Latest news with #Liberia
Zawya
4 hours ago
- Politics
- Zawya
President John Dramani Mahama Partakes in the 178th Independence Day Celebrations in Monrovia
President John Dramani Mahama, on Saturday, joined President Joseph Nyuma Boakai and the people of Liberia to celebrate their 178th Independence Day celebration in Monrovia. The event held at the Centennial Memorial Pavilion in Monrovia, Montserrado County, was attended by heads of states from the subregion including the Presidents of Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Guinea Bissau. There were also representatives of the governments of Cote D'Ivoire, Nigeria, and Gambia. Liberia used the occasion to recognise ECOWAS member states that contributed troops to the multinational peacekeeping force, ECOMOG, which played a key role in ending the civil war as well as securing humanitarian corridors during the Liberian war. President Mahama received Ghana's honour from the Liberian President on behalf of the Ghana Armed Forces and the people of Ghana for the contribution of its gallant soldiers. President Boakai in a spirit of national reconciliation said Liberia must heal itself, unite for a common purpose and inspire all for a faster development of the country. He called on all his citizens to leverage on technology to transform Liberia. The celebration as on the theme 'One people, one destiny, healing the past and building the future the ceremony reflected on the past, need for stock taking, reconciliation, a united national identity to rebuild a peaceful Liberia, endowed with rich natural resources'. The President was accompanied by the Minister for Defence, Dr Edward Omane Boamah, the Chief of Defence Staff of the Ghana Armed Forces, Lt. General William Agyapong and Deputy Chief of Staff, Operations, Stanislav Xoese Dogbe. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Embassy of Ghana in Liberia.
Yahoo
12 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Houthis parade kidnapped crew of ETERNITY C, won't back down from threats
The main message of the Houthi video is that they are not deterred. Israel has carried out several rounds of attacks on the Houthis, but this has apparently not stopped the attacks. The Iranian-backed Houthis released a video on July 28 showing ten members of the crew of a ship they sunk. They kidnapped the crew after sinking the ETERNITY C in the Red Sea. The ETERNITY C was a Liberian-flagged bulk carrier. It was one of two ships the Houthis attacked in early July. This came after many months where the Houthis had stopped attacking ships. The US had carried out airstrikes on the Houthis in mid-March but then chose to end the attacks in April. The Houthis have claimed they are attacking ships that are linked to Israel. The Houthis' decision to kidnap the crew of the ship is a new phenomenon. The last time the kidnapped crew was the crew of the Galaxy Leader, a ship they hijacked and towed to Yemen in November 2023. Usually the Houthi model was to attack and harass ships but not try to kidnap the crew. The ETERNITY C was attacked and it does not seem other navies rendered aid. Instead the Houthis showed they control the Red Sea. It is not clear if the US, UK or other navies will stop the Houthi attacks. Recently a ship transferring arms to the Houthis was interdicted, illustrating that some countries appear to be working with the Yemen government to stymie the Houthis. The Houthis are technically a rebel group that controls a third of Yemen, primarily mountain areas. The website Safety4Sea noted regarding the video, that 'the ten individuals are among the twelve crew members who were initially reported missing or believed to be held hostage by the Houthis.' The Houthis paraded the captured crew and appear to have had them say that the Houthis 'saved' them. 'The video shows the crew being rescued from the sea at night, along with the footage of them currently in Houthi custody. The crew members are seen stating that they were unaware of the Houthi-imposed maritime ban on sailing to Israeli ports. One sailor is seen making a phone call home, while others are shown giving statements.' The Houthis are clearly trying to show they are. not deterred and will continue attacks in the Red Sea. They have threatened to escalate the attacks. They claim to be backing Gaza and supporting Palestinians. They began attacks soon after the Hamas attack on October 7. Safety4Sea noted that 'four Filipino crew members are believed to have died in the attack and the appearance of only ten men in the video raises questions about the fate of the eleventh crew member the Houthis claim to have rescued.' The Houthis claimed that the ship was heading for Eilat The Houthis claimed in the video that the ship was heading for Eilat, which the Houthis call 'Umm al-Rashrash in occupied Palestine.' The Houthis claimed that 'recordings of the ship's crew confirmed its violation of the maritime navigation ban on the ports of occupied Palestine, affirming that Umm al-Rashrash port was the ship's destination from Berbera port in Somalia, and that Jeddah port in Saudi Arabia was a destination for deception and resupply purposes.' The Houthis noted that they are calling on 'all ship-owning and operating companies, the maritime community, and the public not to deal with the Zionist entity, regardless of the offers, to ensure the safety of their ships and crews.' The Houthis also called on ships to keep their Automatic identification system (AIS) working as they transit the area. This enables trips to be tracked via a receiver. This would seem to make it easier for Houthis to find and locate ships. The main message of the Houthi video is that they are not deterred. Israel has carried out several rounds of attacks on the Houthis, but this has apparently not stopped the attacks. The Houthis also continue to launch ballistic missiles at Israel. It is not clear what the never level of escalation by the Houthis may consist of.
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
UK-listed mining firm starts buying up bitcoin - here's why
Hamak Gold has become the third UK-listed miner to start buying bitcoin, spending nearly £1.8million on the cryptocurrency. A number of bitcoin treasury companies (BTCs) have quickly emerged on the London Stock Exchange , with firms listing or overhauling their entire business in order to focus on the new strategy. BTCs accumulate more and more bitcoin, attracting waves of investors looking for exposure to a 'bitcoin yield', which is a return denominated not in fiat currencies like sterling but in units of the cryptocurrency. The trend, pioneered by US-based MicroStrategy, has led to these London-listed firms racking up enormous share price gains over the last couple of months. But small, listed gold miners are now getting in on the action. Hamak told investors on Wednesday it had bought 20 bitcoin at an average price of £88,569 each, marking its 'first foray into digital asset investment'. The firm, which is otherwise focused on a Liberian gold mine, said the move 'reflects a proactive approach to value creation and balance sheet optimisation'. Hamak launched the strategy earlier this year after a leadership shake-up, with the promise of offering investors 'exposure to both gold and bitcoin under a single, transparent structure'. More recently it saw shares soar after appointing well-known US economist Dr Arthur B. Laffer a founding member of its advisory board. Laffer said in a comment on Wednesday: 'I am extremely excited by the direction Hamak Gold is heading, and I'm proud to have been invited to join the company's first-rate team and to be actively involved in helping facilitate Hamak's growth in any way that I can.' It follows similar moves from Zinc miner Panther Metals , which is investing up to £4million in bitcoin as collateral to fund mining acquisitions, and Bluebird Mining Ventures. Victoria Scholar, head of investments at Interactive Investor, highlighted 'gloomy' financial results posted by all three firms. She said: 'Panther Metals and Hamak both reported full-year losses in April while just this week Bluebird Mining announced a first half loss of $2.6million, a sharp increase year-on-year. 'It looks like the companies have decided to take a gamble on the burgeoning cryptocurrency as they haven't got much to lose. 'All three, as you would expect of small mining companies, are losing money. 'Raising fresh capital is essential so perhaps a sexy bitcoin strategy makes it easier to raise cash. And investors appear to be enjoying the bitcoin strategy, as shares in these companies have been performing much better lately.' What does it mean for investors? Bluebird has seen its share price soar nearly 400 per cent since it launched the strategy, reviving the business after struggling with financial losses, while Panther says it is 'redefining what a modern resource company can be'. Hamak shares soared 13.6 per cent to 6.7p by midday on Wednesday having added nearly 980 per cent since the start of the year. The company listed in March 2022 and has never generated revenues, as it is still at the exploration stage. Stockopedia's Stock Rank gives Hamak a 19/100 score overall, with a 14 for quality and just an 8 for value. Dan Coatsworth, investment analyst at AJ Bell, says BTCs argue owning bitcoin is a way to 'preserve value and mitigate against inflation and geopolitical risks'. However, he warns, 'investors need to take care in these situations'. Coatsworth said: 'The reality is that many small cap companies are typically cash-poor, constantly raising new funds on the market to keep the lights on. 'They rarely have cash lying around for a rainy day and anything in the bank is needed to support the business. 'Prices can often move fast – both up and down – and valuations have moved out of kilter with the underlying fundamentals of the company.' Sign of the top for bitcoin? Crypto expert Glen Goodman told This is Money earlier in July he has an 'early inkling' that the emergence of bitcoin treasury companies 'may be a sign of the top' for the cryptocurrency's recent run. Bitcoin is up by around 25 per cent since the start of the year at $117,619.10, having hit yet another all-time high of $122,979.87 earlier this month. Goodman said: 'Because it's been successful for those companies. More companies are jumping on the band wagon 'As their shares go up they issue more equity, so they dilute the share price of the existing shares, to buy more bitcoin for their treasury. 'And then that bitcoin attracts new investors who push the share price higher – and then they issue more equity. 'You can see where this is heading.'
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
Another UK-listed mining firm starts buying up bitcoin - here's why
Hamak Gold has become the third UK-listed miner to start buying bitcoin, spending nearly £1.8million on the cryptocurrency. A number of bitcoin treasury companies (BTCs) have quickly emerged on the London Stock Exchange, with firms listing or overhauling their entire business in order to focus on the new strategy. BTCs accumulate more and more bitcoin, attracting waves of investors looking for exposure to a 'bitcoin yield', which is a return denominated not in fiat currencies like sterling but in units of the cryptocurrency. The trend, pioneered by US-based MicroStrategy, has led to these London-listed firms racking up enormous share price gains over the last couple of months. But small, listed gold miners are now getting in on the action. Hamak told investors on Wednesday it had bought 20 bitcoin at an average price of £88,569 each, marking its 'first foray into digital asset investment'. The firm, which is otherwise focused on a Liberian gold mine, said the move 'reflects a proactive approach to value creation and balance sheet optimisation'. Hamak launched the strategy earlier this year after a leadership shake-up, with the promise of offering investors 'exposure to both gold and bitcoin under a single, transparent structure'. More recently it saw shares soar after appointing well-known US economist Dr Arthur B. Laffer a founding member of its advisory board. Laffer said in a comment on Wednesday: 'I am extremely excited by the direction Hamak Gold is heading, and I'm proud to have been invited to join the company's first-rate team and to be actively involved in helping facilitate Hamak's growth in any way that I can.' It follows similar moves from Zinc miner Panther Metals, which is investing up to £4million in bitcoin as collateral to fund mining acquisitions, and Bluebird Mining Ventures. Victoria Scholar, head of investments at Interactive Investor, highlighted 'gloomy' financial results posted by all three firms. She said: 'Panther Metals and Hamak both reported full-year losses in April while just this week Bluebird Mining announced a first half loss of $2.6million, a sharp increase year-on-year. 'It looks like the companies have decided to take a gamble on the burgeoning cryptocurrency as they haven't got much to lose. 'All three, as you would expect of small mining companies, are losing money. 'Raising fresh capital is essential so perhaps a sexy bitcoin strategy makes it easier to raise cash. And investors appear to be enjoying the bitcoin strategy, as shares in these companies have been performing much better lately.' What does it mean for investors? Bluebird has seen its share price soar nearly 400 per cent since it launched the strategy, reviving the business after struggling with financial losses, while Panther says it is 'redefining what a modern resource company can be'. Hamak shares soared 13.6 per cent to 6.7p by midday on Wednesday having added nearly 980 per cent since the start of the year. The company listed in March 2022 and has never generated revenues, as it is still at the exploration stage. Stockopedia's Stock Rank gives Hamak a 19/100 score overall, with a 14 for quality and just an 8 for value. Dan Coatsworth, investment analyst at AJ Bell, says BTCs argue owning bitcoin is a way to 'preserve value and mitigate against inflation and geopolitical risks'. However, he warns, 'investors need to take care in these situations'. Coatsworth said: 'The reality is that many small cap companies are typically cash-poor, constantly raising new funds on the market to keep the lights on. 'They rarely have cash lying around for a rainy day and anything in the bank is needed to support the business. 'Prices can often move fast – both up and down – and valuations have moved out of kilter with the underlying fundamentals of the company.' Sign of the top for bitcoin? Crypto expert Glen Goodman told This is Money earlier in July he has an 'early inkling' that the emergence of bitcoin treasury companies 'may be a sign of the top' for the cryptocurrency's recent run. Bitcoin is up by around 25 per cent since the start of the year at $117,619.10, having hit yet another all-time high of $122,979.87 earlier this month. Goodman said: 'Because it's been successful for those companies. More companies are jumping on the band wagon 'As their shares go up they issue more equity, so they dilute the share price of the existing shares, to buy more bitcoin for their treasury. 'And then that bitcoin attracts new investors who push the share price higher – and then they issue more equity. 'You can see where this is heading.'
Zawya
a day ago
- Politics
- Zawya
Liberia honors the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and Economic Community of West African States Monitoring Group (ECOMOG) at 178th independence celebrations
Liberia's 178th Independence Day celebration on the 26th of June 2025 served as a powerful tribute to regional unity and peacebuilding, with a spotlight on the enduring role of ECOWAS and ECOMOG in Liberia's journey through civil conflict and reconciliation. The ceremony welcomed high-level dignitaries from across West Africa, including the Presidents of Guinea-Bissau, Ghana, Senegal, and Sierra Leone, along with senior officials from Nigeria and Côte d'Ivoire, symbolizing Liberia's strong ties within the sub-region. In recognition of ECOWAS at 50, Liberia honored contributing member states of ECOMOG – Benin, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Nigeria, Senegal, and Sierra Leone with awards presented by H.E. Joseph Nyuma Boakai, President of Liberia. Special honors were also given to past Executive Secretaries of ECOWAS who played pivotal roles during Liberia's crisis, including H.E. Lansana Kouyate, H.E. Dr. Abass Chernor Bundu, and H.E. Dr. Mohammed Ibn Chambas. President Maada Bio, serving as Chair of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State, led the presentation of awards to H.E. Dr. Omar Alieu TOURAY and H.E. Jean-Claude Kassi Brou, and other key figures recognized for their commitment to regional peace and stability. H.E. Josephine Nkrumah, Resident Representative of ECOWAS in Liberia received the award on behalf of the President of the ECOWAS Commission. Liberia's Foreign Minister highlighted the vital impact of ECOMOG peacekeepers, whose sacrifices laid the foundation for lasting peace prior to the deployment of UNMIL. President Boakai also announced plans to commission a National Memorial dedicated to victims of Liberia's civil wars and fallen ECOWAS peacekeepers, reinforcing the government's commitment to remembrance, reconciliation, and regional solidarity. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
