REVEALED – Trump administration sought to place Ghana on Terrorism Watchlist

 Information reaching DNT suggests that the United States Homeland Security (DHS) under the Trump administration devised a policy that sought to place countries, including Ghana, on the Terrorism Watchlist.

The basis for this placement was that nationals of those countries overstayed their student visas in the United States.

It took the obscure work of the Ghana Diaspora Public Affairs Collective (PAC) led by Adwoa Adofo Kyremateng and Kim Afoakwa to write protest letters to the DHS to avert that placement.

President of the GD-PAC Adwoa Adofo Kyremateng recalled that “we wrote a long comment letter arguing that the was no basis for this policy proposal” after researching on the matter.

The GD-PAC further argued to the DHS along with the reminder of Ghana’s status as a strategic ally to the United States to successfully cause a withdrawal of the policy proposal.

In an exclusive interview with DNT to discuss the Ghana diaspora PAC’s work towards the formation of Congressional Ghana Caucus, Adofo and Afoakwa intimated that lobbying entails more than just shaking hands and having coffee meets.

The Ghana Diaspora PAC has two arms – the charitable arm that work discreetly to, among other things, protect undocumented Ghanaian from illegal deportation, and the Political Action Committee arm that engages federall political players in the interest of Ghana.

It may be recalled that Trump’s disdain for countries, especially those in Africa, was reflected in a leaked conversation during with he referred to African countries as “S___hole countries.”

It is unclear if any country would have evaded the said Terrorist Watchlist given that almost every country on the planet has students in the United States with a good number of them overstaying their visas at some point.

DNT News, Martha’s Vineyard, MA, USA

 

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Qatar 2022 World Cup Stadium Trial Beset By Lack of Water, Long Queues For Fans

 A trial event for the 2022 World Cup final venue in Qatar on Friday was beset by logistical problems, with long lines and a lack of water for the nearly 78,000 people in attendance.

Friday’s match, called the Lusail Super Cup, was the first time the new Lusail Stadium has hosted such a crowd. At 80,000 seats, it is the largest of Qatar’s eight World Cup stadiums and a gold-clad showpiece designed to host the final match on Dec. 18.

Stadium stands were out of water by half-time and there was none outside, where the late summer temperature was 34 Celsius (93 Fahrenheit) but felt far hotter because of the humidity.

For hours, people had been filing out of the stadium after a near-capacity match tested the small Gulf state’s readiness for the tournament, which kicks off on Nov. 20.

“Let us through! We have children,” cried one man carrying a sweaty toddler. “We need water. Is there water?” a woman shouted from behind the line.

Qatar is the first Middle Eastern country and smallest nation ever to host the World Cup. While it has spent billions of dollars on infrastructure, it has never organised an event on such a scale — which unusually for a World Cup will also be held in or around a single city.

There will be four matches around Doha every day for the first 12 days of the tournament. World soccer governing body FIFA says 2.45 million tickets out of a possible 3 million are already sold and an unprecedented 1.2 million people, equivalent to nearly half Qatar’s population, are expected to visit.

Organisers said exactly 77,575 people passed through the turnstiles on Friday, the largest crowd ever in Qatar. Families brought young children to the stadium, arriving ahead of a performance by Egyptian singer Amr Diab. Hundreds of Saudi fans wore the blue jersey of Al Hilal, the Saudi team which beat Egypt’s Zamalek on penalties after a 1-1 draw.

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I Want A Close Relationship With Britain’s New Monarch – Says Prez Joe Biden

 President Joe Biden spoke to King Charles III for the first time on Wednesday, paying tribute to his late mother Queen Elizabeth II and her hospitality, while saying he wanted to continue their close relationship.  They spoke on the day the Queen’s coffin was borne on a gun carriage to the Palace of Westminster, where she will lie in state. Biden is expected to leave for London on Saturday ahead of Monday’s funeral.

‘The president recalled fondly the Queen’s kindness and hospitality, including when she hosted him and the first lady at Windsor Castle last June,’ he said according to a white House readout. ‘He also conveyed the great admiration of the American people for the Queen, whose dignity and constancy deepened the enduring friendship and special relationship between the United States and the United Kingdom.

‘President Biden conveyed his wish to continue a close relationship with the King.’ The Queen hosted the Bidens for tea at Windsor Castle after the G7 summit in Cornwall last summer. At the time, Biden said they discussed Russian President Vladimir Putin and China’s Xi Jinping.

‘We had a long talk. She was very generous. I don’t think she’d be insulted but she reminded me of my mother,’ he said. ‘In terms of the look of her and just the generosity. She was very gracious.’

Biden ordered flags to half staff on Thursday after the death of the 96-year-old British head of state.

And he was the first world leader to sign a book of condolence when he upended his schedule that day to visit the British embassy in Washington D.C.

‘We mourn for all of you,’ he said after the signing, with first lady Jill at his side.

‘She was a great lady. We’re so delighted to get to meet her.’

Biden will be among some 500 heads of state and foreign officials expected at the funeral – one of the biggest gatherings of royalty and world leaders in the UK since the death of Elizabeth’s father George VI.

Most have been told to travel on commercial flights and will travel on buses from a pickup point in west London to Westminster Abbey on Monday.

But Biden will arrive on Air Force One, and has special dispensation to use the Beast – his oversized armored limousine to travel through the city.

He is expected to stay at the U.S. Ambassador’s residence. Winfield House is a 35-bedroom house set in 12 acres in the middle of London.

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Ugandan MPs hold special sitting for Queen Elizabeth II

 Uganda’s parliament has held a special sitting to pay tribute to Queen Elizabeth II, who died in Scotland on Thursday.

The motion was moved by the prime minister and went on for two hours.

The Queen first visited Uganda in 1954 and then in 2007 for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting – her last official visit to Africa.

The MPs, who were each given two minutes to speak, said that Her Majesty had presided over the Commonwealth with distinction and played an important and unifying role.

Female lawmakers especially said that she was an inspiration to women in leadership.

“She was a distinguished leader. A leader who has shown commitment, who has united the commonwealth”, said Beatrice Anywar MP.

Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja said “her visits contributed immensely to Uganda’s development and global standing, which was exemplified by the ability to host international conferences and ultimately encouraged direct investment in tourism”.

Another MP, Jonathan Ebwalu, said she died “too young, at only 96, at the time when the world needed her most”.

The Queen Elizabeth National Park in western Uganda was named after her to commemorate her 1954 visit.

Several roads and roundabouts in the capital Kampala are also named after members of the UK royal family.

Even though the opposition supported the motion and appreciated Her Majesty’s long leadership, they spoke strongly against leaders of republics staying too long in power. Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni has been in power since 1986.

Most speakers also talked about the Queen’s role in fostering international cooperation and good governance.

However, many young people in the country have not joined in with the tributes, as some feel that the British monarchy has not taken full accountability for the legacy of colonialism.

The Queen’s visit to Uganda in 2007 saw her visit a centre for Aids orphans in Kampala

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Yemen airline convicted over tragic 2009 Comoros crash

 A French court has convicted Yemenia Airways for involuntary homicide over the 2009 crash off the Comoros islands which killed 152 passengers on board.

The only survivor was a 12-year-old girl.

The airline must pay a $225,000 (£195,000) fine and more than $1 million (£860,000) in damages.

The Airbus A310 set off from the Yemeni capital and was headed towards the Comoros.

Many of those on board began their journey in Paris or Marseille on another jet operated by the national airline of Yemen, before boarding flight IY626 in Sanaa.

The crash caused anger amongst the Comorian community in France as people complained that the aircraft had been in poor condition.

Officials from Yemen previously said the plane had undergone a thorough inspection and conformed to international standards.

It is not clear what the current findings of the French court were with respect to the cause of the crash, as the AFP news agency reports experts told the court there was nothing wrong with the aircraft.

However, AFP says that prosecutors accused the airline of having a pilot-training programme that was “riddled with gaps”.

The prosecutors also said the aircraft did not have functional landing lights, according to AFP.

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Angola, Libya Overtake Nigeria As Africa’s Biggest Oil Producer

 Angola and Libya have overtaken Nigeria as the biggest crude oil producers in the African continent.

The Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) disclosed this in its Oil Market Report for September 2022 releases on Tuesday September 13 in Lagos.

The report revealed that Nigeria’s crude oil production for August averaged 1.100 million barrels per day which was 65,000mb/d lower than the 1.164mb/d produced averagely in July.

While Angola was Africa’s highest crude oil producer for the month under review with an average production of 1.187mb/d.

Libya’s crude oil production averaged also 1.123mb/d for the period.

The report said: “According to secondary sources, total OPEC-13 crude oil production averaged 29.65 mb/d in August, higher by 618,000 month-on-month.

“Crude oil output increased mainly in Libya and Saudi Arabia, while production in Nigeria declined.”

Nigeria’s real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) rose by 3.5 percent year-on-year this year following growth of 3.1 percent in the first quarter of 2022.

“On a quarterly basis, the GDP shrank by 0.37 percent following a 14.66 percent contraction in the previous quarter.

“Nevertheless, the annual inflation rate surged to the highest since September 2005, climbing to 19.6 percent y-o-y in July from 18.6 percent in June.
“This was a result of the weakening naira due to continued high imported input costs as well as soaring fuel prices.

“Moreover, food inflation increased to 22 per cent y-o-y, the highest since May 2021,”  the report added.

Source: LIB

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India women and Muslims earn less due to discrimination

 Indian women face discrimination in the job market and earn less than men even when they have the same qualifications and experience, a new report says.

Oxfam India’s Discrimination Report 2022 blames “societal and employers’ prejudices” for women’s lower wages.

Other marginalized communities also suffered discrimination in the job market, the report found.

These included those at the bottom of the caste system, tribespeople and members of the Muslim community.

“Discrimination in the labour market is when people with identical capabilities are treated differently because of their identity or social backgrounds,” Amitabh Behar, Oxfam India’s CEO, said.

“The inequality for women and other social categories is not just due to poor access to education or work experience but because of discrimination.”

Researchers from Oxfam looked at government data on jobs, wages, health and access to agricultural credit among various social groups from 2004 to 2020 and used statistical models to quantify discrimination.

They found that every month on average, men earned 4,000 rupees ($50; £44) more than women, non-Muslims earned 7,000 rupees more than Muslims and those at the bottom of the caste system and tribespeople made 5,000 rupees less compared to others.

India is often called out for its mistreatment of women – hundreds of thousands of female foetuses are aborted annually, leading to a terribly skewed sex ratio. And from the time of their birth, a majority of women face discrimination, prejudice, violence and neglect that can continue all their lives.

It’s also well known that there is gender inequality in the labour force, with far fewer women in the workforce generally.

In most jobs, women are paid lower wages compared to men

According to Indian government data, in 2020-21 women made up only 25.1% of the labour force, which is not just considerably lower than many other countries such as Brazil, Russia, China and South Africa, but also a huge decline within the country from 42.7% in 2004-05.

This, Oxfam says, is a cause for concern as it shows the withdrawal of women from the workforce despite India undergoing rapid economic growth during the period. In the last couple of years the pandemic may have accelerated this trend – during lockdowns as jobs became scarce, women were pushed out of the labour market.

The report says the high degree of gender discrimination best explains the existence of a large segment of well-qualified women not “wanting” to join the labour market because of household responsibilities or social status.

“It is thus patriarchy that makes a large segment of women, who have the same or even higher qualifications as compared to men, stay outside employment, and this has shown no improvement over time.”

Apart from women, the report says that “historically oppressed groups such as Dalits (formerly untouchables), tribals and religious minorities such as Muslims” also continue to face discrimination in accessing jobs, livelihoods, and agricultural credit.

“During the early months of the Covid-19 pandemic, the sharpest increase in unemployment – at 17% – was for Muslims,” it adds.

“The fall-out of discrimination in Indian society is not just social and moral but also economic, leading to adverse consequences to society,” Mr Behar says, adding that the government, political parties, policymakers and civil society must work together to build a discrimination-free India.

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