from thefreeonline on 24th May 2024 by South Front

The Islamic Resistance in Iraq (IRI) has launched another wave of attacks against targets in Israel using suicide drones and cruise missiles, as the ICJ sparks Israeli fury with a new order to stop Rafah offensive and European states line up to recognize Palestine

In four separate statements released on May 23, the IRI said it struck two “vital targets” in the southernmost Israeli city of Eilat, a military target in the Israeli-occupied Syrian Golan Heights and the port of the city of Haifa in northern Israel. The attacks were carried out ‘in response to Israel’s “massacres” against Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip’…

In another statement released on May 24, the group announced a second attack on Haifa port.Videos released by the group showed the launch of two Arqab cruise missiles and a Shahed-101 suicide drone at Haifa port as well as the launch of another Shahed-101 at Eilat and the launch of a Shahed-131 suicide drone at the Golan Heights.

Haifa, the main Israeli port, is now partly blockaded by IRI and Hesbollah, while the southern port of Eilat is practically closed by the successful Houthi campaign.

Meanwhile in Gaza

Humanitarian operations in the Gaza Strip are on the brink of total collapse since Israel closed the key Rafah crossing and the threat of famine has become real, as only 100 humanitarian aid trucks entered the Gaza Strip since May 6..

Clashes continued in the east of Jabalia in Gaza and in the south of Rafah City; Palestinian groups attacked Israeli forces east of Rafah with mortar shells; Sirens sounded in Kerem Shalom; Israeli warplanes attacked Gaza City; Israeli warplanes attacked Rafah City; More than 35,709 Palestinians were killed and more than 79,7990 others were wounded as a result of Israeli airstrikes, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health;

Another Ship Attacked In Red Sea After Series Of U.S. Strikes On Houthis In Yemen

A merchant vessel reportedly came under attack in the Red Sea a day after the United States launched strikes against the Houthis (Ansar Allah) in Yemen.

Fighter jets of the “American-British coalition” carried out on May 22 six strikes on the airport of the western Yemeni port city of al-HodeidahAl-Masirah TV reported .The strikes were not apparently enough to stop the Houthis. The United Kingdom (UKMTO), said on May 23 that it had received a report of a Houthi attack 98 nautical miles south of al-Hodeidah, and a merchant vessel had undergone what it described as “missile attack” 68 miles south.

Houthi Victories: US/ UK Terrorists Lost Another Ship + a $20mn Reaper Drone + now have sub-aqua drones…

The Houthi, who are backed by Iran, have attacked dozens of vessels affiliated with Israel or owned by the United States and the UK in the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden, the Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean since last November against Israeli, US and British linked ships in response to the Israeli genocide on Palestinians trapped in the Gaza Strip.

In addition, the Houthis (Ansarallah Movement) has launched dozens of drones and missiles, closing the southernmost Israeli port of Eilat and shot down five U.S. combat drones over Yemen and nearby waters.

Hamas Confirms Capture Of Colonel Hamimi. Bodies of 3 Israelis killed on Oct 7th retrieved

On May 23, Hamas confirmed that it is holding Colonel Asaf Hamami, 41, captured on October 7, who the IDF had previously reported was killed in the attacks that day. The group’s military wing, the Izz Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, revealed that Hamami had been wounded during his capture.

The bodies of 3 men recovered were all killed in the October 7 Hamas-led surprise attack from Gaza, according to new “reliable intelligence”.

Israel’s 75 year long IMPUNITY is finally falling apart

The days of Israeli privilege and impunity may be coming to a close, one way or another.The western protest occupations continue despite heavy police attacks and arrests.

The recent ICC application for arrest warrants against Netanyahu (and Hamas leaders who replied that armed resistance to occupation is allowed in International Law) shows that even those backed by Washington can’t get away with everything. The ICC prosecution may force signatory countries to stop supporting Israel.

3 more countries, Ireland, Spain and Norway announced recognition of a Palestinian State bringing the total to recognition as a sovereign state to 143 UN members and half of the G20 group, including China, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Brazil, South Africa, and Türkiye.

Russia announced it continues its recognition dating from the USSR support of Palestine as a country in 1988.

Then finally today the ICJ (International Court of Justice) weighed in, ordering Israel to STOP its Rafah offensive in line with its previous rulings.

Although the ICJ cannot force anything the move caused apoplexy in Israel, celebrations in Palestine and fresh demands for the US to stop its huge free arms shipments fueling the genocide. see more.. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/5/24/world-reacts-icj-order-for-israel-to-stop-rafah-offensive-gaza

El 23 de mayo de 2012 se produjo un hecho cargado de simbolismo y contundencia. Lxs anarquistas son tan obstinadxs que hasta después de muertxs sieguen hablando, siguen luchando. Ese día se confirmó la identidad de un cuerpo descuartizado y colocado en un tanque de 200 litros rellenado con hormigón, hallado en 1976 en la […]

Efemérides | 23 de mayo de 2012, identificación del cuerpo del anarquista detenido-desaparecido Alberto “Pocho” Mechoso

The H5N1 virus is spreading rapidly among seabirds and sea mammals, causing deaths from pole to pole https://trinitymedia.ai/player/trinity-player.php?pageURL=https%3A%2F%2Fmaritime-executive.com%2Feditorials%2Fbird-flu-is-now-a-major-threat-to-marine-life&unitId=2900014820&userId=d87d6c70-698d-425c-a490-50e59507f6c4&isLegacyBrowser=false&isPartitioningSupport=1&version=20240523_2f1b5873a37663f3c82e6ca3c2e5a9257b5b08d7&useBunnyCDN=0&themeId=502&unitType=tts-player [By Fermín Koop]  A deadly strain of avian influenza is spreading across the global ocean. Scientists estimate that it has caused the death of tens of millions of poultry and wild birds around the world. Officially called A(H5N1) […]

Bird Flu is Now a Major Threat to Marine Life

Palestinian Information Center – May 23, 2024 GAZA – The Israeli occupation forces (IOF) stormed Al-Awda Hospital in the northern Gaza Strip, forcing doctors and healthcare professionals to evacuate and detaining dozens on Thursday morning. The IOF had besieged the medical facility in the Jabalia refugee camp for four days, blocking ambulances and all access […]

Israeli occupation forces storm Al-Awda Hospital, force medical crews to evacuate

Why hasn’t the Commonwealth abandoned its colonial nature?

from thefreeonline 21 May, 2024 13:52 By Dr Claire Ayuma Amuhaya at HomeAfrica (banned in West)

King Charles III and Queen Camilla view dancers at Fort Jesus the UNESCO World Heritage Site on November 03, 2023 in Mombasa, Kenya. / Samir Hussein / WireImage/ with thanks

The privatization of Africa’s state-owned companies is always linked to the US through its financial institutions, the World Bank and the IMF, with the introduction of Structural Adjustment Programs in the 1980s and 1990s.

However, the British were behind the exploitation, privatization, and eventual collapse of Africa’s state-owned companies even before the introduction of the so-called neo-liberal market agenda by the US. The British have been doing this mainly through their Commonwealth institutions, proudly headed by the monarch.

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Not hereditary, but inherited

The Commonwealth organization claims that the role of its head is purely symbolic, that it has no maximum fixed term, it is not hereditary, and that future heads will be chosen by the Commonwealth leaders.

King Charles III succeeded Queen Elizabeth II as head of the Commonwealth upon her death on September 8, 2022. This was after the Commonwealth head of government (CHOGM) meeting in 2018 agreed that the next head would be Prince Charles. Some claimed he had overcome really tough competition to win Britain’s backing as the best candidate, but there is no evidence of anyone else contesting or even voicing aspirations.

READ MORE: King Charles keeps British colonial legacy mindset alive (banned in West)

The reality, however, is that the title of Commonwealth head forms part of the monarch’s full and inheritable title in each realm and letters patent issued. For example, Elizabeth II’s letters patent from 1958 clearly state that Prince Charles was the heir and successor of the Commonwealth territories.

Similarly, on February 13, 2023, King Charles III’s official letters patent state that the Prince William of Wales and his heirs and successors shall be the future heads of the Commonwealth. So, it’s not true that it is not hereditary, but why would the British, through its monarch, still want to head and control the Commonwealth?

Britain looting food and raw materials

Use of the term neo-colonialism is internationally attributed to Alex Quaison-Sackey, a Ghanaian diplomat who addressed the General Assembly of the United Nations on April 5, 1958. It was popularized by Kwame Nkrumah in his book Neo-colonialism: The Last Stage of Imperialism in 1965.

Local white administration, Africa, 1926. From An Outline of Christianity, The Story of Our Civilisation, volume 5: Christianity Today and Tomorrow, edited by RG Parsons and AS Peake, published by the Waverley Book Club (London, 1926). ©  The Print Collector / Print Collector / Getty Images

Most people think neo-colonialism started after most colonies had gained independence. However, the British were the first to start implementing it with the creation of the British Commonwealth of Nations in 1931 on the basis of the 1926 Balfour declaration.

In 1945, Britain signed the Anglo-American financial and commercial agreement with the US. But when the country started experiencing raw materials and food shortages in 1947, coupled with the US loan burden, its Labor government decided to find their own non-dollar sources of raw materials and food. Unfortunately, instead of looking inward, they looked at their colonies as their non-dollar source.

This led to the Overseas Resources Development Act of 1948, which was enacted by the King George VI, and the establishment of the Colonial Development Corporation, which was “charged with duties for securing development in colonial territories.” It also led to the Overseas Food Corporation, which was “charged with duties for securing the production or processing of foodstuffs or other products in places outside the United Kingdom, and the marketing thereof, and for matters connected therewith.”George VI: (1895-1952) of England.

After many colonies had gained independence, in 1963, the Colonial Development Corporation was renamed the Commonwealth Development Corporation (CDC) and, in 1969, it was permitted to invest outside the Commonwealth.

Nicholas Mansergh wrote in his book The Commonwealth Experience Volume One: The Durham Report to the Anglo-Irish Treaty (1982): “Commonwealth was the heir of Empire, and imperial influences bore closely upon its earlier growth.” So, how does the Commonwealth, through its institutions such as the CDC, ensure that British imperialistic nature is maintained, albeit not directly as it was during colonialism?

Commonwealth Development Corporation: Aid agency or cash machine?

It is stated clearly in the Act leading to the establishment of the Colonial Development Corporation that it was charged with securing development in colonial territories. While the main purpose of the Commonwealth Development Corporation (the renamed Colonial Development Corporation) in 1963 was “to invest in the creation and growth of viable private businesses in poorer developing countries to contribute to economic growth for the benefit of the poor; and to mobilise private investment in these markets both directly and by demonstrating profitable investments as part of the mission… to fight world poverty.”

British generosity: The UK is loaning back African gold it stole. Is it the best it can do? (banned in West)

More succinctly, the CEO of the CDC between 2004 and 2011, Richard Laing, said the “CDC exists to improve people’s lives in developing countries.”

However, the CDC had never led to industrial development, nor did it improve people’s lives in developing countries, because the aid supposedly given to their colonies (and/or their former colonies) had never been directed to Africa-owned companies, nor were the profits or even tax revenues ever directed to Africans. This was confirmed during a UK Parliament hearing in 2010, which led to the CDC’s reformation. The main conclusions of the investigations were that the CDC’s projects had “a focus on profitability to the detriment of development; depriving developing counties of much needed tax revenue; lack of analysis of development impacts and an ongoing failure of oversight and standards, transparency and accountability.”

How did they do it? First, the CDC aid was directed towards already established British companies, like The London and Rhodesian Mining & Land Co Ltd (Lonrho), which was incorporated in 1909 with a founding capital raised by seven British shareholders who began mining and agricultural businesses in Rhodesia (modern day Zimbabwe). In 1961, the company recruited the famous British neo-colonial agent Tiny Rowland, who expanded its interests out of Rhodesia into neighboring Malawi, Zambia, Kenya, Zaire (DRC), and Tanzania, transforming the entity into an African conglomerate without rival.

The Africans were mainly employed as manual laborers with poor pay, while the foreign personnel performed the highly paid and prestigious engineering and technical functions. These companies just pulled resources out of the ground and sold them abroad. Little capital development was devoted to actually increasing the stock of productive wealth and this, in turn, deprived developing countries of much-needed tax revenue.Zimbabwe Industry Miners working above ground in the Lonrho gold mine. Global Look Press / eye ubiquitous / hutchison / with thanks

Secondly, the CDC was (is) actually behind the collapse, sale and eventual privatization of Africa’s state-owned companies. These include Nigeria’s National Fertilizer Corporation of Nigeria (NAFCON), which was privatized through corrupt deals that only enriched a few individuals. And how was the CDC involved? The CDC was one of the main investors in a private equity firm known as Emerging Capital Partners (ECP), which managed the ECP Africa Fund II.

Through the ECP Africa Fund II, ECP invested in three Nigerian companies: Oando, NOTORE (formerly state-owned NAFCON) and Intercontinental Bank.  The bank is reported to have been used for the laundering of money said to have been obtained corruptly by the former governor of Nigeria’s oil-rich Delta State, James Ibori.

According to Nigerian anti-corruption campaigner Dotun Oloko, the whistleblower in the Emerging Capital Partners case, Ibori used a front company (NOTORE) to acquire the assets of the privatized National Fertilizer Corporation of Nigeria (NAFCON), and one of the CDC’s directors was acting as Ibori’s front man during these transactions.

The triumph of Adwa: An epic story of African victory over European colonizers (banned in West)

Plunder continues

In 1997, the CDC became a Public Private Partnership (PPP). Then, in 1998, it transformed from a statutory corporation to a public limited company trading under the name CDC Capital Partners. In 2004, following further restructuring, two separate fund management companies were formed from CDC, ACTIS and AUREOS, leaving CDC Group plc as an emerging markets fund-of-funds investment company owned entirely by the government.

Queen Elizabeth II meets the crowds in front of the town hall during a visit to Durban, South Africa, 25th March 1995. ©  Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Images

The CDC’s new role as a fund-of-funds investor meant that it was no longer a direct investor in companies in emerging markets. Instead, they now deployed their “capital through private equity funds, such as those managed by ACTIS and AUREOS, which in turn invest in companies in developing countries. These private equity funds thereby provide CDC with an indirect share in the businesses in which the fund manager invests.”

Unfortunately, the structure for resource exploitation and non-dollar supply of food and raw materials remains to this day, because in November 2021, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) announced that it would rebrand instead of disbanding the CDC as the British International Investment (BII) in 2022 as part of a strategy to deepen economic, security and development ties globally.

So BII is now working behind the scenes through one of its funding managements companies, such as ACTIS, to continue plundering African resources. The best example is the privatization of Cameroon’s electricity sector, which BII advertises as one of its impactful projects in Africa but in fact the investment goes to its own company and not to Africa’s state-owned firms.

SONEL case

In 2001, during the structural adjustment program, the state-owned Cameroonian electricity company SONEL was sold by the government to the US-based firm AES Corporation and renamed AES SONEL.

In 2014, AES sold its stake in AES SONEL and its subsidiaries Kribi Power Development Company (KPDC) and Dibamba Power Development Company (DPDC) to ACTIS. The company was renamed ENEO.

READ MORE: The myth of overpopulation: More people in Africa are the solution, not the problem (banned in West)

In September 2015, ACTIS sold its shares in KPDC and DPDC to a consortium comprised of the state-owned Norwegian Investment Fund for Developing Countries, Norfund, and the state-owned British development finance institution, Commonwealth Development Corporation (CDC Group). Norfund and BII (formerly the CDC) together are referred to as Globeleq – the majority shareholders of KPDC and DPDC.

In 2023, ACTIS announced that it was seeking to exit its investment in Energy of Cameroon and ENEO is currently grappling with liquidity problems as the investor ACTIS prepares to exit.

This showcases how the British, through its institutions, ensures that Africa never prospers. First, it privatizes state-owned companies, sometimes though corrupt deals or individuals, collapses them, and finally claims the need to exit after rendering the companies useless.

Feeding Africa: Sanctions make it worse, imports don’t help, what’s the solution?Growth limits.. Some people in Europe believe that Africa’s population growth can help with the decline in the “aging” Northern Hemisphere. This sound idea contradicts the myth of “Africa’s demographic bomb” posing a threat to humanity.However, statistics show that only 540,000 people migrate from Africa every (banned in West)

So, the CDC ensured the smooth transfer from colonial schemes of African natural resources exploitation by the British to the 21st century schemes that see the exploitation and collapse of Africa’s state-owned companies through its now rebranded institution, the British International Investment (BII).

By Dr Claire Ayuma Amuhaya, a senior lecturer at the Department of Theory and History of International Relations, research fellow at the Center for Applied Analysis of International Transformations, Patrice Lumumba Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia; lecturer at the Higher School of Economics, Moscow; and lecturer at Riara University, Nairobi.

May 2021 Original; “Based on the average interest rate charged on credit card balances of 15.9%, that pay-down of $157 billion in credit card balances that consumers somehow engineered represents $25 billion a year in lost interest income for the banks! That’s why banks are trying so hard to get consumers to borrow on their […]

The Credit Card Hustle by Billionaires, Banks & the Fed | Wolf Street

#Genocidio #Gaza #Guerra Tras cuatro días bajo sitio, el Ejército israelí asaltó hoy el hospital Al Awda, en el norte de la Franja, y expulsó a los médicos y pacientes de su interior. Citada por la agencia oficial de noticias Wafa, una fuente de salud informó que los militares penetraron esta madrugada en el recinto […]

#Israel asalta otro Hospital gazatí y expulsa a médicos y pacientes

A judgement on the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 last week handed a victory to campaigners for Gypsy and Traveller rights.

High Court: Police and Crime Act places “disproportionate burden on Gypsies”

In Mexico City, more and more residents are watching their taps go dry for hours a day. Even when water does flow, it often comes out dark brown and smells noxious. A former political leader is asking the public to “prioritize essential actions for survival” as the city’s key reservoirs run dry. Meanwhile, 2,000 miles…

As reservoirs go dry, Mexico City and Bogotá are staring down ‘Day Zero’