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US offers $5m reward for information on Mexican drug traffickers

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$5m reward for drug traffickers

The United States State Department has announced rewards of up to $5m each for information that will help authorities capture and convict four Mexican drug cartel leaders, including the brother of infamous trafficker Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman.

Along with Aureliano Guzman-Loera, US authorities are also upping their pursuit of brothers Ruperto Salgueiro-Nevarez, Jose Salgueiro-Nevarez and Heriberto Salgueiro-Nevarez.

The quartet has been “charged in US indictments for violation of US drug laws, to include international conspiracies to distribute marijuana, cocaine, methamphetamine, and fentanyl,” State Department spokesman Ned Price said in a statement on Friday.

The highly dangerous synthetic opioid fentanyl is “responsible for more than 63 percent of the 96,779 drug overdose deaths in the United States between March 2020 and 2021,” Price added.

The four men operate under the umbrella of the federation of the Sinaloa Cartel, one of Mexico’s most notorious drug trafficking groups, which El Chapo led until his most recent capture and imprisonment in 2016.

Guzman was extradited to the US a year later and has since been sentenced to life in prison.

Credit: aljazeera.com

Libya suspends foreign minister, bars her from travelling

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Libya foreign minister Najla El-Mangoush

Libya’s presidential council says it has suspended Foreign Minister Najla El-Mangoush for 14 days and banned her from travelling, pending an inquiry.

It accused her of not co-ordinating on foreign policy, but the transitional government rejected the decision, saying she would carry on as normal.

The political infighting follows comments she made in a BBC interview about the Lockerbie bombing in 1988.

Libya admitted responsibility for the bombing in 2003.

Controversy ignited here after the minister spoke to the BBC about the possible extradition of a new Libyan suspect wanted by the US over the bombing.

The downing of the plane – in which 270 people were killed – remains a sensitive subject here, and a painful one in the US and Britain.

Najla El-Mangoush told us that the Libyan government was very open to collaborating with the US on the question of extradition, and said the matter was progressing.

“We understand the pain and sadness of the victims and the families,” she said.

The move to suspend – and ground – the top diplomat comes ahead of a major international conference on Libya in Paris next Friday.

It also comes as Libya is moving uncertainly towards nationwide elections, due in late December.

Credit: bbc.com

Police investigate crowd surge at Texas festival

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Police investigate crowd surge

Police in Houston, Texas, have opened a criminal investigation into the deaths at the Astroworld festival on Friday.

At least eight people died and scores of people were hurt after a crowd surge on the opening night of the music event in Houston, Texas.

The victims were aged between 14 and 27. The identities of some of them are expected to be released on Sunday

Police are also investigating reports that somebody in the audience had been injecting people with drugs.

The incident began around 21:15 on Friday (02:15 GMT Saturday) when panic broke out as the crowd began to press towards the front of the stage during the rapper Travis Scott’s headline set.

As the crush began causing injuries to people, panic grew and the casualties quickly overwhelmed the on-site first aiders, officials said. Some 300 people were treated for injuries such as cuts and bruises.

The police investigation into the tragedy will involve the homicide and narcotics divisions, and will review video from the scene to explore the causes of the surge and what had prevented people from being able to escape.

Several concert goers had to be revived with the anti-drug overdose medicine, including a security officer who police said appeared to have an injection mark.

“We do have a report of a security officer… that he was reaching over to restrain or grab a citizen and he felt a prick in his neck,” Houston Police Chief Troy Finner said.

“When he was examined he went unconscious,” he added. “He was revived and the medical staff did notice a prick that was similar to a prick that you would get if somebody is trying to inject.”

Credit: bbc.com

Kintampo North MCE thanks chiefs

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Mr. Isaac Baffoe Ameyaw(standing) addressing the chiefs
The chiefs at the palace

The Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for Kintampo North in the Bono East Region, Mr. Isaac Baffoe Ameyaw, has paid a courtesy call on the chiefs and elders of the area.

The MCE also used the opportunity to tour some communities in the area.

His first point of call was a visit to some sub-chiefs of Kintampo to thank them for the endless prayer and support given him throughout his confirmation process.

He also appealed to the chiefs to collaborate with him by sharing ideas on how they could, together, develop Kintampo Municipality.

He promised to work tirelessly to help solve some pressing challenges in the area, touching on roads, healthcare, and education among others, as areas he would work on.

On their part, the chiefs also pledged their support to the MCE to be able to deliver on his mandate. They charged him to do more to mitigate the numerous challenges that the municipality was currently facing.

Sunyani MCE hands over motorbikes to assembly members

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The motorbikes

The Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for Sunyani in the Bono Region, Mr. Ansu Kumi, has presented 49 motorbikes to all assembly members in the Sunyani Municipality to facilitate movements in their various electoral areas.

It is the second time assembly members in the area have taken delivery of motorbikes from the government since the Akufo-Addo-led administration took over from the erstwhile Mahama administration.

Presenting the motorcycles, Mr Ansu Kumi called on the members to use them judiciously to actualise the intent for which they were provided.

He reminded the members of the need to ensure punctuality at the assembly at all times to represent their respective communities.

As part of arrangements, the assembly would shoulder all the necessary documentation, including licensing, to avoid problems.

Mali is sinking in to crisis

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President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo addressing representatives of members countries at the ECOWAS Summit in Accra.

The security situation in Mali has deteriorated significantly and the country is sinking into crisis, the Authority of Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of West African State (ECOWAS) has been told.

The information was contained in a memorandum on the socio-political situation in Mali and Guinea, a document from the ECOWAS Commission sighted by The Chronicle, dated November 7, 2021.

Part A of the memorandum provides an overview of the recent socio-political developments in the Republic of Mali, and the other part is on Guinea.

The report, which was shared with the Heads of State only, is the report on the visit of the ECOWAS delegation to Mali, led by the Chairperson, President of the Republic of Ghana, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.

SECURITY SITUATION

The memorandum quoting the Malian authorities said “the security situation has deteriorated significantly despite the considerable efforts of the government and all its partners.”

The document added that insecurity underpinned by terrorism, inter-community conflicts and the proliferation of militias has spread from the north and centre to the south and west of the country.

As a result of the deterioration of the security situation in Mali, thousands of Malians are forced to abandon their hometowns to take refuge in neighbouring countries.

Furthermore, the document said the banking, insurance, and oil situations are worrisome, as stakeholders have gone on strike, thus adversely affecting the country’s economic activities.

The report to the Authority on the socio-political situation in Mali, concluded that based on the insecurity and political uncertainty, the crisis may spread throughout the region.

The report said there is no timetable for the election as of the end of October 2021, as previously communicated.

Thus, “the Community maintain a firm stance, particularly through the effective implementation of targeted sanctions, and consider other measures to ensure compliance with the commitments made.”

COMMUNIQUE ON MALI

After the closed-door session, the President of the ECOWAS Commission, Jean-Claude Kassie Brou, addressed the media in which he mentioned that the Authority needed the support of the United Nations for the transitional government to respect its commitment.

He said the Authority was not happy with the expulsion of the ECOWAS Resident Representative to Mali on October 25, 2021.

The Authority said the crime of the Resident Representative was the desire to ensure that the firm decision of ECOWAS was complied with.

The Communique, as read by the President of the Commission, urged neighbouring countries to intensify their security, considering the situation in Mali.

Mr. Brou said the Authority has placed sanctions on Mali and its junta cannot travel with their financial assets also confiscated.

GUINEA’S SITUATION

According to the report presented to the Authority on the socio-political situation in Guinea, the Transition Authorities in Guinea adopted a transition charter and set out four organs.

These are; the National Committee for Reconciliation and Development (CNRD), the President of the Transition, the Transition Government, and the National Council of the Transition (CNT).

Also, a civilian prime minister was appointed on October 6, 2021, adding that a 25-member government is gradually being put in place.

The CNT will also be set up as soon as possible and would be composed of 81 members put forward by different segments of the population.

TRANSITION DURATION

The Authority was told in the report that the duration of the transition remains a major outstanding issue, stressing that during a recent mission to Conakry, the President of the Commission reminded the Authorities of the need to release former President Alpha Conde.

“In conclusion, the political transition is gradually taking shape. The main outstanding issues are the release of former President Alpha Conde and the election timetable,” the report stated.

COMMUNIQUE ON GUINEA

Reading the communiqué after the closed-door session, the President of the Commission told the press that the Authority insisted on the release of the former President of the country without condition.The travel ban and the other sanctions are still in force.

Again, a special ECOWAS envoy, to be led by Ibn Chambas, would go to Guinea to assess the situation on the ground.

SOLIDARITY

At the opening session of yesterday’s extra-ordinary summit, the Chairperson of the ECOWAS Authority, President of the Republic of Ghana, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, on behalf of ECOWAS solidarised with Niger and Sierra Leone.

The two countries, which are member states, have been tragically hit by separate disasters in the last couple of days, leading to fatalities.

“We express our deep regrets and condolences for these sad incidents, and I would like you to observe a minute’s silence in memory of the victims and the population,” he said.

ATTENDANCE

The President of Ghana, Nana Akufo-Addo; President of Cote Dvoire, Alassane Ouattara; President of Guinea Bissau, Umaro Sissoco Embaló; President of Niger, Mohamed Bazoum; President of Senegal, Macky Sall; Vice President of Benin, Chabi Talata; Vice president of Nigeria, Oluyemi Osinbajo; Prime minister of Burkina Faso, Christophe Marie Joseph Dabiré; Minister of Trade,  Industry, Regional Integration and Employment, Seedy Keita; Minister of Foreign Affairs, Togo, Robert Dussey and Ambassador of Cape Verde to Nigeria, Belarmino Monteiro Silva attended the summit.

Neymar, Mbappe score in PSG win

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Neymar and Mbappe celebrate win

Neymar scored twice as Ligue 1 leaders Paris St-Germain held off a late Bordeaux fightback to take victory.

The Brazil forward struck in the first half, firing into the bottom corner after being found by Kylian Mbappe.

The two linked up again for PSG’s second, Mbappe setting up Neymar to score from the edge of the box.

Mbappe tapped in a third but Bordeaux set up a tense finish with two late goals, Alberth Elis slotting in and M’Baye Niang lashing home.

But PSG held on for the final few seconds for a win that means they are 10 points clear of Lens at the top of Ligue 1, although Nice and Marseille – 11 and 12 points behind in third and fourth place respectively – have a game in hand.

Mauricio Pochettino’s side have been in excellent form in the league this season, losing just one game as they look to reclaim the title following Lille’s success last term.

Credit: bbc.com

Mourinho’s Roma shocked by minnows Venezia

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Jose Mourinho’s struggles at Roma continued as minnows Venezia came from 2-1 down to sink the Italian giants.

Roma have won just one of their past seven matches and remain 12 points off leaders Napoli in Serie A.

Mattia Caldara put the hosts in front in the third minute, before goals from Eldor Shomurodov and Tammy Abraham put Roma ahead at the break.

Mattia Aramu’s penalty levelled the scores with David Okereke scoring the winner in the 74th minute.

Roma have now lost four of their last seven matches, a run which includes a 6-1 defeat to Norweigen side Bodo/Glimt in the Europa Conference League.

Venezia’s victory was just their third of the campaign, and it was the first time they’ve scored more than two goals in a game this season.

Credit: bbc.com

 

Smith Rowe seals victory for Arsenal

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Emile Smith Rowe, Arsenal

Emile Smith Rowe scored in a third successive Premier League game as Arsenal claimed victory over Watford in manager Mikel Arteta’s 100th match in charge.

The in-form Smith Rowe registered the 100th league goal of Arteta’s tenure with a low drive from outside the box after 56 minutes.

Gunners captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang had a first-half penalty saved by Ben Foster following a poor challenge by Danny Rose on Alexandre Lacazette – and the Hornets goalkeeper produced another fine stop to keep out Gabriel’s header shortly before half-time.

Watford were fired an early warning when Bukayo Saka had an eighth-minute finish ruled out for offside at Emirates Stadium.

The visitors’ afternoon was made worse as Juraj Kucka was dismissed for a second yellow card late on and defeat left Claudio Ranieri’s two points above the relegation places.

Credit: bbc.com

Momo transaction hits $100b: Oppong-Nkrumah tells good stories about digitisation agenda

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The Minister for Information, Mr Kojo Oppong-Nkrumah, has called on Ghanaians to support the digitisation and digitalisation policy being pursued by the government, because it wouldl help in the total transformation of our national economy.

According to him, though mobile money business was in place before the Akufo-Addo government took over the reins of government, the interoperability system it introduced, where money can be moved from one mobile network to other had revolutionised the financial market in the country.

Speaking in an interview with Peace FM yesterday, the Information Minister said mobile money transactions in 2020 alone amounted to GH¢560 billion or US$100 billion. This feat, he noted, was achieved because apart from people moving money from a mobile network to the other, Ghanaians could now also sit in the conform of their homes and move money from their bank accounts to their mobile money wallets and vice versa.

Mr Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, who is also the Member of Parliament (MP) for Ofoase Ayirebi in the Eastern Region, told his listeners that when the current government came to power, only 4% of taxable Ghanaians had been captured in the national database. However, because of the National ID, digital property address system, interoperability, and other measures that had been put in place, the 4% taxable Ghanaians has now jumped to 86%, which was about 15.5 million of the population that was now paying taxes.

Digitisation, he continued, had also helped to nip in the bud the fraudulent conduct of some Ghanaians who were issuing cheques to the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) knowing very well that they did not have any money in their accounts.

“Today, because of Ghana.gov that we have introduced, which is a common platform to do a number of government services, today, we don’t receive cheque for such payments. It is online, so it’s direct payment from your account. You can pay via MoMo or through your bank account. So, the revenue mobilisation to government has increased,” he said.

The Information Minister also noted that it was through digitisation that the government got to know that a number of Ghanaian professionals, including lawyers, were not paying their taxes. The cover of these professionals has been blown, because their names, though covered by the National Identification Authority (NIA), were not on the tax database.

He also mentioned the revolution that had taken place at the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) Secretariat. According to him, the NHIA was previously using GH¢30 million annually to print cards for its clients, but the situation was not the same today, because of digitisation.

Patrons can now sit in the comfort of their homes and offices and renew their NHIA cards through their mobile phones. This has also resulted in the increased rate of re-registration of members.

Mr Oppong Nkrumah also spoke about cameras that were being installed throughout the country to enhance our security. He noted that though the security cameras were in place before this government assumed office, the figure had shot up considerable, which was helping to arrest criminals terrorising Ghanaians on the streets. He revealed that by the end of December this year, 10,000 cameras would have been installed.

“By the end of this year, I think by December; the target is that we will have 10,000 cameras; we will have 10,000, all connected to the central database,” he said.

By Emmanuel Akli

 

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