NonePolice in Georgia on Saturday fired tear gas and water cannon to disperse pro-EU protesters rallying for a ninth consecutive day against the prime minister's decision to shelve talks on joining the bloc. The Caucasus nation has been engulfed in turmoil since the governing Georgian Dream party declared that it had won a disputed October 26 election. The party's critics have accused it of creeping authoritarianism and of steering the country back towards Russia. Thousands of defiant pro-EU protesters in Georgia rallied Friday after the prime minister claimed victory in a "battle" against the opposition. Tens of thousands have taken to the streets since the election to protest against alleged electoral fraud. Fresh rallies took place across the country after Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze announced last week that Georgia would not hold talks on European Union membership until 2028. Police have fired tear gas and water cannon against pro-EU protests in Tbilisi and hundreds of arrests have been made, triggering outrage at home and mounting international condemnation. France, Germany and Poland condemned what they called the government's "disproportionate" use of force against protesters and opposition leaders in a joint statement Friday. On Saturday, riot police moved in with water cannon to disperse the rally outside the parliament building, making arrests as the crowd retreated a few metres (yards), an AFP reporter witnessed. Tear gas was later deployed and groups of protesters reportedly spread across the city, blocking traffic along the capital's key thoroughfare. Georgia's rights ombudsman, Levan Ioseliani, said police "had no legal grounds for the dispersal of peaceful rally." He called on the interior ministry "to immediately halt the dispersal of the protest, cease the detention of participants, and refrain from using special measures, ensuring that protesters can continue their demonstration peacefully." Thousands blocked the street outside parliament on Friday, with some blowing whistles and others setting off firecrackers. "People will continue the protest," said one demonstrator, 23-year-old Giorgi, wearing a Georgian flag and a back scarf pulled over his nose. "They're patient, I will be here for the rest of my life if it is necessary to save my country." Separate protests were held outside Georgia's public broadcaster -- accused of being a government propaganda tool -- as well as the education ministry and the country's tourism administration offices. Thousands have also staged anti-government rallies in the second city of Batumi on the Black Sea coast. On Friday, a court in Tbilisi put a 19-year-old youth activist in pre-trial detention on charges of "organising, leading, and participating in group violence". Zviad Tsetskhladze told the judge "the rule of law has been crushed. "Our actions are a form of resistance, aimed at preserving the rule of law, defending democracy, and protecting the rights of every individual." The prime minister on Friday praised his security forces for "successfully neutralising the protesters' capacity for violence". "We have won an important battle against liberal fascism in our country," he told a news conference, using language reminiscent of how the Kremlin in Russia targets its political opponents. "But the fight is not over. Liberal fascism in Georgia must be defeated entirely," Kobakhidze said. With both sides ruling out a compromise, there appeared to be no clear route out of the crisis. The leader of the opposition Lelo party, Mamuka Khazaradze, said the government "has resorted to arresting young activists and political opponents out of fear of relentless public protests and growing civil disobedience by public servants." Masked officers have raided several opposition party offices and arrested opposition leaders earlier this week, while around 300 people have been detained at rallies. On Friday Nika Gvaramia, leader of the opposition Akhali party, was sentenced to 12 days in prison. Alexandre Elisashvili, leader of the Strong Georgia opposition group, was remanded in custody for two months of pretrial detention. More trouble is expected after December 14, when Georgian Dream lawmakers elect a loyalist to succeed pro-Western President Salome Zurabishvili. She has vowed not to step down until the parliamentary polls are re-run. Local media has also reported protests across the country, including in the cities of Batumi, Kutaisi, Zugdidi, Rustavi and Telavi. Critics of Georgian Dream are enraged by what they call its betrayal of Tbilisi's bid for EU membership, enshrined in the constitution and supported by around 80 percent of the population. Several ambassadors, a deputy foreign minister, and other officials have resigned over the suspension of EU talks. Georgian Dream, in power for more than a decade, has advanced controversial legislation in recent years, targeting civil society and independent media and curbing LGBTQ rights. Brussels warned such policies were incompatible with EU membership, while domestic critics accuse the government of copying Russia's playbook. Rights ombudsman Ioseliani has accused the police of "torture" against those arrested. ub-im/rsc
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The Kano State Government has unveiled a five-year multi-sectoral investment strategic plan toward wooing local and foreign investors into the state. The objective, according to a statement on Sunday issued by the governor’s spokesman, Sanusi Bature, is to woo investors to invest heavily in key economic sectors toward boosting the state’s economy and provide revenue for the government to facilitate the execution of developmental projects. The Director-General of Kano State Investment Promotion Agency (Kan-Invest), Muhammad Naziru Halliru, made the disclosure while addressing newsmen in Kano. According to Halliru, the plans are to invite investors to invest in the areas of energy, agriculture, health, education, transportation, and other areas of the economy. He said that with the approval of the state governor, Abba Yusuf, there would be an elaborate ceremony to unveil the plans, which would create an enabling business environment for investments to thrive in the state, which is the commercial nerve centre of Northern Nigeria. He also disclosed that the agency, under the leadership of Yusuf, would unveil an enlightenment campaign for local investors to invest in the state. “This is very important because, in Kano state alone, we can have an individual that would invest in power that the whole state could depend on. “We have wealthy people in Kano that could invest heavily in many areas of the economy. Sometimes, we may only need foreign investors for advanced technology. “The reason why we do not see them is that the immediate past government did not provide an enabling environment for the investments. The legal framework to project their investments was unavailable. They did not see the government giving them necessary attention and providing an enabling business environment for them to invest; that is why they are reluctant to invest,” he said. Related News Govt votes N350m to upgrade five Kano cattle markets Wudil cattle market hits N50bn weekly transactions– Official Kano uncovers roots of thuggery, brings rival groups together for peace Halliru restated the commitment of the agency to create awareness for local investors to see areas to invest in, “beyond building plazas and corner shops.” He said the state government, through the agency, is working assiduously to provide enabling business environments in accordance with global standards, adding that the plans would be launched in a few months’ time. The DG also disclosed that the governor’s investment agenda is yielding fruits, adding that several investment proposals from companies to invest in Kano are underway. According to him, the majority of them had submitted proposals to invest in solar energy, disclosing that some had even proposed over $500 million in investment. He added that discussions are also ongoing with some foreign investors from the United Kingdom, China, the United States, and India, among others to come to Kano. “Some of them told us that they attempted to invest in Kano during the immediate past government, but there were no incentives for their investments. “But the current administration has provided the enabling environment for investments. Not only those who have indicated an interest in investing but our commitment and plans are to woo foreign and local investments into our state. “I am happy our governor is giving us maximum cooperation and support. Very soon, people of Kano State would witness a boom in our economy, courtesy of investments that would be coming into the state from domestic and foreign investors,” he added.
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NEW YORK (AP) — A slide for market superstar Nvidia on Monday knocked Wall Street off its big rally and helped drag U.S. stock indexes down from their records. The S&P 500 fell 0.6%, coming off its 57th all-time high of the year so far. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dipped 240 points, or 0.5%, and the Nasdaq composite pulled back 0.6% from its own record. Nvidia’s fall of 2.5% was by far the heaviest weight on the S&P 500 after China said it’s investigating the company over suspected violations of Chinese anti-monopoly laws. Nvidia has skyrocketed to become one of Wall Street’s most valuable companies because its chips are driving much of the world’s move into artificial-intelligence technology. That gives its stock’s movements more sway on the S&P 500 than nearly every other. Nvidia’s drop overshadowed gains in Hong Kong and for Chinese stocks trading in the United States on hopes that China will deliver more stimulus for the world’s second-largest economy. Roughly three in seven of the stocks in the S&P 500 also rose. The week’s highlight for Wall Street will arrive midweek when the latest updates on inflation arrive. Economists expect Wednesday’s report to show the inflation that U.S. consumers are feeling remained stuck at close to the same level last month. A separate report on Thursday, meanwhile, could show an acceleration in inflation at the wholesale level. They’re the last big pieces of data the Federal Reserve will get before its meeting next week on interest rates. The widespread expectation is still that the central bank will cut its main interest rate for the third time this year. The Fed has been easing its main interest rate from a two-decade high since September to offer more help for the slowing job market, after bringing inflation nearly all the way down to its 2% target. Lower interest rates can ease the brakes off the economy, but they can also offer more fuel for inflation. Expectations for a series of cuts from the Fed have been a major reason the S&P 500 has set so many all-time highs this year. “Investors should enjoy this rally while it lasts—there’s little on the horizon to disrupt the momentum through year-end,” according to Mark Hackett, chief of investment research at Nationwide, though he warns stocks could stumble soon because of how overheated they’ve gotten. On Wall Street, Interpublic Group rose 3.6% after rival Omnicom said it would buy the marketing and communications firm in an all-stock deal. The pair had a combined revenue of $25.6 billion last year. Omnicom, meanwhile, sank 10.2%. Macy’s climbed 1.8% after an activist investor, Barington Capital Group, called on the retailer to buy back at least $2 billion of its own stock over the next three years and make other moves to help boost its stock price. Super Micro Computer rose 0.5% after saying it got an extension that will keep its stock listed on the Nasdaq through Feb. 25, as it works to file its delayed annual report and other required financial statements. Earlier this month, the maker of servers used in artificial-intelligence technology said an investigation found no evidence of misconduct by its management or by the company’s board following the resignation of its public auditor . All told, the S&P 500 fell 37.42 points to 6,052.85. The Dow dipped 240.59 to 4,401.93, and the Nasdaq composite lost 123.08 to 19,736.69. In the oil market, a barrel of benchmark U.S. crude rallied 1.7% to settle at $68.37 following the overthrow of Syrian leader Bashar Assad, who sought asylum in Moscow after rebels. Brent crude, the international standard, added 1.4% to $72.14 per barrel. The price of gold also rose 1% to $2,685.80 per ounce amid the uncertainty created by the end of the Assad family’s 50 years of iron rule. In stock markets abroad, the Hang Seng jumped 2.8% in Hong Kong after top Chinese leaders agreed on a “moderately loose” monetary policy for the world’s second-largest economy. That’s a shift away from a more cautious, “prudent” stance for the first time in 10 years. A major planning meeting later this week could also bring more stimulus for the Chinese economy. U.S.-listed stocks of several Chinese companies climbed, including a 12.4% jump for electric-vehicle company Nio and a 7.4% rise for Alibaba Group. Stocks in Shanghai, though, were roughly flat. In Seoul, South Korea’s Kospi slumped 2.8% as the fallout continues from President Yoon Suk Yeol ’s brief declaration of martial law last week in the midst of a budget dispute. In the bond market, the yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 4.19% from 4.15% late Friday. AP Business Writers Matt Ott and Elaine Kurtenbach contributed.