Nigerian actress and the wife of Yul Edochie, Judy Austin, has expressed her frustration with people interfering in their relationship ever since they publicly announced it.
Judy Austin has reached a point where she feels inundated with unwanted attention and intrusion from others regarding their personal lives.
In a Facebook video the actress called out blogs for continuously publishing supposed fake news about her relationship with the actor and the public for always reigning insults on them.
“I have had enough of all this nonsense going on on social media. Are you people going to tell me how to live my life or the decisions to make for myself? I had had enough of all of this rubbish,” Judy Austin said.
She blamed the general public for believing in any rumours they read online so they could attack her and Yul on their pages stating they (Judy and Yul) are adults with the right to live their lives the way they choose.
“Whoever the faceless blogger is will make a stupid post spreading lies, unverified posts and information, is that how gullible people are, that everything you hear you swallow, don’t you people have common sense anymore?.”
Yul Edochie over a year in April 2022 revealed that he had married and fathered a son with the actress.
The news took many by surprise and seemingly affected his relationship with his first wife May.
Although it has been a year since they made their relationship public, the couple have not had any favour in the public eye.
An attack on the bridge connecting the annexated Crimean peninsula to the Russian mainland, a crucial supply route for Russia’s military effort in Ukraine and a personal endeavour for President Vladimir Putin, has been attributed by a Ukrainian security officer to Kiev.
The Kerch Bridge, likewise about 12 miles long and the longest in Europe, is of paramount strategic and symbolic significance to Moscow. The bridge was attacked on Monday for the second time since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began, after a fuel tanker detonated while passing under it in October.
A source in Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) told CNN this attack was a joint operation of the SBU and Ukraine’s naval forces. The source spoke on condition of anonymity because they had not received authorization to speak on the record.
Ukraine’s minister for digital transformation later said that the bridge was struck by “naval drones.”
“Today the Crimean bridge was blown up by naval drones,” Mykhailo Fedorov said on Telegram on Monday “It is better to act, not to reveal photos of our own production facilities and to supply the defense forces,” Fedorov said.
Two people were killed and their daughter wounded in the attack, according to Russian-appointed officials.
Two strikes were reportedly carried out around 3 a.m. local time Monday (8 p.m. ET Sunday), damaging part of the bridge, according to Telegram channel Grey Zone, which supports the Wagner mercenary group led by Yevgeny Prigozhin.
Russian President Putin called the Ukrainian strike a “terrorist attack” and vowed to retaliate. He also claimed there was no military significance to hitting the bridge.
“There will be a response from Russia to the terrorist attack on the Crimean bridge. The Ministry of Defense is preparing relevant proposals,” Putin said during a meeting with officials. “I would like to repeat that what happened is another terrorist act of the (Kyiv) regime.”
Explosions were heard around 3:04 a.m. and 3:20 a.m. local time, Grey Zone and popular Crimean blogger ‘TalipoV Online Z’ said on Telegram. CNN is unable to verify those reports.
The governor of Russia’s Belgorod region, Vyacheslav Gladkov, said a girl was injured and her parents were killed while traveling in the car that was damaged in the incident.
“There is damage to the roadway on spans of the Crimean Bridge,” Russia’s Transport Ministry said on Telegram. The spans on a bridge are the lengths between the support piers. Images showed a partial collapse of a section of the roadway portion of the bridge, which also carries railroad tracks.
Deputy Prime Minister Marat Khusnullin said that the supports of the bridge were not damaged by the blast, according to preliminary assessments.
He later said traffic on the bridge will only resume in nearly two months time, adding that there “are ferries available for civilian and commercial transportation” and the railway bridge was still operational.
“Two-way traffic will be open for one lane only by September 15. Then two-way traffic in both lanes will open Nov 1,” he said in a remote meeting with officials, including Putin, televised on Monday. “One way on the railway bridge sustained insignificant damage that is not impacting the operation of trains.
Videos posted on Telegram by Baza, Grey Zone and other Crimean news outlets appeared to show part of the bridge collapsed and a vehicle damaged in the incident.
Emergency responders and law enforcement have been dispatched to the scene, said Sergey Aksenov, the Russia-appointed head of Crimea.
Aksenov urged residents and those traveling to and from Crimea to choose an alternative land route.
The bridge is a critical artery for supplying Crimea with both its daily needs and supplies for the military, in addition to fuel and goods for civilians.
A Russian-backed official of the peninsula, Elena Elekchyan, said Crimea is well supplied with fuel, food and industrial goods.
Denis Pushilin, the Russia-backed head of the so-called Donetsk People’s Republic, said on Telegram that he had spoken with his Crimean counterpart to introduce measures “to ensure the faster passage of checkpoints on the administrative border.” Pushilin said the nightly curfew was being suspended to allow “round-the-clock” travel to Crimea, and that he was working to ensure the availability of fuel at gas stations along the route.
Last year, another huge blast partially damaged the crossing, causing parts of it to collapse.
The bridge was severely damaged on October 8 when a fuel tanker exploded and destroyed a large section of the road. Responding to the attack – which took place the day after Putin turned 70 – Ukrainian officials posted a video of the bridge in flames alongside a video of Marilyn Monroe singing “Happy Birthday, Mister President.”
Russia built the 19-kilometer bridge at a cost of around $3.7 billion after Moscow illegally annexed Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula in 2014. It was the physical expression of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s objective to take over Ukraine and bind it to Russia forever.
After the October blast, Russia quickly set about repairs to the span. It was fully reopened to traffic in February.
Earlier this month, Ukraine’s Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar made what appeared to be the clearest admission yet that Ukrainian forces were responsible for the October attack.
A Ukraine official on Monday said damage to the bridge could hamper Russian logistics.
“Any logistical problems are additional complications for the occupiers, which create potential advantages for the Ukrainian defense forces,” Representative of the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine Andrii Yusov said to Ukraine’s public broadcaster, Suspilne.
Hours after the explosions on the bridge, Russia announced that it is allowing a deal struck to enable the export of Ukrainian grain to expire, sparking fears of global food insecurity.
Peskov also told reporters that the decision to allow the deal to lapse was not related to Ukraine’s claimed strike on the bridge.
“These are absolutely unrelated events,” he said. “Even before this terrorist attack, the position was declared by President Putin. And I repeat again, as soon as the part of the Black Sea agreements concerning Russia is fulfilled, Russia will immediately return to the implementation of the deal.”
Ahead of the 2023 Mid Year Budget Review expected to be delivered by the Finance Minister on July 25, 2023, the Chamber of Petroleum Consumers (COPEC) has cautioned the government to refrain from introducing new taxes on petroleum products.
Executive Secretary of COPEC, Duncan Amoah, in an engagement with the press disclosed that his outfit has received hints of the government’s intention to slap new taxes on petroleum products.
In view of this, he has warned that his outfit will not hesitate to bare its teeth to the government if any new tax measure on petroleum products is introduced, and the innocent Ghanaians will be the ones to bear the brunt.
“What I am even picking up from the budget to be read soon is that if Ghanaians are not lucky, there will be newer taxes… But we will issue a warning here. If the government dares us, we will dare them this time. I mean, it’s already crazy. We are trying. When it comes to austerity, what governments across the world will try to do is to provide support and reliefs.”
“But when you are in austerity, and you are taxing even more, you are simply shuttering people’s livelihoods. This is going to be crazy for people. But beyond this, if you are getting new attempts to slap taxes on petrol, which is already high, then the insensitivity, the misalignment. He is probably not diagnosing the problem properly to be able to proffer solutions properly,” he stated.
Meanwhile, the Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta is expected to deliver the Mid-Year Review of the Government’s Budget Statement and Economic Policy for the 2023 Financial Year to Parliament tomorrow, Tuesday, 25 July 2023.
This was announced by Deputy Majority Whip Lydia Seyram Alhassan on the Floor of Parliament, on Friday, in Accra, when she presented the Business Statement for the Seventh Week Ending Friday, 21 July 2023.
Mr Ofori-Atta’s presentation will be in accordance with the provisions of the Public Financial Management Act, 2016 (Act 921).
Ghana’s Public Financial Management Act of 2016, also known as Act 921, is a legislation that governs the management of public finances in the country. This act establishes the legal framework and procedures for budgeting, accounting, and financial management practices in various government institutions and entities. It aims to promote transparency, accountability, and efficiency in the management of public funds.
During her presentation, Deputy Majority Whip Lydia Seyram Alhassan, who is also a Member of Parliament (MP) representing Ayawaso West Wuogon Constituency, urged her fellow MPs to mark the date and make themselves available for the presentation.
She informed her fellow MPs that Speaker Alban Bagbin had instructed the Business Committee to schedule the Finance, Education, and Food and Agriculture Ministers to provide an update on the issues faced by the National Food Company. In accordance with this directive, the Committee had arranged for the Ministers to appear before the House on Tuesday, 18 July 2023, to brief the MPs on this matter.
“Mr Speaker, a joint Caucus meeting is proposed to be held on Wednesday 19 July 2023, after adjournment to discuss pertinent matters. In this regard, all Members of Parliament are encouraged to avail themselves at the meeting,” she said.
The Mid-Year Budget Review was initially scheduled for 27 July, as announced by the Majority Leader; however, due to concerns raised by the Speaker, the budget review was rescheduled to 25 July 2023.
Just days after North Korea purportedly conducted a test launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile using solid fuel, the US Navy’s first nuclear-capable ballistic missile submarine to visit South Korea in decades made a port call there.
The defence ministry of South Korea confirmed on Tuesday afternoon that an Ohio-class ballistic missile submarine was currently based in the port city of Busan.
While attending the Nuclear Consultative Group’s (NCG) inaugural conference in Seoul, Kurt Campbell, the US National Security Council’s coordinator for the Indo-Pacific, received the news.
The NCG is a joint US and South Korean panel set up by the countries’ leaders at a summit in Washington in April.
The arrival of the submarine follows a period of heightened tensions on the peninsula, during which North Korea has both tested what it said was an advanced long range missile and threatened to shoot down US military reconnaissance aircraft engaging in what it called “hostile espionage” activities near its territory.
Kim Yo Jong, sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and a senior official in her own right, said in a statement Monday the deployment of a US ballistic missile submarine to the peninsula would damage already fractured lines of communication between the two sides.
“The reality before the DPRK (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea) is not dialogue repeatedly touted by the US,” said Kim. Instead, she said, the NCG was “openly discussing the use of nukes against the DPRK and the entry of US strategic nuclear submarine into waters of the Korean Peninsula for the first time in 40-odd years.”
“The US should know that its bolstered extended deterrence system and excessively extended military alliance system, a threatening entity, will only make the DPRK go farther away from the negotiating table desired by it,” the statement added.
Known colloquially as “boomers,”each of the Ohio-class subs can carry a maximum of 20 Trident II ballistic missiles.
The Nuclear Threat Initiative at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies estimates that each Trident missile can carry four nuclear warheads, meaning each US ballistic missile submarine could be carrying about 80 nuclear warheads.
The port call came out of an agreement between US President Joe Biden and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol when the met in the US capital in April. The “Washington Declaration” included a set of measures aimed at making Pyongyang think twice about launching an attack on its southern neighbor.
“Our mutual defense treaty is iron clad and that includes our commitment to extend a deterrence – and that includes the nuclear threat, the nuclear deterrent,” Biden said at the time.
The establishment of the NCG came out of that Biden-Yoon meeting.
In a joint statement on Tuesday the two allies said the NCG would enhance “combined deterrence and response posture.”
“As a result, the collective strength of our two nations will directly contribute to the continued peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and across the Indo-Pacific region,” the statement read.
“This inaugural NCG meeting afforded the United States an opportunity to reaffirm and strengthen the US commitment to provide extended deterrence to the ROK backed by the full range of US capabilities, including nuclear,” it added.
Analysts said after the “Washington Declaration” that the presence of a US Navy ballistic missile submarine in a South Korean port would be purely symbolic – and in fact would reduce the military value of the sub.
“Tactically, (the US and South Korea) are diminishing the sub’s most powerful asset; its stealthiness,” Carl Schuster, former director of operations at the US Pacific Command’s Joint Intelligence Center in Hawaii, said in April.
The Trident missiles have a range of 4,600 miles (7,400 kilometers), meaning they are capable of hitting a target in North Korea from vast swathes of the Pacific, Indian or Arctic oceans.
“Militarily, (these submarines) don’t need to be anywhere near Korea in order to reach potential targets there,” Blake Herzinger, a research fellow at the United States Studies Centre, said in April.
One of the keys to nuclear deterrence is uncertainty.
A US ballistic missile sub lurking hundreds of feet below the ocean’s surface thousands of miles from North Korea would still be within striking range of Pyongyang, but would be near impossible for North Korea to spot.
One arriving in South Korea on a port visit – which must be arranged 24 to 48 hours in advance – would be far more visible, giving North Korea an advantage, Schuster said.
“If Kim Jong Un was looking to do a surprise strike, we’ve given him the submarine’s location and time it will be there,” Schuster said.
Ghanaian musicians Okyeame Kwame and Flowking Stone, caused a stir in London with their coordinated looks and expensive vehicles
The two, who are from Kumasi in the Ashanti Region, have been actively promoting hiplife music across the country.
In a recent interview with Andy Dosty on Adom TV in April, Flowking Stone revealed that he made sacrifices in his career to open doors for aspiring hip-life artistes in his region.
He turned down the opportunity to relocate to Accra, opting instead to demonstrate that success can be achieved in Kumasi as well.
Video footage captured the moment Okyeame Kwame and Flowking Stone emerged from their sleek vehicles, exuding elegance as they walked away.
Flowking Stone shared the video on his Instagram page, expressing their unity and connection, writing, “It’s a Family thing. We are united by blood and love @okyeamekwame #ByMySide #Rapfam. Music by Flowking Stone – By my side (Produced by @drraybeat). This video was shot by @kaystudios.”
A former Minister of Railways Development and a presidential aspirant for the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Joe Ghartey, has affirmed that he did not make any payments to AI Sky or give authorization for the transfer of $2 million to finance the Accra Sky Train Project.
Clarifying the issues in an interview on Citi FM, Joe Ghartey stated that he had made it clear from the beginning to the promoters of the Accra Sky Train Project that his ministry did not have the budget for the proposed project.
He, however, said he welcomed the project as a Build, Operate and Transfer (BOT) Project.
According to Ghartey, who is also the Member of Parliament for Essikado-Ketan, the Ministry of Railways Development signed a Memorandum of Understanding in February 2018 and signed another agreement with the promoters in November 2018.
He added that in 2019, the ministry signed a concession agreement with the promoters which included several conditions precedent.
“It is the Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund that paid the money and the Fund is mandated to make such payments and so if the Minority wants anyone to refund the money, they should tell the Auditor General to ask the Fund to refund the money,” he said.
Joe Ghartey also indicated that the plan was for the South African company expected to execute the project to return to Ghana, but this became impossible because of the outbreak of the COVID-19.
He stressed that with that, the ongoing engagement with the company ended.
“I went to South Africa in 2018 to make the presentation because the quality of life is affected by heavy traffic and then the South Africans came. The company went back and said they wanted a concession agreement of thirty years and I said it was not possible. The company went away and was supposed to come in 2020 and then there was COVID-19.
“And so as far as my Ministry is concerned, we did not give them any money. I didn’t have any money and I didn’t have the power to pay any money and I did not pay any money. I don’t have the power to write for payment to the company in Mauritius. GIIF [Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund] is the statutory corporation that has the power to make such payments and so you can ask them,” he explained.
The Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund was established to mobilize, manage, coordinate and provide financial resources for investment in a diversified portfolio of infrastructure projects in Ghana.
It has invested over US$300m in various infrastructure projects although the Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund is not an agency or statutory body.
As the Cerberus heatwave continues to engulf the continent, temperatures in Europe could surpass records in the ensuing days.
With maximum temperatures reaching 37°C in Italy today, 39°C in Spain, 40°C in Cyprus, and 45°C in Greece this weekend, the heat is intensifying.
Rome, Bologna, and Florence are among the ten Italian cities that have been placed on red alert.
Spain also recorded its highest-ever land temperatures at 60°C on Saturday.
Italian politician Nicola Fratoianni tweeted: ‘We are facing an unbearable heatwave.
‘Maybe it’s the case that in the hottest hours all the useful precautions are taken to avoid tragedies like the one that happened today in Lodi.’
It was reported by local media that a man aged 44 collapsed in the town of Lodi, near Milan, due to the heat. He was taken to hospital and later died.
And storms in the northern Lombardy region ripped roofs off buildings, knocked down trees and caused severe flooding.
More than 200 firefighters were called to emergencies in Milan, near Lake Como and in the Alps.
Meanwhile in Greece, with the extreme temperatures expected to reach 45°C, the government is taking measures to protect citizens.
People are currently banned from entering nature reserves and forests due to the risk of wildfires, and air-conditioned areas are being opened in public areas so people can escape the heat.
Working animals – such as horses and donkeys offering rides to tourists – will not be allowed to work while temperatures are between 35°C and 39°C in the shade between midday and 5pm, and if temperatures exceed that they will not be allowed to work at all.
Spain reached temperatures of 45°C on Monday and more than 100 weather stations registered temperatures of at least 35°C as early as 6am yesterday.
The heatwave has been named after Cerberus – the three-headed dog from Greek mythology which guards the gates to the underworld.
Meteorologist Stefano Rossi told Italian outlet La Stampa: ‘Metaphorically, the three heads indicate the three main climatic zone into which Italy will be divided.’
Pictures show British tourists struggling in the heat, resting under trees and using their shirts as parasols.
But forecasters have confirmed the UK will be spared the extreme temperatures.
Met Office spokesperson Grahame Madge said: ‘The heatwave conditions which are affecting parts of south west Europe and north west Africa are expected to extend eastward.
‘Much higher than average temperatures are also likely at times further north across Europe, but these will be shorter lived and less impactful.
‘Communities in the affected regions should expect health impacts and the potential for wildfires.’
Scientists recently revealed heat-related deaths soared to 61,000 across Europe in 2022, which was the continent’s hottest-ever summer.
The Mediterranean region is expected to see temperatures rise faster than most areas across the world due to climate change.
A mother who lost her two sons to a shooting incident at Bortianor could not hold back her grief as she invoked curses on the police officers who executed the shooting.
In a video making rounds on social mother, the bereaved mother is seen pouring out her frustration, by offering a sacrifice of a liquid believed to be an alcoholic beverage and breaking eggs, as well as sitting in a gutter to invoke the wrath of the ‘gods’ to ‘serve her justice.’
On June 8, 2023, the Police engaged in a shootout which claimed the lives of five persons in Bortianor.
Police authorities confirmed the killing of the suspects in a statement issued on Saturday, June 10, 2023.
According to the service, the five were suspected landguards, who engaged the police in a shootout when the police visited the area.
“On June 8th, 2023, the police conducted an operation targeting criminal elements involved in robbery and land guard activities.
These individuals had been terrorising residents and landowners in Bortianor and nearby communities,” the police statement explained.
Upon detecting the approaching police team, the suspects opened fire from their hideout, prompting the police to retaliate.
As a result, five of the suspects were injured and later pronounced dead at the hospital, while the remaining suspects fled the scene and are still at large, the police added.
According to the police, various weapons, including guns and ammunition, were seized as exhibits from the suspects.
Despite their justification, the shootout has been widely condemned by the general public, with many Human Rights organisations demanding justice for the deceased. There have also been calls on Ghana’s Parliament to institute a probe into the matter.
Meanwhile, residents and family members of the deceased want justice to be served.
Based on reports, a guy was detained in Moscow for allegedly attempting to light the Mausoleum of Vladimir Lenin on fire.
He allegedly threw a Molotov cocktail towards the Red Square structure where the embalmed body of the Soviet leader is kept in a room behind bulletproof glass, according to Russian Telegram channels.
Baza recognised him as Konstantin Stachukov, a resident of the Trans-Siberian Railway route city of Chita.
It is alleged he travelled to the capital on the eve of his 37th birthday, throwing a glass bottle with a flammable liquid towards the mausoleum at around 10pm last night.
It crashed in the pavement in front of the building before igniting, but no damage has been reported yet.
No information has been released about the suspect’s motives as of yet.
He was detained by police at the scene and according to local media, he was in an ‘inadequate’ condition and resisted officers.
A case has since been opened for ‘disobedience to the lawful demand of a police officer’.
This is not the first time an attack on the mausoleum as foiled in the last minute.
In February, a Moscow resident was arrested for trying to steal Lenin’s body from the chamber.
Ghanaian saxophonist, Mizter Okyere, recently shared his remarkable encounter with former USA President Donald Trump in 2020. This unexpected meeting came about after Mizter Okyere performed a saxophone cover of the famous ‘YMCA’ campaign song.
During an interview with Amansan Krakye on Property FM in Cape Coast, Mizter Okyere opened up about the various advantages that playing the saxophone has brought into his life.
He narrated “I happened to be in the USA during the lockdown in 2020 and that year was also an election year in the country and Trump’s song was trending.
“YMCA was the song and it was really trending on social media in the USA during the election year in 2020 and I did the sax cover of that song.
“After I released the sax cover of Donald Trump’s song I had a call in the USA that they’ve seen my cover and Trump would like to see me,” he revealed.
“I thought it was a joke when they said Trump wanted to see me and I was booked and taken to where Trump was holding his rally which was at Hollywood in California and I met Trump.
“During that time my visa to stay in the USA had expired but they renewed it for me and so playing of sax has brought so many benefits in my life so far so good,” he disclosed.
Multiple reports indicate that American singer-songwriter Ariana Grande and her husband Dalton Gomez have separated after two years of marriage.
The couple has been separated since January, according to TMZ, which broke the news first. Earlier this year, People reported that the pair had separated.
The singer-actress has been in the U.K. filming the Wicked movies, and was spotted at Wimbledon on Sunday, July 16 in London without her wedding ring. In photos from the tennis championship, her fingers are bare as she sits next Andrew Garfield, Tom Hiddleston and her Wicked co-star Jonathan Bailey.
The singer and the 27-year-old luxury real estate broker wed in a private ceremony in May 2021 after getting engaged in December 2020, about 10 months after they were first spotted together in February that year.
Gomez also appeared in the music video for “Stuck With U,” Grande’s lovey-dovey mid-pandemic collaboration with Justin Bieber.
The two kept their relationship mostly private, though Grande would occasionally share snaps of their life together on Instagram, including one Valentine’s Day post showing off their glamorous date night looks.
The last time she posted a picture of Gomez was in November 2022.
Prior to their reported split, they attempted to reconcile without success. TMZ, People and Entertainment Tonight also report that Grande and Gomez remain friends, and talk regularly over the phone.
The R.E.M. Beauty founder was previously engaged to Pete Davidson, though she and the comic called it quits in 2018. She’s also been linked to Big Sean and Mac Miller, who passed away in September 2018.
On the Isle of Man, a plane has collided with the side of a cliff.
When the incident occurred yesterday at Bradda Head in Port Erin at around 12 o’clock, there was only one person on board.
At this time, it is uncertain how the pilot is doing.
Heavy smoke can be seen pouring over Bradda Head in video.
The Belfast Coastguard and all of the island’s emergency services were present at the scene, according to the BBC.
Police said they were ‘working with aviation crash investigators through the evening’.
The island also remains ‘under police guard and the public should avoid the area’.
A witness wrote on Twitter: ‘I phoned 999 straight away, witnessed the flames go up after hearing a low aircraft engine noise but wasn’t sure where it was.
‘The engine noise I heard was normal however I can’t be 100% certain it was that aircraft as it’s near the airport.’
One person was on board when the plane crashed (Picture: Twitter/@wfmk3)The crash occurred at Bradda Head in Port Erin (Picture: Twitter/@wfmk3)
Another posted: ‘This is literally where I go hiking everyday.
‘My mum and I were up there today 30 minutes before it happened.’
The water and air space around the site were also closed.
Following an unauthorised crossing of the military border, North Korean officials captured a tourist from the USA.
Authorities have confirmed that he came into the nation from South Korea.
The individual allegedly joined a tour to the Joint Security Area (JSA), a border town in the demilitarised zone dividing the two Koreas where soldiers from both sides keep watch.
The United Nations Command said in a statement on Twitter: ‘A US National on a JSA orientation tour crossed, without authorisation, the Military Demarcation Line into the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK).
‘We believe he is currently in DPRK custody and are working with our KPA counterparts to resolve this incident.’
Dancehall artist Shatta Wale has been granted his heart desire after a constant online petition to spend quality time with his son.
Michy, Shatta’s estranged baby mama, handed over custody of Majesty temporarily for an entertaining family reunion on Majesty’s 8th birthday.
Shatta Wale has been shown bonding with Majesty and Cherissa in a series of photos and videos shared on his social media platforms.
Joy and laughter was abound in Shatta’s plus ship mansion when Majesty took the role as a dance tutor and led a choreography with his family.
After their dancing moment, Shatta led his children to his in-house studio where he lectured them on music production. Majesty, who is likely to tow his father’s line, was captured delivering some bars on the microphone.
The singer, known for his energetic performances and controversial persona, showcased a softer side as he embraced the role of a loving and doting father.
He serenaded his son after which he presented a cake and other items to celebrate the joyous birthday.
Shatta Wale’s display of fatherly love has silenced critics who have tagged him a dead-beat.
A lady who was imprisoned for procuring abortion pills illegally in order to terminate her pregnancy when the area was under lockdown will be allowed out.
Carla Foster, 45, was sentenced to a 28-month extension of her original sentence after she pleaded guilty to illegally obtaining her own abortion at a gestational age of 32 to 34 weeks.
Abortions are often only performed in clinics after 10 weeks of pregnancy and are only legal up until 24 weeks.
Sentencing Foster last month, Mr Justice Pepperall said Foster would serve half her term in custody and the remainder on licence after her release.
But at the Court of Appeal in London on Tuesday, three judges reduced her prison sentence.
Dame Victoria Sharp, sitting with Lord Justice Holroyde and Mrs Justice Lambert, said Foster’s sentence would be reduced to 14 months and that it should be suspended.
‘This is a very sad case… It is a case that calls for compassion, not punishment,’ Dame Victoria said.
Foster appeared via videolink from Foston Hall prison for the hearing, wearing glasses and a dark blue top with flowers on the shoulders.
Following the sentencing of the 45-year-old earlier this year, a campaign had been launched to reform abortion law.
Caroline Nokes, chair of the Commons Women and Equalities Committee, had joined women’s rights groups in calling for reform to the 1861 legislation.
She told BBC Radio 4’s World Tonight programme: ‘Cases like this, although tragic and fortunately very rare, do throw into stark relief that we are reliant on legislation that is very, very out of date.’
As a craze for bizarre endurance feats sweeps Nigeria, a man who forced himself to cry for seven days has revealed that he temporarily lost his sight.
The most populous country in Africa has seen an increase in record-breaking attempts in recent months, spurred on by a chef’s four-day cooking marathon that captured the public’s attention.
Tembu Ebere, who has been trying to cry non-stop for a week, claimed that while trying to cry, he went partially blind for 45 minutes and got headaches, puffy eyes, and a swollen face.
“I had to re-strategise and reduce my wailing,” he told the BBC, adding he was determined to sob towards his target despite the difficulties encountered.
Record frenzy
The record frenzy erupted in May when a chef called Hilda Baci attempted to cook continuously for 100 hours to “put Nigerian cuisine on the map”.
Her attempt was so widely followed that it caused the official website guinnessworldrecords.com to crash for two days. She was cheered on by celebrities and Nigeria’s vice president.
The 26 year-old managed 93 hours 11 minutes, which was enough to break the previous cooking marathon record set in India in 2019.
Her success inspired a wave of similar attempts for activities including the longest time spent singing, praying, and even kissing.
John Obot, a schoolteacher, told the BBC he would be attempting to spend 140 hours reading classic literature aloud in September.
“The motivation is to promote reading culture in Nigeria,” he said, adding he had chosen a “record that is meaningful”.
But some of the stunts have faced criticism for being frivolous or offensive.
Police claim that a one-year-old girl was shot and killed by her elder sibling.
A three-year-old toddler discovered the unlocked firearm at a home in Fallbrook, a county north of San Diego, at 7.30am local time yesterday, according to US authorities.
According to a news release from the sheriff’s office, when deputies arrived, they discovered the youngster suffering from a “head injury” and took her immediately to Palomar Hospital.
Sadly, the girl could not be saved and died an hour later.
Further details about the shooting are currently scant.
It is not yet known who reported the shooting or where the children’s parents were at the time.
The girl’s name has also not been released by the homicide unit who have launched an investigation.
A Japanese steakhouse has shut its doors after seven patrons are said to have been drugged while eating there.
After several diners complained that they felt sick after dining there, an investigation led to the closure of Nikko Japanese Steakhouse and Sushi Bar earlier this month.
Following the patients’ hospitalisations, the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office launched an investigation into the Pace, Florida, eatery.
Jordan Gray and her husband Brandon said they sat at a hibachi table with their friend Matthew Gilley and that they started having symptoms later that evening.
‘None of us slept. All of us had racing hearts. It was very scary,’ Jordan told the Pensacola News Journal.
County officials confirmed that the food tested positive for a narcotic, but did not specify which one. Patrons claimed it was meth, WALA reported.
Authorities said there was not enough evidence or information on the witnesses to determine if there were any intentional or unintentional actions taken. There were no criminal charges filed against the Japanese steakhouse.
The establishment reopened following the investigation, but soon announced on Facebook it’s decision to close permanently.
‘After more than ten years of serving the Pace community, we have decided to close Nikko Japanese Steakhouse,’ stated the restaurant.
‘On June 10th, we heard, just like many of you did, of people being injured after eating at our restaurant. From the moment the story broke, we cooperated with authorities and all licensing agencies.’
The restaurant wrote that the sheriff’s office found ‘nothing linking the restaurant to the accusations’ and that they re-opened ‘after a clear survey by the health department’.
‘We are so thankful to our regulars who came back to support us, unfortunately it just wasn’t enough to keep the doors open,’ stated the restaurant.
‘Since then, we have been brutally harassed, daily, by various media outlets, who have slandered and defamed every aspect of our business. We have been investigated, searched, and questioned while fully cooperating at all times. That’s all we could do.’
The restaurant claimed that members of the media were calling and harassing employees at home.
‘Today, a family owned and operated business is closed, 20 employees are out of work, all because of the power of social media,’ wrote the restaurant.
‘We are heartbroken, but were unable to sustain the cost to stay open, when it seemed that every day, a local news outlet wanted to find something else to report on.’
The restaurant thanked patrons for their support including through the coronavirus pandemic.
‘Please, respect our privacy as we try to recover and figure out what our future holds,’ the restaurant concluded. ‘We will fondly remember our times together.’
The body of a graduate student who went missing last month was found in a quarry behind a petrol station.
Amina Alhaj-Omar, 25, was last seen in Columbus, Ohio, close to I-270 and US Route 23, and she was reported missing on June 10.
Police reported that Alhaj-Omar had been seen carrying two kitchen knives four days after she vanished. In a neighbourhood in south Columbus, her automobile was discovered abandoned and with only minimal damage.
Alhaj-Omar’s family on Sunday stated that Franklin County detectives had informed them ‘they had found Amina’s body in the quarry behind the BP gas station on S High Street where she was last seen’, WCMH reported.
Amina Alhaj-Omar was last seen on June 10 in south Columbus, Ohio (Picture: Ohio Attorney General’s Office)
‘We are unaware of the details at this time as we have not yet received the autopsy report,’ the family stated. ‘We would like to ask the public for their prayers for Amina.’
The Franklin County Coroner’s Office later confirmed that the body found on July 12 was that of Alhaj-Omar. Police have not yet released her cause of death.
Alhaj-Omar was a master’s degree student at Ohio State University’s College of Social Work.
‘The Ohio State University extends our deepest condolences to the family and friends of Amina Alhaj-Omar. This is a tragedy for the university community,’ stated the university on Sunday.
‘Our hearts go out to her family and friends during this exceptionally difficult time.’
Police suspended the search for Alhaj-Omar 19 days after she vanished.
‘Despite their efforts, the investigation has slowed, and they have exhausted all leads to this point,’ Columbus police said on June 29. ‘While the investigation is still ongoing, the active search for Miss Omar has concluded.’
Alhaj-Omar earned her bachelor’s degree in criminology from Ohio State University. She interned with the nonprofit Community Refugee & Immigration Services ‘working closely with the victims of ongoing crime cases’, according to her obituary.
‘Amina was a soft and kind soul that demonstrated the utmost compassion and empathy for any person that crossed her path,’ states her obituary.
‘She would always remind her friends of how important family was to her and that “family trumps everything”.
‘No matter how intense or silly a fight, she would always say “that’s my family, I’ll always have their backs no matter what”‘.
The first death caused by the ongoing “heat dome,” which is bringing triple-digit temperatures to several parts of the US, was confirmed by Texas officials.
After the heat dome descended over the American southwest, nearly one-fourth of the US population is under excessive heat advisories.
Heat domes typically cause extreme temperatures on the west coast, then expand as winds move hot air east and north across the country.
The current heat dome enveloping the southwest is expected to expand this week as far east as North Carolina.
Forecasters at the Weather Channel are predicting temperatures in some major cities to rise over 100 degrees Fahrenheit, including Miami, New Orleans, and Atlanta.
Little Rock, Arkansas is expected to see temperatures as high as 110 degrees Fahrenheit.
Over the weekend, Texas, Arizona, and New Mexico fared the worst in the brutal heat wave.
In Texas, authorities confirmed the first death related to the ongoing heat wave.
Victor Ramos, a 67-year-old resident of Houston, was killed on June 24. On Friday, a medical examiner determined the man died from accidental hyperthermia.
Family members said the air conditioning in Ramos’s home was broken, and he couldn’t afford to fix it.
‘He had told me during the day that he wasn’t feeling too good, he was a little bit tired,’ Ramos’s sister Karla told local station KHOU. ‘I went to check on him by nine in the morning, and I found him unresponsive.’
Temperatures in Houston rose to about 95 degrees Fahrenheit on June 24, according to the National Weather Service (NWS).
Many cities across the southwest saw temperatures meeting or coming close to their highest temperatures on record.
Las Vegas, Nevada came within one degree of breaking its record high temperature when it reached 116 degrees Fahrenheit on Sunday.
Reno, Nevada matched its highest temperature ever recorded, when it hit 108 degrees Fahrenheit.
Death Valley, already considered one of the hottest locations on Earth, also came close to breaking its record high temperature on Sunday after thermometers hit 128 degrees Fahrenheit.
The Mojave Desert valley’s highest recorded temperature was 134 degrees Fahrenheit.
The latest heatwave in Europe is expected to reach its highest peak to date later today, and the ‘unprecedented’ hot weather might last for weeks.
People in southern Europe started to feel the impacts of Cerberus’ searing successor Charon yesterday, after sweating through Cerberus for days.
After wildfires started, vacationers were forced to leave resorts in the Athens region.
A cooling wind that provided some respite for Greeks suffering in the heat ended up causing the flames to spread even faster and more widely.
Fires have also been reported in Spain’s Canary Islands and, late last night, the ski resort of Riederalp in Switzerland where 200 firefighters were sent to tackle the blaze.
The worst of the heat is expected to be concentrated on the islands of Italy, though, with forecasts predicting Sardinia may reach up to 47C later today.
Sicily holds the record for Europe’s highest official temperature ever, after meteorologists measured 48.8C in the town of Floridia in August 2021.
Italian meteorological society president Luca Mercalli told the MailOnline: ‘Even if that record is not broken, we are seeing a heatwave the length of which is unprecedented.’
British tourists were among those who had to flee Greek towns as yesterday’s wildfire approached.
The blaze started in Kouvaras – 30 miles from the Greek capital of Athens – forcing hundreds to evacuate.
Yannis Artopios, a firefighters spokesman, said: ‘It’s a difficult fire, the winds are really strong, with gusts reaching up to 37 miles per hour.
‘We are in the middle of the period of fighting fires. The conditions expected will be particularly difficult and favour forest fires.’
Yesterday, power cuts were reported in parts of Rome as temperatures creep past the mid-thirties and towards 40C.
The Associated Press said the outages had been caused by the heavy demand for air conditioners, which is putting pressure on the Italian electricity grid.
After being defeated in the House of Lords in the wee hours of the morning, the government‘s contentious proposals to restrict small boats from crossing the English Channel are about to become law.
A number of amendments to the Illegal Migration Bill, which would prevent anyone who entered the UK illegally from claiming asylum, were being sought by peers at Westminster.
The five attempts to change the law, however, were all defeated by the Tory frontbench, with at least one additional vote being abstained.
Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, who has been among the most strident critics of the Bill, also dropped his demand for a statement on tackling the refugee problem and human trafficking to the UK, after a similar proposal was rejected by MPs.
Mr Welby said he understood the need to end the small boat crossings, but added: ‘I fail to see how this [the Bill] does it and I have not heard anything to convince me.
‘But that is the view of the other place [the House of Commons]. I agree that in the end on most things except the most essential that this House must give way to the other place.’
As agreement between the two Houses has now been reached, the Illegal Migration Bill moves on to the final stage in the legislative process: royal assent.
The immigration reforms are a key part of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s agenda as he tries to reduce the tens of thousands of people now arriving in the UK on small boats each year.
But opposition MPs and refugee groups have said the plans will not succeed in driving down the numbers, and will only make an already complex asylum system more costly and chaotic.
Home Office minister Lord Murray of Blidworth told peers it was costing taxpayers £6 million a day to provide accommodation for the arrivals.
He said: ‘With over 45,000 people making dangerous Channel crossings last year this is simply no longer sustainable.
‘If people know there is no way for them to stay in the UK, they won’t risk their lives and pay criminals thousands of pounds to arrive here illegally.
‘It is therefore only right that we stop the boats and break the business model of the criminal gangs exploiting vulnerable people, ultimately enabling the government to have greater capacity to provide a safe haven for those at risk of war and persecution.’
The House of Lords debate came as a barge set to house 500 migrants began its journey from Falmouth, Cornwall, to Portland Port in Dorset, a month behind schedule.
Asylum seekers are expected to board the Bibby Stockholm for the first time later this month.
Another pillar of the government’s immigration proposals, the Rwanda deportation scheme, was dealt a blow late last month when the Court of Appeal overturned a High Court ruling which deemed the east African nation a ‘safe third country’.
As the Tories fight to retain three key seats, Rishi Sunak acknowledges that this week’s by-elections would be among the most challenging he has faced while in office.
In west London’s Uxbridge and South Ruislip, where Labour is heavily favoured to win, all eyes are on Boris Johnson’s former district.
Selby and Ainsty in North Yorkshire are also expected to be won by Keir Starmer’s party, and Somerton and Frome in Somerset are expected to go to the Liberal Democrats, who are currently the overwhelming favourites.
The Prime Minister appeared to acknowledge voters will have frustrations today, telling ITV: ‘Midterm by-elections for incumbent governments are always difficult, I don’t expect these to be any different from that.’
He added: ‘But I passionately believe that my priorities are the country’s priorities.’
It could be a drama-filled end to a parliamentary term, with the Uxbridge poll triggered by Mr Johnson sensationally quitting over the Partygate report.
The economic outlook is difficult too, with households still struggling with stubbornly high inflation and mortgage holders thrust into misery by rising interest rates.
Combined with NHS pressures and the impact of months of industrial unrest, it will no doubt be a difficult start to summer recess for Mr Sunak.
Listing his five priorities, including cutting waiting lists and halving inflation, the PM said: ‘I know that everyone would like to see progress on those things quicker, as would I.
‘But I want to be honest with people about the challenges, that’s what I’m always going to do in this job. But also they should be reassured that I am working day and night to deliver on them.’
The UK, according to pollster and political analyst Lord Hayward, has now ‘returned to normal mid-term politics’.
‘What we’re looking at is a series of by-elections where people will naturally express their anger about the current government,’ he said.
‘Boris Johnson, in a curious way, managed to defy mid-term in some cases, although not necessarily in by-elections.’
The Tory peer added: ‘People will express their view about government but – and this is where it becomes different – all the seats… there is the burden of the events of the last 12 months.’
Labour candidate and local councillor Danny Beales will be hoping to become Uxbridge’s next MP.
But Tory candidate Steve Tuckwell is hoping the Sadiq Khan-backed Ultra Low Emission Zone (Ulez) scheme is enough to sway voters away from Labour.
In Rawtenstall, Lancashire, the man struck the back of the stopped truck after exceeding the posted 40 mph speed limit while driving at 60 mph.
When police received a call on Friday reporting that a car was “trapped under a lorry,” they “prepared for the worst,” according to police.
Pictures of the wrecked car are horrifying. Its bonnet was ripped off, the windscreen was broken, and the bodywork was severely crushed.
But incredibly, the driver only suffered ‘minor injuries’ and also passed all ‘impairment tests’ after officers arrived at the scene.
The red Mercedes was left crumpled after the smash (Picture: Lancashire Constabulary / SWNS)
Police said the lorry driver had been sleeping in his cab at the time of the accident while adding the Mercedes owner had been reported for several driving offences.
A spokesperson from Lancashire Police said: ‘As a responder, when you hear ‘car trapped under a lorry’, you prepare yourself for the worst.
‘This lorry was parked up in Rawtenstall with the driver soundly asleep in his cab when the Mercedes collided with the rear of it, becoming trapped underneath the tail mounted forklift.
‘Incredibly, the Mercedes driver suffered relatively minor injuries despite travelling at around 60mph (in a 40mph limit) when the collision occurred. He also passed all impairment tests.
‘The Mercedes driver has been reported to court for driving without due care and attention, driving otherwise than in accordance with a licence and driving without insurance.’
Social media users who saw the photos said they were stunned the driver had walked away from the horror crash.
One wrote: ‘He is one very lucky person that he is not pushing up daisies.’
Another simply said: ‘Very very lucky’
While a third added: ‘Wowzers- lucky to come out of that unscathed.’
Veteran astronaut Jon Goodwin will launch on 10 August as part of Virgin Galactic’s upcoming mission, making him the first Olympian in space.
Being diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 2014, Mr. Goodwin, an Olympic canoeist who competed in Munich in 1972, is also the second person with the disease to visit space.
He won’t be the oldest person to travel into space, though; that honour belongs to William Shatner, a Star Trek actor who travelled into space at the age of 90.
Speaking ahead of the flight, Mr Goodwin said he hopes his journey will prove inspirational to others.
‘From becoming an Olympian to canoeing between the peaks of Annapurna, to winning a six-day race in the Arctic Circle and climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, I’ve always enjoyed rising to new challenges,’ said Mr Goodwin.
‘When I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s, I was determined not to let it stand in the way of me living life to the fullest. I hope this inspires all others facing adversity and shows them that challenges don’t have to inhibit them or stop them from pursuing their dreams.’
Joining Mr Goodwin on the flight will be Keisha Schahaff and Anastatia Mayers, the first mother-daughter duo in space who won their seats in a draw that raised $1.7million for non-profit Space For Humanity.
Ms Schahaff is an entrepreneur and wellness coach from Antigua and Barbuda. Her 18-year-old daughter is a student of philosophy and physics at the University of Aberdeen.
They are also the first female astronauts from the Caribbean.
‘When I was two years old, just looking up to the skies, I thought “how can I get there?”,’ said Ms Schahaff. ‘But being from the Caribbean, I didn’t see how something like this would be possible. The fact that I am here, the first to travel in space from Antigua, shows that space really is becoming more accessible.
‘I know I will be changed by my experience, and I hope I will be able to share that energy and inspire the people around me.’
Where does space start?
There is some debate whether those on board Virgin Galactic’s VSS Unity reach space or not.
According to Nasa, some place space at the Karman line, defined as an altitude of 60 miles, or 100 kilometres. This is an internationally-recognised boundary.
Named after engineer and physicist Theodore von Kármán, the line was established in the 1960s by an organisation called the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale.
Kármán wanted to define the point where aeronautics became astronautics.
Others, however, say space begins at 50 miles above sea level. At 55 miles up, VSS Unity is right in between.
Announcing the latest crew, a Virgin Galactic statement read: ‘The dynamic and multinational crew highlights the role the commercial space industry can play in removing barriers that once existed to becoming an astronaut.
‘To date, fewer than 700 people have travelled to space, with little diversity among the group.
‘Virgin Galactic’s mission is to change that – beginning with an 800-strong Future Astronaut community that represents more than 60 different nations.’
Last month Virgin Galactic’s first commercial flight safely carried a crew of three passengers from the Italian Air Force on a 90-minute flight 55 miles above Earth.
However, with tickets costing $450,000 (£343,000), space travel for most will remain out of reach.
Former President Donald Trump has disclosed his precise strategy, months after boasting he could put an end to Russia’s assault on Ukraine in a single day after retaking the White House.
In an appearance with Fox News’ Sunday Morning Futures, Trump described how he thinks he could resolve the dispute. In his opening remarks, Trump said that international leaders are smart and that his replacement, President Joe Biden, is ill-equipped to cope with them.
These are intelligent people, including French President Emmanuel Macron. I could mention everyone on the list, including (Vladimir) Putin… These individuals are nasty, tough, and generally savage. Trump then attacked Biden, saying, “They’re vicious, and they’re at the top of their game.”
‘We have a man that has no clue what’s happening. It’s the most dangerous time in the history of our country.’
Ex-President Donald Trump said that President Joe Biden ‘has no clue what’s happening’ (Picture: Fox News)
Host Maria Bartiromo pressed Trump on his prior claim.
‘So what should be the response?’ she said. ‘You said you could end the war in Ukraine in 24 hours. How would you do that?’
Trump replied that he knows Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky ‘very well’. He added that Zelensky was ‘very honorable’ because ‘he didn’t even know what they were talking about’ when ‘they asked him about the perfect phone call’.
He was referring to a July 2019 call between himself and Zelensky, in which Trump offered a ‘quid pro quo’ agreement to pressure Zelensky into pushing conspiracy theories about his 2020 opponent Biden in exchange for aid from the US.
Bartiromo cut Trump off and said, ‘Well, that’s not going to be enough for Putin to stop bombing Ukraine.’
Trump proceeded to elaborate on his plan.
‘No, no, no. No, I’m not saying that. I… what I’m saying is that I know Zelensky very well, and I know Putin very well, even better. And I had a good relationship, very good, with both of them,’ Trump said.
‘I would tell Zelensky: No more. You got to make a deal. I would tell Putin: If you don’t make a deal, we’re going to give them a lot. We’re going to give them more than they ever got, if we have to.’
He reiterated his claim: ‘I will have the deal done in one day, one day.’
Trump in May told GB News, ‘If I were president, and I say this, I will end that war in one day, it would take 24 hours.
Some Republicans interpreted Trump’s remarks as him favoring possibly sending even more aid to Ukraine than Biden has. His comments ‘commenced an all-out freakout among the GOP’s Ukraine funding skeptics’, noted Washington Post writer Aaron Blake.
In his analysis, Blake wrote that Trump is actually ‘talking about playing hardball. The idea is that he’s going to bluff to both sides – or at least one side (you pick which) – until they reach a deal’.
‘Credit to Bartiromo for actually getting Trump to offer something more about a promise that had been, up to this point, a platitude without a plan,’ wrote Blake. ‘What she revealed was nothing amounting to a thoroughly considered course of action – just a bluff that she, deliberately or not, called.
Alaska’s coast has been rocked by an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.3.
Early this morning, the earthquake caused a tsunami warning, which has subsequently been modified to a “advisory.”
People are urged to avoid swimming and going to the beach in the Eastern Aleutian Islands, the Alaskan Peninsula, and Kodiak Island.
The Aleutian Islands, the Alaskan Peninsula, and Cook Inlet regions all reported “widespread” earthquake tremors, according to the Alaska Earthquake Centre.
It was recorded at a relatively shallow depth of 3.8 miles (6km), 55 miles south-west of the tiny city of Sand Point.
The Alaskan branch of the US National Weather Service (NWS) tweeted: ‘Significant inundation is possible or already occurring.’
It urged people in the affected areas to ‘move inland to higher ground’.
An alert appears to have been sent to some residents of Anchorage, the largest city in the state, but NWS confirmed this was an ‘issue’ and the area was not affected.
Some residents of Anchorage received a tsunami alert, though they were later told this was not intended (Picture: Getty Images)
Meanwhile, the Alaska Volcano Observatory said an ‘explosive’ eruption of the Aleutian volcano Shishaldin is continuing, and the Aviation Colour Code had been raised to red due to the extent of the ash cloud.
In a social media post, the observatory wrote: ‘A continuous ash plume now extends over 80 mi (125 km) to the SSE from the volcano with an altitude of about 16,000 ft (4.9 km) above sea level.
‘Seismicity has remained elevated for over 6 hours and frequent explosion signals are being detected at regional infrasound (pressure sensor) networks.
‘Some explosions are sending ash plumes as high as 20,000 ft (6 km) above sea level.’
The post stated that this morning’s earthquake was ‘not related to volcanic activity’.
It is feared that Russia is preparing to utilise Wagner fighters in Belarus to annex a crucial stretch of land between Poland and Lithuania, which might start a third world war.
The Suwalki Corridor, also known as the Suwalki Gap, is a 60-mile stretch of terrain that separates Poland and Lithuania. It is estimated that “a few hundred” mercenaries are congregating there.
The strategically important region, known as NATO’s “weakest link” and “Achilles heel,” has been dubbed the “most dangerous place on earth” because it might be the first point of contact in a global conflict.
Taking control of the corridor would create a land bridge linking the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad – the main base of President Vladimir Putin’s Baltic fleet – and Kremlin ally Belarus.
Wagner troops are poised to launch an invasion attempt ‘in a matter of hours’, a senior Putin ally claimed on state television.
Reservist Colonel General Andrey Kartapolov, who chairs the Russian parliament’s defence committee, said: ‘It is clear that Wagner went to Belarus to train the Belarusian armed forces.
‘There is such a place as the Suwalki Corridor.
‘Should anything happen, we need this Suwalki Corridor very much.
‘A strike force is ready to take this corridor in a matter of hours.’
Poland’s intelligence service said it was monitoring the threat from the Wagner group, according to the Daily Telegraph.
Deputy head of Poland’s special services, Stanislaw Zaryn, said: ‘There may be several hundred of them now.’
He added: ‘The Polish services are monitoring the situation to find out how many Wagnerites will end up in Belarus.’
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken last year warned Putin could push further into Eastern Europe in the wake of the Russia-Ukraine war.
Lithuania has also called on NATO to strengthen forces along its border – with Germany set to deploy 4,000 troops to the region.
Fears of escalating tensions come as two people were killed and one injured in an ‘attack’ on the bridge linking Crimea to the Russia’s Krasnodar region this morning.
Traffic was halted on the 12-mile (19km) bridge in response to an ‘emergency’.
A Telegram channel linked to the Wagner group reported there were two strikes on the bridge in the early hours of Monday morning.
The attack is said to have been carried out as a ‘special operation’ by Ukraine’s naval forces and Security Service.
Russian-installed governor Sergei Aksyonov said there was an emergency involving involving the 145th pillar of the bridge in a post on Telegram but did not provide further information.
Krasnodar’s health ministry said a mother and father died in the incident, with their daughter wounded.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has set off on an official visit to Portugal at the invitation of President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa.
During his time in Lisbon, President Akufo-Addo will engage in the EurAfrican Forum hosted by the Portuguese government on Wednesday, July 19th, 2023.
Furthermore, President Akufo-Addo has received an invitation from the European Corporate Council on Africa and the Middle East (ECAM) to travel to Italy as a distinguished speaker at the 4th ECAM Annual Summit, which will take place from July 23rd to 24th, 2023. During his visit, he will also hold discussions with Italian Prime Minister, H.E. Giorgia Meloni, focusing on matters of shared concern between Ghana and Italy.
He was accompanied by the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Hon Shirley Ayorkor Botchway; Minister for Defence, Hon. Dominic Nitiwul; Minister for Education, Hon. Yaw Osei Adutwum; Minister for Agriculture, Hon. Bryan Acheampong; and officials of the presidency and foreign Ministry.
President Akufo-Addo will return to Ghana on Monday, 24th July, 2023 and in his absence, the Vice President, Alhaji Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, shall, in accordance with Article 60 (8) of the Constitution, act in his stead.
The bereaved family of 39-year-old Linda Duah, who tragically lost her life at Aflao Central Hospital in the Volta Region, is seeking compensation amounting to GHC500,000.
The family claims that the untimely demise of Ms. Duah resulted from the alleged negligence of two nurses who declined to administer necessary medical care upon her arrival at the hospital.
Earlier this month, the family submitted a petition to the Ghana Health Service (GHS) requesting an investigation into the case. The nurses involved are currently under investigation.
The family is seeking compensation in three forms: financial compensation to the family, funds for a befitting burial, and support for the education and welfare of the deceased’s 19-year-old son. They expect the management of the hospital to cover the educational expenses for the son, who is about to begin his university education.
During a meeting between the family and the hospital’s management last week, the hospital apologised to the family and offered to provide a befitting burial for the deceased.
However, the family emphasised that they are not solely seeking a befitting burial and that compensation and support for the deceased’s son are also crucial. The family provided a budget for the funeral to the hospital but did not receive a response.
According to the family, it is customary for another funeral to be held in the Upper East Region, where the deceased is from. They intend to request GHS 500,000 from the hospital to cover the compensation and expenses related to both funerals.
Sister of the deceased, Abigail Adom Okyere disclosed these to Valentina Ofori-Afriyie on Class FM’s 12 Live on Monday, 17 July 2023.
Member of Parliament for Efiduase and leader of Dr. Bawumia’s faction, Nana Ayew Afriyie, has asserted that Kennedy Agyapong is directing his criticism towards the wrong individual concerning Ghana’s re-engagement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Afriyie emphasized that targeting Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia on matters related to Ghana’s return to the IMF is unwarranted.
The Member of Parliament clarified that any matters pertaining to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) or the country’s economic challenges should be directed towards the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta.
He also added that Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia is a strategist because of how he was able to bounce back from cleaning dormitories, driving cabs and doing other menial jobs to become the person he is now.
“I will say that he should direct it to the Minister of Finance and when he (Bawumia) is in charge, he will take charge and take us to the promised land. We are going to the promised land. DMB is taking us there. …He (Agyapong) should attack the finance minister not him (Bawumia),” Nana Ayew Afriyie told TV3.
“He shared his experiences. When he used to clean to go to school to pay his fees; drive taxis, cabs. So, any person can be president one day. Any person’s child, regardless of where you are in this country, there is an opportunity for you to be where you have to be,” he added.
Background:
An NPP flagbearer hopeful, Kennedy Agyapong fired shots at the campaign team of Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia.
Speaking to delegates of the NPP in the Kintampo East Constituency as part of an ongoing campaign, the Assin Central MP sent a strong warning to the camp of the vice president noting that he will go on full offensive if the personal attacks directed at him do not cease.
“If NPP people don’t engage in a clean campaign, they will be in trouble because I will reply when you say something.
“For someone who claims to be a strategist, the dollar was GHC4 equivalent when we took power. Today, the dollar is GHC12. Do you think you are a strategist? Excuse me, strategist! Please,” Kennedy said.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has given his approval to the revised salary arrangement for the employees of Ghana’s Judicial Service (JUSAG).
According to an official statement, the updated salary scheme will come into effect starting from July 2023.
In May 2023, member of the Judicial Staff Association of Ghana indefinitely laid down their tools in protest of the failure of the Akufo-Addo government to review their salaries and approve a new salary structure.
Following engagements with the Ministry of Finance, JUSAG suspended the strike as a prerequisite for further deliberations on their grievances.
In a statement signed by JUSAG President, Samuel Afotey Out, dated Monday, July 17, 2023, the group announced the update on those further deliberations.
They also commended Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo for her role in getting them to this point.
“We are reassured by the letter of Her Ladyship Honourable Chief Justice dated 13th July 2023 which confirms that His Excellency the President of Ghana has approved the new salary structure, and implementation will be done in the month of July 2023 as indicated by the Ministry of Finance at the close of engagement.
“We are further gratified by the commitment of the Honourable Chief Justice to see to the passage into law a Judicial Service Regulation (Constitutional Instrument) in accordance with Article 158(2), 159, and the case of JUSAG vs The Attorney General &2 Ors (2016). We hope that comprehensive work on the CI will bring an end to the biennial strikes associated with salary reviews,” the statement said.
Read the contents of the full statement below:
IMPLEMENTATION OF REVIEWED SALARIES AND RELATED ALLOWANCES FOR STAFF OF THE JUDICIAL SERVICE
(1) The Judicial Service Staff Association of Ghana (JUSAG) wish to congratulate the Honourable Chief Justice, Her Ladyship Justice Gertrude Sackey Torkonoo on her assumption of office as the 15th Chief Justice and 3rd Lady Chief Justice to head the third arm of Government.
(2) Her assumption of office coincided with the difficult periods during which JUSAG was battling with Government over review of salaries and related allowances for staff of Judicial Service and the Lower Bench for 2023-2024 years.
(3) Though the process had been challenging, we are glad that her ingenuity and exceptional leadership with the support of other stakeholders led to conclusion of the engagement on the 15th of June 2023 with an understanding that implementation of the reviewed salaries will take effect in July 2023.
(4) We are reassured by the letter of Her Ladyship Honourable Chief Justice dated 13th July 2023 which confirms that His Excellency the President of Ghana has approved the new salary structure, and implementation will be done in the month of July 2023 as indicated by the Ministry of Finance at the close of engagement.
(5) We are further gratified by the commitment of the Honourable Chief Justice to see to the passage into law a Judicial Service Regulation (Constitutional Instrument) in accordance with Article 158(2), 159, and the case of JUSAG vs The Attorney General & 2 Ors (2016). We hope that comprehensive work on the CI will bring an end to the biennial strikes associated with salary reviews.
(6) The National Executive Council (NEC) of JUSAG wish to express our heartfelt gratitude to our mother Chief Justice for the good start, and to the immediate former Chief Justice, Justice Kwasi Anin Yeboah for his efforts. We shall work with her and Management to rebrand the Judicial Service and build upon the successes chalked by the Judiciary and the Judicial Service over the years.
(7) We equally wish to extend our felicitations to His Excellency the President of Ghana, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Labour and Employment Relations
Deputy Minister for Defence, Kofi Amankwa-Manu, has strongly rebuked individuals who have raised doubts about the origin of Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia‘s wealth, particularly in light of the significant investments being observed during his presidential campaign.
Amankwa-Manu’s remarks came as a response to growing scrutiny surrounding the financial resources supporting Bawumia’s bid for the presidency. The Deputy Minister vehemently criticized those who questioned the Vice President’s financial standing, emphasizing that such skepticism was unfounded and unwarranted.
According to him, most of the billboards, vehicles and other materials being used for Dr Bawumia’s campaign were donated by persons supporting his presidential bid and not from his funds as asserted.
The deputy defence minister, who made these remarks in an interview on Oyerepa FM, on July 14, 2023, added that persons who claim they are funding their political campaigns with their funds are thieves.
“As I am sitting here right now, I’m saving money for a billboard for Bawumia. I know a chief in Kumasi who has given Bawumia a pickup and an office complex.
“Anybody in politics who says that he uses his own money for campaign is a thief, that person is a thief.
“That is why you need people to follow you if you decide to run for an office… People have believed in Bawumia and they are supporting him in diverse ways,” he said in Twi.
He added that the vice president can not afford all the monies given to party supporters at his campaign, the vans and all the billboards mounted.
Deputy Minister for Energy and Member of Parliament representing Sekondi, Andrew Egyapa Mercer, has voiced his unwavering belief in Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia‘s capability to steer the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to success in the upcoming 2024 elections.
He expressed his confidence in Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia’s leadership capabilities during an appearance on TV3’s New Day. Mercer stated that among the potential contenders, Bawumia currently stands as a prominent figure and he firmly believes that the Vice President will play a pivotal role in leading the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to victory in the upcoming 2024 general election, aligning with the party’s objective of securing another term in office.
According to him, Bawumia’s message is resonating with party delegates and predicted that he would receive an overwhelming endorsement in both the super delegate and the national delegate conference on both August 26 and November 4, 2023, respectively.
“We are in a challenged economy, no doubt. Because for that, why will the president take a decision for us to go to the IMF, we had issues. But what caused those issues I’m saying is relevant for anybody who is doing a dispassionate critique of managers of the economy to take into consideration.
“And I am assured that based on the interactions that have gone on so far, those that I have participated in directly, ones that I’ve been monitoring on all media platforms, certainly the vice president’s message is sinking with the delegates of the New Patriotic Party and they will give him an overwhelming, emphasis, overwhelming endorsement on two occasions that is August 26 and also November 4, 2023,” he said.
The MP acknowledged the dedication and service of the other aspirants to the NPP, but he said the vice president can do the job for the party and build upon the achievements of the current administration.
“Because we are clear in our minds that he [reference to Bawumia] has what it takes to lead our party. That is not to say that the rest are incompetent, all of them have what it takes, they’ve all worked for the party, and they have contributed their dues.
“But I am clear in my mind that his excellency the vice president stands tall, and he is the one who can take this party into 2024 to help us break the 8 and keep our friend’s track records who we all know from the government,” he added.
Babies born during the COVID-19 lockdown period are experiencing a setback in their communication skills due to limited social interactions, according to a recent study. The findings shed light on the potential long-term impact of pandemic-related restrictions on early childhood development, raising concerns about the developmental consequences faced by this generation of infants.
A recent investigation by the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) has explored the experiences of infants born during the pandemic and their subsequent health and developmental implications. The study has found that two-year-old babies born during the COVID-19 era exhibit comparable behavior and developmental patterns to those born prior to the pandemic’s onset.
It indicated that the pandemic born babies had certain communication skills lagging compared to babies born before the lockdown.
The research team led by Susan Byrne, Senior Lecturer at the RCSI, and Jonathan Hourihane, the RCSI’s professor of paediatrics indicated that, the research focused on babies born in the first three months of lockdown and compared with a similar group of babies born before the pandemic. A total of 354 families and their babies were involved in the study.
“We wanted to understand what life was like for babies born during the pandemic, and what it might mean for their general health and development,” Byrne told the Observer.
The research discovered that these babies of six months, had limited interaction with relatives and family friends, with an average of only three individuals, including their parents, having kissed them.
Additionally, a quarter of the babies had not met another child their age by their first birthday.
Parents, when asked about raising children during the lockdown, Byrne, indicated that most of them described it as a feeling of loneliness and isolation.
However, the study also revealed that family time and bonding increased during this period.
Babies born during the pandemic probably heard fewer words because they were not getting out of their houses, and this may have led to their slightly lower communication scores compared with those of children born earlier.
Nevertheless, the study showed no overall decline in other developmental aspects such as motor skills and problem-solving abilities. Questionnaires filled out by parents indicated no differences in their children’s behaviour regarding sleep problems, anxiety, or social withdrawal.
“Covid restrictions ended quite a while ago, and babies have been out and about doing normal activities, meeting other people, going to play groups. And you’d hope that the findings would settle by the age of five – but we need to find out conclusively if that is really the case,” Bryan indicated
The research team plans to extend the study, following the babies until they reach school age at five years old. This will provide further insights into the long-term effects of the pandemic on their development.
Interestingly, the relatively encouraging conclusions of this Irish study contrast with the academic performances of older children. Recent data from England revealed that primary school pupils continue to perform below pre-pandemic standards in mathematics, writing, and reading.
Standard assessment tests (Sats) taken at the end of primary school indicated a slight improvement compared to the previous year, but the results remained significantly behind those from 2019. The figures showed that less than three-fifths of pupils are reaching the expected standard in reading, writing, and math, falling short of the government’s target of 90% by 2030.
The challenges faced by children during the pandemic, including limited social interaction and disrupted education, have had a lasting impact. The need for adequate support and resources to facilitate educational recovery becomes increasingly apparent.
Individual stories, such as that of Alex Thomas, whose children have faced speech and language challenges, highlight the personal struggles experienced by families. Access to appropriate therapies and support services remains crucial in addressing these issues.
Understanding the long-term effects of the pandemic on child development is of paramount importance. Continued research and comprehensive support will be essential in helping children overcome any setbacks and thrive as they grow older.
In a show of support, constituency and polling station executives of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Evalue-Ajomoro-Gwira Constituency of the Western Region have willingly obtained nomination forms for former Member of Parliament (MP), Catherine Abelema Afeku. These actions indicate their endorsement of Afeku’s bid to participate in the party’s parliamentary primaries for the upcoming 2024 elections.
Led by Eric Essien, Chairman of the Council of Patrons, and former Youth Organiser Samuel Dwomoh, the executives expressed their support for Afeku, recognizing her as a hardworking and popular grassroots politician, dailyguide reports.
The NPP had opened nominations for parliamentary primaries in constituencies without sitting MPs from July 11, 2023. The deadline for nominations was set for Thursday, August 10, 2023, with elections expected to take place from September to December 2023.
In a bid to encourage greater inclusivity, prospective aspiring candidates, including women, youth, and Persons with Disabilities (PWDs), were offered a 50% reduction on the non-refundable filing fee of GH¢35,000.00.
Afeku, who previously served as the Tourism Minister, lost the Evalue-Ajomoro Gwira seat; a swing area in the region, to the incumbent NDC MP, Arko Nokoe.
Addressing supporters, Eric Essien expressed his satisfaction with Afeku’s decision to lead the party’s efforts to reclaim the lost seat in 2024. He highlighted her good track record in the area, emphasizing the need for unity and support.
Receiving the nomination forms, Catherine Afeku expressed gratitude to the executives for their support and for contributing to the purchase of the forms.
She assured them that if chosen as the NPP’s parliamentary candidate for the 2024 general election, she would work tirelessly to secure victory.
Renowned Reggae/Dancehall artist Stonebwoy commenced his much-anticipated 5th Dimension North America and Canada Tour with an exhilarating showcase at the Bayfront Reggae & World Music Festival on July 15.
Taking the stage by storm in Duluth, Minnesota, the bhim president mesmerized fans with his distinct fusion of infectious energy, soulful melodies, and an undeniable emotional bond that encapsulates his extraordinary talent. The performance left a lasting impression, showcasing the exceptional artistry that defines Stonebwoy’s musical prowess.
Described as an unforgettable spectacle that marked a pivotal moment on his much-anticipated tour, the Bayfront Reggae & World Music Festival show marked the official beginning of Stonebwoy’s extensive world tour, aptly named after the trending album “5th Dimension.”
The concert opened with an explosion of lights and music, instantly immersing the audience in an atmosphere of anticipation and excitement.
From the first note to the last, Stonebwoy’s electrifying set was a tour de force of talent and creativity. Combining elements of Afropop, afrobeats, Amapiano reggae, and dancehall, his performance showcased the breadth and depth of his musical repertoire.
The international superstar effortlessly navigated through a catalogue of chart-topping hits, including songs from his new album such as “Life & Money” featuring UK rap heavyweight Stormzy; “Manodzi” featuring multi-Grammy award-winning singer Angelique Kidjo; “Therapy”, “Far Away”, “Apotheke”, “My Sound”, “Into The Future” and “Non-Stop”.
Other popular singles such as “Strength & Hope,” “Nominate”, “Activate”, “Most Original”, Shuga,” and “Run Go” were each met with an overwhelming response from the sea of concertgoers who sang along in unison.
The 5TH Dimension tour continues its journey across North America and Canada, before heading to Europe later this year for a three-date UK tour.
Meanwhile, Stonebwoy’s next stop is in Georgetown, Guyana, at the Emancipation Festival on August 1. From there, he is expected to wind through a total of 10 major U.S. and Canadian cities all in August. Tickets are out now.
About 5TH DIMENSION
The 5th Dimension album is Stonebwoy’s follow-up to his 2020 LP, Anloga Junction, which arrived on April 28 via Universal Music Group and DefJam Recordings.
The 17-song record includes “Manodzi” (which features multi-GRAMMY award-winner Angelique Lidjo), “Life & Money” (which features Stormzy), and “Into The Future”.
The album thematically incorporates Afrobeats, Reggae, Dancehall, Amapiano, folk, and other genres while leaning primarily toward pop-related themes. It showcases the artist’s evolution and growth, pushing boundaries and delving into uncharted musical territories.
Broadcaster and host of Good Evening Ghana, Paul Adom-Otchere, has alleged that the Inspector General of Police (IGP) George Akuffo Dampare is shielding and empowering an elite force that exists within the Ghana Police Service with the Police Intelligence Department (PID).
Speaking on one of the Good Evening Ghana episodes, Mr Adom Otchere said he received intel from a member of the Ghana Police Service regarding these claims, following the leaked plot to oust the IGP.
“He [the informant] said there’s something in the police called P.I.D ( Police Intelligence Department) and that the PID is being used by Dr Dampare, allegedly, to empower a certain elite police group and they do anything and nobody can talk to them and they talk only to IGP and IGP has said that nobody should grant an interview,” he said.
The Police Intelligence Department, among other things, is responsible for intelligence gathering on crime and criminal activities across the country; track and predict crime; passing on processed information to appropriate Schedule Officers and Commanders for the necessary arrests, investigation and actions to be taken; liaise with Directors-General, CID and Operations to profile criminals and analyze crime trends; develop and maintain a database for persons of interest; ultimate credible informants, etc.
However, Mr Adom-Otchere claims staff from this department of the Police Service are being used to commit heinous crimes (under the orders of the ‘top police hierarchy’), including and especially murdering innocent civilians, among others.
“This guy [the informant] tells me there’s murder and that’s where I was worried; that there’s murder going on. Policemen are being killed and policemen from the PID are killing civilians indiscriminately,” he said, adding that the claims were accompanied by picture evidence of how the policemen in the PID look like, which he is willing to make available to authorities.
“They wear earrings, and they look different a little bit and they are commiting murder. In November, some young men in Tamale were on the wrong side of the Law or so it was thought. He said they have been killed by the P.I.D on the instructions of the hierarchy – that the hierarchy has asked them to kill these young men and they shot them dead in November.
Referring to a habeas corpus application filed against the police in the Northern Region regarding the alleged killing of four young men in November 2022, Paul Adom Otchere highlighted concerns about the involvement of the so-called “elite force.” Additionally, he expressed reservations about Dampare’s decision to centralise police communications across the country.
Regarding the widely circulated leaked tape advocating for Dampare’s removal, Adom-Otchere stated that the president is in favor of Dampare and has no intention of replacing him.
“Nobody wants to change Dr. Dampare even Akufo-Addo will not. When his MPs said change Ken Ofori-Atta did he change him? We are still here. Ken Ofori-Atta has won a major success by delivering the IMF, nobody is going to change him,” he added.
Musician Sefadzi Abena Amesu, popularly known as S3fa, has made it clear that her relationship with D-Black is strictly professional.
A talented artiste said in an interview with Graphic Showbiz that she doesn’t feel comfortable with the speculation surrounding their relationship.
“I am not okay at all when people have the assumption that I have something to do with D-Black. This issue has come up a couple of times, and I am not okay with it,” S3fa emphasized during the interview.
By addressing the topic of abortion and expressing her point of view on it, S3fa sparked debates and claimed that those who are against it are hypocrites and that it is not a big deal.
She emphasised that a lot of people in Ghana have had abortions and that those who criticize public figures like Yvonne Nelson may have also had abortions while hypocritically making judgments.
“Do you know the number of people who have done abortions in Ghana? The people criticising Yvonne Nelson have probably done worse things than her, but they are here saying all sorts of things about her as if they are innocent,” S3fa stated.
S3fa began her music career as a singer, performing with live bands at bars, pubs, and events in Accra.
In 2017, she caught the attention of D-Black, the CEO of Black Avenue Muzik, who reached out to her through the social media platform Instagram.
This led to her signing with the record label. Later that year, she released her debut single “Marry Me,” featuring Jupiter.
Continuing her musical journey, S3fa collaborated with the talented musical duo DopeNation on the track ‘Shuga’ in May 2018.
In November 2020, she released her highly anticipated debut album, titled ‘Growth.’
The twelve-track album showcased her versatility and featured notable artists such as EL, Camidoh, Fameye, Sista Afia, Wendy Shay, Bisa Kdei, Medikal, and Nigerian singer Praiz.
Through her music and candid interviews, S3fa continues to make her mark in the industry, dispelling rumours and expressing her views on social issues while focusing on her artistic growth and maintaining a strictly professional relationship with D-Black.
In a thrilling culmination of Nigeria’s beloved reality TV music talent show, Nigerian Idol, the title of winner for its 8th edition has been claimed by the exceptional singer and lawyer, Victory Gbakara.
With an impressive display of talent and captivating performances throughout the season, Gbakara emerged victorious during the gripping season finale held on Sunday. Garnering an overwhelming number of votes from viewers, Gbakara surpassed the runner-up, Precious Mac, to clinch the coveted title of Nigerian Idol.
For winning the show, which ran for sixteen weeks, Gbakara won N35m cash prize and other prizes with millions of Naira.
The season 8 top 10 contestants were Savvy Henry; Constance; Goodness; Abraham; Quest; Precious Mac, Victory; Reigny; Ose Daniel, and Chisom.
Performances on the live show were judged by the viewers who held the power to retain and evict contestants through their votes.
A woman who allegedly made 2,761 bogus emergency calls over nearly three years has been apprehended by authorities.
Niroko Hatagami, 51, of Matsudo in the Chiba Prefecture, east of Tokyo, was detained by Japanese police on Thursday.
She was detained on suspicion of interfering with the work of a nearby fire brigade.
Authorities claim she made the calls between August 2020 and May 2023 for at least two years and nine months using her cellphone and other devices.
She admitted to making calls from both her home and at other locations around her neighbourhood because she felt ‘lonely and wanted someone to listen […] and give me attention’, local press reported.
Over the period in which she made the false emergency claims, she’s thought to have complained to authorities of stomach aches, drug overdoses, aching legs, and other symptoms.
When local services arrived, she would apparently repeatedly refuse medical help, denying having placed any calls.
Her arrest came about after Matsudo Fire Department filed a complaint with the police on June 20.
Niroko admitted to making 2,761 fake calls to emergency services between August 2020 and May 2023 (Picture: Getty Images)
Studies have revealed almost 1.5 million people in Japan may be suffering from acute loneliness, with levels exacerbated by the COVID-19 emergency.
Niroko’s case recalls that of Charlotte Walkinshaw, of Ramsgate, who in August 2022 was jailed for two years after making more than 30 bogus calls to emergency services.
Walkinshaw, who has 76 previous convictions, would routinely pretend to be the victim of a crime or in need of urgent medical attention.
Japanese police made the arrest after local fire services lodged a complaint (Picture: Getty Images)
The defence argued that Walkinshaw had suffered trauma at various points in her life, for which the judge offered ‘great sympathy’.
However, the judge nevertheless told her at sentencing: ‘You’d ring them up, tell them some nonsense and get them to spend time with you.
‘You should know at your age the emergency services are hard pressed, and I dread to think how many tens of thousands of pounds you have cost the public and how many people have been genuinely ill needing the police or fire services having to wait, with potentially catastrophic results.’
Nigerian musician Trevboi is wanted by the police in connection with the alleged murder of a man on July 15 at a nightclub in Lagos, Nigeria.
A Twitter user claimed that Trevboi, a former signee on Davido’s label, shot the victim at around 3 in the morning.
The incident leading to the death of the young man, only identified as Kenny, reportedly took place at Bar 38 Nightclub in the Fadeyi area of Lagos State.
The Lagos Police PRO, Benjamin Hundeyin, announced that his outfit has already begun investigations into the incident.
“We commenced investigation minutes after the incident happened. The suspect abandoned his car and fled on foot. The car and the documents in it are in our custody. Investigation is ongoing.”
Meanwhile, a report by Linda Ikeji’s blog reported that a fight broke out at the club after Trevboi had refused to pay his bill while leaving.
The musician reportedly got into a disagreement with the bar’s security after they attempted to stop him from leaving.
However, the blog reports that an altercation broke out and when the deceased stepped in to stop any fights he was shot.
In the midst of a ‘ongoing purge’ by defence officials, Moscow is said to have severed connections with yet another officer in the top military ranks.
The 106th Guards Airborne division’s commander, Major General Vladimir Seliverstov, a Russian paratrooper, has been relieved of his duties, according to numerous Russian media sites on Saturday.
The well-connected Telegram channel Military Informant claimed his
He was, an insider said, ‘not used to being silent’ when it came to defending his personnel fighting in Bakhmut, a city gutted by war in eastern Ukraine.
The claim – also reported by the military-linked Telegram channel VChK-OGPU – has not been confirmed by the Russian Military of Defence.
Seliverstov would be the latest top-ranking military official to be suspended, detained or disappeared in recent weeks, with some estimates putting it up to 11.
One military-linked Telegram channel claimed Seliverstov was dismissed due to his outspoken nature (Picture: Social media/east2west news)
The commander’s removal ‘may be a part of an ongoing purge of insubordinate commanders by the Russian military command,’ the Washington DC-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW) think-tank said on Saturday.
‘The corrosion of the Russian chain of command in Ukraine is accelerating,’ the think-tank added.
Since a failed mutiny led by Yevgeny Prigozhin, leader of the private mercenary group Wagner, earlier this month, Russia’s military has been under the spotlight.
The ISW says that Prigozhin’s rebellion, however short-lived, may have set a ‘precedent for insubordination that can hollow out support for the Russian military command among senior officers’.
Prigozhin, often called ‘Putin’s chef’ due to his catering contracts with President Vladimir Putin, had increasingly accused the Russian military of back-stabbing and carelessness before he staged a coup on June 23.
According to the ISW, other fired generals include Maj Gen Ivan Popov who on his way out accused military bosses of ‘hitting us from the rear’.
In a leaked four-minute farewell speech to his troops shared on social media by Russian Duma member Andrey Gurulyov, Popov says he ended up in a ‘difficult situation’ with army chiefs.
He had long laid bare the issues riddling the army, including murky command chains, a lack of counter-battery systems and the excessive deaths Russia is facing on the frontlines of Ukraine, among others.
‘Apparently, in connection with this, the senior commanders felt some kind of danger in me and swiftly, in a single day’s light, concocted an order from the Minister of Defense that removed me from the deployment and got rid of me,’ Maj Gen Popov said in one translation published by The New York Times.
‘It was necessary either to keep quiet and be a coward,’ he added, ‘or to say it the way it is.’
Britain’s Ministry of Defence said in a weekly intelligence update that the speech was intended only for his own soldiers.
‘Popov’s comments draw attention to serious disaffection many officers likely harbour towards the senior military leadership,’ defence officials added.
By whittling down Russia’s military command, the ISW suggested military leaders may be trying to openly ‘punish’ and ‘dissuade’ its critics.
Among other Russian officers whose fates remain unclear in the wake of the Wagner mutiny is General Sergei Surovikin.
Surovikin, the head of the air force who has links to Prizoghin, hasn’t been publicly seen in weeks.
Some Western intelligence believes that the second-in-command of the Russian armed forces had advance knowledge of the rebellion.
But now he is, according to one Russian lawmaker, Andrei Kartapolov, simply ‘taking a rest’.
The launch of the Ghana Music Awards UK 2023 has been set to occur on Friday, August 4, 2023, at the renowned Labadi Beach Hotel in Accra, Ghana.
This prestigious event serves as a platform to recognize and commemorate the exceptional accomplishments of Ghanaian musicians throughout the course of the year. It is a momentous occasion dedicated to honoring their talent, creativity, and contributions to the music industry.
Industry players expected to grace the occasion are executives of both organising bodies as well as managers of musicians. The list of potential attendees includes fans, promoters, industry players, and journalists covering the entertainment industry.
The maiden edition of the award was held in 2016 and it has successfully reached the 7th year since its inception. Even though the event takes place in the United Kingdom, it kicks off in Ghana to bring a feel of it to the indigenes and also create awareness of Ghanaians in the diaspora.
The Ghana Music Awards UK opened submissions for artists, producers, and other members of the music industry to submit their work for consideration in the forthcoming seventh edition on April 12, 2023, and ended on May 30.
Last year, Hip-hop musician Black Sherif swept the night’s prizes, taking home a total of five awards (including Musician of the Year). Akwaboah, a highlife singer and songwriter, got three awards, and Eugy and Headie One each won two.
Meanwhile, hip-hop legend Reggie Rockstone was honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award, and TiC and Zoro King received special recognition awards.
Queen Camilla will celebrate her first birthday as the monarch of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms this July, making it a very significant day.
Although we doubt they create a card only for that occasion, the Royal Family will undoubtedly ensure that Her Majesty’s day is made memorable.
The Queen has already had a very eventful year. She was crowned
So she might want to spend this birthday relaxing with her beloved rescue dogs (which she honoured on her Coronation gown) or a good book, as she’s vocal about her love for reading.
But when is the Queen’s birthday and how old is she?
Queen Camilla turned 76 today (July 17).
Being born under the Cancer star sign, Camilla, so the astrologers say, could show tendencies of loyalty, protectiveness, intuition, and being caring.
On the flip side, Cancers are overly sensitive, moody, and vindictive.
So, don’t cross the Queen! But if you’re in her good books, you’re golden. And speaking of books…
What is the Queen’s Reading Room, and what is the Queen known to like?
After a busy year, we imagine Her Majesty is looking forward to nothing more than a slice of cake and a good book today.
She spearheaded The Queen’s Reading Room, after all, a charity working to provide opportunities for the appreciation of literature among adults and children.
She is quoted as saying, ‘Reading is exciting. Reading is fun. Reading is cool. There is nothing quite like the thrill of opening a book and being drawn into another world to meet new people and to discover their stories – it’s like making new friends.’
Camilla’s love for reading starts with her parents.
She once said: ‘Just as my father read to us as children, I used to read to my own children and now read to my grandchildren.’
Where was Camilla born and who were her parents?
Camilla was born on July 17, 1947, at King’s College Hospital, London, to Bruce Shand and Rosalind Cubitt.
Her mother, Rosalind was an aristocrat. In 1939, Rosalind was named ‘Debutante of the Year.’
She would go on to marry Bruce Shand in 1946 at St. Paul’s Church in London.
Rosalind died in 1994 at age 72 from osteoporosis, and her battle with the disease has inspired Camilla to take up prevention of the disease as one of her core charitable enterprises.
Camilla’s father, Bruce Shand, was an officer in the British Army who served in France as part of the British Expeditionary Force during the Second World War.
He later became a wine merchant, before passing away in 2006.
Who are Queen Camilla’s siblings?
Camilla has two younger siblings – a brother and a sister.
Her sister, Sonia Annabel Elliot (who goes by Annabel) is a British interior designer and antiques dealer.
Annabel is the mother of British Conservative politician Sir Ben Elliot, who served as the Co-Chairman of the Conservative Party.
Mark Shand was a travel writer and conservationist who had a particular focus on elephants. He died after falling and hitting his head during a party in 2014.
Who are Queen Camilla’s children?
From her first marriage to Andrew Parker-Bowles, Camilla has two children.
Tom Parker-Bowles, 48, is a food writer and daughter, Laura Lopes, 45, is an art curator.
From her children, Camilla has five grandchildren.
One of her grandsons, Freddy, stood by her side on the balcony of Buckingham Palace on the day of the Coronation.
Africa’s most popular reality show, Big Brother Naija, is scheduled to return with a special edition on Sunday, July 23, 2023, almost three months after the lights were turned off on the iconic “Big Brother House and BBTitans” in South Africa.
Fans’ favourite characters from previous seasons will return for the new season. On Africa Magic Showcase (Ch. 151), Africa Magic Urban (Ch. 153) and Africa Magic Family (Ch. 154), BBNaija Season 8 will debut at 7 o’clock. Ten additional weeks of the show will be broadcast on the 24-hour Big Brother-specific channels on DStv channel 198 and GOtv channel 149.
The ‘All Stars’ edition will feature carefully selected housemates and fan favourites from previous editions of the show. Fans can expect a line-up of exciting and engaging tasks, unpredictable twists, and turns, including fan-favourite ‘Ninjas’, engaging tasks, and unpredictable twists and turns. This season will also include the famous pool and grill party and the Saturday Night Raves.
Speaking on this, Executive Head of Content and West Africa Channels at MultiChoice Nigeria, Dr Busola Tejumola, said, “We are excited to bring you a refreshed season of Big Brother Naija. I am sure you all have noticed the buzz on social media and all the speculations about the eighth season of this well-loved-show – we certainly have- and we can confirm to you all today; YES, the 8th season of Big Brother Naija is the All-Star Edition.
“We thank MoniePoint Nigeria for joining us as lead sponsors of this promising season in partnership with our lead sponsors, MoniePoint as we get reintroduced to your favourite housemates. Welcome to Big Brother Naija Season 8.”
In addition, the show is staying true to its reputation of having the biggest cash prize for any reality competition on the continent. This season’s winner will take home a cash prize of N120 million and other exciting prizes.
As Big Brother Naija returns for another season, fans across sub-Saharan Africa and the United Kingdom will enjoy front-row, live-streamed access to all the activities in the Big Brother house on Africa’s top streaming service, Showmax. Interestingly, DStv Premium subscribers will get access to the platform for free, while Compact Plus and Compact subscribers get Show for half the cost.
DStv customers who would like to opt out of viewing the show can do so by sending “Smart Card Number [space] BBOUT” to 30333, while GOtv customers can do the same by sending “IUC Number [space] BBOUT” to 4688. Additionally, customers can activate the parental control option on their DStv and GOtv decoders for viewers younger than 18 years. Viewers can also avoid missing any moment of the show by streaming across the country on the DStv app.
The founder of Mavin Records and well-known Nigerian music producer Don Jazzy revealed his financial support for nurturing and promoting new artists.
In an interview with Fisayo Fosudo, Don Jazzy disclosed that he spends more than 100 million Naira (about $245,000) annually if he decides to sign a new artist to his record label.
The statement highlightsDon Jazzy’s dedication to supporting emerging talents and investing in their careers.
It showcases his belief in the power of mentorship and the importance of providing resources and opportunities for artists to thrive in the competitive music industry.
Don Jazzy’s financial commitment goes beyond signing an artist.
According to him, it encompasses various aspects of artist development, including studio recordings, music production, marketing and promotion, music videos, branding, and talent management.
By investing such a substantial amount, Don Jazzy ensures that his signed artistes receive the necessary support to reach their full potential.
Mavin Records, under Don Jazzy’s leadership, has been responsible for nurturing and launching the careers of several successful artists in the Nigerian music industry.
The record label is known for its emphasis on quality, innovation, and professionalism, making it a sought-after platform for aspiring musicians.
Hollywood’s largest strike in more than 60 years has thousands of actors, including Jason Sudeikis, Susan Sarandon, and thousands more, joining screenwriters.
During the shutdown, actors will not appear in movies or even promote them.
The shutdown may have an impact on high-profile films currently in production, such as the Avatar and Gladiator sequels.
The actors are joining writers who walked out in May, concerned about pay, working conditions and the industry’s use of artificial intelligence (AI).
Brian Cox, the lead actor on HBO’s Succession, told the BBC the strike could last “until the end of the year”.
“The whole streaming thing has shifted the paradigm,” the Scottish star told BBC Newscast.
“They are trying to freeze us out and beat us into the ground, because there’s a lot of money to be made in streaming and the desire is not to share it with the writers or the performers.”
Talks for a new contract with studios and streaming giants broke down on Thursday, with the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) accusing the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) of being “unwilling to offer a fair deal”.
About 160,000 performers stopped work at midnight, joining the 11,500 members of the Writers Guild of America (WGA), who walked out on 2 May.
By noon on Friday, union members and their supporters had gathered outside the offices of major studios and streaming services in Los Angeles, New York and other cities.
The demonstrations have received support from some of the biggest celebrities in the movie and television business, including the stars of the upcoming Oppenheimer movie, who walked off the red carpet on Thursday night.
The two guilds want studios and streaming services to offer better pay, increased royalties, higher contributions to their pension and health plans, and safeguards on the use of AI in the industry.
Productions likely to be affected include sequels to the Avatar, Deadpool and Gladiator franchises, as well as upcoming seasons of shows such as Stranger Things, Family Guy and The Simpsons.
Red-carpet premieres, promotional interviews and events including the Emmys and Comic-Con, have already been halted, rescheduled or scaled back.
The strike action is driven in part by an uncomfortable transition to the era of digital streaming, as well as by broader technological changes.
“AI will affect everybody,” Academy Award winner Susan Sarandon told the BBC from a picket line in New York.
“There’s definitely always been the feeling that if it isn’t solved now, how do we ever solve it in the future?” she said.
“If you don’t have the foresight to put something in place for the future, then you’re screwed. It’s clear that nothing is going to change from the top down, it’s going to be up to us at the bottom.”
Both writers and actors have complained that they make far less money than they used to make and that contracts have been undercut by inflation.
For actors, pay for individual roles has declined, forcing them to seek several more roles to make the same amount of money as they did a few years ago.
Writing contracts have become shorter and more perilous, with payment often not included for writers’ work on revisions or new material.
“We are being victimised by a very greedy entity,” Fran Drescher, the current SAG president, said on Thursday. “I am shocked by the way the people that we have been in business with are treating us.”
The failed negotiations between the unions and the AMPTP marks the first tandem strike in the industry since 1960. The last actors’ strike, in 1980, lasted 10 weeks.
A third union, the Directors Guild of America (DGA), is not participating in the strike after successfully negotiating its own contract in June, but the group has said it “strongly supports” those who are picketing.
With the prospect that the strike could roll on for months, cinemas could face problems, and viewers may be left with nothing new to watch bar reality TV and live sport.
In a statement on Friday, the White House said President Joe Biden “believes all workers – including actors – deserve fair pay and benefits”.
“The President supports workers’ right to strike and hopes the parties can reach a mutually beneficial agreement,” spokeswoman Robyn Patterson said.
Actors represented by SAG’s sister union in the UK – Equity – must continue to work as normal, due to UK employment laws. That includes stars of HBO’s House of the Dragon.
The union has however told US companies it will be keeping a “very close eye” on any attempts to move US productions to the UK.
Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia has highlighted the importance of selecting a leader who is selfless and capable of securing the party’s victory in the upcoming 2024 general elections.
During his speech to delegates of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr. Bawumia emphasized the critical objective of maintaining political power. He emphasized the necessity of a leader who is driven by selflessness rather than mere wealth.
According to a report from Myjoyonline.com, Dr Bawumia emphasised the importance of having experience and a proven track record in governance. He stressed the need for the party to have a candidate who can bring innovative ideas to foster the growth and development of the country.
“As we go for the presidential primaries, we need someone who can help us retain. We need someone who has humility. We need someone who has a track record. We need someone who has the temperament. We need someone who has innovative ideas and has tolerance for everyone,” Myjoyonline.com quoted Dr. Bawumia.
Furthermore, Dr. Bawumia draws attention to his own political experience in campaigning against the National Democratic Congress (NDC) flagbearer, John Dramani Mahama.
He noted that he has defeated the former president twice and is confident in his ability to secure another victory in the 2024 elections.
“If you look at all of us ten aspirants, I have the political experience in campaigning and winning elections against John Mahama. I have beaten him twice already, and I know how to defeat him again in the 2024 elections,” affirms the Vice President.
The Vice President of Ghana, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia; the former Minister of Trade and Industry, Alan Kyerematen; the Member of Parliament for Assin Central, Kennedy Agyapong; and seven other candidates have been cleared by the Vetting Committee of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to contest the NPP flagbearership race.
The clearance gives the green light for the 10 candidates to begin preparing for the Super Delegates Congress of the NPP, where the number will be struck down to only 5 candidates.
It is this final 5 candidates-list that will be presented to delegates to vote on for a presidential candidate towards the 2024 general elections.
