TIG Post

Author: Andy Ogbarmey-Tettey

  • Russia declares complete victory in Mariupol

    Russia has declared victory in its months-long battle to conquer Mariupol.

    Last night, Moscow said the port city had been “completely liberated” after the last fighters defending the Azovstal metal works surrendered.

    Friday’s evacuation marks the end of the most destructive siege of the war, with Mariupol now in complete ruins.

    It said 531 Ukrainian troops had left the site. “The underground facilities of the enterprise, where the militants were hiding, came under the full control of the Russian armed forces,” it added in a statement.

    Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the site’s last remaining defenders had been given permission to leave.

    “Today the boys received a clear signal from the military command that they can get out and save their lives,” he told a Ukrainian television channel.

    According to Moscow officials, a total of 2,439 Ukrainian fighters have now surrendered from the steel works in recent days.

    Moscow has released no information about where the soldiers who left last night are being evacuated to, but previous buses have been sent to Russian-controlled territories.

    Source: BBC

  • Australia election 2022: Millions vote as Morrison faces off against Albanese

    Polls have just closed in the states of New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, Queensland, as well as the Australian Capital Territory.

    Voters in other parts of Australia still have some time to go before their booths close

    Many would have voted for either of the two main parties in Australia – the Liberal-National Coaltiion led by incumbent PM Scott Morrison, and the Labor Party led by Anthony Albanese

    Labor had been ahead in the opinion polls since the campaign kicked off, but their lead narrowed in the final days of the campaign

    The “teal independents”, whose campaign is focusing heavily on climate action and integrity in politics, will also be closely watched this election. They’re bankrolled by Melbourne philanthropist Simon Holmes à Court and his Climate200 Group, as well as other smaller donors

    Earlier on Saturday, the Liberals were widely criticised after voters in its New South Wales branch were sent a text that border officials had stopped a boat allegedly attempting to illegally enter Australia. Opponents criticised the move, calling it a “disgusting stunt” to sway voters

    Morrison and Albanese have both cast their votes in Sydney, while making their final pitch to voters. Morrison said he wanted the “aspirations of Australians to be realised”, while Albanese said he wanted to “unite the country”.

    Counting votes in Sydney

    Here in the Sydney Masonic Centre, the last few voters were ushered into the polling room before the doors were closed.

    After they cast their ballots and went on their way into the drizzly night, the Australian Electoral Commission workers turned their attention to emptying the boxes and counting the votes.

    A couple have told us they are hoping to have time to squeeze in a cup of tea. It has been a long day.

    Picture of election officials counting votes

    In 2019 when I was at a count in central Sydney, it was a huge event in the town hall, with ballot boxes from across the city being brought to be tallied up.

    This year though, authorities are opting to do the count in many more smaller centres to try and prevent Covid superspreading events.

    It’s just one small way the pandemic’s impact is being felt in this election.

    Source: BBC

  • U.N. cutting food rations in Sahel amid ‘alarming’ food insecurity

    Up to 18 million people in Africa’s drought-stricken Sahel region will face severe food insecurity over the next three months, the United Nations warned Friday.

    A spokesman for the World Food Programme (WFP), Tomson Phiri, told a regular press briefing in Geneva that the organization was facing a “severe shortage of funds” to help these people.

    “The needs are very high, but resources are low,” he said, which has forced the agency to reduce the food aid rations it distributes in some countries in the region.

    In Chad, for example, low funding levels have forced WFP to reduce emergency rations for IDPs and refugees by 50 percent since June 2021. If donors do not provide more funds, WFP will also have to stop providing cash assistance in early July in some parts of the country.

    According to projections by the UN Office of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), up to 18 million people in the Sahel region will face severe food insecurity over the next three months, “the highest number since 2014.

    This situation is the result of a combination of factors, according to the UN, which cites conflict, the Covid pandemic, drought and rising food prices.

    “In the Sahel, 7.7 million children under the age of five are expected to suffer from malnutrition. 1.8 million of them are severely malnourished and if aid operations are not intensified, this number could reach 2.4 million by the end of the year,” said an Ocha spokesman, Jens Laerke.

    “The situation has reached alarming levels in Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali and Niger, where people will experience emergency levels of food insecurity during the lean season between June and August,” he added.

    The “lean season” is the period when the previous year’s crops are consumed while the current year’s crops are not yet harvested.

    The United Nations has released $30 million from its Central Emergency Response Fund to help the affected communities.

    Source: Africa news

  • Spanish Grand Prix: Fernando Alonso accuses FIA of ‘incompetence’ and lacking race knowledge

    Fernando Alonso has accused Formula 1’s governing body of “incompetence” and lacking knowledge of racing.

    The Alpine driver identified incidents at the last race in Miami but also made an oblique reference to the FIA’s handling of other issues this year.

    He said he had seen no improvement at the FIA, despite its attempts to restructure following the handling of last year’s finale in Abu Dhabi.

    The FIA told BBC Sport the matter had been referred to the stewards.

    Alonso described a penalty he received in Miami for gaining an advantage by going off the track as “unfair”. The five seconds added to his race time for cutting a chicane dropped him out of the points.

    He said he had immediately given back the time gained after the incident but the stewards had looked only at the fact that he had then gone faster in the next section of the track, and had failed to respond to Alpine showing them telemetry data to prove his point.

    “We believe it was very unfair and incompetence from the stewards,” Alonso said.

    “They were not very professional. I missed one corner and gave back the time. They saw the pink colour [for fastest] on the next sector and took it without asking for proof.

    “We arrived back with the proofs and they were packing up, not even in the room. We showed them the data and they found themselves with their hands tied because they had already issued the penalty. It was very bad. It is something that should not happen in F1 with the professionalism and the standards F1 has right now.”

    He also heavily criticised Niels Wittich, who has acted as race director at all five races this year.

    Alonso pointed to Wittich’s decision not to respond to drivers’ requests for an impact-absorbing barrier to be installed at a corner where Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz crashed heavily in Friday practice in Miami.

    Sainz had complained in the drivers’ briefing that the impact was far more severe than it should have been given the low speed involved, but was told it was a freak accident and a barrier was not necessary.

    Alonso’s team-mate Esteban Ocon had an almost identical accident the following day, which damaged his car’s chassis.

    Alonso said he expected Eduardo Freitas, who takes over as race director from Wittich for this weekend’s Spanish Grand Prix, to be an improvement on Wittich.

    Asked if he had seen evidence of improvement from the FIA following the restructure that came after former race director Michael Masi failed to apply the rules directly in last season’s controversial championship finale, Alonso said: “Not.”

    “We saw a couple of things already that showed we still need to improve a lot,” he added.

    “You need to have some knowledge about racing before being a race director or trying to monitor a race and I don’t think that knowledge is in place at the moment.

    “There is a new race director here. Freitas has a lot more experience at World Endurance Championship and the top level and that will already improve things.

    “Even the accident we had in Miami with Carlos and Esteban, we pushed to have some barriers there and nobody did anything. When you don’t have that knowledge of racing, it is difficult to talk.”

    Ocon said he had spoken to Freitas in Spain this week and been told that after analysis of both accidents there would be changes at the Miami track next year.

    Wittich has also courted controversy this year for taking a by-the-letter approach to the rules, which has led to drivers being told they cannot wear any jewellery in the car.

    Alonso said: “We just need to keep improving that we are the only ones driving the cars and experiencing the crashes and when we feel something is needed, we should be listened to.

    “In Miami and some other examples we didn’t have that because it seems the focus is in another place.”

    Lewis Hamilton said in Miami that the new focus on jewellery and clothing was “almost a step backwards” and said the sport had “bigger fish to fry”.

    Asked about Alonso’s comments, McLaren’s Lando Norris said: “Fernando’s a guy you would listen to in terms of the experience he has in racing. If he says what he says, he’s probably got a bit of a point, at least.”

    Alonso’s comments also come in the context of a widespread dissatisfaction among teams and at commercial rights holders F1 at some of the FIA’s actions this year.

    Among them were the decision by new FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem to delay approval of a plan for the number of sprint races to be doubled to six next year.

    F1 is so unhappy it has been quietly exploring ways the FIA could be sidelined from running the sport, BBC Sport has been told.

    Source: BBC

  • Marco Rose: Borussia Dortmund sack head coach after one season in charge

    Borussia Dortmund have sacked Marco Rose after one season as head coach.

    After joining from Borussia Monchengladbach, Rose led Dortmund to second place in the Bundesliga, eight points behind champions Bayern Munich.

    They were eliminated from both the Champions League and Europa League, and were knocked out of the German Cup by second-tier St Pauli.

    Dortmund said they would discuss “the composition of the future coaching team in the coming days”.

    Rose was in charge for 47 games, winning 27 and losing 16.

    “This day is not an easy one for any of us, because the mutual respect among each other was, is and remains great,” said Dortmund chief executive Hans-Joachim Watzke.

    “After a season that was unsatisfactory for various reasons, we had to realise that we didn’t get the most out of our opportunities in many areas.”

    Dortmund were knocked out of the Champions League at the group stage – finishing behind Ajax and Sporting Lisbon – and were eliminated from the Europa League by Rangers.

    “Despite a difficult season with many imponderables, I was convinced of our path,” Rose said.

    “During our conversation I got the impression that the 100% conviction of all those responsible is no longer there.”

    Source: BBC

  • Ford advising over 39,000 Expedition and Navigator owners to park outside due to fire risk

    Ford is advising the owners of 39,013 Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator SUVs to park their vehicles outdoors because they could spontaneously catch fire.

    The specific full-sized SUVs in question were all built during a four-month period between December 1, 2020 and April 30, 2021, according to a Ford statement on Thursday.
    So far, 16 of the SUVs have caught fire while parked and turned off. Fourteen of the vehicles were in rental fleets while two were owned by retail customers.
    The automaker said it is aware of one injury apparently resulting from the issue, but provided no further details about the extent of the injury or its circumstances.
    Twelve of the fires happened while the vehicle was parked and turned off, one while the vehicle was parked and turned on and three while it was in motion, according to the company.
    The exact cause of the fires, which are believed to start in the rear passenger side of the engine compartment, is still being investigated, Ford said in an announcement.
    “We are working around-the-clock to determine the root cause of this issue and subsequent remedy so that customers can continue to enjoy using their vehicles,” said Jeffrey Marentic, General Manager, Ford Passenger Vehicles.
    Owners are not being advised to stop driving the SUVs, only to keep them away from structures while parked.
    Ford will begin reaching out to owners by mail and through their Ford and Lincoln smartphone apps as soon as it has determined a list of the owners of these specific SUVs, the automaker said in a statement.
    Owners who think their vehicles might be involved can also call Ford’s toll-free number at 1-866-436-7332, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which oversees vehicle recalls.
    Ford will communicate with customers once a remedy for the potential problem has been found, the automaker said.
    Source: CNN

  • Female referees to officiate at men’s World Cup for first time in Qatar

    Female referees will officiate matches at this year’s men’s World Cup for the first time in the tournament’s history.

    France’s Stephanie Frappart, Rwanda’s Salima Mukansanga and Japan’s Yoshimi Yamashita have been selected to take charge of games in Qatar.

    They will be supported by three female assistant referees.

    Premier League referees Michael Oliver and Anthony Taylor have also been chosen for the tournament, which begins on Monday, 21 November.

    Taylor refereed the Euro 2020 match between Denmark and Finland, and was praised for reacting quickly to ensure Christian Eriksen received urgent medical attention after collapsing on the field.

    In total, 36 referees, 69 assistant referees and 24 video match officials have been chosen for this year’s tournament.

    “As always, the criteria we have used is ‘quality first’ and the selected match officials represent the highest level of refereeing worldwide,” said the chairman of Fifa’s referees committee Pierluigi Collina.

    “This concludes a long process that began several years ago with the deployment of female referees at Fifa men’s junior and senior tournaments.

    “In this way, we clearly emphasise it is quality that counts for us and not gender.

    “I would hope that in the future, the selection of elite women’s match officials for important men’s competitions will be perceived as something normal and no longer as sensational.”

    Source: BBC

  • Vivianne Miedema: Arsenal’s record goalscorer signs new contract

    Arsenal striker Vivianne Miedema has signed a new contract with the Women’s Super League club.

    The 25-year-old Netherlands forward has scored 117 goals in 144 games since arriving from Bayern Munich in 2017.

    A WSL winner with Arsenal in 2018-19, Miedema is the league’s record goalscorer and was named the BBC Women’s Footballer of the Year 2021.

    BBC Sport understands Miedema’s new deal is for one year, keeping her at the Gunners until next summer.

    It is a further boost for Arsenal after boss Jonas Eidevall signed a contract extension earlier this month.

    “I think the most beautiful thing about the game is building something with a team and with people around you that you really want to be around,” said Miedema, who scored 14 goals as Arsenal finished a point behind champions Chelsea in the 2021-22 WSL.

    “I do feel like I have got that at Arsenal. I feel like for me, winning titles with Arsenal will mean a lot more to me than winning them with another club at the moment. And that’s what I obviously hope to achieve with Arsenal.”

    Miedema, who has only won one WSL title and one FA Cup with the north London club, had been heavily linked with a move to European champions Barcelona after five years with the Gunners.

    “Viv is a stellar talent and a hugely important player for this team, so it’s fantastic news that she is staying with us,” Eidevall said.

    “As a club, our ambition is to win titles and compete at the highest level – we know Viv’s own ambitions are the same, and together we will give everything to achieve that.”

    Source: BBC

  • Kidnappers of Nigerian college students arrested one year later

    The Nigerian police have arrested two men suspected of being behind the high-profile kidnapping of two dozen students in April 2021 in northwestern Nigeria, and the murder of five of them.

    “They have both confessed to the abduction of the students from the University of Greenfield, Kaduna State, and the murder of five students before the payment of ransom and the release of the other students,” police spokesman Olumuyiwa Adejobi said in a statement on Wednesday evening.

    The two suspects, Aminu Lawal known as “Kano” and Murtala Dawu known as “Mugala”, who was involved in several kidnapping cases, will be brought to justice at the end of the investigation, Adejobi said.

    In April 2021, gunmen stormed Greenfield University in Kaduna, abducting about 20 students and killing a staff member.

    A few days after the attack, the kidnappers executed five hostages to force the families and the authorities to pay a ransom, which was later obtained.

    The remaining 14 students were released after 40 days in captivity.

    Heavily armed criminal gangs, known as “bandits”, have been increasing their attacks in north-western and central Nigeria, looting, kidnapping and killing many villagers.

    Last year, the “bandits” particularly targeted schools and universities to kidnap students en masse for ransom from their parents and the authorities.

    In all, about 1,500 students were abducted in 2021 by armed men, according to Unicef. While most of the young hostages have since been released for ransom, some still remain in captivity in the forests, where armed groups hide.

    Source: Africa news

  • Conflict, natural disasters displaced nearly 60 million in 2021 – Report

    Conflict and natural disasters drove millions of people from their homes last year, bringing the total number of displaced people to a record high of nearly 60 million, according to a study released Thursday by NGOs.

    Internally displaced people numbered 59.1 million in 2021, nearly half of whom were under 18 years old, according to the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC) and the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC).

    Year on year, this figure – which therefore does not include refugees abroad – continues to grow, and a new record is expected to be set in 2022 due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which began on February 24.

    This is the second highest annual figure in a decade, behind 2020, which saw a record number of displacements due to a series of natural disasters.

    “The year 2022 looks bleak,” including the war in Ukraine, IDMC director Alexandra Bilak warned at a press conference.

    More than eight million people were internally displaced in Ukraine, more than two months after the invasion of the country by Russia, according to the UN.

    The situation in the world “has never been so bad”, observed the secretary general of the NRC, Jan Egeland, who assures that “the world is falling apart”.

    “The situation today is really incredibly much worse than our record figure suggests. We need world leaders to make a titanic shift in their thinking about conflict avoidance and resolution, to stop this spiraling human suffering,” he said.

    Sub-Saharan Africa

    Last year, sub-Saharan Africa was the region with the highest number of internal displacements (many people moving more than once), including more than five million in Ethiopia alone, a country in the grip of severe drought and where conflict broke out in late 2020 in the Tigray region. This is the highest number ever recorded in a single country.

    Unprecedented numbers were also recorded last year in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Afghanistan, where the return of the Taliban to power combined with drought has caused many people to flee their homes.

    In Burma, where the military took power in a coup in February 2021, displacement also reached record levels.

    The Middle East and North Africa, on the other hand, saw the lowest levels of new displacement in a decade as conflicts in Syria, Libya, and Iraq de-escalated somewhat, but the total number of displaced people in the region remains high.

    For example, Syria still had the largest number of conflict-induced IDPs, at 6.7 million at the end of 2021. This is followed by the DRC (5.3 million) and Colombia (5.2 million), as well as Afghanistan and Yemen (4.3 million each).

    Natural disasters

    Although the number of people displaced by conflict continues to grow, natural disasters remain the primary reason people are forced to flee their homes (23.7 million displacements in 2021).

    As many as 94% of these displacements were attributed to weather and climate-related disasters, such as cyclones, floods and drought, which are becoming more frequent and intense due to climate change.

    70% of the internal displacement related to natural disasters in 2021 was recorded in China, the Philippines and India.

    But increasingly, conflict and natural disasters are going hand in hand, Egeland said.

    Source: Africa news

  • Platinum Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II: Eight towns to be made cities

    Eight new cities have been named for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, with at least one in every UK nation – and on the Falkland Islands and Isle of Man.

    Milton Keynes in England, Dunfermline in Scotland, Bangor in Northern Ireland and Wrexham in Wales all get the title.

    It is a first for places in an Overseas Territory – Stanley, in the Falklands – and a crown dependency – Douglas, in the Isle of Man – to win city status.

    Colchester and Doncaster complete the list getting the royal honour.

    The Platinum Jubilee civic honours competition required applicants to show their cultural heritage and royal links as well as how their local identity and communities meant they deserved to be granted city status.

    The new cities can expect a boost to local communities and the opening up of new opportunities for people who live there, the Cabinet Office said.

    It cited research that suggested previous winner Perth, in Scotland, saw the local economy expand by 12% in the decade it was granted city status, after it put them on the international map as a place to do business.

    Map showing new Jubilee cities

    The last competition to win civic honours in 2012 marked the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. For the first time this year, Crown Dependencies and Overseas Territories were allowed to apply.

    The announcement of the latest civic honours takes the number of official cities in mainland UK to 76, with 55 in England, eight in Scotland, seven in Wales and six in Northern Ireland.

    The winners and details from their bids for city status include:

    Bangor, County Down, Northern Ireland

    BangorPA MEDIA
    Due to its location at the mouth of the Belfast Lough, Bangor was a key site for the Allies during the Second World War
    • Due to its location at the mouth of the Belfast Lough, Bangor, with a population of 61,011, was a key site for the Allies during the Second World War
    • In May 1944, Supreme Commander of Allied Forces Dwight D Eisenhower, who later became US president, gave a speech to 30,000 assembled troops in Bangor shortly before ships left for Normandy and the D-Day landings
    • The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh visited Bangor Castle in 1961 and, after lunching at the Royal Ulster Yacht Club that day, the duke took part in a regatta race

    Colchester, Essex, England

    Colchester CastleGETTY IMAGES
    Colchester Castle was built on the foundations of a Roman temple
    • Colchester, with a population of 119,441, is Britain’s first recorded settlement and its first capital
    • It has been a garrison town for the past 165 years and for the past 21 years has been home to 16 Air Assault Brigade, the UK’s rapid response force
    • It is the second Essex town to become a city this year after Southend was given the status in October following the death of MP Sir David Amess, who often championed its campaign for city status

    Doncaster, South Yorkshire, England

    Flying ScotsmanGETTY IMAGES
    The Flying Scotsman locomotive was built in Doncaster
    • Originally a Roman settlement, Doncaster, which has a population of 110,000, is almost 2,000 years old
    • Noted for its railway heritage, the Flying Scotsman and the Mallard locomotives were both built there
    • It is also home to the St Leger flat course. Founded in 1776, it is the oldest classic horse race in the world and has been attended by the Queen and other royals throughout history

    Douglas, Isle of Man

    Douglas Isle of ManGETTY IMAGES
    Douglas is the island’s main port
    • The Queen is patron of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) which started in Douglas, which has a population of 26,677 (2021 census)
    • Its Royal Hall plays host to annual flagship concerts by the Isle of Man Symphony Orchestra, the Isle of Man Choral Society and the Manx Last Night of the Proms

    Dunfermline, Fife, Scotland

    DunfermlineGETTY IMAGES
    Dunfermline’s most famous son is Andrew Carnegie,whose steel industry helped build America
    • Its annual fireworks display attracts some 30,000 local people, while the Christmas light event packed the town centre with 10,000 people
    • Dunfermline’s most famous son is Andrew Carnegie whose steel industry helped build America. His philanthropy started the world’s public library system, and he gave away the equivalent of £65bn in today’s money
    • Dunfermline, with a population of 58,508 was one of the seats of the kings of Scotland in the middle ages. Robert the Bruce was buried in Dunfermline Abbey after his death in 1329

    Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, England

    MK Dons stadiumPA
    Milton Keynes is the home of MK Dons, formed in 2004
    • It was created in 1967 to alleviate housing shortages in overcrowded London
    • With an urban area population of 171,750 (2011 census), it has 27 conservation areas, 50 scheduled monuments, 1,100 listed buildings and 270 works of public art
    • The Open University, the world’s first degree-awarding, distance learning institution, was set up in Milton Keynes in 1967; and its University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust established the nation’s first independent medical school

    Stanley, Falkland Islands

    Whalebone Arch at Port StanleyGETTY IMAGES
    The Whalebone arch in Stanley was erected in 1933 to mark a century of British administration
    • Members of the Royal Family have regularly visited the islands, including the late Duke of Edinburgh in 1957. In 2016, the Duke of Cambridge spent six weeks on the islands as a search and rescue helicopter pilot
    • Holidays and events specific to the islands, which had a population of 2,458 in 2016 (according to its most recent census), are held annually – such as Peat Cutting Monday. The sacrifices made during the Falklands War are also remembered – 2022 marks 40 years since the conflict

    Wrexham, north east Wales

    Wrexham Butchers MarketSTEPHEN CRAVEN/GEOGRAPH
    Wrexham has tried to become a city three times since 2000
    • Established in 1864, Wrexham Football Club is among the oldest professional football clubs in the UK and is owned by Hollywood stars – the actor Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, creator of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia
    • The area, with a population of 61,603, is home to the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, a Unesco World Heritage site

    Almost 40 locations submitted bids for city status when applications opened last year.

    City status is often associated with having a cathedral, university, or large population, but there are no set rules for being granted the status, which is awarded by the monarch on advice of ministers.

    Chelmsford, in England, Lisburn in Northern Ireland and Newport in Wales were among previous winners of the competition for city status – which has taken place during each of the last three jubilee years.

    Each new city will receive the award formally through a Letters Patent, which will be presented later in the year.

    Meanwhile, the city of Southampton has won the competition for Lord Mayoralty status – which means the mayor can be called Lord Mayor – joining the ranks of previous Jubilee competition winners including Chester, Exeter and Armagh.

    Source: BBC 

  • US to arm Ukraine with anti-ship missiles – reports

    US officials are considering arming the Ukrainian military with advanced anti-ship missiles, the Reuters news agency has reported.

    Citing Biden administration officials, the report says the White House could offer Kyiv Boeing Harpoon and Naval Strike missiles with which to target the Russian Black Fleet, which is currently blockading Ukrainian ports.

    UK defence officials have said that around 20 Russian Navy vessels, including submarines, are active in the region.

    Officials are said to believe the arms could help force Russian ships away from Ukrainian territory and allow shipments of grain and other agricultural products to resume.

    But the missiles, which cost around $1.5m (£1.2m) per round and have a range of 300km, are mainly sea based missiles, meaning Ukraine could face difficulty firing it from shore.

    Source: BBC

  • North Korea: Fighting Covid with traditional medicine

    North Korea is grappling with the spread of Covid in an unvaccinated population, without access to effective anti-viral drugs.

    In early 2020, the country sealed its borders to try to insulate itself from the pandemic.

    Its leadership has so far rejected outside medical support.

    We’ve been monitoring state media, which is recommending various traditional treatments to deal with what is referred to as “fever”.

    Hot drinks

    For those not seriously ill, ruling-party newspaper Rodong Simnun recommended remedies including ginger or honeysuckle tea and a willow-leaf drink.

    People sit near a screen showing a news broadcast at a train station in Seoul on May 12, 2022, of North Koreas leader Kim Jong Un appearing in a face mask on television for the first time to order nationwide lockdowns after the North confirmed its first-ever Covid-19 cases.GETTY IMAGES
    North Korean leader Kim Jong Un appeared in a face mask to order nationwide lockdowns

    Hot drinks might soothe some Covid symptoms, such as a sore throat or cough, and help hydration when patients are losing more fluid than normal.

    Ginger and willow leaf also relieve inflammation and reduce pain.

    But they are not a treatment for the virus itself.

    Salt water

    State media recently interviewed a couple who recommended gargling with salt water morning and night.

    A “thousand of tonnes of salt” had been sent to Pyongyang to make an “antiseptic solution”, the state news agency reported.

    Some studies suggest gargling and nasal rinses with salt water combat viruses that cause the common cold.

    But there is little evidence they slow the spread of Covid.

    Army personnel in pharmacy in North KoreaREUTERS
    The army has been brought in to distribute medical supplies

    Mouthwash could kill the virus in the lab, a study found.

    But it has not convincingly been shown to help in humans.

    Covid is mainly caught by inhaling tiny droplets in the air via the nose as well as the mouth, so gargling attacks only one point of entry.

    And once the virus has entered, it replicates and spreads deep into the organs, where no amount of gargling can reach.

    Painkillers and antibiotics

    State television has advised patients to use painkillers such as ibuprofen as well as amoxicillin and other antibiotics.

    Boxes of paracetamol on shelfGETTY IMAGES
    Painkillers can help with symptoms – but will not stop the virus

    Ibuprofen (and paracetamol) can bring down a temperature and ease symptoms such as headache or sore throat.

    But they will not clear the virus or prevent it developing.

    Antibiotics, meant for bacterial infections not viruses, are not recommended.

    And using antibiotics unnecessarily risks developing resistant bugs.

    Laboratory research suggests some may slow the spread of some viruses, including Covid.

    But these have not been replicated in the real world.

    And a study of the antibiotic azithromycin found it made little or no difference to Covid symptoms, the likelihood of hospital admission or death.

    There are some approved drugs to prevent people with Covid ending up in hospital:

    • antivirals paxlovid, molnupiravir and remdesivir
    • antibody therapies that mimic the immune system

    But their effectiveness is variable.

    Health system

    North Korea’s health system has been set up to offer free medical care from basic services at village level up to specialised treatment in government hospitals (usually in urban centres).

    But the economy has contracted in recent years because of sanctions and extreme weather such as droughts.

    Closing the country’s borders and strict lockdown measures will also have had a damaging impact.

    Screengrab from Korean state TVKCTV
    State media has reported Covid cases and referred to isolation treatment

    Particularly weak outside Pyongyang, the health system is thought to suffer shortages of personnel, medicines and equipment.

    A report for the UN, last year, said: “Some of the pharmaceutical, vaccination and medical-appliance plants do not reach the level of good practice of the WHO [World Health Organization] and do not meet local demand as well.”

    Many North Korean defectors to South Korea have told of having to pay for medication or finding treatment and drugs limited to privileged members of the ruling party.

    But state media says it is now increasing production.

    International aid

    North Korea turned down three million Chinese-made doses, last year – and reportedly rejected other offers – under Covax, the global vaccine-sharing scheme.

    South Korea says it has had no reply to its offer of vaccines, medical supplies and personnel.

    North Korea has reportedly recently sent three planes to collect medical supplies from Shenyang.

    These had not included “anti-pandemic supplies”, the Chinese foreign ministry said, but it was “ready to work with North Korea… in the fight against the coronavirus”.

    Source: BBC

  • Ukraine war: US fully backs Sweden and Finland Nato bids, Biden says

    Sweden and Finland have the “full, total and complete backing” of the US in their decision to apply for Nato membership, President Joe Biden says.

    Both countries submitted their applications to be part of the Western defence alliance this week, marking a major shift in European geopolitics.

    To join the alliance, the two nations need the support of all 30 Nato member states.

    But the move by the Nordic nations has been opposed by Turkey.

    Speaking alongside Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson and Finnish President Sauli Niinisto at the White House on Thursday, Mr Biden called Sweden and Finland’s applications “a watershed moment in European security”.

    “New members joining Nato is not a threat to any nation,” he said. The president added that having two new members in the “high north” would “enhance the security of our allies and deepen our security co-operation across the board”.

    Russia has repeatedly said it sees Nato as a threat and has warned of “consequences” if the block proceeds with its expansion plans.

    Turkey has accused both Sweden and Finland of hosting suspected militants from the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), a group it views as a terrorist organisation.

    However, both Nato Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg and British Defence Minister Ben Wallace have expressed confidence that these concerns will eventually be addressed.

    Mr Biden’s comments came as the US Senate voted to approve a new $40bn (£32bn) bill to provide military and humanitarian aid to Ukraine. It is the biggest emergency aid package so far for Ukraine.

    The bill – which was passed by the House of Representatives with broad bipartisan support on 10 May – was expected to be passed earlier this week, but was blocked by Kentucky Republican Rand Paul over a dispute about spending oversight.

    But the Republican’s Senate leader Mitch McConnell dismissed these concerns and told reporters that Congress had a “moral responsibility” to support “a sovereign democracy’s self-defence”.

    “Anyone concerned about the cost of supporting a Ukrainian victory should consider the much larger cost should Ukraine lose,” Mr McConnell said.

    Last week, Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin and Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged Congress to approve the package and warned that the US military only had enough funds to send weapons to Kyiv until 19 May.

    Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky praised the aid package as “a significant US contribution to the restoration of peace and security in Ukraine, Europe and the world”.

    The package brings the total US aid delivered to Ukraine to more than $50bn, including $6bn for security assistance such as training, equipment, weapons and support.

    Another $8.7bn will be allocated to replenish stocks of US equipment already sent to Ukraine.

    Source: BBC

  • NSS personnel battling to keep up after 20% increase in transport fares

    Ghanaians participating in the country’s required service, National Service Scheme (NSS) believe they are the most affected by the Ghana Private Road Transport Union’s 20% increase in transport fares on May 7.

    Christian Yalley expressed his dissatisfaction with the fact that transportation consumes more than half of his monthly allowance of GH559.04.

    Due to the nature of his profession, he commutes from Legon to Kokomlemle every weekday and occasionally on weekends. He used to pay GH4 to get from Legon to Kwame Nkrumah Circle, but now he has to spend GH5.

    He should typically pay GH4.80 as the new fare to reflect the 20% increase.

    “Now when you move from Circle to Legon, you pay GH6 instead of GH5. I used to pay GH9.00 daily for transportation but now it is GH11. This has really become a fly in the ointment for me and it is the same with other NSS persons.”

    Based on the number of days he works in a month, he spends about GH330 on transportation.

    Christian now has GH229.04 to spend on food, health, and emergencies.

    “That is really biting hard considering the meager allowance we receive as National Service Personnel.”

     

    Another NSS source, who asked to remain anonymous, expressed concern about the deteriorating situation.

    Kojo (not his real name) spends nearly GH20 to go from Kotobabi to his workplace in Korle-Bu and back. He crosses the GH20 threshold due to an unforeseeable situation.

    Working 20 days in a month means devoting GH400 on transportation, leaving him with less than GH200 to live on.

    They believe that an increase in the allowance offered to NSS workers would be sufficient to protect them from the country’s exorbitant living costs.

    “One way this could be rectified is increasing the allowance. If a GH100 or GH200 is added to the existing GH559 that we take, that could cushion most of us.

    GPRTU previously urged Ghanaians to understand why they had to raise transportation fares by 20%.

    The rise in transportation expenses, according to Mr. Godfred Abulbire, the Union’s General Secretary, is intended to allow Union members to pay the cost of maintenance and service supply while reducing the effects of rising fuel prices.

    Mr Abulbire claimed that the pricing may have been higher, but leadership chose not to take into account the rise in spare component prices and insurance company fees.

    “Most of our members from the regions, drew our attention to the fact that we should let them charge 20 per cent for the fact that most of the citizens are not (in the best position). Leadership understood that and readdressed them to increase by 20 per cent. We are limiting our increment based on fuel. Our fares being increased by 20 per cent is fair,” he told Citinews.

    Source: The Independent Ghana

  • Armed robbers attack fuel station, shoot CEO and bolt with money

    Gunmen on a motorbike raided ‘R n P’ fuel station in Walewale in the West Mamprusi Municipality of the North East Region and bolted with an unspecified amount of money between the hours of 7 pm and 8 pm on May 17, 2022. 

    The bandits shot the owner of the fuel station who went unconscious in the process and was sent to the Walewale Government Hospital.

    According to the cousin of the fuel station CEO, his uncle was with the manager at the station when the armed robbers invaded the place and asked all those around to lie down but one of them moved to the CEO and shot him at the occiput.

    “It was yesterday in the evening that two guys invaded the area and went to the filling station first and picked some money. He was on hands up and they followed him into the office, so he was just entering and they shot him at the occiput but the bullets didn’t penetrate too much. So they sent him to hospital,” Sadat said.

    The Assemblyman for Kukuazugu electoral area, Seidu Kamal Gazirey, who confirmed this to GhanaWeb, said the robbers have robbed the residents almost five times in the Month (May) alone within Walewale township.

    He is calling on the IGP and the Interior Minister to deploy enough police personnel to the West Mamprusi Municipality.

    “Is even a series of robberies. If you look at this month alone, per what I have counted myself, we have almost five of them at a glow within this month.

    “In fact, IGP in collaboration with the Interior Minister should try as much as they can to see how they can help Walewale with enough police personnel,” Seidu Kamal appealed.

    The CEO of the said fuel station, Musah Abdul-Rahman was treated and later discharged from the Walewale government hospital.

    Source: Ghanaweb

  • Sri Lanka defaults on debt for first time in its history

    Sri Lanka has defaulted on its debt for the first time in its history as the country struggles with its worst financial crisis in more than 70 years.

    It comes after a 30 day grace period to repay $78m (£63m) of unpaid debt interest payments expired on Wednesday.

    The governor of Sri Lanka‘s central bank said the country was now in a “pre-emptive default”.

    Defaults happen when governments are unable to meet some or all of their debt payments to creditors.

    It can damage a country’s reputation, making it harder to borrow the money it needs on international markets, which can further harm confidence in its currency and economy.

    Asked whether the country was now in default, central bank governor P Nandalal Weerasinghe said: “Our position is very clear, we said that until they come to the restructure [of our debts], we will not be able to pay. So that’s what you call pre-emptive default.

    “There can be technical definitions… from their side they can consider it a default. Our position is very clear, until there is a debt restructure, we cannot repay,” he added.

    Sri Lanka is seeking to restructure debts of more than $50bn it owes to foreign creditors, to make it more manageable to repay.

    The country’s economy has been hit hard by the pandemic, rising energy prices, and populist tax cuts. A chronic shortage of foreign currency and soaring inflation had led to a severe shortage of medicines, fuel and other essentials.

    In recent weeks, there have been large, sometimes violent, protests against President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and his family due to the growing crisis.

    The country has already started talks with the International Monetary Fund over a bailout and needs to renegotiate its debt agreements with creditors.

    The government has said previously that it needs as much as $4bn this year.

    Mr Weerasinghe also warned that Sri Lanka’s already very high rate of inflation was likely to rise further.

    “Inflation obviously is around 30%. It will go even [higher], headline inflation will go around 40% in the next couple of months,” he said.

    Source: BBC

  • Billy Sharp: Fan jailed for headbutting player at end of match

    A fan has been jailed after running on to a pitch and headbutting a footballer at the end of Nottingham Forest’s play-off match with Sheffield United.

    Billy Sharp, Sheffield United’s captain, was attacked after his side lost to Forest on penalties.

    Sharp was knocked to the ground and required four stitches to his lip.

    Forest season ticket holder Robert Biggs, 30, pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm and was jailed for 24 weeks.

    At Nottingham Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, Biggs, from Church View, Ilkeston, Derbyshire, was ordered to pay £500 compensation to Sharp, £85 in costs and a £128 victim surcharge.

    Biggs, who Nottingham Forest have said will be banned for life, was also given a 10-year football banning order.

    ‘Deliberate and senseless’

    Prosecutor Marianne Connally said the attack was caught by cameras covering the Championship semi-final for live television.

    “Mr Sharp hadn’t directly participated in the game. He appears to be standing with his hands in his pockets,” she said.

    “Mr Biggs can be seen to run along the pitch. He then headbutts Mr Sharp.

    Pitch invasion at City GroundPA MEDIA
    Crowds poured on to the pitch at the end of the penalty shootout

    In sentencing, District Judge Grace Leong said: “The video clip proves to me that you were running towards Billy Sharp and that you dodged all the other spectators to get towards him.

    “I am of the view that it was a targeted act of aggression… even if it was not premeditated.

    “You must have seen him fall over but you did not stop to check if he was all right or whether he was seriously injured.”

    The judge had been urged to hand down a suspended sentence on Biggs, who claimed he and his girlfriend would not be able to keep up monthly mortgage repayments if he was jailed.

    But the judge said: “Given the gravity of this offence, where thousands were present to witness it, there has to be an element of deterrence.”

    The judge added the attack could have “given rise to further incidents”.

    “The crown’s case is that this is a deliberate and senseless act of violence. It’s an assault on an employee, effectively in his place of work.”

    ‘Not targeted on player’

    Defence solicitor Rachel Gowans said Biggs handed himself in to police in the early hours of Wednesday after seeing video footage of the attack on social media.

    She told the court Biggs had drunk “a quantity of alcohol” at a pub near the City Ground and “just followed” two friends on to the pitch.

    Ms Gowans said: “He says that in effect he got carried away in the moment… as did a number of people. His sole intention was to get to the tunnel. He remembers running towards the players but to the left of Billy Sharp, looking at the crowd… and then running straight into somebody.

    “He accepts that he has collided with the right side of the player’s cheek. It’s not targeted on the player.”

    Biggs was told a separate charge of illegally entering the playing surface had been dropped.

    Robert BiggsNOTTINGHAMSHIRE POLICE
    Robert Biggs said he had downed six pints of beer before the game and another at half-time, according to police

    After the hearing, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said it was working with footballing bodies to explain what evidence was required to charge offenders to help clubs protect players.

    The CPS said this would ensure they had the evidence they needed “to build the strongest case possible”.

    Douglas Mackay, of the CPS, said: “Over recent years and months there has been a significant rise in football-related criminality compared to pre-pandemic levels.

    “There is no place for violent criminal acts in football, and incidents such as these have a significant impact on victims.”

    Source: BBC

  • Qatar World Cup: Amnesty calls on Fifa to set up £350m fund for migrant workers

    Fifa has been urged to set up a compensation fund of at least $440m (£350m) for migrant workers who have suffered “human rights abuses” during preparations for the Qatar World Cup.

    Amnesty International made the request in a letter to Fifa president Gianni Infantino.

    The letter states: “Until all workers are compensated, the tournament cannot be truly celebrated.”

    The sum suggested is equal to the 2022 World Cup prize money fund.

    It is estimated up to 30,000 migrant labourers have been used on projects to build seven stadiums for the finals in Qatar, as well as a new airport, new metro and new roads.

    Amnesty, along with other human rights organisations and fans’ groups, have called on Fifa not only to support workers who have died or been injured, but who have had pay withheld by employers or been forced to pay recruitment fees in order to secure work.

    Amnesty International’s UK chief executive Sacha Deshmukh said there was a role to play for the England team, manager Gareth Southgate and the Football Association to put pressure on Fifa to act.

    “Thousands of migrant workers have been exploited and many have tragically died to make this World Cup possible, so we hope the FA and Gareth Southgate and the players will back this innovative scheme to secure much-needed compensation for long-suffering workers’ families,” he said.

    “Nothing can bring dead workers back to life or restore the dignity of those who were trapped in conditions amounting to modern-day slavery during Qatar’s World Cup building boom, but a Fifa workers’ fund would still be an important move.”

    Fifa said it was assessing the programme proposed by Amnesty and was already looking at ways to compensate workers in association with the organising committee.

    “Through the recruitment fee reimbursement scheme, for example, both Fifa World Cup and non-Fifa World Cup workers have received payments of a total $22.6m (£18m) as of December 2021, with an additional $5.7m (£4.5m) committed by contractors,” it said.

    Qatar’s World Cup organisers added they had “worked tirelessly” with international groups for the rights of workers on stadiums and other tournament projects.

    A spokesperson for the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy said: “Significant improvements have been made across accommodation standards, health and safety regulations, grievance mechanisms, healthcare provision, and reimbursements of illegal recruitment fees to workers.”

    Source: BBC

  • KNUST researchers develop technology to help people escape from inferno

    Researchers at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) have come up with an invention that enables individuals to quickly escape from a building caught on fire.

    The invention is a detachable window that holds glass louvres and metal bars together. An individual is able to move all the listed items at once without having to break the glass louvres in order to escape.

    Professor Divine Ahadzie, the Head of the Centre for Settlements Studies at the Faculty of Built Environment says the invention is in response to clause 90 of the National Building Regulation (NBR) (L.I. 1630), enacted in 1996.

    “The traditional window has been constructed over the years (in a way such that) there is no means of escape for opening.”

    “We looked at it critically and saw that there is the need to be able to fabricate this window to be able to respond to that.”

    The former Vice-Dean of the Faculty of Built Environment called on the stakeholders in private sector to invest and produce these windows on a large scale.

    He spoke to Citinews on the sidelines of a 4-day science and technology exhibition as part of KNUST’s 70th anniversary.

    Some inventions the school has come up with include a solar-powered traffic light, wireless quiz buzzer, self-driving car using computer vision devices.

    The National Building Regulation (NBR) (L.I. 1630) was enacted in 1996 in Ghana to regulate the erection of buildings, alteration of building structures and execute works or install fittings in connection with any building.

    Regulation 90 of NBR (L.I. 1630) states the following:

    (1) In the event of fire it shall be possible to escape from every habitable room, shop or workroom by means of at least one opening in addition to the door. The area of this opening shall be not less than 0.40m² and neither the height nor width shall be less than 0.45m² in the clear, the bottom shall be not more than 0.75 above floor level.

    (2) An escape opening shall be considered to satisfy this provision —
    (a) where metal bars, expanded metal or louvres are fitted over the escape opening as a protection against burglary and are fixed to a casement which can be opened and where this casement is locked or padlocked shut, the key is kept in a glass fronted box fixed to a wall of the room at least 1.0m from the opening; or
    (b) where glass louvres are used, they must be capable of being quickly smashed or otherwise removed and flyscreen cut or removed without delay.

    (3) The following requirements for air flow and natural ventilation shall apply also —
    (a) where each external wall of the room is not less than 0.30m thick and exerts a stress of at least 4,311 pascals of vertical superficial area, the total area available for airflow and natural ventilation shall not be less than one-fortieth of the floor area of the room provided that nothing in this provision shall require any part of the opening to be less than 2m above floor level;
    (b) where an external wall located between south-east and south-west or an external wall facing between north-east and north-west is shaded from the direct rays of the sun by eaves or other projection which extends at least 1.2m from the outer surface of the wall —
    (i) the total area available for the airflow and natural ventilation shall be not less than one twelfth of the floor area of the room; and
    (ii) the bottom of this opening shall be not less than 1.0m above floor level.

    (4) In all climates where air flow and natural ventilation is through a covered balcony or verandah the area of such an opening shall be not less than one eighth of the combined floor areas of the room and balcony or verandah added together.

    Source: The Independent Ghana

  • Fuel price hikes: Boat operators in Nanumba South increase fares

    Boat operators in Nanumba South in the Northern Region have adjusted transport fares due to the hike in fuel prices.

    Interacting with Ciitnews, they say the continuous increase in fuel prices is affecting their business.

    “We are very busy on market days. We are always on the river to ferry passengers across. We have increased the fares because of the high cost of fuel prices.”

    One of the canoe operators, Akwesi Jonas, who interacted with the media said an individual is charged GH4, but an additional person brings the cost to GH5.

    Consumers have noted that the increase in fares is affecting their daily spending. According to them, they are currently paying almost double of what they used to pay.

    One Tilechi Ebenezer revealed a GH3 increase in fares following the price adjustment.

    “When we came at first, it was GH4, but now it is GH7. This is a problem for us.”

    Meanwhile, fuel prices are likely to go up in the coming days following a surge in prices of finished petroleum products and crude on the international market.

    In separate analysis of the May 2022 First Pricing Window (May 1 to May 15, 2022), the Chamber of Petroleum Consumers (COPEC) and the Institute for Energy Security (IES) predicted that prices of petrol, diesel and Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) would record a marginal increase on the local market this week.

    Petrol is currently selling at an average GHS9.41 per litre, while diesel is pegged at GHS11.12 per litre an increase of 7.34 per cent from the previous average price of GHS 10.36 per litre.

    In its projections for the May 2022 Second Pricing Window (May 16 to May 31, 2022), COPEC projected that the prices of petrol would go up by 4.74 per cent to settle at GHS9.990 per litre whereas diesel would record a 1.08 per cent gain to settle at GHS11.35 per litre.

    The Chamber also projected that the price of LPG would also go up by 3.76 per cent to sell at GHS10.473/kg.

    Source: The Independent Ghana

  • Minority to file motion in Parliament over killing of Albert Donkor

    The Minority in Parliament is set to file a motion for a parliamentary inquiry into the killing of Albert Donkor in Nkoranza.

    The Ranking Member on the Defence and Interior Committee of Parliament, James Agalga, said given that the deceased did not die while being held in police custody, he believes the police are trying to cover up the matter which has since led to tensions in Nkoranza in the Bono East Region.

    According to him, a parliamentary probe will be critical in unraveling the truth of the matter and helping to restore calm in the area.

    “The report clearly does not speak to the fact that Albert Donkor died in police custody and for me, that is the beginning of the cover-up, and I am not amused at all. We will take steps to file yet another motion,” he said.

    Meanwhile, the Nkoranza South Member of Parliament, Emmanuel Agyekum, says he is worried about the increasing cases of the Ghana Police Service killing citizens suspected to have engaged in one crime or the other without due legal process.

    He fears the practice of extrajudicial killings is gradually becoming a norm in the country.

    Two persons have died in Nkoranza, alleged to have been killed by police officers.

    The first, Albert Donkor is said to have been killed by some police officers who picked him up last week into a private vehicle after he mentioned among friends that he had seen a police officer involved in a robbery incident.

    A student, Victor Kwadwo Owusu was also allegedly killed by police while the youth of Nkoranza were protesting over the alleged killing of Albert Donkor.

    Source: Citinews

  • Cost of living: Stock markets fall amid concern over rising prices

    Stock markets in Asia and the US have fallen over concerns that rising prices could send the global economy into a slowdown.

    US shares saw their biggest one-day drop since 2020 after downbeat earnings reports from some of America’s biggest retailers.

    Target said unexpectedly high fuel and freight costs had cut into profits, which halved compared with a year ago.

    That followed a similarly downbeat update from rival Walmart earlier.

    Japan’s benchmark Nikkei index was 1.8% lower in Asia afternoon trade, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng was down 2.3%.

    That came after the S&P 500 index, which tracks shares of a wide swathe of America’s biggest companies, plunged more than 4% and the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 3.5%.

    The tech-heavy Nasdaq fell 4.7%. The falls added to weeks of declines on US financial markets.

    “What people are worried about after seeing Target is, will more earnings [estimates] have to be taken down?” said Thomas Hayes, chairman of Great Hill Capital in New York.

    “Consumer sentiment is at multi-year lows and tied at the hip with inflation. So people are looking for signs of inflation moderating, and Target did not give them any today.”

    Target’s update sent its shares plunging 25% – the biggest decline in more than three decades.

    The announcements from Target and Walmart were closely watched for signs of how consumer spending is holding up in the world’s largest economy, as inflation reaches 40-year highs.

    Official US government data recently showed retail sales rose a healthy 0.9% in April, but some analysts have warned the figures may be understating signs of slowdown – especially for lower-income families – since they are not adjusted for inflation.

    Earlier this year, Amazon reported a surprise drop in online sales in the first three months of the year.

    Target said sales at stores open for at least a year were up more than 3% in the three months to May compared to 2021. But executives said as prices rise, shoppers are spending more on essentials and cutting back on discretionary items, such as television sets and apparel.

    It warned investors that costs would be $1bn higher than expected this year, driven by fuel and freight. The firm said it did not see supply chain pressures clearing until at least 2023.

    Source: BBC

  • Bush condemns Putin’s invasion of ‘Iraq’ instead of Ukraine

    Former US president George W Bush accidently condemned Vladimir Putin’s invasion of “Iraq”, before correcting himself by saying he was talking about Ukraine.

    Mr Bush made the gaffe during a speech at an event in Dallas, Texas, where he was talking about the importance of fair elections.

    He said, “the decision of one man to launch a wholly unjustified and brutal invasion of Iraq… I mean of Ukraine“.

    Mr Bush was president during the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003 over weapons of mass destruction that were never found.

    Source: BBC

  • Ukraine invasion could cause global food crisis, UN warns

    Russia’s invasion of Ukraine could soon cause a global food crisis that may last for years, the UN has warned.

    Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the war had worsened food insecurity in poorer nations due to rising prices.

    Some countries could face long-term famines if Ukraine’s exports are not restored to pre-war levels, he added.

    The conflict has cut-off supplies from Ukraine’s ports, which once exported vast amounts of cooking oil as well as cereals such as maize and wheat.

    This has reduced the global supply and caused the price of alternatives to soar. Global food prices are almost 30% higher than the same time last year, according to the UN.

    Speaking in New York on Wednesday, Mr Guterres said the conflict – combined with the effects of climate change and the pandemic – “threatens to tip tens of millions of people over the edge into food insecurity followed by malnutrition, mass hunger and famine”.

    “There is enough food in our world now if we act together. But unless we solve this problem today, we face the spectre of global food shortage in the coming months,” he added.

    He warned that the only effective solution to the crisis was reintegrating Ukraine’s food production, as well as fertiliser produced by both Russia and Belarus, back into the global market.

    Source: BBC

  • Russia says more than 900 Ukrainian fighters sent to prison colony

    More than 900 Ukrainian fighters who had been holed up in Mariupol’s Azovstal steel plant have been taken to a prison colony in Russian-controlled territory, Moscow has said.

    Ukraine ordered troops there to stand down as part of a deal struck by both sides, as it attempts to save their lives. Food and water supplies have reportedly been scarce in the plant for several weeks.

    A Russian foreign ministry spokesperson, Maria Zakharova, said on Wednesday that 959 Ukrainian service personnel had surrendered since Tuesday. Of those, 51 were being treated for their injuries and the remainder had been sent to a former prison colony in the town of Olenivka in a Russian-controlled area of the Donetsk region.

    The defence ministry in Kyiv said it was hoping for an “exchange procedure… to repatriate these Ukrainian heroes as quickly as possible”, according to AFP.

    Their fate remains unclear, with Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov refusing to say whether they would be treated as criminals or prisoners of war.

    Ukraine’s defence ministry pledged to do “everything necessary” to rescue those still in the sprawling network of tunnels and bunkers under the steel plant, but admitted there was no military option available.

    Source: BBC

  • 4 suspects break jail in the U/E Region while singing praise and worship

    Four suspects have escaped from police custody in the Talensi District of the Upper East Region.

    They are being charged with defilement, theft and other related crimes.

    The four who escaped include Fawas Musah, Francis Dabang and Kwojo Dinaya.

    The prisoners broke jail by removing a block out of the cell wall in the bathroom, according to Sergeant Lariba Abilba, Constable Kichekpa Ju Napoleon Banu and Constable Ntiamoah Elizabeth.

    The officers who were on duty suspect the prisoners used singing of praises and worship as a guise to escape.

    To ensure they are recaptured, police personnel are on a manhunt for these four suspects.

    Source: The Independent Ghana



  • Idrissa Gueye refuses to wear PSG shirt featuring rainbow symbol

    Paris St-Germain’s Idrissa Gueye refused to play in a match to avoid wearing a rainbow symbol in support of LGBTQ+ rights, BBC Sport understands.

    The 32-year-old former Aston Villa and Everton midfielder was absent from Saturday’s 4-0 win over Montpellier.

    PSG boss Mauricio Pochettino said only that Gueye missed the game for “personal reasons”.

    The French Football Federation (FFF) has reportedly written to Gueye to clarify why he was absent.

    BBC Sport has approached Gueye’s representatives for comment.

    Crystal Palace’s Cheikhou Kouyate and Watford’s Ismaila Sarr have posted on social media in apparent support of their Senegal team-mate’s stance.

    Kouyate posted a picture of himself alongside Gueye on Instagram, with a caption calling Gueye “a real man”. Watford winger Sarr posted a picture of him and Gueye accompanied by three heart emojis and the caption “100%”.

    In response to Sarr’s post, Watford reiterated their commitment to equality and diversity, adding “this includes the willingness to offer further education and support to any of its employees”.

    At a news conference on Wednesday, Crystal Palace boss Patrick Vieira said if his player had posted in relation to Gueye, he would speak to them. “It’s going to be an in-house conversation,” he added.

    Homosexuality is illegal in Senegal and punishable by prison sentences of up to five years.

    Angel di Maria and Lionel Messi
    French top-flight clubs wore rainbow-designed shirt numbers to show their solidarity with LGBTQ+ rights

    For the second successive season, clubs in France have been invited to mark 17 May’s International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia by wearing rainbow-design numbers on the back of their shirts.

    In addition to missing Saturday’s win over Montpellier, Gueye, who arrived at PSG for £30m in July 2019, missed last year’s show of solidarity citing gastroenteritis, according to Le Parisien newspaper, who first reported the reason for his absence.

    The AFP news agency said on Wednesday it had seen a letter from the FFF’s ethics board calling on Gueye to explain why he missed Saturday’s game.

    The letter, says AFP, calls for him to “issue a public apology” or to say that the rumours he refused to play are “unfounded”.

    The letter reportedly adds if he did refuse to play he would be “validating discriminatory behaviour”.

    PSG said on Wednesday that they were “very proud to wear this shirt”.

    “The biggest stars of world football were on the field on Saturday and expressed the club’s commitment to the fight against homophobia and all forms of discrimination,” it added.

    Gueye’s stance has been supported by prominent politicians in Senegal.

    The country’s president Macky Sall wrote on Twitter that Gueye’s Muslim beliefs must be respected, while sport minister Matar Ba wrote that Gueye was backed by his country’s people, alongside a picture of the midfielder on pilgrimage to Mecca.

    Source: BBC

  • Czech plan to help Russians fleeing state persecution

    The Czech government has approved a programme to help citizens of Russia and Belarus who have fled persecution in their home countries.

    The programme, called Civil Society, will make it easier for the Czech authorities to grant visas to Russians and Belarussians if they can show they face persecution for opposing undemocratic regimes at home.

    Independent journalists and academics were likely to be among those who could take advantage of the programme, foreign minister Jan Lipavsky said.

    Belarussian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya recently appealed to the Czech authorities on a trip to Prague to provide protection for activists forced to flee Belarus.

    Source: BBC

  • Russian soldier pleads guilty in first war crimes trial of Ukraine conflict

    A 21-year-old Russian soldier has pleaded guilty to killing an unarmed civilian, in the first war crimes trial in Ukraine since the war started.

    Vadim Shishimarin admitted shooting a 62-year-old man a few days after the invasion began. He faces life in jail.

    The prisoner was brought into the tiny Kyiv courtroom in handcuffs, flanked by heavily armed guards. He looked nervous, and kept his head bowed.

    Just a couple of metres from him, the widow of the man killed was sitting.

    She wiped tears from her eyes as the soldier entered court, then sat with hands clasped as the prosecutor set out his case, describing the moment Kateryna’s husband was shot in the head.

    “Do you accept your guilt?” the judge asked. “Yes,” Shishimarin replied.

    “Totally?” “Yes,” he replied quietly from behind the glass of his grey metal-and-glass cage.

    Prosecutors say Shishimarin was commanding a unit in a tank division when his convoy came under attack.

    He and four other soldiers stole a car, and as they travelled near Chupakhivka, they encountered the 62-year-old on a bicycle, they said.

    According to prosecutors, Shishimarin was ordered to kill the civilian and used a Kalashnikov assault rifle to do so.

    The Kremlin said earlier it was not informed about the case.

    Shishimarin’s trial was adjourned shortly after the civilian’s widow heard for the first time the Russian soldier admit to the murder. This high profile hearing will restart on Thursday in a larger courtroom.

    Kateryna, the 62 year-old’s widow, told the BBC how she was coping, before she left the court for the day.

    “I feel very sorry for him [Shishimarin],” she said. “But for a crime like that – I can’t forgive him.”

    Ukraine has so far identified more than 10,000 possible war crimes committed by Russia.

    The country’s chief prosecutor Iryna Venediktova tweeted: “By this first trial, we are sending a clear signal that every perpetrator, every person who ordered or assisted in the commission of crimes in Ukraine shall not avoid responsibility,”

    Moscow has denied its troops have targeted civilians, but investigators have been collecting evidence of possible war crimes to bring before the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague.

    The ICC is sending a team of 42 investigators, forensics experts and support staff to Ukraine. Meanwhile, Ukraine has also set up a team to preserve evidence to enable future prosecutions.

    Source: BBC

  • Netflix cuts 150 US-based jobs after losing subscribers

    Netflix has made about 150 staff redundant, a month after the streaming service said it was losing subscribers for the first time in a decade.

    The redundancies, announced by the entertainment giant on Tuesday, will mainly affect its US office in California. They account for about 2% of its North American workforce.

    Netflix said the job losses were due to the slump in the company’s revenue.

    The streaming service is battling an exodus of viewers this year.

    “These changes are primarily driven by business needs rather than individual performance, which makes them especially tough as none of us want to say goodbye to such great colleagues,” the company said in a statement.

    It wasn’t disclosed which parts of the business would see job losses, but the Los Angeles Times reported that recruiting, communications and also the content department were all affected.

    Some people also disclosed their job loss online.

    In April, the streaming giant shocked the industry when it revealed it had lost 200,000 subscribers in the first three months of 2022, and warned another two million were expected to quit in the coming quarter.

    The news sparked an investor sell-off, with the firm’s stock plunging 35% in one day. It is now trading at $190 (£152), a 46% drop on its previous premium.

    While Netflix has 220 million subscribers globally and remains the clear market leader, it has faced fierce competition in recent years with the arrival of competitor platforms such as Disney Plus, HBO, and Amazon’s Prime Video.

    In its earnings report last month, the company also said the war in Ukraine and the decision to raise its prices in the US had cost it subscribers.

    Pulling out of the Russian market alone had cost the service 700,000 members, it revealed.

    Along with job losses, the company is also cutting content and pulling back on its own creations. Earlier in May it cancelled development of Pearl, an animated series created by Meghan Markle, in its move to cut costs.

    Some analysts say that after a surge in sign-ups during the pandemic, Netflix has run out of easy ways to grow the business.

    The company says it’s looking at a cheaper, ad-based model and also planning on cracking down on password sharing which has cost it 100 million households.

    Netflix is not alone in making job cuts. In recent weeks, a slew of US tech companies from start-ups to big names such as Uber and Twitter have said they are slowing or freezing hiring, or, like online car sales firm Carvana, announced redundancies, citing a downturn.

    Source: BBC

  • Togo opens border it shares with Ghana

    Togo opened its side of the border with Ghana at midnight yesterday.

    This comes more than 50 days after Ghana had reopened its land borders.

    The Daily Graphic visited some of the border towns, including Aflao, Akanu and Kpoglu-Segbe Border, to ascertain how business was picking up in those places.

    When the Daily Graphic arrived at the border post at Aflao about 8:30 a.m. yesterday, the metal gates which had been closed between the two countries for two years following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic were open.

    The Member of Parliament for Ketu South, Abla Dzifa Gomashie, was among those who turned up early at the border post to see things at first-hand.

    The Kpoglu-Segbe border post was equally quiet when the Daily Graphic visited.

    Desolation

    Although the border had been opened, both sides of the frontier remained desolate, with little human movement and commercial activities across the border.

    “Today is the first day and some people in Lome and Aflao have not yet heard about the reopening,” a senior Togolese Immigration officer who requested anonymity said.

    On the Ghana side, the Aflao Sector Commander of the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS), Assistant Commissioner of Immigration (ACI) Frederick Duodu, said the human and vehicular traffic across the border would definitely increase in subsequent days.

    GIS ready for human traffic

    He gave an assurance that personnel of the Aflao Sector GIS were ready for any upsurge in the number of travellers across the border.

    So far, ACI Duodu said, although people had been eager for Togo to open its side of the border, no untoward incident had occurred along the border.

    The Daily Graphic gathered that some heavy-duty vehicles were using the ECOWAS Border Post at Akanu, near Dzodze, some 50 kilometres from Aflao, and that had largely contributed to the low volume of traffic at the Aflao Border Post.

    Later in the day, a few hawkers turned up at the border post, in the hope of doing brisk business.

    As of 1:30 p.m., 65 Ghanaians and 16 nationals of other ECOWAS countries had entered Lome from Aflao, while about a 100 people had left Lome for Aflao.

    At the Kpoglu-Segbe Border Post, nine Ghanaians had crossed into Togo, while four Togolese had crossed from Togo into Ghana as of 11:06 a.m.

    Identities

    Most of the Ghanaians crossing used their Ghana Cards or passports to cross the border smoothly.

    Interacting with the Daily Graphic, Ms Gomashie expressed gratitude to the leaders of the two countries for listening to the cries of their people.

    “In Ketu South, we hope this will restore our livelihood, which is cross-border commerce,” the National Democratic Congress (NDC) MP said.

    Ms Gomashie entreated people crossing the border to hold valid identities and proof of vaccination against COVID-19 and also be law-abiding all the time.

    Source: Graphic online

  • Is Hertha Berlin return Kevin-Prince Boateng’s lowest career moment?

    From limited playing time, injuries, fallout with the manager, to staring relegation, the 2021-22 football season is unarguably Kevin-Prince Boateng’s worst football time in recent years, perhaps an indication that the time has come for the Hertha Berlin midfielder to consider a different contribution to the beautiful game.

    In June last year, the 35-year-old returned to boyhood club Hertha in what was considered the perfect homecoming. Hertha was not just where he started his professional career but Berlin was also the city where he was born.

    For many, the move in itself suggested that the ‘Ghetto Kid’ was probably considering calling time on his playing career.

    However, the Hertha return appears far from what he may have envisaged, and possibly never the type of goodbye he would like at a club he holds dearly in his heart.

    In all, Boateng made 18 Bundesliga appearances, his limited match time largely due to fitness concerns, which took away steam from his game and plunged him into a loss of form.

    But there is even more to the story.

    Kevin-Prince Boateng Hertha Berlin 2021-22

    Credit: Getty Images

    In October, Boateng fell out with then club coach Pal Dardai after both men had a spat in training. Interestingly, they played together as teammates during the latter’s first Hertha spell.

    Although they made up shortly after their altercation, things were never quite the same as Boateng spent more time on the bench than before, making no further Bundesliga starts under Dardai until April this year under new boss Felix Magath.

    It was not only a tough time for the former Ghana international on a personal note but also at team level as Hertha battled relegation, ultimately failing to secure top-flight status at the end of the season.

    However, it was not the worst possible situation as The Old Lady got themselves a lifeline by finishing third from bottom and securing an upcoming relegation play-off clash with Hamburg.

    In summary, the midfielder played just about half (18) the total number of matches of the Bundesliga season, starting a paltry eight games, the lowest number of starts accumulated over the course of a full season since his 2015-16 campaign.

    Also, he was an unused substitute in seven games, missed six matches due to injury and a further one due to suspension, in addition to inexplicably being missing from the matchday squad on two occasions.

    Worst, he ended the season without a goal nor an assist, his first time hitting such an unfortunate stat since the 2008-09 term.

     

    Kevin-Prince Boateng Hertha BSC

    Credit: Getty Images

    So, after time on the books of some of the glamourous clubs in the world, including Milan, Barcelona, Borussia Dortmund, Schalke 04, and Tottenham Hotspur, and at international level gracing the World Cup on two occasions, is it perhaps the right time for Boateng to reconsider his playing career?

    “I want to pull on the Hertha shirt at the Olympiastadion one more time. I don’t know how long it’ll last, but it’ll be enough for me. It’s definitely my last club,” Boateng said last July after rejoining Hertha.

    Source: Goal.com

  • Liverpool beat Saints to keep title race alive

    Liverpool have taken the Premier League title race down to the final day of the season by coming from behind to win at Southampton.

    Jurgen Klopp’s side knew defeat would hand the title to Manchester City – while even a draw would effectively end the challenge because of their inferior goal difference.

    And it looked as if Liverpool might have a struggle on their hands when Nathan Redmond gave Southampton a 13th-minute lead with a curling right-foot shot beyond Alisson.

    Liverpool, with nine changes from the side that won the FA Cup by beating Chelsea on penalties at Wembley on Saturday, once again showed their resilience and reserves of strength as Takumi Minamino levelled before half-time with a thumping drive against the club where he spent a spell on loan last season.

    The pressure built after the break and Liverpool took a deserved lead after 67 minutes when Joel Matip sent an instinctive looping header over Saints’ keeper Alex McCarthy.

    City will still retain their title with victory over Aston Villa at Etihad Stadium but Liverpool have pushed them all the way again and ensured the fight will go down to the wire.

    Liverpool were under pressure going into this game – and not just because they could not afford a slip.

    Manager Klopp had to make a host of changes because of tired legs following that gruelling FA Cup final win and also had to contend with injuries to major figures Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk.

    This was a test of the nerve as well as the depth of Liverpool’s squad and, as at Aston Villa last week when they also fell behind, an examination of their ability to survive adversity and demonstrate powers of recovery.

    All the tests were passed in convincing style as Liverpool dominated once they had recovered from shock of Redmond’s outstanding goal.

    In the absence of Salah and Sadio Mane, and with Luis Diaz on the bench, Roberto Firmino gave an outstanding display of touch and intelligent running, putting in a tireless shift that earned him a standing ovation when he was substituted late on.

    Ibrahima Konate has proved to be an outstanding signing and he was once again a tower of strength in defence, ensuring Liverpool did not miss Van Dijk – his defensive partner Matip scoring the winner with what looked almost like a reflex action header, albeit a highly effective one.

    The only blot on Liverpool’s night was an injury to the luckless Joe Gomez, who fell awkwardly under a touchline challenge and limped off disconsolately at half-time with the consoling arm of goalkeeper Alisson around his shoulder.

    Klopp delivered his tradition triple fist pump in front of Liverpool’s travelling fans at the final whistle.

    He will know City are still in pole position and have the title’s destiny in their own hands but all Liverpool could do was put them through a final-day test and this was mission accomplished.

    Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhuttl was hoping for a vibrant display from his side after feeling the full force of fan discontent following their 3-0 defeat at Brentford last time out.

    The Austrian faced chants of ‘you don’t know what you’re doing’ and ‘sacked in the morning’ during the dismal defeat in west London on 7 May.

    This was a tame response, ending as he led his team around a largely deserted stadium on a lap of appreciation after the final whistle.

    Saints had the boost of that early lead but never carried the air of a team confident it would be maintained. Liverpool confirmed their obvious superiority while the home side looked nervous, especially when playing out from the back, where they played themselves into trouble on several occasions.

    Southampton lie in 15th place, nearing the end of the season in which moments of promise were eventually overshadowed by disappointment. This is exactly where they finished last season and they have to win at Leicester City on Sunday to equal last term’s points tally.

    Now Hasenhuttl will hope to keep hold of star man James Ward-Prowse this summer and get some much-needed financial backing from the club’s new owners, the company backed by Serb media mogul Dragan Solak.

    Source: BBC

  • Rangers in Seville: Thousands in city ready for Europa final

    Tens of thousands of Rangers fans are in Seville ahead of one the biggest matches in the club’s history.

    Police expected up to 100,000 supporters of the Glasgow team to travel to the Spanish city for the Europa League final.

    They will be joined by 50,000 fans of German side Eintracht Frankfurt.

    The vast majority of those who have travelled do not have tickets for the game in the 42,700-capacity Estadio Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan.

    Only 9,500 tickets were originally sold to Rangers fans, although more are believed to have been made available in recent days.

    Ticketless Rangers fans will be able to watch the match at the 57,000-capacity Estadio La Cartuja in the north of the city – where Celtic lost the 2003 Uefa Cup final to Porto.

    Former Rangers captain John Greig, who led the team to victory in the European Cup Winners’ Cup Final in Barcelona in 1972, wrote an open letter to fans ahead of the final urging them to be “ambassadors” and show the “absolute best” of the club.

    He added: “To see Rangers in a European final is something many of us thought would not be possible again, and I’ve been so taken by the incredible lengths you are going to in order to reach Seville to back the team out there.

    “It is vital that we all act responsibly and remember the values that this institution stands for.”

    Seville Police said they were prepared for large numbers of supporters in the city for the match – which kicks off at 20:00 – with about 5,000 officers on duty.

    Many bars in Seville will be closed on Wednesday, but fans will be able to watch the game on big screens around the city.

    Rangers fans take in the atmosphere in SevillePA MEDIA
    Rangers fans have been revelling in the party atmosphere in Seville

    Rangers have travelled from across the globe to watch the match, with some travelling from as far as Australia despite not having tickets for the game.

    Brian, originally from Nairn, spent 40 hours travelling to Seville from Sydney. He bought a match ticket on Tuesday for 1,600 euros (about £1,350) and reckons he has spent about £5,000 on the trip so far.

    “And that doesn’t include any drinks, so you can double that!” he told BBC Scotland. “It is money well spent. I didn’t travel from Australia not to see the game.

    “I am 54, I have been a Rangers fan my whole life and will probably never see this again in my lifetime.”

    More than 400 flights arrived in the city on Tuesday, with a similar number – including 16 charter flights from Glasgow Airport – expected on Wednesday, with trains and coaches travelling to the city also full.

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    rangers fans in SpainPA MEDIA

    Source: BBC

  • East Africa hunger causing death ‘every 48 seconds’

    Humanitarian organisations have warned that across Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia, one person is dying every 48 seconds from acute hunger linked to conflict, the climate crisis and the rising cost of food.

    A report by Oxfam and Save the Children estimates that around the world, 181 million people will experience crisis levels of hunger this year, with women particularly affected.

    The organisations say starvation is a political failure.

    They criticise the international community for responding too late and with too little to prevent “cyclical and predictable” emergencies.

  • Amber Heard denies striking Johnny Depp and doctoring photos

    Johnny Depp’s legal team has accused Amber Heard of using drugs, striking him and manipulating photos she has used as evidence of his alleged abuse.

    Ms Heard, 38, was being cross-examined about her allegations that Mr Depp could be violent while using alcohol and drugs.

    The 58-year-old actor is suing his ex-wife for $50m (£40m) for a column she wrote in which she claimed to be a victim of domestic abuse.

    He has denied ever assaulting her.

    Mr Depp’s lawyers cross-examined Ms Heard on her version of events related to a lengthy 2015 argument between the former couple, which took place while in Australia.

    That argument has been raised repeatedly over the course of the trial.

    Mr Depp has claimed his ex-wife severed his fingertip by throwing a vodka bottle at him. Ms Heard has told jurors that Mr Depp sexually violated her with a bottle.

    In court on Tuesday, Mr Depp’s lawyer questioned why Ms Heard did not seek medical attention despite claiming she suffered cuts and bruises during the chaotic fight.

    “You’re the one who assaulted someone with a bottle in Australia, isn’t that right Ms Heard,” attorney Camille Vasquez said.

    In response, Ms Heard said that she “didn’t assault Johnny, ever”.

    But she did acknowledge that she struck Mr Depp on several instances, which she said happened after “years of not defending myself”. She made similar statements on Monday, saying she “reactively” hit him during physical altercations.

    Jurors were also shown an extract from a journal – which Ms Heard described as “love notes” – in which she appears to have apologised to Mr Depp.

    “I’m sorry I can get crazy. I’m sorry I hurt you,” she wrote. “I can get wicked when I’m hurt”.

    Explaining the entry, Ms Heard said that “it’s important to apologise when you’re trying to move past fights”.

    Jurors also heard audio in which Ms Heard can be telling her then husband that “she gets so mad, she loses it” and that she can’t promise “she won’t get physical”.

    Ms Vasquez also questioned the veracity of a May 2016 photograph that Ms Heard has said shows the aftermath of Mr Depp’s alleged physical abuse.

    “Isn’t it true you just edited these photographs?” Ms Vasquez said.

    Ms Heard replied: “No, I’ve never edited a photograph.”

    During the gruelling cross-examination, jurors were also shown an itinerary for the couple’s wedding, which included plans for a “dance party and drugs and music”.

    Ms Heard has repeatedly characterised Mr Depp’s drug use as problematic and a source of tension in their marriage.

    “So, your original idea was to do drugs on an island after your rehearsal dinner to the drug-fueled monster that you were about to marry?” Ms Vasquez asked.

    In response, Ms Heard said it was a draft itinerary and that there was “going to be weed” at the event. She also admitted to drug use on her 30th birthday.

    Over several days of testimony earlier this month, Ms Heard repeatedly said that Mr Depp had attempted to control her career, did not like her taking on new roles, and sometimes became jealous of her co-stars.

    During cross-examination, Ms Vasquez accused Ms Heard of being the “jealous one”, who had landed her role in the high-profile Aquaman film thanks to Mr Depp.

    “No, Ms Vasquez, I got that role by auditioning,” she responded.

    Mr Depp’s defamation case against his former wife hinges on a 2018 opinion piece in the Washington Post newspaper in which she described herself as a victim of abuse, though the piece did not name Mr Depp.

    She has countersued him for $100m.

    Source: BBC

  • China Eastern plane crash likely intentional, US reports say

    Flight data indicates a China Eastern Airlines plane that crashed in March was intentionally put into a nose-dive, according to US media reports.

    Investigators have so far not found any mechanical or technical faults with the jet, the reports say, citing a preliminary assessment by US officials.

    The Boeing 737-800 was flying between the southern Chinese cities of Kunming and Guangzhou when it crashed.

    All 132 passengers and crew on board the plane died in the crash.

    “The plane did what it was told to do by someone in the cockpit,” according to the Wall Street Journal, which first reported the story, citing a person familiar with US officials’ preliminary assessment of the cause of the crash.

    Data from one of the plane’s “black box” flight recorders, which was recovered from the crash site, suggested that inputs to the controls pushed the plane into a near-vertical dive, the report said.

    ABC News, citing US officials, also reported that the crash was believed to have been caused by an intentional act.

    Investigators looking into the crash are examining whether it was due to intentional action on the flight deck, with no evidence found of a technical malfunction, according to Reuters, which cited two people briefed on the matter.

    China Eastern Airlines previously said the three pilots on board were qualified and in good health.

    The airline separately told the Wall Street Journal that there was no indication that any of the pilots was in financial trouble.

    China Eastern Airlines did not immediately respond to a BBC request for comment.

    The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), which is leading investigations into the crash, also did not immediately respond to a BBC request for comment.

    Last month, the CAAC said reports that the plane may have been crashed deliberately had “gravely misled the public” and “interfered with accident investigation work”.

    Map showing route of flight

    1px transparent line

    Investigators are still in the process of analysing flight data and the wreckage from the crash, Chinese state media outlet the Global Times reported on Wednesday.

    It also said the CAAC will continue to “carry out the accident investigation in a scientific, rigorous and orderly manner”.

    The Chinese embassy in Washington, the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), and plane maker Boeing declined to comment on the Wall Street Journal’s report, due to guidelines set out by the United Nations’ International Civil Aviation Organization.

    “Under the rules regarding crash investigations… only the investigating agency can comment on an open air accident investigation,” a Boeing spokesperson told the BBC on Wednesday. The company previously said it was assisting investigations in China and communicating with the NTSB.

    Chinese airlines generally have a good safety record – the last major accident took place 12 years ago.

    The China Eastern Airlines plane that crashed was less than seven years old.
    Source: BBC

  • Tunisia: Critic of president Kais Saied jailed

    A former Tunisian MP and vocal critic of President Kais Saied has been sentenced by a military court to five months in prison for assaulting police officers last year, his lawyer told AFP on Tuesday.

    The verdict by the Tunis military court was announced on Monday evening, his lawyer, Anouar Ouled Ali, told AFP.

    Makhlouf has appealed against the sentence, the same source said.

    Six other people, including three members of the political group, were sentenced to between three and six months in prison in the case, Ouled Ali added.

    On 22 September 2021, the military justice had already arrested this former deputy for “attacking the dignity of the army” after an argument with judges of a military court.

    He was released “under judicial supervision” in January 2022.

    Source: Africa news

  • 9 most expensive African countries to rent a one bedroom apartment, based on property price to income ratio

    Accommodation is one of mankind’s most essential needs. However, it doesn’t come cheap. This reality is most problematic in Africa where millions of people often resort to shanties/ghettos, due to their inability to afford decent living conditions.

    In this article, we shall be looking at 9 most expensive countries to rent a one bedroom apartment in Africa. This is based on property price to income ratio, which Investopedia defines as the ratio between a median home price compared to the median annual household income within a particular region.

    While compiling the list, we also considered affordability index, which basically measures “an average person’s ability to purchase a particular item, such as a house in a particular region, or to afford the general cost of living in the region.”

    Also note that the statistics used in compiling this listicle is courtesy of Numbeo, the leading global provider of perceived consumer prices and other statistics.

    Below are the 9 most expensive African countries to rent a one bedroom apartment

    1. Ghana: This West African country has a property price to income ratio of 87.65%, as well as an affordability index of 0.04%. A one bedroom apartment in Accra’s city centre could cost as much as $884.46 per month. And the average monthly net salary after tax is $344.84.
    2. Kenya: Kenya’s property price to income ratio is 24.24%, even as the affordability index stands at 0.29%. A one bedroom accommodation in Nairobi’s city centre goes for an average of $389.62 per month. And the average monthly net salary is $493.38.
    3. Algeria: Next we have this Northern African country which has a property to income ratio of 18.25% and an affordability index of 0.61%. A one bedroom apartment in the centre of Algiers, Algeria’s capital city, goes for an average price of $211.85 per month. Meanwhile, the average monthly salary is $250.09.
    4. Nigeria: Africa’s most populous country has a property to income ratio of 16.11%, even as affordability index 0.31%. In the commercial capital of Lagos, a one bedroom apartment at the city centre could go for as high as $1,567 per month. Meanwhile, the average net salary in the city is $232.93.
    5. Morocco: Morocco has a property price to income ratio of 12.60% and an affordability index of 0.98. In the centre of the country’s capital city of Rabat, a one bedroom apartment goes for an average of $469.49 per month. Meanwhile, the average net salary in the city is $429.62.
    6. Egypt: Egypt has a property price to income ratio of 12.04% and an affordability index of 0.61%. A one bedroom apartment in Cairo’s city centre goes for an average of $225.40 per month. Meanwhile, residents in the city earn an average monthly net salary of $258.89.
    7. Tunisia: Tunisia has a property to income ratio of 11.75% as well as an affordability index of 0.61%. In the centre of Tunis, a one bedroom apartment could go for $228.95 per month. The average monthly net salary in the city is $271.59.
    8. Mauritius: This island nation has a property to income ratio of 9.71% and a property affordability index score of 0.61%. At the centre of Port Louis, the country’s capital, a one bedroom apartment can go for an average rental price of $393.97 per month. The average salary is $455.
    9. South Africa: SA has a property to income ratio of 3.07% and an affordability index of 2.93%. At the centre of Johannesburg, a one bedroom apartment can go for $422.94 per month. Meanwhile, the monthly net salary is $1,535.73.

    Source: Pulse.com

  • US Congress holds first public UFO hearing in over 50 years

    The first public congressional hearing into UFO sightings in the US in over 50 years is being held on Tuesday.

    The highly-anticipated testimony from two top military officials tasked with probing the sightings will be closely watched after decades of secrecy.

    The Pentagon brass are expected to say that it has been a struggle to unearth witness accounts from government workers concerned about job security.

    Is the hearing open to the public?

    The hearing is being held in the House Intelligence Counterterrorism, Counterintelligence, and Counterproliferation Subcommittee.

    The two officials testifying are Ronald Moultrie – the Pentagon’s top intelligence official – and Scott Bray, the deputy director of naval intelligence.

    The officials will describe US efforts to investigate Unexplained Aerial Phenomena (UAPs) – the government’s term for UFOs – in a public hearing.

    “The American people expect and deserve their leaders in government and intelligence to seriously evaluate and respond to any potential national security risks — especially those we do not fully understand,” Representative André Carson said in a statement.

    Following the public hearing, the committee will close its doors for a private classified session with lawmakers.

    Ahead of the hearing, scientists and experts have written draft questions that they hope lawmakers will ask the witnesses.

    Christopher Mellon, a former top Pentagon intelligence official and critic of the government’s handling of UAP evidence, said that the most important question to ask is whether any have been observed outside Earth’s atmosphere.

    “If members can confirm UAP in space, they’ll make history and help to eliminate an entire category of potential explanations having to do with atmospheric phenomenon, Chinese lanterns, civilian drones, etc,” he wrote on his blog.

    Ronald Moultrie, the Pentagon's top intelligence officialGETTY IMAGES

    Ronald Moultrie, the Pentagon’s top intelligence official, oversees the UFO inquiry office

    How did we get here?

    Public fascination with flying saucers, glowing lights and otherworldly aircrafts has been ongoing for generations.

    The last public hearings into the issue began in 1966, when Republican congressman – and future president – Gerald Ford convened a pair of hearings to discuss a UFO sightings following one in Michigan that was observed by over 40 people, including a dozen policemen.

    The Air Force officials attributed the incident to “swamp gas”, leading Ford to deride their description as “flippant”.

    In 1969, an Air Force investigation into UFOs called Project Blue Book closed after determining that no flying object had ever been confirmed or deemed a threat to US national security.

    Blast forward to 2017, when US media reported on the Pentagon’s secretive efforts to probe testimony from pilots and other US military members who had reported seeing strange objects in the sky.

    The reports included footage of the UFOs, and descriptions of how they seemed to fly in unexpected ways, including hovering in place during high winds and changing elevation rapidly.

    Pilots described seeing them on an almost “daily basis” outside military bases, and one whistleblower described how UAPs had interfered with US nuclear weapons facilities, even forcing some offline.

    In 2020, a Covid relief bill signed by Donald Trump included a provision requiring US intelligence agencies to deliver an unclassified report on UAPs within 180 days.

    In June 2021, the US Director of National Intelligence released a report saying it had no explanation for dozens of unidentified flying objects related to 144 incidents dating back to 2004. Only one could be easily explained as a deflating balloon, while the others were labelled “largely inconclusive”.

    “Most of the UAP reported probably do represent physical objects,” the report stated, adding that 80 of them were detected on multiple advanced military sensors and radar systems.

    The June 2021 report failed to reach any conclusive answers in regards to what the objects are, or how they function. It called for expanded investigation and better data collection, given the stigma government workers may have against their describing unexplained encounters.

    The law requires the military to establish a permanent office on UAP research – now called the Airborne Object Identification and Management Synchronization Group.

    Source: BBC

  • Police patrol university campuses

    The Ghana Police Service has begun policing some universities in the country.

    On Saturday, May 14, the Police Mounted Squadron together with some Police Divisional and District Commanders visited the campuses of the University of Ghana, University of Professional Studies and the Valley View University in the Greater Accra Region.

    This forms part of efforts to show police visibility, gather intelligence, engage communities and bring the police to the doorstep of the public.

    During the visit, the officers engaged the university community and listened to their security concerns.

    They answered some questions on basic policing issues and also gathered some intelligence on the security situations on the various campuses.

    Credit: Ghana Police Service

    The team also shared some insights about the Police Service and the need to work together with the communities. 

    Credit: Ghana Police Service

    In a Facebook post, the Police thanked the various institutions for the warm welcome and assured that the exercise will be extended to other universities across the country.

    “We are grateful to the academic staff, the  student body, and all other members of the university community for their cooperation during our interactions with them.”

    “We wish to assure the public that we will continue to sustain this and other operational interventions and also work in partnership with you for safer and more secure communities.”

    Credit: Ghana Police Service

    Following the visit, the Police Service has begun operationalizing some of the intelligence picked during the exercise and putting in strategies to improve security at the universities.

    Credit: Ghana Police Service
    Credit: Ghana Police Service
    Credit: Ghana Police Service

     

    Credit: Ghana Police Service
    Credit: Ghana Police Service

    Source: The Independent Ghana

  • Farmer testifies to efficiency of Lithovit fertiliser in Opuni trial

    Dr Stephen Kwabena Opuni, the former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), assisted Samuel Torbi, a cocoa farmer, produce more cocoa with the lithovit liquid fertiliser, he told the Accra High Court on Monday.

    He claimed that the lithovit fertiliser supplied by COCOBOD, then managed by Dr Opuni, allowed him increase his production from 2,875 kilogrammes in the 2013/14 cocoa season to 8,125 kilogrammes in the 2015/16 cocoa season.

    “I state that the lithovit liquid fertiliser is the best fertiliser that I have ever used on my cocoa farm. It is the best fertiliser ever supplied by COCOBOD. It is a liquid fertiliser, and it is very effective.”

    Mr Torbi, who has 17 years of experience and owns over 33 acres of cocoa farms in the Central Region, testified as a defence witness for Dr Opuni, who is accused of causing a financial loss to the state of over GH271 million in a series of transactions with businessman Seidu Agongo, CEO of Agricult Ghana Limited, the fertiliser’s producers.

    The farmer told the court that he only used granular fertilisers before adopting lithovit liquid fertiliser. According to him, he

    He stated he used both fertilisers on his land since he was unsure of the effect of the new fertiliser. However, after some time, he discovered that lithovit liquid fertiliser was more effective.

     “I must state that the risk was worth it. I harvested and sold 8,125 kilogrammes of cocoa beans for the said 2015/2016 cocoa season. I, therefore, became convinced about the efficacy of liquid fertilisers.”

    He then informed the court that his productivity dropped when COCOBOD stopped delivering lithovit liquid fertiliser to him and other farmers during the 2017/2018 cocoa season.

    When Mr Tobi attempted to surrender his cocoa passbook, which includes his cocoa sales and other information from 2012 to the present, the prosecution made an objection in court.

    The prosecution, Mrs Evelyn Keelson, pointed out to the court that the witness’s name on the passbook was Rockson, not Samuel.

    “ROCKSON” that had been corrected to “SAMUEL” “Rockson can certainly not be a mistake in the spelling of the name Samuel, not by any stretch of imagination. It is our submission that the document the witness seeks to tender as his own is not his document.

    Justice Clemence Jackson Honyenuga, the presiding judge, overruled the objection and admitted the passbook into evidence after Samuel Codjoe, lead counsel for Dr Opuni, explained the circumstances that led to the correction.

    The court then ended proceedings for hearing to resume on May 19. The Prosecution will cross-examine Mr Tobi in the subsequent hearing.

    The Prosecution alleges that Dr Opuni and Seidu Agongo collaborated to sell Lithovit fertiliser, a substandard product.

    The Prosecution speculates that Mr Agongo used fraudulent means while Dr Opuni, who served as COCOBOD CEO from November 2013 to January 2017, refused to allow lithovit liquid fertiliser be tested and certified as required by law.

    The accused are on self-recognisance bail in the sum of GH¢300,000 each after not pleading innocent.

    Source: The Independent Ghana

  • Mbappe agrees Real Madrid terms and transfer for PSG star to be announced after Champions League final

    The World Cup winner is set to link up with the Blancos after his contract at Parc des Princes expires in June

    Kylian Mbappe has agreed terms with Real Madrid, GOAL can confirm, with a transfer for the Paris Saint-Germain star set to be announced after the Champions League final.

    Mbappe only has one month left to run on his current contract with PSG, who have been desperately trying to tie a prized asset down to a contract extension.

    The World Cup winner has insisted that he will wait until the end of the season before making a final decision on his future, but Madrid are now certain of securing his services on a free transfer.

    Mbappe closing in on Madrid switch

    GOAL has learned that Madrid have reached an agreement with Mbappe after four months of negotiations, and there are now only a few small details left to finalise before a deal can be announced.

    The Blancos are also waiting for the Frenchman to confirm his departure from PSG, which he could do straight after their last game of the 2021-22 campaign against Metz on May 21.

    Mbappe has always dreamed of playing at Santiago Bernabeu and Madrid have been confident of bringing him onto their books ever since their failed move for the forward last summer, with PSG officials now all but resigned to the fact he will be moving onto a new challenge this summer.

    When will Madrid announce Mbappe transfer?

    Even if Mbappe does announce his exit from PSG in the coming days, Madrid are not planning to make his transfer to the Bernabeu public until after the Champions League final.

    The Spanish giants will be aiming for their 14th European Cup when they take on Liverpool at Stade de France on May 28, and do not want any off-field dealings to distract from Carlo Ancelotti’s preparations.

    Mbappe’s arrival at Madrid will likely be confirmed at the start of June and GOAL understands that his official unveiling at the Bernabeu will be delayed until after he returns from international duty with France on June 13.

    Source: Goal.com

  • Chelsea takeover: Government ministers fear sale of club to Todd Boehly consortium could ‘fall apart’

    Ministers are worried a £4.25bn deal to buy Chelsea may be at risk of “falling apart” due to a lack of consensus with the club over the proceeds of any sale, the BBC has learned.

    According to a UK government insider, there is now “alarm” in Whitehall that the takeover of the European champions could be “timed out” if deadlines are not met.

    Chelsea have agreed terms on a deal with a private-equity funded consortium led by US investor Todd Boehly, co-owner of the LA Dodgers baseball team.

    The club was put up for sale before owner Roman Abramovich was sanctioned for his alleged links to Russian president Vladimir Putin following the invasion of Ukraine.

    However a senior Whitehall source revealed there was now “serious concern” that the oligarch was “willing to let Chelsea go under” over an alleged “refusal to agree to a sale structure that gives ministers confidence that proceeds would go to a good cause”.

    The government version of events was disputed by sources close to Abramovich when approached. Chelsea have also been approached for comment.

    Chelsea are operating under a special licence from the UK government which expires on 31 May, and any takeover requires the approval of ministers and the English football authorities.

    Abramovich has said he has not asked for a £1.6bn loan to Chelsea to be repaid when the club is sold. Earlier this month a spokesperson for the billionaire confirmed he “remains committed” to making sure the proceeds from the sale “go to good causes”.

    In a statement put out by Chelsea on 5 May, the Russian’s spokesperson said money from the sale of the club would be “frozen and subject to a legal procedure governed by authorities”, they added “the funds are still earmarked” for a charitable foundation.

    “To be clear, Mr Abramovich has no access or control of these funds and will not have any access or control of these funds following the sale.”

    However, the government insider said approval was being hindered by the club’s “complicated” ownership structure, with parent company Fordstam Ltd owing £1.6 billion to Jersey-based Camberley International Investments, a company with suspected links to Abramovich.

    “Two big sticking points remain – where exactly the proceeds of the sale will be held, and what legal guarantees government will be given about the money going to good causes,” they said.

    “Essentially, despite committing to all proceeds going to good causes in public, Abramovich seems unwilling to give the same legal commitments, which would have backed up his public statements of about a week ago, that in the deal neither he nor his affiliates could basically try and stake a claim to that unpaid debt between Fordstam and Camberley.

    “A deal which would allow the cash to be diverted during the deal would be a breach of sanctions and is seen as a red line for ministers.”

    The source added: “There are deadlines at the end of this month and the start of June, which would either see the club booted out of European competition or the Premier League entirely. But a good chunk of the sale needs to be done this week or next.”

    It is understood any sale would need to be completed by early June when the Premier League meets to grant clubs the licenses needed to compete next season.

    The government is understood to have proposed a two-stage process where the money from any sale would be held in a managed ‘escrow’ account, and only released once it is satisfied that a charitable foundation is ready.

    A source close to the Boehly consortium told the BBC: “The consortium is committed to buying Chelsea and contributing to the success of English football.

    “They are delighted that their plans have been accepted by the club, and welcome the constructive conversations they’ve had with the government and football authorities.

    “The proceeds of the sale are a matter for the seller and the government to resolve.”

    Source: BBC

  • Zimbabwe seeks EU backing to sell $600M worth of ivory

    Zimbabwe on Monday sought the support of the European Union to sell off US$600 million worth of ivory it has accumulated due to the global ban on the sale of tusks.

    International trade in ivory has been banned since 1989 under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

    Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority director-general Fulton Mangwanya told EU ambassadors to Harare that the country has 163,000 tonnes of ivory and 67 tonnes of rhino horns in vaults.

    “The burden of managing a stockpile that we cannot derive economic value, or plough back into the communities and conservation of the same species is quite a great pain to us,” he said.

    “We kindly request the support of the EU for Zimbabwe to be allowed a once off sale of our national ivory stock,” said Mangwanya.

    The EU diplomats were taken on tour of the vaults in Harare.

    Mangwanya said if allowed, the funds would be used to benefit local communities living around animal conservancies.

    The country can support up to 55,000 elephants but the population has more than doubled to 100,000, according to officials.

    Elephants have so far this year killed 60 people, in a conservation success story that has led to increased conflict with humans.

    But the plea did not immediately garner support.

    “Conservation and prevention of illegal wildlife trade is an international issue because of the involvement of criminal syndicates in illegal wildlife trade hence there is need to strengthen international cooperation,” the Swiss ambassador Niculin Jager responded on behalf of his colleagues.

    Three years ago, Botswana, Namibia and Zimbabwe — home to the world’s largest elephant population — asked for the right to sell ivory acquired through natural deaths, confiscations and culling.

    But that demand was rejected by a CITES meeting in Geneva in 2019.

    Source: Africa news

  • Somalia: President Biden reverses Trump’s withdrawal of US troops

    US officials say President Biden has approved the redeployment of US troops in Somalia, reversing a decision by his predecessor Donald Trump.

    The deployment was requested by the Pentagon to support the fight against militant group al-Shabab.

    President Trump withdrew about 700 US troops from Somalia in 2020.

    The move to re-establish a military presence in the East African country comes as long-overdue elections delivered a new president.

    Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, a former peace activist, promised to work closely with international partners as he took office on Monday.

    Somalia has suffered from decades of chronic insecurity, and the Islamist militants who once controlled the country still hold large swathes of it and continue to collect taxes in places.

    Many in the country expressed deep concern when former president Donald Trump ordered the withdrawal of US troops, who had long been relied on as well as more than 19,000 peacekeepers from African Union nations.

    This time around, fewer than 500 US troops will be deployed, which has been described as “a repositioning of forces already in theatre who have travelled in and out of Somalia on an episodic basis” by US National Security spokeswoman Adrienne Watson.

    Her statement appeared critical of the Trump administration, calling its decision to withdraw troops “precipitous”.

    Al-Shabab militants regularly carry out attacks in the capital Mogadishu, which they stepped up in the run-up to May’s election in the hopes of derailing it.

    Somalia faces other formidable challenges including a drought that has left millions in urgent need of aid.

    Source: BBC

  • Turkey threatens to block Finland and Sweden Nato bids

    Turkey’s president has restated his opposition to Finland and Sweden joining Nato – just hours after they said they would seek membership.

    Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the two Nordic nations should not bother sending delegations to convince Turkey, a key Nato member, of their bids.

    He is angered by what he sees as their willingness to host Kurdish militants.

    Without the support of all Nato members, Sweden and Finland cannot join the military alliance.

    On Monday, Sweden said Europe was living in a dangerous new reality, referring to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

    Russian President Vladimir Putin said the move by Finland and Sweden to join the 30-member military alliance did not threaten Moscow directly – but stressed that any expansion of military infrastructure would trigger a response from the Kremlin.

    At a news conference on Monday, Mr Erdogan said Turkey opposed the Finnish and the Swedish bids to join Nato, describing Sweden as a “hatchery” for terrorist organisations.

    “Neither of these countries have a clear, open attitude towards terrorist organisation. How can we trust them?” the Turkish president said.

    Turkey accuses the two Nordic nations of harbouring members of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), a group it views as a terrorist organisation, and followers of Fethullah Gulen, who Ankara accuses of orchestrating a 2016 coup attempt.

    All member states must agree that a new country can join Nato, therefore Sweden and Finland require Turkey’s support in their bid to join the military alliance.

    Mr Erdogan said Swedish and Finnish delegations should not bother going to Ankara, Turkey’s capital, to convince it to approve their Nato bid.

    His government has also pledged to block applications from countries that have imposed sanctions on it.

    In 2019, both Nordic nations slapped an arms embargo on Ankara after its incursion into Syria.

    Speaking in parliament in Helsinki on Monday, Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto said he was surprised by Turkey’s stance, but added that his government was not interested in “bargaining” with Mr Erdogan.

    Finland formally announced its bid to join Nato last week.

    It was joined by neighbour Sweden on Saturday in a move that will end the Scandinavian country’s centuries-long military non-alignment.

    “Nato will strengthen Sweden, Sweden will strengthen Nato,” Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson said at a briefing on Monday.

    She said Europe was now living in a dangerous new reality, referring to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

    “We are leaving one era behind us and entering a new one,” Ms Andersson told lawmakers during a debate in Stockholm, also on Monday.

    She said a formal application could be handed within several days and would be synchronised with Finland. Nato has signalled its willingness to admit the two new members.

    However, Ms Andersson stressed that Sweden did not want permanent Nato bases or nuclear weapons on its territory.

    Norway, Denmark and Iceland – all Nato members – immediately said they were ready to support Sweden and Finland by all means necessary if they came under attack.

    The UK, also a Nato member, has already given security guarantees to Sweden and Finland to cover the transition period.

    Monday’s announcement by Sweden came as Nato began one of its biggest exercises in the Baltic region, involving some 15,000 troops. Named “Hedgehog”, the drills in Estonia involve 10 countries, including Finland and Sweden.

    Source: BBC

  • Prosecution closes case in alleged murder of Major Mahama

    Prosecutors presented every evidence they had against the 14 alleged killers of the late Major Maxwell Adam Mahama of the 5th Infantry Battalion at the Burma Camp in Accra today in court.

    They concluded by pleading with the court to declare the accused guilty of murdering the military officer on purpose.

    However, the accused’s lawyers have stated that they will file a no case submission, by  requesting that the charges against their clients be dismissed by the Court.

    William Baah, then-Assemblyman for Denkyira Obuasi, Bernard Asamoah alias Daddy, Kofi Nyame a.k.a. Abortion, Akwasi Boah, Kwame Tuffour, Joseph Appiah Kubi, Michael Anim, and Bismarck Donkor are among the 14 people named.

    John Bosie, Akwasi Baah, Charles Kwaning, Emmanuel Badu, Bismarck Abanga, and Kwadwo Anima are the others.

    Meanwhile, the lawyers for the accused have been asked to file their submissions by May 30, when the court resumes hearings.

    While on duty in the Central Region, Major Mahama was lynched on May 29, 2017.

    The dead was afterwards alleged to have been mistaken for a robber.

    Despite the fact that over 50 people were apprehended in the aftermath of the incident, only 14 were examined for prosecution.

    The trial for the officer’s death was postponed for a year due to the emergence of Covid-19 and the fact that the trial judge, Her Ladyship Mariama Owusu, had been appointed to hear the 2020 Presidential election petition case.

    Source: The Independent Ghana

  • Ghana spends $230m on injuries and trauma annually – GHS

    Ghana spends roughly $230 million yearly on treating injuries and trauma-related issues, according to Dr Lawrence Ofori-Boadu, interim Director of the Ghana Health Service’s Institutional Care Division.

    He revealed at the Orthopaedic Association of Ghana‘s second annual general and scientific meeting last Friday that traffic accidents were a major contributor to the injuries and trauma citizens experienced.

    According to him, the country’s trauma surgeon-to-patient ratio is concerning, with just roughly 54 orthopaedic and trauma specialists.

    “GHS can barely count the number of orthopaedic and trauma surgeons within our facilities. Statistics show that many Ghanaians suffer from trauma-related injuries and at least four people die every day to road traffic accident, with associated trauma injuries.”

    “When we see an increasing trend in the cases of injuries and trauma, we get worried about the numbers in correlation with the number of orthopaedic and trauma surgeons available and how and where we can access their services.”

    The theme for the event was dubbed: “Challenges of orthopaedic and trauma care in Ghana: the way forward”.

    Professor Richard M. K. Adanu, Rector of the Ghana College of Physicians and Surgeons, who was also present at the meeting, expressed his disappointment with the country’s lack of orthopaedic and trauma surgeons.

    He proposed that the institution establish a Faculty of Orthopaedic and Trauma Surgery, as well as the establishment of two more training centres outside of Accra and Kumasi, to address the problem.

    Dr. Ofori-Boadu stated in his presentation that transportation-related injuries accounted for 93,379 recorded cases in 2019.

    In the following years, the number of cases reported grew, reaching 111,931 in 2020 and 125,673 in 2021.

    According to the information supplied, there were 119,613 cases of home-related or domestic injuries in 2019.

    240,543 cases were reported in 2020, with 116,073 cases reported in 2021.

    Source: The Independent Ghana