CC™ VideoSpective
Saturday
Mexico rejects reported U.S. military plan to target drug cartels
By Staff
Mexican President, Claudia Sheinbaum has dismissed the possibility of U.S. troops operating on Mexican soil, following reports that U.S. President Donald Trump had authorized the Pentagon to prepare for military action against Latin American drug cartels.
“The United States is not going to come to Mexico with the military,” Sheinbaum told reporters. “We cooperate, we collaborate, but there is not going to be an invasion. That is ruled out, absolutely ruled out.”
Her comments came after The New York Times reported that Trump had secretly signed a directive granting the Pentagon authority to conduct direct military operations against drug cartels abroad.
The reported order follows Trump’s earlier executive designation of eight cartels as terrorist organizations, six of which are based in Mexico.
While the White House did not confirm the directive, it reiterated in a statement to the BBC that the president’s “top priority is protecting the homeland.”
Sheinbaum said her government was informed in advance that new measures targeting cartels were planned but stressed they involved no U.S. military deployment in Mexico.
“It is not part of any agreement, far from it. When it has been brought up, we have always said ‘No’,” she added.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, said Thursday, that the terrorist designation would allow Washington to use intelligence and defense resources against cartels.
“We have to start treating them as armed terrorist organizations, not simply drug-dealing organizations,” Rubio said.
Despite the tensions, Mexico and the U.S. have recently intensified cooperation on border security and anti-narcotics efforts.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection data shows June recorded the lowest number of illegal border crossings on record, while fentanyl seizures dropped by more than half compared to earlier this year.
U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Ronald Johnson praised the joint efforts on X, writing that cooperation between Sheinbaum and Trump had left cartels “going bankrupt” and both countries “safer because of it.”
Wednesday
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs seeking Trump pardon, says lawyer
Music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs, who is to be sentenced in October for his conviction on prostitution-related charges, is seeking a pardon from President Donald Trump, one of his lawyers said Tuesday.
“It’s my understanding that we’ve reached out and had conversations in reference to a pardon,” Nicole Westmoreland told CNN in an interview.
Trump has indicated, however, that he is unlikely to grant a pardon to the 55-year-old Combs.
“I was very friendly with him. I got along with him great, and he seemed like a nice guy,” Trump said in an interview on Friday with Newsmax. “I didn’t know him well, but when I ran for office, he was very hostile.”
Asked if that meant he was not inclined to pardon Combs, Trump said: “I would say so, yeah.”
A New York jury found Combs guilty last month of two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution, each of which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.
He was acquitted of racketeering and sex trafficking charges after a marathon trial in which he was accused of harrowing abuse.
Combs’ sentencing has been set for October 3.
Tuesday
Willful blindness nourished by hate and bigotry is why America elected a treasonous conman as president
CC™ VideoSpective
NowThisImpact
Saturday
Trump refutes own job numbers and fires Labor Statistics head with a view to cooking future numbers
The U.S. posted the worst jobs report in half-a-decade and what did Donald Trump do? He fired the Bureau of Labor Statistics commissioner, Erika McEntarfer, claiming falsely (as he always does when things don’t go his way), that the report was ‘rigged to make him and the Republicans look bad.’
According to the jobs report released by the Department of Labor, U.S. employers only added 73,000 jobs in July amid Trump’s sweeping tariffs, his gestapo-like immigration crackdown and massive federal layoffs.
Even worse was the report that 260,000 fewer jobs were added in May and June, than previously believed, as the unemployment rate also shot up from 4.1 to 4.2 percent.
This is classic Trump and typifies the now-all-too-familiar template of institutionalized corruption he has always sought to employ, with the acquiescence of the rubber stamp Republican Congress.
There can be no gaslighting here by Trump, as these are his own job numbers published by his own Labor Department.
Thursday
Trump’s govt threatens sanctions on ‘corrupt’ judges in other countries
By Staff
President Donald Trump’s administration has issued a stern warning to so-called ‘corrupt’ judges in various countries of the world.
The warning comes after Trump’s government sanctioned Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes for alleged abuse of power.
This was made known in a post on X on Wednesday by the US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, threatening similar punitive actions to other countries.
Rubio announced that Justice Moraes was sanctioned under the Global Magnitsky Act for serious human rights abuses, including arbitrary detentions and violations of free speech.
He said: “@POTUS and @USTreasury have sanctioned Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes under the Global Magnitsky sanctions program for serious human rights abuses. Let this be a warning to those who would trample on the fundamental rights of their countrymen—judicial robes cannot protect you.”
The Global Magnitsky sanctions involve financial restrictions and travel bans targeting individuals found guilty of gross human rights violations.
The law is named after Sergei Magnitsky, a Russian lawyer who exposed corruption, was imprisoned, and died under suspicious circumstances in 2009.
Wednesday
US President Donald Trump (a convicted felon) declares Venezuelan President Maduro wanted for drug trafficking with $25m bounty
By Staff
The United States government has declared Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro and two of his close allies, Diosdado Cabello Rondón and Vladimir Padrino López, wanted for drug trafficking.
In a statement released on Tuesday, the U.S. Department of State announced a combined reward of $65 million for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the three Venezuelan officials.
A reward of $25 million was placed on President Maduro, while Cabello and Padrino carry rewards of $25 million and $15 million, respectively.
The U.S. authorities accused the trio of being leaders of the Cartel de los Soles, which was recently designated a terrorist organisation by the U.S. Treasury Department.
According to the Department of State, the cartel is responsible for trafficking drugs into the United States.
“@USTreasury just sanctioned Cartel de los Soles as a terrorist group. Run by the corrupt and contemptible Nicolás Maduro, it is responsible for trafficking drugs into the U.S.,” said the department.
It added, “Help us take down Maduro and his cronies Diosdado Cabello Rondón & Vladimir Padrino López!”
A wanted poster issued by the U.S. describes President Maduro as a “designated global terrorist cartel de los soles leader”, and outlines charges including narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy, and conspiracy to use and carry machine guns and destructive devices in furtherance of a drug crime.
The announcement comes just one day after Maduro marked the one-year anniversary of his re-election—a vote the U.S. and its allies have described as fraudulent.
The United States has long refused to recognise Maduro’s government and has imposed multiple sanctions targeting Venezuela’s political and economic leadership.
Tuesday
Frailties of a compromised leader as Trump tells Putin, “You have 10 or 12 days to end war with Ukraine”
By Staff
US President, Donald Trump has issued a new ultimatum to Russian President Vladimir Putin, giving him 10 to 12 days to make progress toward ending the war in Ukraine.
Speaking during meetings in Scotland on Monday, Trump revealed he was abandoning a previous 50-day timeline he had set, citing mounting frustration with Russia’s inaction.
“I was going to give them 50 days,” Trump said. “But I’m not happy with the pace. Now I’m telling them they have 10 to 12 days to move forward.”
The president did not detail the consequences if Russia fails to meet the new deadline but emphasized his growing impatience.
“Enough is enough,” he added. “Putin knows where I stand”, Trump said.
Trump’s comments come as diplomatic pressure continues to build on the Kremlin, with Western allies demanding a resolution to the prolonged conflict in Ukraine.
“I was going to give them 50 days,” Trump said. “But I’m not happy with the pace. Now I’m telling them they have 10 to 12 days to move forward.”
The president did not detail the consequences if Russia fails to meet the new deadline but emphasized his growing impatience.
“Enough is enough,” he added. “Putin knows where I stand”, Trump said.
Trump’s comments come as diplomatic pressure continues to build on the Kremlin, with Western allies demanding a resolution to the prolonged conflict in Ukraine.
Sunday
Naira bonds beat EM peers as Tinubu reforms get noticed
President Bola Tinubu‘s reforms are sparking the biggest bond rally in emerging markets as the West African nation’s two-digit carry yields are backed by increasing government revenue, slowing inflation and a stable currency.
Naira-denominated bonds of Africa’s largest crude producer have extended their 2025 rally with an 8.6% total return in July, the best performance among the 23 countries in the Bloomberg EM Local Currency Government Universal Index both for the month and the year.
Since coming to power in May 2023, Tinubu has eliminated fuel subsidies weighing on the government’s budget. He followed it up with a tax overhaul, while the central bank has allowed the naira to trade more freely. The measures have helped to reduce the fiscal deficit, boost reserves and keep the current account in surplus. And investors are just beginning to back the reforms, after staying on the sidelines for most of 2024.
“The optics have been constructive this year for Nigeria,” said Matthew Reed, head of trading at the Bank of Africa UK Plc in London. “The currency has stabilized after a volatile 2024 and this removes a notable hurdle for many international accounts looking to invest in the local bond market.”
Government revenues increased 43% in the first half compared to the prior period, and recent tax changes are seen boosting revenue collections further. A rebasing that increased Nigeria’s gross domestic product by 30% has improved debt ratios and opened the room for better ratings and fresh borrowing
The lower inflation, expectation of rate cuts and a more stable naira have made Nigeria a more attractive investment case, said Joseph Cuthbertson, a sovereign analyst at PineBridge Investments in London. Nigeria is on a “positive macroeconomic trajectory following its reform efforts,” leaving local debt attractive, he said.
The July rally in naira bonds extends year-to-date gains to 26%, compared with an emerging-market average of 7.1%. That partially recoups a 40% loss suffered by investors last year.
A credit upgrade this year by Moody’s has also helped, said Patience Oniha, the head of Nigeria’s debt management office. The ratings company raised Nigeria from Caa1 to B3 citing “significant improvements in the country’s external balance and fiscal position.” That placed it on the cusp of “re-entering the broader pool of emerging markets considered investable by institutional debt investors,” Moody’s said.
Despite recent gains, Nigeria’s local bonds are “still attractive,” said Aurelie Martin, a fixed-income analyst at Ninety One. The naira has found some stability “reaping the benefits of the tough monetary and fiscal reforms of the past couple of years,” while slowing inflation will enable the central bank to cut rates supporting naira notes further.
BLOOMBERG
Saturday
Dangote Cement Announces Emmanuel Ikazoboh As New Board Chairperson
By Staff
Africa’s industrial titan and founder of Dangote Cement Plc, Aliko Dangote, has stepped down as Chairman and Director of the company’s Board, effective July 25, 2025. The decision marks a strategic shift in focus as Dangote aims to devote more attention to the operations of his Refinery, Petrochemicals, Fertilizer, and Government Relations, aligning with the group’s five-year business trajectory.
In a statement issued by the Group Chief, Branding & Communications Officer, Mr. Anthony Chiejina, the company announced the appointment of Mr. Emmanuel Ikazoboh, an independent non-executive director, as the new Chairman of the Board.
In the same development, Hajiya Mariya Aliko Dangote was appointed to the Board of Directors, while Prof. Dorothy Ufot officially retired.
The company described Dangote’s departure from the board as the end of an era, celebrating his transformational role in revolutionizing Africa’s cement industry. Under his leadership, Dangote Cement grew to become Africa’s largest cement producer and the continent’s leading exporter of cement and clinker.
“Aliko Dangote’s journey began with a bold dream: to make Nigeria and Africa self-sufficient in cement production. Through strategic investments, cutting-edge technology, and a commitment to local content, he not only met that goal but exceeded it,” the statement read.
Today, Dangote Cement boasts an installed capacity of 52.0 million tonnes per annum (Mta) across Africa, with Nigeria accounting for 35.25 Mta. Ongoing greenfield projects in Côte d’Ivoire (3.0 Mta) and Itori, Nigeria (6.0 Mta), expected to be completed this year, will raise total capacity to 61.0 Mta.
The company has also achieved record-breaking financial results. According to unaudited financials for the first half of 2025, group revenue surged by 17.7 percent to N2.071 trillion from N1.76 trillion in the same period of 2024. Group EBITDA grew by 41.8 percent to N944.9 billion, while EBITDA from Nigerian operations rose by a remarkable 82.4 percent to N845.4 billion. Profit before tax increased by 149 percent to N730 billion, and profit after tax soared by 174.1 percent to N520.5 billion. During the period, Nigerian export volumes rose by 18.2 percent, including 18 clinker shipments to Ghana and Cameroon.
In his acceptance speech, Mr. Emmanuel Ikazoboh expressed deep appreciation for the trust placed in him. “I am truly honored to accept the role of Chairman of Dangote Cement Plc. This company stands as a beacon of African enterprise, demonstrating resilience, innovation, and excellence.”
Ikazoboh pledged to lead with integrity and vision, emphasizing sustainable growth, operational efficiency, and innovation. He outlined key priorities for the company, including driving cost-reduction strategies to combat inflation, transitioning to alternative energy sources, and strengthening staff development programs.
“My vision for Dangote Cement is anchored on operational excellence, strategic expansion, sustainability, innovation, and community engagement,” Ikazoboh said.
He also praised Aliko Dangote’s legacy, noting that his achievements have restored global confidence in African industrial capacity. In 2024 alone, Dangote Group subsidiaries reportedly paid over N402 billion in taxes, making it Nigeria’s highest corporate taxpayer.
With this leadership transition, Dangote Cement Plc is poised to embark on a new era, reinforcing its commitment to industrial growth, sustainability, and continental impact.
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