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Monrovia, Liberia – On January 22, 2018, a cheering crowd welcomed George Weah to the Samuel K Doe Sports Complex in Paynesville, outside Liberia’s capital, Monrovia. But the man once crowned the world’s best footballer was not there to add to his 75 matches for the Lone Stars, Liberia’s senior national football team.

It was his inauguration as the West African nation’s 25th president. Those present, like many Liberians glued to television sets at home and in the diaspora were brimming with hope at the expected transformation that his presidency would bring, just as his football career had given them joy and pride.

“It is my belief that the most effective way to directly impact the poor and to narrow the gap between rich and poor is to ensure that public resources do not end up in the pockets of government officials,” Weah said in his inaugural address.

Weah had gone from a slum dweller in one of the poorest areas of one of the world’s poorest countries to the only African winner of the Ballon d’Or, football’s most coveted prize, and to Liberia’s highest office. His election win made headlines across the world, and his inauguration speech seemed as convincing as his ball-striking prowess had been.

“I further believe that the overwhelming mandate I received from the Liberian people is a mandate to end corruption in public service,” Weah told rapturous supporters, many of whom had survived corruption-fueled, back-to-back civil wars in the 1990s and 2000s, which killed more than 250,000 people.

Almost six years on, Liberia’s most famous citizen dead or alive has become unpopular to the point of losing the presidential vote to a man whom he defeated in 2018.

Last week, Weah, 57, conceded defeat to former Vice President Joseph Boakai, 78, after a November 14 run-off.

There are several reasons why voters denied Weah a second term, including his failure to establish a war crimes court for the country and the ripple effects of a drug epidemic. However, one issue stands out: corruption. It drove some of the biggest protests the country has seen since the end of Liberia’s second civil war in 2003.

“[Weah] promised to ‘weed out the menace of corruption’; however, greed and graft have become the hallmarks of his presidency,” said Robtel Neajai Pailey, a Liberian academic, activist and author based in London. “President Weah squandered practically every opportunity to score the country’s most important goal of socioeconomic transformation.”

A banknote scandal

For decades, Liberia has been ranked as one of the world’s most corrupt countries, but that notoriety reached its lowest depths under Weah. Since 2018, Liberia has averaged 29 points out of a possible 100 on Transparency International’s corruption perceptions index. It currently ranks 136 out of 180 countries. In the six years before Weah, Liberia had averaged nearly 39 points.

Corruption became synonymous with Weah’s government from the very beginning.

First, Weah refused to publicly declare his assets despite doing so in 2005 when he first ran for office. His officials followed suit, ignoring his mandate to declare theirs. But there was more ahead.

Just nine months into this presidency, the Liberian press reported the alleged disappearance of 15.5 billion Liberian dollars (US$96m at the time) in banknotes, approximately five percent of the country’s gross domestic product. An inquiry by Kroll, a Philadelphia-based firm funded by the United States government, revealed that the banknotes had not gone missing but had been illegally printed. The investigation also found that US$16.5m had been printed in excess and was unaccounted for.

Several officials of the Central Bank of Liberia, including Charles Sirleaf, a son of former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, were charged and jailed for alleged economic sabotage, bribery, and criminal facilitation but were released, and their charges were later dropped.

Two months before the missing banknotes scandal, Weah had injected US$25m into the economy to extract the excess Liberian dollars in circulation. In a national address, Weah said the injection would curb inflation and the depreciation of the Liberian currency.

This, too, led to another scandal.  An examination by Liberia’s General Auditing Commission found several discrepancies with disbursements. Some of the funds had not been accounted for, and staff had not used the government-approved rate for some transactions.

The end of an era

Anderson Miamen, the lead campaigner at the Centre for Accountability and Transparency in Liberia, a partner of Transparency International, believes Liberians voted Weah out because of corruption.

“Everywhere we went, people asked questions about the situation of corruption in the country and what the government is doing about it. In the different reports that we’ve done over the years, citizens have expressed disappointment in the government’s lack of strong will to deal with corruption,” Miamen said.

After four national auditors died in just over a week in 2020, public mistrust of the Weah government over corruption heightened in the country of 5.2 million people.

First, Albert Peters and Gifty Lama of the Liberia Revenue Authority were discovered dead in a car in Monrovia on October 2. Pathologists found they died of carbon monoxide poisoning due to the car’s defective exhaust system.

Next, George Fahnboto, another auditor of the Liberia Revenue Authority, died from head wounds in an apparent car crash just outside Monrovia on October 4.

Then Emmanuel Nyeswa, head of Liberia’s Internal Auditing Agency, died on October 10, 2020. His body was found lying outside his home with head wounds in the same neighborhood as Fahnboto. The result of his autopsy was inconclusive.

The deaths of the auditors sparked outrage. The public rejected the outcomes of the autopsies while the US-based Institute of Internal Auditors asked then-US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to help Liberia investigate the deaths.

That assistance did not come. However, the US sanctioned three senior members of Weah’s government over corruption. Nathaniel McGill, minister of state; Bill Twehway, managing director of the Freeport of Monrovia; and Serenius Cephas, solicitor general, were sanctioned for “their involvement in public sector corruption in Liberia”. The trio resigned their posts, but no one was prosecuted.

The continued lack of consequences for the elite ultimately hurt the man at the helm, analysts said.

“We believe that it played a part in the way people voted,” Miamen said. “He didn’t really live by his word.”

Beirut, Lebanon – A delegation of Islamic and Arab nations are on a tour of the five permanent United Nations Security Council member states.

Their stated goal is to bring a ceasefire to the war on Gaza, allow more humanitarian aid to reach the people there and ask the five council members to support the Palestinians in achieving an independent state.

But experts are divided on the efficacy and format of this trip.

‘The impression of activity’?

The delegation, formed at a summit of the Arab League and Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Riyadh, includes representatives from Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan, Nigeria, the Palestinian Authority, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the secretary-general of the OIC. It rejects Israel’s claim that its assault on Gaza is in self-defence.

On October 7, Hamas attacks in southern Israel killed about 1,200 people. About 240 people were taken captive. Since then, Israel has killed more than 14,500 Palestinians. At least 6,000 were children.

The delegation has a packed schedule and started its tour in China, where it met with Wang Yi, China’s top diplomat, on Monday in Beijing.

Starting with China surprised analysts who speculated on what the delegation was trying to signal to Western powers. Some were less concerned with that and questioned the delegation’s true agenda.

“In diplomacy, it is a well-known strategy: When you don’t want to do anything, try to involve the maximum of actors,” Gerard Araud, former French ambassador to Israel, posted on X, formerly known as Twitter. “It takes time, it gives the impression of activity and it is useless.”

Shortly after the delegation began its visit, talk of a humanitarian pause gathered steam, and early on Wednesday, it as announced. The deal was a major talking point for the delegation, and they pushed for a more lasting cessation of hostilities.

The agreement would see Hamas release about 50 women and children for three times as many Palestinian female and child prisoners in Israeli jails.

The announced duration of the pause is four days, over which the captives will be released. Israel also said it would halt fighting for one more day for every “extra” batch of 10 captives Hamas releases.

The meeting in China was followed by one with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Moscow on Tuesday and the UK’s foreign secretary, David Cameron, later in London. Wednesday saw a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron.

First stop, China

By starting their trip in China, the Islamic and Arab states may be trying to gather global support to present to nations that have backed Israel so far.

During the meeting, Wang said China being chosen as the first stop is an indication that the countries of the delegation trust China and appreciate the mutual understanding between them.

Robert Mogielnicki, an expert at Georgetown University on Chinese relations with Middle Eastern and North African countries, does not consider the efforts by Saudi Arabia and other Arab states performative as Araud does.

“Arab states do not have a tremendous degree of direct leverage. Indirect influence through shaping the global narrative … and impacting public stances of key global players seem to be an important dimension of their efforts,” he said.

China seemed to welcome the diplomacy with Wang telling the delegation: “China has always … firmly supported the just cause of the Palestinian people to restore their legitimate national rights and interests,” according to the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

“China has an interest in regional order and preventing economic turbulence,” Arang Keshavarzian, an associate professor of Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies at New York University, told Al Jazeera.

“I can only assume these leaders are genuinely trying to get China more involved to help end the war, but the reality is that only the US has the necessary leverage over Israel.”

‘Message to the US’

In August, China brokered a peace deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia, which re-established their diplomatic ties and had analysts saying it was a sign that the Middle East was turning away from the United States as a major ally.

“China being the first destination visited is a message to the United States,” Randa Slim, senior fellow at the Middle East Institute, told Al Jazeera. Saudi Arabia and other Arab states are telling the US, “you are no longer the sole power in the region,” she explained.

Beijing recently also strengthened its relations with non-Western multilateral groups like BRICS, in which it is a member along with four other large emerging economies, and built stronger ties with the Global South in what analysts said are efforts to build a more multipolar world order.

The Saudi-Iran deal was a “diplomatic win for China as it increasingly seeks to present an alternative vision to the US-led global order”, according to a report by the US Institute of Peace.

Abraham Accords or bust?

Arab leaders have complained about US disengagement from the region in recent years. Its policy has largely focused on following former President Donald Trump’s strategy of pushing the Abraham Accords, normalisation agreements between Israel and Arab countries.

Arab leaders – Egypt and Saudi Arabia in particular – recently warned US Secretary of State Antony Blinken that this strategy has contributed to instability in the region.

Before October 7, it was widely reported that Saudi Arabia and Israel were on track to normalise relations as well. The deal would have been a major coup for Israel, who, analysts said, has been looking to circumvent working with Palestinians by building agreements with regional powers instead.

Popular mobilisation in support of Palestinians over the past six weeks, particularly in the Middle East, “upended” the “regional dynamics underpinning normalisation processes”, Mogielnicki said.

However, he added: “The underlying strategic calculations that have supported past normalisation-related efforts are unlikely to disappear entirely.”

Public perception of the US as a staunch ally of Israel – despite Blinken and other US officials highlighting policies like restoring aid to Palestinians that the Trump administration had cut – may not change.

Even if Arab states are under no illusion about where the US stands, the visit to China does not indicate a complete loss of faith just yet.

“This is part of efforts to galvanize global support … and increase pressure on the Israeli government,” Mogielnicki said.

Regardless of how frustrated they are with the unflinching US support for Israel, Arab leaders know the power to stop the carnage rests with the US.

“If you want to achieve the objective of getting a ceasefire, you need to speak to the Americans,” Slim said. “They are the only party [who decides].”

A senior Canadian intelligence official has been found guilty of breaching the country’s secrets law.

Jurors found Cameron Jay Ortis – a former director general with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) – guilty of three counts of violating the Security of Information Act and one count of attempting to do so.

Security experts have said the case risked Canada’s standing in the Five Eyes intelligence-sharing network, which includes the UK, along with the US, New Zealand and Australia.

The 51-year-old was also found guilty of breach of trust and fraudulent use of a computer.

Ortis led the RCMP’s Operations Research group, which gathered classified information on cybercriminals, terror cells and international criminal networks.

As a result of his work, he had access to highly sensitive domestic and foreign intelligence.

He pleaded not guilty to the charges, claiming he offered secret material to targets to try to get them to use an online encryption service set up by an allied intelligence agency to spy on adversaries.

But the prosecution argued Ortis lacked the authority to disclose classified material.

It also said he failed to act within a sanctioned undercover operation.

The defence, however, said he was looking into a “clear and grave threat” and did not betray Canada.

Ortis told the jury that in September 2014, he was contacted by a counterpart at a foreign agency who advised him of a particularly serious threat.

He was told in strict confidence about an online encryption service called Tutanota, he said, that was secretly set up to monitor potentially important communications.

He devised a plan called Nudge to entice investigative targets to sign on to the encryption service, he added, with promises of secret material used as bait.

The company, now known as Tuta, denies having ties to intelligence agencies.

The prosecution claimed Ortis was self-serving and reckless, flouting rules and protocols on a solo mission that sabotaged national security.

It also claimed he endangered the life of a genuine undercover officer.

In addition, no one other than Ortis had heard of Operation Nudge, the prosecution argued, and no records of the project could be found.

Following the verdict, Justice Robert Maranger told the court in Ottawa that Ortis’s bail would be revoked prior to sentencing.

He could be facing a severe prison sentence, with the CBC reporting that prosecutors are expected to seek a sentence in the range of 20 years.

Geert Wilders, one of Europe’s most prominent, controversial and inflammatory populist politicians, is heading for victory in the Dutch general election.

Mr Wilders, leader of the Freedom Party (PVV), is predicted to win 35 seats in the 150-seat Dutch parliament – the best result in a political career that spans decades largely spent berating Islam and mainstream politicians.

“The PVV can no longer be ignored,” he said in the wake of victory. “We will govern.”

The left-wing coalition led by Frans Timmermans is predicted to come second with 25 seats while the VVD, which has led the government for the past 13 years under the leadership of outgoing prime minister Mark Rutte, had a dismal night, falling to third place with a predicted haul of 24 seats.

“That was a catastrophic disaster,” one member told me.

The election marked a remarkable turnaround from the last poll, two years ago.

Then, Mr Wilders’ PVV won only 17 seats, while the VVD took 34. Since then, Mr Rutte’s coalition government collapsed after a row over migration policy, while Mr Wilders’ popularity has risen gradually.

And yet, while everyone expected Mr Wilders to do well in this election; very few people expected him to win it.

For so long, he has been the flamboyant, inflammatory, divisive extremist on the fringes of power. Now, Mr Wilders is a winner.

The man who has long derided mainstream politics as the preserve of a self-serving elite – is now cast as the most popular leader in a national election.

He celebrated his success in an unassuming bar near the middle of The Hague, watched by the armed police who, for many years, have had to protect him in the face of regular death threats.

An inflammatory and divisive career

Over the course of his career, Mr Wilders has compared the Koran to Mein Kampf, been arrested several times for incitement, demanded the end of building mosques in the Netherlands and demanded an end to accepting refugees, as well as strict limits on the number of foreign students.

He also proposes a referendum on withdrawal from the European Union, wants to ban people from holding dual nationality and plans to retract any apologies for slavery.

It is, by any standards, an uncompromising slate, although Mr Wilders has recently talked about taking a more measured approach to help form a coalition.

Not many are convinced that, after three decades of uncompromising rhetoric, he really can go soft now.

It is very unlikely Wilders will become prime minister

So could he really end up as the Dutch prime minister?

The answer is yes, in theory, but in reality – it’s very unlikely. He is simply too toxic in the minds of too many people.

Instead we are now bound for a long, protracted and complicated negotiation to see who will actually end up running the country. Or, for that matter, whether the Netherlands is destined for another election.

Already, there are a host of credible theories about what happens next.

One has Mr Wilders striking a coalition deal with the VVD and the newly-formed New Social Contract party, which didn’t exist a few months ago but is now projected to get 20 seats. And if they won’t accept Mr Wilders as prime minister, he could nominate a replacement from his party to take the job instead.

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Wilders could be ostracised

But would the VVD really accept being a junior partner to Mr Wilders – the very man Mr Rutte repeatedly refused to deal with?

His replacement as party leader, Dilan Yesilgoz-Zegerius, opened the door to working together, which some in her party now consider a terrible strategic mistake – legitimising him and, so it’s said, giving some right-wing voters the incentive to transfer their allegiance.

“I will not be part of anything that leads to Wilders being prime minister,” said one prominent VVD member in the wake of their defeat. “If that happens, I’ll be resigning my membership.”

Another theory is the VVD will enter coalition talks simply to draw them out, only to eventually allow them to collapse and force another election, hopeful that Mr Wilders’ light had faded.

Then there’s the idea Mr Wilders is ostracised by everyone else, easing the way for Mr Timmermans to put together a left-wing coalition.

The permutations go on. There are 21 parties in the parliament, and each is part of the conversation. Coalition is a way of life in the Netherlands and the talks could go on for months – possibly many months.

Rescuers are facing a 17-hour mission to reach 41 workers who have now been trapped inside a tunnel in India for 11 days.

Crews have been working round the clock drilling through 60m (197ft) of debris after the under-construction highway tunnel in Silkyara, located in Uttarakhand state in the Himalayas, caved in on 12 November.

Rescue teams encountered an unexpected delay on Thursday after getting through 45m (150ft) of debris, when they discovered a lattice steel girder arch which required six hours to cut and remove.

A former advisor to the prime minister’s office, Bhaskar Khulbe, who is working on the mission, has said it could take 12-14 hours to reach the men.

It will then take a further two to three hours to assemble workers and get the men out, with the help of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF).

The men are safe and have access to oxygen, food, water and medicine, authorities have said.

But some of the men have become unwell, suffering from fever, body aches and nervousness, leaving worried family and friends feeling frustrated and angry over the delays to free them.

Mr Khulbe told reporters: “Our calculation as of now is…roughly 14 to 15 hours, unless something else happens, and we hope we will be able to do that.

“It is difficult to anticipate what more hurdles we might face,” he said, adding that no major problem is expected aside from another metal obstacle or rock.

Once drilling is completed, officials plan to send crews through an evacuation pipe with stretchers on wheels to bring the trapped men to safety.

The tunnel collapsed following a landslide in Uttarakhand – a region popular with tourists.

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The tunnel is located on the Char Dham pilgrimage route – one of the most ambitious projects of Prime Minister Narendra Modi‘s government.

The tunnel aims to link four key Hindu pilgrimage sites with 890km (550m) of two-lane road, in a project costing $1.5bn (£1.19bn).

A safety audit of 29 tunnels currently being built by the National Highways Authority of India will now take place, the government announced on Wednesday.