Expert: U.S. Invests More in Africa Under Trump Than Any Other President

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The United States has poured more investment into Africa under President Donald Trump than under any previous administration. . .

The Daily Maverick reported on Thursday:

Aubrey Hruby, a senior fellow with the Atlantic Council’s Africa Center and co-author of the book The Next Africa, has told Al Jazeera that the US DFC [Development Finance Corporation] with its larger investment cap, provides an opportunity for the US to reframe the way it does development in Africa.

She said it was “utterly surprising” that this was happening under President Donald Trump, who has been criticised for derogatory comments about Africa and who previously proposed scrapping funding for Opic, which provided US companies with investment guarantees. She said in many ways, more resources had been put into Africa and US companies in Africa under the Trump administration than any other.

Critics once complained that President Trump lacked interest in Africa (at least outside of South Africa, where he has drawn attention to the plight of white farmers, who are often the targets of brutal crime). They also accused him of referring to some African nations as “sh*thole countries” (though he and others present denied the accusation). (Read more from “Expert: U.S. Invests More in Africa Under Trump Than Any Other President” HERE)

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China Hosts Taliban Delegation to Enlarge Role in Afghanistan

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A Taliban delegation recently traveled to Beijing to discuss U.S.-backed peace efforts as well as “mutual” counterterrorism concerns in Afghanistan, the Chinese foreign ministry confirmed on Thursday.

Indian media reported that New Delhi’s rival Beijing hosted the delegation — led by the Taliban’s political deputy chief Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar — in a bid to expand its role in Afghanistan, which is expected to house projects from Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

Asked about the Taliban’s visit on Thursday, Lu Kang, a spokesman for China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told reporters that the two sides exchanged views “on Afghanistan’s peace and reconciliation process, counter-terrorism and other issues of mutual interest.” . . .

The Trump administration has intensified peace-seeking efforts over the last year, making the political reconciliation between Afghanistan and Kabul the primary goal of its strategy to end the nearly 18-year-old war. Nevertheless, the Taliban’s refusal to allow Kabul to participate in the ongoing negotiations has surfaced as the primary hurdle to the talks.

Taliban narco-jihadis, who are fighting to establish a sharia-compliant Islamic emirate in Afghanistan, consider themselves the only legitimate government of Afghanistan, dismissing Kabul as an American “puppet.” (Read more from “China Hosts Taliban Delegation to Enlarge Role in Afghanistan” HERE)

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Ilhan Omar Goes All in to Defend World’s Leading State Sponsor of Terrorism

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Far-left Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) repeatedly advocated for Iran — the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism — on Thursday, tweeting multiple times that the United States should not take action against Iran, even as Iran has repeatedly attacked cargo ships in the area and shot down a U.S. military drone this week.

Omar then falsely suggested that the U.S. was the “aggressor” in the situation with Iran, completely ignoring Iran’s multiple attacks on oil tankers in the region in recent weeks and Iran’s decision to shoot down a military drone this week. . .

Later in her tweet thread, Omar wrote: “So I urge you: be strong. Do not listen to the warmongers and war profiteers whispering in your ear. Do not send our men and women into harm’s way. And I urge the American people to make your voice heard. Organize. Call your member of Congress. Let all our leaders know that a war with Iran would be a catastrophe. #NoWarOnIran”

(Read more from “Ilhan Omar Goes All in to Defend World’s Leading State Sponsor of Terrorism” HERE)

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The OTHER Malaysian Airlines Flight: Three Russians and Ukranian Charged with Shooting down MH17

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By Townhall. Just days after The Atlantic published their comprehensive investigation on the whereabouts of Malaysian Airlines Flight 370, which disappeared into thin air in March 2014, a European joint task force revealed it has leveled charges against four men — one Ukranian and three Russians — for a second Malaysian airlines tragedy: the July 2014 explosion of MH17.

The BBC reports that the four men, who investigators believe were in direct contact with Russian officials, are accused of transporting missiles into an area of Ukraine for the purpose of shooting down a passenger jet. The four “did not push the button themselves,” investigators say, but provided the local milita with the means used to down the Malaysian airlines flight.

The joint investigative team is Dutch and plans to prosecute the four men — Igor Girkin, Sergei Dubinsky and Oleg Pulatov from Russia, and Ukrainian Leonid Kharchenkoin — in the Netherlands under Dutch law. The trial won’t begin until 2020, however, since Dutch authorities say they still have at least eight more persons of interest to investigate in relation to the case.

Investigators believe that Girkin, a former Russian intelligence official, was in “direct contact with the Russian Federation” and that he and his team were well aware of what they were arming local militias to do, and that they’d reported their progress to Russian officials. . .

Unsurprisingly, Russia has refused to cooperate with the investigation and disputes the Dutch investigators’ findings. Russian officials say they do not believe any of their anti-aircraft missiles ever crossed the Russian border into Ukraine, even though investigators believe that the missile that hit MH17 belonged to the “53rd Anti-Aircraft Missile brigade,” based in Kursk. (Read more from “The OTHER Malaysian Airlines Flight: Three Russians and Ukranian Charged with Shooting down MH17” HERE)

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MH17: Four Charged with Shooting down Plane over Ukraine

By BBC News. For the first time since Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 was shot down in July 2014, prosecutors have announced charges against suspects in the case. . .

The passenger jet left Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport at 10:15 GMT on 17 July 2014 and was due to arrive at Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia the following day.

A few hours after take-off, the plane lost contact with air traffic control about 50km (30 miles) from the Russia-Ukraine border.

At the time, an armed conflict was raging on the ground in eastern Ukraine between Russian-backed separatists and Ukrainian government forces, and several government military aircraft had been downed in the previous weeks, while government air strikes were being carried out on rebel-held areas.

The plane crashed in the Donetsk area, in territory controlled by separatists. Parts of the wreckage were found distributed over an area of about 50 sq km (19 square miles). (Read more from “MH17: Four Charged with Shooting down Plane over Ukraine” HERE)

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INCREDIBLE: Hong Kong Protesters Embrace Unexpected Christian Anthem

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A hymn sung by Christian groups participating in the anti-extradition Hong Kong protests has caught on and become an unlikely anthem for the movement of millions in the streets.

For the past week, “Sing Hallelujah to the Lord” has been heard almost non-stop at the main protest site in front of the city’s Legislative Council, and at marches and tense stand-offs with police, Reuters reported.

Although only 10 percent of the population is Christian, church groups quickly rallied after being alarmed by reports of police brutality to make a safe haven for protesters as the government said it had to crack down on “organized riots.” . . .

“As religious assemblies were exempt, it could protect the protesters. It also shows that it is a peaceful protest,” Edwin Chow, 19, acting president of the Hong Kong Federation of Catholic Students, told Reuters. “This was the one people picked up, as it is easy for people to follow, with a simple message and easy melody.”

The simple hymn heard around Hong Kong was composed by Linda Stassen-Benjamin in the United States in 1974 for Easter.

(Read more from “Hong Kong Protesters Embrace Unexpected Christian Anthem” HERE)

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New Zealand ‘Factsheet’ Wipes Israel from the Map, Has Horrifying Replacement

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New Zealand’s government recently erased Israel from the map in a “factsheet” on Palestine marred by numerous factual inaccuracies and minimal nuance, provoking outcry from Jewish and Israeli voices.

The “factsheet” labels all territory currently governed by Israel as Palestine. It also calls Palestine as a “state,” which is not consistent with the New Zealand government’s official view. . .

The “fact sheet” was first published by New Zealand’s Immigration Agency under the title ‘State of Palestine Refugee Quota Factsheet” to give a brief overview of how the Israeli-Palestinian conflict created Palestinian refugees. It is unclear who exactly created the “fact sheet” nor the editing process for it.

After the documents made the rounds on social media with numerous people weighing in on the subject, the government took down the controversial document:

Ashley Church, the director of the Israeli Institute of New Zealand, called for the retraction of the “fact sheet” and an apology from the New Zealand government. (Read more from “New Zealand ‘Factsheet’ Wipes Israel from the Map, Has Horrifying Replacement” HERE)

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Mexican Cartel Members Ask for Asylum at Border Following Bloody Shootout

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By Daily Wire. Alleged members of the Sinaloa Mexican drug cartel turned themselves in at the U.S. border last week after being involved in a massive gun battle right next to the border that resulted in numerous deaths.

“The first shootout occurred at approximately 1 pm on the outskirts of Agua Prieta in colonia Infonavit Alamito, when a group of cartel gunmen riding in several vehicles intercepted a red Chevrolet Silverado and a black sedan and immediately opened fire,” Breitbart border expert Robert Arce reported. “The muzzle reports could be heard for several minutes, according to several local media sources.”

“Numerous amateur cell phone recordings were immediately posted on social media by citizens and local journalists, capturing the audio of the gunfire and the aftermath of the deadly shooting,” Arce continued. “In one video posted online, a group of presumed onlookers approach the Silverado and are seen looting a rifle, handgun, and ballistic armor.”

(Read more from “Mexican Cartel Members Ask for Asylum at Border Following Bloody Shootout” HERE)

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Sinaloa Cartel Shootout in Agua Prieta Leaves Nearly a Dozen People Dead

By News 4 Tucson. . .Cochise County Sheriff Mark Dannels told News 4 Tucson, the gun battle started Monday afternoon. He said they received information that the gun battle was the result of an internal rift within the Sinaloa cartel.

Sources told News 4 Tucson four cartel members showed up at the port of entry asking for asylum and claimed “credible fear”.

Authorities took them into custody.

The Sinaloa drug cartel is the most ruthless and dangerous of the cartels. Evident by Monday’s gun battle in broad daylight. He recounted an incident that occurred “one of the victims that had been shot was taken to a hospital in Agua Prieta,” Dannels said. “The cartel members who wanted him dead followed him to the hospital where they shot and killed him.” (Read more from “Sinaloa Cartel Shootout in Agua Prieta Leaves Nearly a Dozen People Dead” HERE)

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Pentagon Approves Sending 1,000 More Troops to Mideast After Oil Tanker Attack

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U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) released new images Monday showing the aftermath of mine attacks against two oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman last week, including some images purporting to show Iranian forces removing an unexploded device from the hull of one of the vessels.

Hours later, Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan said he had approved a request from CENTCOM to send approximately 1,000 additional troops to the Middle East “to address air, naval, and ground-based threats” in the region.

“The recent Iranian attacks validate the reliable, credible intelligence we have received on hostile behavior by Iranian forces and their proxy groups that threaten United States personnel and interests across the region,” Shanahan said. “The United States does not seek conflict with Iran. The action today is being taken to ensure the safety and welfare of our military personnel working throughout the region and to protect our national interests.”

The military says that some of the 11 new images taken from a Navy helicopter show members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy removing a limpet mine from the side of the Japanese-owned Kokuka Courageous oil tanker. Other photos show a large hole on the side of the Courageous, above the water line, that officials say appears to have been caused by another mine.

In a statement, Central Command reaffirmed the Trump administration’s previous claim that Iran was responsible for the attacks on the Kokuka Courageous and the Front Altair “based on video evidence and the resources and proficiency needed to quickly remove the unexploded limpet mine.” (Read more from “Pentagon Approves Sending 1,000 More Troops to Mideast After Oil Tanker Attack” HERE)

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Are Hong Kong’s Days of Freedom Numbered?

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The murder in Taiwan of a 19-year-old Hong Kong woman at the hands of her boyfriend on Valentine’s Day 2018 seemed routine enough. Another tragic story of a love affair going terribly wrong.

But Chinese authorities seized on the year-old incident to try and push through a new extradition law that would allow some crimes committed in Hong Kong to be prosecuted in China. The Beijing government badly miscalculated the reaction by citizens to this blatant attempt to curtail Hong Kong’s “special relationship” with the Chinese government in their semi-autonomous province. This led to massive demonstrations which some estimates placed at over a million demonstrators.

On Saturday, China’s puppet, Chief Executive Carrie Lam, apologized for introducing the law but resisted calls to withdraw it entirely and step down. “The government understands these views have been made out of love and care for Hong Kong,” according to a statement from an unidentified government spokesman.” . . .

It isn’t just that Hong Kong residents identify far more with their city than China. People in the city have a very different concept of “freedom” than the Communists in China. They are hyper-sensitive to any effort by Beijing to impose their political culture on Hong Kong residents, as evidenced by the massive demonstrations against the proposed extradition law.

In short, Beijing simply doesn’t care about the unrest. The murderers who killed thousands in Tiananmen Square in 1989 aren’t squeamish about busting a few protesters’ heads. Hong Kong is about to get a lesson in why Communists were once in control of half the planet. They will keep pressuring residents until the vast majority throw up their hands and give in to the tyranny. From Poland and Eastern Europe to Latin America, Africa, and Asia, the relentless drive for total control by Communists eventually wears people down and they give in. (Read more from “Are Hong Kong’s Days of Freedom Numbered?” HERE)

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Ex-Iranian Diplomat Blames Israel for the Oil Tanker Attacks

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By Breitbart. A former Iranian diplomat claimed that Israel [was] responsible for Thursday’s attacks on two oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman, an Iranian media outlet reported.

Without offering any evidence, Hamid Reza Asefi, who served as Iran’s ambassador to France and Foreign Ministry spokesman, claimed the motive behind the attack was “clear.”

“I think the directing of such incidents in the region are done by the Zionist regime and this has no hidden dimensions,” Asefi told Iran Online in an interview cited by the Tehran Times.

srael benefits the most from accusations against Iran, Asefi theorized, and therefore “logically the Zionist regime is the agent of this incident.”

He added that Israel seeks to drag the Islamic Republic into turmoil with the rest of the world. (Read more from “Ex-Iranian Diplomat Blames Israel for the Oil Tanker Attacks” HERE)

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Oil Prices Rise After Tanker Attacks Stoke Middle East Tensions

By Reuters. Oil prices rose on Monday after U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Washington will take all actions necessary to guarantee safe navigation in the Middle East, as tensions mounted following attacks on tankers last week.

Brent futures had climbed 26 cents, or 0.4%, to $62.27 a barrel by 0314 GMT. They gained 1.1% on Friday.

U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures were up 17 cents, or 0.3%, at $52.68 a barrel. They rose 0.4% in the previous session.

Prices had jumped as much as 4.5% on Thursday after the attacks on two oil tankers near Iran and the Strait of Hormuz.

It was the second time in a month tankers have been attacked in the world’s most important zone for oil supplies as tensions increase between the United States and Iran. Washington blamed Iran for Thursday’s attacks, prompting a denial and criticism from Tehran. (Read more from “Oil Prices Rise After Tanker Attacks Stoke Middle East Tensions” HERE)

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