria, Chad discuss strengthening security 

    Chadian President Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno and Nigeria’s National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu discussed enhancing regional security and combating terrorism, according to Chad’s presidency.  

    The meeting took place on Sunday, two weeks after Mahamat Deby threatened to withdraw Chad from the Multinational Joint Task Force, which comprises troops from countries bordering Lake Chad to combat the militant Islamist group Boko Haram, reports Xinhua news agency. 

    He criticized the force for its failure to tackle Boko Haram militants, which claimed the lives of over 40 Chadian soldiers in the Lake Province in a recent clash. 

    During the discussions, they reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening collaboration to promote peace and stability in the Lake Chad Basin region. 

    “In the days to come, the mixed force will have a new face with the aim of exterminating the common enemy,” Ribadu said after meeting the president. 

    Ribadu delivered a written message from Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, expressing “unwavering” support for Mahamat Deby and the people of Chad in the wake of the recent terrorist attack on Barkaram Island, according to Chad’s presidency. 

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  • Chad ends a defense pact with France 

    Chad ends a defense pact with France 

    Chad was one of the last countries in the region in which France maintained a large military presence…reports Asian Lite News

    Chad’s government is ending a defense cooperation agreement with France, its former colonial ruler, to redefine the nation’s sovereignty. 

    The decision marks a historic turning point after the Central African nation gained independence more than six decades ago, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Abderaman Koulamallah said in a statement Thursday. 

    It said the decision to end the agreement would allow Chad to redefine its strategic partnerships in line with national priorities. There was no immediate response from France’s government. 

    Chad was one of the last countries in the region in which France maintained a large military presence, having been ousted in recent years from Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso after years of fighting Islamic extremists alongside regional troops. Those countries have inched closer to Russia, which has mercenaries deployed across the Sahel, the vast expanse below the Sahara desert. 

    Chad’s interim president, Mahamat Deby Itno, seized power after his father, who ran the country for more than three decades, was killed fighting rebels in 2021. Last year, the government announced it was extending the 18-month transition for two more years, which led to protests across the country. 

    Analysts say Deby has mistrusted France for a while, and the decision creates an opportunity for other nations, notably Russia, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates. 

    “Deby has been seeking to diversify its security partnerships away from exclusive deals. He doesn’t trust (French President Emmanuel) Macron. … He can also not ignore widespread anti-French sentiment,” said Ulf Laessing, head of the Sahel program at Konrad Adenauer foundation in Mali. 

    France has maintained about 1,000 troops in Chad, and the statement didn’t specify when they have to leave. Chad said the decision in no way calls into question the countries’ historical ties and that it wants to maintain relations in other areas of common interest. 

    France still has 350 troops in Senegal, another former colony, which remains a security partner in the region. But the French military presence there also appears to be under threat. 

    President Bassirou Diomaye Faye of Senegal said that it was “obvious” that soon there won’t be any French soldiers on Senegalese soil, in an interview with Le Monde which was published hours after the declaration by Chadian authorities. Faye added that the relationship with the former colonizer had to be redefined. 

    “It’s not because the French have been there since the slavery period that it’s impossible to do otherwise,” he said. 

    Macron calls 1944 killings of West African a massacre 

    President Macron on Thursday for the first time recognized the killing of West African soldiers by the French Army in 1944 as a massacre in a letter addressed to the Senegalese authorities. 

    Macron’s move, on the eve of the 80th anniversary of the World War II killings in Thiaroye — a fishing village on the outskirts of the Senegalese capital of Dakar — comes as France’s influence is declining in the region, with Paris losing its sway in the former French colonies in West Africa. 

    Between 35 and 400 West African soldiers who fought for the French Army in the Battle of France in 1940 were killed on Dec. 1, 1944 by French soldiers after what the French described as a mutiny over unpaid wages. 

    The West Africans were members of the unit called Tirailleurs Senegalais, a corps of colonial infantry in the French Army. According to historians, there were disputes over unpaid wages in the days before the massacre but on Dec. 1, French troops turned on the West African soldiers, mostly unarmed, and shot and killed them. 

    Speaking to reporters late on Thursday, Faye said Macron’s step should “open the door” so that the “whole truth about this painful event of Thiaroye” can finally come out. “We have long sought closure on this story and we believe that, this time, France’s commitment will be full, frank and collaborative,” he added. 

    “France must recognize that on that day, the confrontation between soldiers and riflemen who demanded their full legitimate wages be paid, triggered a chain of events that resulted in a massacre,” read Macron’s letter. 

    “It is also important to establish, as far as possible, the causes and facts that led to this tragedy,” Macron added. “I have asked my services to inform me of the progress of the work of the Committee for the Restoration of the Facts, which your government has decided to set up, under the direction of Professor Mamadou Diouf, whose eminence and qualities are recognized by all.” 

    The letter comes weeks after the Senegalese legislative elections, in which the ruling party PASTEF secured a definite majority. The win granted newly elected President Faye a clear mandate to carry out ambitious reforms promised during the campaign, which include more economic independence from foreign companies, including French ones, which are heavily invested in the country. 

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  • East African summit urges peace in Congo 

    East African summit urges peace in Congo 

    Violence has reemerged in one of the world’s most protracted conflicts in eastern Congo, where Congo’s government accused the Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group of “ethnic cleansing”   

    East African heads of state made another push for peace in eastern Congo on Saturday but its prospects remained bleak following a regional summit that was marked by the Congolese president’s absence and an early departure of his Rwandan counterpart. 

    A communique read at the end of the closed-door meeting of the East African Community in Arusha, Tanzania, only stated the need to combine regional and broader peace initiatives for sustainable peace in eastern Congo. 

    Violence has reemerged in one of the world’s most protracted conflicts in eastern Congo, where Congo’s government accused the Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group of “ethnic cleansing” in mineral-rich areas close to Rwanda’s border. 

    Rwandan President Paul Kagame left shortly after the closed-door meeting in Arusha. There was no official explanation for Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi’s absence at the summit. 

    Congo alleges that Rwanda has been involved in war crimes in the east, and U.S. and U.N. experts accuse it of giving military backing to M23. Rwanda denies the claim, but in February admitted that it has troops and missile systems in eastern Congo to safeguard its security, pointing to a buildup of Congolese forces near the border. U.N. experts estimate there are up to 4,000 Rwandan forces in Congo. 

    A July truce brokered by the United States and Angola has reduced the fighting between Rwandan and Congolese forces, but fighting between M23 and other militias continues. 

    Other leaders at the summit were Presidents Salva Kiir of South Sudan, Samia Suluhu Hassan of Tanzania, William Ruto of Kenya, Yoweri Museveni of Uganda and Hassan Sheikh Mohamud of Somalia. Burundi was represented by its vice president. Ruto was elected as the new chairperson of the EAC Summit, succeeding Kiir. 

    “Our focus must be on increasing competitiveness, promoting value-added production and boosting intra-regional trade to create jobs and transform our economies,” Ruto said. 

    He also urged member states to remain committed to the timely disbursement of statutory contributions to sustain the bloc’s operations. 

    Africa’s internally displaced population triples in 15 years 

    The number of internally displaced people (IDPs) in Africa has tripled to 35 million by 2023 since the adoption of a landmark treaty 15 years ago to address the issue, according to a new report by the Internal Displacement Monitoring Center (IDMC).  The report noted that this figure accounts for nearly half of the world’s total IDPs. 

    IDMC Director Alexandra Bilak said the displacement situation in Africa is absolutely critical, but not hopeless. “There are many good examples on the continent of governments working to address its root causes. It’s important for them to keep ownership of this issue and the international community to support their efforts.” 

    The report, titled “Internal Displacement in Africa: An Overview of Trends and Developments (2009-2023),” acknowledges progress by African governments but concludes that these efforts remain insufficient. Rising conflict and violence continue to drive the majority of displacement, with disasters also contributing to an increasing number of forced displacements. 

    According to the report, out of Africa’s 35 million IDPs, 32.5 million were displaced by conflict and violence, with 80 percent concentrated in just five countries: the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Somalia, and Sudan. 

    The IDMC said the adoption of the African Union Convention for the Protection and Assistance of Internally Displaced Persons in Africa, or the Kampala Convention, in 2009 marked a milestone in addressing internal displacement. When it entered into force on Dec. 6, 2012, it became the first and only legally binding regional treaty addressing all causes and phases of internal displacement. 

    Bilak said addressing displacement and helping people rebuild their lives require not only short-term relief but also long-term investments. “To reverse the trends and keep the promise of the Kampala Convention alive for the next 15 years, governments must redouble commitments to addressing displacement’s underlying drivers through peace-building, climate action, and sustainable development,” he said. 

    While some African countries have developed national policies and invested significantly in protecting and assisting IDPs under the convention, the report pointed out that escalating conflicts and a changing climate have made it difficult for governments to keep pace. 

    “Helping them find solutions to their displacement is part and parcel of reaching a country’s development goals,” added Bilak.  

    This year has become the worst year on record for deaths of aid workers, with 281 deaths globally, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said on Friday. 

    “Humanitarian workers are being killed at an unprecedented rate, their courage and humanity being met with bullets and bombs,” said Tom Fletcher, under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs and emergency relief coordinator. “This violence is unconscionable and devastating to aid operations. States and parties to conflict must protect humanitarians, uphold international law, prosecute those responsible, and call time on this era of impunity.” 

    OCHA said record fatalities also were recorded in 2023, with 280 aid workers killed across 33 countries. Stephane Dujarric, Chief Spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, lamented last year’s record was topped, “and it isn’t even December”. 

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  • India Charts Steady Growth Path 

    India Charts Steady Growth Path 

     

    Although the GDP growth has slowed during the second quarter, India still remains the fastest growing major economy in the world…reports Asian Lite News 

    India’s economy clocked a GDP growth rate of 5.4 per cent for the second quarter (July-September) of the current financial year, according to the data released by the Ministry of Statistics on Friday.  

    Although the GDP growth has slowed during the second quarter, India still remains the fastest growing major economy in the world as China recorded a 4.6 per cent growth during the July-September quarter. 

    Despite sluggish growth observed in Manufacturing (2.2 per cent) and Mining & Quarrying (-0.1 per cent) sectors in Q2 of FY 2024-25, real gross value added (GVA) in H1 (April-September) has recorded a growth rate of 6.2 per cent. 

    The agriculture and allied sector has bounced back by registering a growth rate of 3.5 per cent in Q2 of FY 2024-25 after sub-optimal growth rates ranging from 0.4 per cent to 2 per cent observed during previous four quarters. 

    In the construction sector, sustained domestic consumption of finished steel has resulted 7.7 per cent and 9.1 per cent growth rates respectively in Q2 and H1 of FY 2024-25, according to the official statement. 

    The tertiary sector has clocked a growth rate of 7.1 per cent in Q2 of FY 2024-25, as compared to the growth rate of 6 per cent in Q2 of the previous financial year. 

    In particular, Trade, Hotels, Transport, Communication & Services related to Broadcasting has seen a growth rate of 6 per cent in Q2 of FY 2024-25 over the growth rate of 4.5 per cent in Q2, 2023-24. 

    Another positive feature observed in the Private Final Consumption Expenditure has witnessed a growth rate of 6 per cent and 6.7 per cent respectively in Q2 and H1 of the FY 2024-25 over the growth rate of 2.6 per cent and 4 per cent in Q2 and H1 of the previous financial year. 

    Private consumption accounts for 60 per cent of the country’s GDP and the acceleration in the growth rate augurs well for the future. 

    Government Final Consumption Expenditure has also rebounded to a growth rate of 4.4 per cent after having slowed in the previous quarter due to the Lok Sabha elections. 

    India’s economic growth slowed to 6.7 per cent year-on-year in the April-June quarter as a decline in government spending during national elections weighed, data showed on Friday, but it remained the world’s fastest-growing major economy. 

    The rise in gross domestic product was less than 7.8 per cent growth in the previous quarter. 

    Still, it was faster than 4.7 per cent growth in China, Asia’s biggest economy, in April-June, and India’s slowdown is expected to be temporary as economists forecast that easing inflation and a pickup in government spending will shore up growth in the coming months. 

    The Gross Value Added (GVA), seen by economists as a more stable measure of growth, increased by 6.8 per cent in April-June from a year earlier, compared to 6.3 per cent in the previous quarter. 

    Consumer spending, which constitutes about 60 per cent of GDP, rose to a seven-quarter high of 7.4 per cent in April-June from a year earlier, compared to 4 per cent in the previous quarter. Capital investments also rose by 7.4 per cent compared to 6.5 per cent in the previous quarter. 

    Looking ahead, food inflation to ease while the growth outlook for the economy is “cautiously optimistic” for the coming months as the agricultural sector is likely to benefit from favourable monsoon conditions, increased minimum support prices and adequate supply of inputs, according to the Finance Ministry’s monthly economic review released this week. 

    Amid a clouded global background, and after a brief period of softening momentum over the monsoon months, many high-frequency indicators of economic activity in India have shown a rebound in October. These include indicators of rural and urban demand and supply side variables like Purchasing Managers’ Index and E-way bill generation, the report states. 

    On the employment front, the formal workforce is expanding, with notable increases in manufacturing jobs and a strong inflow of youth into organised sectors, it added. 

    The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has also maintained its GDP growth forecast for the current fiscal year at 7.2 per cent. 

    “India’s growth story remains intact as its fundamental drivers – consumption and investment demand – are gaining momentum. Prospects of private consumption, the mainstay of aggregate demand, look bright on the back of improved agricultural outlook and rural demand. 

    “Sustained buoyancy in services would also support urban demand. Government expenditure of the Centre and the states is expected to pick up pace in line with the Budget Estimates. Investment activity would benefit from consumer and business optimism, the government’s continued thrust on capex and healthy balance sheets of banks and corporates,” RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das said while presenting the monetary policy review last month. 

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