Odi News Network

  Venezuelan Diplomat Alex Saab In the absence of economic leadership and with a Prime Minister intent on focussing on doing the bidding of the United States, it is no surprise that Cape Verde’s economy contracted by 14.8 percent in 2020. Since independence, the country has never been faced with an economic, social, financial, and budgetary situation of the magnitude we are facing today, Dr. Olavo Correia, Deputy Prime Minister confirmed. The finance minister attributed the financial crisis to the COVD-19 pandemic, opposition figures insist the economic downturn has been made worse, as the Prime Minister has been busy playing geopolitics to focus on domestic matters. Prime Minister Ulisses Correia continues to look unconcerned and focus more on ensuring Venezuelan Diplomat Alex Saab, who faces extradition to the United States, remains in illegal detention in Cape Verde. The past few months have seen the actions of Ulisses Correia and his Interior Minister resulting in Cape Verde defyin

  Venezuelan Diplomat Alex Saab In its decision of June 29, 2021, delivered via email to the defense on 20 July 2021 the Constitutional Court of Cape Verde considered that “there is no international normative basis that would impose on the State of Cape Verde a duty to comply with a request for provisional measures made by the Human Rights Committee” (para 4.5.3.). The ruling was in response to a simple letter sent by Alex Saab to the Constitutional Court informing it that the United Nations Human Rights Committee had registered a complaint against Cape Verde and had sent Cape Verde a request for interim measures, including a request to suspend the extradition procedure. The Constitutional Court issued a lengthy ruling in which it attempted to justify its refusal to comply with the provisional measures ordered by the United Nations Human Rights Committee, inviting Cape Verde, among other things, to suspend Alex Saab’s extradition to the United States. Alex Saab's defense team regre

A new Covid health pass has come into effect in France amid a surge of new infections. From Wednesday, people need proof of vaccination, a negative test or recent recovery from Covid to enter most museums and cinemas. Later lawmakers will debate whether to extend its use in August for entry to cafes, restaurants, and shopping malls. It comes the day after Health Minister Olivier Véran announced 18,000 new infections in just 24 hours. This was compared to fewer than 7,000 cases a day last week, a surge of 150%, as the highly contagious Delta variant spreads throughout the country. "We have never seen this before," he told the National Assembly, saying Delta had led to far larger rises in cases than previous variants, like those first spotted in the UK or South Africa. President Emmanuel Macron announced the plans for a health pass earlier this month, as well as  compulsory vaccination for all health workers  by September. Surveys suggest there is widespread vaccine hesitancy i

  French President Emmanuel Macron is one of several world leaders believed to have been targeted for phone hacking using spyware, media reports say. The software, known as Pegasus, infects phones and allows operators to spy on their targets. The leaders are on a list of some 50,000 phone numbers of people believed to be of interest to clients of Israeli-based firm NSO Group. The list was leaked to major news outlets. NSO denies any wrongdoing. It says the software is intended for use against criminals and terrorists. It says it is made available only to the military, law enforcement, and intelligence agencies with good human rights records. The original investigation which led to the reports - by Paris-based NGO Forbidden Stories and the human rights group Amnesty International - was "full of wrong assumptions and uncorroborated theories", the Israel-based group said. The reports are part of a series of news articles suggesting thousands of prominent people have been targete

  Billionaire and long-time Donald Trump ally Thomas J Barrack have been arrested in Los Angeles for allegedly acting as an agent of a foreign government. The 74-year-old investment firm founder served as a key adviser to the former US president's 2016 campaign and was considered a top fundraiser. Mr. Barrack is accused of illegally lobbying on behalf of the United Arab Emirates during and after the campaign. A spokesman for Mr. Barrack said he planned to plead not guilty. He is the latest ex-Trump official to face federal charges. Mr. Barrack is charged with conspiracy, obstruction of justice, and making multiple false statements to the FBI during a 2019 interview. Also charged are Matthew Grimes, 27 - who works for Mr. Barrack - and UAE citizen Rashid Sultan Rashid Al Malik Alshahhi, 43, according to the seven-page  indictment . Acting Assistant Attorney General Mark Lesko said the conduct alleged in the indictment was "nothing short of a betrayal" of US officials inclu

Ghana Health Services (GHS) says it will soon introduce proposals on funerals as the service strategizes to prevent a possible third wave of Covid-19. The Director-General, Dr. Patrick Kuma-Aboagye says protocols on funerals like all other protocols are not being adhered to hence the drafting of the new proposal.   “As part of the protocols that have been designed include how funerals etc should be organized and just like the protocols, I think it’s not been adhered to not just by one group of people but clearly many people,” he said. He made this announcement at the end of a 2-day high-level strategic meeting on Covid-19 in Kumasi. According to him, the new proposal will consider how to avoid the spread of Covid-19 at funerals. “We are in discussion coming up with a proposal that limits the spread, that makes it safer and whiles people still go ahead and have funerals we have funerals we think that it’s such a deeply cultural thing that it’s not something that you can just wish away a

  President Nana Akufo-Addo says he’s greatly worried over the recent upsurge in COVID-19 cases in the country. Speaking at the Eid Ul Adha Prayers at the National Mosque in Accra, he blamed the non-adherence to COVID-19 protocols for the recent increase in numbers. “The COVID-19 pandemic is still with us unfortunately and this has meant that for the second year running we are having to hold a subdued eid celebration. As we continue to count on the grace of God to protect our country from the ravages of the pandemic, we can only minimize its health effect and avoid a full-blown third wave if we continue to be responsible and observe the safety and hygiene protocol.  “The recent increase in the number of infections is a source of worry for me and indeed for all Ghanaians. From the rising numbers, it is safe to conclude that we’ve let our guards down. We are beginning to live our lives, we conduct our businesses as though we are in normal times. It is important to repeat that the virus i

  President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo   has lauded the measures put in place by his government in putting the country’s economy back on the recovery track. Despite showing promise in the period prior to the  coronavirus , Ghana’s economy was hit by the global pandemic with the gains made receding drastically. However, the president promised in March 2020 that his government cannot bring lives lost back but knows how to bring the economy back in one of the classical statements made by a head of state during the pandemic. “We know how to bring the economy back to life. What we do not know is how to bring people back to life,” he stated on Saturday, March 28, 2020. Addressing Muslims at the National Mosque Complex at Kanda on Tuesday, July 20, President Akufo-Addo stated that the economy is recovering at a faster rate than many countries across the  world . “Our country is making a faster economic recovery in comparison to many around the  world  with our economy expanding by 3.1 percen

  The Ashanti Regional Police Command has denied allegations that personnel deployed to Kumasi Girls’ Senior High School assaulted the students. Some students earlier alleged that they were beaten by joint police and military team deployed to the school to calm a rampage on campus on Monday evening after they were denied mid-term break. According to the students, the security officials assaulted them even when they retreated to their dormitories. “We broke veronica buckets but we didn’t destroy any other property. We were there and soldiers and police came around and started lashing us not with canes but with sticks. When you are even lying on your bed, they will pull you down and start caning us,” a student told  JoyNews . But in an interview, Acting Regional Police Commander, DCOP David Agyemang Adjem refuted claims that the security personnel used force to calm the students. “It will be foolhardy for any police officer or military man to go into a girl’s dormitory and attack them. N

  The Minister of Finance, Mr. Ken Ofori-Atta, is expected to move for the adoption of the Mid-Year Review Budget Statement and Economic Policy of Government next week. The Mid-Year Budget, which is the Government’s supplementary estimate for the 2021 financial year, would be proposed to the House on Thursday, July 22, at the Parliament House, Accra. Mr. Alexander Afenyo-Markin, the Deputy Majority Leader, announced this on the floor of the House in Accra, on Friday, when he presented the  Business  Statement for the Ninth Week Ending Friday, July 23, 2021, of the current meeting of the Legislature. He said Tuesday, July 20, is a public holiday in respect of the Eid ul-Adha and would be observed as such. The Finance Minister would also answer a question on the cost of President Akufo-Addo’s official travels to France, Belgium, and South Africa in May, this year. He is expected to tell the House the cost of air travel of the President using chartered flight between 2013 and 2016. On Wed