Analysis
Ghana: A Haven For Stolen Vehicles From Western Countries
In a shocking revelation, Ghana has emerged as a hotspot for stolen vehicles from Western countries, particularly Canada. The country’s ports, especially Tema and Takoradi, have become a gateway for stolen cars, which are then sold to unsuspecting buyers in Ghana and other West African countries.
Logan LaFreniere, a Canadian, woke up to find his brand new Ram Rebel truck missing from his driveway. Months later, he discovered his truck being sold in Ghana, with the same laptop holder and clutter in the back seat. “The dead giveaway was the laptop holder that we had installed in the back of the driver’s seat for my son, and in it was garbage that he had put in there,” Mr. LaFreniere told the BBC. “There was no doubt in my mind that it was my vehicle.”
This is not an isolated incident, with over 105,000 cars stolen in Canada in 2022, and many ending up in Ghana and other West African countries. “In 2022, more than 105,000 cars were stolen in Canada – about one car every five minutes,” reports the BBC.
According to Interpol, Ghana has become a major destination for stolen vehicles, with many cars shipped through fraudulent means, including fake documentation and bribery. “Ghana has become a major destination for stolen vehicles, with many cars shipped to the country through fraudulent means, including fake documentation and bribery,” reports Interpol.
The lack of effective regulation and enforcement in Ghana and other West African countries has made it easy for criminals to exploit the system. “The lack of effective regulation and enforcement in Ghana and other West African countries has made it easy for criminals to exploit the system and sell stolen vehicles to innocent buyers,” says the Insurance Bureau of Canada.
The crisis has been attributed to a pandemic-driven global car shortage, which has increased demand for both used and new vehicles. “The pandemic has led to a global shortage of cars, which has increased demand and made it easier for criminals to sell stolen vehicles,” says Elliott Silverstein, director of government relations at the Canadian Automobile Association.
Organized crime groups have taken advantage of this shortage, stealing cars in Canada and shipping them to Ghana and other countries. “Organized crime groups have taken advantage of the shortage and are stealing cars in Canada and shipping them to Ghana and other countries,” says Alexis Piquero, Director of the US Bureau of Justice Statistics. Despite efforts by the Canadian government to combat auto theft, many stolen vehicles continue to find their way to Ghana and other West African countries. “Despite our efforts, many stolen vehicles continue to find
their way to Ghana and other West African countries,” says Canada’s federal justice minister.
The Ghanaian government has set up a task force to combat the crisis, but more needs to be done to address the root causes of the problem. “We have set up a task force to combat the crisis, but we need to do more to address the root causes of the problem,” says Ghana’s minister of transportation.
Law enforcement agencies in Canada and Ghana need to work together to share intelligence and best practices to combat auto theft. “We need to work together to share intelligence and best practices to combat auto theft,” says the RCMP.
Stricter regulations on vehicle imports in Ghana and other West African countries are also needed to prevent stolen vehicles from entering the market. “We need stricter regulations on vehicle imports to prevent stolen vehicles from entering the market,” says the Ghana Revenue Authority.
Public awareness is crucial in preventing the sale of stolen vehicles. Many buyers in Ghana and other West African countries are unaware that the vehicles they are purchasing are stolen. “We need to educate the public on the risks of buying stolen vehicles and the importance of verifying the ownership and history of vehicles before purchase,” says the Ghana Automobile Association.
Analysis
Nigeria Ranked 5th Globally, 3rd In Africa As Most Generous Country In World Giving Index 2024
In a remarkable display of generosity, Nigeria has been ranked the third most generous country in Africa and fifth globally, according to the Charities Aid Foundation World Giving Index 2024. Despite facing economic and humanitarian challenges, Nigeria’s ranking is a testament to the country’s spirit of giving and willingness to help those in need.
The World Giving Index, which surveyed over 145,000 people across 140 countries, found that 72% of the world’s adult population gave money, time, or helped a stranger in 2022. Indonesia topped the global rankings, followed by Kenya, which emerged as the most generous country in Africa.
Nigeria’s ranking is impressive, considering the country’s economic challenges. The report highlights the importance of generosity and volunteering, citing Kenya’s high ranking as an example of the “utu” spirit, which signifies humanity.
The World Giving Index also noted that government initiatives can play a significant role in encouraging charitable activity, citing Singapore’s rise in the rankings as an example. The country’s government has implemented schemes to encourage partnerships between charities and businesses, as well as tax relief and government matching on charitable donations.
The report’s findings demonstrate that people across continents and cultures remain willing to help those in need, even in the face of economic and humanitarian challenges. Nigeria’s ranking as the fifth most generous country globally is a testament to the country’s resilience and generosity.
Read Also
From Front-Runner To Follower: Nigeria’s Economic Decline
North Korea is set to welcome back international tourists by the end of the year, according to travel agencies, but experts warn that the long-awaited opening up could be hindered by political tensions and harsh winters. The country sealed its borders and banned international visitors in early 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, but now plans to reopen to tourists, starting with the city of Samjiyon, near the Chinese border.
The apparent decision to lower the drawbridge has been welcomed by tour companies, but some North Korea watchers say plans to resume tourism after almost five years of pandemic-enforced isolation are fraught with problems. North Korean state media have yet to comment on the reported opening up, although Kim Jong-un has taken a personal interest in developing the tourism infrastructure and spoken of his desire to welcome visitors from “friendly” nations, China and Russia.
The official motivation has changed little since the North banned foreign tourists in 2020 – namely, to showcase a modern, content country centered on unwavering public devotion to three generations of the Kim dynasty. The first visitors are expected to be confined to Samjiyon, described by North Korea as a “socialist utopia” and “a model of highly civilized mountain city”. The destination, which reportedly boasts new apartments, hotels, and a ski resort, is a gateway to Mount Paektu, the highest peak on the peninsula and considered the mythical birthplace of a united Korean people – a place of pilgrimage that supports the cult of personality surrounding the family that has ruled with an iron fist since the country’s foundation in 1948.
Koryo Tours, which was forced to put visits on hold at the start of the pandemic, welcomed the reported resumption of tourism, adding that the move would probably extend to the rest of the country. “Having waited for over four years to make this announcement, Koryo Tours is very excited for the opening of North Korean tourism once again,” the Beijing-based firm said on its website, adding that its local partner would confirm itineraries and dates in coming weeks.
A second travel agency, Shenyang-based KTG Tours, also announced that tourists would be able to visit Samjiyon from this winter. But some experts said the plans could fall foul of the harsh weather that grips the remote Samjiyon area in winter, along with poor local infrastructure and, for Westerners, a reluctance to travel to a country that has become more aggressive in recent years.
“I can’t see how Samjiyon, being one of the more isolated tourist destinations within the DPRK, would be the first for the Koreans to try and open for the broader tourism market,” Rowan Beard, the manager of Young Pioneer Tours, told the NK News website, using the country’s official name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.
Travel industry officials said they expected the first wave of tourism to be dominated by Chinese nationals and, in light of Kim’s recent meetings with Vladimir Putin, people from Russia. “I suspect that the powers that be in Pyongyang believe it’s time to open the borders like all other ‘normal’ nations have since the pandemic ended,” said Prof Dean J Ouellette, an expert in North Korean tourism at the Institute for Far Eastern Studies at Kyungnam University. “That means opening up to international tourists, whether or not many decide to go, or are allowed by their governments to visit, or are even allowed entry by North Korean authorities because of their nationality.”
China is by far the most important market, with Chinese nationals making up about 90% of tourists to North Korea before Covid-19. Experts say a record 300,000 foreign tourists visited North Korea in 2019, earning the country between $90m and $150m. While the North is far from dependent on tourism for foreign currency, the injection of cash could boost its coffers.
“If there is a return to the heyday of Chinese tourist arrivals … North Korea could possibly earn an $100m to $175m,” Ouellette said. “For a heavily sanctioned and self-isolating economy like North Korea, that is not an insignificant amount.” But Chinese leaders have voiced reservations about North Korea’s supply of weapons to Russian forces in Ukraine and are cautiously following Kim’s closer relationship with Putin.
Read also : North Korea’s Olympic Return Sparks Hope For A Brighter Future
“I don’t think we will see a return to those high tourist numbers until Pyongyang repairs relations with Beijing,” Ouellette said. Tourism to the North was strictly limited before the pandemic, with tour companies saying about 5,000 western tourists visited each year. Americans made up about 20% percent of the market before the US banned its citizens from going there as tourists after the 2017 death of the university student Otto Warmbier.
Cockerell said much had yet to be decided about itineraries, but that tourists would continue to be closely watched. “The main system remains unchanged, with guided tours only and no
Fears are growing for the lives of women’s rights activists imprisoned in Iran, following a surge in executions since the election of President Masoud Pezeshkian in July. At least 87 people were executed in July, with another 29 meeting their fate on a single day this month.
The mass executions included Reza Rasaei, a young man sentenced to death for participating in the Woman, Life, Freedom protests. Human rights organizations now fear further executions in the lead-up to the second anniversary of Mahsa Amini’s death in custody, which sparked unprecedented nationwide protests.
About 70 women are currently held as political prisoners in Iran’s notorious Evin prison, including two who have been sentenced to death: journalist Pakhshan Azizi and women’s rights activist Sharifeh Mohammadi. Two more activists, Varisheh Moradi and Nasim Gholami Simiyari, face the same charges and await their fate.
The Center for Human Rights in Iran warns that multiple female political prisoners are at risk of execution based on “sham charges”. Executive director Hadi Ghaemi condemned the authorities’ attempts to silence dissent, saying, “Faced with a women’s movement in Iran that refuses to back down, Islamic Republic authorities are now trying to threaten these women with the gallows.”
Nobel peace prize winner Narges Mohammadi was reportedly among those injured during a prison protest against Rasaei’s execution. UN human rights experts have condemned reports that the women were denied access to timely and appropriate healthcare.
Read also : 106-Year-Old Manchester Woman Credits Long Life To Laughter And Steering Clear Of Men
Azizi and Mohammadi were sentenced to death in July on charges of “armed rebellion against the state”. Azizi was subjected to torture, including mock executions, while Mohammadi’s family expressed shock at her death sentence.
Former political prisoner Zeinab Bayazidi believes the death penalties are designed to dismantle the unified fight against the regime. “The Islamic Republic is retaliating against the Woman, Life, Freedom revolution,” she said.
As the situation grows increasingly dire, human rights organizations and experts urge the international community to take action and hold Iran’s authorities accountable for their brutal crackdown on women’s rights activists.
Hurray! It’s the 25th Edition of Diaspora Watch!
Cybersecurity and Data Protection in Africa
Diaspora Watch Vol. 24: A New Era, A Historic Victory, and the Pulse of the Global African Experience
Diaspora Watch 20th Edition (October 14-20, 2024): Your Trusted Source for Global News and Insights
Revolutionary mRNA Lung Cancer Vaccine Trial Offers New Hope To Thousands
