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Among the passengers were 35 African journalists, visiting for the first time to explore its vibrancy after successfully covering the 2024 Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) summit in Beijing from September 4th to 6th. Stepping off the plane, the domestic flight clearance was swift, and within moments we were on shuttle buses headed to our accommodations.

A defining feature upon arrival in China is the sheer scale of infrastructure development, and Chongqing is no exception. The city’s breathtaking blend of modern development, clean green streets, and impressive architecture against a backdrop of natural beauty makes you feel as if you’ve found the ‘promised land.’

Chongqing is renowned for its spicy food, one of the top descriptors for the area, but its charm goes far beyond cuisine. With a history spanning thousands of years, it is one of China’s four municipalities directly under the central government control, alongside Beijing and Shanghai. Situated at the confluence of the Yangtze and Jialing rivers, the city is surrounded by mountains, leading to the construction of extensive tunnels to ease transportation.

In the city center, the domed Great Hall of the People stands majestically over People’s Square, while nearby, the Three Gorges Museum showcases ancient artifacts and the history of the Three Gorges Dam construction. Chongqing spans a vast area, with jurisdiction over 38 districts and counties, covering 82,400 square kilometers and housing over 32 million residents, 93.23% of whom are Han Chinese, alongside ethnic groups such as the Tujia and Miao.

Known as the 'Mountain City' and the 'River City,' Chongqing boasts a humid subtropical monsoon climate, with early springs, hot summers, rainy autumns, and mild winters. The Yangtze River, stretching 691 kilometers, winds its way through the city, joined by the Jialing and Wujiang rivers. Chongqing’s landscape is predominantly mountainous, with mountains covering 76% of the terrain.

Chongqing is not just a historical and cultural city; it holds strategic importance for China’s development. It was the first inland city to open to foreign trade in 1981 and was officially established as a city in 1929. The Chengdu-Chongqing Twin-Hub Mega-Region and the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor are critical to the city’s role in the Belt and Road Initiative, connecting over 480 ports in 120 countries worldwide.

The city’s rapid industrial development has transformed it into a manufacturing powerhouse. It is among the top automotive production hubs in China and is the world’s largest producer of laptops. Chongqing is striving to build a modern manufacturing system centered around intelligent vehicles, next-gen electronics, and advanced materials. It also leads in innovation hubs in smart technology, life sciences, and green technologies.

Chongqing’s transportation infrastructure is equally impressive, featuring a multimodal network of rail, road, water, and air transport. With over 1,000 kilometers of high-speed rail, 4,000 kilometers of expressways, and an extensive river shipping system, it serves as a comprehensive transportation hub. In 2023, Chongqing’s GDP reached RMB 3.01 trillion (over US$424 bilion), reflecting a 6.1% growth.

Beyond its economic achievements, Chongqing is home to numerous cultural and natural treasures. The Mountain City Alley Traditional Style Area, a historical site in the city center, features preserved traditional buildings like the Catholic Charity Hall and the Changle Yongkang Stone Ancestral Gate.

Another notable landmark is the Liziba Station, China’s first through-building metro station that showcases Chongqing’s architectural ingenuity. Liziba Station is located in Yuzhong District. It is designed to improve the efficiency and convenience of urban transportation but has become a sight to behold.

Applying multiple technologies, the monorail enables trains to run through buildings without causing the structures to shake.

It cleverly achieves its functionality based on the complex terrain, which embodies the wisdom of the Chongqing people and ultimately stands among testaments to Chinese people’s prowess and great zeal to always foster innovations.

For a panoramic view of the city, the Jiefangbei Pedestrian Street and the World Financial Center (WFC) Huixianlou Observation Deck offer breathtaking vistas of Chongqing’s urban landscape, including the confluence of the Yangtze and Jialing rivers.

The WFC Observation Deck, unveiled in 2017, offers a stunning view of Chongqing’s iconic landmarks, including the intersection of two rivers, the Grand Theatre (a performing arts venue in central Chongqing), and Nanbin Road’s nightscape.

Located on the 73rd to 75th floors, it is China’s highest open-air observation deck. Nearby, the historic Jiefangbei Pedestrian Street, built in 1947 and transformed into Western China’s first commercial pedestrian street in 1997, remains a vibrant hub with a commercial area of 160,000 m², earning recognition as one of China’s top business centers.

One of Chongqing’s most iconic cultural sites is the Dazu Rock Carvings, a UNESCO World Heritage site with over 50,000 statues carved into rock formations, reflecting over a millennium of Chinese artistry and religious devotion. These carvings stand alongside other famous rock art in China, such as the Mogao Caves and the Yungang Grottoes.

No visit to Chongqing would be complete without experiencing its famous hot pot cuisine, a spicy culinary tradition that involves dipping fresh ingredients into a boiling broth.

Accompanied by local fruits and juices, the hot pot experience is a sensory delight. The city’s markets offer an abundance of local produce, including pumpkins, taro, maize, sea food and fresh vegetables among others.

As night falls, Chongqing’s streets come alive. Along the Jialing River, locals and tourists alike gather to enjoy the glittering lights of the city, the illuminated bridges, and the relaxing atmosphere that invites you to extend your stay.

Chongqing’s beauty, history, and vibrancy offer a truly unique experience for anyone fortunate enough to visit. This city, with its rich blend of culture, industry, and nature, is a testament to China’s development and a gateway to understanding its past, present, and future.

At night, people gather along the Jialing River to enjoy the city’s beautiful scenery and glittering lights of the magnificent bridges over the river.

Watching houses perched on cliffs and the relaxed atmosphere invites a sense of comfort, enticing visitors to stay longer.

Stunning infrastructure

The expressways in operation exceed 4,000 kilometers, connecting every county to the highway system.

The Chongqing Great Hall of the People was built between 1951-1954. With its huge dome that is modeled after the Temple of Heaven in Beijing, it is a prominent landmark in Chongqing.

Chongqing is a province central to China’s development and is among four municipalities directly controlled by the central government including Beijing and Shanghai.

The landscape is mainly hilly and mountainous, with mountains making up 76% of the terrain.

Chongqing is known as the 'Mountain City' and 'River City,' characterized by its subtropical humid monsoon climate, featuring early springs, hot summers, rainy autumns, and mild winters.

In 2023, the city enjoyed 325 days of good or excellent air quality, and its forest coverage rate ranks among the top ten in China.

With a large area covered by mountains, the construction of tunnels became a must to ease mobility.

The World Financial Center in Chongqing has 75th floors.

The Yangtze River runs through Chongqing, extending 691 kilometers and is joined by rivers like the Jialing River and Wujiang River.

Chongqing is a sprawling municipality at the confluence of the Yangtze and Jialing rivers in southwestern China.

Chongqing is a renowned historical and cultural city in China with a recorded history of over 3000 years.

Nestled among mountains and rivers, Chongqing is one of China’s 35 priority areas for biodiversity conservation.

Baidu has a fleet of autonomous cars in Chongqing.

Monorail traversing buildings

Named Liziba Station, China’s first through-building metro station, is located in Yuzhong District, Chongqing.

The through building metro station is designed to improve the efficiency and convenience of urban transportation.

A train traversing buildings in Chongqing at the Liziba Station.

The monorail cleverly achieves its functionality based on the complex terrain, which embodies the wisdom of the Chongqing people and ultimately stands among testaments to Chinese people’s prowess and great zeal to always foster innovations.

The Mountain City Alley Traditional Style Area

The Mountain City Alley Traditional Style Area located in the central part of Yuzhong Peninsula, is one of key features worth visiting in Chongqing.

Visitors of the Mountain City Alley Traditional Style Area stand chance to experience Chongqing culture.

Statues at Dazu Rock carvings

Over 70 rock carvings and more than 50,000 statues have been listed as cultural heritage sites under protection.

Dazu Rock Carvings thrived in the Northern and Southern Song Dynasties, and continued in the Ming and Qing Dynasties.

Dazu Rock Carvings is a collection of rock carvings and statues located in Dazu District, Chongqing Municipality.

With a recorded history of over a millennium, the rock carvings were first built in the early Tang Dynasty.

Dazu Rock Carvings comprise the complete history of Chinese rock carving architecture, writing the most magnificent chapter in the annals of world rock art.

The night view of Chongqing

The World Financial Center in Chongqing has 75th floors.

Chongqing WFC Observation Deck offers a clear view of the city’s magnificence.

Located in Southwestern inland China and on the upper reaches of the Yangtze River, Chongqing has jurisdiction over 38 districts and counties

The Chongqing WFC Observation Deck provides a stunning, unobstructed view of the city’s grandeur.

The WFC Observation Deck, unveiled in 2017, offers a stunning view of Chongqing’s iconic landmarks, including the intersection of two rivers and the Grand Theatre (a performing arts venue in central Chongqing).

Local food

Spicy food is popular in Chongqing.

The hot pot gives you a great experience of Chinese cuisine.

Chongqinghas a diverse array of produce, including pumpkins, noodles, salads, cucumbers, corn, watermelons, potatoes, sweet potatoes, taro roots, tomatoes, and a variety of cereals, among others.

Source : https://en.igihe.com/tourism/article/discover-the-magnificence-chongqing-china-s-mountain-city-of-innovation-and

At the Ministerial Round Table, the role of governments was a major focus. Leaders stressed the need for better coordination and integrated solutions to tackle food system challenges. Governments were identified as key enablers of food systems transformation, with a strong push for enhanced collaboration with the private sector.

The Forum also saw the launch of the Africa Agriculture Status Report (AASR), a key document from AGRA. The report outlined important recommendations on investing in policy, infrastructure, and agro-parks, providing a roadmap for future development.

Discussions about the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) highlighted the need for a new agreement in the post-Malabo era. Delegates agreed on the importance of a robust successor agreement with effective coordination and accountability mechanisms.

Governments were urged to support the new agreement and improve the sharing of analytical insights to boost investment and collaboration. Nutrition and health were key topics, with a focus on improving access to healthy, affordable food.

The link between climate change and nutrition was highlighted, stressing the need for more investment in nutrition security. Initiatives such as school feeding programs were recognized as valuable investments in reducing poverty and food insecurity.

The Forum also addressed gender equality and youth engagement. There was a strong call for increased support for women-led agriculture and effective implementation of gender-responsive policies.
The potential of youth was emphasized, with calls for more investments in youth-led innovations and equitable access to education.

Dr. Canisius Kanangire, the Executive Director of the African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF) discussed the role of technology in agriculture. He highlighted the importance of digital solutions tailored to local needs to improve productivity and sustainability.

Kanangire noted that affordability, accessibility, and maintenance are key challenges, and stressed the need for collaboration and investment in infrastructure.

AATF’s efforts to promote digital technologies, such as mobile apps and remote sensing, were showcased. These technologies aim to help smallholder farmers with farm management, weather information, and e-extension services.

The Forum emphasized the need for public-private partnerships to make these technologies more accessible and affordable.

In summary, the African Food Systems Forum underscored the importance of innovation, accountability, and collaboration in transforming Africa’s food systems.

With a commitment to addressing these issues, the Forum set the stage for meaningful progress in improving food security and nutrition across the continent.

Source : https://en.igihe.com/news/article/exploring-the-strength-of-the-african-food-systems-chain-video

APR FC will be looking to triumph over Egyptian giants Pyramids FC and break new ground by qualifying for the CAF Champions League group stages for the first time.

The two teams will come up against each other on Saturday, September 14 at Amahoro Stadium in Kigali, before a second-leg tie on September 20 in Egypt.

The Rwanda Premier League champions are well aware of the challenge ahead, as they were eliminated by Pyramids in last year's qualifiers in a humbling 6-1 aggregate defeat.

This season, APR FC have undertaken a massive recruitment campaign in a bid to not only maintain local dominance but also fight to perform better on the continental stage.

In a media interview, APR FC's head coach Darko Novic admitted that he expects a tough game against Pyramids, but noted that APR has prepared for it.

'We are committed to giving our best. Our recent form, both in competitive and friendly matches, has been encouraging and indicates our readiness to perform well,' he said.

Each APR' players stands to pocket $3000 (approximately Rwf4,000,000) if they manage to eliminate Pyramids and qualify for the next round of the CAF Champions League.

The post APR FC vs Pyramids Live match appeared first on The Custom Reports.

Source : https://thecustomreports.com/apr-fc-vs-pyramids-live-match/

Over the years, the link between corporate governance and stock market performance has become more evident, with investors paying closer attention to a company’s governance practices before investing. Private equity investors also show a greater preference for companies that embrace good corporate governance standards.

Today, the principles of corporate governance have become essential to gain shareholder confidence and maximize shareholder value. Companies with good governance practices are better equipped to navigate economic downturns with agility.

In this context, the Capital Market Authority (CMA), in collaboration with the International Finance Corporation (IFC), has developed the Capital Market Corporate Governance Code.

This code has been benchmarked against leading global frameworks and initiatives, including those from the OECD, IFRS, EU, the Task Force for Climate-related Disclosures (TCFD), and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Speaking at the virtual launch of the governance code, CMA CEO, Mr. Thapelo Tsheole said that the corporate governance code will foster investor confidence. 'Confidence and integrity are crucial for the development of any capital market. Investors invest with the understanding that their money is in good hands and will remain in good hands. Good corporate governance structures inspire this confidence,' he said.

Tsheole added that Rwanda’s capital market is in competition for capital, with investors spoilt for choice, hence the need for a competitive strategy.

Investors today have expanded their focus beyond a company’s financial performance to include the financial risks and opportunities arising from broader economic, environmental, and societal challenges, as well as a company’s ability to manage and adapt to those risks.

Click here to watch the virtual launch

CMA has launched a new corporate governance code incorporating ESG matters.

Source : https://en.igihe.com/news/article/cma-launches-a-new-corporate-governance-code-incorporating-esg-matters

Col Deo Akiki, the Deputy UPDF Spokesperson revealed that the two were traveling in a vehicle H4DF2588 and acknowledged that the military has been hit hard with another major loss, days after the death of Defence State minister Sarah Mateke Nyirabashisti last Saturday.

'How are we expected to understand this loss in such a short time?? A minister of state (Defence) Hon Sarah Mateke, Brig Gen (rtd) Kyambadde and our Director training and Doctrine for Land Forces Brig Gen Fred Twinamasiko in accident!! All gone just like that. May the Lord strengthen their families. It is a difficult moment. MHSRP,' Deo Akiiki eulogised.

Deo Akiiki condoled with the families of the two military officers who are facing difficult moments following the tragic news.

Reknowned Blogger Frank Mwesigwa has also condoled the tragic passing on of the two soldiers.
“Brig Gen (Retired) Kyambadde and Brig Gen Fred Twinamasiko who was director Training and Doctrine for Land Forces have lost their lives in a car accident on Masaka Road. My thoughts and prayers go out to their families, friends, and comrades during this difficult time. May their souls rest in eternal peace,” he wrote on his X handle.

The Uganda government is yet to announce burial arrangements for the two fallen soldiers.

Brig Gen Fred Twinamatsiko is dead

Source : https://en.igihe.com/news/article/grief-as-two-top-updf-generals-perish-in-road-accident

In an exclusive interview with IGIHE, Dr. Murigande reflected on the nation’s journey and the preparations for the upcoming 'Rwanda Shima Imana’ gospel crusade, which is making a return after several years of hiatus.

Dr. Murigande, now retired, has held numerous important roles in Rwanda’s political landscape, including serving as the Secretary General of the FPR Inkotanyi, representing Rwanda internationally, and heading various ministries.

He has been appointed as the coordinator of the 'Rwanda Shima Imana’ National Thanksgiving crusade, set to take place on September 29, 2024, at Amahoro Stadium.

Reflecting on 30 years of progress

Murigande emphasized that Rwandans from all faiths should take this opportunity to express their gratitude for the peace and stability that have been restored over the last 30 years.

'This year marks a significant milestone—30 years after the Genocide against the Tutsi was halted, 30 years since Rwanda’s liberation, the fourth Presidential elections, and the fifth Parliamentary elections since the Genocide,' he remarked.

He added that this anniversary is a moment for Rwandans to reflect on the nation’s journey toward peace and restoration.

'The peace and security we’ve been able to achieve are no small feat. Many nations that went through similar traumas are still struggling, yet Rwanda has rebuilt itself,' Murigande pointed out.

He reflected on the transformation Rwanda has undergone since 1994, when many Rwandans were refugees scattered across the world. Today, most have returned to contribute to the country’s reconstruction, and Rwanda stands tall on the international stage, with every Rwandan taking pride in their nation.

Murigande stressed that Rwandans should also give thanks for the significant strides made in education, healthcare, infrastructure, electricity, clean water, food security, and other developmental areas that have lifted the country out of isolation.

The upcoming event will feature performances from a host of Rwandan gospel artists, including Israel Mbonyi, Aimé Uwimana, James and Daniel, René Patrick, Christian Irimbere, Prosper Nkomezi, Gaby Kamanzi, Ben wa Chance, Bosco Nshuti, Yvan Ngenzi, Chriso Ndasingwa, and others.

Hope for a brighter future

Murigande further reflected on Rwanda’s rise from the ashes of the Genocide, noting that it would have been difficult for anyone in 1994 to imagine the country’s current state of stability and respect on the world stage.

'Rwanda was in a very difficult situation; it wasn’t easy to foresee that it would reach this level of development and command the respect it has today,' he stated.

Drawing from his experience as a member of the RPF-Inkotanyi, Murigande recalled the political vision that drove the party’s efforts to transform Rwanda.

'As someone who was part of the RPF, we always believed that if we executed our vision and worked tirelessly, Rwanda could change. That is the foundation we built on to achieve today’s progress,' he explained.

The 'Rwanda Shima Imana’ crusade, which began in 2012, was created to provide a platform for Rwandans to express their gratitude to God for His blessings.

This year’s edition, set for September 29, 2024, promises to be a significant event in Rwanda’s ongoing journey of gratitude and hope for the future.

Ambassador Dr. Charles Murigande has underscored the many reasons Rwandans have to thank God for His guidance over the past 30 years.

Rwandans and friends of Rwanda during Rwanda Shima Imana 2015. Photo by The New Times

Source : https://en.igihe.com/news/article/a-glance-at-upcoming-rwanda-shima-imana-national-thanksgiving-crusade

Anthony Albanese has dismissed Elon Musk's claims the Labor government was 'fascist', saying the US billionaire needed to recognise X 'has a social responsibility'.

'If Mr Musk doesn't understand that, that says more about him than it does about my government,' the Australian prime minister said on Saturday.

Musk, who owns the social media platform X, formerly Twitter, made the comments about new legislation aimed at tackling deliberate lies spread on social media, which could see social media companies fined up to 5% of their annual turnover.

Musk responded to a post on X about Australia's measures by simply posting: 'Fascists'.

Musk has clashed with the Australian government multiple times over the past year, including over requests for X to take down clips of a Sydney bishop allegedly being stabbed.

In April the eSafety commissioner ordered X to remove the graphic content and initiated proceedings in the federal court to have the material taken down. In June the eSafety commissioner discontinued the proceedings, but a separate administrative appeals tribunal review of the topic is expected to be heard in October.

During the months-long saga, Musk accused the government of suppressing free speech.

Albanese was also asked on Saturday about the huge uptake of renewable power, including in opposition leader Peter Dutton's home state of Queensland.

The PM said the figures for the uptake of rooftop solar power showed voters were embracing renewables and understood their benefits.

'What these figures show is that Australians know that the cheapest form of energy is renewables. That's why they're putting it on their roofs,' he said.

'Nuclear energy is the most expensive, the slowest to roll out, and Peter Dutton is relying upon technology that doesn't even exist anywhere in the world. What these figures show is that voters themselves are rejecting the idea that nothing should happen until the 2040s and sometime in the future.'

In June, Dutton announced the Coalition planned to build seven nuclear power plants and two small modular reactors. The nuclear pledge drew unanimous blowback from state premiers but Dutton told supporters he was prepared to override state nuclear bans.

Analysis from the Smart Energy Council found the controversial energy plan would cost taxpayers a minimum of $116bn — the same cost as delivering the Albanese government's plan for 82% renewables by 2030, and an almost 100% renewable energy mix by 2050 — and as much as $600bn while supplying just 3.7% of Australia's energy mix by 2050.

The post Anthony Albanese fires back at Elon Musk's 'fascist' comment as feud simmers on appeared first on The Custom Reports.

Source : https://thecustomreports.com/anthony-albanese-fires-back-at-elon-musks-fascist-comment-as-feud-simmers-on/

Joe Biden has dismissed the sabre-rattling threats made by Vladimir Putin as the US president met the UK prime minister, Keir Starmer, at the White House.

Biden said on Friday afternoon he did not accept that Ukraine using western-made Storm Shadow missiles to bomb targets in Russia would amount to Nato going to war with Moscow.

At a foreign policy summit, Biden said: 'I do not think much about Vladimir Putin.'

Biden and Starmer's top foreign policy teams were meeting at the Blue Room in the White House. At the start of the meeting, James Matthews from Sky News jumped the gun by asking Biden: 'What do you say to Vladimir Putin's threat of war?'

Biden scolded him. 'You be quiet, I'm going to speak, OK?' the president said, before beginning his prepared remarks.

Also present at the Blue Room meeting were Antony Blinken, the US secretary of state, and David Lammy, the UK foreign secretary. Other British participants included Tim Barrow, the national security adviser, and Starmer's chief of staff, Sue Gray.

Starmer flew over from London on Thursday for the working meeting amid escalating tensions with the Kremlin after the UK had indicated that the US had agreed to allow Ukraine to use Storm Shadow missiles to bomb Russia.

After the summit, Starmer said the meeting was not about a particular decision on Storm Shadow. 'Well, we've had a long and productive discussion on a number of problems, including Ukraine, as you'd expect, the Middle East, and the Indo-Pacific, talking strategically about tactical decisions,' he said.

However, Biden indicated the topic came under discussion between the leaders and their teams. In response to a shouted question asking how soon he was prepared to let Ukraine fire missiles deeper into Russia, Biden said: 'We're going to discuss that now.'

Neither of the presidential candidates, Kamala Harris and Donald Trump, were in the capital and available to meet Starmer because both were campaigning.

Starmer said he had never spoken to Harris. The prime minister did speak to Trump briefly after the former president survived an assassination attempt in the summer.

The British Storm Shadow missiles, made by a European company, can strike targets at least 190 miles away and Ukraine wants to use them to bomb airbases, missile sites and other military targets in the Russian heartlands.

Earlier, Russia announced it had revoked the accreditation of six British diplomats in Moscow on accusations of espionage. Moscow's FSB domestic spy agency said on Friday that it had acted on documents showing part of the Foreign Office was helping coordinate what it called 'the escalation of the political and military situation' in Ukraine.

The Foreign Office, however, said the move had been made last month as part of a continuing diplomatic tit-for-tat. Sources indicated the British diplomats had left Russia weeks ago and were being replaced.

A Foreign Office spokesperson said: 'The accusations made today by the FSB against our staff are completely baseless … We are unapologetic about protecting our national interests.'

The British government expelled the Russian defence attache in May, accusing him of being an undeclared intelligence officer, and removed diplomatic status from several Russian-owned buildings in the UK.

The Biden-Starmer meeting was called at the request of the UK, the White House said. After a short one-to-one between the leaders, no press conference was scheduled.

The UK government has for days been dampening down expectations of a public announcement about Storm Shadow being used in Ukraine — though the discussions prompted Putin to warn on Thursday that allowing Ukraine to use western-made long-range missiles would amount to Nato being at war with Russia.

Starmer, however, told reporters as he flew into Washington: 'Russia started this conflict. Russia illegally invaded Ukraine. Russia can end this conflict straight away. Ukraine has the right to self-defence.' Putin had been expected to counter talk of fresh help for Kyiv with threats.

Ukraine's president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, has been pushing for months for permission to use the missiles, including during talks this week with Lammy and Blinken.

British sources say London and Washington have decided to allow Ukraine to use long-range missiles, but are not yet willing to announce it. Deploying the missiles, western officials add, should be part of a wider plan designed to try to bring about an end to the full-scale war.

Zelenskiy pleaded on Friday for the US and UK to speed up the process and allow Kyiv to make the war 'more difficult for Russia'.

In a lengthy statement, Zelenskiy said: 'Anyone who sees a map where Russia launches its strikes from, trains its forces, keeps its reserves, locates its military facilities, and what logistics [it] uses clearly understands why Ukraine needs long-range capabilities.'

Ukrainian leaders are intensely frustrated that the Kremlin is able to launch deadly missile strikes across Ukraine, while they are unable to target sites in Russia because the weapons available are manufactured in the west and until now western governments have not approved such use.

Storm Shadow is made by a company controlled by British, French and Italian interests, and some of its components are made in the US, giving all four countries a veto on its use. Ukraine has only a limited long-range missile capability of its own making.

The Russian embassy in London said Britain was wasting money in supporting Ukraine, that any arms donated would 'likely go up in smoke' and that the policy of helping Kyiv would 'provide no relief to ordinary Brits, who are preparing to tighten their belts as winter approaches'.

The post Joe Biden dismisses Russian threats during meeting with Keir Starmer appeared first on The Custom Reports.

Source : https://thecustomreports.com/joe-biden-dismisses-russian-threats-during-meeting-with-keir-starmer/

Agroup of Israeli hostages were huddled in a tunnel in Gaza a few days after they had been dragged from their homes on 7 October, when the man who had plotted their abduction appeared out of the subterranean gloom.

His hair and beard were grey and his dark-ringed eyes stared out from under thick black brows. It was a face familiar to them from a thousand broadcasts and newspaper stories: Yahya Sinwar. The Hamas leader in Gaza was the most feared man in Israel, even before he ordered the October raid in which 1,200 people — two-thirds of them civilians — were killed and 250 taken hostage.

In fluent Hebrew, perfected over more than 22 years in an Israeli prison, Sinwar reassured them that they were safe and would soon be exchanged for Palestinian prisoners. One of the hostages, Yocheved Lifshitz, an 85-year-old veteran peace campaigner from the Nir Oz kibbutz, had no time for his show of concern for their welfare and challenged the Hamas leader to his face.

'I asked him how he wasn't ashamed to do something like this to people who had supported peace all these years?' Lifshitz told the Davar newspaper after her release following 16 days in captivity. 'He didn't answer. He was quiet.'

A video recorded on Hamas security cameras at about the same time, on 10 October, and found by the Israeli military some months later, shows Sinwar following his wife and three children through a narrow tunnel and disappearing into the murk.

That was the last sighting of the man who unleashed the Gaza war. According to Gaza health officials, 41,000 Palestinians, mostly civilians, have been killed in a devastating Israeli response that has flattened much of the territory, driving 90% of the population from their homes and bringing 2.3 million people to the edge of famine. Through all this, the prime target of the Israeli bombardment has remained at large and apparently unscathed.

The nearly year-long hunt for Sinwar has involved a mix of advanced technology and brute force, as his pursuers have shown themselves prepared to go to any lengths, including causing extremely high civilian casualties, to kill the Hamas leader and destroy the tight circle around him.

The hunters are a taskforce of intelligence officers, special operation units from the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), military engineers and surveillance experts under the umbrella of the Israeli Security Agency, more widely known by its Hebrew initials or the acronym Shabak.

Personally and institutionally, this team is seeking redemption for the security failures that allowed the 7 October assault to happen. But despite their motivation, they have so far failed to pin down their quarry.

'If you'd told me when the war began that more than 11 months later he would still be alive, I would have found it amazing,' said Michael Milshtein, a former head of the Palestinian affairs section in Israeli Military Intelligence (Aman). 'But remember, Sinwar prepared for a decade for this offensive and IDF intelligence was very surprised by the size and length of the tunnels under Gaza and how sophisticated they were.'

The IDF estimates there are 500km (300 miles) of tunnels under Gaza, an entire underground city. A second important challenge, according to at least some in the defence establishment, is that Sinwar is likely to have surrounded himself with human shields.

Ram Ben-Barak, a former deputy director of the Mossad, said: 'Because of the hostages, we are very careful with what we are doing. I believe if there were no such restrictions, we would have found him easier.'

Whether or not Sinwar has a ring of human shields around him, the potential presence of hostages has not prevented the IDF from dropping hugely powerful 2,000lb (900kg) bombs on suspected Hamas hideouts in recent weeks. Out of its two primary war aims, the Netanyahu government puts the destruction of Hamas above the rescue of the hostages.

There is no shortage of expertise among Sinwar's hunters. Targeted killings have been a core tactic of Israel's military since the founding of the state. Since the second world war, Israel has assassinated more people than any other country in the western world.

Yahalom, a special section within the Combat Engineering Corps, has more experience in tunnel warfare than any of its counterparts in western armies, and has access to state-of-the-art US-made ground-penetrating radar. The clandestine signals intelligence unit 8200 is a global leader in electronic warfare and has been eavesdropping on Hamas communications for decades.

The Shin Bet lost many of its sources in Gaza after Israel pulled out of the territory in 2005, but worked hard to rebuild its network of informants after Israel launched its ground invasion last October, recruiting from among the desperate flows of Palestinians fleeing the onslaught.

Despite the capabilities of this formidable taskforce, it has come close to catching Sinwar just once, in a bunker beneath his home town of Khan Younis in late January. The fugitive warlord had left behind clothing and more than 1m shekels (over £200,000) in wads of banknotes. This was seen by some as a sign of panic, though the Hamas leader was ultimately estimated to have left a few days before Israeli forces raided the bunker.

The assumption made by Sinwar's trackers is that he has long since abandoned using electronic communication, well aware of the skills and technology possessed by his pursuers. It was not only Hebrew that Sinwar studied in Israeli jail but also the habits and culture of his enemy.

'He really understands the basic instincts and the deepest feelings of Israeli society,' said Milshtein, now at the Moshe Dayan Center at Tel Aviv University. 'I'm quite sure every move he makes is based on his understanding of Israel.'

Sinwar still communicates with the outside world, albeit with apparent difficulty. The long negotiations over a ceasefire in Cairo and Doha have often been paused while messages are sent to and from the subterranean commander. One strong possibility is that Sinwar uses couriers to remain in command, drawn from a small and shrinking coterie of aides he trusts, starting with his brother Mohammed, a senior military commander in Gaza.

It is the hope of the team hunting Sinwar that the need for contact with couriers, to issue orders and control the hostage negotiations, will ultimately prove his undoing, just as a courier led American trackers over several years to Osama bin Laden's hideout in Abbottabad, Pakistan.

It is believed that it was a courier who led the Israeli hunters to their biggest scalp of the war so far. At 10.30am on 13 July, Mohammed Deif, Hamas's veteran commander who had topped Israel's most wanted list since 1995, emerged from a hiding place near a camp for displaced people at al-Mawasi to take in some air with a close lieutenant, Rafa'a Salameh. Within an instant, both men were killed by bombs dropped by Israeli jet fighters — at least, according to IDF accounts — along with scores of Palestinians. Hamas insists Deif is still alive but he has not been seen since.

Many in the Israeli security establishment rued what they saw as a missed historic opportunity in September 2003 when they had planes ready to bomb a house where the entire Hamas leadership was holding a meeting. After furious argument in the military chain of command, the air force used a precision missile fired into the presumed meeting room, rather than flattening the whole building with a hail of bombs, out of concern for civilian casualties. They picked the wrong room and the Hamas leaders survived.

By July this year, the likelihood of killing large numbers of civilians was no longer an obstacle. In targeting Deif, the air force used 2,000lb bombs, the very weapons the Biden administration had stopped sending in May because of their indiscriminate destructive force. Israel reportedly dropped eight of them on 13 July. Ninety Palestinians in the vicinity were killed and nearly 300 injured.

'It seems that the main source for the attack on Mohammed Deif, that actually gave the information about his location, was a human source — one of these messengers that go from one tunnel or shelter to another and bring messages between one commander to another,' Milshtein said. 'So maybe there will be an opportunity to follow one of these messengers [to Sinwar], or if one of them is an agent of Israel's Shin Bet.'

Yossi Melman, a co-author of Spies Against Armageddon and author of other books on Israeli intelligence, said Deif may have made a mistake that Sinwar was unlikely to repeat.

'Deif was maybe more arrogant or maybe he told himself they tried to kill me so many times, and I lost an eye and an arm but I still survived, so maybe God is with me,' Melman said. 'The Shabak and the army were waiting just for this opportunity. All these targeted killings are about waiting for the one minor mistake by the other side. But Sinwar is more cautious. He is not a military commander who has show himself to be among his people.'

On Tuesday this week, the air force again dropped 2,000lb bombs on al-Mawasi, designated by Israel as a 'humanitarian zone'. At least 19 people were killed and 60 injured. The IDF said it had carried out 'precision strikes' on Hamas targets, but did not specify the target.

It is possible that a deal will be made in which Sinwar goes into exile, and some suggest he may already be across the border, hiding in a tunnel on the Egyptian side of the Rafah border. That would cut against the conventional wisdom about the ideological zeal of a man who rose through Hamas ranks as the executioner of suspected informers.

'My personal assessment is that the likelihood of this option is very low,' said Milshtein, whose job in the Aman military intelligence service was to study Sinwar and other Hamas leaders. 'It is in his basic DNA to stay in Gaza and to fight until death. He will prefer to die in his bunker.'

Ben-Barak, the former Mossad deputy chief, agreed. 'I don't think he will cross into Egypt, because the moment that people know he is not in Gaza, the whole [Hamas] operation will collapse — its morale and so on. That's why I don't think he would do that. He's not a coward.'

Sinwar's death or capture would undoubtedly be hailed as a major military success by Benjamin Netanyahu's government, which has made the destruction of Hamas's 'military and governing capabilities' a primary war aim. Whether it would stop the war is quite another question.

'When we catch him, the situation will be much better, maybe for a couple of weeks,' Ben-Barak said. 'After that, someone else will come. It is an ideological war, not a war about Sinwar.'

Milshtein said: 'After almost 50 years of assassinations, we understand this is a basic part of the game. Sometimes it is necessary to assassinate a very prominent leader. But when you start to think it will be a gamechanger and that an ideological organisation will collapse because you kill one of its leaders, that is a total mistake.

'I'm quite sure that someone will replace, or actually has already replaced, Mohammed Deif, and if Sinwar is killed there will be someone else … You cannot create a fantasy. It will not end the war.'

The post Israel's prime target: the hunt for Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar appeared first on The Custom Reports.

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A Briton and three Americans are among 37 people sentenced to death on Friday over an attempt to overthrow the president of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Six people were killed during the botched coup attempt led by the opposition figure Christian Malanga on 19 May that targeted the presidential palace and a close ally of President Félix Tshisekedi.

Armed men first attacked the parliamentary speaker Vital Kamerhe's home in Kinshasa, then briefly occupied an office of the presidency, before Malanga, a US-based Congolese politician, was killed by security forces.

Malanga was shot while resisting arrest soon after live-streaming the attack on his social media, the Congolese army said.

The defendants, who also include a Belgian, a Canadian national and several Congolese, can appeal against the verdict on charges that included terrorism, murder and criminal association. Fourteen people were acquitted in the trial, which opened in July.

The three Americans convicted were Malanga's son Marcel Malanga, 21, as well as Tyler Thompson Jr and Benjamin Zalman-Polun.

Marcel had told the court that his father, from whom he had been estranged, threatened to kill him unless he participated. He said it was his first time visiting the country at the invitation of his father whom he had not seen in years.

Thompson, 21, flew to Africa from Utah with Marcel for what his family believed was a vacation with all expenses paid by the elder Malanga, the court previously heard.

The pair had played high school football together in Salt Lake City. Other teammates had accused Marcel of offering up to $100,000 to join him on a 'security job' in DRC.

Thompson's family have said he had no knowledge of the elder Malanga's intentions, nor any plans for political activism or intentions to enter DRC. They have said they understood the itinerary to be South Africa and Eswatini.

Zalman-Polun, 36, was a business associate of Christian Malanga.

There was no official information available about the Briton, who was reported to also be a naturalised Congolese citizen.

A spokesperson for the UK's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said: 'We are providing consular assistance to a British man detained in DRC and are in contact with the local authorities.

'We have made representations about the use of the death penalty to the DRC at the highest levels, and we will continue to do so.'

The verdict was read out on live television in the yard of Ndolo military prison on the outskirts of Kinshasa.

In March, DRC reinstated the death penalty, lifting a 21-year-old moratorium, as authorities struggle to curb violence and militant attacks.

The justice ministry said at the time that the ban from 2003 had allowed offenders accused of treason and espionage to get away without sufficient punishment.

The post Briton and Americans among 37 given death sentence over DRC coup attempt appeared first on The Custom Reports.

Source : https://thecustomreports.com/briton-and-americans-among-37-given-death-sentence-over-drc-coup-attempt/