When Cashman, 34, was found guilty of killing nine-year-old Olivia at her house in Dovecot, Liverpool, he filed an appeal against the minimum 42-year sentence that was imposed on him. This was done at the beginning of July.
A judge’s denial of the application has now been confirmed by the Court of Appeal.
The rejection of Cashman’s request to have his prison sentence reduced, according to Olivia Korbel’s mother Cheryl Korbel, “meant everything to us as a family, it was huge.”
Cashman ‘ruthlessly pursued’ his intended target, drug dealer Joseph Nee, into the Korbel family home in Knotty Ash, Liverpool on the evening of August 22 last year.
Cashman has appealed his 42-year sentence but it has been turned down (Picture: PA)Court artist sketch of Cashman in the dock at Manchester Crown Court (Picture: Elizabeth Cook / PA)
Seconds earlier, Olivia had gotten out of bed and run to her mother screaming ‘I’m scared mummy, I’m scared’ after hearing a commotion outside.
She was standing on the stairs when Cashman fired at Nee as he tried to barge his way in, with the bullet going through the front door, through Ms Korbel’s right hand and into her chest.
Jurors heard Cashman fled on foot, jumping over garden fences, and Nee staggered out into the road where he was picked up by five men in a black car as Olivia lay fatally wounded.
Cheryl Korbel, left, spoke of her pain after losing her daughter in such tragic circumstances (Picture: PA)
She was taken to Alder Hey Children’s Hospital and rushed straight to the resuscitation room but was declared dead at 11.15pm.
Cashman, who jurors heard had planned Nee’s ‘execution’, was convicted of Olivia’s murder after just over nine hours’ deliberations following a three-week trial.
He was also found guilty of the attempted murder of Nee, wounding with intent to do grievous bodily harm to Ms Korbel, and two counts of possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life.
After Olivia’s family endured a four-week trial, her killer refused to show up for his sentencing, instead remaining in his cell.
Cheryl, 48, told The Mirror: ‘We knew when he didn’t show up in court that he was going to appeal it.’
Cheryl said: ‘I laughed when I heard he had appealed his sentence, I just thought it was a joke, we went right through court and then he never turned up for his sentence.’
‘You never get closure’, Cheryl told the newspaper, ‘and then for him to not turn up was a punch in the stomach. It’s not a quick process at all. It was draining.’
‘The pain he has put us through, we’ve lost Olivia, she was the core of the family, she was the youngest. But whether that makes any difference to him I’m not sure.
‘The law needs changing so other families don’t have to go through the same thing, so they get the chance to tell these offenders the pain they have caused.’
One of Vladimir Putin‘s closest supporters has warned the ‘totally crazy West’ that its ongoing support for Ukraine puts Russia and the West at risk of going to war.
Former Russian President and current vice-chairman of the influential Security Council, Dmitry Medvedev, declared that “World War Three is drawing near.”
A new “long-term” security plan for Kyiv is about to be unveiled by the G7 in an effort to “end the war and deter and respond to any future attack.”
Earlier, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said the biggest risk is Vladimir Putin winning the war, which he described as being ‘a tragedy for Ukraine’ but ‘a danger to us’.
Russia, which says NATO’s eastward expansion is an existential threat to its own security, swiftly lashed out at the proposals.
Writing on the Telegram messaging app, Mr Medvedev said: ‘The completely crazy West could not come up with anything else… In fact, it’s a dead end. World War Three is getting closer.
‘What does all this mean for us? Everything is obvious. The special military operation will continue with the same goals.’
The Kremlin said on Wednesday that security assurances for Ukraine would be a dangerous mistake that would expose Europe to greater risks for years ahead.
Commenting on the proposed security assurances, spokesman Dmitry Peskov said ‘We consider this to be badly mistaken and potentially very dangerous.
‘Because by providing any kind of security guarantees for Ukraine, these countries would be ignoring the international principle on the indivisibility of security.
‘By providing guarantees to Ukraine, they would be impinging on the security of the Russian Federation.’
It was impossible for Moscow to tolerate anything that threatened its own security, Mr Peskov added, saying he hoped that politicians in the West would realise the risks attached to providing Ukraine with such assurances, a move he said would carry ‘highly negative consequences’.
‘By taking such a decision, these countries will make Europe much more dangerous for many, many years to come. And, of course they will do a disservice to us, something we will take into account.’
Some pro-Kremlin figures gloated at the fact that NATO a day earlier had told Ukraine that it could join ‘when conditions are met’ while stopping short of naming a date or specifying the conditions.
Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said it was a lesson for Kyiv which she said proved the West made up its own rules of the game to fit its agenda.
‘This is the “rules-based order” invented by Westerners,’ she wrote on Telegram.
‘Smarter people don’t take part in it, since there are no rules – they are invented on the go, and they change if the game doesn’t bring the desired result,’ she said.
Konstantin Kosachyov, deputy chairman of Russia’s upper house of parliament, said the outcome was a humiliation for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
He claimed NATO was exploiting Kyiv to wage war on Russia while keeping it out because of the risk of nuclear confrontation.
‘In the end, Kyiv was shown its place: to serve as expendable material, to destroy its soldiers for NATO without guarantees of membership in it, and in general to keep its distance from the alliance for now because Ukraine clearly “smells” of a nuclear war in which “real” Europeans will die,’ Kosachyov wrote on Telegram.
Kim Jong-un, who appeared to be enjoying himself, grinned as he observed North Korea launch yet another ballistic missile.
According to state media, the nation launched its most recent and potent intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) Wednesday, which traversed 1,000 km and flew for 74 minutes.
Kim may be seen cheering the missile from the command post in pictures of the launch that were published by North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).
KCNA reported that the easy-going tyrant, wearing a white suit jacket, ‘personally guided the test-fire of a new-type ICBM Hwasongpho-18 on the spot’.
He was joined by his wife Ri Sol Ju, General Kim Jong Sik and other top officials.
According to state media, Kim was ‘greatly satisfied’ with the results of the test run, with photographs showing him standing up to applaud.
Kim Jong-un has made it a habit to oversee missile launches (Picture: AFP)North Korea’s leader stoop up to applaud after the launch (Picture: AFP)
Yesterday’s solid-fuel ICBM was its first test in three months, South Korea’s military said, with the missile landing in waters between North Korea and Japan.
‘The test-fire had no negative effect on the security of the neighbouring countries,’ KCNA reported.
The launch was organised by the Missile General Bureau, a government agency that South Korean experts say was revealed in February to make it clear that the nation is a nuclear weapons state.
The Hwasongpho-18 was one of many ICBMs, strategic cruise missiles and short-range missiles North Korea has fired in recent years.
Kim has long shown his face at missile launches as North Korea’s propaganda wing moves into first gear as the US and South Korea beef up their alliance.
He has been photographed hunching over in black suits as he watches the ballistic missiles blast off with a pair of binoculars.
In March last year, Kim threw on a ‘Top Gun-style’ leather flight jacket and black aviator sunglasses as he emerged out of a warehouse to oversee a missile test.
Footage released by state media even had the moment he walked across the site in slow motion with the hunkering missile behind him.
As the missile shoots up into the sky, the Workers’ Party of Korea general secretary whipped off his sunglasses before shouting ‘hooray’.
Though the dictator isn’t always so buttoned or zipped up.
In October, Kim strayed from his usual all-black attire and donned a white tunic and a safari-style hat for an unplanned missile test.
It came during a month marked by increasingly aggressive and proactive missile tests, with an intermediate-range ballistic missile flying over northern Japan on October 4 triggering alarms and prompting panicked residents to seek shelter.
Only two days later, the nation rehearsed the launching of ‘nuclear warheads’ before firing two cruise missiles deployed at units operating ‘tactical nukes’ on October 12.
The following month – which saw North Korea fire at least 46 ballistic missiles – Kim revealed his daughter to the world for the first time.
He was pictured walking hand-in-hand with his ‘beloved daughter’, state media said, wearing casual coats as a massive Hwasong-17 looms behind them.
The transfer of F-16 fighter jets from NATO to Ukraine, according to Vladimir Putin’s foreign minister, poses a “direct nuclear threat” to Russia.
In response to Nato’s promise to begin training Ukrainian pilots to operate the fighter jets in August, Sergey Lavrov spoke out.
The Kremlin asserts that it forewarned the US, UK, and France about the dangers of giving Ukraine the jets.
Lavrov said: ‘Just one example of an extremely dangerous turn of events is the United States plans to transfer F-16 fighter jets to the Kiev regime.
‘We have informed the nuclear powers, the United States, Britain and France, that Russia cannot ignore the ability of these aircraft to carry nuclear weapons.
‘No amount of assurances will help here.’
Lavrov continued: ‘In the course of combat operations, our servicemen are not going to sort out whether each particular aircraft of this type is equipped to deliver nuclear weapons or not.
‘We will regard the very fact that the Ukrainian armed forces have such systems as a threat from the West in the nuclear sphere.’
He also warned: ‘The United States and its Nato satellites are creating risks of a direct armed clash with Russia, and this is fraught with catastrophic consequences.
‘The conditions for Russia’s use of nuclear weapons are clearly defined in our military doctrine.
‘They are well known, and I will not repeat them once again.’
He also accused countries at the Nato summit which was held in Vilnius, Lithuania, of ‘consistently lowering the threshold for the use of force and building up the nuclear capability in military planning’.
A key theme of this year’s summit was Volodymyr Zelensky’s wish for Ukraine to join Nato.
But defence secretary Ben Wallace said Zelensky needed to be mindful about keeping ‘doubting politicians’ on side following his complaints.
Mr Wallace said he needed to show more ‘gratitude’ to western allies for arming Ukraine and said ‘we’re not Amazon’.
In other news, Wagner Group chief Yevgeny Prigozhin, who staged a coup against Vladimir Putin, is likely dead or in jail, a former US military leader said.
The mercenary leader ordered his soldiers to travel towards Moscow in a failed rebellion against the Kremlin in late June.
The Russian president said his former caterer’s actions amounted to ‘armed mutiny’, and Prigozhin is now feared dead by experts.
A two-year-old toddler who vanished from his grandparents’ garden has not been located by police.
The last four days have seen intense searches in the area, but on Wednesday night, the search was called off.
In the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence region of France, a little village near Le Vernet is where Émile was last observed on Saturday afternoon as he was playing outside the house.
He vanished as they were all preparing to go on an excursion, prompting a massive search that including a helicopter, drones, and sniffing dogs.
His parents – who have not been named – were at their home near Marseille, 200 miles away, for the summer holidays.
An emergency services source said: ‘Émile was always chasing butterflies, and could have got a long way away, before hiding somewhere for a nap.’
And during a news conference held yesterday, police admitted they ‘have no clues’ about the young boy’s whereabouts.
Public prosecutor Rémy Avon told journalists: ‘At the moment we have no clue, no information, no element that can help us understand this disappearance.’
He stressed while ‘the investigation continues’ no progress had been made since Émile’s disappearance.
‘We are at the same point as the day before yesterday after receiving the two testimonies’, Mr Avon said. ‘We are really pushing the investigations on the ground as much as we can’.
He added: ‘Medically we are told that beyond a period of 48 hours, given the young age of the child, given his constitution, and the possibility that he will be deprived of water and food with the current heat, the vital prognosis is very very committed.’
‘Either the body was concealed after an accident, or it was removed’, a gendarmerie spokesperson said, adding the sniffer dogs would have found a body in the region by now.
‘It is obvious that, after 48 hours, we have switched to another dimension. Hearings are underway.’
The search continued with a helicopter broadcasting the voice of Émile’s mum in the hope of finding the young boy.
On Wednesday investigators worked on the telephone boundary to identify people who would have passed near the hamlet at the time of the disappearance.
The extended search was upgraded from ‘regional’ to ‘national’ and the number of investigators increased from 15 to 20.
Investigators have received 1,200 calls after putting out a call for witnesses, Le Parisian reports.
Officials are investigating whether the young boy could have been hit by a tractor or car and his body taken away, according to La Provence.
Another theory is Émile was known to chase butterflies and could have chased one for a long distance before taking a nap.
Police are also exploring a hypothesis that he could have been kidnapped – despite ruling this out just 24 hours earlier.
Mr Avon, told the same press conference: ‘All the hypotheses remain valid, none is favoured or excluded.
‘We are committed to carrying out investigations on all levels.’
Authorities reported that three decomposed remains were discovered at a remote campsite in Colorado’s Rocky Mountains.
The’mummified’ bones of three more persons were discovered on Sunday by hikers in Gunnison County at a campsite close to the Gold Creek Campground.
Sheriff Adam Murdie of Gunnison County declared, “This is by no means a typical occurrence anywhere.”
Murdie told the Montrose Press, “It does not appear there was trauma to the bodies, other than what looked almost like mummification.” They had most likely spent the entire winter there.
The hiker made the discovery around 5.00pm on Sunday evening. The remote campground lies within the massive 1,672,136-acre Gunnison National Forest, and is a 40-minute drive from the nearest town of Pitkin, Colorado.
The bodies were found in small, zipped-up tents alongside some personal belongings.
The bodies have not yet been identified by the county coroner, the sheriff’s office said. Autopsies on the bodies are expected to be difficult due to their deteriorated state.
‘Whether they froze to death in the winter or the combination of starved or froze, that’s what it sure seems like,’ Sheriff Murdie said.
Authorities do not believe there is a risk to the public at this time.
Earlier this year, 24-year-old Adam Perkins was found dead in North Yorkshire after being reported missing while camping near Great Ayton.
His ultimate cause of death was not revealed by his family.
Just days after Perkins’ body was found, a camper in Scotland disappeared from his campsite in Kinloch Rannoch.
The camper, identified as 28-year-old Reece Rodger, was last seen by his friends around 11.30pm the night before he disappeared.
Rodger’s body was not found for over two months after his disappearance. He was eventually located on the north shore of Loch Rannoch, not far from his last known location.
Ben Wallace, the British defence minister, warned the president of Ukraine, “We’re not Amazon,” and urgedVolodymyr Zelenskyto be more “grateful” to his Western partners for supplying Ukraine.
Ben Wallace said Zelensky needs to be careful about having ‘doubting politicians’ on his team after his accusations on Tuesday that Ukraine hadn’t been given a definite timeframe or list of requirements for joining the alliance. Wallace was speaking to reporters at the Nato meeting in Vilnius.
Whether we like it or not, Mr. Wallace told reporters in the Lithuanian capital that people want to see some thanks.
‘My counsel to the Ukrainians… you’re persuading countries to give up their own stocks. And yes the war is a noble war and yes we see it as you doing a war for not just yourself but our freedoms.
NATO summit has reached a high point in support for Ukraine
‘But sometimes you’ve got to persuade lawmakers on the Hill in America. You’ve got to persuade doubting politicians in other countries that it’s worth it and it’s worthwhile and they’re getting something for it.
‘Whether you like that or not, that is just the reality of it.’
Wallace revealed at the briefing that he had travelled to Ukraine last year only to be presented with a shopping list of weapons.
‘You know, we’re not Amazon,’ he said. ‘I told them that last year, when I drove 11 hours to be given a list.’
Meanwhile, Wallace continued, some U.S. lawmakers have complained about the level of support provided by Washington to Kyiv.
‘Sometimes you would hear grumbles not from the administration in the American system, but you would hear them from lawmakers on the Hill … “We’ve given $83 billion worth or whatever, we are not Amazon,”’ he said.
Zelensky vented his disappointment with the summit’s ruling this week, which stated that Nato would be ‘in a position to extend an invitation to Ukraine to join the Alliance when Allies agree and conditions are met.’
Although all allies agree that Ukraine cannot join Nato while the conflict with Russia persists, several of Kyiv’s partners had hoped for a significant political gesture during the summit which emphasised Ukraine’s progress towards membership.
Washington and Berlin, however, were opposed to providing Kyiv with explicit commitments.
The US national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, told a public forum at the summit he believed ‘the American people do deserve a degree of gratitude from the United States government for their willingness to step up and from the rest of the world as well’.
He said: ‘The United States of America has stepped up to provide an enormous amount of capacity to help ensure that Ukraine’s brave soldiers have the ammunition, air defence, the infantry, fighting vehicles, the mine clearing equipment and so much else to be able to effectively defend against Russia’s onslaught and to take territory back as well.’
But despite the rebuke, Wallace said he understood that Zelensky was speaking to his own people and that, despite his complaints on Tuesday, the summit deal was a good one for Ukraine.
The defence secretary said there was an acceptance that ‘Ukraine belongs at Nato’ and that amounted to an effective invitation for membership once the conflict had died down.
Meanwhile, Rishi Sunak told the summit that the UK had been at the forefront of efforts to support Ukraine.
‘We’ve led the way on Ukraine, moving first on tanks and long-range missiles, training their troops for the counter-offensive and, just today, I’ve announced that we are providing more ammunition, 70 more combat vehicles as well as a new rehabilitation centre for injured Ukrainian veterans,’ he said.
In response to Ben Wallace’s suggestion that Volodymyr Zelensky should show more gratitude for the support, the Prime Minister said the Ukrainian president had done so repeatedly.
‘President Zelensky has expressed his gratitude for what we have done on a number of occasions, not least in his incredibly moving address that he made to Parliament earlier this year and he has done so again to me, as he has done countless times when I have met him.
‘So I know that he and his people are incredibly grateful for the support we have shown, the welcome that we have provided to many Ukrainian families, but also the leadership we have shown throughout this conflict.’
But Mr Sunak acknowledged ‘people across Ukraine are fighting for their lives and freedom every single day and paying a terrible price for it’ so he understood Mr Zelensky’s ‘desire to do everything he can to protect his people’.
Teenager who passed away while on vacation in Greece had “so much love to give,” his funeral service was told.
One of the teenagers who travelled to the island of Ios to commemorate the completion of their Leaving Certificate exams was Andrew O’Donnell, a student at St. Michael’s and other Dublin institutions.
On July 1, the 18-year-old passed away after allegedly falling while returning home from a night out. Max Wall, a fellow student, also passed away after becoming unwell hours later.
His funeral was held on Wednesday at the Church of the Sacred Heart in Donnybrook and his beloved golden retriever dogs were amongst the mourners.
His father, Gavin O’Donnell, told the funeral: ‘Andrew filled our home with love and joy from the moment he arrived.
‘He loved, and was loved, by so many people.
‘We couldn’t be prouder of Andrew and the man he became – and we will miss him dearly.
‘Goodbye Andrew, my beautiful boy.’
His mother, Bebhinn O’Donnell, said they would always remember their son as ‘that wonderful and unconditionally loved bundle of joy’ they welcomed into their home when he was born.
‘You had so much love to give and you gave it out in buckets.’
She added: ‘Sleep well, we love you, we miss you but we will see you again one day.
‘Goodnight my beautiful boy, we are truly heartbroken.’
A photo of Andrew was placed on top of his woven coffin, and items including sporting medals, a Liverpool jersey, a lead used to walk his dogs Marnie and Maisie, and a Kanye West vinyl were laid at the alter.
Parish priest Ciaran O’Carroll offered his heartfelt condolences to Andrew’s family and the wider St Michael’s College school community.
Father O’Carroll said Andrew possessed a ‘vibrant spirit, a kind heart, unfailing loyalty, and a sense of humour that brightened even the darkest days’.
Father Moran, chaplain of St Michael’s College, told the mass: ‘We are here for the saddest of reasons, to say farewell to Andrew, a beloved son, a beloved older brother.’
He described Andrew’s life as ‘a mosaic of so many marvellous pieces’, acknowledging his family’s ‘time of unimaginable grief’ and adding: ‘Our hearts are broken as we think of your suffering.’
Father Moran also read tributes from classmates which have been pinned to a memory wall in St Michael’s College, many of which were addressed to Mr O’Donnell’s initials ‘AJOD’.
One read: ‘Wherever you are now, you are still making me laugh and be happy – just as much as when you were here. I love you bro.’
Another said Andrew’s smile ‘never failed to light up the room’.
One school friend wrote: ‘Andrew, you were a core part of the year and your loss is like having the heart ripped out of us.’
The funeral for Mr Wall, who was also 18, was held on Monday.
On the second day of the NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, Volodymyr Zelensky, Rishi Sunak, and Joe Biden appeared to the cameras to be longtime friends.
The group, who were seated side by side, were seen laughing before starting work.
The Ukrainian president has displayed diplomatic skill throughout the war, beguiling world leaders as both guests and hosts to win their support against Russia.
Like a rock star, he received huge support from the crowds, and was seen shaking hands with politicians.
Zelensky said it was ‘good news’ that they could advance discussions on security guarantees for his nation.
The PM has consistently stated that he sees Ukraine’s place as being in Nato but its pathway to entry has proved tricky for allies in Vilnius.
Behind the scenes, he has been working on a non-Nato multilateral defence and economic agreement for Ukraine to give it long-term support against current and future Russian aggression.
All members of the G7 – made up of the UK, the US, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and Canada – are set to sign the pact, which has the potential to ‘return peace to Europe’.
Little detail has been published about what the G7 pact entails but No 10 said it would lead to increased intelligence sharing, further training of Ukraine’s forces and plans to boost the country’s own defence industry.
Some eastern European experts have warned that Zelensky’s position has only got ‘weaker’ after the summit despite his positive messages to his people.
Sergej Sumlenny said in a retweet to the president’s comment about the Nato-Ukraine council: ‘Don’t fool yourself: it is not a sign of happiness.
‘Zelensky is trying to calm down his domestic critics and sweeten the pill for the Ukrainians. His positions got weaker after the Nato summit.
‘One of multiple bad consequences of the weak and short-sighted Nato summit decision.’
A video showing how the Titan sub imploded and killed five men on board, has gone viral on social media.
YouTube account AiTelly has created new footage showing how and why the sub, heading for the wreckage of the Titanic, collapsed in on itself due to immense underwater pressure.
The Titan submersible lost communications with its support vessel last month, during a descent to the wreck of the historic ship 12,500 feet beneath the surface.
Just over four days later parts of the ship were recovered after it was said to have suffered a ‘catastrophic implosion’.
Just yesterday it was revealed the five passengers aboard the Titan would have known their fate for a minute before they died, according to an expert.
The video has been viewed millions of times (Picture: Youtube/AITelly)It tries to detail what would have happened in the vessel’s final moments (Picture: Youtube/AITelly)The video explains how the sub would have imploded (Picture: Youtube/AITelly)Images show the immense pressure the sub would have been under (Picture: Youtube/AITelly)
Spanish submarine expert José Luis Martín says the submersible, would have ‘popped like a balloon’ after freefalling for around 3,000 feet due to the rapid change in pressure.
He suggested the ‘freefall’ would have lasted between 48 and 71 seconds, with the vessel’s five passengers aware of what was about to happen
Tourists Hamish Harding, 58, Shahzada Dawood, 48, and his son Suleman Dawood, 19, French Navy pilot Paul-Henry (PH) Nargeolet and OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush all died on the submersible.
The new animation, using an open-source software called Blender, showed how Titan’s ‘experimental design’ was different to existing sub technology which uses steel, titanium and aluminum.
The YouTube channel took 12 hours to plug in data about OceanGate into the 3D modelling software to create the dynamic animation for viewers.
Ultimately, the experts claim, it was Titan’s carbon fiber construction that was the problem, since the material can ‘crack and break suddenly.’
The animators even created what the inside of the sub would have looked like, saying: ‘This is probably one of the basic deep diving submarine you will ever see [sic].’
Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of the Wagner Group that attempted to overthrow Vladimir Putin, is either dead or imprisoned, according to a former US military commander.
In a botched uprising against the Kremlin in late June, the mercenary leader directed his troops to advance onMoscow.
Experts now believe that Prigozhin has passed away since the Russian president described his former caterer’s acts as a “armed mutiny.”
He has not been seen in public since, and there has been speculation as to whether he is still in Russia, or in neighbouring country Belarus.
Retired General Robert Abrams told ABC News: ‘My personal assessment is that I doubt we’ll see Prigozhin ever again publicly.
‘I think he’ll either be put in hiding, or sent to prison, or dealt with some other way, but I doubt we’ll ever see him again.’
When asked if he thought the former caterer to the Russian premier was still alive, Mr Abrams said: ‘I personally don’t think he is, and if he is, he’s in a prison somewhere.’
Putin allegedly met Prigozhin five days after the failed coup in Moscow, but Mr Abrams believes this was staged.
‘I would be surprised if we actually see proof of life that Putin met with Prigozhin, and I think it’s highly staged,’ he said.
During the meeting Putin ‘listened to the explanations of the commanders and offered them options for further employment’, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said.
But this did not stop Putin calling his former comrade a traitor, saying he ‘betrayed the Russian people’.
Charges against Prigozhin and the Wagner forces were dropped by the Kremlin to avoid ‘bloodshed’ – but the Wagner Group leader was forced to exile to Belarus.
Yet Belarusian president Aleksandr Lukashenko has said Prigozhin is not in ‘his territory’.
He told reporters : ‘As for Prigozhin, he is in St Petersburg. He is not on the territory of Belarus.’
A business jet linked to Prigozhin left St Petersburg for Moscow, and was heading for southern Russia, according to flight tracking data.
But it was not clear if the mercenary chief was on board the plane.
Lukashenko said an offer for Wagner to station some of its fighters in Belarus – a prospect that has alarmed neighbouring Nato countries – still stands.
Separately, Russia has said the for-hire soldiers can go to Belarus, sign up with its regular armed forces or demobilise.
In an area of France where a toddler vanished four days ago, blood has been found on the front of a car, according to police.
In the little village near Le Vernet in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, Émile, age 2, was last seen playing outside his grandparents’ house on Saturday afternoon.
He has still not been located after 48 hours of thorough searching of the area.
Since his disappearance, there have been a number of theories about what really happened, including that the little boy was accidentally killed by a car or a tractor, and the driver hiding his body.
The two-year-old disappeared on July 8 (Picture: AFP)
Police have now sent traces of blood found on a car for scientific analysis to see if they are human and might be linked to the missing child.
‘At the moment we don’t even know if it is human blood,’ said an investigating source.
‘It might be a very old trace too, so everybody is being very cautious about the find.’
It was also confirmed that Émile’s parents’ house in the town of La Bouilladisse, near Marseille, was searched by police on Monday.
Officers were looking into the family’s background,’ one judicial source working on the case said.
He said that the parents had lived in the house for a year, along with Émile and his baby sister, who was born earlier this year.
‘They are a very traditional family – high Catholics who prefer the Latin mass to the modern one,’ said the source.
‘The parents are passionate about sacred church music.’
This comes as police revealed there were at least 10 other family members staying in the Vernet house at the time of Émile’s disappearance.
A police source said: ‘A family reunion was taking place, with several uncles and aunts of the child, of all ages, including some minors.
‘Émile was seen on Saturday morning, along with other children.’
Hundreds of police officers and volunteers searched for a toddler who vanished from a town in the French Alps, but they found “no sign” of him.
Émile, who is two and a half years old, vanished on Saturday while visiting his grandparents in Le Vernet, Alpes-de-Haute-Provence.
The hunt for him in the countryside was suspended earlier this evening, four days later.
Local prosecutor Rémy Avon said the ‘physical search’ could go no further, adding there was ‘no sign’ of the little boy.
More than 100 hours have passed since the toddler went missing (Picture: Gendarmerie Nationale)
‘The judicial investigation into the causes of the disappearance will continue,’ he said.
‘In particular by analysing the considerable mass of information and elements collected over the past four days.’
There have been a number of theories about what really happened, including that the Émile was accidentally killed by a car or a tractor, with the driver hiding the body.
Mr Avon said the possibilities that the boy had been murdered, kidnapped, or got involved in an accident were all being look at.
‘All these theories are active, nothing has been ruled out,’ he stressed.
The site has also been off limits to outsiders as of yesterday while the search for his whereabouts continued.
This comes just hours after it was revealed that blood was discovered on the front of a car in the region, which has been sent for scientific analysis.
‘At the moment we don’t even know if it is human blood,’ an investigating source said.
In a deliberate attack, a patient is accused of killing a surgeon in the operating room.
According to Collierville Police Chief Dale Lane, 29-year-old Larry Pickens reportedly waited for surgeon Dr. Benjamin Mauck at the Campbell Clinic Orthopaedics for “a number of hours.”
Pickens is charged with shooting Mauck with a firearm before escaping.
Cops were called to the area shortly after 2:00 pm on Tuesday and Pickens was taken into custody at the clinic’s entrance in Collierville, Tennessee, without further incident.
Police believe the shooting was a targeted attack (Picture: WMC)
The motive was not immediately clear, but cops said Mauck was targeted.
‘It’s bad. It’s horrific. It’s terrible,’ said Lane, according to WMBF.
Police on Wednesday morning identified Pickens, of Memphis, and said he has been charged with first-degree murder and aggravated assault. A judge set his bond at $1.2million.
‘The Collierville Police Department would like to send our condolences to the family, friends, and co-workers of Dr Benjamin Mauck,’ wrote Major David Townsend. ‘Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers.’
Larry Pickens was taken into custody without incident outside the clinic (Picture: Collierville Police Department)
Mauck specialized in elbow, hand and wrist surgeries, according to his Campbell Clinic Orthopaedics biography. He joined the staff in August 2012 and practiced in Collierville, Germantown and Wolf River. Mauck graduated from the University of Tennessee College of Medicine.
‘Earlier today, we experienced a single shooter event inside our Collierville clinic,’ stated the clinic on Tuesday.
‘We are shocked and heartbroken to confirm the incident resulted in the tragic loss of one of our highly respected and beloved physicians, Dr Ben Mauck.’
Mauck is survived by his wife Rhiannon and their two children.
A witness claimed that the gunman had threatened a staffer at the clinic over the past week, Tennessee Senate Minority Leader Raumesh Akbari said on Tuesday.
Pickens did not have a criminal record with the Collierville Police Department, which is checking for any history he had with other law enforcement agencies.
His arraignment is scheduled for Thursday in the Collierville Town Court.
The shooting at the clinic, which is about 30 miles east of downtown Memphis, remains under investigation.
The scary moment tourists filming a volcano recognised it was exploding and had to run has been captured on tape.
On December 9, 2019, the infamous eruption on New Zealand‘s Whakaari White Island claimed the lives of 22 people: 20 visitors and two tour operators.
Recently, a video that was captured by a group of people nearby the active volcano just before it erupted has been made public.
Around 18 individuals can be seen watching in astonishment as a grey steam and ash cloud is produced by a natural phenomenon.
Many take their phones out to film the spectacle but one of the guides quickly realises the danger.
He shouts ‘come on guys, follow me, let’s go,’ before an American tourist can be heard urging the group to ‘move, move, move’.
Some are seen hiding behind a large crater as they try to escape the growing cloud.
Footage emerges of tourists’ desperate scramble to escape deadly volcanic eruption that killed 22 in 2019
The clip was presented as evidence in a trial against the island’s owner company Whakaari Management Ltd and tour operators ID Tours NZ Ltd and Tauranga Tourism Services Ltd.
They are facing allegations of failing to adequately protect clients and staff.
Prosecutor Kristy McDonald told Auckland District Court the disaster may not have been predictable but was foreseeable, on Tuesday.
Ms McDonald argued the tourists and guides were not given any warning about the risks.
She said: ‘They were not given the opportunity to make any informed decision about whether they wanted to take the risk of walking into the crater of an active and unpredictable volcano that had erupted as recently as 2016.
‘The business of tourism on Whakaari was a risky business.
‘It involved tours to an active volcano, taking people to the heart of the crater in circumstances where no one could predict when an erupting might occur, and if an eruption did occur, those on Whakaari were likely to die or suffer very serious injury. And tragically, that risk was realised.’
She went on to say Whakaari Management Ltd, run by brothers Andrew, James and Peter Buttle, left tour operators to monitor the changing risk.
The court heard how an eruption which occurred on April 27, in 2016, without any warning should have prompted the owner to review the risk assessment.
Of those killed, 14 were Australians, five were Americans, two were New Zealanders and one was a German.
There were 47 people in total on the island and many of those who survived suffered severe burns.
Matt Urey and Lauren Barham of Richmond, Virginia, who were on their honeymoon at the time, are listed as the first witnesses to testify.
They were among 38 tourists who had travelled from Australia aboard the Royal Caribbean cruise ship Ovation of the Seas and were on the volcano when it erupted.
Three helicopter tour operators pleaded guilty last week to safety breaches.
Each of the companies faces a maximum fine of 1.5 million New Zealand dollars. Each of the brothers charged faces a maximum fine of 300,000 New Zealand dollars.
The trial being heard by judge Evangelos Thomas without a jury is scheduled to run for 16 weeks.
On Wednesday, North Korea claimed to have launched an intercontinental ballistic missile using solid fuel, just days after threatening to take down US Navy reconnaissance aircraft over neighbouring waters.
The launch comes after a number of other recent intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) tests by North Korea, which have alarmed rivals as the isolated, autocratic country intensifies its efforts to create weapons that could potentially strike important US cities.US Navy
The launch, according to a White House statement, “risks destabilising the security situation in the region.”
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, speaking from the sidelines of the NATO summit meeting on Wednesday, called the launch “unacceptable’” and a threat to regional stability and the international community.
Wednesday’s test was of the Hwasong-18, a powerful solid-fueled ICBM of a type that Pyongyang last launched in April, according to the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).
Leader Kim Jong Un said at the time the Hwasong-18 would provide the country with a “powerful strategic attack means” and boost its nuclear capabilities.
Pyongyang tested the liquid-fueled Hwasong-17 in March.
The ICBM fired on Wednesday flew about 1,000 kilometers, staying airborne for 74 minutes, according to Japan’s Defense Ministry – a marginal advancement on the ballistic missiles it tested earlier this year.
Here’s what we know about the ICBMs in North Korea’s arsenal.
Unknown to most, Kim Jong Un’s sister has become the defiance voice against the US
The Hwasong-17 is a liquid-fueled ICBM unveiled in 2022, when North Korea held its first long-range missile test in more than four years. Liquid-fuel technology is comparatively easier to master.
The Hwasong-18, meanwhile, is a solid-fueled missile, according to Pyongyang – which makes it far more advanced, and would allow North Korea to launch long-range nuclear strikes more quickly.
Solid-fueled ICBMs are more stable, and can be moved more easily to avoid detection before a launch that can be initiated in a matter of minutes, experts say – compared to liquid-fueled missiles that may need hours before launch, giving time for adversaries to detect and neutralize the weapon.
North Korea’s advancement from the Hwasong-17 last year to the Hwasong-18 this year suggests its missile program is making progress, experts say, reflecting Kim’s goal of matching the military capabilities of other nations like the United States or European countries.
Successive launches allow North Korea to gather more data to refine its missile technology.
ICBMs could, at least theoretically, put the entire US mainland in range of a North Korean nuclear warhead – but there’s a lot of unknowns about the missile’s capability to deliver a nuclear payload on target.
Past tests have shown the possible range of North Korea’s missiles – the tests in March and April all traveled about 1,000 kilometers (621 miles). And the Hwasong-17 test last year flew 1,090 kilometers (681 miles), lasting 68 minutes before landing in the sea.
The 74-minute flight time of the latest missile is a few minutes longer than those tested in March and April.
It’s not clear what kind of payloads were involved in these tests. The weight of the payload affects how far a missile can fly, so without this information, observers cannot know for sure the missile’s actual range.
Another question is whether a North Korean nuclear warhead could survive reentry into Earth’s atmosphere.
ICBMs are fired into space, where they speed along outside Earth’s atmosphere before their payloads undergo a fiery reentry process, much like a space shuttle or space capsule, before plunging down on their targets.
If the process of reentering the atmosphere isn’t executed with pinpoint accuracy and with materials that can withstand the immense heat generated, the warhead will burn up before reaching its target. The angle at which the warhead reenters the atmosphere can make the process more difficult.
“The launch of Hwasong-18 shows that it has a range of about 15,000 kilometers based on the altitude, distance and the flight time of the missile,” said Yang Wook, a researcher at Asan Institute for Policy Studies in Seoul.
“However, it cannot be evaluated that North Korea has succeeded in obtaining full technology of an ICBM as it hasn’t proved the functions for reentry and accuracy using multi-warheads that are required for the use of the missile,” Yang said.
Here’s how US missile defense could be fooled by an ICBM
Kim has laid out an ambitious plan to give North Korea a credible nuclear deterrent, meaning an arsenal powerful enough to prevent any adversary, most notably the US, from attacking.
Experts have said the leader has set a long list of weapons modernizations in recent years that he is now working through – with ICBMs only one of those items. Other goals may include launching a military satellite, or putting a nuclear-powered submarine to sea.
Previously, North Korea has announced plans to enhance the accuracy of its missiles and increase the range up to 15,000 kilometers (9,320 miles).
These ambitions were made clear last year when Kim dramatically ramped up the frequency and intensity of weapons testing, which eased slightly this year, but remains at much higher levels than in past years.
The country fired more missiles in 2022 than any other year on record – at one point launching 23 missiles in a single day.
These tests also refocused attention on North Korea’s nuclear goals, with Kim vowing to develop his nuclear forces at the “highest possible” speed last year. The US and international observers began warning last year that an underground nuclear test could be imminent, after satellite imagery showed new activity at North Korea’s nuclear test site. Such a test would be the country’s first since 2017.
Joseph Dempsey, research associate for defense and military analysis at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, said more North Korean tests are likely in the works.
“North Korea’s emergent ICBM force is still relatively untested … further developmental tests to verify their reliability and operation within a range of flight parameters are to be expected,” he told CNN.
The test on Wednesday sparked strong condemnation from neighboring countries.
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, currently at the NATO summit in Lithuania, said he would call for “strong international solidarity” among bloc members in response to the launch. On Wednesday morning, he presided over an emergency National Security Council meeting from Lithuania.
US and South Korean officials met shortly after the test to share information, according to South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS). Both countries are analyzing the launch.
The Japanese chief cabinet secretary lodged a protest against North Korea through embassy channels in Beijing.
The United Nations Security Council has passed resolutions prohibiting Pyongyang’s ballistic missile testing, but last year China and Russia blocked new resolutions, which the US sees as a green light for North Korea to continue its programs.
Following nearly ten years of unsettling military-backed government, Thailand‘s parliament will vote for a new prime minister on Thursday, a crucial day for the country’s democracy.
When the bicameral National Assembly votes to choose a prime minister, it will be clear whether the ruling elite will support the choice of the vast majority of voters who supported progressive opposition parties in the May election.
Move Forward, a newcomer party, capitalised on years of growing resentment with the kingdom’s administration to win the most seats and the highest share of the popular vote in an unexpected election outcome.
But in a major setback on the eve of the vote, Thailand’s Constitutional Court Wednesday accepted two complaints against the Move Forward Party and its leader Pita Limjaroenrat.
The case is set to be reviewed next week and if it moves to trial, Pita will be suspended from political duty. That outcome will likely add fuel to the fire of his young support base, with the potential for mass street protests.
One of the complaints, forwarded to the court by the Election Commission, accuses Pita of violating election law for allegedly holding shares in a media company and requested he be disqualified. Pita has denied he broke election rules and a statement from Move Forward accused the Election Commission of rushing the case to court.
Move Forward pledged deep structural reforms to how the Southeast Asian country of more than 70 million people is run: changes to the military, the economy, the decentralization of power and even reforms to the previously untouchable monarchy.
Its policies won huge support among the country’s youth who have long felt disaffected by years of authoritarian politics and frustrated with the stuttering economy and tough job market.
The vote, which saw a record turnout, also delivered a powerful rebuke to the military-backed establishment that has ruled Thailand since 2014, when then-army chief Prayut Chan-o-cha seized power in a coup.
Thailand has witnessed a dozen successful coups since 1932, including two in the past 17 years.
Prayut was elected prime minister in 2019, a win largely credited to a military-drafted constitution that entrenched the military’s power in politics.
On Tuesday, Prayut announced his retirement, adding he would remain as prime minister until the new government is formed.
Regardless, he was not expected to gain enough support in the lower house to win another term as prime minister, as his party only won 36 seats in the May election.
Move Forward’s Pita is the main candidate to replace the outgoing Prayut. His supporters say a victory for the 42-year-old Harvard alumni in Thursday’s parliamentary vote would usher in a progressive and democratic new era for Thai politics.
Despite a clear win at the polls for Pita, it remains far from certain who will be Thailand’s next leader.
In Thailand, a party or coalition needs to win a majority of 376 seats in both lower and upper houses of parliament – 750 seats – to elect a prime minister and form a government.
Move Forward’s majority was not big enough to form a government outright, even with a coalition of seven other opposition parties.
To secure victory, the coalition will need support from the unelected 250-member Senate – which was appointed by the military under a post-coup constitution and has previously voted for a pro-military candidate.
That could be a major roadblock in Pita’s path to prime minister.
Thailand’s powerful conservative establishment – a nexus of the military, monarchy and influential elites – has a history of blocking fundamental changes to the status quo.
Move Forward’s proposed structural changes target the heart of this establishment, with priorities to “demilitarize, demonopolize and decentralize” Thailand, Pita recently told CNN.
That includes getting rid of mandatory conscription, reducing the military budget, making the military more transparent and accountable, and reducing the number of generals.
And a key campaign pledge includes radical plans to amend the country’s strict lese majeste laws despite the taboo surrounding any discussion of the royal family in Thailand.
Section 112 of the Criminal Code criminalizes criticism of the King, Queen or heir-apparent and lese majeste convictions carry long prison terms of up to 15 years. Currently, anyone can bring a case, even if they aren’t connected to the alleged crime.
The subject of royal reform is so sensitive that several senators and conservative parties have ruled out voting for Pita for this reason.
“He is not suitable to become a prime minister of Thailand. First, the Move Forward Party has a policy amending and abolishing Section 112, secondly, after the Election Commission has forwarded the case to the court to look into his eligibility, this has proved at a certain level that he is not qualified,” Senator Seri Suwannapanon told CNN.
“The tendency of the senators, they will protect Section 112 and won’t vote for an ineligible person.”
Outside parliament Thursday, Senator Kittisak Rattanawaraha said he wouldn’t vote for Pita, “because they are behind attempts to meddle with independent agencies, military, police and Section 112.”
In recent weeks, Pita has been rallying supporters across the country, with thousands of people gathering in Bangkok on Sunday, despite heavy rain.
He has previously been confident of securing enough parliamentary votes, but on Sunday warned senators not to vote against the will of the people.
“The voting is not for Pita, not for MFP, but it is for Thailand to move forward into normalcy of democratic system, just like any democratic countries in this world,” he said on Twitter.
If Pita is not elected on Thursday, the Speaker of the House has announced two more rounds of voting – on July 19 and 20 – for a result to be declared.
After that, coalitions may start to crumble and a political deadlock could derail the progressive movement’s election success, potentially sparking protests.
Move Forward encouraged citizens to show their support at parliament on Thursday and a prominent Thai protest leader Wednesday called for demonstrations if the senators refused to vote in line with the election results.
Despite considerable resistance from some policymakers, the European Parliament on Wednesday voted in favour of legally obligatory goals to protect and restore nature in the European Union.
By 2030, countries must implement policies to restore nature on a fifth of their land and sea areas, according to the EU’s landmark nature law.
With 336 votes in favour, 300 votes against it, and 13 abstentions, the bill narrowly passed.
According to Greenpeace, it is the first significant piece of legislation to conserve biodiversity in the EU in the last 30 years. The law aims to restore or enhance biodiverse habitats, stop the decrease of pollinating insects, and develop or build coastal habitats like sea grass.
The world is facing a biodiversity crisis, due to land clearing, pollution and climate change, with some scientists saying we are entering a sixth mass extinction. Almost half the planet’s species are experiencing rapid population declines, according to a May study.
“This vote shows that there is still hope to restore and grow what’s left,” Špela Bandelj, Greenpeace’s Central and Eastern Europe biodiversity project manager, said in a statement.
“As another unprecedented heatwave grips Europe, it’s clear that to survive climate breakdown and ensure food supplies we’ll need nature on our side,” she added.
The votecomes after months of protracted negotiations that exposed long-standing divisions in the European Parliament after the European People’s Party (EPP), the EU Parliament’s biggest lawmaker group, spearheaded a campaign to reject the plan.
The EPP group chairman, Manfred Weber – who was among the most vocal opponents of the bill – called into question the financial implications of the legislation in a press briefing after the vote, saying it would hurt farming.
“The law is not giving us a real answer about the food production question creating legal uncertainty for local and regional authorities and will potentially hurt our renewable energy transition – rather than support it,” he said.
However, before the vote several EPP members including Ireland’s Frances Fitzgerald broke ranks to support the bill.
“I cannot in good conscience and good faith vote against this law,” Fitzgerald said in video on Twitter. “We need to protect biodiversity. We need this law to protect our citizens, our businesses and, above all, the future generations,” she added.
Other supporters of the bill included the Parliament’s center-left Socialists & Democrats, the Greens, the Left and part of Renew Europe. Swedish climate campaigner Greta Thunberg also attended the voting session to show support for the new climate legislation.
EU lawmakers and member countries will now negotiate the final text, aiming for a deal before EU Parliament elections in 2024.
The nature restoration law is one of two key pillars of the EU’s 2030 Biodiversity Strategy, a package of proposals aimed at rehabilitating Europe’s already damaged ecosystems.
In 2021, the European Environment Agency found that 81% of the EU’s ecosystems are in either a “poor” or “bad” condition, according to Greenpeace.
Call to Earth is a CNN editorial series committed to reporting on the environmental challenges facing our planet, together with the solutions. Rolex’s Perpetual Planet initiative has partnered with CNN to drive awareness and education around key sustainability issues and to inspire positive action.
Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson told CNN that defeating Moscow is crucial and urged the United States not to lose interest in Ukraine’s arduous conflict with Moscow.
During a CNN interview Johnson urged the US to continue supporting Ukraine, including the constant delivery of weapons, on Wednesday as a significant NATO meeting came to an end, according to tonight’s Laura Coates. According to him, there is “no possible justification” for delaying Ukraine’s NATO membership.
“There can be no possible excuse or reason to keep faffing around and delaying,” Johnson said, adding that it was “very important” to establish that Ukraine was on the path to NATO membership. “The last remaining objection was that it was going to be provocative to Vladimir Putin. Well, we’ve seen what happens when you don’t have Ukraine in NATO, you provoke the worst war in Europe in 80 years.”
US President Joe Biden and G7 leaders unveiled a substantial show of support for Ukraine Wednesday at the NATO Summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, offering a joint declaration of support aimed at bolstering Kyiv’s military capability.
Biden acknowledged that the alliance did not invite Ukraine to membership during the summit as it works on “necessary reforms,” but said it would continue to boost the country’s security. Biden has emphasized that Ukraine is not ready to enter NATO, telling CNN in an exclusive interview last week that Russia’s war in Ukraine needs to end before the alliance can consider adding Kyiv to its ranks.
When Zelensky arrived in Lithuania on Tuesday he issued a blistering statement expressing his frustration at not receiving more specific details on when and how Ukraine would join the alliance. Biden said on Wednesday that he had talked to Zelensky about the “kind of guarantees we could make in the meantime.”
During his time as Britain’s Prime Minister, Johnson was a vocal supporter of Ukraine and developed a close working relationship with Zelensky, becoming one of the first foreign leaders to make the precarious trip to Kyiv. Johnson resigned as Prime Minister in September 2022 and as a Member of Parliament in June, in the wake of scandals over his handling of the UK’s coronavirus crisis.
On Wednesday he warned that aside from the Russian army, the biggest enemy that the Ukrainians have in the conflict is “Ukraine fatigue.”
“It’s the exhaustion of the rest of the world, and particularly the supporters of Ukraine, in making sure that they win.”
“But they’ve got to win, it’s absolutely crucial,” he added, explaining that a Ukrainian victory is “vital for democracy and freedom around the world.”
In the interview, Johnson also said that he was supportive of Biden’s decision to provide Ukraine with anti-cluster munitions, despite the UK condemning the move. “I think President Biden has done the right thing to supply them and the faster the Ukrainians can use them to recapture their territory, the more lives will be saved.”
However, he stopped short of calling on the UK government to also send the weaponry, pointing out that Britain is a member of the Convention on Cluster Munitions treaty. More than 100 countries, including the UK, France, and Germany, have outlawed the munitions under the treaty. However, the US and Ukraine are not signatories to the ban.
The White House announced on Friday that President Biden had approved the transfer of cluster munitions to Ukraine – a controversial decision which was met with both praise and criticism.
When asked if the possible re-election of Donald Trump in the next presidential elections could jeopardize US support for Ukraine, Johnson pointed out that it was Trump who first approved sending Javelin anti-tank weapons to Ukraine in 2019, prior to the outbreak of war.
“Trump has a strong record already in helping the Ukrainians,” he claimed.
Johnson did not mention, however, the circumstances surrounding Trump’s hold up of military aid to Ukraine in 2019 that was at the heart of the first impeachment inquiry. In a phone call with the newly elected Zelensky in July 2019, Trump appeared to pressure him to investigate his then-Democratic rival Joe Biden in exchange for releasing the aid.
A senior Russian general in charge of the military operations in the Russian-occupied region of southern Ukraine claims he was abruptly relieved of his duties after accusing the Defence Ministry’s top brass of betraying his men by not giving adequate support.
The 58th Combined Arms Army, which has been heavily involved in combat in the Zaporizhzhia region, was led by Gen. Ivan Popov. One of the senior officers who participated in the brutal Russian war in Ukraine is him.
When asked about “the lack of counter-battery combat, the absence of artillery reconnaissance stations, and the mass deaths and injuries of our brothers from enemy artillery,” Popov said he had addressed concerns in a voice message that was posted on Telegram late on Wednesday.
The recording was posted on the messaging app by Andrey Gurulev, a member of the Russian Parliament and former deputy commander of the Southern Military District.
“I also raised a number of other problems and expressed it all at the highest level frankly and extremely harshly,” Popov said in the audio message. “I had no right to lie, therefore, I outlined all the problematic issues that exist today in the army in terms of combat work and support.”
Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu “signed the order and got rid of me,” the general also said in the recording, as he accused the top Kremlin official of treason.
“As many commanders of divisional regiments said today, the servicemen of the armed forces of Ukraine could not break through our army from the front, (but) our senior commander hit us from the rear, treacherously and vilely decapitating the army at the most difficult and tense moment,” Popov said.
The 58th Combined Arms Army has been headquartered in the occupied city of Berdyansk, and both Ukrainian and Russian sources have said its base there – at the Dune hotel – was hit by a missile attack early Tuesday that killed another Russian general.
Prominent Russian military blogger Voyenniy Osvedomitel said Tuesday that “as a result of a strike by British Storm Shadow cruise missiles on the 58th Army’s reserve command post near Berdyansk, the deputy commander of the Southern Military District, Lt. Gen. Oleg Tsokov, has been killed.”
Addressing troops of the 58th in his voice note, Popov said: “Good night, my beloved gladiators, beloved relatives, one family. I had to collect my thoughts, a lot of things happened in the last two days.
“I am always available to you. It is an honor for me to stand with you in the same ranks.”
Popov also said he would “do everything in my power and even more so that it would be easier for you to fight so as many of our comrades as possible come back alive.”
The dismissal of such a senior officer amid an open dispute over the conduct of the Russian campaign is unprecedented, according to analysts.
In its assessment, the Washington-based Institute for the Study of War cited reports that Popov had notified Russia’s top general, Valery Gerasimov, that elements of the 58th Combined Army – which are attempting to prevent Ukrainian advances in western Zaporizhia – were in need of rotation after fighting in combat for a long time and suffering significant casualties.
The 58th has been heavily involved in defending Russian positions in the Orikhiv direction, where Ukrainian forces have been attempting to make a breakthrough.
Ukrainian commanders have claimed the Russians are losing roughly two companies a day – killed or injured – along the southern front. A Russian company typically has 100 to 200 soldiers.
The ISW said the reports of Popov’s protests, “if true, may support ISW’s previous assessments that Russian forces lack operational reserves that would allow them to carry out rotations of personnel defending against Ukrainian counteroffensives and that Russian defensive lines may be brittle.”
Popov’s dismissal comes less than three weeks after Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin’s short-lived mutiny, which erupted after months of complaints from the mercenary group’s leader about a lack of support from the Russian Defense Ministry for his troops fighting in Ukraine.
Another Russian commander, Gen. Sergey Surovikin, who has not been seen in public since the failed Wagner-led rebellion last month, is “resting,” a Russian lawmaker said Wednesday. Documents shared with CNN in June indicated Surovikin was a secret member of the private military company.
Chinese officials attempted to become only the second country to send citizens to the moon on Wednesday by releasing additional information about their intentions for a human lunar trip.
According to state-run news agency Xinhua, Zhang Hailian, deputy chief engineer with the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA), disclosed the preliminary plan on Wednesday during an aerospace summit in the city of Wuhan.
The mission is a component of a plan to build a lunar research outpost and is anticipated to occur before 2030. According to Zhang, it will do moon exploration missions and other tests as well as look into the best way to construct the facility.
Two launch vehicles will send a moon surface lander and manned spacecraft into lunar orbit, before they dock with each other, according to state-run Global Times. After docking, the Chinese astronauts on board the spacecraft will enter the lander, which is used to descend to the moon’s surface.
While on the moon, they will collect samples and carry out “scientific exploration,” before leaving on the lander and reuniting with the spacecraft waiting in orbit – which will take them home to Earth, Global Times reported.
To prepare for the mission, Chinese researchers are busy developing all the necessary equipment including moon suits, manned lunar rovers, manned spaceships and moon landers, Xinhua reported.
The state media reports did not say how many astronauts China plans to send to the moon.
The lunar mission is the latest development in China’s push to advance its space program, which has seen several breakthrough moments in recent years.
China was late to the space race – it didn’t send its first satellite into orbit until 1970, by which time the United States had already landed an astronaut on the moon – but Beijing has been catching up fast.
In 2013, China successfully landed a rover on the moon, becoming only the third country to do so. At the time, Chinese leader Xi Jinping said “the space dream is part of the dream to make China stronger.”
Under Xi’s leadership, China has spent billions on its ambitious space program. While there are no official public figures on Beijing’s investment in space exploration, consulting firm Euroconsult estimated it to be about $5.8 billion in 2019.
That year, China sent a rover to the far side of the moon – a historic first. Then in 2020, it became only the third country to successfully collect rock samples from the moon.
China has also spent the past few years building its own Tiangong space station, which was completed in November. The station is only the second operational orbital outpost, alongside the International Space Station (ISS) – which Chinese astronauts have long been excluded from due to US political objections and legislative restrictions.
But the ISS is expected to end operations in 2030 – which could leave Tiangong the only outpost left. China has sought to open up its station to collaboration with international partners, including by hosting experiments from other countries.
The sea is becoming greener due to changes in plankton populations, analysis of Nasa images finds
Earth’s oceans are changing colour and climate breakdown is probably to blame, according to research.
The deep blue sea is actually becoming steadily greener over time, according to the study, with areas in the low latitudes near the equator especially affected.
“The reason we care about this is not because we care about the colour, but because the colour is a reflection of the changes in the state of the ecosystem,” said BB Cael, a scientist at the National Oceanography Centre at the University of Southampton and author of the study published in Nature.
Prior research focused on changes in the greenness of the ocean – from the verdant chlorophyll in its plankton – to learn about trends in the changing climate. But Cael’s team pored over 20 years of observations by Nasa’s Modis-Aqua satellite, an exhaustive data repository, and looked for patterns of change in the ocean’s hue through a fuller colour spectrum including red and blue.
Plankton of different sizes scatter light differently, and plankton with different pigments absorb light differently. Examining changes in colour can give scientists a clearer picture of changes in plankton populations around the globe. Phytoplankton is crucial to ocean ecosystems because it is at the base of most of its food chains.
When comparing these changes in colour with those hypothesised from a computer model simulating what the oceans would look like if human-caused global heating had never taken place, the change was clear.
“We do have changes in the colour that are significantly emerging in almost all of the ocean of the tropics or subtropics,” said Cael.
The changes have been detected over 56% of the world’s oceans – an area greater than all of the land on Earth.
In most areas there’s a clear “greening effect”, Cael said, but he added that there are also places where red or blue colourings are rising or falling.
“These are not ultra, massive ecosystem-destroying changes, they may be subtle,” said Cael. “But this gives us an additional piece of evidence that human activity is likely affecting large parts of the global biosphere in a way that we haven’t been able to understand.”
Although this discovery firmly documents another consequence of a changing climate, what is not yet clear is how strong these changes are and what is happening inside the ocean to cause them, according to Michael J Behrenfeld, a researcher of ocean productivity at Oregon State University, who was not involved in the research.
“Most likely, the measured trends are associated with multiple factors changing in parallel,” said Behrenfeld. For instance, the potentially increasing abundance of microplastics in the ocean, which like any other particles increase light scattering.
“With answers to these questions, we can then begin understanding what the ecological and biogeochemical implications are,” said Behrenfeld.
Nasa will be launching an advanced satellite mission in January 2024 called Pace (plankton, aerosol, cloud, ocean ecosystem) which will also measure hundreds of colours in the ocean instead of a handful, progressing studies like these further.
“Making more meaningful inferences about what the changes actually are ecologically is definitely a big next step,” said Cael.
Transparency International and the Ghana Integrity Initiative have expressed their dissatisfaction with the ruling of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Court of Justice on the lawsuit concerning Ghana’s Agyapa Royalties deal.
The suit brought by the Ghana Integrity Initiative and Transparency International Ghana against the Agyapa Royalties deal has been dismissed by the ECOWAS Court, delivering a significant outcome in the legal battle surrounding the controversial deal.
This means that the court would not be ordering the government of Ghana to stop the sale of the country’s gold royalties through the Agyapa deal.
In a statement on its website (www.transparency.org), the Ghana Anti-Corruption Coalition and Transparency International said that one of the reasons for their disappointment is that the judges saw no need for an action to prevent the violation of the rights of Ghanaians that is bound to happen iff the deal proceeds.
They indicated that the deal would serve corrupt interests and not the people of Ghana, and call on the government to terminate the already stalled Agyapa deal once and for all.
“After more than a year since first hearing the case brought by the Ghana Integrity Initiative, the Ghana Anti-Corruption Coalition and Transparency International, the judges have now ruled in favour of the government of Ghana. A comprehensive analysis of the court’s reasoning will be possible only after the judgement is available in writing.
“Based on the read-out of the judgement during yesterday’s hearing, the court is refusing to act primarily because harm has not yet occurred. It is unfortunate that judges did not see the merit in our plea that the court should prevent the impending violations of people’s rights over their natural resources,” parts of the statement read.
It added that it is now up to the Parliament of Ghana and the president to ensure this deal, which is not in the interest of the country, is not approved.
About the suit against the Agyapa Royalties deal:
The court dismissed all the reliefs of the plaintiff; Transparency International, and its subsidiary the Ghana Integrity Initiative, during a virtual hearing held on July 11, 2023.
Transparency International, Ghana Integrity Initiative and Ghana Anti-Corruption Coalition sued the Ghanaian government over the Agyapa deal at the ECOWAS court.
Below are the reliefs Transparency International was seeking:
1. A declaration that the Defendant’s actions towards entering into a relationship agreement with Minerals Income Investment Fund and Agyapa Royalties Limited in respect of transactions surrendering the sovereignty of Ghana over its gold mineral resources in perpetuity constitute an interference with the right guaranteed under Article 21(1) of the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights as well as violation of Articles 2(1) And (2), 3(1), 16(1) And 17(3) of The Revised African Convention On The Conservation Of Nature And Natural Resources (revised Maputo Convention).
2. An order restraining Defendant from implementing the Agyapa deal, and cancelling/terminating the already existing contracts.
3. An order mandating the Defendant, where it desires to raise immediate funds from gold royalties, to restart the planning, impact assessment, consultations and other preparations in line with its international human rights law obligations.
4. An order mandating the Defendant to undertake a thorough and impartial investigation into the alleged corruption offences and ensure that any alleged perpetrators are brought to justice and held accountable for any violations.
5. An order mandating Defendant to immediately review its existing relevant national laws and policies to:
(a). Provide for adequate and effective safeguards against violation of the Right to Free Disposal of Wealth and Natural Resources by public officials and public bodies.
(b). Follow Revised ECOWAS Treaty’s fundamental principles enshrined in Article 4 paragraphs g) and h) and ensure compliance with its Article 31.
(c). Ensure that any entity with the function of sovereign wealth fund complies with the best international standards, such as the Santiago Principles.
6. Other consequential order (s) as this honourable court may deem fit to grant in the circumstance.
The deal started in June 2018 when Parliament passed the Minerals Income Investment Fund (Act 2018) to manage the equity interests in mining companies and also receive royalties on behalf of the Government of Ghana.
The Minerals Income Investment Fund is mandated to manage and invest these royalties and revenue it receives on behalf of Ghana and invest them for higher returns.
To do this, the law enables the Fund to establish Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs) to appropriate these investments.
Amendment
In July 2020, the government introduced an amendment to the Act to ensure that the SPVs that the Fund would establish to manage investments get unrestricted independence.
On the back of the amendment and the original provisions of the act, the Minerals Income Investment Fund set up an offshore limited liability company known as Agyapa Royalties Limited (previously Asaase Royalties Limited).
The Agyapa Royalties Ltd is incorporated in Bailieick of Jersey in the UK, a tax haven. It has been incorporated in a tax haven to cut out the associated high tax charges to the returns that will accrue to the state from the investments.
Agyapa Royalties Limited is registered in Ghana as an external company.
How Agyapa Royalties will operate
– Agyapa Royalties Limited will trade shares on the Ghana Stock Exchange and the London Stock Exchange for the private market.
– Mineral Income Investment Fund will remain the majority shareholder.
– ARL will raise between $500 million and $750 million for government to use for developmental initiatives – the government has revealed the four key areas of investment will be education expenditure, primary capital, health and infrastructural development.
– Future resources from gold royalties will go to ARL shareholders instead of the Mineral Investment Fund and for that matter government. Essentially, the government is mortgaging expected royalties from gold in exchange for about $500 million – $750 million from ARL.
A video purporting to be an artificial way of manufacturing process of eggs in China has recently gone viral on social media, capturing the attention and curiosity of numerous individuals.
In first instance, the viewer may assume this to be real but after fact-check, we found it to be grossly misleading. It is not even an egg, it is called ‘Slime Toys’ and they have striking similarity with the egg.
Viral Claim:
The viral video has been shared by a Facebook user named Bittu Sharma. In this video, some people could be seen filling the egg-shaped structure with some white material and then sealing it. Facebook user curses the China for its cunning tricks.
The video also has a message for the viewers – Don’t consume them. Purchase eggs from only your known grocery shops.
Investigation:
We did some research on this video and found out that this video has been in circulation on social media since 2017. While doing google reverse search of the image frames (taken out from video), we came to this conclusion.
Investigating it further, we noticed a Korean company label. This company sells Slimes on various online websites. This completely looks like an egg but in reality this is not a Slime Toy. It’s meant for playing purpose and not eating.
We also came got in touch with Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) to verify our investigation.
There we found a notification, which debunks any such linkage between the two.
According to FSSAI, there is no such technology or chemical which can generate artificial eggs. This is also not feasible as naturally born eggs are much more nutritious and cheaper than the rest.
The viral video was shared by user Bittu Sharma. He is a resident of Agra, Uttar Pradesh.
Conclusion:
The viral claim that China is making artificial eggs stands exposed. There is no truth in it.
The ongoing criminal trial of Member of Parliament for Assin North, James Gyakye Quayson, has become a prominent topic of public discourse and debate in Ghana.
Prominent Ghanaians, including Dormaahene Osagyefo Oseadeeyo Agyemang Badu II, have appealed to the government to cease the criminal trial of Gyakye Quayson.
Supporters of the government, including Members of Parliament (MPs) from the New Patriotic Party (NPP), contend that the case against Gyakye Quayson should not be dismissed due to the government’s belief in the strength of their argument.
They contend that Quayson’s is similar to that of their former MP for Bawku Central, Adamu Dramani Sakande, who was jailed in July 2012 after being found guilty of perjury and forgery by the Accra high court.
The Ghanaians who are calling for the trial of Quayson to be dropped, including National Democratic Congress MPs argue the two cases are different.
In an interview on Wednesday, July 12, renowned legal practitioners Martin Kpebu explained the major differences between the Case of Adamu Sakande and Gyakye Quayson.
Below are the four major differences in the case of Adamu Sakande and Gyakye Quayson:
1. Identity – Adamu Sakande had three alias, Gyakye Quayson had one
Lawyer Kpebu explained that, unlike Adamu Sakande, Gyakye Quayson had only one identity. He said that Adamu Sakande had three identities, including “Adamu Daramani-Sakande, Adamu Daramani Sakande and Adamu Daramani”.
He said that the former MP for Bawku Central had all these names on different documents which shows an intent to deceive but Quayson had only one identity.
2. Number of Passports – Sankande travelled with 3 different passports from different countries after becoming an MP, Quayson 1:
Martin Kpebu said that for Adamu Sakande there was evidence of him using three different passports to travel when he was an MP, his Ghanaian passport, his British passport and his Burkinabe passport.
But Quayson uses only his Ghanaian passport since he renounced his Canadian citizenship.
3. Renunciation of citizenship – Sankande did not renounce his foreign citizenship, Quayson did:
The lawyer also said that Gyakye Quayson had renounced his Canadian citizenship but Adamu Sakande never did.
He said that Quayson was waiting for his renunciation certificate, which was delayed through no fault of his. But the former Bawku Central MP never renounced the two other citizenships he was holding.
4. Rule of the Electoral Commission of Ghana (EC):
Kpebu also stated that the EC cleared Gyakye Quayson when the issue of his dual nationality come up but the multiple citizenship of Sakande was not known to the EC.
The lawyer was surprised that the EC was not a party to the suit that got Quayson removed from parliament. He said that the commission should have come to defend its decision.
About the Gyakye Quayson case:
The Supreme Court of Ghana, on May 17, 2023, ordered the Parliament of Ghana to expunge the name of James Gyakye Quayson as a Member of Parliament (MP)
Justice Jones Victor Dotse, Justice Nene Amegatcher, Justice Mariama Owusu, Gertrude Araba Torkornoo, Justice Prof. Henrietta Mensa-Bonsu, Justice Yonny Kulendi and Justice Barbara Ackah-Yensu declared that Quayson was not qualified at the time he contested the election 2020 in the Michael Ankomah Nimfah vrs James Gyakye Quayson case.
According to the court, the ousted Assin North MP failed to prove that he had renounced his Canadian citizenship when he filed his nomination to contest the 2020 general elections.
Parliament subsequently declared the Assin North seat vacant, leading to the Electoral Commission of Ghana announcing a by-election on May 27, 2023, to fill the seat.
But there is still one case the former MP has to face in court after the Office of the Attorney General accused him of deceiving public officers to acquire state documents.
On February 12, 2022, the State charged James Gyakye Quayson with five counts; deceit of a public officer, forgery of a passport, knowingly making a false statutory declaration, perjury, and false declaration.
About Adamu Dramani Sakande case:
In July 2012, a New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament for Bawku Central, Adamu Dramani Sakande, was convicted by an Accra High Court after he was found guilty of perjury and forgery.
This was after he failed to denounce UK Citizenship before contesting for the Bawku seat.
He was found guilty of perjury and forgery and was jailed for two years concurrently on all counts.
A Bawku-based cattle dealer, Sumaila Bielbiel, challenged the status of the Member of Parliament (MP) for Bawku Central, Adamu Daramani Sakande in the law-making body due to his dual citizenship.
The former MP was accused of registering as a voter when the voters’ register was opened and subsequently voting in the December 2008 general elections, when he was not entitled to do so.
The ECOWAS Court of Justice has ruled to dismiss the lawsuit filed by the Ghana Integrity Initiative and Transparency International Ghana against the controversial Agyapa Royalties deal which was announced in 2020.
The ECOWAS court’s decision implies that it will not be issuing an order to halt the Ghanaian government from proceeding with the sale of the country’s gold royalties under the Agyapa deal.
The court dismissed all the reliefs of the plaintiff; Transparency International, and its subsidiary the Ghana Integrity Initiative, during a virtual hearing held on July 11, 2023.
The court is however yet to give the reason for its judgment.
Transparency International, Ghana Integrity Initiative and Ghana Anti-Corruption Coalition sued the Ghanaian government over the Agyapa deal at the ECOWAS court.
Below are the reliefs Transparency International was seeking:
1. A declaration that the Defendant’s actions towards entering into a relationship agreement with Minerals Income Investment Fund and Agyapa Royalties Limited in respect of transactions surrendering the sovereignty of Ghana over its gold mineral resources in perpetuity constitute an interference with the right guaranteed under Article 21(1) of the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights as well as violation of Articles 2(1) And (2), 3(1), 16(1) And 17(3) of The Revised African Convention On The Conservation Of Nature And Natural Resources (revised Maputo Convention).
2. An order restraining Defendant from implementing the Agyapa deal, and cancelling/terminating the already existing contracts.
3. An order mandating the Defendant, where it desires to raise immediate funds from gold royalties, to restart the planning, impact assessment, consultations and other preparations in line with its international human rights law obligations.
4. An order mandating the Defendant to undertake a thorough and impartial investigation into the alleged corruption offences and ensure that any alleged perpetrators are brought to justice and held accountable for any violations.
5. An order mandating Defendant to immediately review its existing relevant national laws and policies to:
(a). Provide for adequate and effective safeguards against violation of the Right to Free Disposal of Wealth and Natural Resources by public officials and public bodies.
(b). Follow Revised ECOWAS Treaty’s fundamental principles enshrined in Article 4 paragraphs g) and h) and ensure compliance with its Article 31.
(c). Ensure that any entity with the function of sovereign wealth fund complies with the best international standards, such as the Santiago Principles.
6. Other consequential order (s) as this honourable court may deem fit to grant in the circumstance.
About the Agyapa Royalties deal:
The deal started in June 2018 when Parliament passed the Minerals Income Investment Fund (Act 2018) to manage the equity interests in mining companies and also receive royalties on behalf of the Government of Ghana.
The Minerals Income Investment Fund is mandated to manage and invest these royalties and revenue it receives on behalf of Ghana and invest them for higher returns.
To do this, the law enables the Fund to establish Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs) to appropriate these investments.
Amendment
In July 2020, the government introduced an amendment to the Act to ensure that the SPVs that the Fund would establish to manage investments get unrestricted independence.
On the back of the amendment and the original provisions of the act, the Minerals Income Investment Fund set up an offshore limited liability company known as Agyapa Royalties Limited (previously Asaase Royalties Limited).
The Agyapa Royalties Ltd is incorporated in Bailieick of Jersey in the UK, a tax haven. It has been incorporated in a tax haven to cut out the associated high tax charges to the returns that will accrue to the state from the investments.
Agyapa Royalties Limited is registered in Ghana as an external company.
– Agyapa Royalties Limited will trade shares on the Ghana Stock Exchange and the London Stock Exchange for the private market.
– Mineral Income Investment Fund will remain the majority shareholder.
– ARL will raise between $500 million and $750 million for government to use for developmental initiatives – the government has revealed the four key areas of investment will be education expenditure, primary capital, health and infrastructural development.
– Future resources from gold royalties will go to ARL shareholders instead of the Mineral Investment Fund and for that matter government. Essentially, the government is mortgaging expected royalties from gold in exchange for about $500 million – $750 million from ARL.
Managing Editor of Insight Newspaper, Kwesi Pratt Jnr, has responded to the leaked audio recording purportedly involving discussions among senior police officials regarding the potential removal of Inspector General of Police, Dr George Akuffo Dampare.
During an appearance on Metro TV’s Good Morning Ghana on July 12, 2023, the renowned journalist shared his apprehension about the potential impact of the leaked audio on the nation.
Kwesi Pratt disclosed that upon careful listening and repeated examination of the tape, he was able to recognize certain voices, affirming that those voices belonged to individuals who are widely recognized in the public sphere.
“After listening to the tape about three times, I felt convinced that I could identify some of the voices in the tape and some of the people who spoke on tape are people that we all know. I would like to say that we need to authenticate this tape just to take out the doubt,” he said.
He expressed concern about the fact that ‘senior’ police officers are endorsing electoral rigging and linking it to political affiliation in appointments to high-ranking positions such as Inspector General of Police (IGP).
The renowned journalist said the Council of State should take an interest in the development and address it.
“The main point is that you have a commissioner of police who can think the way that the person on the tape is thinking and still be in the service is frightening. It means you can actually have police officers who believed that elections should be rigged and that have police officers who believe that the appointment to the high office of Inspector General ought to be dictated by political affiliation. The council of state should be worried about this development.,” he said.
According to him, the subject of the leaked tape goes beyond the IGP.
“This is way beyond Mr Dampare and if I were to advise, I would tell him not to make any pronunciation, not take any action but wait for his superior authority. This is terrible, horrible,” he said.
The Managing Editor, Kwesi Pratt further expressed shock and disbelief at the audacity of pronouncement from one of the persons on the tape who posed as a Commissioner of Police.
“We have heard horrible statements before but this one is really frightening. One of the persons who is supposed to be a commissioner of police actually said that as for him, he gives the impression that he is actually the most qualified person to become IGP. But since that, if he doesn’t get it, it doesn’t matter. His main interest is to make sure that an NPP loyalist takes that position so that they can break the eight, that is the statement,” he emphasized.
Kwesi Pratt further expressed shock that the yet-to-be-identified persons in the leaked take are still at post and going about their duties without being called out or interdicted.
“Senior police officer, what kind of country is this, and he is still at post, he has not been interdicted? “I mean it’s frightening; this man is still at post. Today, he can order policemen to go and do anything” he added.
Background
GhanaWeb intercepted a series of secret recordings exposing details of a plot by some top officials of the ruling New Patriotic Party and the Ghana Police Service to displace the current Inspector General of Police, Dr George Akuffo Dampare from office ahead of the 2024 polls.
Apparently threatened by his leadership style and alleged affiliation with the opposition National Democratic Congress, the group who were recorded in a secret meeting concluded that the NPP’s “Breaking the 8” agenda will be impossible with Dampare at the helm of the police.
“Alhaji, my only problem… this current IGP if we do a mistake and take him to the elections, it will not help us. It will not help us at all and I will not mind if the position is not given to me but that man is changed; because he will not help us, he will not help us at all… he won’t help the party at all.
“I know there are others who are also good for this position, if I don’t get and this man is changed and those people that we think they are our men get I (it is ok)t… Because we need to break this 8. That is important, we need to break the 8… Because I wouldn’t want doctor to become the flagbearer and then we lose the elections… ” one of the senior officers told the senior NPP members who is believed to be a former regional chairman of the party and now a traditional ruler.
The senior police officer who seemed interested in the IGP position but would not mind losing as far as a pro-NPP IGP is installed, went on to admit that elections sometimes require machinations to win.
“This IGP is not correct, he won’t help us. Alhaji you have done politics, you know elections is not… sometimes elections mafia work is inside,” he stated to which the party guru concurred saying “not just sometimes, mafia work is inside. As for elections mafia work is involved.”
Citing the recent by-election in Assin North, the senior officer complained bitterly about Dr Dampare’s security arrangement noting how it went against the NPP.
He alleged that Dr Dampare is an NDC person who was given promotions during NDC governments and served as aide-de-camp to late President John Evans Atta Mills.
“Alhaji whatever we need to do to get somebody else to supervise these elections (2024) we need to do. Because as we speak, this IGP is not fine with the military, he is fighting with the army. You find out, if any army officer is your friend, you call him and ask him that how do you see this IGP. He has been arresting military cars; commanders’ cars,” he said.
He further revealed that Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia who is a flagbearer hopeful of the NPP was not in favour of Dr Dampare becoming the IGP and that the two have a frosty relationship.
“If you find out yourself, he is not in good terms with Dr Bawumia… find out if you are close to Dr Bawumia because he knows that Dr Bawumia did not recommend him as IGP… Dr Bawumia knows that if we take him to elections we’ll have difficulties,” he stated.
The senior party member expressed concern about how the matter has not been brought to the attention of leading members of the party and the government but was informed by the senior officer that such attempts have proved futile.
He further revealed that Dr Dampare enjoys the support of some close relatives of the president including his executive secretary Nana Asante Bediatuo and Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko.
The party official who was surprised by the information noted that having a fovourable security service has a major role to play in winning the elections stating that “without them we can’t do anything.”
GhanaWeb’s sources in the security sector reveal that the tape secret recordings which include videos some of which border on grave national security issues have been brought to the attention of the powers that be.
“There are even video recordings but due to national security issues they are being withheld,” the source disclosed.
Other portions of the recording include plans by the cabal to push their agenda through various fronts including spiritual means.
The former NPP party chairman at a point received a call which he informed his guests was from the president.
A potential flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party, Kwabena Agyepong, has asserted that he is the most fitting candidate to guide his party to success in the 2024 elections.
The aspiring presidential candidate of the NPP articulated that the individuals being projected as potential winners of the party’s presidential primary are closely associated with the current struggling government. Consequently, he emphasized the necessity of revitalizing the fortunes of the NPP by introducing a change in leadership.
During the official launch of his campaign in Accra on Tuesday, July 11, 2023, Kwabena Agyepong made these remarks, highlighting the importance of changing the trajectory of the NPP’s fortunes by distancing the party from individuals associated with the current struggling government.
The NPP flagbearer hopeful further added that his party and the entire country needs a new face and a pair of clean hands to steer the affairs of the nation and he had all these prerequisites.
“The Akufo-Addo government despite chalking successes in road and health infrastructure, tourism and of course education, it has struggled to deliver on a number of fronts. We started out saying that we are breaking dependency on Western donor agencies. The slogan ‘Ghana Beyond Aid’ rang from the Jubilee House with intensity and vigour but today, we lie on a stretcher. Before the International Monetary Fund, the IMF, Ghana has become in the eyes of many a case study for how not to do it.
“Our party the NPP therefore, cannot afford to put forward those who led us to this stage and expect Ghanaians to embrace during the 2024 election. We need a new face, a pair of clean hands, a leader to reconnect with our base and earn the trust of Ghanaians.
“I humbly submit, I, Kwabena Agyei Agyepong offer the hope of a fresh start for Ghana. I’m not a newcomer. I did not join our great tradition midstream after the danger had abated. I have served this party right from the get-go and in many capacities. I was there when it mattered most and also when the party was at the peak of its glory. I gathered valuable experiences doing so,” Kwabena Agyepong said during his campaign launch.
In a statement signed by the General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Justin Kodua Frimpong, the party announced that all ten of its flagbearer hopefuls have been cleared to contest in the race after vetting.
The clearance allows the 10 candidates to engage in the Super Delegates Congress of the NPP, where the number will be shrunk to only 5 candidates. It is this final-5-candidate list that will be presented to NPP delegates to vote on for a presidential candidate towards the 2024 general elections.
The 10 candidates include Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, a former Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Joe Ghartey, a former Minister of Trade, Alan Kyerematen, MP for Assin Central, Kennedy Ohene Agyapong, a former Minister of Food and Agriculture, Dr. Owusu Akoto Afriyie, a former General Secretary of NPP, Kwabena Agyei Agyepong, a former MP for Offinso North, Dr. Kofi Konadu Apraku, a former Energy, Minister, Boakye Agyarko, a former MP for Mampong, Francis Addai-Nimoh and businessman, Kojo Opoku.
Renowned Nollywood actor Jim Iyke has recently discussed his troubled marriage, shedding light on his personal life.
The actor confessed that he transitioned from being a dedicated husband to his wife to becoming more focused on their young child.
He stated that he focused all his attention on taking care of his newborn son and totally ignored his wife.
Iyke attributed his sleeplessness and diminished sense of humor to the emotional impact of his mother’s passing.
He said that he ignored his wife completely in favor of giving their newborn baby his full attention.
According to him: “When I lost my mum I couldn’t find my feet for years, there is a lifestyle, understanding and spirituality. I just really wanted to live my life outside the world because the mistake was already made. Note it took them 72hrs to let me know she was dead.
“I am a product of love, my parents were so in love with each other. Just when I was getting over my loss, my woman got pregnant with my first son. Then I had a quiet space there was nobody to take care of anymore because that was my excuse to heal and there was nothing all of sudden. The loss hit me, I couldn’t sleep. I wasn’t the loving man she met, I am the prankster of the family. I don’t even get invited for family meetings because I make them laugh.
“I lost my sense of humor, I lost the lion in me, I gave myself to the elements and so she suffered for that. I became an obsessive dad, I took everything in me to my son, I was changing diapers, and I was the popular stay-at-home dad. I took everything to him and left her behind.
“I was a husband. I was an excellent father and woeful husband. After a while, she said I can’t find who I married. We are friends and I said if she can wait for me to get myself back I will appreciate but if she can’t I will understand. She said we can’t and we are friends.
“I went out of the country to find a place and I told them I couldn’t find myself so I went to a private beach, I cried and poured out my emotions. I went to other countries to chill with white kids and when I got back I said I am here again.”
FROM ALL indications, the famous “Incompetent Mahama” phrase will feature prominently in the campaign message of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) during the 2024 polls.
Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, who coined the phrase, has stated that Mr. Mahama has still not done anything to prove that he is competent, hence the repetition of the phrase.
According to him, during the 2016 elections campaign, he researched and realised that Mr. Mahama, despite being in active politics for 30 years, has nothing to show, in terms of policies to transform the country.
Dr. Bawumia said he decided to tag Mr. Mahama with the “incompetent” phrase in order to force him (Mahama) to state just one policy that he has introduced to develop the country, but he couldn’t produce any.
“Mr. Mahama has been in active politics for 30 years. He started from assemblyman, MP, deputy minister, minister, Vice President and President, yet he cannot show a single policy to transform the state.
“I have been asking him to show just one policy that he has introduced during his 30 years in active politics to transform the state and he couldn’t provide any,” Dr. Bawumia stated.
According to him, Ghanaians only remember Mr. Mahama for “dumsor and guinea fowls” during his 30 years in politics, stressing that he was justified to tag the NDC leader as the “Incompetent One”.
Dr. Bawumia, who is campaigning in the Ashanti Region to become the NPP presidential candidate for the 2024 polls, said definitely he would force Mr. Mahama to show his single policy that has transformed the country.
“I know that he cannot show any policy but I will ask him again in 2024 just as I asked him in the previous elections in 2016 and 2020,” the Vice President said, attracting wild applause.
According to Dr. Bawumia, despite serving as Vice President for just six years, he has more positive policies to transform the country which Ghanaians could remember him for than Mr. Mahama.
“As Vice President, Ghanaians can remember me for Ghana Card, Digital Address System, Digitisation, One District One Ambulance and more positive impactful policies,” Dr. Bawumia pointed out.
He stated that, “If I have done all these as Vice President, then everything shows that as President I will do more for this country,” noting that he is the best person to lead the NPP and Ghana in 2024.
An unnamed police officer is facing accusations of forcefully removing the waist beads worn by a married woman during an operation that resulted in the arrest of her husband, identified as Sixtus Arthur.
The alleged incident has raised concerns about potential police misconduct and violation of personal belongings during law enforcement activities.
According to the woman, Veronica Arthur, she was with her husband in their room in the afternoon of Tuesday, July 11, 2023, when more than 15 men claiming to be policemen, budged in on them.
She said that the men then forcefully arrested her husband, and in the heat of the moment, one of the officers grabbed her by the waist and tore her waist beads, a report by 3news.com has said.
“We were sleeping around 1:00am when we heard a knock at the door. We opened the door and saw about 15 men claiming to be police officers.
“They forcefully entered our room and started searching for my husband. I was trying to talk to them but they kept pushing me away. I wanted to go out and pass urine but one of the officers held my waist, pulled me back, and tore my beads. I came back to the room and saw them manhandling my husband without any reason,” the distressed Veronica Arthur said in a radio interview.
The incident happened at Nkroful in the Western Region.
She also said that of all the men who came to their home, only one of them was in a police uniform.
“One of them was in uniform with a pump action gun. With the rest, some of them were holding spanners,” she added, the report said.
Also speaking on the matter, Naana Yaaba, the mother of Sixtus Arthur, added that they have so far been unable to trace the whereabouts of her son although they have combed a number of police stations.
“We have been to Central, Harbor, and Sekondi police stations to find out if he was sent there but all to no avail. We currently do not know where he has been taken to,” she also said.
The report added that while it is unclear what prompted the arrest, there are suspicions that the matter could be related to an ongoing chieftaincy issue, since Sixtus is said to be the secretary to the substantive chief, Nana Kobina Gyan II.
Musician Mzbel has addressed reports surrounding her alleged involvement with Nigel Gaisie from the Prophetic Hill Chapel.
The singer of the popular song “16 years” acknowledged that there was an incident between herself and Gaisie, but clarified that it was not of a sexual nature. She also mentioned that the matter has been resolved with the help of politicians’ intervention.
During a ‘cross-examination’ by Counsellor Lutterodt on the recent episode of the United Showbiz show, Mzbel expressed her belief that it is now necessary to put the entire incident to rest, as Gaisie has already apologized for his actions.
“I’m not going to say anything, so I’m just going to take a chill pill,” she reacted when asked about the episode. “Counsellor please don’t push me to places I don’t want to go, it will bring up a lot of things,” she added when pressed by the fellow guest.
Lutterodt said the issues between the two (Mzbel and Gaisie) was still unclear and that it was time Mzbel states her side because Gaisie had done same months back on the same show.
“Something happened, I wasn’t happy, I reported it to elders in the NDC, they called us and spoke to us. It is not rape,” Mzbel stressed.
A BBC presenter in the core of a ‘sex photo’ scandal is apparently ‘extremely angry’ and ‘wants to stay anonymous’, according to Jeremy Vine.
The BBC Radio 2 anchor has asked the presenter to come forward and said: ‘It’s absolutely dreadful. I really think this stuff has got to stop. I don’t want to go through this again, ever.
Four people have now made accusations against the host, with the first coming from parents who claimed their child was sent £35,000 over a three-year period for pornographic photos.
A second young person claims they were sent expletive-filled abusive messages, while a third says the presenter broke lockdown rules to meet them.
A fourth, now 22, claims they were sent Instagram messages containing love heart emojis and kisses when they were 17.
The unnamed presenter is accused of appearing in his underwear in a video call by the parents of the young person in connection with the initial claim.
But a letter from a lawyer representing the young person said there had been no inappropriate behaviour and called The Sun’s story ‘rubbish’.
A photograph of Adjetey Anang‘s wife, Elom Anang and Jessica Williams, captured together by blogger Sammy Kay during Adjetey Anang’s book launch, has mesmerized internet users, leading to an array of conversations and comments.
The online community has been abuzz with enthusiasm as social media users discuss the striking similarity between the two.
The captivating photograph, displaying the remarkable resemblance between Adjetey Anang’s wife and Jessica Williams, has garnered significant attention on multiple social media platforms. Users have taken notice of their striking similarities and have been actively sharing their observations and comments in response to the image.
The remarkable resemblance between the two women has captured the fascination of fans, followers, and enthusiasts in the entertainment world.
The picture, which quickly went viral, has generated an outpouring of comments, with many expressing their astonishment at the resemblance.
Social media users have been sharing the image, highlighting the physical similarities and discussing the fascinating coincidence.
In some social media reactions, a user said, “It’s serious oo…it was just a few years ago that I realised they were two different people. I used to think the actress was his wife.”
Beverly Afaglo added, “One was adopted from birth by another family. Nobody can tell me anything.”
A third indicated that, “Anytime I saw Jessica on TV, I said to myself this lady resembles Elorm. This is the proof. What a striking resemblance.”
Celebrated actor Olu Jacobs is commemorated his 81st birthday on July 11, 2023 and his wife, Joke Silva, is overflowing with admiration for him.
In honor of the occassion, Joke Silva took to her Instagram page to share a photo of the esteemed veteran actor.
The loving and proud woman gave gratitude to God and prayed constantly for her husband.
She wrote: “Show boy. Happy birthday dearest as you add plus 1 @_olujacobs God is good… always Sir Js fans have been celebrating his birthday since May. Note…. Today is the official day 11th July”.
mofedamijo: “Happy birthday pathfinder. My knees are on the ground. Because you are, I’m”
ariesntaurus_events: “The pathfinder himself. The man that makes it easy to love him,to respect him,to honour him,to make him a mentor.A national treasure and a global icon..We love you inspite of any health challenges.You are widely honoured the man that makes the screen fascinating to see in my early days”
femiadebayosalami: “Happy birthday Daddy..LLNP”
mariachikebenjamin: “Happy birthday to a blessed man”
btmax_fashion: “Happy Birthday to a Worldwide Legend Many more years ahead sir”
oyetundeoluwatoyin: “Happy birthday Sir,and best wishes”
‘The woman was treated by ambulance crews and medics for serious injuries before being conveyed via land ambulance to University Hospital Birmingham for further treatment.
‘The Midlands Air Ambulance medics traveled on board to provide continued treatment en route.
‘One of the men was treated for serious injuries before being taken to Worcester Royal Hospital by land ambulance.
‘The second man was treated for injuries not believed to be serious but did not wish to go to hospital and so was given self-care advice before being discharged at the scene.’
A police spokesperson said: ‘We are currently on scene at a house on Boughton Avenue in Worcester following a report of injuries to the occupants caused by a dog at the premises.
‘Officers were called to the scene at 9.10am and carried out first aid on two people until paramedics arrived.
‘A 68-year-old woman has been taken to Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham with life-threatening injuries. A 38-year-old man has been taken to Worcestershire Royal Hospital with injuries which are not life-threatening.
‘The dog was dead when officers arrived, and we can confirm there is no further risk to members of public.’
Four young individuals have made complaints against an anonymous BBC presenter who is at the focus of a sex photo scandal.
Over the course of Tuesday, further claims emerged, bringing the total number of people who have come forward to four.
The Sun first reported allegations made by the worried parents of a young person who claimed a well-known brand had given their young youngster thousands of pounds for sexual photos.
Since then, a lawyer for the young person said this was ‘rubbish’ and in the days since, three other young people have come forward.
Other BBC journalists involving Jeremy Vine have come forward saying the star should come clean and face the music.
Here is a brief overview of the claims made against the BBC star.
1. ‘Vulnerable’ teenager used BBC presenter’s cash to fund crack cocaine addiction, parents said
On Saturday, July 8, The Sun published an anonymous interview with the mother and stepfather of an apparently vulnerable youth who had been exchanging messages with an unnamed BBC presenter.
They claimed the presenter had paid £35,000 to their child over a three-year period.
Allegations date back to 2020 when the young person was 17 – and they reportedly used the money to fund a crack cocaine habit.
They are now 20 years old and on Monday, their lawyer said ‘nothing inappropriate’ happened and branded the claims as ‘rubbish’.
But their parents said they stood by their account, that the presenter had ‘got into their head’ – and also questioned how their child could afford to hire a lawyer.
2. Young person ‘felt threatened’ by the presenter at centre of scandal
A second person, said to be in their early 20s then came forward with a complaint about the presenter and said they felt threatened by him.
They were allegedly contacted anonymously by the man on a dating app and pressured to meet up – but they never did.
At the time they did not know who he was.
When the person suggested on social media that they might name the presenter, they were sent expletive-filled, abusive messages, according to the BBC.
The broadcaster said it had seen ‘a number of threatening messages’ and had verified they had been sent from a phone number belonging to the presenter.
BBC News said it had contacted the unnamed star via his lawyer but had received no response to these allegations.
The Beeb said it had ‘seen and verified’ the chat.
3. BBC presenter ‘broke Covid lockdown rules’ to meet with separate young person
A third young person came forward to claim in The Sun that the BBC presenter allegedly broke lockdown rules to meet with him.
A 23-year-old claimed the celebrity broke lockdown rules to meet them during the Covid-19 pandemic in February 2021.
It was claimed the 23-year-old travelled across London to another county to meet them at their flat after first meeting on a dating site the previous year.
It was also claimed that on the day of the alleged hour-long meeting, during which the unnamed presenter and the 23-year-old ‘just chatted’, the presenter said a gift of £250 to a PayPal account.
The Sun claims two other payments of £200 and £250 were made afterwards.
The person said: ‘I was quite shocked that he broke the rules to come and meet me because of who he is. I was just a random person online.’
4. Unnamed presenter had conversation ‘initiated on Instagram’ with 17-year-old in October 2018
A fourth young person, who is now 22, claims they were sent messages containing love heart emojis and kisses by the presenter.
The conversation allegedly started on Instagram in October 2018 when they were 17.
The unnamed person branded the messages ‘creepy’, ‘looking back now’.
They said they were ‘taken aback’ by the sending of a love heart emoji.
The Buffer Stock Company has debunked claims that it owes suppliers more than two years in arrears. CEO of the company, Hanan Abdul-Wahab, said the claim is false.
The National Food Buffer Stock Company has been facing allegations of longstanding debts and delayed payments, leading to suppliers staging a protest at the company’s headquarters.
During an exclusive interview on the Happy Morning Show with Samuel Eshun, the CEO of the Ghana Buffer Stock acknowledged that if the company had truly owed suppliers substantial longstanding debts, it would have potentially resulted in school closures.
He said, “I want to put this on record that we don’t owe any supplier over two years arrears. We don’t have an invoice that has exceeded two years with us as we speak, and that is a fact. If we did we would have shut down schools by now.”
He acknowledged the grievances of the association as he described the action as “the first of its kind” having enjoyed a six-year working relationship with the suppliers since 2017. He said that the delay in payments prompted the suppliers’ decision to take their concerns directly to the company’s office.
Abdul-Wahab further indicated that to resolve the issue, the Minister for Food and Agriculture has engaged with the suppliers, providing assurances and setting timelines for the release of funds.
Abdul-Wahab reiterated the Minister’s actions and expressed gratitude for the suppliers’ cooperation, noting, “They have since respected the Minister’s plea and have decided to call off the picketing because the Minister had promised them that by the 17th, they will get their funds released to them. So far so well. Various stakeholders have met and on the side of the management of Buffer Stock we have already started preparing their payment structures because we know whatever it is we’ll be able to pay them on the 17th of this month so that they’ll be able to go back and continue with their suppliers again.”
A security analyst, Adib Saani, has cautioned the government against any attempt to dismiss the incumbent Inspector General of Police (IGP), as indicated in a leaked audio recording purportedly capturing a meeting involving high-ranking officials of the Ghana Police Service and a prominent member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
In his assessment, the security analyst highlights that the removal of Dr. George Akuffo Dampare, the current IGP, from his position is expected to have adverse implications for Ghana’s democratic system.
During an interview on Wednesday, July 12, 2023, Adib expressed his belief that if the IGP were to resign from his position, it would contribute to allegations of the government plotting to manipulate the 2024 elections. This, in turn, would compel electoral stakeholders to take actions that could result in catastrophic outcomes.
“If by any chance the IGP is removed, it would be ill-timed and it would be very dangerous for our democracy.
“And it would confirm all the suspicious making round that the government wants to use the police to manipulate the elections,” he said.
The security analyst said that the government has no reason to remove the IGP because he has performed his duties wonderfully well, and removing him would only amount to punishing him for doing his work well.
“Compare the work the IGP did in Kumawu and Assin North to the work that was done in Ayawaso West Wuogon. The IGP then (during the Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election) was never fired, nothing happened to him.
“See the clinical job they did in Assin North. Why do you have to vilify someone for doing his work, it is unfair and dangerous,” he added.
Background:
A leaked audio recording, allegedly involving a Police Commissioner and a politician discussing a plot to remove the Inspector General of Police (IGP), George Akuffo Dampare, has ignited public outrage.
The recording features an officer who identifies himself as “Mensah” and a politician who is reportedly a regional chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
Their conversation revolves around plans to remove the IGP from office due to fears that he would be too firm during the 2024 elections and prevent any potential rigging.
The Commissioner of Police also specifically identifies the IGP’s handling of the Assin North by-election as evidence of his commitment to ensuring free and fair elections.
The broadcaster at the core of a dispute over payment for sexually graphic images has allegedly intimidated a second young person, who has come forward to the BBC.
The person, who is in their early 20s, was initially contacted by the male presenter anonymously through a dating app, according to BBC News.
The presenter then revealed his identify and requested that the young person keep it a secret, but the young person later posted online about their interactions with the broadcaster and hinted that they could name him.
The presenter then sent a number of ‘threatening messages’ which the BBC says it has seen and confirmed came from a phone number belonging to the presenter.
The BBC said the young person felt ‘threatened’ by the messages and ‘remains scared’.
BBC News said it had contacted the presenter via his lawyer but had received no response to the allegations.
This second young person has no connection to the person at the centre of the Sun’s story, BBC News said.
MP for Wa West, Peter Toobu, has stated that it is not within the mandate of the police administration to guarantee the victory of any specific political party in an election.
In light of a leaked audio recording where a police commissioner is heard conspiring with a member of the ruling New Patriotic Party to remove Inspector General of Police (IGP) Dr. George Akuffo Dampare, Peter Toobu has made his statement.
According to reports, the retiring Police Commissioner is heard informing the politician that the IGP is exceptionally strict and will not tolerate any manipulations during the upcoming elections unless he is replaced.
Furthermore, the Police Commissioner highlights that the IGP’s demonstrated commitment to security during the Assin North by-election indicates his unwillingness to permit any form of electoral manipulation in the upcoming polls.
Commenting on the development on Starr Today with Joshua Kodjo Mensah Tuesday, the lawmaker stated that the Police administration is mandated to ensure peaceful elections and not to listen to political actors in an electoral process.
“The fact that the NPP is very likely to lose the election doesn’t matter who becomes the IGP. IGPs do not conduct elections; IGPs don’t support political parties to win an election. IGPs have the role to play in line with the mandate of the Ghana Police Service to ensure that we have a secure environment. For the Electoral Commissioner to conduct elections in a very peaceful environment.”
“The police administration has a mandate to prevent crime, detect crime, investigate crime and prosecute offenders. The police administration has a mandate that peace and security is paramount. The Police administration is not there to ensure that a particular political party wins a political power its not their business,” Mr. Toobu stated.
He continued: “So if anybody is thinking that we should have an IGP who should support our political leaning, it should be so political that whatever we tell the IGP to do that is what he will do. Then that is not an Inspector General of Police that is a political IGP who will not have any legitimacy to operate.”
After a man collapsed and died in Italy, the severe 48°C heatwave known as Cerberus was announced to tourists in Southern Europe.
Yesterday, when temperatures reached beyond 40°C, the 44-year-old was working in the city of Lodi, southeast of Milan, according to Italy24.
The man, a road sign worker, passed away at a hospital after collapsing in front of his coworkers.
Anticyclone weather system Cerberus, which is advancing over the continent from the Sahara desert, is said to have contributed to his death by causing the intense heatwave that was experienced there.
The Italian islands of Sardinia and Sicily are expected to reach a record breaking 48°C.
The general secretary of Fenealuil Milan-Cremona-Lodi-Pavia, Salvatore Cutaia, said: ‘The climate is a cause of accident and also of death. This is a situation that could be repeated given the temperatures.
‘We find ourselves once again having to mourn a 44-year-old worker who has only done his job.’
The anticyclone has been named after the three-headed dog from Greek mythology, who 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.’
Thousands of holidaymakers in the Mediterranean are now being urged to take precautions in the extreme heat.
Temperatures are also predicted to rise to 45°C in southern Spain and 44°C in Greece this week.
Conditions will also rise to 42°C in Cyprus, 38°C in Croatia and France will be basking in 37°C heat by the end of this week.
Many British tourists are struggling to handle the heat, with one woman seen collapsing in front of the Colosseum in Rome as temperatures topped 36°C.
Tourists were pictured resting beneath trees while others resorted to using their shirts as parasols to shield themselves from the sun.
But the Met Office have thankfully said the UK will be spared the extreme temperatures.
It is expected the extreme hot weather will last for two weeks.
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.’
Ranking Member of Parliament’s Interior Committee, James Agalga, has urged for an urgent investigation into claims of a purported plot to oust Inspector General of Police (IGP) Dr George Akuffo Dampare from his role ahead of the upcoming 2024 general elections.
In response to an alleged leaked audio, the Member of Parliament stressed the importance of verifying the authenticity of the recorded conversation purportedly involving discussions about the removal of the Inspector General of Police (IGP).
During an interview on Joy FM on July 11, the Member of Parliament representing Builsa North drew attention to the inclusion of a senior officer’s voice in the audio, indicating the possibility of considering that individual as a potential successor to the Inspector General of Police (IGP).
He further stressed the importance of identifying and appropriately dealing with those behind the plot.
“I don’t know whose voice it is. I mean, you can hear several voices in the background, but from every indication one of the voices appears to be a voice of the senior police officer who is close to the feet of government.
“Because the person appears to sound as though he is in line to become IGP if the current IGP were to be removed, and so it raises very serious questions for me. I heard the Minister speak to the issue and it appears he does not to know who the person responsible for that audio is. And for me, that is the more reason why we should have a probe,” myjoyonline.com quoted him to have said.
The leaked tape has revealed an alleged plot involving an unidentified high-ranking police officer and a member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) aimed at removing the IGP from office. The motive behind the scheme appears to be concerns that Dr. Dampare could impede efforts by the governing party to manipulate the outcome of the 2024 elections.
The school was shut down for a number of hours before the suspect was captured about two hours after the incident.
and he’s now recovering well – and hoping to return to the classroom before the end of the summer term.
Mr Sansom also said speculation he was intervening in a fight between students was ‘simply not true’.
Gloucestershire Police said the boy will remain in custody tonight and will appear at Cheltenham magistrates court on Wednesday.
The school reopened on Tuesday following ‘careful assessment and consultation with the police’.
A Tewkesbury Academy spokesman said: ‘We feel it is important for our students to be able to return to a sense of normality in their school, where we will be providing a range of additional mental and emotional support for students and staff.’
An audio recording, purportedly featuring a conversation between a Police Commissioner and a politician discussing a scheme to oust the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Dr. George Akuffo Dampare, has sparked widespread controversy.
A security analyst, Adam Bonaa, has strongly criticised the individuals implicated in the incident, asserting that they should be immediately dismissed from their positions without any further delay.
The recording features an officer who identifies himself as “Mensah” and a politician who is reportedly a regional chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
Their conversation revolves around their intentions to oust the IGP due to fears that he would be too firm during the 2024 elections and prevent any potential rigging. The Commissioner specifically points to the IGP’s handling of the Assin North by-election as evidence of his commitment to ensuring free and fair elections.
Reacting to the leaked audio in an interview with Starr FM on July 11, 2023, Adam Bona expressed his dismay at the leaked audio, describing it as “despicable” and an indictment on an institution that should protect democracy and the electoral process.
“It’s a shame to have top police officials attempting to unseat one of their own in this despicable manner. And virtually indicting an institution that is supposed to help the referee to protect the sanctity of our democracy and our electoral process,” starrfm.com.gh quoted him to have said.
He further stated that the top police officials involved should not continue in their positions. He highlighted the alarming nature of the conversation, noting that the questions raised by the politician in the audio were the same questions many concerned citizens would have asked.
“So for me we will want to call it a day of shame. Listening to portions of the audio and for me I will say that these top police officials don’t deserve to be in the service, not a day beyond today. The simple reason is that as you heard, the Alhaji they were engaging asked a lot of questions that ordinarily some of us might even be asking,” he added.
Majority leader in parliament, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, has asserted that if the Minority persists in their decision to boycott parliamentary proceedings, his caucus will make certain that crucial decisions are made in their absence.
Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, who represents the Suame Constituency in Parliament, further mentioned that with the Majority consisting of 138 members and the Minority consisting of 137 members, reaching conclusions on matters and issues without the support of the Minority would be a straightforward task.
In an interview with a reporter from Onua TV on Tuesday, July 11, 2023, the MP emphasized his intention to communicate and collaborate with the leadership of the Minority in Parliament, regardless of the prevailing circumstances.
“I intend to engage my colleague and compatriot, the Minority leader but if they insist that they wouldn’t attend to the business of parliament, what else can we do? We only then have to mobilise your numbers to attend to the business of the House.
“We can take decisions in their absence. If we have 138, we can any decision. Even the budget which they said they had rejected; we were 138 and took a decision,” Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu said.
The Minority in Parliament has taken a firm stance to abstain from participating in parliamentary business on days when Assin North MP, James Gyakye Quayson, is scheduled to appear in court for an ongoing criminal case.
The decision to abstain from parliamentary proceedings on court days is a clear statement of support for Quayson and a demonstration against what the Minority considers unjust treatment.
Minority Leader Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, has, however, reaffirmed that his caucus will persist in boycotting parliamentary proceedings despite pleas from several NPP MPs.
He stated, “We stand firm in our decision to boycott parliament during the trial of Gyakye Quayson.”
A 27-year-old welder has been detained by an Accra Circuit Court for allegedly stealing a makeup box and its contents worth GHC5,300.00.
Isaac Bortey Bortier is accused of stealing various items including an Akai 40-inch television worth GHC2,800.00, an iPhone 7 Plus worth GHC2,200.00, a Techno Camon mobile phone worth GHC2,145.00, five pieces of human hair worth GHC5,500.00, and cash amounting to GHC2,600.00. The total value of the stolen items amounts to GHC20,545.00.
Bortier allegedly trespassed onto the property of Madam Helix Amoakowaa and intentionally caused damage to two door padlocks worth GHC200.00.
The defendant, facing charges of unlawful damage, unlawful entry, and theft, entered a plea of not guilty.
The Court presided over by Samuel Bright Acquah remanded the accused person into Police custody to reappear on July 24, 2023.
Prosecuting Police Chief Inspector Ramata Asumah told the Court that the complainant Madam Helix Amoakowaa is a hairdresser and a resident of Nungua, while the accused person resided at Nungua township.
The prosecution said on June 26, 2023, at about 0330 hours, the complainant woke up from sleep to detect that thieves have burgled her room and made away with her red and silver coloured makeup box with its contents and other items mentioned earlier.
It said a complaint was lodged at the Nima Police Station and on June 31, 2023, the accused person was arrested in connection with a stealing case which was under investigation by Detective Sergeant Simon Migida at Nungua Divisional CID.
It said a search was conducted in the accused person’s room at Nungua Manheim where the Police retrieved a lot of items including the complainant’s red and silver coloured makeup box together with its contents suspected to have been stolen.
The prosecution said the complainant later came to the station to identify the said makeup box and its contents as hers.
It said the accused person was subsequently re-arrested.
Ghanaian Economist Kwame Pianim is anticipating major obstacles for the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in 2024 election campaign, attributing them to present economic challenges.
In an interview on Eyewitness News, Pianim stressed the daunting task ahead for the NPP in securing victory amidst anticipated severe economic hardships for Ghanaians.
Pianim expressed doubts about the NPP’s ability to convince voters and break the eight-year cycle of governance, advising the government to approach its actions with caution and deliberation.
“No, it’s going to be difficult in 2024. And this is why I applaud the young people who are brave enough and prepared to take on this challenge and sacrifice for the nation,” Citinewsroom.com quoted him.
Recognizing the need for a transformative approach, Pianim highlighted the necessity of avoiding the repetition of ineffective processes.
He stated, “Madness will be defined as repeating the same processes and expecting to get the same results. If we don’t change drastically how we develop and make haste slowly, we have to cut our coats according to our clothes.”
Furthermore, the economist suggested the elimination of procurement agencies and value-for-money audits, arguing that such institutions provide opportunities for corruption.
Pianim emphasized the importance of obtaining value for money in government expenditure and stated, “We have to make sure the monies we get, we will get value for money. And all the procurement agencies, value for money audit, we scrap all of them. Because they provide avenues for people to just take money, and we need to get rid of incompetence and corruption.”
A potential presidential candidate for the New Patriotic Party(NPP) , Dr Kofi Konadu Apraku, has conveyed his dissatisfaction at not being given a role in the government of Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
Despite his significant contributions that aided the party in achieving victory, Dr. Kofi Konadu Apraku expressed his disappointment with the Akufo-Addo government for overlooking him in appointments, despite several assurances made.
Dr Apraku, who expressed this sentiment during a JoyNews interview on July 11, 2023, monitored by GhanaWeb, added that he was ready and willing to accept a position that suited his background but no offer was made.
“I was the campaign for Akufo-Addo in 2008, in 2012 I was in charge of security and the last one that I did not have any position I worked very hard, I went everywhere that I could. But I was not offered a position.
“I would have accepted a position if I was offered one, with my background in economist, finance… I would have minded at all being offered the position of finance minister…I was ignored and so I had to find a job,” he said.
He refuted the assertion that he betrayed the Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo by refusing to work in his government.
“It is not a betrayal if anything at all, it should be the reverse… they did not find a use for me, a use for me that was appropriately packaged,” he said.
Dr Apraku, a former minister of trade, added that his records prove that Ghana’s economy would not be in a better place if he were finance minister.
So far, ten people in the NPP have filed nominations to contest in the yet-to-be-held Presidential primaries.
Candidates including Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia; a former Trade Minister, Alan Kyerematen; Kwadwo Poku, an energy expert; Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Joe Ghartey; a former Minister of Food and Agriculture, Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto; a former General Secretary of the NPP, Kwabena Agyei Agyepong; MP for Assin Central, Kennedy Ohene Agyapong, a former MP for Offinso North, Dr. Kofi Konadu Apraku; and a former Energy Minister, Boakye Agyarko are all in the contest.
The horrifying head-on accident occurred yesterday evening in east London when the Ferrari apparently sped past traffic.
Around 7.20 p.m., Beckton received a call requesting the assistance of emergency personnel, including police, paramedics, and the air ambulance.
The frightening occurrence was caught on film by witnesses, revealing the instant the two automobiles collided and the damage that resulted.
Drone footage also captured the road from above with a recovery vehicle in attendance.
Pictures showed both vehicles were badly damaged.
The severity of the injuries sustained by those involved is not yet known.
Latest London news
Road closures were put in place after the crash in Royal Dock Road while officers carry out investigations into the circumstances.
Police say their enquiries are continuing.
A Metropolitan Police spokesperson said: ‘Police were called at approximately 19:20hrs on Tuesday, 11 July to reports of two cars in collision at Royal Dock Road, Beckton.
‘Officers, London Ambulance Service and London’s Air Ambulance all attended the scene.
‘Six people were treated for injuries; condition awaits.
‘Road closures remain in place while the scene is dealt with.
‘Enquiries into the circumstances remain ongoing.’
