The Gambia: Massive Protests Against Government Corruption Scandals In Banjul
Gambians hit the streets of the capital, Banjul, to protest against President Adama Barrow's government. The protesters marched through the city, chanting "power" and "people", carrying handwritten placards that read- "Gambians are not slaves to corruption". The demonstrations were against the alleged government corruption. The protesters sought justice over a series of recent scandals that rocked the country. The demonstrators said they were demanding accountability and called on President Barrow to tackle corruption. The demonstrators also carried petition letters to several government ministries, the President's office, and the National Assembly. These petitions listed the corruption scandals linked to the ministries.
See More
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Print
2 hours ago
- The Print
Pak amends anti-terror law to allow agencies to detain ‘suspicious' persons for up to 3 months
This power was initially provided by an amendment in 2014 to conduct preventive detention of individuals suspected of involvement in terrorism-related activities, but the amendment was subject to a sunset clause and expired after two years in 2016. The National Assembly on Wednesday passed an amendment to the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA), 1997, to change Section 11 EEEE (preventive detention for inquiry). Islamabad, Aug 14 (PTI) Pakistan has amended its anti-terrorism law to augment the powers of security agencies and the armed forces to detain 'suspicious' individuals for up to three months. In November 2024, the government quietly introduced the bill in the National Assembly when Minister of State for Interior and Narcotics Control Tallal Chaudhry moved it, seeking to grant military and civil armed forces the authority to keep individuals facing terrorism charges in 'preventive' detention for up to three months. State-run Associated Press of Pakistan news agency reported that the assembly passed the bill through a clause-by-clause reading. The main opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party opposed the amendment, terming it against basic rights. PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan branded it a violation of 'fundamental human rights'. 'The Supreme Court said these laws were contrary to fundamental rights,' Gohar said. 'You cannot touch a single person in the world without a solid reason.' Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar assured the House that this law would only be used in specific circumstances. 'A clause is being added to the bill stating that there are solid reasons for arrest,' Tarar stated. 'The arrested person will have to be presented before a magistrate within 24 hours, (and) a clause has also been included to be enforceable for a specific period.' But the PTI and other opposition groups fear that it could be used to silence dissent and opposition in the country. PTI SH ZH ZH This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
5 hours ago
- First Post
Trump announced $50 mn bounty for his arrest. Now, Maduro responds with 4.5 mn militia and armed peasants
Venezuelan President Maduro has ordered nationwide militia activation after the US doubled bounty for his arrest and intensified anti-drug operations in the Caribbean Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro speaks as he presents a proposal to reform the constitution in a session of the National Assembly in Caracas, Venezuela on February 15, 2025. Reuters File Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has announced that he will deploy 4.5 million members of the country's civilian militia, citing what he called renewed threats from the United States. The move comes after Washington increased the bounty for Maduro's arrest and launched new anti-drug operations in the Caribbean — actions Caracas has condemned as hostile and provocative. 'This week, I will activate a special plan with more than 4.5 million militiamen to ensure coverage of the entire national territory - militias that are prepared, activated and armed,' Maduro announced on state television. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The militia, originally established by former President Hugo Chávez, is officially reported to number around five million members, although independent estimates suggest the actual figure is significantly lower, reported Times of India. Venezuela's total population stands at approximately 30 million. In a televised address, President Maduro condemned what he described as 'the renewal of extravagant, bizarre, and outlandish threats' from the US, following a series of moves by Washington that have further strained bilateral relations. Earlier this month, President Trump's administration doubled the reward for Maduro's capture to $50 million. The Venezuelan leader faces drug trafficking charges in the United States, where officials accuse him of heading the so-called Cartel de los Sole_s_, a criminal network allegedly responsible for large-scale cocaine smuggling. In addition to increasing the bounty, the Trump administration imposed fresh sanctions on both the cartel and the Venezuelan government. The US military has also reportedly deployed several naval vessels to the southern Caribbean as part of its broader anti-narcotics campaign in the region. 'We are also deployed throughout the Caribbean… in our sea, our property, Venezuelan territory,' Times of India quoted Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello as saying. Although he did not explicitly mention the recent actions by the United States, President Maduro expressed gratitude to Venezuela's international allies for standing with the country against what he described as a 'rotten refrain' of ongoing threats. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Maduro also called for the expansion of worker and peasant militias across all sectors of the economy, urging broader participation in what he framed as a national defence effort. 'Rifles and missiles for the peasant force! To defend the territory, sovereignty, and peace of Venezuela,' declared Maduro. With inputs from agencies
The Hindu
2 days ago
- The Hindu
In Namibia, India shows a new way to engage Africa
In his address to Namibia's National Assembly in July this year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi quoted a Namibian poet, invoked the symbolism of the Welwitschia mirabilis plant (the national plant) and the Springbok, and sprinkled his remarks with phrases in Oshiwambo, earning laughter and applause. The gesture suggested a deliberate effort to engage with culturally meaningful terms, reflecting a more grounded approach to partnership-building. It is a sharp contrast to western engagement, which continues to be shaped by conditional aid, travel bans, and episodic withdrawals such as the recent USAID cutback, and is increasingly tied to migration deterrence, with assistance hinging on controlling outward migrant flows. The steps being pursued India is pursuing a quieter, adaptive approach, favouring alignment over instruction and forming issue-based coalitions. Underlying this appears to be a deliberate three-step logic: evoking shared historical solidarities, engaging in present-day pragmatic cooperation, and investing in long-term, future-oriented ties. This offers insights into what more thoughtful, durable partnerships with African states might look like. The first step anchors diplomacy in a shared anti-colonial heritage, drawing on historical memory not as nostalgia, but as a legitimate force of solidarity. There are gentle but meaningful reminders: that New Delhi hosted the South West Africa People's Organization's first-ever diplomatic office during Namibia's liberation struggle; that Lieutenant General Diwan Prem Chand, an Indian officer, commanded the United Nations peacekeeping forces during Namibia's delicate transition to independence. These references are not incidental. They create a sense of long-haul engagement, contrasting with the episodic presence of many other powers. Second is to highlight the depth and the breadth of current cooperation. New Delhi's bilateral trade with Windhoek is $800 million, modest but growing, and supported by a $12 billion development partnership across Africa. More significant are India's targeted investments in capacity-building, including the India-Namibia Centre of Excellence in IT at the Namibia University of Science and Technology, and the 'India Wing' at the University of Namibia's Ongwediva campus, funded by a $12 million grant. These efforts leverage India's strengths in IT and respond to Namibia's youthful population and digital readiness. Third, and closely linked, India is laying out a road map for the future by pivoting toward knowledge-based cooperation. Namibia's recent adoption of India's Unified Payments Interface (UPI), the first country in Africa to implement this, signals a quiet revolution in tech diplomacy. If this succeeds, it will offer a model for transferring not just digital tools but also regulatory frameworks, institutional design, and user-centric tech architectures that India has stress-tested at scale. Advantage Namibia Crucial to this approach is the choice of partner. Namibia's political stability, rich mineral resources and growing technological base offer a strong foundation for India's engagement, grounded in shared histories and aligned futures. President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah's call to reform global economic and financial systems for fairness and resilience echoes India's own vision for inclusive, equitable governance. More than a bilateral partner, Namibia is a key collaborator in the Global South's broader effort to reshape international rules in line with their collective aspirations, agency, and demand for a more just world order. While India and Namibia share a compelling vision for partnership, consistent follow-through remains a challenge. India's developmental ambitions are often criticised for uneven implementation, and its engagement with Africa has seen long lapses, evident in the recent visit to Namibia by an Indian head of government, the first in nearly three decades. Though symbolically important, the visit's outcomes were modest: two memoranda of understanding on entrepreneurship and health, and Namibia's accession to the Global Biofuels Alliance and the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure. These are valuable steps but fall short of the scale the moment, and the bilateral potential, clearly calls for. Notably absent was any major agreement on Namibia's critical mineral reserves. As a leading uranium producer, Namibia is a natural partner for countries such as India seeking resilient low-carbon supply chains. The visit offered a clear opportunity to outline a strategic framework, including resource access, local workforce development, or investment in value addition. Though the issue was acknowledged, discussions ultimately failed to produce concrete outcomes. Regardless, India's approach, while not without its gaps, stands out not just for what it offers but also how it engages. India's quiet recalibration emphasises trust built through inclusive dialogue, acknowledging histories, and letting African priorities shape the agenda. Move beyond symbolism The upcoming India-Africa Forum Summit, anticipated in the near term, could serve as a vital platform to formalise and solidify these diplomatic efforts through institutional cooperation. It presents an opportunity for India to build on recent momentum and demonstrate that its commitment to partnership and mutual respect is backed by enduring political resolve. Delivering on this vision, however, will require more than symbolism. It will entail confronting structural and operational shortcomings at home and ensuring that India's strategic ambitions are matched by sustained investment and institutional coherence. Ultimately, India's credibility as a Global South partner will rest not only on what it commits to but also on how consistently and collaboratively it follows through. Veda Vaidyanathan is Fellow, Foreign Policy and Security Studies at the Centre for Social and Economic Progress. The views expressed are personal
