No: 17264 Friday, June 23, 2017
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- Bu səhifədəki naviqasiya:
- Trump aide Kushner meets with Netanyahu, Abbas Ghanaians take aim at corruption ACCRA
- ‘Name, shame and jail’
- Shaky start
- ACCRA: This file photo shows protestors reacting during a demonstration dubbed ‘Fabewoso - Bring it on’ to raise awareness about the high
- Turkey sends first cargo ship with aid for Qatar
12 I n t e r n a t i o n a l FRIDAY, JUNE 23, 2017
Trump’s senior advisor and son-in-law Jared Kushner held “productive” meet- ings with Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas on Wednesday, the White House said. Kushner, accompa- nied by Trump’s Middle East envoy Jason Greenblatt, is attempting to bro- ker a deal to restart Israeli-Palestinian negotiations, frozen since US-led talks c o l l a p s e d i n 2 0 1 4 . W a s h i n g t o n ’ s ambassador to Israel, David Friedman, a l s o a t t e n d e d t h e s i t - d o w n w i t h Netanyahu. “The three United States officials discussed Israel’s priorities and poten- tial next steps with Prime Minister Netanyahu, acknowledging the critical role Israel plays in the security of the region,” the White House said in a statement. “The meeting was produc- tive and the two sides reaffirmed their commitment to advancing President Trump’s goal of a genuine and lasting peace between the Israelis and the Palestinians that enhances stability in the region,” the statement read. In short video released by Netanyahu’s office, the prime minister told Kushner: “This is an opportunity to pursue our common goals of security, prosperity and peace.” “I welcome you here in that spirit. I know of your efforts, the president’s efforts, and I look forward to working with you.” Greenblatt and Kushner both accompa- nied Trump in May on his first visit as president to Israel and the Palestinian territories. Both men also met Abbas and his senior advisors in Ramallah, accompanied by US Consul General Donald Blome, for talks the White House also dubbed “productive.” “Kushner and Greenblatt discussed with President Abbas priorities for the Palestinians and potential next steps, acknowledging the need for economic opportunities for Palestinians and major investments in the Palestinian economy,” it said. A White House offi- cial said this week Trump “strongly believes that peace is possible,” and that Greenblatt and Kushner expect to visit the region multiple times in com- ing months in a bid to build confi- dence between the two sides. —AFP
keep its promises after it won elections on a pledge to stamp out corruption. President Nana Akufo-Addo and his administration have in recent weeks seen protesters take to the streets to raise awareness about the issue. In May, hundreds marched on the Economic and Organized Crime Office in the capital Accra with a petition calling for the arrest and prosecution of offenders, and for stolen money to be recovered. The action is similar to OccupyGhana, a citizen pressure group, which began taking corruption cases to court last year. This month, the Supreme Court ruled in its favour after it submitted a petition calling on the auditor-general to fine anyone found to have misappropriated state funds. “If you want to strengthen democracy, you have to strengthen the legal system,” said OccupyGhana spokesman Nana Sarpong Agyeman-Badu. “If the judiciary is strengthened and we put in more confidence in them, I don’t think people in the exec- utive and legislature can get away with what they do.” Ghana’s previous government under John Dramani Mahama was hit by a succession of corruption scandals, including in the judiciary. Undercover journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas in 2015 released secretly filmed footage of magistrates, circuit and high court judges taking bribes to influence verdicts. ‘Name, shame and jail’ Anas, whose motto is “name, shame and jail”, said that every citizen should fight corruption and no institution should be “sacrosanct because of their names”. Anas oper- ates in a variety of disguises and has been called “the James Bond of journalism”. He said in the 15 years he has worked as an investigative reporter, there had been an increasing response to his stories. “When I look at the past and I look at today, it is clear to me the average Ghanaian is beginning to understand that fighting corruption is not the job of government only but it’s everybody’s job,” he said. “We have moved for- ward as a country, we have moved forward as a people, there has been consistent education. “People are begin- ning to see that it is important for us to put ourselves together and fight.” Shaky start In Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index, which measures perceived levels of public sector cor- ruption, Ghana scored 43 out of 100 last year. A score of 100 indicates corruption free. Ghana’s score dropped from 47 in 2015 but a new report by the Ghana Integrity Initiative Consortium indicated that citizens are more ready to tackle the problem. Nearly two-thirds of the 18,000 people from across Ghana who responded suggested corruption had increased in the 12 months to May last year. Just over three-quarters (76 percent) said they had to pay a bribe to tax officials and more than half (61 percent) reported having to hand over cash to the police. But 86 per- cent said they would get involved in fighting corruption.Akufo-Addo’s government, which took office in January this year, has by some accounts not got off to a good start. In March, he was forced to defend his decision to appoint a 110-minister government against opposition charges of “jobs for the boys”. —AFP
its embattled regional ally Qatar which has been hit by sanctions from Gulf powers led by Saudi Arabia, state media said. Turkey has already sent over 100 planes with food and other aid for Qatar but this is the first time a cargo ship has embarked on the voyage to Doha. The ship left the Aegean port of Aliaga in Izmir province with around 4,000 tons of fruit, vegetables and other foodstuffs on board, the Anadolu news agency said. It should arrive in 10 days. Saudi Arabia, UAE and Bahrain broke off relations with Qatar on June 5, accusing it of supporting “terrorism”, leaving Doha eco- nomically and politically isolated. But Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan immediately vowed to support Qatar. Ankara vehemently rejected the accusations-already strongly denied by Doha-that Qatar supports terrorism, arguing the country had been a staunch opponent of Islamic State (IS) jihadists. Economy Minister Nihat Zeybekci said Wednesday that Turkey had already sent 105 cargo flights to Qatar loaded with aid to help the country through the crisis. The crisis has put Turkey in a delicate position as Ankara regards Qatar as its chief ally in the Gulf but is also keen to maintain its improving relations with the key regional power Saudi Arabia. Ankara has stopped short of directly criticising Saudi Arabia’s actions, merely calling on Riyadh to take a lead role in solving the crisis. In a sign of the importance of the relations with Riyadh, Erdogan late Wednesday held phone talks with Saudi King Salman after the sudden appointment of his son Mohammed bin Salman as crown prince in place of Mohammed bin Nayef. Erdogan also spoke with Mohammed bin Salman himself and passed on his congratulations over the move, Anadolu said. Both sides expressed a commitment to further strengthen relations between Ankara and Riyadh and to “step up efforts” to end the tensions concerning Qatar, it added. Relations between Saudi Arabia and Turkey had been been damaged by Riyadh’s role in the 2013 ousting of Egyptian presi- dent Mohammed Morsi, a close ally of Ankara. But ties thawed con- siderably after the accession of Salman to the throne in 2015, with the king warmly welcomed on visits to Turkey. —AFP Turkey sends first cargo ship with aid for Qatar Yüklə 0,99 Mb. Dostları ilə paylaş:
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