Latest news with #national security
BBC News
10 hours ago
- Politics
- BBC News
Ghana dey investigate how thousands of weapons take 'vanish' from military hand
Defence minister for Ghana don order investigation into how thousands of military ammunition don "miss or disappear" bifor di kontris December 2024 elections. Dr Edward Omane Boamah bin tok during di govment accountability series on Monday say "we don keep di kontri safe and stable even though dem bin transfer thousands of guns from di Armed Forces to di national security agency for 2024." Im tok say di national security secretariat neva fit account for di guns wey don dey raise questions about di whole transfer and why di national security go need thousands of guns when dem neva get active fighting force. "Di reality na say till now, those ammunitions still no dey accounted for." Dr Omane Boamah tok journalists say "di Ghana Armed forces don pass di mata to di national security secretariat say make dey chook eye for di matter sake of na dem bin collect di guns." Ghana President John Mahama first tok dis mata about guns wey don dey for di hand of plenty pipo for di kontri during im state of di nation address for 27 February 2025. Im tell parliament say "I wan promise say we dey committed to build our democracy especially given di troubling proliferation of military-grade weapons wey bin fall into di hands of unauthorized pipo under di former govment." President Mahama bin add say, "dis weapons dey pose ogbonge wahala to our national security wey e don dey scata di safety of all Ghanaians wey e fit pour fire for conflicts wey dey happun for parts of di kontri and armed robbery." Five months since di president don tok di mata, dem still neva find di weapons. Di defence ministry tok say dem bin confam say di weapons bin comot di Ghana Armed forces armoury without due process. "Di Ghana armed forces bin get protocols wia dem suppose use to transfer any asset to any oda agency for wetin dem wan carry do," di Deputy Defence Minister Ernest Brogya Genfi tell local network TV3 for Monday night. Im bin explain say, "dem no follow dis protocols and procedures wen di thousands of ammunitions bin dey transferred to di national security agency, dem no get any documents wey dey cover dis transfer." According to di deputy minister, govment neva fit get answers about wia dis weapons bin dey till now, and wetin dem carry di weapons go do bifor elections. Di national security now begin dey chook eye for di mata well well. Meanwhile, one former deputy defence minister for di Nana Akufo-Addo govment tok say im dey find am "absurd say di minister go run to di public to tok some of dis matter." According to oga Kofi Amankwah-Manu, "e no be difficult tin to sabi wia a gun or ammunition bin go, who carry am and wetin dem carry am do." Sabi pipo don tok say dis tin na ogbonge mata wey e fit be say dis guns bin find dia way into di hands of wrong pipo. One sabi pesin Oga Richard Kumadoe describe di mata as "too absurd for us a kontri", - e say di investigation get to be proper investigation. "Di bureau of national investigation (BNI) get to be di pipo wey fit chook eye well well and find di facts and wia di weapons don vanish to." Im tell BBC pidgin say, "inside di security intelligence environment, we bin dey deal wit wetin we call command and control, na so at any point, whatever dem bin move and whatever dem don receive within di chain of activity, somebody get to dey responsible, dem get to hold somebody accountable for dis." "E fit be say dem don sell di weapons wey bin disappear for di black market or dem take take pipo wey don dey involve for illegal mining or even political party vigilantes, to find dem na critical" oga Kumadoe tok BBC pidgin. Ghana bin dey battle chieftaincy conflict wey bin last for many decades for parts of di kontri. Recently, sabi pipo bin tok say gun violence, mystery killings and robberies don dey hapun plenty, sometin wey bin dey keep di Inspector general of police (IGP) awake at night. Oga Christian Tetteh Yohuno for April dis year bin appeal to youth wey don dey fight for Bawku to "law dia arms". Wit terror threats and oda activities of jihadist along some of di kontris border communities, sabi pipo want ogbonge security for di kontris land, air and sea ports.
Washington Post
a day ago
- Business
- Washington Post
Trump's trade war hits a new low with big tariffs on Brazil
A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of International Trade ruled in late May that President Donald Trump exceeded his authority with the 'reciprocal tariffs' he imposed on dozens of countries in April. The court's temporary injunction was lifted, however, by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, which will hear oral arguments in the case on July 31. That has allowed the president to continue imposing tariffs on any country for seemingly any reason. One of Trump's latest — and most troubling — tariff targets is Brazil. Trump has announced his intention to impose 50 percent tariffs on the world's fourth-largest democracy beginning Aug. 1. That could drive up the cost of coffee and orange juice for U.S. consumers: Brazil is America's largest foreign supplier of both breakfast staples. And he's tariffing Brazil for what purpose? The letter Trump posted on July 9, addressed to Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, offered multiple rationales. Echoing language in similar letters addressed to other countries, Trump wrote: 'These Tariffs are necessary to correct the many years of Brazil's Tariff, and Non-Tariff, Policies and Trade Barriers, causing these unsustainable Trade Deficits against the United States. This Deficit is a major threat to our Economy and, indeed, our National Security!' There's only one problem: The United States has not had a trade deficit with Brazil in 18 years. The United States, in fact, ran a trade goods surplus of $7.4 billion with Brazil last year. Trump tried to buttress his shaky legal standing by ordering the Commerce Department to launch an investigation of supposedly unfair Brazilian trade practices under Section 301 of the 1974 Trade Act. But the charade of a fact-finding probe is undercut by the reality that Trump already announced his intention to impose the tariffs. Verdict first, investigation later. Trump made clear in his letter that his real grievances with Brazil lie elsewhere, outside the trade arena. In the opening paragraph, he wrote: 'The way that Brazil has treated former President [Jair] Bolsonaro, a Highly Respected Leader throughout the World … is an international disgrace. This Trial should not be taking place.' In other words, Trump is slapping tariffs on Brazil in large part because he objects to the Brazilian legal system trying Bolsonaro, his right-wing ally, on charges of attempting to overturn by force his loss in the 2022 election. In Brazil's version of the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol, Bolsonaro's supporters stormed the legislature, Supreme Court and presidential palace in Brasília. Obviously, Trump does not like the idea of holding a leader to account for trying to overthrow an election, and he is willing to use his trade powers to see if he can bludgeon the Brazilian courts into submission. Because Bolsonaro's son Eduardo is in the United States lobbying the Trump administration to help his father, Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes accused the former president of plotting with foreign powers against Brazil and ordered him on Friday to cut off all contact with foreign governments and to wear an ankle monitor. Secretary of State Marco Rubio retaliated the same day by imposing visa restrictions on Moraes and is said to be considering imposing sanctions on the judge under the Magnitsky Act, a law designed to punish human rights violators. Moraes had already incurred Trump's ire by aggressively trying to police misinformation on social media. He famously clashed with Trump's erstwhile ally Elon Musk over demands that the X social network remove accounts spreading misinformation. (Musk gave in.) Trump's media and technology company, which operates his Truth Social website, has joined another right-wing site in suing Moraes in a U.S. court. Among the list of grievances in Trump's tariff letter is his claim that the Brazilian Supreme Court is issuing 'hundreds of SECRET and UNLAWFUL Censorship Orders to U.S. Social Media platforms.' Some civil libertarians are legitimately concerned that the Brazilian courts might be trampling on free speech rights in their efforts to stop the spread of misinformation online. But Trump is hardly a credible champion of free speech, given his attempts to stifle media criticism at home with libel suits of dubious merit. The Brazil trade dispute also features a troubling commingling of private and public interests: It's hard to tell if Trump is defending his country or his company. So far, Trump's attacks on Brazil are backfiring. Brazil's leftist president, Lula, was losing popular support until the Trump tariffs gave him a sudden burst of popularity. 'A gringo will not give orders to this president,' Lula told a student assembly on Thursday, while wearing a blue cap emblazoned with the words 'Sovereign Brazil Unites Us.' Trump is hardly the only leader capable of catering to nationalist grievances, and Brazil is in a stronger position than other countries to resist his bullying because its exports to the United States account for only 1.7 percent of its economic output. There is no indication that the Brazilian Supreme Court, which zealously guards its independence, will simply drop the criminal case against Bolsonaro, as Trump demands. No matter how the U.S.-Brazil trade war turns out — and there are likely to be no winners on either side — it serves to underline the point being made by the plaintiffs who are suing Trump in the 'reciprocal' tariffs case: namely, that he is pushing his tariff-setting authority far beyond what Congress intended or the law allows. By imposing massive tariffs on Brazil for reasons that seemingly have little to do with trade, Trump is trying to undermine the rule of law in both Brazil and the United States.
Al Arabiya
2 days ago
- Business
- Al Arabiya
South Korea national security adviser travels to Washington ahead of tariff deadline
South Korea's national security adviser has headed to Washington, authorities said on Sunday, with less than two weeks to go until US President Donald Trump's Aug. 1 deadline to secure a trade deal or face steep tariffs. Wi Sung-lac's trip comes just two weeks after his last visit to Washington for talks on tariffs and security. After Trump's announcement, South Korea said it planned to intensify trade talks. There were no immediate details on who he was planning to meet. Presidential aide Woo Sang-ho told journalists Wi would engage in negotiations on various issues, without elaborating. Earlier this month, Trump said he planned to impose a 25 percent tariff on South Korea from August 1, posing the first major test for South Korea's President Lee Jae Myung since he came to office barely a month ago. On his last trip to Washington, Wi said he had met US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and proposed including security and investments in trade negotiations. Wi also proposed an early summit between the leaders of the two countries, according to media reports.
South China Morning Post
3 days ago
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong's future lies in being the finance launch pad for tomorrow's tech
For years, Hong Kong's policy narrative has leaned heavily into national security. From the national security law to Article 23 legislation, the emphasis on stability and control has reshaped the city's global identity. But with geopolitical tensions showing signs of stabilising, the moment is ripe for a strategic shift. Advertisement The next global chapter isn't just about containment and scarcity, it is also about creation and abundance. The rise of artificial intelligence (AI) and digital platforms means abundance can be more evenly distributed, turning technological promise into tangible benefits for both urban centres and rural communities. Hong Kong's future lies in becoming a launch pad for the financial engines of the new technology economy for the next generation, from deep-tech funding to AI-powered green finance. Just as steam power revolutionised Britain's industrial landscape, today's equivalents – batteries , nuclear power generation and solar infrastructure – are poised to redefine global growth. These are not niche technologies; they are the backbone of a new era. Battery development is triggering a transformation across supply chains, from rare earth extraction and refinement to mobility and storage solutions. Hong Kong's financial sector should be underwriting this revolution, crafting instruments that support cross-border logistics and deep-tech ventures. Nuclear power, though politically sensitive, is likely to remain essential to clean energy. Small modular reactors are gaining traction globally, and Hong Kong could position itself as a financing and regulatory sandbox – a neutral and welcoming playground for capital and collaboration. Advertisement Solar power , meanwhile, presents a different opportunity. It is the fastest-growing energy source globally, abundant and safe when compared to nuclear, yet free from strong strategic entanglement. As major nations consider industrial policy, they often weigh whether a sector is strategic, profitable and winnable. Solar technology and production is arguably geopolitically frictionless and commercially scalable. Financing this sector is something Hong Kong can do well.
LBCI
4 days ago
- Politics
- LBCI
Lebanese Army warns against security breaches, calls for unity amid challenges
The Lebanese Army reaffirmed its commitment to maintaining national security, warning that it will not tolerate any attempts to destabilize the country or threaten civil peace. In a statement issued by the Army Command's Directorate of Orientation, the military highlighted the 'exceptional circumstances' Lebanon is currently facing, citing ongoing Israeli violations of national sovereignty, mounting internal security challenges, and broader regional developments. 'The Army will not allow any breach of security or disruption to public order,' the statement read, calling on citizens to demonstrate unity, responsibility, and awareness in navigating the current phase and its pressures.
