Joyce Ijeoma, the Nigerian woman who embarked on a challenging endeavor to complete a 72-hour massage marathon, unfortunately collapsed during the attempt.
It was reported that the lady collapsed at the dawn of Tuesday, July 4, 2023, as she was in the process of the race.
It was also stated that she had 20 hours to finish her race but unfortunately for her, she passed out after reaching 52 hours.
In 2015, the previous record was broken by Alastair Galpin and to date, he holds the longest massage Guinness record as she completed a 25 hours and 4 minutes massage marathon.
In a video shared by Africa Facts Zone on Twitter, after Joyce Ijeoma collapsed, her co-workers rushed in to pick her up.
The following is how netizens reacted to the unfortunate incident:
“All things are permissible but not everything is beneficial…we copy too much in Africa. I understand her work and what she wanted to achieve but I think she wasn’t well prepared for it. I’m so sorry she went through that and I hope she recovers ASAP”.
“This long hours duration of records needs constant practice and preparation. You don’t just start GWR without preparation even if you have the skill, you might fail because you didn’t have the stamina and endurance to finish it”
Nigerian lady, Joyce Ijeoma who attempted to break the world record for the Longest Massage on Different Individuals has collapsed.
Ghanaian musician Rebecca Acheampong, widely known as Becca has recently received an extravagant gift from her husband, Dr. Daniel Oluwatobi Sanni.
During the launch event of Lawe Fashion, the clothing brand of Monique Mawulawe, the winner of Miss Ghana 2020, Dr. Daniel Oluwatobi Sanni pleasantly surprised Becca by presenting her with a stunning outfit. The unexpected gift added an extra touch of excitement and glamour to the event, drawing attention and generating discussions on social media about the couple’s show of affection and support.
The outfit, valued at an astonishing US$7000, was carefully chosen to match Becca’s unique sense of fashion by her husband during the event.
In a video shared by blogger GhKwaku, Dr Sanni was invited by Stacey Amoateng who was the MC to inspect the dress, a glittery jumpsuit, to ensure it perfectly suited his wife’s taste, which he happily confirmed.
To provide a second opinion on the dress, Ghanaian actress Zynnel Zuh, known for her fashion expertise, was called upon to assess its elegance.
Zynnel Zuh agreed with Dr Sanni’s choice, further confirming the exquisite nature of the outfit.
During the event, Becca could be seen beaming with joy as she sported an all-black t-shirt and pants.
Her husband’s thoughtful gesture touched her, and she was visibly flattered by his extravagant gift.
Ghanaian actor and model Harold Amenyah has once again come under backlash from social media users for revealing he doesn’t mind having a threesome.
In an interview with GhOne,Harold expressed his openness to the concept of a threesome, emphasizing that he was receptive to the idea. However, he clarified that being open-minded about it did not necessarily mean he would actively engage in such activities.
“I haven’t tried it before but I’m actually open to having a threesome. I’m open to it doesn’t mean I am actually “I mean why not, We’ll audition. We can audition you [referring to the host] The two of us have to be mutually in sync,” he indicated.
During the interview, Harold emphasized that any decision or move regarding a threesome would only be made with the full agreement and understanding of both himself and his wife. He highlighted the importance of mutual consent and open communication between them before considering any such arrangement.
Harold made a lighthearted suggestion about group interviews for possible candidates.
“I was actually hoping that I’ll try it before my 30 birthday and before I knew it I was dating my wife. “My wife comes from a typical Ghanaian home, she’s very conventional so she’s new to all these unconventional things. I don’t know how it’s going to play out but I’m open to it so I’m putting it out there in the universe,” he concluded.
Most Members of Parliament (MP) from the Majority side (i.e the New Patriotic Party (NPP) were absent in the parliamentary chamber during the highly anticipated swearing-in ceremony of James Gyakye Quayson.
The absence of the NPP MPs during such a crucial event highlights the party’s position on the MP’s re-election while still entangled in a legal battle over his citizenship.
Regardless, Parliament was filled with jubilation as the House swore in the Member of Parliament-elect, James Gyakye Quayson.
The euphoria ahead of the process emanated from just one side as most members of the Majority are absent.
Minority MPs are singing and chanting victory songs for their colleague while clad in all-white apparel.
Only a few NPP MPs were seen dotted around their side of the aisle.
The public gallery is equally flooded with leadership from the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC).
Notable among them are 2024 flagbearer and former President John Mahama, his election 2020 Running mate Prof Naana Jane Opoku Agyemang, Chairman Asiedu Nketiah, General Secretary Fifi Kwetey, and former Chief of Staff Julius Debrah, among others.
On June 27, Mr Quayson who was ejected from Parliament following a Supreme Court decision annulling the 2020 constituency election, won the Assin North by-election with 17,245 votes representing 57.56% of valid votes.
His main rival, Charles Opoku of the New Patriotic Party polled 12,630 or 42.15% of valid votes to place second, while Liberal Party of Ghana’s Bernice Enam Sefanu polled only 87 votes or 0.29%.
Addressing the legislators, Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin indicated that the Electoral Commission (EC) had officially communicated the results to the House.
It is on this basis that the EC “declared Quayson James Gyakye as the elected Member of Parliament for the Assin North Constituency,” Mr Bagbin told the House.
After swearing him in, Minority Leader Cassiel Ato Forson congratulated the new MP adding that his side will be in court for support until the Quayson trial is over.
Majority Leader, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu also welcomed James Gyakye Quayson and wished him well in the execution of his mandate.
Sitting was subsequently suspended for 30 minutes.
Former Member of Parliament (MP) for Suhum, Fred Opare Ansah, has asked the National Organiser of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana B to issue an apology to Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia due to an organizational oversight that occurred during the party’s final rally before the Assin North by-elections on June 25.
According to Fred Opare Ansah the Vice President, aside from Alan Kyerematen who faced an impolite interruption upon Bawumia’s arrival, also experienced a negative impact as a result of the incident.
“Bawumia and president Akufo-Addo left an event at the same time and were headed to the same place. The president takes precedent over everyone and by protocol, he is the last person to arrive before an event starts.
“So the organizers wanted to find a quick route to the dais for Bawumia,” he said of the incident before adding: “so, it is not his team, neither is it himself, the blame should lie squarely on the organizers.
“And I am happy that the national organizer of the party has come out clearly and apologized to Alan, except that I feel the apology should be extended to the Vice President to say, ‘look, I know it is not your fault but sorry for causing you this embarrassment.”
The former lawmaker, contributing to Peace FM’s “Kokrokoo” show on July 3, advised those trying to make capital gains out of the incident against Dr. Bawumia or Alan Kyerematen to desist from it.
“Those who are trying to take political advantage of this in their campaign should realize that if you cause disaffection or public ridicule for someone, it doesn’t impact on just one person. It is a ridicule on the entire party”, he cautioned.
Nana B, speaking about the incident to Accra-based Okay FM, attributed the mishap to lack of communication between the handlers of the vice president and the campaign organizers.
“I have seen some of the circulating videos and I must say that in every organization, we get some of these lapses. There was a lack of communication between us the organisers and the handlers.
“When you pay close attention, the explanation to it is that the president was coming. So, the vice president’s handlers out of good fate, which one would have thought that the vice president will leave the stage before the president comes. However, the time they took to do that didn’t go well,” he said.
The National Organiser, Nana B further added it was not intentional to publicly embarrass the former minister.
“I will not offer a lot of explanation but as a National Organiser, I was not visibly happy that Alan kyerematen is speaking then this happens.
“I will want to use your platform, and, in all humility, what happened was not because someone planned it. In all humility, let me apologise unreservedly to Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen for the small hitch that happened when he was speaking at the Assin North constituency campaign. It was a lapse that happened,” he added.
The incident, captured in a viral video, showed Alan Kyerematen addressing constituents at Assin North when Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia joined him on the platform.
Veep was introduced to the crowd while Alan Kyerematen was still speaking.
The scene was not pleasant for the flagbearer hopeful, who was also a contender against the vice as both are vying to be the party’s flagbearer.
It was a bestowing sight in Parliament when Members of Parliament (MP) on the Minority side greeted the re-elected MP for Assin North, James Gyakye Quayson, with exuberant cheers and resounding applause as he prepared to take his oath of office in Parliament on Tuesday, July 4, 2023.
The NDC MPs, all clad in white, were in their numbers to support the MP who for the past few years has been entangled in legal battles concerning his citizenship.
Key members of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) including their flagbearer, former President John Dramani Mahama, were all in Parliament to support Mr Quayson.
Ghanaian dancehall artiste Shatta Wale has said has advised Ghanaian musicians to avoid beef and comparisons in the music industry.
In a tweet on Tuesday, July 4, he said Ghanaian music would be better if artists avoided comparisons and needless beefs.
“This music thing in Ghana will be better for them if they stop this comparisons and beefs !!!
The comments come amid years of controversies and ‘beefs’ Shatta Wale has waged with other artists including Stonebwoy, Samini and Sarkodie.
“Don’t touch shatta wale and shatta wale won’t touch you !! Simple Understanding,” he wrote.
The self-acclaimed dancehall king added that he has made enough money for himself and is not interested in the dramas that sometimes plague the industry.
“I am not part of their drama !!! I AM MY OWN BOSS AND WINNING EVERYDAY INDEPENDENTLY,” he tweeted.
Huge shark seen circling menacingly in shallow seas off Florida coast drove terrified beachgoers swimming for their lives.
Beachgoers enjoying a day on the sand were forced to leave after a massive shark fin was observed flapping and thrashing in the open waters, evoking scenes from the movie Jaws.
Dramatic video of the incident shows a swimmer relaxing in the water on an inflatable when two individuals nearby escape in horror, with frantic cries of “shark!” being yelled out to warn anyone who might not have seen the impending danger.
But unlike in the film where the predatory Great White sneaks up on swimmers without any warning, the shark appeared to be extremely active and agitated, thrashing around and creating quite a splash.
The shark was spotted at 2.15pm on Sunday afternoon in Perdido Key, and was moving at such speeds that it appeared to be creating waves all on its own.
Experts believe the creature to be a Hammerhead or Thresher shark, which are often spotted in the area, and that it was likely foraging for food due to the large amount of bait fish which were previously sighted in the waters.
Kennady Brinley, a marine biologist with Emerald Coast Wildlife Refuge, said shark sightings are much higher in June than any month out of the year.
She said it’s no surprise the animals are still being spotted near shore at the start of July.
Earlier in the week, a school of Hammerhead sharks were spotted circling in a nearby dock, much to the surprise of some local boaters.
Marine biologists suggest avoiding swimming in the ocean before dawn and after dusk when sharks are often looking to feed.
‘This is the time when sharks become more active. They actually feed more commonly, generally, during these twilight hours of both dawn and dusk. And why is that? Because they have sort of the advantage on their prey’, explained ocean biologist Bob Hueter to WINK.
Entertainment pundit Arnold Asamoah-Baidoo has debunked Blakk Rasta’s narrative suggesting that the celebration of MOGmusic’s admission to the Grammy Academy is mediocre. Asamoah-Baidoo argued that the occasion calls for celebration since it represents a significant accomplishment.
MOGmusic became the first Ghanaian gospel musician to become a member of the Recording Academy of the Grammy Awards following an announcement on June 27, 2023.
Reacting to the news, many netizens took to their social media platforms to celebrate the musician on achieving this great feat.
But media personality Blakk Rasta on United Showbiz described the achievement by MOG as mediocre. According to him, joining the Grammy Academy does not call for a celebration.
You’ve joined the academy so what? We want the industry to grow and I know they are encouraging Jamaicans to join the academy. It’s no achievement that you now have voting rights. It could be an achievement in some sense.”
“Ghana celebrates a lot of mediocrity and it hurts me very much,” Blakk Rasta said.
However, battling this assertion, Arnold said on United Showbiz said: “It is a big achievement for MOG as an artiste and our industry. How do we grow? Don’t we sow before it germinates?”
“In the Grammy conversation, to be close to the Grammys, one of the things is to get closer to the academy. I have done proper PR for Blakk Rasta when he was lecturing in the US but nobody said it was mediocre because you’re not the only person to have lectured abroad.
“Do not negate PR. I sharply disagree when you say it’s mediocrity. What MOG is going to do apart from voting, the most important thing he’s going to be doing is considering our music to the board. How do you call this mediocrity?” Arnold added.
Member of Parliament for South Dayi and Ranking Member on the Constitutional and Legal Committee in Parliament, Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor, has expressed his dissent towards the critics of Dormaahene Oseadeeyo Agyemang Badu II.
According to the legislator, there is no ethical wrongdoing in the chief’s request for the cessation of James Gyakye Quayson‘s trial.
Dafeamekpor further stated that the current Appeals Court Judge did not violate any code of conduct within the judicial service.
These remarks were made by the politician during his appearance on Joy FM, a radio station based in Accra.
“I disagree totally with the immoral suggestion they made, that this matter be looked into by the judicial council, especially the disciplinary committee of the judicial council,” he said.
About calls made by the former President of the Ghana Bar Association, Sam Okudzeto for the judicial council to take action against the Dormaahene, Dafeamekpor added that there was no need for sanctions as the Attorney General, Godfred Dame and President Akufo-Addo have passed prejudicial comments but have been punished.
“The Dormaahene, first of all, he is the Dormaahene – the Paramount Chief of the Dormaa Traditional area and he was invited to the function in that capacity. Two – he is a trained lawyer, three – he is a member of the judiciary of this country. Is anyone saying that the Dormaahene in these various capacities cannot speak to a matter such as this in the manner that he did?” he asked.
“Didn’t the Attorney General himself go to court to say that Quayson will go to jail? Didn’t the Attorney General go to a court of law to make a very prejudicial comment? Didn’t the President of this republic stand on a political platform and mention that Quayson will go to jail?
“So if the Dormaahene in all these says that if all these prejudicial comments preceded the election and the election has been held and he thinks that because he succeeded, the Attorney General should exercise his mandate under Article 88 and enter a nolle prosequi, what is so immoral about this?” he quizzed.
The Dormaahene Oseadeeyo Agyemang Badu II, currently a High Court judge, called on the government to file a nolle prosequi in the Quayson trial explaining among others that it was time to move on and not appear to disrespect the people of Assin North and Ghana.
He also criticised the Supreme Court decision that ousted Quayson from office as an MP triggering the June 27 by-election which Quayson won.
James Quayson had pleaded not guilty to five charges of deceit of the public officer, forgery of passport or travel certificates, knowingly making a false statutory declaration, perjury and false declaration for office.
The charges relate to his participation in the 2020 polls at a time he supposedly held dual citizenship.
Ghanaian actor Adjetey Anang has adviced actress Yvonne Nelson amid the brouhaha between her and Ghanaian rapper Sarkodie.
Adjetey Anan has urged Yvonne to be “insensitive” to disparaging comments and remain focused on her school and the effort to provide children with a better education.
In his submission on UTV’s United Showbz, Adjetey Anang who is scheduled to launch his book said Yvonne needed to pay no attention to negative comments as she may be tempted to react in a manner that would not inure to her benefit.
“I just encouraged her that as much as possible, she should try to be insensitive to the comments,” Adjetey Anang said. “Some people are saying all sorts of things so paying attention won’t help.”
“Her focus should be on her kindergarten; that should give her joy. I encouraged her to cut the responses because some time ago, that was what I did and it landed me into trouble.”
On June 18, 2023, Yvonne Nelson released a memoir titled ‘I Am Not Yvonne Nelson’ which detailed some life experiences, including her encounter with Sarkodie and her search for her father. She stated how she had to abort the pregnancy because Sarkodie was not in support of keeping it, and how she thought of saving the child from the pain she (Yvonne) has been through having grown up without a father.
Sarkodie responded with a song explaining that Yvonne should not make it seem as though he “was the one pushing for abortion” because the actress, among others, rejected the idea of his doctor attending to her; instead, she opted for a doctor her friend suggested, claiming “he is the best”.
He rapped that Yvonne should not claim to be a good girl because she is for the streets, adding that if she wants to talk, she should list the men she has slept with because he thought she “was cool” until he “had a hint” about her sexual escapes at the time.
The development has engendered controversy with many people sharing their views on the matter. While some have slammed Sarkodie for acting nonchalant and disrespecting womanhood, others have defended him for telling his side of the story the best way he could.
For Adjetey Anang, as much as people may want to express their views, they should be sensitive.
“It’s very difficult for me that two of the people I admire in a lot of ways are clashing,” he told MzGee. “I can’t condemn anybody; I can’t judge anybody. I just hope that there is healing; that we won’t dwell on the negativity people are throwing into this. We’re not in their shoes, we can only comment on what we heard.
“Let us have a human touch; be a bit sensitive to these people so we don’t break them apart.”
Three first year nursing students are facing disciplinary sanctions following a leaked sex tape. After a the video involving the said students went viral, the management of Kwadaso SDA Nursing and Midwifery Training College in the Ashanti Region has decided to suspend the individuals involved for a period of one year.
As a consequence of their admission of guilt during a meeting with the school’s disciplinary committee, the three students, who are all first-year students, have been instructed to leave the institution for one year as a disciplinary measure.
During an interview on the morning show “Nyansapo” on OTEC 102.9 FM, the Public Relations Officer for the school, Williams Adinkra, clarified that the sexual encounter depicted in the video did not take place on the school premises, contrary to initial reports. This statement was made on Tuesday, July 4, 2023.
“We met the three students immediately after the video surfaced online and they admitted the offence, the first two persons who were the ones who engaged in the sex bout and captured it in a video said they did it while on vacation,” he told the host, Captain Koda.
“We were told the third person who is said to have released the video downloaded it from the girl’s phone and later demanded Ghc5000 from her.”
“The video was subsequently released when the girl failed to provide the amount her colleague student demanded and later went viral on social media.
“While the three are all serving a one-year suspension, the one who released the video will be deboardinised upon their return,” he concluded.
Background
A male student blackmailer leaked a sex recording featuring two first-year Kwadaso SDA Nursing and Midwifery Training College students in Kumasi, Ashanti’s regional capital.
The video captured off-campus was leaked after the woman in the video handed her phone to a co-worker for repair.
After copying the video from the phone, the blackmailer demanded five thousand Ghana cedis from the female and threatened to release the video if she did not comply.
Due to the woman’s inability to meet the blackmailer’s financial demand, he strategically released the tape at precisely 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, June 23, 2023.
Ahead of James Gyakye Quayson‘s swearing-in as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Assin North, all members of the minority party in parliament arrived at the house dressed in white attire, symbolizing their collective support.
At 9:50 am, MPs on the Minority side had already gathered in the parliamentary chamber in preparation for the upcoming ceremony.
Today, July 4, 2023, the Speaker of the Parliament of Ghana, Alban Bagbin, is scheduled to administer the oath of office to James Gyakye Quayson, who was elected as the Member of Parliament for the Assin North Constituency.
Following the by-election held on Tuesday, June 27, 2023, Gyakye Quayson emerged victorious as the winner in the Assin North constituency.
Based on the Electoral Commission’s official announcement, James Gyakye Quayson secured a total of 17,245 votes, which accounted for 57.56% of the overall votes cast during the election.
Charles Opoku, the candidate from the New Patriotic Party (NPP), emerged as the closest competitor to James Gyakye Quayson, receiving a total of 12,630 votes, representing 42.15% of the total votes cast.
Bernice Enyonam Sefenu, the candidate from the Liberal Party Ghana (LPG), obtained a total of 87 votes, accounting for 0.29% of the total votes counted.
The by-election in Assin North was conducted to fill the parliamentary seat that remained vacant due to a legal dispute questioning James Gyakye Quayson’s eligibility to hold office, primarily due to concerns regarding his dual citizenship status.
The Kerch bridge connecting the mainland to Crimea is under threat from dissatisfied Wagner fighters who have turned against Vladimir Putin, according to Russia.
Due to rigorous security checks, there were significant delays of up to seven hours for tourists seeking to pass the bridge to get to the Black Sea peninsula.
According to the citizen information agency InformNapalm, they went to great lengths, including sending kids to obtain x-rays and checking every component of the cars, even the glove compartments.
The 10-mile bridge, which was built at a cost of around £3 billion, links annexed Crimea to the Taman Peninsula of Krasnodar Krai on mainland Russia.
Delays also hit the nearby truck ferry service between the mainland and Crimea.
Concerns have been raised that angry Wagner fighters could be planning a violent bomb attack after Putin axed their army, according to a report.
The private army was central to one of the most dramatic days in recent Russian history last month, when Wagner leader Yevgeny Prigozhin ordered it to march on Moscow as he raged about perceived mismanagement of the war in Ukraine.
Russians and governments around the world were preparing for the real possibility of a coup on June 23, before Prigozhin abruptly called off the march.
His soldiers left the southern military HQ at Rostov-on-Don, which they reportedly took over without much resistance, and he is believed to have left for Belarus under the terms of a deal brokered by Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko.
There are now worries Wagner mercenaries may attack the bridge, amid apparent anger that Putin may be reneging on the deal.
According to the Mirror, Telegram channel InformNapalm shared evidence for these fears.
The channel said: ‘Obviously, saboteurs are expected in Crimea.
‘It is possible that some attentive people passed information to the FSB that the Wagnerites are preparing to bring explosives and ammunition to Crimea, because the agreements on the part of the Kremlin have not been fully implemented.’
It is expected that some Wagner fighters will join Prigozhin in exile in Belarus while others will join the regular Russian army.
The delays over security checks for people crossing the Kerch bridge weren’t generally received well.
Nikolai Lukashenko, appointed by Putin to be in charge of transport in Crimea, said: ‘Staff numbers on the inspection lines have been increased and control over their work has been strengthened.
‘We apologise to citizens for the inconvenience.’
Many Russians are spending the summer in Crimea despite it being a possible target, because Western restrictions mean they can’t head to popular holiday destinations.
A bomb blast on a truck which was driving across the bridge in October last year also caused major damage to the Kerch Strait, and has been blamed on Ukraine.
Ghanaian female vocalist Efya, has taken Twitter by storm after her captivating performance on Glitch Africa. Her appearance on the show has sparked widespread conversation and admiration among social media users.
Social media platforms were abuzz when a snippet video of Efya’s show-stopping performance on Glitch Africa surfaced online. The captivating teaser not only created a tremendous stir but also fueled immense anticipation for her highly anticipated new song, “Super Super,” and her upcoming EP. Fans and followers eagerly await the release, ready to immerse themselves in Efya’s incredible musical journey.
In the video clip, Efya delves into the details of her song “Super Super” and the inspiration behind it.
She explains that the song aims to motivate people to wake up and strive for personal growth, regardless of the challenges they face.
According to the vocalist, “Super Super” is intended to instill energy and encourage listeners to believe in themselves, even in times of weakness.
“It’s supposed to make you wake up and be better regardless of the things that you face. It’s supposed to give you the energy that you need to know that even though you are weak, yuou are strong and make you feel like you can make your dreams come true because you are who you are,” she said.
In addition to praising Efya’s powerful message, Twitter users were concerned by her mannerisms and expression when she spoke.
A fitness teacher who vandalised Rome’s Colosseum by carving his girlfriend’s name there has apologised to police for his careless act.
The identities of Ivan Dimitrov, 27, also known as Ivan Hawkins, and his girlfriend Hayley Bracey, 33, were discovered after a tourist recorded him writing their names in the 2,000-year-old brickwork and uploaded the video online.
The pair, who are Bristol residents, were on a three-week European holiday when they visited Rome.
Last week, the couple was located by the police in Bulgaria after being recognised in hotel records and CCTV footage.
Major Roberto Martina, of the Carabinieri paramilitary police, told MailOnline: ’Colleagues have spoken with the man and he has expressed his apologies and sincere remorse for what he did.
Ivan Dimitrov wrote his name alongside girlfriend, Hayley Bracey (Picture: Facebook/@Ivan Fitness & Coaching)Ivan was seen grinning when he was caught in the act (Picture: YouTube/@rytz5873)
‘He had contacted us after we secured his mobile telephone from hotel records and left a message for him to call us.
‘We told him that a report would be sent to his address in the UK and then the matter would proceed to a trial, probably early next year and he would be able to apologise in person there to the court.
‘We didn’t ask him why he did it that will be for a judge to hear, we just told him that he was a suspect and was part of the investigation.
They added: ‘He told us he was very upset by what he had done, and he kept apologising for it, I think he was worried about the consequences of any trial and we explained that he could be jailed for between two and five years and be fined up to 15,000 Euros.’
Bulgarian Dimitrov – who runs his own fitness firm and is a part-time delivery driver – was filmed last week by Californian holidaymaker Ryan Lutz, as he carved the words ‘Ivan and Hayley 23’ into the brickwork with a set of keys.
Furious Ryan posted the video online and can be heard telling Dimitrov: ’Are you serious man ? That is f*****up man. Stupid a******.’
In a statement the Carabinieri said: ’Following investigations, subsequent to the complaint presented by the Colosseum Park Authority, the Carabinieri of the Command of Rome Piazza Venezia, coordinated by the Public Prosecutor of Rome, have identified, through traditional investigations and photographic comparison, the person seriously suspected of be responsible for engraving his own name and that of his partner, at the Colosseum, filming the scene, then published on social media.
‘The Carabinieri have ascertained that it is a couple, man and woman, residing in England.
‘It should be noted that the proceeding is in the preliminary investigation phase, therefore the suspect must consider himself innocent until a final sentence is issued.’
Culture Minister Gennaro Sangiuliano said: ’I am grateful to the Arma dei Carabinieri for having promptly identified the alleged perpetrator of the uncivilized and absurd act committed at the Colosseum.
‘An act that has offended all those throughout the world who appreciate the value of archaeology, monuments and history.
‘Now I hope that justice will take its course by rigorously applying the laws. If it comes to a trial, the Ministry of Culture will appear as a civil party.’
Following the discovery of his partner’s strangled body at a hotel in a Spanish vacation destination, an Irish tourist was detained on suspicion of murder.
After responding to a hotel in the Costa Dorada resort of Salou on Sunday night, police stated they had detained the 30-year-old guy. They had discovered her lying motionless in a hallway.
Her alleged killer was found next to her with a wrist wound that was apparently “self-inflicted.” He was transferred to the hospital, where he was kept under police guard today.
According to sources close to the inquiry, the tourist who was detained is Irish, just like the 36-year-old woman he is suspected of killing by strangulation.
The same sources also indicated the pair, thought to be from Dublin although this has not been confirmed by officials, were understood to be partners and were sharing the same hotel room.
He allegedly used a cord to strangle her.
A hotel worker is said to have found the victim in one of the corridors trying to escape her suspected killer, according to a local report.
Staff at the four-star Magnolia Hotel in Salou where the horror incident occurred said they were unable to make any comment.
The alarm was raised around 9.30pm last night.
A spokesman for the regional Mossos d’Esquadra police force said: ‘Officers from the Mossos d’Esquadra’s Criminal Investigation Decision in Tarragona have arrested a man allegedly related to the violent death of a woman in Salou last night.
‘The events occurred around half past nine when the Mossos received a warning from a hotel in Salou saying a woman was seriously injured.
‘When they arrived at the scene, the officers found a woman lying on the floor and a man next to her with a self-inflicted wound.
‘Although emergency medical responders tried to revive the woman, they were finally only able to certify her death.
‘Officers arrested the man as the alleged perpetrator of the death.’
The suspect is under police guard at Joan XXIII Hospital in the city of Tarragona, the capital of the province of the same name.
He is understood to have caused his wrist wound by punching or hitting a pane of glass. Well-placed sources said his injuries were not ‘life-threatening.’
Police have not officially said yet whether they are treating the incident as a ‘domestic violence killing.’
However a spokesman for the Department of Equality and Feminisms of the Catalan regional government called the Generalitat has already condemned the crime and is referring to it as a femicide.
The department said in a tweet: ‘We are keeping tabs on the femicide in Salou.
‘We are working with the town hall and making our services available to the family and close friends of the victim who need maximum privacy at these difficult moments.’
Tania Verge, the Generalitat’s head of Equality and Feminisms, added: ‘Devastated by a new femicide. All our support to the victim’s family.
‘‘Machismo doesn’t have holidays. On the contrary when couples spend more time together the risk of suffering violence increases.’
Court officials later confirmed a court specialising in violence against women would be tasked with the criminal investigation.
They also said a secrecy order had been placed over the case, which does not prevent reporting of the incident and ongoing probe, but limits the amount of information civil servants including police can give out to media.
It is a common procedure in the early stages of a case and has the objective of legally safeguarding the ongoing criminal probe.
A local judicial official said: ‘Tarragona’s Duty Court proceeded last night to order the removal of the body of a woman who suffered a violent death at a hotel in Salou.
‘The case, which is under judicial secrecy, will be investigated by a court specialising in violence against women.
‘The victim and alleged aggressor are not residents in Spain and therefore it is not possible at this time to state whether there had been previous episodes of violence involving the couple.’
Salou Town Hall will hold a minute’s silence for the Irish woman killed last night at the four-star Magnolia Hotel.
It has already put up a banner with a black ribbon on its HQ.
The town hall said in a tweet: ‘Salou Town Hall condemns last night’s gender violence incident.
‘We urge society to participate in an act of rebuke this evening at 7pm in front of the town hall.’
Based on recent study, maternal mortality rates in the US have doubled over the past 20 years, with black moms experiencing the greatest rates of death.
According to a research published in JAMA, American Indian and Alaska Native women experienced the most increases.
The study indicated that among all racial and ethnic groupings, maternal death rates were higher in southern states.
Maternal mortality is defined as passing away during pregnancy or up to a year later.
In 1999, there were an estimated 12.7 deaths per 100,000 live births and in 2019 that figure rose to 32.2 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2019, according to the research, which did not study data from the pandemic years.
Unlike other studies, this one examined disparities within states instead of measuring rates at the national level, and it monitored five racial and ethnic groups.
Dr Allison Bryant, one of the study’s authors, said the findings were a call to action “to understand that some of it is about health care and access to health care, but a lot of it is about structural racism”.
She said some current policies and procedures “may keep people from being healthy”.
Black women had the highest median maternal death rate per 100,000 live births, which had tripled in some north-eastern states over 20 years, the research found.
“Often, states in the south are called out as having the worst maternal mortality rates in the nation, whereas California and Massachusetts have the best. But that doesn’t tell the whole story,” Dr Bryant said.
“It’s essential to look at the disparities between populations that exist even in the ‘best’ states.”
While southern states had the highest maternal mortality rates for any demographic, figures showed they were especially high for black women.
The study found Midwest and Great Plains states had the highest death rates for American Indian and Alaskan Native women.
Missouri Governor Mike Parson recently signed a budget bill that includes $4.4m (£3.47m) for a maternal mortality prevention plan.
Maternal mortality rates for black women have long been an issue across the socioeconomic spectrum.
US Olympic champion sprinter Tori Bowie died in May from childbirth complications at the age of 32, her agent said.
Common causes of death within a year of pregnancy include mental health conditions, excessive bleeding, cardiac conditions, pregnancy-related high blood pressure, infections and blood clots, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The JAMA study had some limitations – the researchers did not always have access to the cause of maternal death information and the way maternal deaths are recorded on death certificates changed in the US during the course of this study.
Dr Bryant said that if they were to study the years after 2019, during Covid-19, there would be a “continued increase in the risk of maternal mortality across all populations”.
On the eve of Independence Day, US airports are experiencing travel havoc due to the extreme weather warnings that are affecting more than 100 million Americans.
On Monday, more than 3,000 domestic, international, and charter flights were either cancelled or delayed, according to FlightAware.
The number of travellers through US airports on Sunday was at an all-time high, according to TSA data.
While the south and west continue to broil in a heatwave, storms are threatening a large portion of the eastern US.
United Airlines remained the carrier worst affected by the delays on Monday, accounting for over 300 postponed flights, according to data from the FlightAware website.
The carrier experienced more than 5,000 delays and cancellations over the past week, far outpacing those of any other US airline.
In a letter to employees on Saturday, chief executive Scott Kirby said thunderstorms at United’s largest hub, in Newark, New Jersey, had created an “extended limited operating environment”.
The situation was “one of the most operationally challenging weeks I’ve experienced in my entire career,” Mr Kirby said.
The airline said it was compensating customers worst hit by the chaos with 30,000 frequent flier miles – estimated to be worth $360 (£283) by Time Magazine.
It came after Mr Kirby was forced to apologise on Friday after he chartered a private jet from New York state to Colorado amid the disruption.
Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg said on Sunday the reason US travel has been “so chaotic” is because of severe weather, which he said had “put enormous pressure on the system”.
He told CBS the Federal Aviation Administration would hire 1,500 new air traffic controllers this year and another 1,800 next year.
Heading into the Fourth of July long weekend, industry officials had been concerned that a new 5G rollout around airports might interfere with aircraft technology.
But a Department of Transportation spokesperson told CBS News there were no major flight disruptions related to the matter.
Thunderstorms – some with large hail – were forecast on Monday across the east from Mississippi to Massachusetts, as well as in states further north such as Montana and Minnesota.
The heatwave across the US south will remain in effect, with record-breaking numbers expected to shift up the west coast into California and Oregon.
More than 150,000 residents in the US Midwest were still without power after storms over the weekend, including over 40,000 people in Missouri.
A man has been detained by South Carolina police in connection with the discovery of six bodies following a house fire.
The names of two of the deceased have been confirmed by Colleton County officials, and 33-year-old Ryan Lenard Manigo is being jailed without bond.
Further charges are pending the results of the post-mortem, but the suspect has already been charged with two counts of murder and one act of attempted murder.
A 13-year-old victim who was discovered alive is receiving medical care.
The only survivor of Sunday’s incident was airlifted to a hospital west of Charleston, around 40 miles (65km) away, in critical condition.
Before being taken to hospital, the surviving victim was able to provide a name and description of the suspect, who was arrested nearby, according to police.
Police were called to the Green Pond community around 11:00 local time after a neighbour reported seeing a house on fire.
In addition to murder and arson charges, Mr Manigo is also faces charges of attempted murder.
No motive has been released for the attack.
“The evidence collected has been sent to the State Law Enforcement Division for analysis,” Sheriff Buddy Hill told a news conference on Monday.
“At this time, we do not have a motive. This is a very active investigation and, as details emerge, we will forward them to the family and the media.”
The suspect was the brother-in-law of 50-year-old Michelle Marie Wright and the father of 11-year-old Shariah Manigo, police said on Monday, identifying two of the victims.
The other four victims will be identified after post-mortem examinations are complete, the sheriff said.
David Magwood told NBC News that several of the victims are family members. He said his 101-year-old mother was among those killed.
Family members of the victims were allowed to address the suspect at Monday’s preliminary hearing. A plea has yet to be entered and the investigation continues.
However, despite their desire for a “stronger voice” for Orcadians, they do not support Orkney’s full independence.
In the referendum held last year, Orkney firmly supported the UK’s continued membership in the EU.
With 67% of voters choosing to keep Scotland a part of the UK, it also had the largest No vote of any council area in the 2014 independence referendum.
But the reality of being taken out of the EU and the possibility of another independence referendum has rung alarm bells with some members of Orkney Islands Council, who feel that the views of Orcadians are in danger of being ignored.
Council officials prepared a 19-page report considering “whether the people of Orkney could exercise self-determination if faced with further national or international constitutional changes” and whether “more autonomy might be beneficial for the wellbeing of Orkney”.
‘Long-held belief’
It had been requested by Councillor Graham Sinclair, who clarified during a council meeting on Tuesday that he was “not in favour at all of separatist independence” but instead wanted to explore “greater autonomy and self-determination for Orkney”.
And he stressed that calls for more autonomy should not be taken as a sign of support or criticism for any party political stance or constitutional arrangement.
Mr Sinclair added: “The report reinforces what has been a very long-held belief for me – Orkney is so distinctively different, both historically and culturally, that Orcadians deserve and are entitled to have a strong and clear voice of their own.
“They should at least be heard, and that is all Orcadians from those who have recently chosen to make Orkney their home to those that can trace their family roots back for a millennium.”
Image caption, Orcadians are proud of their distinctive culture and history
Mr Sinclair’s views were echoed by the vast majority of councillors, who said there was “general agreement” that the islands should have greater autonomy – with the only question being what form it should take.
And they said it was important that Orkney was in a position to respond quickly to any further constitutional change.
Councillor Bill Stout argued that Orkney needed greater control over its own affairs “for the very pragmatic reason that we so often get one-size fits all instructions coming from Edinburgh when really we want to have the ability to tailor those instructions to the environment in Orkney”.
But he said no decisions could be taken until the question of Brexit became clearer, and that the process of securing greater autonomy would be complex and require the cooperation of both the UK and Scottish governments.
‘Unique contribution’
In the report, council officials explore the different methods that could be used to win greater powers.
And it sets out the constitutional arrangements of similar islands groups, including Jersey and Guernsey – which are both British Crown Dependencies but have never legally been part of the UK – and the Faroe Islands, which are a self-governing territory of Denmark.
Members voted for the council’s chief executive to prepare a further report identifying what action could be taken in the event of “further national or international constitutional changes” that would allow the people of Orkney to exercise self-determination.
Orkney is already involved in the Our Islands, Our Future campaign, which is seeking additional powers and resources alongside the local authorities in Shetland and the Western Isles.
The Scottish government made the Lerwick Declaration in July 2013, which indicated its intention to decentralise power to the three island council areas of Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles.
And the UK government has insisted that it “recognises the unique contribution that the Scottish islands make to the United Kingdom and is firmly of the belief that their potential can be fully realised as part of a prosperous, thriving UK economy and society”.
There is currently no organisation in Orkney calling for independence for the islands – unlike in Shetland, where the Wir Shetland group is dedicated to winning self-governing powers for the islands.
Council members will discuss proposals for the Orkney Islands to change its status in the UK or perhaps turn into a self-governing state of Norway.
The local authority will consider a motion on Tuesday to look into “alternative forms of governance”.
Orkney doesn’t receive equitable financing, according to council head James Stockan, given its present relationship with the UK.
However, a notion that the islands would sever its relations with the union was rebuffed by the prime minister’s office.
Mr Stockton has urged councillors to back his idea to find new ways to get greater financial security and economic opportunities for Orcadians.
Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme on Monday, he said: “The mark of a good government is how it actually supports the periphery and the most disadvantaged.
“Our communities on the tiniest of our islands are the most difficult to serve and the way governments treat them is absolutely paramount to how well governments are doing.
“We do look with envy at the communities in Norway where they have a completely different approach to the remote and rural.”
Image caption, Council leader James Stockan says Orkney does not get fair funding within the UK
Orkney Islands Council previously voted in 2017 to look at whether the islands could have greater autonomy.
While they wanted to have a “stronger voice”, they did not back full independence for Orkney.
The council leader said among the issues being faced by islanders is an ageing ferry fleet.
He added the situation was “critical” because the ferries, which are older than the Western Isles fleet, were beginning to fail.
But despite Mr Stockan’s concerns, Downing Street dismissed the idea of Orkney breaking away from the UK.
‘The UK is stronger united’
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s official spokesperson said: “First and foremost there is no mechanism for the conferral of Crown Dependency or Overseas Territory status on any part of the UK.
“We have no plans to change the devolution settlement we are supporting Orkney with £50m to grow the economic prosperity of the Scottish islands, through the islands deal.
“But the Government’s position is that the UK is stronger united.”
Orkney was previously held under Norwegian and Danish control until it became part of Scotland in 1472.
The islands were used as security for the wedding dowry of Margaret of Denmark, the future wife of King James III of Scotland.
The Scottish government said in 2023-24 Orkney Islands Council would receive £89.7m to fund services, with an extra £4.6m from an increase in council tax by 10%.
A spokesperson added it was “committed to supporting island communities”.
The Norwegian government declined to comment on the proposals.
Trade over the Irish border has reportedly grown more economically significant since Brexit, according to a new research of foreign trade in Ireland and Northern Ireland.
ESRI, or the Economic and Social Research Institute, conducted the analysis.
The trade arrangements of the two economies can be compared more consistently thanks to changes in the way that trade data has been recorded since Brexit.
Because NI to GB trade is not recorded in the same way as an internal UK sale, this study has this restriction.
Some earlier studies found that there was less cross-border trade between Ireland and Northern Ireland than economic models suggested there should have been.
However, the study by the ESRI, which is based in Dublin, indicated that position has been reversed since Brexit.
Goods trade is typically driven by the size of markets and the physical distance between them.
The ESRI study found higher levels of trade integration between Ireland and Northern Ireland “than can be accounted for by these fundamental economic characteristics”.
“This is in contrast to previous research findings on this topic, which showed cross-border trade below levels predicted by similar models, with the different effect likely arising from the sharp increase in cross-border trade since Brexit,” it added.
The study also found a much greater diversity of goods is traded across the border compared to the highly concentrated nature of broader international trade in both economies.
Ireland has a particular concentration of trade in pharmaceuticals.
The chemicals and pharmaceutical sector accounts for 20% of all Irish imports and over 55% of exports.
The Wall Street Journal writer is in good condition and is still robust, according to Ambassador Lynne Tracy.
He was taken into custody on March 29 on espionage charges, making him the first foreign journalist taken into custody in Russia since the Soviet era.
The charges are refuted by the US, the Wall Street Journal, and Mr. Gershkovich.
Russia had been brushing aside US requests for more visits since the ambassador’s initial meeting with the reporter in April.
“Ambassador Tracy reports that Mr Gershkovich is in good health and remains strong, despite his circumstances,” a State Department spokesperson said after Monday’s visit.
The 31-year-old is being held at Moscow’s Lefortovo prison, a former KGB prison.
The visit comes after a Moscow court rejected an appeal to free Mr Gershkovich on 22 June, a move the US said at the time was extremely disappointing.
Up until Monday’s meeting, Secretary of State Antony Blinken was pushing Russia “virtually every day” to permit consular access.
This had been a point of contention with the two countries, with the US accusing Russia of ignoring international law by blocking detained Americans diplomatic access.
Russia had indicated their decision was linked to the US refusing visas to a group of Russian reporters assigned to cover Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov’s visit to the UN Security Council in New York.
The Russian foreign ministry described the decision to deny the visas as an act of “sabotage”.
Mr Lavrov said Russia would neither forgive nor forget the decision.
Along with Mr Gershkovich, the US has also been advocating for the release of Paul Whelan, a former US Marine who has been in jail for more than four years.
Mr Whelan is in Mordovia, an area far southeast of Moscow known for harsh conditions in its prison camps.
“Both men deserve to go home to their families now,” the State Department said in a statement.
After being jailed for 10 months, basketball star Brittney Griner was released in December after the US brokered a prison swap and released Russian Viktor Bout, who was imprisoned in the US over weapons smuggling.
Mr Blinken has said the US is exploring ways to bring home “many other Americans who are being detained in different parts of the world in an arbitrary fashion”.
The English batter departed his position in the second test, seemingly believing the over had gone, and Australia went on to win the game.
However, Mr. Albanese asserted that the nation is “right behind” their squad.
The prime minister tweeted, “Same old Aussies – always winning!” in reference to the Australian team’s two recent Test victories. He also seemed to be mocking English supporters who screamed “same old Aussies always cheating” after Bairstow was sent off the field.
Some of Australia’s best-known politicians were also at Lord’s Cricket Ground in London that match, including the nation’s second longest-serving Prime Minister John Howard.
Australian team captain Pat Cummins has maintained the Bairstow wicket was fair and within the rules.
But while his England counterpart Ben Stokes agreed Bairstow was out, Stokes said he would not have wanted to win a match “in that manner”.
The debate over the Bairstow wicket has ramped up the consistently fierce rivalry between Australia and England during an Ashes Test series.
England fans were criticised for their behaviour at the member’s club at Lord’s on Saturday when a crowd heckled and yelled abuse at the Australian team players as they filed past after the match.
Following complaints from the Australian side, the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) – which owns Lord’s – issued an apology and said it had suspended three members over the incident.
On Tuesday, further footage emerged of Australian batsman Usman Khawaja, a Muslim player of Pakistani heritage, being taunted and jeered at by English members in the crowd.
The Sydney Morning Herald newspaper reported Khawaja had been “repeatedly singled out for abuse” in the room, and published a video showing Khawaja reacting to the crowd and pointing out hecklers to a security guard.
He described the comments as “disrespectful” and “really disappointing”.
Australian captain Cummins also said members were “quite aggressive and abusive towards some of our players”.
The Sydney paper reported that sources close to the England Cricket Board have denied any of the MCC investigations into the confrontation relate to racial abuse.
Speaking after the second test, Australian captain Cummins also accused the English team of hypocrisy in game tactics – as match footage showed Bairstow trying to stump Australian batters in the same manner two days prior to the final day incident.
Australia has taken a two-nil lead in the Ashes against England, after winning the second test by 43 runs. There are three more tests to go.
Per the Russian defence ministry, Ukraine has launched a drone strike on Moscow, which has resulted in the temporary closure of one of the nation’s busiest airports.
In the attack on Tuesday, which also hit locations in the larger area surrounding the capital, five drones apparently were employed.
According to the defence ministry, no one was hurt or property was damaged while all the drones were shot down.
The alleged attack has not been attributed to Ukraine.
Some flights had to be diverted from Vnukovo Airport in response, although restrictions have now been lifted.
According to the defence ministry, four of the drones flying in the Moscow region were shot down by air defence systems. A fifth was intercepted electronically.
Almost $146 million (£115 million) has been ordered to be paid by two precious metals companies by a US court after more than 500,000 American Silver Eagle coins went missing.
A “fraudulent and deceptive scheme” is allegedly being undertaken by the businesses and their owner Robert Higgins.
Allegedly, they had pledged to save the coins for clients.
However, the coins were nowhere to be seen when investigators went into the vaults that were supposed to contain them.
Argent Asset Group, a precious metals trader, and First State Depository Company, both owned by Mr. Higgins, were ordered to make restitutions totaling $112.7 million and pay a $33 million penalty as part of the court settlement.
US financial watchdog the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) said Mr Higgins’ companies ran “fraudulent silver leasing programmes” from 2014 to 2022.
These were known as the Maximus Program and the Silver Lease Program.
Through the schemes, the companies “solicited and misappropriated at least $7 million in funds and silver from at least 200 customers,” the regulator said.
The firms also made “false and misleading excuses for why assets could not be withdrawn”, according to the CFTC.
The regulator said that over 500,000 American Silver Eagle coins and more than 9,000 gold coins were missing from customers’ accounts.
In their place, investigators said that they found “‘IOU’ slips in empty boxes marked to indicate a customer’s account, yet containing no assets.”
“This kind of egregious behaviour merits the full weight of the Commission’s enforcement authority,” the CFTC added.
Mr Higgins did not immediately respond to a request from the BBC for comment.
The weight and purity of American Silver Eagle coins are guaranteed by the US government.
Each coin contains at least one troy ounce (31.1g) of 99.9% pure silver, according to the United States Mint.
Since the riots in France started a week ago, according to Zartoshte Bakhtiari, he hasn’t gotten more than three hours of sleep each night.
He works as the mayor of Neuilly-sur-Marne, which is located east of Paris in one of the poorest regions of France.
By night, he serves as an early warning system for police battling the riots there by patrolling the streets with a dozen staff members and municipal council members until 4:00 or 5:00.
He tells me, “Within days, we [were] in hell.”
On Tuesday, he’ll head to the Élysée Palace with more than 200 other mayors to discuss the crisis with French President Emmanuel Macron.
His request is for “more toughness” from the state, and permission for the local city police to use drones to monitor activity in the town.
“What’s happening now is the result of years of weakness from politicians, and decisions that have not been taken,” he says.
“It’s a problem of authority because these [rioters] don’t fear justice. [They] may go to court, but they come back home a few hours after trial simply because we don’t have enough places in jail in this district of Paris. We cannot support this kind of weakness from the state.”
Just outside his office in the town hall is the charred wall of the local city police station.
“They jumped over this wall at 1am with a jerrycan of petrol,” Mayor Bakhtiari explains, gesturing to the fleet of seven charred squad cars, their ashen skeletons lined up beneath the blackened façade.
But the building was shared with the public housing department, tasked with finding homes for 2,300 local people.
Inside, the office is a carbonised shell of melted plastic and ash. Not all the paper files were digitised. The details of many of those most desperate for housing here have been wiped from the records by the fire.
Image caption, Laurence Tendron Brunet says the records of many local people in desperate need for housing have been destroyed by fire
The head of the housing department, Laurence Tendron Brunet, stands among the burnt ruins in tears.
“I’m so sad,” she says. “We’re going to rebuild, we’re going to start again. But right now there are people who are so desperate for housing. I know about half of them – when they call, I recognise their voices. They’re not files, they’re human beings.”
Mayor Bakhtiari says the arsonists were caught on a video surveillance camera, and from the footage they appear to be teenagers, perhaps 14-16 years old.
“I find it hard to understand that it’s children who are destroying things,” Laurence says, “because at that age, your parents should be responsible for you.”
Round the back of the building, overlooking the car park with its fleet of charred police vehicles, we find a neighbour who filmed the fire on his mobile phone, and agreed to speak to us anonymously.
“Typical,” he says, when he hears about the suspected age of the arsonists. “Organised thugs launch kids of 11 or 13 into the event, telling them: ‘you’ll never go to prison, so go ahead.’ That’s the norm here; they send the young kids [to] the front line. It’s a gang tactic.”
Image caption, The riots across France were sparked by the fatal shooting by a police officer of 17-year-old Nahel M on 27 June
The worst-hit part of Neuilly-sur-Marne is an area called Les Fauvettes. The public library, shops and a supermarket have all been torched here. Les Fauvettes is also home to many of the rioters themselves.
Aicha, a 23-year-old teaching assistant, lives there too. She says she understands the initial anger that sparked the violence – even if she thinks it has since turned into looting and destruction.
“They’re fed up,” she says. “It always falls on the same people. If you’re black or Arab, a gun is pulled and shots fired without thinking. When it’s a white person, they think twice before shooting or even giving a fine.”
But back in his office at the town hall, Mayor Bakhtiari rejects accusations that there’s a problem with the French police.
“Absolutely not, I cannot hear that kind of argument,” he insists. “Maybe we have people in the police who are racist, but we cannot say the police [itself] is racist. The police behave very well here in France.”
But the actions of individual officers, like the one now facing a charge of voluntary homicide for shooting 17-year-old Nahel M. last week, are only half the story.
The other half is about the divisions these events expose within France.
A public collection for the family of that officer topped a million euros on Monday – dwarfing the amount collected for the family of Nahel.
Russia may be preparing to launch a major spring offensive, and it could come even before the winter snows start to melt.
The time to give Ukraine what it needs to defend itself and expel the Russian invaders is now. But despite a remarkably unified commitment, some of Ukraine’s supporters in the West are throwing wrenches in the pipeline.
Ukraine believes the Kremlin could make another push to take the capital, Kyiv, and anticipates that Russian President Vladimir Putin will call up some 500,000 more troops in addition to the 300,000 mobilized late last year.
Moscow denies it’s planning a second mobilization, but the independent Russian news outlet Volya, citing sources in Russia’s military, reported that Moscow plans to recruit another 700,000 troops. In addition, Ukraine also faces more than 50,000 private-army mercenaries, most of them Russian prisoners released in exchange for fighting.
On Friday, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin declared, “This is a decisive moment for Ukraine, in a decisive decade for the world,” following a crucial meeting of Ukraine’s top Western allies at Ramstein Air Base in Germany.
Ukraine is fighting against a Russia that has been a pernicious, destabilizing force on the global stage. The West is trying to calibrate its support, but the result of the Ramstein meeting was disappointing for Kyiv and for those who believe Russia must be defeated.
Austin reiterated that the United States will continue to support Ukraine “for as long as it takes,” urging Kyiv’s friends to “dig even deeper.” Despite the exhortations, however, the defense chiefs failed in one of the principal goals of the meeting, deciding to send battle tanks, which Ukraine says it needs without delay.
The decision on tanks was blocked by Germany, reluctant to send its Leopard 2 tanks or to grant permission to other countries that own them to release them. Berlin fears that Moscow will view the presence of German tanks as a provocation and wants the US to send its tanks to give it cover.
Washington is sending armored fighting vehicles and other heavy weapons but maintains that its Abrams tanks are unsuited for this war because learning to operate them takes too long and they are difficult to maintain. They insist the German tanks are a better fit.
Blocking the transfer of needed weapons to Ukraine is, shall we say, not Germany at its best.
Ukraine’s Eastern European backers, invaded by Russia during the Cold War and earlier, were fuming. Poland’s foreign minister lambasted Germany, reminding Berlin that this is not just an exercise, “Ukrainian blood is shed for real.” The three Baltic states — Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania — demanded that Germany act “now.”
A frustrated Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said, “There is no rational reason why Ukraine has not yet been supplied with Western tanks.”
As it battles Russian soldiers and mercenaries, Ukraine has another worry. One Ukrainian source told CNN that Kyiv is concerned about the shift in the political balance in Washington now that Republicans — some of whom are less than wholeheartedly supportive of Ukraine — have taken control of the US House of Representatives. Ukrainians require the continuing forceful backing they have received from Washington.
Watching from afar, it’s easy to get the impression that Putin may soon end his hapless Ukraine war. After all, this conflict has been an utter disaster for Russia, even if it continues to kill scores of civilians by bombing apartment blocks, and despite an occasional symbolic advance.
Putin has no intention of stopping. He has silenced his liberal critics at home, but he is under pressure from far-right nationalists, including some who own mercenary armies and are showing off their prowess while mocking the Russian army that answers to him, as has Yevgeny Prigozhin, who runs the notorious Wagner Group.
Besides, Putin, who views himself as a clever student of history, may be looking at some of Russia’s greatest victories, which it wrested out of the jaws of defeat.
Russia managed to repel invasions by Napoleon and the Nazis, but the current Russian President may have gleaned the wrong lesson from his predecessors’ prowess. Napoleon and Hitler were the invaders. The Russian empire, and later the Soviet Union, was defending itself.
This time, Russia is the aggressor. Ukraine has the home-field advantage, including the inexhaustible determination to defeat the hated invader.
In fact, history teaches us something else: In 2008, Putin invaded neighboring Georgia and got away with capturing some of its territory. In 2014, he invaded Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula and got away with that. Then, last year, he decided to take all of Ukraine.
The lesson is that when the Kremlin’s expansionist military adventures succeed, they are followed by more aggression, more wars, more illegal confiscation of its neighbors’ territory. Moscow’s victories seem to produce more wars of Russian aggression.
Defeating this assault is the best way to secure future peace, to reaffirm the notion that a rapacious country cannot simply swallow a peaceful neighbor — a notion we thought had ended after World War II.
Understandably, Germany emerged from that war with a pacifist bent. But the lesson of World War II is about the danger of allowing aggressive despots to make gains.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz may hesitate to send tanks to fight Russia, as Germanydid in the 1940s, but he too may be distilling the wrong lessons from history. German tanks invaded a sovereign country back then. This time, they would be defending one.
Some, in fact, argue that the World War II experience bestows Germany with a unique moral responsibility to provide Kyiv what it needs. (When the Nazis invaded the Soviet Union, by the way, they invaded Ukraine, one of its republics.)
After the defense ministers at Ramstein announced they had not decided to send tanks, Zelensky, clearly disappointed, reaffirmed that Ukraine urgently needs tanks but added an intriguing comment about what had transpired. “Not everything,” he said, “can be announced in public.”
Sooner or later, I have little doubt, the tanks will come. Already German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius has ordered an inventory of the Leopards and suggested that other countries that own them start making preparations in case Germany authorizes the transfer.
Later is better than never, but there’s no reason, no excuse to delay, because Russia is about to make the war in Ukraine even deadlier. The window for preventing a much longer war may soon close.
In the early universe, when it was only around 1 billion years old, things moved much more slowly than they do now, according to research.
The discovery is consistent with Albert Einstein’s general theory of relativity, which postulates that the past cosmos moved far more slowly.
Studying the universe’s earliest moments is like going back in time because of how enormous it is. Scientists can only observe the deepest regions of the universe because faint light from the oldest galaxies is still traversing the universe to reach Earth.
But looking back into the ancient universe, formed by the big bang about 13.8 billion years ago, is an incredibly difficult task. The reach of sophisticated telescopes, which observe in different wavelengths of light, can only extend so far across the cosmos.
So, scientists turned to a phenomenon that can serve as a kind of celestial timetable: a quasar.
A quasar, or hyperactive supermassive black hole at the center of an early galaxy, is so luminous that it outshines our Milky Way galaxy by 100 times. This brightness acts as a cosmic clock that researchers can use to track time across the universe.
Observing quasars over time allowed a team of astronomers to see how the universe seemed to speed up as it aged. The results of the study published Monday in the journal Nature Astronomy.
“Looking back to a time when the universe was just over a billion years old, we see time appearing to flow five times slower,” said lead study author Geraint Lewis, professor of astrophysics at the University of Sydney’s School of Physics and Sydney Institute for Astronomy, in a statement.
“If you were there, in this infant universe, one second would seem like one second — but from our position, more than 12 billion years into the future, that early time appears to drag.”
Research shows that the universe is expanding, and at an accelerated rate, too, which scientists are still trying to understand.
Unlocking what happened during the early days of the universe can help scientists tackle the biggest mysteries about its origin, how it evolved and what the future holds.
“Thanks to Einstein, we know that time and space are intertwined and, since the dawn of time in the singularity of the Big Bang, the universe has been expanding,” Lewis said.
“This expansion of space means that our observations of the early universe should appear to be much slower than time flows today. In this paper, we have established that back to about a billion years after the Big Bang.”
Study coauthor Dr. Brendon Brewer, a senior lecturer in statistics and an astro-statistician at the University of Auckland, conducted an analysis of 190 quasars that were observed over two decades. The observations, captured at different wavelengths of light, seemed to “tick” like clocks.
Astronomers have also looked to supernovas, or the explosions of massive stars, as another type of cosmic clock that allowed them to track the slow-motion movement of the universe to about half of its current age.
While very bright, supernovas become much harder to observe at greater distances from Earth, which means that astronomers needed another source that would be visible deeper in the early universe.
“Where supernovae act like a single flash of light, making them easier to study, quasars are more complex, like an ongoing firework display,” Lewis said. “What we have done is unravel this firework display, showing that quasars, too, can be used as standard markers of time for the early universe.”
This week, Vladimir Putin will be the centre of attention as he is set to make his first public appearance since the Wagner rebellion put his iron grasp on power in jeopardy.
The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), a broadly pro-Russian regional security organisation managed by Beijing and Moscow, will hold a virtual summit on Tuesday, and Putin is slated to participate.
While the assembled leaders have so far given Putin a favourable audience, Putin’s appearance – if remotely – could provide some insight into the level of their support following last weekend’s turmoil.
In the brief, chaotic insurrection, Wagner – a private mercenary group led by warlord Yevgeny Prigozhin – took control of key military facilities in two Russian cities. As thousands of fighters marched toward Moscow, where the Kremlin deployed heavily armed troops to the streets, it seemed as if civil war was on the verge of breaking out.
A secretive deal abruptly ended the rebellion, with Wagner fighters pulling back and Prigozhin sent to Belarus. But one week later, much remains unclear about the inner workings of the deal, the fate of Wagner, and what this means for Putin’s regime.
These questions will likely be on the minds of other leaders attending Tuesday’s virtual summit, including China’s Xi Jinping, and India’s Narendra Modi – whose country is hosting this year’s gathering – as well as representatives from Asian states including Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan – many of whom, like Putin, are strongmen rulers.
Experts believe Putin will use the forum to project an image of power, and reassure Moscow’s partners – and by extension the world – that he remains firmly in control.
“It’s virtual, so they’re not going to be there in person, otherwise they would be standing alongside each other, fellow strongmen showing strength,” said Derek Grossman, a senior defense analyst at the RAND Corporation, a US-based think tank.
According to Grossman, many of the leaders assembled at the summit look to Russia and China almost as models for how they want to run their societies as authoritarian regimes.
“If Putin is kind of shaken by this (insurrection) visibly, then that would tell them something – that even even the strongest of strongmen is not necessarily immune to potential insurgencies within their countries,” Grossman said.
Founded in 2001 by China, Russia and several former Soviet states in Central Asia to combat terrorism and promote border security, the SCO has grown in size and reach in recent years, amid efforts by Xi and Putin to counter Western influence.
Iran is expected to become a full member this year, after signing a memorandum of obligations at last year’s summit; Belarus, a close Russian partner that helped launch the initial invasion of Ukraine, is also invited as an observer state, and could soon seek full membership, experts say.
Xi and Putin, long the world’s two most powerful autocrats, have established close ties in recent years, declaring a friendship with “no limits” in February 2022, shortly before Putin launched his invasion of Ukraine.
China has since refused to condemn the war and instead provided much-needed diplomatic and economic support for Russia, while blaming NATO for provoking the conflict and amplifying Kremlin misinformation.
But Putin’s faltering war has placed pressure on the China-Russia partnership.
“(Xi) doesn’t want to completely spoil China’s relationships in Europe over this, he doesn’t want China to become a bigger target of NATO than it already was before the war,” said Grossman, though he noted the larger benefits of the Russia-China relationship outweigh whatever doubts Xi may have about the faltering war and its impact on China’s global image.
On Tuesday, Xi will deliver a keynote speech to the summit via video link, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry. For Putin, a clear demonstration of support from Xi would be of significant value.
Yasuhiro Matsuda, a professor at the Institute for Advanced Studies on Asia at the University of Tokyo, suggested that Beijing was in a difficult position because “Russia is losing, and it’s not something that China can control.”
After Putin invaded, the ideal outcome for China was a quick victory for Russia, in which Zelensky’s administration collapsed and Europe and the US were powerless to act, said Matsuda.
“That was the best scenario for China – and its gone already,” Matsuda said.
On Tuesday, “Xi Jinping also has to show his authority and power to the domestic audience. So he will behave as he behaved before,” he added.
Western powers and observers in democratic countries have widely cast the failed insurrection in Russia as a moment of weakness for Putin. But it may be viewed very differently by fellow authoritarian leaders attending the summit, who have previously faced their own power struggles, experts noted.
SCO member Kazakhstan saw deadly protests in 2022, fueled by widespread discontent with the government. The ensuing violence saw more than 160 people killed and thousands detained, with authorities requesting troops from Russia to help contain the unrest.
By contrast, Putin managed to end the Wagner insurrection before it reached the capital, without bloodshed. He sent his challenger, Prigozhin, into exile and may even gain control over any Wagner fighters who agree to sign contracts with the Russian military.
“In the eyes of the Chinese and other members of (the SCO), this is an amazing achievement, because not many statesmen can do that,” said Alexander Korolev, a senior lecturer in politics and international relations at the University of New South Wales in Australia.
That’s not to say the other members won’t have questions about what happened, Korolev said.
“(But) I think they understand that (the insurrection) is not the end of Putin’s regime,” he said. “In authoritarian regimes, leaders do get challenged from time to time, and he has demonstrated to the world and to his elites that he can handle enormous challenges.”
In a sea of authoritarian leaders, India’s Modi remains something of an odd man out.
Democratically elected Modi, who attends this year’s SCO summit fresh from his meeting with US President Joe Biden during a state visit to Washington, has become a key figure in Western efforts to counter China’s growing influence in the Indo-Pacific.
“India stands apart from the rest in the SCO, but I don’t think they feel uncomfortable in the least because their foreign policy is really all about being friends to all, enemies to none. I don’t see them speaking up or anything like that,” said RAND’s Grossman.
This year’s summit, though virtual, is being hosted by India. The grouping’s defense and foreign ministers attended in-person meetings in the Indian state of Goa earlier this year.
India has strong ties with Russia, which remains India’s biggest arms supplier. New Delhi has not taken a definitive side on the Ukraine war, and its continued purchase of Russian oil has helped prop up Moscow’s economy – to the dismay of some Western partners.
Modi made headlines at last year’s in-person SCO summit in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, when he told Putin that now is not the time for war, appearing to directly rebuff the invasion. But India’s continued economic support of Russia has undermined that message of peace – and last year’s statement may be as far as Modi is willing to go, Grossman said.
Amid escalating tensions between Beijing and the two close-by American allies, China’s top diplomat has encouraged Japan and South Korea to create a feeling of “strategic autonomy” from the West and work with Beijing to “revitalise Asia.”
Wang Yi made his remarks on Monday as Japan and South Korea forged deeper connections with the United States and repaired their relationships as a result of shared worries about Beijing’s expanding influence and aggression in the region.
In a video posted by Chinese official media, Wang claimed that most Americans and Europeans are unable to distinguish between China, Japan, and South Korea while they are in attendance at a trilateral summit in the eastern seaside city of Qingdao.
“No matter how blonde you dye your hair, how sharp you shape your nose, you can never become a European or American, you can never become a Westerner,” Wang said. “We must know where our roots lie.”
Wang called for Japan and South Korean to work together with China to “prosper together, revitalize East Asia, revitalize Asia and benefit the world.”
Wang was speaking on the sidelines of the International Forum for Trilateral Cooperation, an annual event organized by Beijing, Tokyo and Seoul since 2011.
On Monday, Wang also addressed the forum’s opening ceremony in an effort to “send a clear signal” of the potential for thethree neighbor’s regrouping, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
In his opening remarks, Wang called for Japan and South Korea to “promote inclusive Asian values, foster a sense of strategic autonomy, maintain regional unity and stability, resist the return of the Cold War mentality and be free of the coercion of bullying and hegemony,” the statement said.
“The fate of the region is firmly in our own hands,” Wang was quoted as saying.
Xi Jinping, China’s most powerful leader in decades, has pushed to expand Beijing’s role on the world stage with an increasingly assertive foreign policy that has fueled tensions with many of its neighbors and the West.
In recent years, the Biden administration has stepped up efforts to unite allies and like-minded partners to counter China’s rising influence in the Pacific, including with South Korea and Japan, two of its most important allies in Asia.
Their trilateral ties are furthered strengthened by security concerns about North Korea. The three countries have conducted joint military drills this year to boost their coordination against increasing North Korean missile threats.
They’ve also issued joint statements on tensions in the Taiwan Strait – an area both Tokyo and Seoul say is vital to their respective security – which drew the ire of Beijing.
In a thinly veiled swipe at the US, Wang on Monday accused “certain major powers outside the region” of “exaggerating ideological differences” to saw confrontation and division, in order to seek geopolitical gains, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry.
“If this trend is allowed to develop, it will not only seriously interfere with the smooth progress of trilateral cooperation, but also aggravate tension and confrontation in the region,” Wang added.
South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin and Japanese Foreign Minister Hayashi Yoshimasa addressed the event via video link, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry.
After 63 days of stillness, an inventive helicopter calls home from Mars. The Mars Ingenuity chopper has resumed talking after 63 days of quiet.
On April 26, the small chopper launched on its 52nd voyage to Mars, but it lost contact with mission controllers before landing, resulting in a communication blackout that lasted for months.
On June 28, however, Ingenuity called home once more, allaying any worries about the first aircraft’s safety and whereabouts. To humans on Earth, that is still a very long time to wait for word that Ingenuity arrived successfully.
The flight was intended to reposition the helicopter and capture images of the Martian surface.
The mission team anticipated that radio silence might occur.
And when Ingenuity took off for flight 52, a hill presented an obstacle blocking the helicopter and rover from communicating with each other.
“The portion of Jezero Crater the rover and helicopter are currently exploring has a lot of rugged terrain, which makes communications dropouts more likely,” said Josh Anderson, the Ingenuity team lead at JPL, in a statement.
While the two robots make for a dynamic duo that can investigate Mars from the surface and its atmosphere in search of signs of ancient life, it’s difficult for them to stick close together.
Ingenuity began as a technology demonstration to test if a small rotorcraft could fly on Mars. After surpassing all expectations across five successful flights in the spring of 2021, Ingenuity transitioned to become an aerial scout, flying ahead of the Perseverance rover and plotting out safe and scientifically interesting pathways for the rover’s exploration.
Sometimes, Ingenuity is off exploring and taking images of sites that the rover may not reach for weeks.
Once Perseverance crested the obstructive hill, the helicopter and rover had a chance to communicate and relay Ingenuity’s messages back to Earth — including the data captured during its 139-second-long flight spanning 1,191 feet (363 meters) on April 26.
“The team’s goal is to keep Ingenuity ahead of Perseverance, which occasionally involves temporarily pushing beyond communication limits,” Anderson said. “We’re excited to be back in communications range with Ingenuity and receive confirmation of Flight 52.”
What’s next for Ingenuity and Perseverance
It’s not the first time the mission team has experienced communication drops with Ingenuity that last an “agonizingly long time,” like the gaps that occurred before the helicopter’s historic 50th flight in April, according to Travis Brown, chief engineer for Ingenuity at JPL.
The chopper is also still contending with a buildup of dust on its solar panel that occurred during the Martian winter, causing the helicopter to experience a “transitional power state” that may endure even as Martian summer arrives.
“This means that, much to the chagrin of her team, we are not yet done playing this high-stakes game of hide and seek with the playful little helicopter,” Brown wrote in a NASA blog.
But Ingenuity has overcome landing on Mars, survived frigid nights, flying on Mars for the first time and numerous record-breaking flights since, and its journey to explore Mars like never before continues.
Hoping that the rest of Ingenuity’s system will appear to be in good shape, flight engineers are already planning another aerial excursion for the chopper in another couple weeks. Ingenuity’s next few flights will bring it closer to a rocky outcrop that NASA is keen for Perseverance to explore.
One of the most terrifying sharks to have ever existed, Megalodon, wasn’t the cold-blooded murderer many think it was—at least not literally.
According to a study published last week in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, scientists have discovered the extinct shark was partially warm-blooded, with a body temperature around 7 degrees Celsius (44 degrees Fahrenheit) warmer than anticipated seawater temperatures at the time.
According to study coauthor Robert Eagle, professor of marine science and geobiology at UCLA, “we found that O. megalodon had body temperatures significantly elevated compared to other sharks, consistent with it having a degree of internal heat production as modern warm-blooded (endothermic) animals do.”
The findings suggest this distinct trait played a key role in the ancient predator’sterrifying size — and its eventual disappearance.
Believed to be at least 15 meters (49 feet) long, Otodus megalodon, also known as the megatooth shark, was one of the largest apex marine predators since the Mesozoic era and went extinct about 3.6 million years ago, according toEagle.
Scientists previously theorized that megalodons were warm-blooded, but the new study is the first to provide concrete evidence to that effect.
The researchers observed how closely carbon-13 and oxygen-18 isotopes found in the ancient shark’s fossilized teeth were bonded together — a data point that can reveal how warm the body was. From this finding, they deduced the megalodon’s average body temperature was about 27 C (80 F).
Like modern great white and mako sharks, megalodons were regionally endothermic, which means they had the ability to regulate temperature in certain parts of the body, according to the study. In contrast, the body temperatures of other cold-blooded apex predators are regulated by the temperature of water around them.
Being warm-blooded may have been one of the key drivers fueling megalodons’ massive size and overall prowess as predators, according to senior study author Kenshu Shimada, a paleobiologist at DePaul University in Chicago.
“A large body promotes efficiency in prey capture with wider spatial coverage, but it requires a lot of energy to maintain,” Shimada said in an email. “We know that Megalodon had gigantic cutting teeth used for feeding on marine mammals, such as cetaceans and pinnipeds, based on the fossil record. The new study is consistent with the idea that the evolution of warm-bloodedness was a gateway for the gigantism in Megalodon to keep up with the high metabolic demand.”
For such an enormous animal, having to use so much energy constantly to regulate its body temperature may have contributed to its downfall as the world changed. The timing of megalodons’ extinction coincides with the cooling of the Earth’s temperature, the researchers said.
“The fact that Megalodon disappeared suggests the likely vulnerability of being warm-blooded because warm-bloodedness requires constant food intake to sustain high metabolism,” Shimada said. “Possibly, there was a shift in the marine ecosystem due to the climatic cooling,” causing the sea level to drop, altering the habitats of the populations of the types of food megalodon fed on such as marine mammals and leading to its extinction.
Compared with other apex predators, megalodon was much larger, and therefore more vulnerable to changes in populations of prey, said lead study author Michael Griffiths, professor of environmental science, geochemist and paleoclimatologist at William Paterson University in New Jersey.
But learning more about the ancient shark could still help scientists better understand the threats similar marine animals face today.
“One of the big implications for this work is that it highlights the vulnerability of large apex predators, such the modern great white shark, to climate change given similarities in their biology with megalodon,” Griffiths said.
Hundreds march alongside the French mayor whose home was burned down. As the nation began its second week of violent protests and riots, hundreds of people marched on Monday in solidarity of a French mayor whose home was attacked by a flaming car.
A sizable throng in the Paris suburb of L’Ha-les-Roses came out in support of Mayor Vincent Jeanbrun, whose home was struck by the car early on Sunday.
The event happened during a peaceful night in the nation, which had been shaken by irate rallies ever since a police officer killed a 17-year-old teenager during a traffic stop last Tuesday.
Jeanbrun’s address was well known in the community before the attack, CNN affiliate BFMTV reported. The incident injured his wife and one of his children, Jeanbrun said earlier, calling it an assassination attempt.
Locals and officials held up a banner at the march reading “Together for the republic!” Jeanbrun, dressed in the sash of the French tricolore, told supporters: “I have only one word: thank you.
“Democracy was attacked,” he said. “More than ever, our republic and its servants are threatened and attacked,” he added.
In a previous statement on Sunday, the mayor said that while he was at city hall, “individuals rammed their car upon my residence before setting fire to it to burn my house, inside which my wife and my two young children slept.”
“While trying to protect the children and escape the attackers, my wife and one of my children were injured,” he said, adding that he had “no words strong enough to describe his emotion towards the horror of this night.”
France’s Ministry of Interior said 157 people were detained overnight into Monday morning, down from more than 700 the night before.
Three police officers were injured, a police station was attacked and 352 public roads were set on fire, but BFMTV reported that “no major incident was reported” overnight.
French President Emmanuel Macron will launch a procedure to “understand deeply” the cause of unrest that has been rocking France over the past week, a source present at the meeting between Macron and his top officials on Sunday told CNN.
Macron told ministers present to continue to “do everything to establish order,” the source said.
The wave of protests started after a police officer shot dead Nahel Merzouk, 17, during a traffic stop. The officer accused of the shooting has been charged with voluntary homicide.
Merzouk’s grandmother appealed to protesters on Sunday, telling BFMTV: “They should not damage the schools, not break the buses, it was the moms who take the buses.
“I’m tired,” the grandmother, identified by BMFTV as Nadia, said, adding that Nahel’s mother “doesn’t have a life anymore.”
The teenager’s funeral took place on Saturday at a mosque in Nanterre, the Paris suburb where he was killed.
One soldier engaging in Kyiv’s counteroffensive in the south told CNN that because the minefields in the southern Ukraine are so numerous, the troops aiming to free the area can only move “tree by tree.” He claimed that throughout his years of duty, he had never seen this many mines.
According to the soldier, who requested anonymity and went by the call sign “Legion,” his men’ actions were “quite successful and effective.” Yet most of the world tends to believe that he and other Ukrainian forces are advancing fairly slowly as they navigate mined terrain, come across heavily defended defences, and endure aircraft bombardment.
Ukraine’s Western allies are getting nervous about the fact that the progress of Kyiv’s long-awaited counteroffensive is being measured in meters, rather than kilometers. Kyiv’s allies are well aware that Ukraine cannot defeat Russia without their help. But the slower than expected pace of the counteroffensive means their support could become increasingly unsustainable if the conflict drags on.
Many of the countries that are supporting Ukraine’s war efforts are struggling with high inflation, rising interest rates and sluggish growth. Their leaders – some of whom are facing elections in the next year and a half – need to justify the huge amount of resources they’ve poured into Ukraine when their own voters are struggling to make ends meet. That can become difficult if there isn’t much battlefield success to show for it.
For now though, the support appears unfaltering.Multiple Ukrainian and Western officials have admitted that the counteroffensive has so far failed to yield major advances – but most were quick to add that the slow progress was justified.
The front lines in southern and eastern Ukraine have not moved much over the past months, giving Russian troops plenty of time to dig in and prepare for a counteroffensive.
According to an assessment by the Washington-based think tank Institute for the Study of War (ISW), some of the most strategic sections of the front line are guarded by multiple lines of defense, making it very difficult for the Ukrainians to break through.
Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley said that the pace is not surprising, given that Ukrainian soldiers were fighting “for their life.”
“We are giving them as much help as humanly possible, but at the end of the day, Ukrainian soldiers are assaulting through minefields and into trenches,” he said.
“So yes, sure, it goes a little slow, but that is part of the nature of war,” Milley said at the National Press Club on Friday.
Milley stressed that, while slowly, the Ukrainians were pushing ahead. “(The offensive) is advancing steadily, deliberately, working its way through very difficult minefields … you know, 500 meters a day, 1,000 meters a day, 2,000 meters a day, that kind of thing,” he said.
While Ukraine’s forces work their way through deadly minefields on the ground, they are still lacking air superiority and are under frequent attacks from above.
Legion, a master-sergeant in Ukraine’s 47th Brigade which is involved in the fighting in the south, said it was clear that Russian forces have been preparing for this moment for months.
“They knew that this area is where the main attack will take place, so they prepared thoroughly. They have artillery and aviation here, and both fighters and helicopters are working regularly,” he said.
Legion told CNN the fighting in the area was comparable to “what it was like in Bakhmut during the hottest phase.”
Ukrainian officials have repeatedly said that while the counteroffensive is under way, the main push is yet to come.
Deputy Minister of Defense Hanna Maliar said last month that Ukraine was holding back some of its reserves and that the “main strike” was still ahead.
ISW also said that information published by Russian military bloggers about the situation along the front lines suggests that “Ukrainian forces are not currently attempting the kind of large-scale operations that would result in rapid territorial advances.”
Instead, Ukrainian military appears to be launching smaller attacks in different directions along the nearly 1,000-kilometer-long front line (or 621 miles), trying to exhaust Russian reserves before launching a major push.
Meanwhile, the country’s President Volodymyr Zelensky has said he wanted to be strategic about where troops are being sent.
“Every meter, every kilometer costs lives,” he said. “You can do something really fast, but the field is mined to the ground. People areour treasure. That’s why we are very careful.”
Zelensky acknowledged on Monday that last week was difficult for the troops on the front lines. “But we are making progress. We are moving forward, step by step!” he said in a statement.
Milley urged observers to remain patient, saying he expects the counteroffensive to last as long as 10 weeks.
“What I had said was this is going to take six, eight, 10 weeks. It’s going to be very difficult. It’s going to be very long, and it’s going to be very, very bloody. And no one should have any illusions about any of that,” he said.
At least nine people were killed and about 100 others were injured as Israeli forces launched what a military source described as their greatest military operation in more than 20 years in the occupied West Bank city of Jenin, according to Palestinian sources.
The continuing “extensive counterterrorism effort in the area of the city of Jenin and the Jenin Camp,” according to a statement from the Israel Defence Forces (IDF), was initiated with the aim of attacking “terrorist infrastructure.”
Around ten drone airstrikes were conducted by the IDF, while hundreds of soldiers went for what they claimed to be a militant “command and control” centre as well as manufacturing facilities for explosives and weapons.
Videos obtained by CNN from Jenin show Israeli bulldozers tearing up streets to disarm potential explosives, as well as Israeli tanks outside the city limits.
Residents told CNN there were explosions and heavy gunfire in the area, while video from the scene showed wounded Palestinians being evacuated by ambulance to Jenin Government Hospital.
Hundreds of Palestinian families fled the area amid the destruction; Jenin deputy mayor Mohammed Jarrar said homes and infrastructure had been destroyed, cutting off electricity and water in the refugee camp.
Duha Turkman, a 16-year-old Jenin resident, said they were given two hours to evacuate.
“We ran out with people from the camp, so many children walked with their parents while terrified and crying, they didn’t understand what was happening to them and why,”she told CNN.“Many were missing; families were looking for members that they couldn’t get in contact with due to the electricity cut.”
Five of those killed in the attack were teenagers, the Palestinian Ministry of Health said. A tenth Palestinian was shot and killed by Israeli forces near Ramallah in the West Bank in a separate incident, according to the health authorities.
IDF chief spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari earlier told reporters “eight terrorists” were killed in Jenin and there are “no non-combatants that have died as far as we know.”
Hagari acknowledged that civilians were among the injured, but insisted the operation only meant to target “terrorists.” “It’s not an invasion on Jenin, it’s not against the Palestinian Authority. It’s not against innocent, innocent Palestinians. It’s against terrorists in this camp,” he said.
The raid sparked immediate condemnation. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas called the large-scale Israeli military operation “a new war crime.”
“Security and stability will not be achieved in the region unless our Palestinian people feel it. What the Israeli occupation government is doing in the city of Jenin and its camp is a new war crime against our defenseless people,” he said, according to presidential spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeineh.
Egypt also condemned the Israeli incursion, calling it an act of “aggression.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the military acted “against terrorist strongholds in Jenin.”
“In recent months, Jenin has become a safe haven for terrorists from that safe haven. Terrorists perpetrated savage attacks, murdering Israeli civilians, men, women, and children, as many children as they could find,” Netanyahu said at a US embassy event in Jerusalem on Monday evening.
“As I speak, our troops are battling the terrorists with unyielding resolve and fortitude while doing everything, everything to avoid civilian casualties.”
Jenin resident Lina Amouri, 35, said her family hid from the gunfire until they heard mosques announcing the evacuation.
“We were all hiding in one apartment that didn’t have windows so we don’t risk anyone getting hit by a bullet. Three women and six children aged 1 to 9, since 5 a.m., with no electricity or internet connection. It was a horrifying day,” she said.
“The children were crying all day and we didn’t know how to calm them down, the only thing we could do is to pray together while we hear explosions and bulldozers outside.”
Amouri also compared the scene to a natural disaster.
“When we first went out to see what’s happening it was a totally different place, all streets were plowed, water and sewage pipes were broken, electricity poles were down, cars were piled one on the other. It felt like a storm with earthquake have just passed by.”
Turkman, the teenage resident, told CNN that before evacuating, her family’s home was taken over by Israeli forces as the operation got underway, leaving the apartment “upside down.”
“They invaded our house in the early morning, they locked us all in one room, five women and two children in one room, and in another room, they locked five men – my father, brothers and uncles,” she said.
“They took the house as snipers’ position to attack the camp, meanwhile we couldn’t use a toilet, get to the kitchen or do anything but sit in the room and listen to the explosions outside.”
CNN cannot independently verify the accounts of these two eyewitnesses.
The UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Tor Wennesland has said he was in direct contact with all relevant parties to urgently de-escalate the situation in Jenin and ensure humanitarian access.
“The operation comes after months of growing tension that once again reminds us of the extremely volatile & unpredictable situation across the occupied West Bank. All must ensure the civilian population is protected,” Wennesland said.
The Palestinian Red Crescent said crews were prevented from operating within the camp, according to the director of the Palestinian Red Crescent society in Jenin, Mahmoud al-Saadi.
“The ambulance crews managed to evacuate a number of the injured they were able to access. The paramedic crews were brought from other governorates to provide help,” al-Saadi said.
The international medical aid organization Doctors Without Borders (MSF) also accused Israeli forces of impeding access to medical care in Jenin.
“MSF staff have been treating patients since 2 a.m. local time at Khalil Suleiman hospital, where several gas canisters landed in the courtyard during the attack. So far, staff have received 55 wounded patients, including people with gunshot wounds to their heads and some who were hit with tear gas canisters,” MSF said.
The military operation has not only caused casualties but also disrupted health structures, impeding the medical response, according to the MSF statement.
“We’ve been working for 15 hours and patients keep coming in,” said Jovana Arsenijevic, MSF operations coordinator in Jenin. “This is an unprecedentedly long military operation, and yet there are still victims that cannot be reached.”
“Raids on Jenin camp have started to follow a familiar pattern. For example, ambulances have been rammed by armored cars, and patients and health care staff have routinely been denied entry and exit in the camp,” Arsenijevic also said.
The IDF refuted claims that ambulance crews faced obstacles, with Hagari saying cars were denied movement within the camp, but that ambulances “have a free pass.”
The director of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) in the West Bank, Adam Bouloukos, said the Israeli operation and the response of “armed actors” in Jenin has “tragic consequences” for Palestinian refugees.
“Humanitarian access is most urgent now,” Bouloukos said on Twitter.
The White House is also “closely” monitoring the situation in Israel, a National Security Council spokesperson told CNN.
The spokesperson added broadly, “We support Israel’s security and right to defend its people against Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and other terrorist groups.”
IDF spokesman Lt. Col. Richard Hecht told reporters Monday one of the goals of the operation was to break the “safe haven” mentality within the Jenin camp for militants, according to Hecht, who described it as a “hornet’s nest.”
“We’re not trying to hold the ground. We’re acting against specific targets,” Hecht said.
The first round of airstrikes were launched at 1:14 a.m. local time and were followed by IDF ground forces, Hecht said.
Some 50 shooting attacks against Israelis have emanated from Jenin, he said.
Hecht also said the Palestinian Authority and Jordan had been informed about the incursion in advance, but didn’t elaborate further.
Though the IDF spokesman declined to comment on the number of forces involved, he said it is around a brigade, which is approximately equivalent to at least 500 soldiers.
A spokesman said later an Israeli soldier was “slightly injured” by shrapnel from a grenade used during the incursion, and that they had been taken to a hospital for medical treatment.
The IDF said it struck a joint operational command center for the Jenin Camp and operatives of the Jenin Brigade, a Palestinian militant group associated with Islamic Jihad.
“The operational command center also served as an advanced observation and reconnaissance center, a place where armed terrorists would gather before and after terrorist activities,” the IDF said, adding that the camp was a “site for weapons and explosives” and “hub for coordination and communication among the terrorists.”
“Additionally, the command center provided shelter for wanted individuals involved in carrying out terror attacks in recent months in the area,” it said.
The IDF later said its forces targeted a weapons production and explosive device storage facility and confiscated an “improvised rocket launcher” and additional weapons during the operations, which were carried out in coordination with the Israel Securities Authority (ISA).
Later on Monday, an IDF aircraft struck near a mosque “to remove a threat” while soldiers engaged in a firefight with militants according to the IDF, without elaborating on the character of the “threat.” The IDF later said tunnels and weapons were found under the mosque.
Military bulldozers tore up streets in the camp, which the IDF said was to disarm potential explosive devices buried under the roads.
In response to Monday’s attacks, Hamas called on militants in the West Bank and Jerusalem to strike Israel “by all available means,” a statement by its military wing said.
Palestinian Islamic Jihad said it will “perform its duty” in stopping the “massacre” in Jenin.
Monday afternoon, Israeli police reported a Palestinian teenager stabbed an Israeli man in Bnei Brak, outside of Tel Aviv. Israeli police said the teen claimed “he stabbed the person in response to the events in Jenin.” The Israeli man was injured and moved to hospital.
The Jenin Brigade claimed it had severely damaged at least one Israeli military vehicle with improvised explosive devices and its militants continue to clash with Israeli forces “to prevent its advance inside the camp.”
Palestinian Islamic Jihad said it will face its enemy “with all possible retaliation options,” in response to the Israeli operations in Jenin.
“The aggression on Jenin will not achieve its targets, Jenin will not surrender. We will face the enemy with all possible retaliation options in response to the enemy aggression on Jenin,” the militant group posted to its official Telegram channel.
As night fell, more than 500 Palestinian families began leaving the refugee camp, the Palestinian Red Crescent said, out of fear of what the ensuing hours would bring.
Hagari told reporters the operation will end within the “next day or two.”
“It won’t be the last time we act,” he warned. “We act when we have intelligence. We act against terror before it happens, or we act after terror activities in order to reach the terrorists.”
Eight famous democracy campaigners were given $1 million ($127,603) rewards by Hong Kong police on Monday. This action was widely rebuked by rights organisations and Western countries.
The activists, which include former MPs Nathan Law, Dennis Kwok, and Ted Hui, have been charged with offences related to national security, such as colluding with foreign powers and subverting the government.
Many of the activists have persisted in speaking out against Beijing’s alleged onslaught on the liberties and autonomy of their home city since departing Hong Kong in recent years.
The group of seven men and one woman are now based in the United States, Canada, Britain and Australia – countries that have suspended their extradition treaties with Hong Kong due to concerns of the controversial national security law.
The sweeping law was imposed by Beijing on Hong Kong in 2020, after huge pro-democracy protests roiled the semi-autonomous city in the previous year. It criminalizes secession, subversion, terrorism, and collusion with foreign powers and carries a maximum punishment of life imprisonment.
Critics say the legislation has been used to crush the city’s opposition movement, overhaul its electoral system, silence its outspoken media and cripple its once-vibrant civil society. Many of Hong Kong’s prominent pro-democracy figures have either been detained or fled into self-imposed exile.
The Hong Kong government has repeatedly denied the national security law is suppressing freedoms. Instead, it insists the law has ended chaos and restored stability to the city.
On Monday, police told a press conference 260 people had been arrested under the national security law, with 79 of them convicted for offenses including subversion and terrorism.
Senior Superintendent Steve Li, with the police national security department, told reporters police had obtained arrest warrants from the court for the eight activists.
“We’re absolutely not staging any show or spreading terror. We’re enforcing the law,” he said.
The move was condemned by the United States, Britainand Australia, whose governments urged Hong Kong to withdraw the bounty offer and expressed concern about the targeting of democratic figures.
The non-profit organization Human Rights Watch also lambasted the national security law as creating a “veneer of legitimacy in wiping out Hong Kong people’s human rights,” urging democratic governments to offer greater protections to activists in exile or impose more sanctions on the Hong Kong government.
The city’s leader, John Lee, a former police officer and security chief, rebuked these criticisms on Tuesday – and warned the exiled activists to surrender themselves or face “living in fear every day.”
Kevin Yam, a lawyer who is among the eight targeted, said he had been “flooded with congratulations” for having the “honor to be on the list” since the police press conference Monday.
“I feel no joy over this, but feel sad for Hong Kong that people now see things this way, because it is an indication of how low Hong Kong has gone in the eyes of many,” he told CNN from Australia.
Law, now based in Britain, said in a statement that while the news was stressful and meant he’d have to be more careful while traveling, it didn’t come as a surprise. He criticized the national security law as being used to “suppress dissenting voices,” and reiterated his hope for Hong Kong to one day gain full democracy.
“I am just a Hong Konger speaking out for Hong Kongers – that’s all,” he said, and urged the public not to cooperate with the bounty offer. “We should not silence or limit ourselves, we should not be politically intimidated or blackmailed, or live in fear.”
Anna Kwok, also one of the exiled activists named on Monday, wrote on Twitter that the photo published by police was one she’d taken at 18 years old for her ID card.
“The 18-year-old me would never have thought the photo would be publicized globally in an arrest warrant (with a bounty) 8 years later,” she wrote.
In a longer statement, Kwok, who is now based in the US, said the move was “clearly” meant to intimidate pro-democracy supporters and encourage “further purges” of remaining activists.
In preparation for scheduled maintenance and repair works, the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) has advised its customers in and around Kasoa to store an adequate supply of water.
The company plans to temporarily shut down two out of its three treatment plants located at the Weija Headworks on Tuesday, 4th July, 2023.
This precautionary measure aims to ensure uninterrupted water supply during the maintenance period and minimize inconvenience for the public.
The ‘important exercise’ will affect such areas as Kasoa, Weija township, Weija SCC, Nyanyano, Tuba, Tetegu, Macarthy Hill, Bortianor and surrounding areas.
A statement by GWCL said the maintenance works will be completed in 16 hours and that water supply will resume as soon as the work is completed.
In a noteworthy cautionary statement, pharmacist Stephen Ohene Sabi has expressed concerns over the practice of using clove water as a remedy for eliminating vaginal odour, tightening, and treating yeast infections among certain women.
Sabi emphasised the potential risks associated with this unverified approach, shedding light on the need for accurate information and proper medical guidance in addressing such intimate health concerns.
Mr. Sabi said that although there were several health benefits of cloves, there was no scientific evidence to prove that adding cloves to water and leaving it for some time before drinking could fight vaginal odour, cure yeast infection, or help in vaginal tightening.
Mr Sabi, who is also Head of Pharmacy at Pleasant Medical Centre in Ashaiman, Middle East, lamented that there was no adequate measurement of the quantity needed to cure a particular problem, which could have a negative impact on one’s overall health.
Mr. Sabi said this at the weekly “Your Health! Our Collective Responsibility! A Ghana News Agency Tema Regional Office initiative aimed at promoting health-related communication and providing a platform for health information dissemination to influence personal health choices through improved health literacy
The Ghana News Agency’s Tema Regional Office developed the public health advocacy platform “Your Health! Our Collective Responsibility” to investigate the components of four health communication approaches: informing, instructing, convincing, and promoting.
“There has not been any research about that, so science may not be able to tell you that this or that, but I’m sure they are doing that based on experience; people use certain substances, and because of the way they experience it, they also pass it on,” he stated.
He explained that clove was known to be anti-fungi, anti-bacteria, and anti-virus; however, the quantity needed to cure bacteria was unknown, hence the need to visit health professionals for diagnosis and proper treatment in such circumstances.
“It is like you are eating a banana; banana contains potassium, which is good for the heart. If it is medicine, you cannot take more than 600 milligrammes of potassium, but if you are taking a banana, how much of a banana contains 600
milligrammes, we do not know, so that is the challenge we have with herbal medicines,” he said.
The Pharmacist mentioned that even if the concoction works for a particular person, the continuous use of it becomes a challenge. “You can use it once in a while, but the continuous use of it then causes the side effects to manifest.”
Mr. Sabi advised that women opt for feminine wash, which must be used after menstruation, stressing that it was appropriate to use only water for washing the vagina.
Mr. Sabi added that before one can administer a responsible dose of medication, one must read more about the medicine and know its side effects on the body after consumption.
He cautioned individuals that the abuse of medications by taking overdoses should be avoided due to the side effects of the medicine on the patient.
Even though some medicines have minor side effects such as constipation, headache, and diarrhoea, some can cause severe side effects that may end up requiring intervention at the health facility, he said.
He advised that when a physician prescribes a medication, you need to take it as prescribed without overdosing because some medicines, when overdosed, make you addicted; therefore, he urged that one not take more than the prescribed dosage.
Prominent Ghanaian Lawyer, Sam Okudzeto, has expressed concern over Dormaahene’s political involvement contrary to Constitutional provisions.
In a recent statement, Osagyefo Oseadeeyo Agyemang Badu II appealed to President Nana Akufo-Addo and the Attorney General to halt the ongoing trial of Assin North’s Member of Parliament; James Gyakye Quayson, citing potential hindrance to development within the constituency.
Quayson currently faces charges of forgery and perjury related to alleged offenses during the 2020 parliamentary election.
He has entered a plea of not guilty to counts of forgery of passport or travel certificate, knowingly making a false statutory declaration, perjury, and false declaration for office.
However, Lawyer Sam Okudzeto, during an appearance on the Asaase Breakfast Show on Monday (3 July), expressed his disappointment with the Dormaahene’s statement, asserting that the chief had made an error. Okudzeto emphasized the need for the judicial council to take appropriate action against him.
“I must confess that I am saddened and shocked because the one involved is not just an ordinary chief but a paramount chief. That is a very high position to be held in high esteem,” Asaaseradio.com quoted Okudzeto.
“He should not meddle in politics,” Okudzeto affirmed, citing the constitutional prohibition on chiefs engaging in partisan politics.
He further explained, “The constitution is very clear on that, and the basis for that is that everybody in his jurisdiction owes allegiance to him, and therefore, that is why he shouldn’t be involved in partisan politics.”
Expressing his shock at the Dormaahene’s actions, Okudzeto revealed that many lawyers were angered and believed that the chief should face removal.
He called for the judicial council to scrutinize the matter, stating, “If the Supreme Court were to analyze it, what is his business? The judicial council must sanction him.”
Hilda Baci, a well-known Nigerian chef, has taken to social media to express her disappointment and annoyance with her partner for not proposing to her despite her outstanding accomplishments and culinary efforts to win his heart.
In a widely circulated video on TikTok, Chef Hilda expressed her dismay, questioning why her lover had not yet taken the next step in their relationship.
She shared her sentiments, stating, “Is there a reason why, even after breaking the world record, this man has still not proposed to me? I have been making different meals, waiting for him to propose. I have made Ofada; in fact, that’s juice for another day.”
The chef conveyed her sincere belief that she had done everything possible to show her commitment and affection.
She questioned the audacity of her partner’s hesitation, stating, “I honestly feel like this is audacity at its height. Because why? I’ve done everything now. What more do you want from me, oga? And he still doesn’t want to propose.”
Chef Hilda’s candid video quickly caught the attention of social media users, sparking a range of reactions and advice.
Some commenters suggested that she refrain from cooking for her partner and instead provide him with the opportunity to take her out for a meal, hoping that this change in approach would prompt a proposal.
However, amidst the light-hearted comments, there were also supportive and humorous responses from individuals empathizing with Chef Hilda’s situation.
Some commenters playfully claimed the role of the proposer themselves or commended Chef Hilda for her approach to love and relationship dynamics.
Chef Hilda Baci gained widespread recognition for her culinary skills and record breaking achievements within the Nigerian food industry. She made it to the Guiness Book of Record.
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) through a directive issued by its Communication Directorate, has cautioned its members nationwide entrusted with the task of advocating for and promoting the government’s policies and projects to avoid engaging in personal attacks against Dormaahene, Osagyefo Oseadeeyo Agyemang Badu II.
The directive highlights the party’s commitment to maintaining a respectful discourse and focusing on policy-related discussions rather than targeting the individual personality of the esteemed leader.
This is after the respected chief who’s also a sitting High Court Judge called on President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and Attorney General Godfred Dame to discontinue the criminal trial of the newly elected Assin North Member of Parliament, James Gyakye Quayson.
Speaking at the 10th Anniversary Lecture in honour of Prof. John Evan Atta Mills, the Dormaahene called on the President to intervene in the prosecution while the Attorney General and Minister for Justice files a nolle prosequi.
James Gyakye Quayson is facing trial for perjury at the High Court in Accra. He is facing charges of forgery and perjury about certain alleged offences in the run-up to the 2020 Assin North parliamentary election.
He has pleaded not guilty to five counts of forgery of passport or travel certificate, knowingly making a false statutory declaration, perjury and false declaration for office.
It is the case of the prosecution that Mr Quayson allegedly made a false statement to the Passport Office that he did not hold a passport to another country when he applied for a Ghanaian Passport.
In addition, the prosecution has accused Mr Quayson of making a false declaration to the Electoral Commission (EC) to the effect that he (Quayson) did not owe any allegiance to a foreign country when he filed to contest as a candidate for the Assin North seat in 2020.
However, speaking at the Bono, Bono East, Ahafo and Western North regional version of the Professor John Evans Atta Mills Commemorative Lecture in Sunyani on Saturday, July 1, 2023, the Dormaahene appealed for the A-G to drop the criminal charges against Quayson.
“As a matter of urgency, I [Dormaahene] am appealing to the President of the Republic [Akufo-Addo], if he has any role to play, that trial should be aborted, and the Attorney-General should as a matter of urgency file a Nolle Prosequi to end that particular decision” and abort the criminal case against Mr Quayson”, the Dormaahene said.
Osagyefo Oseadeeyo Agyemang Badu II insisted that it was needless for the AG to continue the case, after the chiefs and people of the Assin North constituency re-elected Quayson to be their MP, adding that continuing with the criminal trial was an insult to Ghanaians and the people of Assin North.
“I’m saying so because if we continue with this case, we’ll be insulting Ghanaians, especially people of Assin North. I don’t see the benefit that accrues to the country by continuing with the prosecution. Now that Gyakye Quayson has been re-elected, if he’s hauled before the court how can he effectively discharge his duty as a Member of Parliament? If he’s not allowed to help in formulating good laws to ensure the development of the country, how can he be blamed? It is on this plane that I appeal to the President, Mr President, you know I love you, but this matter cannot go on. Attorney General, you are a son of the Bono soil, please go through your laws and have a second look at this case.”
The public lecture was organised on the theme: “The man John Evans Atta Mills – 10 years on”.
Various speakers at the lecture described the late Prof Mills as a unifier, peacemaker, truthful, God-fearing man, humble, tolerant, listener, patient and selfless among others.
As part of the lecture, a 24-book page titled “Atta Mills Speaks to the World” was launched.
The book captured Prof Mills’ statements at the 64th, 65th and 66th General Assembly of the United Nations, during his term as President.
NPP communicators speaking note 03.07.2023
In view of the debate which has risen from the lecture, the New Patriotic Party communication directorate has told their communicators to respect the legal views of the Dormaahene even though they disagree with him.
A speaking note on 03.07.2023 sent across communications platforms of the party reads;
“Communicators should not attack the personality of the Chief though, we disagree with his call for the President to intervene or interfere with the independent work of the judiciary. 2. In the interest of equality before the law and the independence of the judiciary it will be better to allow the case to run its course. 3. The prosecution may determine whether to proceed or not; file a nolle prosequi or not if it becomes unavoidably clear that it does not have the evidence to advance the case. 4. Communicators should call on Ghanaians to support the Courts to do their work independently.”
Chisom Flower, a Nigerian lady, has recently offered a sincere apology to Afrobeats singer Davido after previously calling him out.
Chisom Flower, who had previously made allegations against Davido, accusing him of impregnating her and promising her N10 million to terminate the pregnancy, has now retracted her claims. She acknowledged that the accusations she made were false and apologized to Davido for any harm or damage caused by her previous statements.
Chisom Flower shared a video of the singer in her bed alongside other proofs of their romantic relationship after Davido failed to pay for aborting her pregnancy.
In a recent development, Chisom has apologized for dragging Davido after losing her job and having her family reject her.
She also apologized to Nigrerians and fans of Davido for calling out their favorite and dainting his image.
Taking to her Instagram story, she wrote: “I just lost my job, family and friends even the brand am working for… I sincerely apologize to Davido for dragging HIM oit like that .. and also Nigerians for dragging you favorite… I apologize…
See reactions that trailed her post
lordlamba: “David the son of Jesse, a man after My own heart, (Ac. 13:22).”
rhukieee: “Just see what 2 days fame has caused you”
classickjay01: “If you. Love davido like this comment and follow me I will follow back ASAP”
timmie_ace: “Which Job you lost?”
lucas_stamford22: “David you do this one ooh , Imagine as a wife , your husband dey trend for this kinda stuff, Chi wear white , David stain am , She wear black , David pour am bleach, David David David cage your lil bro abeg , Is embarrassing for a wife to be seeing such”
ikaydardison: “More to come. You get what you wish on someone else. Some of y’all don’t know some karma are actually instant and the whole world would see”
pam_ayy: “You are still chasing clout with his name.Na wa oo.This DAVID don really suffer,na wetin wondering gbola dey cause.”
Ghanaian superstar, Black Sherif, has unveiled the mesmerizing cinematic visuals for his song “Oh Paradise.” The gripping music video, directed by David Nicol-Sey, tells the story of a young man whose initial experience with love leads to significant heartache. The captivating visuals beautifully depict the emotional journey, showcasing the pain and struggles associated with the protagonist’s failed romantic endeavor. Black Sherif’s latest release combines powerful storytelling with his distinctive musical style, offering audiences a compelling and evocative viewing experience.
The theme of the visuals much like the song itself, centers around love; both the good and the bad it comes with.
The video comes as the crown jewel to mark the incredible success of Black Sherif’s debut album, ”The Villain I Never Was”, which was released in October last year.
The album has gone on to solidify Black Sherif’s place as one of Africa’s most powerful creative voices. Going on to amass massive global streaming numbers; which made him the most streamed Ghanaian artist of the year on Spotify and the most streamed artist of the year on popular African streaming platform Boomplay with about a billion digital streams across all platforms.
He has since embarked on a tour which has had him in the United States of America, performing at Pharrell Williams’ “Something in the Water Festival” in Virginia, Afro Nation, Miami and his own headline concerts at Palladium Times Square, New York City and The Masquerade in Atlanta; both sold out shows.
The global phenomenon is currently on the second leg of his tour in Europe, which has seen him grace stages such as; Couleur Cafe Festival, Belgium, Afronation Portugal, Summer Jam in Germany and is slated for Openair Frauenfeld, Switzerland and Wireless Festival, UK.
Black Sherif won ‘Artiste Of The Year’ at the 2023 VGMA’s, which is the highest honour at the Ghanaian award show, serving as a career-defining moment for the 21-year-old star.
Numerous celebrities and individuals have weighed in with their diverse opinions on the trending controversy involving Sarkodie and Yvonne Nelson.
Among those expressing their opinions is Counsellor Lutterodt. While the specifics of Counsellor Lutterodt’s stance on the matter are not provided, it can be inferred that he has contributed to the ongoing discourse surrounding the controversy.
Counsellor Lutterodt is part of a minority group who believe that Sarkodie should not be held responsible or blamed for the situation that unfolded between him and Yvonne Nelson. While the exact details of their perspective are not mentioned, it can be inferred that they hold the view that Sarkodie bears no fault or culpability in the controversy. This opinion contrasts with the perspectives of others who may hold different views on the matter.
In an interview on Angel TV and shared by Sikaofficial on Twitter, he went ahead to say Ghanaians would have had every right to blame the rapper if it was an issue of rape, but since it was a mutual agreement between the two, then Sarkodie has done nothing wrong.
“Sarkodie has not done anything wrong except if Yvonne says Sarkodie raped me. But consensual sexual intercourse—where does it stand for us to say this,” he said.
Counsellor Lutterodt further said Yvonne Nelson should have considered some possible future outcomes when revealing some sensitive information in her book.
He added that as such, now that information about her has been disclosed, there’s no way people are going to forget about it because the internet is not a dead end.
He stated: “A book that we want to read, and the essence of the book is bringing memories that will not give you a future that we are talking about. Be careful what you say today. The internet is not a dead end; it is a reproductive organ that reproduces itself at the time you don’t need the content”.
He went ahead to say it’s good when one wants the world to know how he or she feels but should rather know the right platform to make their emotions known; therefore, he thinks the actress should not have spilled all her secrets in her memoir.
“She might be speaking the truth, but sometimes some truths should be hidden. There are some truths one has to take to the grave. We should ask Yvonne Nelson if she can reveal the total number of men with names and titles she has slept with,” he said.
On June 18, 2023, Yvonne Nelson released a memoir titled ‘I Am Not Yvonne Nelson’ which detailed some life experiences, including her encounter with Sarkodie and her search for her father. She stated how she had to abort the pregnancy because Sarkodie was not in support of keeping it, and how she thought of saving the child from the pain she (Yvonne) has been through having grown up without a father.
Sarkodie responded with a song explaining that Yvonne should not make it seem as though he “was the one pushing for abortion” because the actress, among others, rejected the idea of his doctor attending to her; instead, she opted for a doctor her friend suggested, claiming “he is the best”.
He rapped that Yvonne should not claim to be a good girl because she is for the streets, adding that if she wants to talk, she should list the men she has slept with because he thought she “was cool” until he “had a hint” about her sexual escapes at the time.
Check out the post below
Counsellor Lutterodt says that the internet never forgets so Yvonne Nelson wasn’t thinking about the future with her publication pic.twitter.com/3zaxmDoLYp
Ghanaian musician Wendy Shay has utilized social media as a platform to raise her concerns regarding the high import duties imposed on cars at the Tema Port.
In her online posts, she has expressed her dissatisfaction with the exorbitant charges, highlighting the impact it has on individuals looking to import vehicles. Wendy Shay has brought attention to this issue, shedding light on the financial burden placed on car importers and urging for a reconsideration of the current import duty rates.
In her tweet addressed to President Akufo-Addo,Wendy Shay acknowledges the president’s dedication to the welfare of Ghanaians but highlights the need for urgent attention to be given to the import duties, especially those levied on cars.
The talented musician draws attention to the stark difference between the purchase price of a car in the United States and the exorbitant duties one has to pay upon importation.
Citing an example, Wendy Shay explains that a car bought in the US for $35,000 would require an additional $30,000 in import duties, which amounts to a staggering 397,707.10 Cedis.
“Your excellency @NAkufoAddo Mr president, I know you have the welfare of Ghanaians at heart but can you please do something about import duties, especially on cars?
“The import duties on cars are way Outrageous. You buy a car in the US for $35,000 (397,707.10 Cedis) and pay $30,000 USD (340,891.80 Cedis) as duty. Please do something Mr. President,” she lamented.
Parliament is expected to deliberate on the Ghanaian Family Values Bill, also known as the anti-LGBT bill, this week.
The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, had instructed the House to conduct the second reading of the bill last week, but the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Constitutional, Legal, and Parliamentary Affairs Committee was not present.
The Majority Leader in Parliament, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, made this clear last Friday, June 30, 2023.
The bill aims to outlaw LGBTQ+ and its associated acts, as well as any propaganda, advocacy, or promotion of LGBT and related activities.
It also aims to protect and support children, as well as anyone who has been wrongly accused or victimized as a result of LGBTQ+ or related activities.
On June 27, when the MPs were supposed to discuss the topic, the House was vacant because the bulk of MPs from both political parties were in Assin North for the by-election.
“We had it last week, but we couldn’t make any progress because the chairman and the ranking member had travelled out. We hope that we will make some progress within this week when the Speaker and the ranking member come. We will put our heads together and locate the bill,” Osei Kyei-Mensah Bonsu said.
Multi-talented American singer and actress, Selena Gomez has expressed her gratitude towards Nigerian singer Rema for allowing her to be a part of the immensely popular song “Calm Down.”
Selena Gomez has shown her appreciation for the collaboration, acknowledging Rema’s talent and the opportunity to work together on such a well-received track.
Following the release of ‘Calm Down’ by Rema in February 2022, the Nigerian singer together with Selena Gomez came up with a remix of the song in September 2022.
The song’s remix was welcomed by a number of people and shortly after its release, it reached number one on Billboard US Afrobeats Songs and number three on the Global 200 chart.
Also, the song since its release can boast of amassing 530 million views on YouTube.
In a post shared by Selena Gomez on the Instagram page on July 2, 2023, the singer posted a picture of her and Rema and under the post, she expressed her gratitude to Rema for giving her the opportunity to be part of that amazing song.
She added that her appearance in the song has brought about some changes in her life.
“This man has changed my life forever. Rema, thank you for choosing me to be part of one of the biggest songs in the world. Love you forever”, she captioned under the post.
Rema, upon seeing the post reacted to it and wrote: “Love you too Queen”.
