Five Dead As Israeli Strike Hits Residential Building In Damascus

The targeted neighbourhood is known to be a high-security zone home to leaders of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and pro-Iran Palestinian factions.

An Israeli strike on Damascus killed five people in a building where “Iran-aligned leaders” were meeting on Saturday, a war monitor said, as regional tensions soar over the Israel-Hamas war.

“An Israeli missile strike targeted a four-storey building, killing five people… and destroying the whole building where Iran-aligned leaders were meeting,” said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

The British-based monitor with a network of sources inside Syria said the targeted neighbourhood is known to be a high-security zone home to leaders of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and pro-Iran Palestinian factions.

“They were for sure targeting senior members” of those groups, said Observatory director Rami Abdel Rahman.

The mid-morning strike, which caused a large plume of smoke to billow into the sky, was also reported by Syrian state media.

“An attack targeted a residential building in the Mazzeh neighbourhood in Damascus, resulting from an Israeli aggression,” the official SANA news agency reported. It did not say if there were any casualties.

An AFP correspondent at the scene said the destroyed building was cordoned off with ambulances, firefighters and Syrian Arab Red Crescent rescue teams all present at the site.

Civil defence were busy searching for survivors under the rubble of the totally collapsed building, he said.

The Mazzeh area is also home to the United Nations’ headquarters, embassies and restaurants.

“I heard the explosion clearly in the western Mazzeh area, and I saw a large cloud of smoke,” a resident told AFP.

“The sound was similar to a missile explosion, and minutes later I heard the sound of ambulances,” he added.

Hundreds of Israeli strikes

During more than a decade of civil war in Syria, Israel has launched hundreds of air strikes on its territory, primarily targeting Iran-backed forces as well as Syrian army positions.

But it has intensified attacks since the war between Israel and Hamas, which like Lebanon’s Hezbollah movement is an ally of Iran, began on October 7.

In December, an Israeli air strike killed a senior general with Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, the military force said.

Razi Moussavi was the most senior commander of the Guards’ foreign operations arm, the Quds Force, to be killed outside Iran since a US drone strike in Baghdad on January 3, 2020 killed the Force’s commander, Qasem Soleimani.

In the same month, air strikes in eastern Syria, “likely” carried out by Israel, killed at least 23 pro-Iran fighters, the Observatory said at the time, reporting four more dead in the country’s north.

Recent months have also seen regular cross-border exchanges of fire between Israel and Hezbollah in southern Lebanon.

Israel rarely comments on individual strikes targeting Syria, but it has repeatedly said it will not allow arch foe Iran, which backs President Bashar al-Assad’s government, to expand its presence there.

Since 2011, Syria has endured a bloody conflict that has claimed over half a million lives and displaced several million people and plunged.

Source: AFP

Salah Ruled Out Of Two AFCON Games As Senegal, Cape Verde Reach Last 16

The 31-year-old came off late in the first half of the Pharaohs' 2-2 draw with Ghana on Thursday.

Record seven-time champions Egypt were dealt a major blow on Friday as captain Mohamed Salah was ruled out of two Africa Cup of Nations games with a hamstring injury, while holders Senegal and Cape Verde qualified for the last 16.

The Egyptian Football Association confirmed in a statement that Liverpool star Salah would not be able to return for his country unless they reach the quarter-finals at the tournament.

The 31-year-old came off late in the first half of the Pharaohs’ 2-2 draw with Ghana on Thursday.

He will therefore sit out Monday’s final group game against Cape Verde and any last-16 tie that would follow that.

After drawing their opening two games, Egypt need to beat Cape Verde to be guaranteed of advancing in second place in Group B.

That would tee up a last-16 tie in San-Pedro on January 28, while they could also potentially qualify as one of the best third-placed teams.

Salah will therefore only feature again at the competition if Egypt make it to a quarter-final on February 2 or 3.

Senegal, who beat Salah’s Egypt on penalties in the final of the last AFCON, clinched a spot in the next round with one group game to spare thanks to a 3-1 win over Cameroon in Yamoussoukro.

Ismaila Sarr of Marseille put the reigning champions ahead early on and later set up Habib Diallo to make it 2-0.

Jean-Charles Castelletto pulled one back, but Senegal were not to be denied a convincing victory and talisman Sadio Mane put the outcome beyond doubt late on.

Senegal have a maximum six points after two Group C matches, while Cameroon have only one and their hopes of advancing to the last 16 are in the balance.

“I remember that in 2017 we lost to Cameroon in the quarter-finals, so during this match we did everything to win,” said Marseille forward Sarr.

Bebe stunner

Later on in Group C Guinea, again missing star striker Serhou Guirassy, beat Gambia 1-0 at the same venue thanks to Aguibou Camara’s second-half goal.

The result leaves Guinea second in the section on four points, meaning they need just a draw against Senegal in their next match to guarantee qualification for the last 16, while a victory will see them progress as group winners.

Cameroon and Gambia will meet each other next and can both hope to at least progress as one of the four best third-placed sides.

Earlier, Cape Verde became the first team to qualify for the last 16 thanks to a convincing 3-0 win over Mozambique in Abidjan.

Former Manchester United forward Bebe set the Atlantic Ocean island nation on their way with a remarkable first-half free-kick from 40 metres at the Felix Houphouet Boigny Stadium.

Captain Ryan Mendes doubled their lead just after half-time and Kevin Pina wrapped up the win with a stunning strike midway through the second half.

Cape Verde’s biggest ever AFCON victory leaves them on six points from two games and means they are now certain to top Group B, after they beat Ghana 2-1 in their opening game.

“I don’t know how far we can go. Now we are into the last 16 and we just need to keep working as we have been,” said Mendes.

“We know it won’t be easy but we believe in ourselves and in our work.”

Cape Verde already know they will stay in Abidjan for a last-16 tie against a third-placed team on January 29.

Mozambique, appearing at their fifth Cup of Nations, have still never won a match in 14 attempts at the tournament.

 Tanzania sack coach

Meanwhile, Tanzania fired coach Adel Amrouche after he was banned for eight matches and fined $10,000 over comments about Morocco, a Confederation of African Football (CAF) official told AFP.

His dismissal was confirmed by the Tanzanian Football Federation with Hemed Suleiman promoted from assistant coach to caretaker boss for the rest of their AFCON campaign.

The Group F outsiders lost 3-0 to Morocco on Wednesday and still have to play Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Before Amrouche was axed, a CAF official said “(the organisation) has suspended the coach for eight matches after comments he made about Moroccan officials in a TV interview”.

Algeria-born Amrouche alleged Moroccan officials within CAF decide who referees matches involving the senior men’s national team, and at what time they kick off.

Davos Free-Trade Champions Fret Over War, Climate

 

Before Hamas's attack on Israel in October, the World Trade Organization had forecast global trade growth of 3.3 per cent, an improvement from 0.8 per cent in 2023.

After COVID and the war in Ukraine, free-trade boosters in Davos fretted over a new bout of turmoil in global supply chains due to rising geopolitical frictions.

The Israel-Hamas conflict, Yemeni rebels attacking ships in the Red Sea and tensions over Taiwan weighed on political and business elites at the five-day meeting of the World Economic Forum, which wrapped up Friday.

“There are geopolitical dynamics that are on our minds with respect to obviously the potential disruption of supply chains,” Francesco Ceccato, CEO of Barclays Europe, told AFP on the sidelines of the WEF.

“We thought we had normalised those after Covid. Clearly, that’s a little bit more precarious after … what is happening every day in the Red Sea,” he said.

Before Hamas’s attack on Israel in October, the World Trade Organization had forecast global trade growth of 3.3 per cent, an improvement from 0.8 per cent in 2023.

But WTO chief Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala told the forum this week that she was now “less optimistic” about world trade in 2024 due to “worsening geopolitical tensions”.

She added, however, that it would be “much better than what we saw in 2023. Unless a major war breaks out, then all bets are off.”

– Disruptions for ‘few months’ –

 The Red Sea route carries about 12 per cent of global maritime trade, but the attacks have prompted many companies to take a massive and costly detour around the southern tip of Africa.

Iran-backed Huthi rebels in Yemen say they are targetting Israel-linked ships in protest over the war in Gaza.

US and UK military forces have launched a series of strikes against rebel sites in Yemen.

The Huthis have “changed global trade and global shipping costs,” said Karen Harris, an economist at the consulting firm Bain & Co.

Vincent Clerc, the CEO of Danish shipping giant Maersk, said the conflict will probably disrupt supply chains “for a few months at least. Hopefully less, but it could be also longer because it’s so unpredictable”.

Automakers Tesla and Volvo were forced to temporarily suspend some production in Europe due to a shortage of parts.

Qatar’s prime minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, told the Davos conference that shipments of liquefied natural gas “will be affected” by the Red Sea tensions.

 

-Taiwan tensions

 

There are concerns along other major trade routes.

Taiwan’s presidential election last weekend renewed US-China tensions over the democratic island, which China considers a part of its territory that must be brought back under its control, by force if necessary.

Speaking in Davos, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken recalled that a huge amount of commerce flows through the Taiwan Strait.

“If that were to be disrupted, it would affect the entire planet. And it’s about the last thing we need, especially coming back from Covid,” Blinken said.

Taiwan itself is a major producer of semiconductors, the microchips that are vital for a range of products from smartphones to cars.

“Any disruption in the flow of that product is going to be, again, a watch item or a concern,” Ceccato said.

 

– Green and tech trade spats –

 

Microchips are already at the heart of a trade spat between Washington and Beijing as the United States has tightened export curbs on the technology over national security concerns.

China is also squabbling with the European Union over the bloc’s probe into Chinese electric car subsidies.

Chinese Premier Li Qiang took the podium on Wednesday to slam “discriminatory” trade measures on green and tech trade.

Europe is also concerned about the huge subsidies for clean technologies in the United States under the Inflation Reduction Act.

But German Finance Minister Christian Lindner warned the EU against following in the Americans’ footsteps.

“We have to avoid a subsidy race,” Lindner told Friday’s panel.

 

 Panama drought

 

On top of geopolitical tensions, climate change has also played tricks on global trade.

A drought and water shortages linked to the El Nino weather phenomenon reduced ship traffic through the Panama Canal.

“We have more sources of disruptions,” said Tobias Meyer, CEO of German logistics group DHL.

“It’s more likely that two, three, four of these events somehow accumulate. And that leads then in the system of transport to certain bottlenecks,” he said.

Harris said each disruption “simply reinforces the return on investment for near-shoring, re-shoring” — the act of bringing production home or closer instead of relying on factories across the world.

Canada a 'safe haven' for 'transnational crime networks and their dirty money': U.S. report

 

'Canada remains a financial haven for kingpins, kleptocrats, oligarchs, and corrupt officials to reinvest stolen funds from their countries'

OTTAWA – Canada has become a “safe haven” and international hub for notorious crime groups as illicit trade in the country is “booming,” according to a report by an American think tank. 

“Canada has become a safe zone for the world’s most notorious crime groups and threat networks that are harming Canada’s national security and imperiling the security of other nations,” warns a report published in late November by the International Coalition Against Illicit Economies (ICAIE).

Production and trafficking or narcotics, fentanyl and fake pharmaceuticals, cross-border money laundering and illegal alcohol are just some of the illicit markets that are growing in Canada and threatening Canadians’ security, the report’s authors highlight. 

“Today, Canada is not merely a consumer of illicit goods and contraband, but increasingly serves as a hub of illicit trade, production and distribution of illicit goods, an exporter of such contraband, and a money laundering safe haven for a potpourri of criminal networks,” wrote authors Calvin Chrustie and David M. Luna. 

“Canada remains a financial haven for kingpins, kleptocrats, oligarchs, and corrupt officials to reinvest stolen funds from their countries in real estate, energy, mining, and other sectors.” 

The report notes that tens of billions of dollars are laundered through Canada annually from the proceeds of crime such as human, drug and weapons trafficking.  

It also says multinational crime syndicates are increasingly setting up shop in Canada.  

“Canada has become a major global refuge for transnational crime networks and their dirty money, including the world’s most notorious networks and their leaders like Joaquín ‘El Chapo’ Guzmán and the Sinaloa cartel, Chinese drug kingpin Tse Chi Lop, Hezbollah Financier Altaf Khanani, and other bad actors,” reads the report. 

Mexican cartels sell cocaine and methamphetamine to criminal biker gangs in Canada with the help of Iranian and Chinese criminal networks, the report illustrates. On the West coast, Chinese syndicates help smuggle illegal and lethal drugs like fentanyl and heroin through Canada’s borders. 

If such crimes have proliferated across the country, it’s because of a “historic dismissal” of the threat of transnational crime by governments at all levels as well as Canadian law enforcement and intelligence agencies for years, reads the report. 

Canada sorely lacks a federal strategy to both assess the breadth of the problem and co-ordinate its enforcement and intelligence agencies — like the RCMP, CSIS, CBSA and even the military — to fight growing illicit markets. 

The report calls on politicians at all levels to urgently recognize the issue and take action, issuing dozens of recommendations such as creating a Canadian National Security Strategy and prioritizing severing the flow of illegal goods across the country’s borders. 

In an interview, Chrustie — a senior partner at Critical Risk Team consulting firm and a former RCMP senior operations officer — said another key issue is that Canadian laws have not kept up with the times and need significant reform. 

“Stop saying you’re fixing the problem unless you’re having substantive discussions about legal reform, including the Charter, because the other things won’t work,” he said. 

He pointed a finger at rules around disclosure of evidence in trials that he says don’t adequately protect sensitive information and evidence, particularly when it’s obtained from allied intelligence and police agencies such as the FBI. 

“Nothing will change unless we change our disclosure laws to allow us to collaborate and co-operate with our foreign partners, because our laws don’t allow us to protect their information and their intelligence,” he said, singling out the 1991 Supreme Court ruling that compels prosecutors to disclose “all relevant information” to the defence in criminal cases. 

He said another issue is that Canada has a “national” police force in the RCMP, but not a “federal policing” force that is focused on fighting modern crimes of national significance, like the drug trade or money laundering. 

In other words, the government needs to get the RCMP out of contract policing in provinces and let it focus on federal policing. 

“You don’t see (the U.S.) Drug Enforcement Agency agents doing highway patrol. You don’t see the DEA arresting drunks. The DEA are targeting the Triad and the cartels for 10 years, 20 years, 30 years. They take it seriously, they know it’s very difficult,” Chrustie said. 

“The people (at the RCMP) are fantastic, but it’s just not sustainable,” he added. “The model is broken.” 

AFCON 2023: Aina, Bassey, Onyeka Were Remarkable Against Ivory Coast - Oliseh

 

Former Nigerian international, Sunday Oliseh has lauded Super Eagles trio of Ola Aina, Calvin Bassey and Frank Onyeka for their remarkable performance against Ivory Coast in Thursday’s 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.

Recall that Nigeria handed the host a 1-0 defeat in their Group A clash at the Alassane Ouattara Stadium with a second-half penalty settling the encounter.

Reacting to the victory, the former Ajax star via hos official X handle, formerly known as Twitter singled out the trio of Bassey, Onyeka and Aina as Eagles best players against Ivory Coast.

“Ola Aina! Ola Aina!! Ola Aina!!! What a vintage, Naija like, exceptional performance he put up, as Super Eagles got their groove on to down Cote D’ivoire 1-0.

“Frank Onyeka & Calvin Bassey worked herculean too! Bravo boys!!”

Nigeria leapfrog the Elephants to go second in Group A and are behind leaders Equatorial Guinea, who beat Guinea-Bissau 4-2 earlier on Thursday, on goal difference.

Don’t Worry About ‘Japa’, Nigeria Will Train More People — Tinubu

 

With Nigeria’s unemployment rate at a new record high of 33.3 percent, the mass exodus known as the ‘Japa’ phenomenon is in full swing. 

President Bola Tinubu, on Monday, assured Nigerians not to be bothered about the mass exodus of skilled workers from the country, assuring the citizens that the Federal Government in collaboration with sub-nationals will train more persons to fill the professional gap now conspicuous in health, tech and other sectors.

The President spoke in Owerri, the Imo State capital, during the second term inauguration of Governor Hope Uzodimma.

Addressing the people of the state shortly after the governor took the oath of office, Tinubu said the education of children and youths is a priority for the administration of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

“You see the priority in industrialisation. Healthcare will receive more allocation and more attention.

“Don’t worry about what you are hearing about the Japa syndrome, we will train more people and we will supply them self,” he said.

The President also assured the people of the South-East that “the peace you are enjoying here will be better and we will work more to achieve that peace”.

‘Japa’, a colloquial for the emigration phenomenon that hit Nigeria hard since the COVID-19 pandemic, has caused unprecedented shortage of skilled manpower in many sectors, especially the health sector which contends with myriad issues like poor pay and welfare package.

The United Kingdom, the United States and Canada are top destinations for Nigerian youths who are relocating in pursuit of better education, employment and security purposes, among other reasons.

With Nigeria’s unemployment rate at a new record high of 33.3 percent, the mass exodus known as the ‘Japa’ phenomenon is in full swing.

Ghana Secures Debt Deal As Part Of IMF Loan

 

Ghana received its first $600 million tranche of the IMF loan in May last year.

Ghana has reached an agreement with external creditors for a debt restructuring that was key to its $3 billion credit line with the IMF, the government and the lender said.

Fund (IMF) to help shore up its public finances and better manage its heavy debt load.

Ghana’s economic outlook will be a major part of campaigning for the presidential election in December when President Nana Akufo-Addo’s New Patriotic Party will seek an unprecedented third term in office.

Ghana received its first $600 million tranche of the IMF loan in May last year.

The external debt deal helps clear the way for approval of another $600 million payment.

“This development constitutes a significant positive step towards restoring Ghana’s long-term debt sustainability,” a Finance Ministry statement said late Friday.

Last year Ghana successfully carried out a restructuring of its domestic debt.

Ghana suspended payments on the majority of its external debt, essentially defaulting due to challenges in addressing its substantial balance of payments deficit.

The restructuring parameters encompass both bilateral and commercial debt, including Eurobonds.

IMF managing director Kristalina Georgieva welcomed Ghana reaching “an agreement in principle with their official creditors on a debt treatment, consistent with the objectives of the IMF-supported program, which aims to restore macroeconomic stability and debt sustainability”.

She said the deal “clears the path for IMF Executive Board consideration” of the first review of Ghana’s three-year agreement “in the next few days”.

The Ghanaian government expects approval from the IMF Board will also prompt the World Bank Board to review $300 million in development financing for the country.