Headline: Business committed to secure robust and workable benefit sharing regime at COP16, says ICC
Sustainability
The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) has called on governments to agree on a robust and workable multilateral benefit-sharing mechanism to advance biodiversity conservation at the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) COP16 in Cali, Colombia.
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With nearly one million species at risk of extinction according to the 2019 Global Assessment Report, global biodiversity is severely at risk. At COP15 in 2022, world leaders agreed on a goal of living in harmony with nature by 2050 and adopted the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) to help achieve that vision. This year’s COP 16 will review progress on the GBF and decide how to monitor and fund its implementation.
With regard to the latter, governments are also expected to determine the design of a multilateral mechanism for the sharing of benefits from the use of “digital sequence information”.
Daphne Yong D’Herve, Director of Global Network Policy Engagement at ICC said :
“Businesses are ready to engage fully at COP16, as they can and must be a key part of the solution to halting biodiversity loss. A benefit sharing mechanism with a broad contributor base would help ensure a meaningful stream of funds, help raise awareness of the principle of benefit sharing, and encourage a sense of collective responsibility among all sectors benefiting from biodiversity.”
Ahead of the start of the conference, ICC has outlined key elements of any new multilateral deal on benefit sharing – calling for a workable mechanism that provides legal certainty to businesses through innovation and commercialisation processes. The business organisation has also emphasized the imperative to ensure that any new mechanism:
incentivises participation by both countries and a broad base of private sector contributors;
ensures contributions collected are used to fund biodiversity conservation and sustainable use, including supporting the role of indigenous peoples and local communities as stewards of biodiversity;
support research and innovation by providing open access to data; and
recognise that tracking and tracing through value chains is not practical.
Ms. Yong D’Herve added :
“Business continues to engage at COP16 and beyond, in the further work needed to build a workable mechanism which could provide legal certainty and have the broadest possible engagement from countries, rightsholders and stakeholders.”
Find out more about the Business Views on a multilateral benefit sharing mechanism.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
This data provides information about the number and types of applications that HM Land Registry completed in Septemer 2024.
NicoElNino/Shutterstock.com
Please note this data shows what HM Land Registry has been able to process during the time period covered and is not necessarily a reflection of market activity.
In September:
HM Land Registry completed more than 1,934,910 applications to change or query the Land Register
the South East topped the table of regional applications with 437,185
HM Land Registry completed 1,934,916 applications in September compared with 1,876,215 in August and 1,730,767 last September 2023, of which:
286,474 were applications for register updates compared with 285,515 in August
1,119,845 were applications for an official copy of a register compared with 1,073,999 in August
197,651 were search and hold queries (official searches) compared with 197,468 in August
77,774 were transactions for value compared with 78,219 in August
16,471 were postal applications from non-account holders compared with 18,417 in August
The company accepted payments for projects when it was insolvent
Samantha Fairweather was the sole director of Fairweather Construction Ltd when it took payments from customers for home improvements it did not complete
The company had already failed to finish building work such as new conservatories and windows when it accepted the additional payments
Fairweather Construction had substantial debts at the time it took the payments, including owing more than £100,000 in tax
The boss of an Essex construction firm which took more than £300,000 in deposits for home improvements work it never completed has been disqualified as a director for eight years.
Samantha Fairweather, 53, was the sole director of Fairweather Construction Ltd when it sought advice from an insolvency practitioner in April 2022, owing more than £100,000 in unpaid tax.
The company had taken deposits from homeowners worth more than £150,000 by this time for building work such as the installation of new windows or conservatories which it had not finished.
However, Fairweather Construction then proceeded to take a further £177,900 in payments for further building projects it did not complete, including £37,370 in deposits for new work, before it was liquidated in the autumn of 2022.
Neil North, Chief Investigator at the Insolvency Service, said:
Samantha Fairweather knew, or ought to have known, that the company she was a director of had unpaid debts to HMRC and had been unable to fulfil its obligations to existing customers.
The company then took significant amounts of money from homeowners for house extensions and projects which were never done.
Members of the public need protection from this kind of activity which is why Fairweather will no longer be able to act as a company director until October 2032.
Fairweather, of Maitland Road, Stansted Mountfitchet, was the only director of Fairweather Construction since it was established in December 2014.
The company marketed itself as a home improvement specialist, with its work mainly focused on properties around the Essex and Hertfordshire border. Its registered office address was more than 150 miles away on Wood Lane, Heskin, Lancashire.
However, homeowners from further afield also lost out as a result of the company’s actions.
One couple from south London paid Fairweather Construction £12,500 for new windows in July 2022, but the order was never placed with the manufacturer.
Similarly, a woman from Saffron Walden paid the company £4,500 for new windows in August 2022, which were never fitted.
In the same month, Fairweather Construction took £18,000 from customers in the Bishop’s Stortford area for a new conservatory and extensions to an existing one which were not built.
Numerous excuses were made by the company for why the orders were not fulfilled.
Fairweather also caused her company to breach the Covid Bounce Back Loan Scheme in May 2020 by using £11,000 of the £50,000 she obtained to repay a director’s loan.
These payments were not for the economic benefit of the business as they had to be under the rules of the scheme.
Fairweather Construction entered liquidation in September 2022 with liabilities of more than £700,000.
The Secretary of State for Business and Trade accepted a disqualification undertaking from Fairweather, and her eight-year ban began on Monday 21 October.
The disqualification prevents her from becoming involved in the promotion, formation or management of a company, without the permission of the court.
Further information
Samantha Fairweather is of Maitland Road, Stansted Mountfitchet, Essex. Her date of birth is 29 April 1971.
Fairweather Construction Ltd (company number 09345352)
Individuals subject to a disqualification order or undertaking are bound by a range of restrictions
The designated candidates of the von der Leyen Commission will be heard by the EP committees dealing with their respective portfolios from 04/11/2024 until 12/11/2024.
During each confirmation hearing, the commissioner-designate will give an opening speech and then answer questions by committee members. More detailed information, including the candidates’ portfolios, the procedure, the schedule, the latest news and a live webstreaming during and record after the hearing, can be found on the dedicated webpage.
Question for written answer E-001991/2024 to the Commission Rule 144 Afroditi Latinopoulou (PfE), Gerolf Annemans (PfE), Barbara Bonte (PfE), Anna Bryłka (PfE), Tomasz Buczek (PfE), Jorge Buxadé Villalba (PfE), Ton Diepeveen (PfE), Roman Haider (PfE), Malika Sorel (PfE), Virginie Joron (PfE), Julien Leonardelli (PfE), Jorge Martín Frías (PfE), Gilles Pennelle (PfE), Hermann Tertsch (PfE), Tom Vandendriessche (PfE), António Tânger Corrêa (PfE)
According to a recent report[1], President von der Leyen offered German academic Peter Strohschneider a fee of EUR 150 000 for six months’ work as a special adviser for the strategic dialogue on the future of agriculture. This compensation is 64 % higher than the standard daily rate for Commissioners’ special advisers.
This decision raises serious questions about the management of public resources and transparency in the selection and compensation processes for the Commission’s special advisers. It is particularly concerning that Mr Strohschneider is not an expert on agricultural issues or foresight, but in medieval history.
Could the Commission please clarify:
1.What qualifications does Mr Strohschneider possess that make him an expert suited to coordinating the strategic dialogue on the future of agriculture and justify a fee that exceeds the normal daily rate paid to European Commissioners’ special advisers by 64 %?
2.What criteria will be used to evaluate Mr Strohschneider’s performance and ensure value for money from this particular appointment?
3.How is transparency and meritocracy ensured in the selection and compensation of the Commission’s special advisers?
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
Validation for applications during the Christmas period 2024 for MA, ManA, WDA, Batch Release, Specific Batch Control, and Special Import and Export Certificates.
Our offices will be closed on Wednesday 25, Thursday 26 December and Wednesday 1 January.
Validation during the Christmas Period 2024
Marketing Authorisation applications
In recognition of the resource pressures and delays to service currently being experienced, the VMD is extending the usual Christmas shut down period for 2024 to focus efforts on issuing existing applications.
All applications must be received by 29 November to be processed during the Christmas period. Any applications received after this date will not be processed until 2 January 2024.
Validation of New Marketing Authorisation applications
The last validation meeting to discuss applications for new Marketing Authorisations (MAs) will take place on 12 December. New applications to be considered for validation must be received on or before 29 November. Weekly validation meetings will resume from 9 January 2024.
Manufacturing and Wholesale Dealer Authorisation applications (new and variations)
The last day for validation of applications for Authorisations for Manufacturers, Blood Banks, Equine Stem Cell Centres and Wholesale Dealers (new and variations) will be 13 December. To be considered for validation by this date, please ensure that your application reaches us by 11 December. The validation discussions will resume from 2 January 2024.
Your application for an export certificate must be received by 13 December to ensure it is dealt with during the Christmas period. Applications received after this date will be dealt with from 2 January 2024.
Your application must be received by 11 December to ensure it is dealt with during the Christmas period. Applications received after this date will be dealt with from 2 January 2022.
Your batch release request must be received by 11 December to ensure it is dealt with during the Christmas period. Requests received after this date will be dealt with from 2 January 2024.
For exceptional cases after 11 December, we will consider these on a case-by-case basis, contact the team on batchr@vmd.gov.uk.
Special Import Scheme applications
For Special Import Certificate and Wholesale Dealer Import Certificate applications requiring assessment, that is, not available instantly online, your application must be received by 13 December to ensure it is dealt with during the Christmas period.
Requests received after this date will be dealt with from 2 January 2024. If you have an urgent clinical need requiring an import certificate prior to this date, please email importcert@vmd.gov.uk identifying your application as urgent.
Please send any general enquiries to postmaster@vmd.gov.uk, using key words in the subject heading.
For the past two decades, investing in girls’ schooling has been hailed as a cornerstone of promoting gender equality in sub-Saharan Africa. Between 2016 and 2018 the World Bank Group invested US$3.2 billion in education projects benefiting adolescent girls.
The logic is straightforward. Girls face significant barriers to education, among them poverty, insufficient academic support, adolescent pregnancy, child marriage, and school related gender-based violence. Reducing these barriers can substantially improve their educational outcomes.
But is this approach – investing in girls’ education – fair to boys, and enough to make a meaningful impact on girls’ lives in the long term? Having studied the relationship between interventions and the way people’s lives develop in adverse contexts, we argue that the answer is no on both counts.
We explain this view in a recent paper. In it we compare the different effects of directing development assistance: improving girls’ school enrolment, prioritising schooling for both girls and boys, and addressing barriers to gender equality throughout life.
We used publicly available data for 136 low- and middle-income countries, including those in sub-Saharan Africa. We calculated the female-to-male ratio for important education indicators in each country to show where girls are ahead, on par or behind boys.
Our findings suggest that the current focus on girls’ schooling may both unintentionally disadvantage boys and be a relatively inefficient means of advancing gender equality.
Girls’ and boys’ education in sub-Saharan Africa
We focused on two indicators to assess the current state of girls’ and boys’ education in the region:
Harmonised learning outcomes measure learning and progress based on the results from seven different types of tests combined and made comparable among children attending school. They reflect the environmental inputs into learning and achievement, such as school quality. Completing secondary school, meanwhile, has been shown to increase a person’s potential for future development, opportunities for employment and higher education.
In most countries in sub-Saharan Africa, girls are behind boys on secondary school completion. The average completion rate for boys is 30%. For girls it is just 24%. In southern Africa specifically, girls have higher completion rates than boys. Figure 1 shows where girls are ahead or behind on this indicator.
In sub-Saharan Africa, the average harmonised learning outcomes score for boys is 301; it is 303 for girls. Our results show that, for most countries in the region, girls are achieving roughly equal scores to their male peers.
This suggests that gender gaps in education are not as pronounced as is often portrayed.
Firstly, although school completion rates are higher for boys, this gap is small, and overall completion rates remain low for both genders.
Rather than asking who is ahead, it’s more important to note that neither boys nor girls are doing well. Our results show that educational outcomes in sub-Saharan Africa – including school performance and completion – are alarmingly poor for both girls and boys.
So, if all children in the region are clearly in need of support, why target education interventions at girls alone?
Large disparities in later life
The key to gender equality lies in ensuring girls and boys, and men and women, have the same opportunities to reach their potential from early life, through late childhood and adolescence, into adulthood.
Research emphasises that human development does not hinge on any single factor such as schooling. Rather, it depends on capabilities built throughout life.
In early childhood, proper nutrition, among other things, is crucial for developing a child’s basic physical and cognitive capabilities. These early investments protect the potential for human development.
During childhood and adolescence, factors like quality schooling and social support allow young people to realise that potential.
Our findings suggest that, on average, in low- and middle-income countries the development potential of girls and young women is protected and realised better than it is for boys and young men. But later in life, women don’t have as many opportunities as men to use that potential.
This implies that initiatives focused on girls’ schooling are likely not the most effective means of promoting girls’ development or reducing gender gaps.
Large disparities emerge later in girls’ lives. For example, our findings show that women earn less than men in almost every country in sub-Saharan Africa. These results reflect how patriarchal norms, particularly the unequal burden of housework and childcare, tend to push women into lower-paid informal or part-time work. Even when similarly qualified and in comparable positions, women typically earn less than men.
These findings, when considered in the context of the current state of education in the region, challenge the idea that focusing solely on girls’ education is enough to promote their lifelong development or meaningfully reduce gender inequalities.
The argument that boys should not receive the same support as girls is weak.
How to promote greater gender equality in sub-Saharan Africa
Targeted interventions are likely to have the greatest impact where girls and women face the greatest barriers: in using their potential. That means, for example:
Social protection policies, including childcare and reproductive health services, can ease women’s caregiving burden and give them the time and agency to fully participate in politics, the economy and society.
There are also opportunities beyond government, where support for trade unions, for instance, has been shown to help narrow gender wage gaps.
Addressing gender inequality requires a life-course approach. It should involve quality education for both genders, and tackling the policies, practices and social norms that marginalise women and girls, especially in the later stages of their lives.
Sara Naicker, Jere Behrman and Linda Richter contributed to the research this article is based on. Dhyan Saravanja contributed to this article.
Chris Desmond receives funding from UK Research and Innovation Global Challenges Research Fund Accelerating Achievement for Africa’s Adolescents Hub,Grant/Award Number: ES/S008101/1
Kathryn Watt does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (b)
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man pleaded guilty in federal court today to distributing fentanyl, which resulted in three overdose deaths in Belton and Raymore, Mo., as part of a drug-trafficking conspiracy.
Tiger Dean Draggoo, 24, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Roseann A. Ketchmark to one count of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and three counts of distributing fentanyl resulting in death.
By pleading guilty today, Draggoo admitted that he distributed fentanyl on Sept. 3, 2022, the use of which caused the death of another person. Draggoo admitted that he distributed fentanyl between Aug. 22 and Sept. 13, 2022, the use of which caused the death of another person. Draggoo admitted that he distributed fentanyl between Dec. 7 and 20, 2022, the use of which caused the death of another person.
Draggoo also admitted that the government’s evidence of the total amount of drugs he is responsible for distributing or possessing is at least 22,364 pills that contained a total of 2,460 grams of fentanyl.
Victim #1 Fatality
On Sept. 4, 2022, Cass County, Mo., sheriff’s deputies found a juvenile, identified in court documents as “Victim #1,” deceased in her bedroom. An autopsy report identified “Fentanyl Intoxication” as the cause of death. Investigators determined that Draggoo was selling fentanyl pills to the victim and had supplied her with fentanyl pills on the evening of Sept. 3, 2022.
Victim #2 Fatality
On Sept. 13, 2022, a deceased person, identified in court documents as “Victim #2,” was found in the Belton residence where she lived with her mother. A blue pill was found in her bedroom, which was tested and determined to contain fentanyl. An autopsy report identified the cause of death as “Acute Fentanyl Toxicity.” Investigators learned that Draggoo was selling fentanyl pills to Victim #2. Draggoo typically would drop off pills near midnight at Victim #2’s bedroom window, and cell phone GPS information indicated Draggoo was in the area of Victim #2’s residence at approximately 12:20 a.m on Sept. 13, 2022.
Attempted Arrest of Draggoo
On Sept. 22, 2022, law enforcement officers conducted surveillance of Draggoo’s apartment and attempted to arrest him. Draggoo got into a Jeep Renegade driven by his brother, co-defendant Colt Justin Draggoo, 21, of Kansas City, Mo. Officers attempted to conduct a traffic stop of the vehicle, but the vehicle fled. Tiger and Colt Draggoo later returned to the apartment complex, but when an officer drove into the parking lot, Tiger Draggoo ran into the apartment building and was able to escape.
Colt Draggoo was arrested. Officers found a loaded Springfield Armory 9mm handgun sitting on the driver’s seat of the Jeep. A laundry bag in the back seat contained two fire safes that had a total of $184,500 in cash. Colt Draggoo has pleaded guilty to his role in the drug-trafficking conspiracy.
Officers searched Tiger Draggoo’s apartment and found 17 firearms, including two machine guns, ammunition of various calibers, $246,769 in cash, a ballistic vest with plates, a money counter, numerous pills that contained fentanyl, eight suspected LSD tabs, and marijuana. The 17 firearms included a Del-Ton 5.56-caliber rifle (converted into a machine gun), a Glock switch (used to convert a Glock pistol into a machine gun), three Marlin .22-caliber rifles, a Norinco 7.62-caliber rifle, a Mosin-Nagant rifle, an Anderson Manufacturing AM-15 .223-caliber rifle, a Mossberg 12-gauge shotgun, an Armscorp USA .308-caliber rifle, a Century Arms 7.62-caliber rifle, a Herbert Schmidt .22-caliber revolver, a New England Firearms .22-caliber revolver, a Kimber 9mm pistol, a Glock 9mm pistol, a Sig Sauer 9mm pistol, and a Metro Arms .45-caliber pistol.
Victim #3 Fatality
On Dec. 20, 2022, Raymore police officers were dispatched to a residence in Raymore regarding a non-breathing female, identified in court documents as Victim #3. Victim #3 was transported to a local hospital where she was pronounced deceased. A small jewelry box in Victim #3’s bedroom contained three broken segments of a blue pill that were tested and determined to contain fentanyl. An autopsy report identified the cause of death as “Acute Fentanyl Toxicity.” Investigators learned that Tiger Draggoo had been selling fentanyl to Victim #3 since as early as May 31, 2022. The last Facebook Messengers conversation between Tiger Draggoo and Victim #3 occurred on Dec. 7, 2022, when they agreed to meet and an amount of $50 was agreed upon.
Arrest of Draggoo
Tiger Draggoo was arrested at his residence on Jan. 20, 2023. Tiger Draggoo was in possession of almost $2,000 in cash in his billfold and pockets. Officers searched Tiger Draggoo’s apartment and recovered pills from the toilet. Officers also found suspected psilocybin mushrooms, 144 grams of yellow THC wax, and more than $62,000 in additional cash. Officers searched Tiger Draggoo’s Honda Accord and found three handguns, a Palmetto State Armory multi-caliber rifle, an unregistered short-barreled 12-gauge shotgun, and $1,250 in cash. Officers searched his girlfriend’s Jeep Renegade, which was located at the apartment complex, and found a backpack that contained more than $82,000 in cash.
Under federal statutes, Tiger Draggoo is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of life in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brad K. Kavanaugh and Robert Smith. It was investigated by the Jackson County Drug Task Force, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Belton, Mo., Police Department, the Raymore, Mo., Police Department, the Cass County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, and the FBI.
The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe devalued the ZiG by 43% on 27 September 2024. This weakened the official exchange rate from 13.9 ZiG per US dollar to 24.4 ZiG per US dollar.
The unexpected devaluation was prompted by the need to contain resurgent exchange rate pressure which started back in August due to higher food import costs and a slide in mineral export sales. The central bank decided to ease this pressure by lowering the value of the currency instead of burning reserves to keep its value steady at 13.9 ZiG per dollar.
The strain on the ZiG has intensified in the aftermath of the devaluation. It has weakened even further to more than 26 ZiG per dollar as of 18 October. This has raised speculation that it will continue to weaken.
This would have a number of negative consequences. It would keep upward pressure on import prices, hurting households and businesses. If this happened, Zimbabwean households already hit by falling paycheques and savings might cut back further on spending.
The strain on the currency also risks reigniting inflation. The risk comes after monthly inflation ticked up to 1.4% in August and then climbed to 5.8% in September. Resurgent inflation would also increase costs for businesses and threaten to stifle investment. That was on display in 2000-08 and 2019-20 when price instability dampened economic activity and created a costly business environment which discouraged investment.
A further risk factor from currency instability is that it would deter foreign investors worried about the ZiG as a reliable store of value. The prospect of declining business investment, loss of confidence in the ZiG, and anaemic consumption would in turn be a major drag on economic activity. Economic growth in 2024 is expected to slow down to 2% from 5% last year. El Niño-induced drought, lower mining prices, and macroeconomic instability are among the key reasons.
This is the sixth time Zimbabwe’s authorities have attempted to establish a stable national currency in the past 15 years. The history of failed attempts has cast a long shadow on the ZiG. The recent devaluation has not eased concerns about Zimbabwe’s struggles to develop and maintain a domestic currency that can be widely used for transactions and as a store of value on a voluntary basis.
I have long thought the devaluation was inevitable. Authorities must confront the fundamental causes, which are rooted in a loss of faith in the ability of government to manage spending. In particular, its habit of printing money, overspending on its budgets and failing to expand the economy.
Interventions
The ZiG is part of a multicurrency system which allows individuals to use other major currencies including the US dollar, euro, South African rand and pound sterling.
To increase the ZiG’s uptake, authorities imposed a number of measures. The new unit has to be used for paying a portion of company taxes and most government services. Fines are issued to traders unwilling to accept ZiG payments.
Measures like these are not sufficient because they do not consider the real problems hindering success of the Zimbabwe dollar.
The central bank also announced that it aims to slow the ZiG’s decline by imposing currency controls and raising the benchmark policy rate (the rate used to implement its monetary policy) from 20% to 35%. The jump in the cost of borrowing triggered by these measures will further weigh on business investment and consumer spending.
Gains to Zimbabwean exporters from a cheaper ZiG are unlikely to be substantial because of an El Niño-induced drought which has devastated crops in southern Africa. And dollar earnings for Zimbabwe’s mineral exports have been hurt by lower commodity prices. The agriculture and food sector contributes about 17% to GDP and 40% of total export earnings on average, while mining accounts for about 12% of GDP and 80% of total exports.
My worry is that a cheaper ZiG may not juice exports and reduce the trade shortfall of US$1,453 million recorded last year, given the hit to commodity prices and adverse impact of drought on agricultural production. A bigger trade deficit will keep downward pressure on the currency. The weaker ZiG could however boost inbound tourism.
To retain a stable domestic currency, authorities will have to address deeper structural causes rooted in the country’s long history of printing money to pay for government overspending amid slow economic expansion. That means:
slashing the budget while giving greater spending priority to health, education, public infrastructure and other critical investments.
government weaning itself off dependence on printing money to finance fiscal deficits
supporting credible policies for more sustainable and private-sector led growth and policies for capturing more revenue from growth.
Precedents
This is not the first time that the Zimbabwe dollar has been unstable and weak. In the 2000s, printing money to finance government deficit spending produced periods of high inflation amid slow growth, making the currency weak and unstable.
The currency eventually collapsed in 2009 due to hyperinflation and the US dollar became the official currency.
Another local currency (the RTGS dollar) was later introduced in 2019. With the power to print more money restored, inflation rapidly accelerated and surpassed 500% in 2020. This made the new Zimbabwe dollar highly unstable and its value quickly deteriorated.
As a result, the US dollar continued to be the dominant currency used in transactions and as a store of value. Inflation remained elevated until April 2024, when the ZiG was launched as the new national currency. Its value is backed by gold and foreign currency reserves.
At first the move seemed to have tamed inflation. But widespread voluntary use of the ZiG failed to materialise. That’s because people are still wary of the government’s power to print money, which had been the key driver of inflation and currency instability.
What policy makers can do
Authorities must tackle the root causes of the nation’s currency struggles once and for all. Steps that can be taken to resolve longstanding structural factors include:
Re-prioritising public spending by undertaking deep fiscal reforms that will divert more resources towards spending on health, education, public infrastructure and other critical investments needed to boost growth. These reforms should also aim to capture more revenue from growth, for example, through tax reforms.
Implementing reforms to address corruption and improve governance is essential for imposing the discipline necessary to push back against covering fiscal deficits by printing money and for restoring faith in government institutions.
Pursuing credible policies for more sustainable and private-sector led growth. Strong growth expands tax revenues and gives the government more policy space to spend on essential services and critical investment needs.
Devaluation and other measures that have been imposed to support the ZiG are not the solution.
Jonathan Munemo does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
The governments of Canada and Ontario are helping 128 apple, tender fruit, and table grape producers grow more popular and hardy varieties of produce. The Growing Future Opportunities Initiative, with funding through the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (Sustainable CAP), is supporting these projects through a $4.4 million investment.
$4.4 million investment enabling fruit growers to meet consumer demand
The governments of Canada and Ontario are helping 128 apple, tender fruit, and table grape producers grow more popular and hardy varieties of produce. The Growing Future Opportunities Initiative, with funding through the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (Sustainable CAP), is supporting these projects through a $4.4 million investment.
Growers are replanting more than 94 acres of apples and more than 60 acres of tender fruit and table grapes. The range of fruit varieties being planted are considered by the sector to have greater appeal with changing consumer tastes, and are more resilient to increase yield, improve hardiness, and enhance resistance to pests and diseases. This includes fruits such as Coral Star and Summer Serenade peaches and Gala and Honeycrisp apples.
The Growing Future Opportunities Initiative is a 3-year, $8 million initiative providing eligible fruit producers with cost-share funding to purchase vines or trees of popular fruit varieties. Applications are still being accepted for tender fruit, table grapes and wine grapes. Under the Growing Future Opportunities Initiative, eligible producers can receive 75% of cost-share funding for plants.
The Sustainable CAP is a 5-year, $3.5-billion investment by federal, provincial and territorial governments to strengthen competitiveness, innovation, and resiliency of Canada’s agriculture, agri‐food and agri‐based products sector. This includes $1 billion in federal programs and activities and a $2.5-billion commitment that is cost-shared 60% federallyand 40% provincially/territorially for programs that are designed and delivered by provinces and territories.
Quotes
“Ontario’s fruit producers are vitally important to Canada’s agriculture sector. The Growing Future Opportunities Initiative will help them stay competitive and increase their resiliency, while ensuring folks have access to the locally grown fruit they enjoy.”
– The Honourable Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food.
“In its first year, the Growing Future Opportunities Initiative is already helping Ontario fruit producers to be more competitive, so they can provide and market more popular products for consumers to enjoy,” said Rob Flack, Ontario Minister of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness. “Supporting agri-food production is part of our Grow Ontario Strategy, and it’s helping to drive economic growth in Ontario’s $50 billion agri-food sector.”
– Rob Flack, Ontario Minister of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness
The Growing Future Opportunities Initiative is helping Ontario reach the goals outlined in the Grow Ontario Strategy, which include increasing the consumption and production of food grown and prepared in the province by 30% by 2032.
Building sector capacity and growth through realizing the potential of value-added agri-food and agri-products were among the top priorities set for Sustainable CAP by the federal-provincial-territorial agricultural ministers in The Guelph Statement.
For more information about OMAFA programs and services, contact the Agricultural Information Contact Centre (AICC) by phone at 1-877-424-1300 or by email at ag.info.omafa@ontario.ca.
Associated links
Contacts
For media:
Annie Cullinan Director of Communications Office of the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food annie.cullinan@agr.gc.ca
End-of-Mission press releases include statements of IMF staff teams that convey preliminary findings after a visit to a country. The views expressed in this statement are those of the IMF staff and do not necessarily represent the views of the IMF’s Executive Board. Based on the preliminary findings of this mission, staff will prepare a report that, subject to management approval, will be presented to the IMF’s Executive Board for discussion and decision.
IMF staff and the Armenian authorities have reached a staff-level agreement on the fourth review under the 3-year Stand-By Arrangement (SBA), which the Armenian authorities treat as precautionary. The SBA aims to support the government’s policy and reform agenda to maintain macroeconomic stability and foster strong, sustainable growth.
Armenia’s economy continues to grow strongly, with GDP growth projected to reach 6 percent in 2024, driven by domestic demand, before slowing to 4.9 percent in 2025.
Policy priorities include enhancing economic resilience, further mobilizing tax revenues to support priority spending while maintaining fiscal sustainability, strengthening institutional frameworks, and continuing structural reforms to boost labor productivity, enhance trade diversification, and improve the overall business environment.
Washington, DC: An International Monetary Fund (IMF) team, led by Iva Petrova, visited Yerevan from September 18 to October 1, 2024, and held further virtual discussions afterwards for the fourth review under the Stand-By Arrangement (SBA) with Armenia. At the conclusion of the discussions, Ms. Petrova issued the following statement:
“I am pleased to announce that the IMF team and the Armenian authorities have reached a staff-level agreement on policies for the completion of the fourth review under the three-year SBA, which supports Armenia’s economic reform program. The agreement is subject to approval by the IMF’s Executive Board, scheduled to consider this review in mid-December. This approval would enable access of about US$24.5 million (SDR 18.4 million), bringing total access to about US$122.7 million (SDR 92 million) since the SBA’s inception.
“Armenia’s economic activity remains robust, with real GDP growing by 6.5 percent in the first half of the year, driven by domestic demand. Employment growth has been steady, averaging 19 percent since the start of 2023, while inflation has remained low at 0.6 percent year-on-year in September. The current account deficit has widened as transitory factors subside, and tourism and remittances continue to normalize. Preliminary data indicate that prudent execution of the 2024 budget has resulted in a small overall fiscal deficit through September 2024. Central government debt remains moderate at 48.4 percent of GDP at end 2023. The banking system enjoys strong capital and liquidity buffers, along with high profitability.
“The strong growth momentum of the past few years continues to gradually normalize, with GDP growth expected to reach 6 and 4.9 percent in 2024 and 2025, respectively, as domestic consumption and external demand decelerate. Inflation is expected to remain low in the short term and gradually converge to the CBA’s inflation target in the medium term. Significant risks to this outlook include geopolitical tensions and potential growth setbacks in trading partners, a reversal of capital inflows, and surges in global food and energy prices. On the upside, growth could exceed expectations if net exports perform better than anticipated and if structural reforms and refugee integration are implemented more swiftly.
“The draft 2025 budget appropriately accommodates priority spending needs, including national security and refugee integration. With rising spending pressures, however, careful medium-term expenditure prioritization and the introduction of new tax policies will be necessary to support fiscal consolidation in line with the fiscal rules and maintaining debt at a moderate level. Implementing reforms to strengthen medium-term fiscal planning, enhance public financial management—including through robust fiscal risk management, transparency, and governance—and bolster the public investment management framework remains critical to support fiscal efforts.
“Amid low inflationary pressures, the Central Bank of Armenia (CBA) has continued its gradual reduction of the policy rate to steer inflation towards its target. Future rate decisions should continue to be guided by the evolution of inflation and inflation expectations. The flexible exchange rate should remain a key shock absorber, and the authorities’ commitment to maintaining healthy international reserve buffers is welcome. Ongoing efforts to improve monetary, foreign exchange, and financial regulatory transparency are helping enhance CBA’s policy communication, and efforts should continue to strengthen the CBA’s prudential and supervisory frameworks. With its continuous financial risk monitoring, including the recent increase in the countercyclical capital buffer, the CBA remains vigilant in mitigating financial sector risks.
“The government’s structural reform agenda appropriately focuses on fostering inclusive growth, including by boosting labor force participation among the youth, women, and vulnerable populations, encouraging diversification in the country’s export basket and markets, and improving the business environment. Achieving these objectives requires developing and implementing concrete, fully costed employment and export strategies, prioritizing governance reforms, upgrading the insolvency framework, and rationalizing investment incentives to support quality investments.
“The IMF team thanks the Armenian authorities, private sector, development partners, and the diplomatic community for fruitful discussions and cooperation.”
There has been much talk of late about the possibility of India joining the UN Security Council (UNSC) as a permanent member, while most of the current permanent members have expressedpublic support for expansion of the UNSC.
India has been falling far short of its domestic and international human rights obligations, and its desire to expand its role in the UN presents an opportunity to assess its record of engagement as a member of other UN political bodies, including the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC).
It’s important to review India’s pattern of engagement with the human rights architecture as a whole, including with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and UN human rights treaty bodies.
Such analysis, as presented below, indicates that India has not been a strong leader at the UNHRC, willing to take difficult and principled stands with consistent application of human rights values; nor has it engaged particularly constructively with Council mechanisms. There is much room for improvement on India’s engagement with the human rights system in relation to its own domestic human rights challenges.
Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Kathryn Watt, Research Manager, The Asenze Project, University of KwaZulu-Natal
For the past two decades, investing in girls’ schooling has been hailed as a cornerstone of promoting gender equality in sub-Saharan Africa. Between 2016 and 2018 the World Bank Group invested US$3.2 billion in education projects benefiting adolescent girls.
The logic is straightforward. Girls face significant barriers to education, among them poverty, insufficient academic support, adolescent pregnancy, child marriage, and school related gender-based violence. Reducing these barriers can substantially improve their educational outcomes.
But is this approach – investing in girls’ education – fair to boys, and enough to make a meaningful impact on girls’ lives in the long term? Having studied the relationship between interventions and the way people’s lives develop in adverse contexts, we argue that the answer is no on both counts.
We explain this view in a recent paper. In it we compare the different effects of directing development assistance: improving girls’ school enrolment, prioritising schooling for both girls and boys, and addressing barriers to gender equality throughout life.
We used publicly available data for 136 low- and middle-income countries, including those in sub-Saharan Africa. We calculated the female-to-male ratio for important education indicators in each country to show where girls are ahead, on par or behind boys.
Our findings suggest that the current focus on girls’ schooling may both unintentionally disadvantage boys and be a relatively inefficient means of advancing gender equality.
Girls’ and boys’ education in sub-Saharan Africa
We focused on two indicators to assess the current state of girls’ and boys’ education in the region:
Harmonised learning outcomes measure learning and progress based on the results from seven different types of tests combined and made comparable among children attending school. They reflect the environmental inputs into learning and achievement, such as school quality. Completing secondary school, meanwhile, has been shown to increase a person’s potential for future development, opportunities for employment and higher education.
In most countries in sub-Saharan Africa, girls are behind boys on secondary school completion. The average completion rate for boys is 30%. For girls it is just 24%. In southern Africa specifically, girls have higher completion rates than boys. Figure 1 shows where girls are ahead or behind on this indicator.
Figure 1: Secondary school completion.Author provided (no reuse)
In sub-Saharan Africa, the average harmonised learning outcomes score for boys is 301; it is 303 for girls. Our results show that, for most countries in the region, girls are achieving roughly equal scores to their male peers.
Figure 2: Harmonised learning outcomes.Author provided (no reuse)
This suggests that gender gaps in education are not as pronounced as is often portrayed.
Firstly, although school completion rates are higher for boys, this gap is small, and overall completion rates remain low for both genders.
Rather than asking who is ahead, it’s more important to note that neither boys nor girls are doing well. Our results show that educational outcomes in sub-Saharan Africa – including school performance and completion – are alarmingly poor for both girls and boys.
So, if all children in the region are clearly in need of support, why target education interventions at girls alone?
Large disparities in later life
The key to gender equality lies in ensuring girls and boys, and men and women, have the same opportunities to reach their potential from early life, through late childhood and adolescence, into adulthood.
Research emphasises that human development does not hinge on any single factor such as schooling. Rather, it depends on capabilities built throughout life.
In early childhood, proper nutrition, among other things, is crucial for developing a child’s basic physical and cognitive capabilities. These early investments protect the potential for human development.
During childhood and adolescence, factors like quality schooling and social support allow young people to realise that potential.
Our findings suggest that, on average, in low- and middle-income countries the development potential of girls and young women is protected and realised better than it is for boys and young men. But later in life, women don’t have as many opportunities as men to use that potential.
This implies that initiatives focused on girls’ schooling are likely not the most effective means of promoting girls’ development or reducing gender gaps.
Large disparities emerge later in girls’ lives. For example, our findings show that women earn less than men in almost every country in sub-Saharan Africa. These results reflect how patriarchal norms, particularly the unequal burden of housework and childcare, tend to push women into lower-paid informal or part-time work. Even when similarly qualified and in comparable positions, women typically earn less than men.
Figure 3: Adult earnings.Author provided (no reuse)
These findings, when considered in the context of the current state of education in the region, challenge the idea that focusing solely on girls’ education is enough to promote their lifelong development or meaningfully reduce gender inequalities.
The argument that boys should not receive the same support as girls is weak.
How to promote greater gender equality in sub-Saharan Africa
Targeted interventions are likely to have the greatest impact where girls and women face the greatest barriers: in using their potential. That means, for example:
Social protection policies, including childcare and reproductive health services, can ease women’s caregiving burden and give them the time and agency to fully participate in politics, the economy and society.
There are also opportunities beyond government, where support for trade unions, for instance, has been shown to help narrow gender wage gaps.
Addressing gender inequality requires a life-course approach. It should involve quality education for both genders, and tackling the policies, practices and social norms that marginalise women and girls, especially in the later stages of their lives.
Sara Naicker, Jere Behrman and Linda Richter contributed to the research this article is based on. Dhyan Saravanja contributed to this article.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
Mr Irfan Siddiq OBE has been appointed His Majesty’s Ambassador to the Republic of Iraq in succession to Mr Stephen Hitchen.
Mr Irfan Siddiq OBE has been appointed His Majesty’s Ambassador to the Republic of Iraq in succession to Mr Stephen Hitchen who will be transferring to another Diplomatic Service appointment.
Mr Siddiq will take up his appointment during March 2025.
CURRICULUM VITAE
Full name: Irfan Siddiq
—
—
2022 to present
Nicosia, British High Commissioner
2021 to 2022
Full time Greek language training
2021
FCDO, Director, East and Central Africa
2018 to 2021
Khartoum, HM Ambassador
2017 to 2018
Plan International (External Secondment), Global Advocacy Director
2016 to 2017
FCO, Head, Secondments Unit
2013 to 2016
Baku, HM Ambassador
2011 to 2013
FCO, Head, Arab Partnership Department
2010 to 2011
Baghdad, Deputy Head of Mission
2007 to 2010
Damascus, Deputy Head of Mission
2005 to 2007
FCO, Private Secretary to the Foreign Secretary
2004 to 2005
Washington, Iraq Political Officer, US State Department
2003 to 2004
Baghdad, Political Officer, Coalition Provisional Authority
Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Jonathan Munemo, Professor of Economics, Salisbury University
The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe devalued the ZiG by 43% on 27 September 2024. This weakened the official exchange rate from 13.9 ZiG per US dollar to 24.4 ZiG per US dollar.
The unexpected devaluation was prompted by the need to contain resurgent exchange rate pressure which started back in August due to higher food import costs and a slide in mineral export sales. The central bank decided to ease this pressure by lowering the value of the currency instead of burning reserves to keep its value steady at 13.9 ZiG per dollar.
The strain on the ZiG has intensified in the aftermath of the devaluation. It has weakened even further to more than 26 ZiG per dollar as of 18 October. This has raised speculation that it will continue to weaken.
This would have a number of negative consequences. It would keep upward pressure on import prices, hurting households and businesses. If this happened, Zimbabwean households already hit by falling paycheques and savings might cut back further on spending.
The strain on the currency also risks reigniting inflation. The risk comes after monthly inflation ticked up to 1.4% in August and then climbed to 5.8% in September. Resurgent inflation would also increase costs for businesses and threaten to stifle investment. That was on display in 2000-08 and 2019-20 when price instability dampened economic activity and created a costly business environment which discouraged investment.
A further risk factor from currency instability is that it would deter foreign investors worried about the ZiG as a reliable store of value. The prospect of declining business investment, loss of confidence in the ZiG, and anaemic consumption would in turn be a major drag on economic activity. Economic growth in 2024 is expected to slow down to 2% from 5% last year. El Niño-induced drought, lower mining prices, and macroeconomic instability are among the key reasons.
This is the sixth time Zimbabwe’s authorities have attempted to establish a stable national currency in the past 15 years. The history of failed attempts has cast a long shadow on the ZiG. The recent devaluation has not eased concerns about Zimbabwe’s struggles to develop and maintain a domestic currency that can be widely used for transactions and as a store of value on a voluntary basis.
I have long thought the devaluation was inevitable. Authorities must confront the fundamental causes, which are rooted in a loss of faith in the ability of government to manage spending. In particular, its habit of printing money, overspending on its budgets and failing to expand the economy.
Interventions
The ZiG is part of a multicurrency system which allows individuals to use other major currencies including the US dollar, euro, South African rand and pound sterling.
To increase the ZiG’s uptake, authorities imposed a number of measures. The new unit has to be used for paying a portion of company taxes and most government services. Fines are issued to traders unwilling to accept ZiG payments.
Measures like these are not sufficient because they do not consider the real problems hindering success of the Zimbabwe dollar.
The central bank also announced that it aims to slow the ZiG’s decline by imposing currency controls and raising the benchmark policy rate (the rate used to implement its monetary policy) from 20% to 35%. The jump in the cost of borrowing triggered by these measures will further weigh on business investment and consumer spending.
Gains to Zimbabwean exporters from a cheaper ZiG are unlikely to be substantial because of an El Niño-induced drought which has devastated crops in southern Africa. And dollar earnings for Zimbabwe’s mineral exports have been hurt by lower commodity prices. The agriculture and food sector contributes about 17% to GDP and 40% of total export earnings on average, while mining accounts for about 12% of GDP and 80% of total exports.
My worry is that a cheaper ZiG may not juice exports and reduce the trade shortfall of US$1,453 million recorded last year, given the hit to commodity prices and adverse impact of drought on agricultural production. A bigger trade deficit will keep downward pressure on the currency. The weaker ZiG could however boost inbound tourism.
To retain a stable domestic currency, authorities will have to address deeper structural causes rooted in the country’s long history of printing money to pay for government overspending amid slow economic expansion. That means:
slashing the budget while giving greater spending priority to health, education, public infrastructure and other critical investments.
government weaning itself off dependence on printing money to finance fiscal deficits
supporting credible policies for more sustainable and private-sector led growth and policies for capturing more revenue from growth.
Precedents
This is not the first time that the Zimbabwe dollar has been unstable and weak. In the 2000s, printing money to finance government deficit spending produced periods of high inflation amid slow growth, making the currency weak and unstable.
The currency eventually collapsed in 2009 due to hyperinflation and the US dollar became the official currency.
Another local currency (the RTGS dollar) was later introduced in 2019. With the power to print more money restored, inflation rapidly accelerated and surpassed 500% in 2020. This made the new Zimbabwe dollar highly unstable and its value quickly deteriorated.
As a result, the US dollar continued to be the dominant currency used in transactions and as a store of value. Inflation remained elevated until April 2024, when the ZiG was launched as the new national currency. Its value is backed by gold and foreign currency reserves.
At first the move seemed to have tamed inflation. But widespread voluntary use of the ZiG failed to materialise. That’s because people are still wary of the government’s power to print money, which had been the key driver of inflation and currency instability.
What policy makers can do
Authorities must tackle the root causes of the nation’s currency struggles once and for all. Steps that can be taken to resolve longstanding structural factors include:
Re-prioritising public spending by undertaking deep fiscal reforms that will divert more resources towards spending on health, education, public infrastructure and other critical investments needed to boost growth. These reforms should also aim to capture more revenue from growth, for example, through tax reforms.
Implementing reforms to address corruption and improve governance is essential for imposing the discipline necessary to push back against covering fiscal deficits by printing money and for restoring faith in government institutions.
Pursuing credible policies for more sustainable and private-sector led growth. Strong growth expands tax revenues and gives the government more policy space to spend on essential services and critical investment needs.
Devaluation and other measures that have been imposed to support the ZiG are not the solution.
Amnesty has today said the UK Government is betraying its own legacy commitments and failing victims by diluting its election promise to repeal and replace the widely opposed Troubles legacy Act. Amnesty made the comments today at a press conference in Belfast, held along with victims following the Government’s decision to seek to appeal a court of appeal judgment which found core parts of the Troubles Act including the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery (ICRIR) to be unlawful.
Grainne Teggart, Amnesty UK Deputy Director in Northern Ireland said:
“The UK Government’s decision to appeal, is a betrayal of their own legacy commitments and fails victims. It is a staggering dilution of their pre-election position.
“The Government’s decision raises serious questions about their commitment to their own promise to repeal and replace the Troubles Act.
“The Government needs to own this change of direction. The categorical pledge by the Labour party prior to the election was to repeal and replace the Troubles Act. That pledge has been increasingly qualified over recent months, and we now see them propping up the legacy body established by the last Government.
“The Government should change course again, immediately, and fulfil their manifesto promise to repeal the Troubles Act. This should be done in full, as well as abandoning any attempt to prop up the ICRIR, which was condemned by the court ruling and by victims groups alike.
“Stormont House Agreement remains the foundation on which to build.”
Martina Dillon, whose husband, Seamus, was shot and killed outside the Glengannon Hotel in Dungannon on 27 December 1997 said:
“Repeal and replace the universally-opposed Troubles Act as well as the investigations body which is a hangover from the last Government’s flawed plan. That’s what we were promised and that’s what we are now demanding.
“The Secretary of State should categorically not be seeking to prop up a body he should clearly see there are problems with. Anything short of the return of my inquest is unacceptable. Others who need inquests should have access to them too. Victims have waited long enough for justice for our husbands, brothers, sisters, and children. Enough is enough, we won’t be fobbed off again.”
PLANS to improve road safety and air quality on two streets close to local schools using new enforcement powers have been given the go-ahead by the city council.
Last year, Leicester City Council was awarded designated authority status by the Department for Transport. This gives the council permission to use camera enforcement to deal with so-called moving traffic offences.
Now the city council plans to use camera enforcement to penalise drivers who flout restrictions on Northfold Road and Eastcourt Road which border Overdale infant and junior schools, in Knighton.
Restrictions on the two school streets have been in place since an initial trial in February 2022 and prohibit access to motor vehicles during school run times – 8-9am and 2.30-4pm Monday to Friday – except for permit holders.
The measures were introduced at the request of local residents and the wider school community in an effort to improve air quality, road safety and traffic congestion at the beginning and end of the school day.
Despite being clearly signed, and legally backed by traffic regulation order, motorists have continued to contravene the restrictions on a regular basis.
The decision to use camera enforcement follows a consultation with local residents, parents at the Overdale schools and other members of the public.
Cameras are due to be installed and brought into operation in the coming weeks. Residents on the two affected streets affected, and eligible parents at the schools, will be contacted in advance to apply for exemption.
For an initial period of six months, first offences will result in drivers being issued with a warning notice.
Subsequent contraventions will result in drivers being issued with a penalty charge notice.
This will be charged at £70, or at discounted rate of £35 if paid within 21 days.
Cllr Geoff Whittle, assistant city mayor for transport and environment said: “Camera enforcement can be a very effective way of deterring motorists from committing traffic offences that are dangerous or obstructive for other road users.
“That’s why we’re introducing these measures to help enforce restrictions on two school streets close to Overdale infant and junior schools.
“The restrictions here were originally introduced following feedback from local residents and families at the schools and it’s important that we do whatever we can to discourage people from ignoring them.”
Under the Traffic Management Act 2004, councils can apply to the Government to take on the responsibility for traffic offences, by applying for a designated authority status. This gives councils powers to enforce areas such as box junctions, one-way streets, no-entry signs or other prohibited traffic movements, along with bus lanes, cycles lanes and pedestrian zones for example.
Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine continues with unabated intensity and far-reaching consequences for civilians. At the same time, Russia is spreading propaganda to try and portray the Russian economy as more well-functioning than it actually is. As part of efforts to combat this propaganda, the Swedish Government commissioned the National Institute of Economic Research to analyse economic developments in Russia. Last Wednesday, Minister for Finance Elisabeth Svantesson hosted a seminar in connection with the report’s conclusions.
Minister for Finance Elisabeth Svantesson.
Photographer: Magnus Liljegren/Swedish Government Offices.
Minister for Finance Elisabeth Svantesson.
Photographer: Magnus Liljegren/Swedish Government Offices.
Minister for Finance Elisabeth Svantesson, Torbjörn Becker, Director of the Stockholm Institute of Transition Economics (SITE) at the Stockholm School of Economics, Vladimir Milov, Russian opposition politician and economist, and Emil Wannheden, analyst at the Swedish Defence Research Agency (FOI).
Photographer: Magnus Liljegren/Swedish Government Offices.
Minister for Finance Elisabeth Svantesson.
Photographer: Magnus Liljegren/Swedish Government Offices.
“Russia is spreading propaganda in an attempt to portray its economy as strong and resilient in order to give the impression that sanctions are ineffective and thereby undermine continuance of support to Ukraine. That’s why it’s important to nuance the view of the Russian economy and look beyond the official figures,” said Ms Svantesson.
The seminar was attended by Director of the Stockholm Institute of Transition Economics (SITE) Torbjörn Becker at the Stockholm School of Economics, who presented SITE’s report, done in response to the Government’s assignment to the National Institute of Economic Research. The report calls attention to one of the main challenges in analysing the Russian economy: the lack of reliable data because Russia’s economic reporting has become intertwined with its war propaganda. The Russian government has stopped publishing large parts of previously available data, and the figures that are available are being used to portray a more positive situation.
The report also highlights that the Russian government’s financial reserves, which have been used to finance war spending, are rapidly running out and may be exhausted within a year. Once these reserves are exhausted, the Russian Central Bank will then be under pressure to lower its policy rate or even to start printing more money, which could lead to high inflation and a weakened rouble.
“It is clear that the Russian economy is not working as well as Putin would have it appear. Resources are being drained to the war industry and the economy is overheated. There are obviously big question marks surrounding the official figures. We must continue to actively combat Putin’s propaganda. Wednesday’s discussion is an important part of these efforts,” said Ms Svantesson.
Russian opposition politician and economist Vladimir Milov and analyst and economist Emil Wannheden at the Swedish Defence Research Institute also attended the seminar.
Introduction by Minister for Finance Elisabeth Svantesson
Presentation by Torbjörn Becker
Comments by Vladimir Milov
Comments by Emil Wannheden
Questions
Closing statement by Minister for Finance Elisabeth Svantesson
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
Farmer Ben Hembrow blamed rain which he claimed had not been forecast. But his fields were saturated with slurry which began running down a road.
Slurry run off Huntham Farm in Stoke St Gregory into a lane.
Somerset farmer Ben Hembrow applied slurry to fields growing winter wheat and claimed that heavy rain, which he said had not been forecast, led to slurry running into surrounding ditches and road drains near his Stoke St Gregory farm.
This resulted in fines and costs to Hembrow and the farm totalling over £20,000.
Appearing before District Judge Brereton at Yeovil Magistrates Court on Wednesday 16 October 2024, Hembrow, 36, of Huntham Farm, Stoke St Gregory, Somerset admitted two charges relating to causing slurry pollution. The company, Huntham Farm Ltd, also admitted one charge of causing a polluting discharge.
Slurry put on fields ahead of rain
In a case brought by the Environment Agency, the court heard that an officer went to the farm on a wet Sunday in February 2022, following a report of slurry running down a road and into a surface water drain close to the farm in Stoke St Gregory.
The officer found fields saturated in slurry and observed slurry entering nearby watercourses and ditches. While investigating, Hembrow arrived on scene, visibly shaken. He attempted to reduce the impact by blocking a ditch and used sub soiling equipment to help break up the surface of the soil and prevent further run-off. Despite his actions the investigation later showed that over 1.5km of watercourse, as far as the confluence with the Sedgemoor Old Rhyne Site of Special Scientific Interest, had been impacted.
Weather app blamed for forecasting ‘just 1mm of rain’
During interview Hembrow claimed that the weather app he used had predicted only 1mm of rain the day after the slurry was applied. The agency’s investigation established that heavy rain had been forecast to fall on the Sunday throughout the week by numerous weather forecasters including the BBC and the app used by Hembrow. No checks on the physical condition of the soil had been made, no soil test pits to assess soil structure had been dug.
Hembrow claimed he was not in breach of regulations to prevent pollution due to measures he had taken before spreading and specifically stated that, given the weather forecast he had consulted, he did not believe the application of slurry gave rise to a risk of pollution.
A fine to reflect the slip in standards
Summing up, District Judge Brereton acknowledged Hembrow to be a hard-working farmer committed to modern technology and farming practices. However, she also concluded that the fine imposed should reflect that the standards of farming had fallen well below what is expected. She also referenced aggravating features, specifically that Hembrow had previously been prosecuted for offences in 2016 and 2021.
Hembrow, as an individual, was fined £525 for failing to plan the slurry applications. Huntham Farm Ltd was fined £8,000 for causing pollution and ordered to pay the agency’s full costs of £11,564.25.
‘Anything spread on the soil was likely to run off’
David Womack, senior environment officer for the Environment Agency, said:
This pollution event was avoidable but occurred because Mr Hembrow failed to carry out the most basic checks to assess if the land he was spreading slurry on was suitable.
Previous land management had led to the fields being compacted – anything spread on the soil was therefore likely to run off, even in moderate rainfall conditions. He wrongly assumed risk assessments for slurry application would be done by his agronomist – but it was his responsibility to do this just prior to the slurry being applied.
Additional weather checks would also have alerted Mr Hembrow that wet weather was very likely to occur immediately after he chose to apply slurry. Since 2018 there have been specific laws to ensure organic manure applications are planned and that they take into account weather forecasts and soil conditions.
Background
The charges:
Ben Hembrow:
On and before the 13 February 2022 you, Ben Hembrow, did cause an unpermitted water discharge activity, namely the discharge of poisonous, noxious or polluting matter from Huntham Farm, Stoke St Gregory, Somerset into inland fresh waters. Contrary to Regulations 12(1)(b) and Regulation 38(1)(a) of the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016.
On and before the 13 February 2022 you, Ben Hembrow, did fail to plan the application of organic matter, namely slurry, to agricultural land at Huntham Farm, Stoke St Gregory, Somerset so as to give rise to a significant risk of agricultural diffuse pollution. Contrary to Regulations 4(1)&4(2) and Regulation 11 of the Reduction and Prevention of Agricultural Diffuse Pollution (England) Regulations 2018.
The company:
On and before the 13 February 2022 you, Huntham Farm Ltd, did cause an unpermitted water discharge activity, namely the discharge of poisonous, noxious or polluting matter from Huntham Farm, Stoke St Gregory, Somerset into inland fresh waters. Contrary to Regulations 12(1)(b) and Regulation 38(1)(a) of the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016.
Recent hurricanes Helene and Milton that have struck the US resulted in widespread devastation, claiming hundreds of lives and causing huge property damages. Hurricane Helene, which struck Florida’s Big Bend region as a Category 4 storm on September 26, 2024, resulted in catastrophic flooding throughout Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Ohio. The parts of the US were battered again by Hurricane Milton on October 9, 2024. As a result, US insurers are expected to witness higher claims in 2024 across general insurance lines, which could significantly impact their profitability, according to GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.
As per the Office of Insurance Regulation, a total of 112,926 insurance claims for hurricane Helene have been filed as of October 9, 2024, with estimated insured losses amounting to $1.1 billion. Among these claims, 52,070 pertain to private passenger automobiles, followed closely by 50,672 residential property claims. Additional reported damages encompass commercial vehicles and commercial property losses.
Manogna Vangari, Insurance Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “Hurricane Milton was a formidable storm that resulted in a landfall to the south of Tampa Bay, near Siesta Key, leading to multiple tornadoes, particularly across South Florida. The hurricane Milton presents a considerable risk to the densely populated region of Florida that might result in even higher costs than those associated with Hurricane Helene. According to the White House briefing, the damage from Hurricane Milton is estimated to be more than $50 billion.”
Property insurance claims are expected to account for a 12.9% share of the total general insurance claims in 2024, amounting to $227.5 billion. However, with these events, the actual claims in 2024 might increase once the complete impact of both hurricanes is realized. As a result, the overall profitability of the general insurance industry in the US is expected to be significantly impacted, with the average combined ratio exceeding 100% in 2024.
According to GlobalData’s Global Insurance Database, the US general insurance industry is expected to grow at a CAGR of 7.1% over 2024–28, from $2.4 trillion in 2024 to $3.1 trillion in 2028, in terms of gross written premiums (GWP).
In the US, standard homeowners’ policies do not encompass flood coverage and must be acquired separately, often directly from the federal government. Flood insurance is mandated for homes situated in high-risk areas as determined by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), particularly if the mortgage is government-backed.
As per the Insurance Information Institute, nearly 6% of US homeowners possess flood insurance. In several counties across Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina that were recently inundated by the effects of Helene, less than 1% of households have flood insurance. Nearly two-thirds of these policies are provided through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) administered by FEMA, while the remaining are secured through private insurers.
The aftermath of hurricanes Helene and Milton has cast a spotlight on the significant deficiencies within the US flood insurance framework and the ensuing repercussions. As climate change intensifies the frequency and severity of flooding, the need for comprehensive flood risk management has become increasingly critical.
Vangari concludes: “The recent spate of natural disasters may result in higher-than-anticipated claims for US insurers and reinsurers in 2024 and 2025. The escalating incidence of such significant events is projected to drive the need for a comprehensive flood risk cover, which will support general insurance growth over the next five years.”
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, Oct. 22, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Bybit, the world’s second-largest cryptocurrency exchange by trading volume, in collaboration with Blocks Scholes, captures the pulse of underlying currents of BTC options in its latest crypto derivatives report. The in-depth report offers a comprehensive view of BTC’s implied price volatility beneath the recent price surge in BTC spot prices on the surface.
The findings suggest the positive movements in BTC spot places did not translate directly to the derivatives market, and short-term volatility lurks as investors are now holding out for the U.S. election results before acting on the current bullish trends. It also showed BTC’s dominance over ETH in traders’ positioning.
Key Insights:
Futures movements lag behind Perps: The modest increase in futures open interest has not matched the recent notable bullish movements of BTC spot prices, and the market has yet to see the levels prior to the option expiration in late Sep.
Perps ride the bull run: By contract, perpetual swap open interest has been on the rise reaching a new high in months. Spikes in trading activities and increased participation in perpetual contracts mirrored the optimism in the recent rally.
Election suspense in BTC Options Volatility: The relative stability of short-term options does not signal significant price chances for BTC in the near term, but tension tied to the uncertainty of the U.S. election could trigger movements post-result, which has shown a bigger effect on BTC volatility than the recent surge in spot prices.
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Source: United Kingdom UK House of Lords (video statements)
Members are set to debate the key purpose of the Apprenticeships and Technical Education (Transfer of Functions etc) Bill on Tuesday 22 October. The aim of the bill is to abolish the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IfATE) and transfer its statutory functions to the Secretary of State for Education, who in practice will defer these duties to the newly established Skills England.
Coventry City Council has increased fly-tipping fixed penalty notices (FPNs) to £1000 to further support its efforts to tackle fly-tipping in the city.
Until now it was £200 for fly-tipping / duty of care and £100 for littering.
Councillors are hoping that the new £1,000 FPN for fly-tipping acts as even more of a deterrent.
The fines serve as a clear warning that illegal waste disposal will not be tolerated, and offenders will face serious consequences.
Cllr Abdul Salam Khan, Deputy Council Leader, said: “Residents and councillors have been calling for an increase in the FPNs and we’ll monitor the impact this has.
“There are neighbourhoods in the city where there is a higher amount of fly-tipping incidents, and that’s why we are also publishing our Wall of Shame video coverage of the perpetrators. We are making people aware that they will be caught.
“Anyone who witnesses fly-tipping can report it anonymously and we also have officers who are out and about in hotspots.
“We investigate, take action and we use all legal options available to us wherever we find fly-tipping. We are really determined to help improve neighbourhoods.”
The latest Wall of Shame video, published on Coventry City Council’s social media channels today (22 October) shows more fly-tippers flouting the law, in this latest footage leaving pushchairs and binbags on street corners in the city.
The cameras are located at hotspots in the city to help to crackdown on the problem.
Over the last twelve months alone the Council has had to deal with almost 6000 (5883) instances of fly-tipping.
Officers do regular checks across the city and deal with fly tipped materials on our land straight away. They also routinely serve notices on tenants, landlords and landowners to clear their land and make repairs on their properties.
Over the last year they’ve served over 900 notices, and issued 250 fixed penalties for waste related offences. The Council is hoping the much higher fines of £1000 will act as even more of a deterrent.
Source: Republic of South Africa (video statements-2)
The Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA), Mr Velenkosini Hlabisa will launch the National Strategic Hub, a groundbreaking initiative aimed at transforming local government through data-driven decision-making. This innovative platform will serve as a catalyst for improving service delivery and operational efficiency across all municipalities in South Africa.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
Visa application centre provider changing to VSFGlobal, offering faster service for customers.
Ghanaians applying for visas to enter the UK will need to use a new visa application centre (VAC) from 22 October 2024.
The UK’s third-party VAC supplier in Ghana is changing to VFSGlobal on this date. This means people in Ghana will need to complete their applications with VFSGlobal, even if they have begun the process with previous supplier, TLScontact.
You will be contacted by email if this change affects you. However, there is no need for concern as it will not affect visa application decisions, processing times or prices.
This change will improve our service, including on average shorter biometric and application submission times in the VAC.
The UK’s global network of VACs is managed by third party suppliers on behalf of UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI).
Marc Owen, UKVI Director for Visa, Status and Information Services, said: “The opening of our new VAC in Ghana marks an exciting milestone in the provision of a world-class UK visa operation, one which will provide important digital innovations and convenience to customers around the world.”
The new location for the Ghanaian VAC is Mezzanine Floor, Grand Oyeeman Building, South Liberation Link, Accra.
Source: United Kingdom UK House of Lords (video statements)
In this highlight from the chamber, members pressed the government on its plans to tackle issues such as AI manipulated images in journalism, copyright, and facial recognition. Watch for more.
HONOLULU – United States Attorney Clare E. Connors announced that Gabriel Antone Eberhardt, 42, of Detroit, Michigan, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Jill A. Otake to 30 years in federal prison—including 12 years for conspiring to distribute fentanyl, heroin, and methamphetamine and a consecutive 18 years for discharging a firearm in connection with the distribution of heroin—as well as 5 years of supervised release. The court also ordered that Eberhardt forfeit his interests in $250,000 in drug proceeds, multiple firearms, hundreds of rounds of ammunition, and a vehicle. Additional firearms and ammunition were administratively forfeited by the government.
According to court records, from October 2019 to June 30, 2021, Eberhardt, a/k/a “Stacks,” co-led a drug trafficking organization (DTO) in Honolulu that distributed large amounts of fentanyl, heroin, and methamphetamine. Eberhardt’s DTO obtained the drugs from suppliers in Philadelphia and Los Angeles, who mailed the drugs to Honolulu. The DTO distributed the fentanyl—a potent synthetic opioid 50 times stronger than heroin—in mixtures with heroin and in counterfeit oxycodone tablets. In connection with a heroin distribution on October 21, 2019, Eberhardt admitted he fired several shots from a semi-automatic pistol at a person accompanying his drug customer. One of the rounds struck the victim’s torso, requiring medical attention. The victim survived the shooting.
During an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), and the Honolulu Police Department (HPD), agents made dozens of controlled purchases of fentanyl, heroin, and methamphetamine from the conspirators, and executed 15 search warrants on residences, rental storage units, and parcels. As a result of the controlled purchases and warrants, law enforcement agents seized 6.5 kilograms of fentanyl, 6.4 kilograms of heroin, 2.8 kilograms of methamphetamine, seven firearms, including assault rifles and semi-automatic pistols, hundreds of rounds of ammunition, a vehicle, and more than $250,000 in cash drug proceeds.
In addition to Eberhardt, the following conspirators were prosecuted in the District of Hawaii:
Jared Northern, a/k/a “White Boy Jay,” a/k/a “Gage,” 25, of Honolulu, pled guilty to conspiracy and two counts of distribution of controlled substances, and on May 15, 2024, was sentenced to 120 months in federal prison and five years of supervised release;
Zakiyyah Mareus, a/k/a “Kai,” 27, of Miami Gardens, Florida, pled guilty to conspiracy, and on August 8, 2024, was sentenced to 37 months in federal prison and three years of supervised release;
Isaiah Marks, a/k/a “Seh,” 25, of Honolulu, pled guilty to conspiracy and two counts of distribution of controlled substances, and on January 18, 2023, was sentenced to 24 months in federal prison and four years of supervised release;
Tishanah Iwalani Kaio-Barrozo, 33, of Honolulu, pled guilty to distribution of controlled substances, and on June 7, 2022, was sentenced to nine months in federal prison and three years of supervised release;
Michael Garrett, a/k/a “Sideburns,” a/k/a “Burns,” 41, of Romulus, Michigan, pled guilty to conspiracy, and on March 28, 2024, was sentenced to three months in federal prison and five years of supervised release;
Jennifer Ashcraft, a/k/a “Jessie,” a/k/a “Jess,” 33, of Honolulu, pled guilty to conspiracy and is scheduled for sentencing on November 22, 2024;
Martzes Junior, a/k/a “Green,” 43, of Southfield, Michigan, pled guilty to conspiracy and possession of a firearm in connection with a drug trafficking crime and is scheduled for sentencing on November 26, 2024;
Lynden David Lightburn, a/k/a “Soulja,” 51, of Los Angeles, pled guilty to conspiracy and is scheduled for sentencing on December 6, 2024;
Jason Darnell Smith, a/k/a “Famous,” a/k/a “Sweets,” 41, of Detroit, Michigan, pled guilty to conspiracy and is scheduled for sentencing on December 9, 2024; and
Robert Adams, a/k/a “Tre,” a/k/a “Tre Block,” a/k/a “Block,” a/k/a “TBlock,” a/k/a “Ray Smith,” 37, of Philadelphia, pled guilty to conspiracy and is scheduled for sentencing on February 26, 2025.
“Increasingly, the influx of illegal, deadly narcotics through transnational distribution operations is accompanied by gun violence, which has exponentially harmful consequences for our community,” said United States Attorney Clare E. Connors. “This large-scale prosecution reflects the highest level of cooperation among multiple federal and local law enforcement entities, and today’s sentence affirms that there will be accountability for those who profit from causing such harm in our state.”
“Today’s sentencing represents years of collaboration between multiple law enforcement agencies to bring down one of Hawaii’s most dangerous drug operations,” said FBI Honolulu Special Agent in Charge Steven Merrill. “This case serves as a warning that we will use every resource available to make our communities safer by dismantling their operations and bringing their members to justice.”
“Gabriel Eberhardt, a leader of a greed-driven drug trafficking organization, will be off our streets and behind bars for a very long time,” said DEA Los Angeles Field Division Deputy Special Agent in Charge Anthony Chrysanthis. “I want to thank DEA investigators and all state and local law enforcement partners, who worked tirelessly and with urgency to bring these criminals to justice. However, our job here is not complete. We will continue to investigate, pursue and take apart these operations.”
“Mr. Eberhardt’s egregious actions were exacerbated by his using a firearm to shoot a person in furtherance of his drug trafficking,” said ATF Seattle Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Blais. “When search warrants were executed for this operation, seven firearms were recovered, including semiautomatic rifles and handguns, which further shows the dangers to the community posed by Mr. Eberhardt and his co-conspirators. This significant sentence was clearly warranted.”
“Sending illegal drugs in the mail harms our communities and endangers postal workers, said USPIS Inspector in Charge Stephen Sherwood. “Postal inspectors will not allow the U.S. Mail to be misused to facilitate drug trafficking activities. I want to express my gratitude to our law enforcement partners for their teamwork to disrupt and dismantle this dangerous drug trafficking organization.”
“The success of this investigation is directly attributable to multi-agency cooperation and the shared commitment to making Honolulu safer for our residents and visitors,” said HPD Chief Arthur “Joe” Logan. “The Honolulu Police Department will continue to work closely with our Federal partners to identify, disrupt, and dismantle drug trafficking organizations operating across Oahu.”
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The case was investigated by FBI, DEA, ATF, USPIS, and HPD. Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig S. Nolan is prosecuting the case.
Memphis, TN – Christopher C. Brown, 47, of Cordova, Tennessee, was sentenced to 27 months in federal prison and ordered to pay $5,214,302.00 in restitution after his conviction related to a multi-year scheme to defraud four insurance companies. Reagan Fondren, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, announced the sentence today.
While operating a music recording business on Monroe Avenue in Memphis, Brown made claims to Main Street Assurance Company for alleged losses of over $340,000 due to water damage and a purported burglary at the business location. Main Street paid Brown’s claims. Brown then obtained insurance coverage for the same business location from Markel Corporation. Brown made a claim to Markel for $2,840,000 for alleged fire damage to the location, and the claim was honored.
Brown then formed a limited liability corporation named Tattooed Millionaire Entertainment (TME). This action allowed Brown to apply for insurance coverage without disclosing his previous insurance claims. Through TME, Brown purchased a second Memphis property at Rayner Street which had previously housed a well-known recording studio known as the House of Blues. Brown obtained insurance coverage for the Rayner property and music recording business from Hanover American Insurance Company. Brown later filed a claim with Hanover for purported damages from an arson fire that damaged the Rayner property, and Hanover paid him $2,200,000 on that claim.
During this time, Brown also obtained vehicle insurance from Progressive Insurance on a 1985 diesel bus. He later filed a claim with Progressive alleging that the bus had been stolen. Progressive paid Brown $109,580 in settlement of that claim.
In Brown’s claims with the four victim insurance companies, Brown made false statements and representations. This included the submission of fake or altered documents to the companies.
In September 2023, Brown pled guilty to mail fraud. On October 17, 2024, United States District Court Judge Samuel H. Mays sentenced Brown to 27 months of incarceration followed by 2 years of supervised release and ordered him to pay $5,214,302.00 in restitution. There is no parole in the federal system.
Acting U.S. Attorney Fondren said, “Insurance fraud schemes like this cheat honest companies and their policyholders. These schemes also raise the cost of insurance for everyone and make it harder for people to obtain needed insurance in the first place. Whenever fraud like this occurs in the Western District of Tennessee, this office will be prepared to hold offenders accountable for such crimes of dishonesty.”
Inspector in Charge Tommy D. Coke, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Atlanta Division, said, “This defendant misused the U.S. Mail to defraud four insurance companies of millions of dollars. I believe this sentence will send a message that this type of crime is serious and let criminals know that our agency will continue to hold them accountable for their actions.”
This case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office.
Acting U.S. Attorney Fondren thanked Assistant United States Attorneys David Pritchard and Tony Arvin who prosecuted this case on the government’s behalf, as well as the law enforcement partners who investigated this case.
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For more information, please contact the media relations team atUSATNW.Media@usdoj.gov. Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Officeon Facebookoron Xat @WDTNNews for office news and updates.
LOS ANGELES – A San Fernando Valley man who admitted in court documents to causing one fatal fentanyl overdose was sentenced today to 248 months in federal prison for using darknet marketplaces to sell hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of fentanyl-laced pills and cocaine to buyers nationwide.
Brian McDonald, 23, of Van Nuys, whose aliases include “Malachai Johnson,” “SouthSideOxy,” and “JefeDeMichoacan,” was sentenced by United States District Judge Michael W. Fitzgerald.
McDonald pleaded guilty on July 17 to one count of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and cocaine, and one count of possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. He has been in federal custody since May 2023.
“This defendant led a drug-trafficking operation that used the dark corners of the internet to ship large quantities of fentanyl-laced pills – with deadly consequences,” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada. “My office will continue using every tool under federal law to prosecute and imprison criminals who prioritize greed over human life.”
From at least April 2021 until May 2023, McDonald and others conspired to sell fentanyl and cocaine via darknet marketplaces such as “White House Market,” “ToRReZ” and “AlphaBay.” McDonald, using aliases, created vendor profiles on these marketplaces to sell illegal drugs in exchange for cryptocurrency.
McDonald created, monitored, and maintained the darknet vendor profiles, including by updating drug listings and shipment options, tracking drug orders received online, and offloading Monero cryptocurrency received as drug deal payments into cryptocurrency wallets that McDonald controlled.
McDonald recruited and hired accomplices to help with packaging and shipping the narcotics that they sold on the darknet. McDonald directed other co-conspirators on how to package and ship the narcotics, and he assisted them in the packaging and shipping. Specifically, McDonald purchased bulk quantities of fentanyl and cocaine, and then directed the activities of other co-conspirators to help sell these drugs on the dark web.
Among other activities, McDonald directed co-conspirators in receiving and tracking orders placed for fentanyl and cocaine on his dark web vendor profiles, packaging drug orders, and shipping drug orders to customers though the United States Postal Service. Over the course of the conspiracy, McDonald knowingly oversaw and carried out hundreds of drug sales involving the distribution of large quantities of both fentanyl and cocaine, including hundreds of thousands of fentanyl-laced pills that collectively contained more than 12 kilograms of fentanyl.
As part of the conspiracy, McDonald distributed fentanyl-laced pills to victim Z.S., who ingested a fentanyl-laced pill sold to Z.S. by McDonald, which in turn resulted in Z.S.’s death.
McDonald also possessed firearms, specifically two gold-plated handguns – one without a serial number – to protect his drug trafficking business and the proceeds of drug sales made on darknet marketplaces.
Ciara Clutario, 23, of Burbank, has pleaded guilty to a federal criminal charge in this case and is scheduled to be sentenced on January 13, 2025.
The FBI and the Drug Enforcement Administration investigated this matter as part of JCODE. The Justice Department established the FBI-led JCODE team to lead and coordinate government efforts to detect, disrupt, and dismantle major criminal enterprises reliant on the darknet for trafficking opioids and other illicit narcotics, along with identifying and dismantling their supply chains.
Assistant United States Attorney Declan T. Conroy of the International Narcotics, Money Laundering, and Racketeering Section prosecuted this case.
WASHINGTON – Antone Watkins, 29, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 10 years in prison for armed robbery and other firearm-related offenses, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.
Watkins was found guilty by a Superior Court jury on July 3, 2024.
Superior Court Judge Robert Salerno sentenced Watkins to 120 months in prison for armed robbery, 120 months for each of the two counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, 78 months for assault with a dangerous weapon, and 36 months for unauthorized use of a vehicle. Each sentence will run concurrent to each other. In addition, Judge Salerno imposed that Watkins serve five years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, at around 10:47 p.m., on June 17, 2022, the victim was led into an alley near Howison Place and N Street SW. In that alley, Watkins brandished a firearm and hit the victim across the face with it, chipping his tooth. Watkins and two others then robbed the victim of his cash, chains, watch, and car keys. Video footage showed Watkins running from the alley, getting into the victim’s truck, and driving off. Further video footage showed Watkins only a few minutes later rummaging through the victim’s belongings in the truck. Police arrested Watkins on September 15, 2022, and he has been detained since.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. Invaluable assistance was provided by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and U.S. Probation Office from early in the case and through the trial. They also commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mark Levy and Gregory Evans, who prosecuted the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Tamara Rubb, who investigated the case.
