The Peasant Farmers Association of Ghana (PFAG) is urging the government to dedicate part of the funds from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme to support agriculture sector activities.
They said prioritizing and supporting the sector with the needed funding would boost food production, enhance agro-processing and turn around the fortunes of the economy.
Mr. Wepia Addo Awal Adugwala, the President of PFAG, made the call at the opening of the 3rd National Policy on Agroecology forum in Accra to identify strategic policy directions and reform areas that are fundamental to accelerating and sustaining national food security.
The European Union and French Development Agency funded project is seeking to strengthen livelihoods and building assets for farmers, especially among smallholder farmers, catalyze equitable growth by deepening and scaling agroecological practices.
The event was organized by the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, under the ECOWAS Agroecology Program in West Africa (PAE) that aims at supporting agroecological transition that reconciles economic performance, food security, and strengthening of resilience.
Mr Adugwala said in the midst of climate change impacts, economic difficulties, and the surge in the price of chemical fertilizer, the best alternative for the government to invest in to revitalize the economy was agroecology farming practices.
He described agroecology as a farming technology involving traditional practices that built up the soil to retain more nutrients and storage water to support plant growth.
“Due to the high cost of input, especially fertilizer, the expenses of an acre of maize averagely increased from GH¢1700 in 2021 to GH¢5000 in 2022,” he said.
Mr Kingsley Kwasi Agyemang, the National Correspondent of the ECOWAS Agroecology in Ghana, said the adoption of agroecology practices, could help ensure sustainable food production in order to feed the growing population.
He noted that It was one of the surest avenues to address the challenges of natural resource degradation, biodiversity loss and impact of climate change, including pest and diseases, erratic rainfall, flooding and drought.
Mr Agyemang, who is also a Climate Change Expert at the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, said agroecology method of farming was gaining acceptance as a science and a social movement which promoted healthy, culturally appropriate and sustainable food production.
He stated that the ECOWAS Commission and the government were collaborating to implement an initiative called ECOWAS Agroecology Programme to support farms in an agroecological transition to ensure food security, build resilience and protect nature.
Dr. Solomon Gyan Ansah, the Director of Crop Services at MoFA, said the government was finalizing an enhanced version of Planting for Food and Jobs to help access inputs at a reduced cost.
He stated that the programme would see a change from subsidy to input credit system thereby lowering the entry barrier to agriculture.
“Prices of inputs and machinery constitute about 85 per cent of the total cost of production of a farmer. The previous subsidy programme was only taking care of 15 per cent of the total cost of production,” he said.
Participants were drawn from the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, Departments of Agriculture, Environmental Protection Agency, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Centre for No-Till Agriculture, Ghana Agricultural Sector Investment Programme, Peasant Farmers Association of Ghana, Centre for Indigenous Knowledge and Organisational Development, and journalists.
During a recent interview, Kuami Eugene, the musician signed under Lynx Entertainment, openly revealed that he is among the emerging talents within the Ghanaian music industry who, at a remarkably young age, have acquired their own cars.
He mentioned that he bought his first car at the age of 19 after his single, “Angela” had become one of the most popular songs in Ghana.
Kuami Eugene indicated that he bought the car, which was an Elantra, for about Ghc45,000.
“At that time, it cost me GH¢45,000. It was a significant milestone for me as it was the first time I had ever held such a substantial amount of money,” he stated in the said interview.
In the wake of the reactions to this revelation byKuami Eugene, a gentleman on Twitter who goes by the name Henry Asiamah has come out to state that the “Cryptocurrency” hitmaker is lying.
According to Henry, he was a friend of Kuami Eugene at the time, and at the time, he was the one who used to drive him to a music studio in the Odorko area in Accra.
He also added a photo of himself, Kuami Eugene, and another guy to back his claims.
“No hate but it’s a lie ,I use to drive him to studio in odorkor, don’t really remember the studios name : he use to record us and we did great songs . He didn’t have a car then and had just joined hitmaker. Showbiz age and boss talk . New friends after he blew up . Life continues”
Judy Austin, the second wife of Nollywood actor Yul Edochie, has resorted to social media to voice her apprehension and raise awareness regarding her husband’s current location or status.
This comes after she locked him outside their home at night as a way to teach him a lesson.
Judy had previously shared a video on social media showing her and Yul having an argument because he returned home very late.
In the video, Judy, visibly enraged, refused to let her husband enter their home until he provided a reason for his late arrival.
However, it seems that after Yul’s plea to be let in fell on deaf ears, he left without informing her of his whereabouts and has refused to answer her calls.
In an updated post, Judy has now turned to social media to cry out about his disappearance.
According to her, she hasn’t seen her husband since their last argument where she locked him out, and all her efforts to contact him have been unsuccessful.
She claimed to have checked everywhere, including his friends’ houses, but he is nowhere to be found.
Deeply concerned and tearful, Judy pleaded with her well-meaning fans and followers to help find her beloved husband.
She admitted to having gone too far by locking him out and begged him to come back home.
African politicians who wanted to settle the conflict in Ukraine met with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday in St. Petersburg.
Despite both of them downplaying the idea, the delegation wants to bring the warring parties to the bargaining table.
The Ukraine war, which is already into its second year, has had an effect on several African countries, particularly as grain prices have risen sharply.
Along with the presidents of Zambia, the Comoros, Congo Brazzaville, Egypt, Senegal, and Uganda, President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa arrived in St. Petersburg, according to a statement provided by his office.
The delegation is “seeking a road to peace to the 16 months long conflict between Ukraine and Russia which has thus caused devastating economic impact, loss of life and global instability,” the statement said.
The leaders visited Kyiv on Friday to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
They were initially greeted with explosions and forced to take shelter in bunkers as Russian airstrikes hit the capital.
The delegation voiced concerns that the continent of Africa was suffering under a prolonged conflict, with Ramaphosa insisting to Zelensky that “there should be peace through negotiations.”
But Zelensky rebuffed efforts to bring Kyiv to the negotiating table imminently, and ruled out any peace negotiations with Russia until Moscow’s troops withdraw from his country’s territory.
“Today, I have clearly said repeatedly at our meeting that to allow any negotiations with Russia now that the occupier is on our land means to freeze the war, to freeze pain and suffering,” he told journalists in a press conference after the meeting.
Ramaphosa’s office had previously described the peace initiative as “the first time that Africa is united behind the resolution of a conflict outside of our continent, and where you have a group of African heads of state and government traveling together in an attempt to find a path to peace to this conflict.”
Western nations have criticized some African countries for not condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and conspicuously stayed away from votes denouncing the invasion at the United Nations General Assembly.
Meanwhile, South Africa’s Ramaphosa has been clear that he will not “take sides in a contest between global powers” and that he is pushing for a negotiated end to the conflict.
CNN’s Sarah Dean, Olga Voitovych, Nimi Princewell and Niamh Kennedy contributed reporting.
A woman, asserting herself as the biological mother of Nollywood actress Mercy Johnson, has turned to social media as a platform to express her narrative, wherein she recounts her personal story and recounts the heartbreaking experience of losing her children.
She described how she had three children with a Nigerian from Kogi state after being married to him. She was expecting her fourth child when her mother from Cameroon arrived to notify her about her critically ill father’s wish to meet his grandkids before dying.
Mercy Johnson and her older brother Martin Ngei were left with their father and a woman when her husband instructed her to go with only the last kid and for more than 30 years, she has been traveling to and from Nigeria in an attempt to locate her children.
She asserts that when Mercy was eventually located, the actress requested a DNA test to support her claim and she met Mercy’s husband, Prince Okojie, at the hospital.
She stated that Mercy’s husband claimed not to know her and that she was not the person he paid his wife’s bride price to.
She assured him that her purpose in being there was not to take his wife from him. Prince Okojie consented to foot the fee for the DNA test but instructed her to handle her own expenses.
This made the woman feel bad since she had used all of her money to travel to Nigeria.
She revealed that she had been able to make ends meet on her own for so long, she wasn’t pursuing Mercy’s money.
She also disclosed that Mercy was born in 1982 and that her birth name is Ngei Magdalene. She is ready to submit to the DNA test.
Mercy had invited her to Nigeria, but she has been struggling to survive as she has no home here.
“I gave birth to her at a private hospital in Benue state. She is aware that I am her biological mother and she knows that Mercy Johnson is not her real name. In fact when I came to Nigeria she asked me what’s my real name and I told her,” she said
Due to a medical problem that makes it difficult for Holly Reeves to swallow food, doctors gave the five-year-old Devon resident a feeding tube.
Holly’s mother Amy Thomas told CNN that Holly has asthma and that if she coughs violently, the tube will come out, causing Holly to “starve to the point of collapse” and require “repeated trips to the hospital.”
Her family claims the UK’s National Health Service (NHS) warned them the wait may be up to two years for a percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG), a flexible feeding tube that is placed into the stomach.
“If we had to wait another two years on an NHS waiting list – Holly might not have made it,” Thomas told CNN. So, her family decided to pursue private medical treatment instead and have exceeded their £5,000 target through crowdfunding website JustGiving.
Holly will now have the potentially life-saving operation next month.
A spokesperson for Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust, said: “The NHS across the country is currently facing long waiting lists in many different specialties, and we are sorry that people in our care are waiting longer for certain procedures or treatments than we would like.”
And Holly is not alone, as an increasing amount of charitable donations online are paying for private medical care.
Figures obtained by CNN from JustGiving reveal that £52.1 million (about $64.7 million) was raised through its website for privatehealthcare in the UK over the past three years – £11.7 million more than in the preceding three years.
In the United States, people are no stranger to using charitable donations to pay for healthcare.
Unlike the universal, free-at-the-point-of-delivery healthcare provided through the NHS in the UK, the US system works off an insurance model. The standard of care is inextricably tied to your job status, leaving many unemployed and uninsured having to rely on charitable donations to pay for healthcare – or go without.
In the UK, most individuals do not have health insurance, according to Statista’s Consumer Insights. Instead, Brits use NHS services, which are paid for through general taxation and National Insurance contributions. The system is premised on the idea that everybody is entitled to equal and free access to healthcare – regardless of their income.
But following years of government austerity and with an aging population placing increasing demand on its services, the NHS is in a state of crisis.
According to David Wrigley, the deputy chair of the GP committee for the British Medical Association (BMA), the NHS is underfunded and under-resourced with “little investment causing waiting lists to continue to rise.”
Waiting lists for hospital treatment had skyrocketed to a record 7.2 million as of January 2023, according to the latest government data published in March.
Meanwhile, doctors and nurses are striking over pay and conditions. The BMA says junior doctors in their first year of work are paid £29,384 ($36,241) and in England have suffered a 26% cut to their pay since 2008 once inflation is taken into account.
The NHS also faces a workforce crisis. According to the latest government data, as of last December, 124,000 NHS posts are currently vacant. The BMA argues that worsening pay and conditions are a factor.
Against this backdrop, many Britons are faced with an unenviable choice: wait potentially years for NHS treatment, pay out-of-pocket or rely on charitable donations to raise money for private operations.
Figures given to CNN by crowdfunding website GoFundMe found that 67% more medical crowdfunders in March 2023 mentioned the term “waiting list” than in January 2020 – the month that the Covid-19 pandemic reached Britain.
Meanwhile, over the same time period, 56% more medical crowdfunders mentioned the search terms “private” or “privately.”
John Coventry, VP international at GoFundMe, told CNN: “We are seeing more people than ever turning to GoFundMe as the NHS and cost-of-living crisis clash head-on. This data shows that, while the pressure people are under is increasing, communities are coming together to help out friends, family, colleagues and even strangers when they need it most.”
GoFundMe claims on its website that it’s “the leader in online medical fundraising,” with one user adding, “This website rocks! I raised close to £10,000 in 48 hours for my nephew’s medical needs.”
However, in some cases the generosity of strangers is still not enough.
In January, James Taylor ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in a soccer match for Harrow Borough. He was told by NHS doctors he would have to wait a year for surgery on his knee. So his manager, Steve Baker, set up a GoFundMe appeal to pay for the operation privately. Taylor raised half of the £12,000 ($14,922) he needed for treatment from donations and paid for the rest out of his own pocket.
“It took a big hit on my bank account but I had to use private healthcare to save my football career. I couldn’t wait another year on a NHS waiting list. I had no other choice,” Taylor told CNN.
An increasing number of Britons are paying out-of-pocket to access private healthcare directly.
Figures from Private Healthcare Information Network (PHIN), show that the number of private medical admissions for people self-paying for treatment stood at 66,000 between July and September last year – up from 50,000 at the same point in 2019.
According to the OECD, in 1990, out-of-pocket spending by UK citizens on medical expenses was equivalent to just under 0.6% of GDP, while Americans paid nearly four times as much, at 2.2%. Thirty years on, that gap has all but disappeared. US out-of-pocket spending stood at 1.9% in 2020, the most recent figure cited by the OECD, and Britons’ at 1.8 %.
This is “a sad state of affairs,” Wrigley told CNN. “No one should be made to feel that (paying to go private) is their only option to access care as many feel that care is inaccessible through the NHS.”
“This government needs to do more to address ever-growing waiting times, which have been exceptionally high even before the pandemic, and stop pretending that we have a system that can meet the needs of patients,” Wrigley added.
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson told CNN that “cutting waiting lists is one of the government’s top five priorities, and the NHS has reduced the number of patients waiting for more than 18 months by over 91% since the September 2021 peak.”
Ghanaian music sensation Kweku Flick is set to take music lovers on another musical journey with his upcoming single titled “Rastaman”.
The song, to be released on Friday, June 23, 2023, seeks to unravel societal prejudice against dreadlocks or anyone associated with the “rasta culture,” as well as the personal experiences he encountered.
After dominating the musical streets with his recent “High” song, Kweku Flick has won the hearts of Ghanaian music lovers with his unique music blending Hiplife, Hip-hop and Ghanaian drill to create an exciting rhythm.
The upcoming release has kept social media buzzing, with some netizens highly anticipating the song by Kweku Flick, who always drops astounding tunes.
Produced by Ghanaian Stallion, the song unlocks the real life happening on the streets and has been expertly crafted to create a soothing and uplifting vibe for the soul and mind.
Kweku Flick has in the past few years thrilled Ghanaians with some music masterpieces, including “Money,” “No Sleeping,” “Ewiase,” and “Black Stars,” among others, which have received accolades.
The song will be released on all digital streaming platforms on Friday, June 23, 2023, but can be pre-saved here: http://tieme-music.lnk.to/Rastaman.
If NATO members continue to provide military equipment to Kiev, there is a “serious danger” that the conflict in Ukraine may escalate. This is according to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Putin stated at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum on Friday that NATO was “obviously being drawn into the war in Ukraine.”
“The supplies of heavy military equipment to Ukraine are still being made, and they are currently considering supplying Ukraine with jets.”
The comment appeared to be a reference to the F-16 fighter jets some members of the NATO alliance are making plans to supply Ukraine with.
NATO, or the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, was formed in the aftermath of World War II to defend Western nations from the Soviet Union and the alliance contains a mutual defense clause where an attack on any one member is considered an attack on all. While Ukraine is not a member of NATO, some NATO members have been supplying Kyiv with tanks, armored vehicles and other weaponry – prompting threats of retaliation from Russia.
German Leopard 2 tanks, British Challenger 2 tanks and American Bradley and Stryker vehicles are among the Western equipment that has been sent to Ukraine.
In late April, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said that NATO allies and partners had delivered more than 1,500 vehicles and 230 tanks to the country.
During his speech in St. Petersburg, Putin said Russia had destroyed tanks “including Leopards” at the front lines.
“And if they are based abroad, but used in fighting we’ll see how to hit them, and where we can hit those means that are used against us in fighting,” Putin said.
“This is a serious danger of further drawing NATO into this military conflict,” he added.
During his speech to the forum, Putin also suggested Russia’s large number of nuclear weapons would “guarantee” its security – noting that Russia had more such weapons than NATO countries.
Russia has a total stockpile of around 6,250 nuclear warheads as of January 2021, according to the Arms Control Association. The US has more than 5,500 while two other NATO member states, Britain and France, have about 220 and 290 nuclear warheads, respectively.
“Nuclear weapons are created to guarantee our security in the broader sense and the existence of the Russian state,” Putin said.
“But first of all, there is no need and secondly the very fact of talking about it reduces the possibility of the threshold for using these weapons being reduced.”
“Also, we have more weapons like this than the NATO countries. They know it and they keep driving towards negotiation on reduction.”
In February, Putin said he would suspend Russia’s participation in the New START nuclear arms reduction treaty with the United States, imperiling the last remaining pact that regulates the world’s two largest nuclear arsenals. Russia’s Foreign Ministry subsequently said the decision was “reversible.”
The treaty puts limits on the number of deployed intercontinental-range nuclear weapons that both the US and Russia can have. It was last extended in early 2021 for five years.
Under the key nuclear arms control treaty, both the United States and Russia are permitted to conduct inspections of each other’s weapons sites.
Grammy-nominated Ghanaian dancehall and reggae superstar Stonebwoy has just dropped a larger-than-life music video for upcoming single INTO THE FUTURE off his billboard charting album 5th DIMENSION (April 28th).
As the fourth single from his latest full-length album, 5TH DIMENSION, the track is breaking new ground in social media spaces, amassing more than 250 000 organic creations on TikTok since its release in April. This and other recent successes for the artist have made this single release a no-brainer for record company Universal Music Group, who recently signed the artist for the continent via the label, Def Jam Africa, in partnership with Def Jam Recordings USA and 0207 Def Jam for the UK.
The INTO THE FUTURE video is anchored by a stellar track. The single was produced by German multi-platinum selling, Grammy-nominated collective Jugglerz – producers and DJ’s that have taken the dancehall genre to new heights in Europe.
Recorded in Berlin in the summer of 2022, the track is the perfect modern love song that combines a positive lyrical message of togetherness for the long-haul with all the right dancehall flavours. Like so much of the recent work being released by this African megastar, it is uplifting and energized with just the right amount of sex appeal to keep dancefloors alight around the globe.
Shot in Stonebwoy’s hometown of Accra by Ghanaian-born and long-time collaborator, JWillz, the video uses a love story to drive the narrative between a young couple from their school days until marriage. The exquisite styling and treatment lend a retro-cool look-and-feel to the sweet tale of wholesome love.
With fashion and styling on point, authentic African locations, beautiful landscapes, and our star driving it with an energized performance, the video is aesthetically driven from start to finish, making it one of Stonebwoy’s most stand-out offerings to date.
At least 41 people, mostly kids, were killed and six others were kidnapped when armed rebels assaulted a school in western Uganda, according to Ugandan officials.
Military spokesman Felix Kulayigye told CNN that some of the victims were killed by machete attacks while others perished in dormitory fires.
The Lhubirira secondary school was attacked late on Friday by about 20 members of the rebel organisation Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), which has ties to ISIS.
The school is situated along Uganda’s border with Congo in the town of Kasese, and educates children between the ages of 13 and 18. Of the dead, 39 were students and two were from the local community, local officials said.
Authorities were still trying to extinguish the fire by Saturday morning. The military suspects more dead bodies may be found, but said there was no one still alive trapped in the school.
According to Kulayigye, there had been 62 people in the school during the attack.
“We’re commiserating with the families, and the leadership of the UPDF (Ugandan Peoples’ Defense Forces) are on the ground and have been deployed to protect the place,” he added.
The United Nations condemned the attack. “Those responsible for this appalling act must be brought to justice,” a statement read.
Extending “heartfelt condolences” to victims and their families, Secretary General Antonio Guterres called for the immediate release of those abducted and reiterated “the importance of collective efforts to tackle cross border insecurity between Congo and Uganda and restore durable peace in the area.”
The spokesman for Uganda’s military operations in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Major Bilal Katamba, told CNN the military is pursuing the suspects in the DRC and believes they are headed towards the Virunga National Park.
Major Dick Olum, commander of the UPDF operation in eastern DRC, said the rebels had spent two days in the town – where they were led and shown around by local residents – before the killings.
“Everybody should be on the lookout,” he warned residents in Kasese.
“If you see someone you don’t recognize, have him arrested. Please identify the youth that led the ADF here,” he appealed.
Footage of the aftermath showed whole areas of the school cordoned off and armored military vehicles in the vicinity. Large crowds were also seen gathering on school premises.
Ugandan government officials led by State Minister for Higher Education John Muyingo visited the school on Saturday.
In a statement shared on Twitter, First Lady Janet Museveni said the government was “providing support for the bereaved families during this trying time.”
“On behalf of the Ugandan government… I extend heartfelt condolences to the families, students, staff of Lhubiliriha Secondary School and the broader community affected by this tragedy,” she said.
“We call upon everyone to offer prayers for the affected families and community while also urging vigilance to uphold the safety of our children in schools.”
“I remain confident that the UPDF, with divine guidance, will ensure those responsible face justice,” she added.
An eyewitness who lost three cousins in the brutal attack, told CNN that the local mortuary is “very crowded” as victims rescued from the school continue to be treated.
“I knew my relatives were at school, so when I heard about the incident, very early in the morning we rushed to the hospital and we found their bodies there, and the mortuary was very crowded,” Clay Biromunane said.
Biromunane was in his bedroom around 300 meters away from the school when he heard gunfire erupt at around 10:40 p.m. local time.
“Up to now people are up and down looking for their relatives,” Biromunane said.
The 35-year-old said the community was “very much surprised” by the attack and said they had never experienced anything like it before.
Mapoze Slevest, Mayor of Mpondwe, similarly expressed surprise, telling reporters that Mpondwe “was a good community with no rebels.”
Based along the mountainous border between Uganda and the DRC, the ADF began fighting against the government after being founded in the mid-90s.
The group was sanctioned by the United States and the United Nations in 2014 for terrorist activities in the region, including attacks on children.
The US Department of Treasury denounced the ADF “for targeting children in situations of armed conflict, including through killing, rape, abduction and forced displacement.”
In January, the ADF was accused of detonating a bomb during a church service in the DRC, killing at least 12 worshipers.
Following more than five years of experiments, the Singapore Police Force has now put these two robots to use in their patrol of Changi Airport. They are merely the first of several similar robots that the police intends to use in the Southeast Asian city-state to “augment frontline officers” in the ensuing years.
The robots, which have been patrolling the airport since April, are meant to “project additional police presence” and serve as extra “eyes on the ground,” according to the force, which describes them as the latest addition to its “technological arsenal.”
And they are no mere gimic. During an incident, says the force, the robots are able to enforce cordons and warn bystanders using their blinkers, sirens and speakers while they wait for human officers to arrive. Members of the public can directly communicate with the force by pushing a button on the robots’ front.
The Singapore Police Force said Friday that more robots would be “progressively deployed” across the city-state.
“The integration of robotics enhances the operational efficiency and capabilities of our frontline officers, enabling them to be more effective in their duties,” said superintendent and operations head Lim Ke Wei of airport police.
Each robot comes with in-built speakers that broadcast audio messages and a rear LCD panel displaying visual messages. They stand at roughly 1.7 meters (5.5 feet) tall, but have extendable masts that take that up to 2.3 meters (7.5 feet).
They are also equipped with multiple cameras giving them 360-degree vision, enabling airport police to have “unobstructed views” for “better incident management,” it added.
They are just the latest robots to be employed on civic duties in this tech-savvy nation of more than 5 million people.
Earlier versions of the robots were deployed at public parades in 2018 and 2022.
During the coronavirus, robot dogs were used to enforce strict social distancing, while cleaner robots are a common sight at metro stations across the country – as well as at the airport.
Meanwhile, transport officials are hopeful commercial flying taxis could be a reality in just two years’ time.
But even in a land where robots are relatively common, the latest recruits could take some getting used to.
American traveler Samwell Swant was among those doing a double take when he passed through Terminal 4 to catch a recent flight to Vietnam.
“It was certainly a sight – like something out of a movie or Black Mirror,” Swant told CNN. “It was hard not to notice.”
Curious, he approached it cautiously to get a closer look and saw it light up as a camera extended out.
“ChatCPT… AI music… robots… Soon machines will take over the world and these security robots definitely look like they mean business,” he said.
The country’s coast guard said on Sunday that a ship carrying 120 people caught fire off the island of Bohol in the Philippines.
Videos released by the Philippine Coast Guard showed billows of black smoke and flames erupting from the back of the MV Esperanza Star.
All 120 passengers and staff members were safely taken from the ship, the coast guard informed CNN. It claimed that no injuries had been sustained and that the fire had been put out.
When the fire started, the ship was sailing between the Philippine islands of Siquijor and Bohol, according to the coast guard.
In a statement on Facebook, the coast guard said its rescue ships would remain in the waters of Panglao, Bohol, to monitor the situation.
Seven persons were hurt when a hot air balloon crashed to the ground after catching fire before takeoff.
The balloon’s basket included four women and three men when the terrifying occurrence occurred in Switzerland this morning.
Shortly after 6 a.m. local time, emergency personnel were summoned to the location in the village of Hünenberg, southwest of Zurich.
Police in the canton of Zug said one man and two women were rushed to hospital in a serious condition.
The other four occupants – two women and two men – suffered minor injuries.
Paramedics took some of the injured to hospital, while others were taken privately.
Those on board were aged between 28 and 62.
Pictures from the scene show thick black smoke pouring from the disintegrated basket and balloon’s parachute as flames continue to tear through it.
It is not immediately clear what caused the fire, but the incident is now under investigation by the Swiss Safety Investigation Board SUST.
The federal prosecutor has also been informed.
A police spokesman said: ’20 members of the Hünenberg fire brigade, several ambulances from the Zug and Küssnacht am Rigi rescue services, the emergency doctor vehicle from the Zug rescue services, several patrols from the Zug police and an employee from the fire brigade inspectorate were on duty.’
In April this year, a couple were killed and their teenage daughter was left with serious injuries after they were forced to jump from a hot air balloon when it burst into flames.
Jose Nolasco, 50, and his wife Viridiana Becerril, 39, died after the horrific accident near the pre-Hispanic ruin site of Teotihuacan, just north of Mexico City.
Their daughter Regina Itzani, 13, survived but suffered second-degree burns and a broken arm.
The family had posed for a photo just moments before the hot air balloon burst into flames on what was supposed to be a surprise birthday present for Viridiana, organised by Jose and Regina.
Last year, two Spanish people died and three others were hurt after a hot air balloon made a crash landing in Turkey.
The accident happened in the central Cappadocia region, where millions of tourists go sightseeing every year.
There were 28 tourists and two crew members on board when the balloon made a hard landing after the tour of volcanic rock formations.
None those injured suffered life-threatening injuries.
Mpondwe-Lhubiriha Mayor Selevest Mapoze told The Associated Press that some of the students suffered fatal burns when a dormitory was set on fire.
Others were shot or hacked with machetes.
The raid, which happened around 11:30 p.m., involved about five attackers, the Ugandan military said.
Soldiers from a nearby brigade who responded to the attack found the school on fire, ‘with dead bodies of students lying in the compound,’ military spokesman Brig. Felix Kulayigye said in a statement.
Residents sit near the scene of the violent rampage in Mpondwe (Picture: AFP)
The statement cited 47 bodies, with eight other people wounded and being treated at a local hospital.
Ugandan troops are ‘pursuing the perpetrators to rescue the abducted students’ who were forced to carry looted food toward Congo’s Virunga National Park, it added.
It is suspected that the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), an extremist group that has long since been launching attacks from its bases in eastern Congo, are behind the raid.
The school, co-ed and privately owned, is located in the Ugandan district of Kasese, about 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) from the Congo border.
Who are the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF?)
The ADF has been accused of launching many attacks in recent years targeting civilians in remote parts of eastern Congo.
The shadowy group rarely claims responsibility for attacks.
The ADF has long opposed the rule of Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, a U.S. security ally who has held power in this East African country since 1986.
The group was established in the early 1990s by some Ugandan Muslims, who said they had been sidelined by Museveni’s policies.
At the time, the rebels staged deadly attacks in Ugandan villages as well as in the capital, including a 1998 attack in which 80 students were massacred in a town not from the scene of the latest attack.
A Ugandan military assault later forced the ADF into eastern Congo, where many rebel groups are able to operate because the central government has limited control there.
The group has since established ties with the Islamic State group.
Joe Walusimbi, an official representing Uganda’s president in Kasese, told the AP agency over the phone that some of the victims ‘were burnt beyond recognition.’
Winnie Kiiza, an influential political leader and a former lawmaker from the region, condemned the ‘cowardly attack’ on Twitter.
She said ‘attacks on schools are unacceptable and are a grave violation of children’s rights,’ adding that schools should always be a safe place for every student.’
In March , at least 19 people were killed in Congo by suspected ADF extremists.
Ugandan authorities for years have vowed to track down ADF militants even outside Ugandan territory. In 2021, Uganda launched joint air and artillery strikes in Congo against the group.
The prime minister has been urged by Humza Yousaf to request the release of a Scottish Sikh blogger who has been imprisoned since 2017.
The first minister urged Rishi Sunak to take a “direct approach” in a letter, claiming Jagtar Singh Johal had been wrongly imprisoned.
When Mr. Singh Johal, from Dumbarton, was detained for an alleged murder conspiracy, he was in Punjab for his wedding.
He could receive the death penalty.
His family say he has been tortured, including through electric shocks, before being made to sign a blank confession document.
These allegations have been denied by the Indian authorities.
In Scotland, Mr Johal was an active blogger, highlighting historical human rights abuses and atrocities against Sikhs in the Punjab region.
He has been detained in a series of Indian prisons, accused of funding the purchase of weapons used to assassinate a number of right-wing Hindu religious and political leaders in the Punjab.
He denies the charges against him and says his arrest and trial are politically-motivated.
Mr Yousaf met Gurpreet Singh Johal, the brother of Jagtar Singh Johal, earlier this month and vowed to keep lobbying for his release.
In his letter to Mr Sunak, the first minister said: “Jagtar has now been imprisoned in India for over 2,000 days.
“In May 2022, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention concluded that Jagtar Singh Johal had been arbitrarily detained and his detention breached international human rights law.
“The clear recommendation of the report was that Jagtar Singh Johal should be immediately released. Yet Jagtar remains in prison.
“I am therefore writing to ask that you make a direct approach to the government of India to ask for Jagtar’s immediate release in line with the UN Working Group’s unequivocal recommendation.
“This would give the family the reassurance of knowing that the UK government is prioritising the protection of a citizen who has been wrongfully imprisoned.”
The Foreign Office said it had raised its concerns, including Mr Johal’s allegations of torture, with the Indian government on more than 100 occasions and would continue to do so.
It said consular staff visit him regularly to check on his welfare and did so most recently on 1 May. They also continue to attend relevant court hearings in an observer capacity.
A spokesman said the Foreign Secretary most recently discussed Mr Johal’s case with the Indian external affairs minister in New Delhi on 1 March.
Since becoming king, King Charles III has participated in one Trooping the Colour.
In recognition of their grandfather’s formal birthday, Princess Charlotte, Princes Louis and George, and other royals gathered on the Buckingham Palace balcony to watch a flypast.
Aircraft were utilised to spell out the King’s initials, CR, as a surprise tribute.
At Horse Guard’s Parade and the Mall in London, a large crowd observed the event.
The royals watched an extended military flypast after the display on coronation day had to be scaled down due to bad weather.
Around 70 aircraft from the Royal Navy, British Army and Royal Air Force took part – including aircraft from the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, the C-130 Hercules on its final ceremonial flight, modern Typhoon fighter jets with a red, white and blue finale from the Red Arrows.
A sea of mobile phones were spotted among the crowds, with many holding them up in the air to capture the moment.
The Trooping the Colour is part of the annual calendar of big royal events and for the first time, it was with King Charles in the leading role.
There may have been a moment of poignancy for the King too. Just a year ago, at the Platinum Jubilee, it had been his mother on the same balcony, appearing before the crowds.
The King took has part in his first Trooping the Colour as monarch on horseback.
The King’s horse appeared to be a little skittish at the start, but calmed down as the event went on.
It is the first time a monarch has ridden on horseback at the event in 30 years, when the late Queen rode her horse, Burmese, in 1986.
He was joined by the other royal Colonels on horseback – the Prince of Wales and the Princess Royal.
The Duke of Edinburgh also rode during the ceremony in his role as Colonel of the 1st Battalion London Guards.
The ceremony started at Buckingham Palace, with the King and senior royals travelling down The Mall towards Horse Guards Parade.
The colour – or regimental flag – was then trooped in front of hundreds of Guardsmen and officers from the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards.
There was music and marching while the King carried out an inspection of the soldiers – moving slowly along the line as they stand in formation.
After he coursed through the Mall, the King received the royal salute as the Colonel-in-Chief of the Household Division’s regiments.
The senior royals on horseback were joined by the Queen, the Princess of Wales and her children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis, who travelled in a carriage to support their grandfather.
Image caption, Thousands gathered to watch King Charles at the birthday paradeImage caption, The Princess of Wales wore emerald greenImage caption, Prince George of Wales, Prince Louis of Wales and Princess Charlotte of Wales rode along in the carriageImage caption, Sophie, Countess of Wessex and Timothy Laurence during Trooping the ColourImage caption, Prince William rode on horsebackImage caption, A soldier troops the colour
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was spotted in the crowd, as well as Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, along with prime ministers of Commonwealth states and realms.
One royal fan said they were “so happy” to be at Trooping the Colour after missing out on the King’s Coronation.
They said: “We’re so happy about coming today. We’ve been bringing our kids to see all of the pomp and ceremony for years.
“We’ve been exchanging photos, and we’ve got plans for birthday cocktails later.”
Before the ceremony began, the Prince of Wales paid tribute to those took part in last week’s rehearsal in soaring temperatures, which reached 30°C (86F) in London.
Image caption, An aerial view of the parade captured the scale of the eventImage caption, Leader of the opposition, Sir Keir Starmer, is spotted in the crowdImage caption, Queen Camilla and the Princess of Wales ride along in a carriageImage caption, Rishi Sunak was also in attendanceImage caption, A view of the crowd at the event
The last time a monarch was on horseback was when chart toppers included Wham! and Doctor and the Medics.
Following the parade, troops fired a 41-gun salute in Green Park to mark the King’s official birthday – while from the Tower of London the Honourable Artillery Company fired 62 volleys.
The President and Founder of the African Centre for Economic Transformation (ACET), Dr. K.Y Amoako, has urged the government to undertake proactive measures and implement comprehensive strategies aimed at driving the transformation of the Ghanaian economy.
He said the next two and a half decades between 2025 and 2050 would remain critical moments for the transformation of Ghana.
Dr Amoako, who made the observation in Accra on Wednesday during the 5th Made in Africa Leadership conference, a Pan-African leadership enhancement conference for African leaders, said 2025 would mark the beginning of the second quarter of the 21st century and the period the new government would assume power in the country.
The two-day event, organised by the Breakfast Club Africa (BCA) Leadership on the theme ‘Making Africa work for Africans: collaborations and partnerships’, was attended by Chief Executive Officers, Managing Directors, and captains of industry from about 19 countries.
Dr Amoako, who had worked with the World Bank and United Nations for several decades, said Ghana had achieved a lot and was a champion of Pan-Africanism and integration of Africa.
However, he said there was much to be done to address poverty and promote the socio-economic development of the country.
Dr Amoako said in line with the development agenda of Ghana for the next 25 years, the ACET had developed a programme to seek the inputs of the various political parties and stakeholders on the social, political, and economic policies of the country.
Dubbed Compact with Ghana, Dr Amoako said the programme was to engage the various political actors and stakeholders to seek their views on policies for the development of the country.
Dr Amoako said his vision for a united and prosperous Africa would require an economic, social, and political transformation of African economies.
He called for effective and transformative leadership to promote the development of the African continent.
The Board Chairperson of the BCA Leadership, Madam Charity Chanda Lumpa, who spoke on leadership, said it was critical for the development of Africa, saying effective leadership required resilience and adaptation.
She said leaders should not be autocratic and should have the ability to understand and be empathetic to the emotions and needs of their subordinates.
The actions of Nollywood actress Judy Austin, who deliberately locked her husband Yul Edochie outside their home during the nighttime with the intention of imparting a lesson, have generated significant reactions and discussions.
The two movie actors have been causing a stir online with a number of videos that show them constantly arguing with one another.
In a new video shared on Facebook, Judy Austin locked out her husband late at night for always coming home late.
Yul Edochie, who was standing on the opposite side of the gate was being questioned by her as she watched him explain himself.
She said that she had chosen to keep him out because he believes he is free to return home whenever he pleases and tell that she has no right to probe his whereabouts.
Some Reacting to the video
Samuel wrote; “Why don’t they just sign a deal with Netflix or Amazon to televise this properly and make better money from it.. this is beyond ordinary now”
Frank commented; “Na only God know wetin Pete Edochie do for him past life we make him first son go bring disgrace come the family.”
The Public Interest and Accountability Committee (PIAC) has engaged Media personnel across the country to discuss the 2022 PIAC Annual Report on the management and use of petroleum revenues, as well as other petroleum revenue management-related issues in Ghana.
The two-day program which is being held in Cape Coast- Central region, highlights that since the start of petroleum production in the country in 2010, the government has for the first time recorded the highest petroleum revenue for a single year in 2022 despite significant decline in production volumes.
Data from the PIAC report as presented to the various media personnel including managing news editors and morning show hosts/Producers in the country showed that petroleum receipts for 2022 amounted to $1.43 billion, representing an increase of 42 per cent over the projected revenue for the year and 82.38 percent higher than the receipts for 2021 of $783.33 million.
A member of PIAC, Suleman Anderson noted in the report’s presentation that “Despite our higher increased in revenue in 2022, the country had a shortfall of over 3.5Million barrels of crude as compared to the 2021 data
“Ghana produced 51.7Million barrels of crude from its 3 oil fields in 2022, whilst in 2021, we produced 55.05 barrels of crude.”
He indicated further that apart from 2022’s $1.43 billion in receipts, government’s highest annual receipts from petroleum production have been $978.02 million in 2014 and $976.09 million in 2018, with 2016 bringing the lowest revenue receipts of $247.18 million since 2011.
Alhaji Suleman explained again that the sharp rise in Petroleum revenue for the year 2022 was attributable to the increase of Crude prices on the world market.
“The significant rise in revenue in 2022 was mainly due to the sharp increase in the price of crude oil on the world market occasioned by the Russia-Ukraine war and favourable international crude oil prices which were higher than estimated prices.
“The Russia-Ukraine war only gave us trouble downstream but compensated us in the upstream level for the losses we incurred in the downstream”, he said.
PIAC observed that in the use of the revenues generated from the oil production, the Ghana National Petroleum Commission (GNPC) mainly appropriated the funds on projects that are not in its remit and which are better covered by the finances of the central government, warning that the Commission should stick to its mandate and guard against the reckless use of our oil revenues.
“GNPC’s expenditure on various line items, mainly administrative expenditure and its capital projects, witnessed significant increases by more than 200 percent in 2022
“GNPC’s continued funding of the construction of roads in the Western Corridor enclave constitutes quasi-fiscal expenditure, and should be the responsibility of the central government. The total expenditure by GNPC on these roads since 2014 is $124.66Million
Given that petroleum revenues recorded a historic high in 2022, GNPC should manage its expenditure and build buffers against volatilities in petroleum revenue inflows in the future so as to not deny areas like the District Assembly Common Fund of rightful money needed for infrastructure development and governance at the local level”, it stated.
The Public Interest and Accountability Committee (PIAC) is an independent statutory body mandated to promote transparency and accountability in the management and use of petroleum revenues in Ghana.
The media engagement program on the report’s presentation is partnered by GIZ.
The Scot overseeing the UK’s relief efforts in the devastated southern Turkey thinks the crisis is finally starting to lighten after four months.
In the hours following the earthquakes in February, Erlend Linklater of Selkirk managed the dispatch of British rescue teams.
A field hospital was also established by the 48-year-old in the region of Gaziantep that had been completely destroyed.
The end of the tunnel is in sight, according to Erlend, even though progress has been slow.
Almost 60,000 people died across southern Turkey and northern Syria when two huge earthquakes struck during 6 February.
Many more were injured and displaced as thousands of buildings either totally or partially collapsed.
Image caption, White Helmets rescue teams spent many weeks in northern Syria and southern Turkey
Erlend has been in Turkey for four years working as a humanitarian adviser with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) as about 3.7 million refugees fled from the Syrian civil war.
Despite being previously based in some of the world’s most war-torn countries, such as Afghanistan, Angola and southern Sudan, he was still shocked by the scale of death and damage.
“If you work in conflict areas, you are used to seeing destroyed buildings, but if they are near the front line then often the civilian population has been evacuated,” he said.
“The scary thing about the earthquake is there was no warning and it happened at four o’clock in the morning when most people were asleep, meaning every collapsed building you look at is a mass graveyard.
“I’ve worked for a number of years in live conflicts with plenty of shooting and bombing going on, but in terms of the impact emotionally, this is one of the hardest things I’ve had to work on.”
Image caption, Erlend with UK ambassador Jill Morris and the UK’s UN representative Barbara Woodward in Hatay
The Scot has remained at the forefront of the UK government‘s disaster relief effort since the earthquakes struck.
He initially oversaw the deployment of 77 search and rescue experts, and in the days after the deathly tremors, helped co-ordinate a joint field hospital for the FCDO and the Ministry of Defence in Gaziantep.
More than 20,000 patients have since been treated at the temporary medical base.
Erlend has also been involved in making sure UK government aid, worth a total of £43m, reaches the worst-affected communities.
He said: “I don’t think there is a person in the affected areas who will not know somebody who has died. So many people are grieving.
“Some of the worst affected places like Hatay were places I knew well, visited frequently, and was fond of, which has compounded it and made it hit home even harder.”
Image caption, The field hospital in Gaziantep has treated more than 20,000 patients since it was set up by Erlend
Although about 2.4 million people are still living in camps and other temporary sites, Erlend believes that, after four months, noticeable progress is now being made.
He added: “We are continuing to provide shelter, water sanitation and hygiene and doing everything we can to minimise the spread of disease.
“I am based in Ankara, but every time I go down I see progress.
“Although there is still a long way to go, I can say for the first time in more than four months that there is light at the end of the tunnel.”
Just days after a tornado in the state claimed the lives of three people, millions of Texans are preparing for extremely hot weather this weekend.
Since Thursday, when a significant storm system hit the southern US and also caused fatalities in Florida and Mississippi, temperatures have been rising.
As of Friday night, 400,000 consumers in the South are without power.
Authorities issue a warning that when residents run their air conditioners, the extreme heat will put a burden on electrical infrastructure.
The extreme temperatures come as the US prepares to celebrate the Juneteenth holiday on Monday, a federal holiday.
The National Weather Service (NWS) issued a heat advisory until Sunday, warning people in Texas that temperatures could feel as hot at 110F (43C) at times.
Cities across Texas have opened up cooling centres for vulnerable residents.
“Anyone ready for Winter yet?” NWS forecasters posted on Twitter on Friday, adding that heat records are expected to be broken over the weekend.
As the danger of storms subsides on Saturday evening, the risk of extreme heat across the region will remain, the NWS said.
The heat comes with a week to go before the summer season officially begins on 21 June.
In the small Texas town of Perryton, one person died in a mobile home park and two others were killed when a tornado devastated the downtown area on Thursday evening.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott has signed an emergency order to expedite the state’s recovery efforts. A child was reportedly among those killed.
At least 30 mobile homes in Perryton, population 8,000, took a “direct hit” from the tornado and were damaged or destroyed, said a local fire chief.
At least 10 people were taken to hospital in critical condition, officials said, adding that one local hospital was forced to operate on a generator due to power outages.
Over 100 people have been treated for injuries in hospital.
In Florida, a woman died in the northern city of Pensacola after a tree fell on her home.
In Mississippi, a tree fell into a man’s garage, killing him as he was packing his car to travel to Georgia for his brother’s funeral.Media caption,
Watch: Are tornadoes in the US getting worse?
About 174,000 customers were without electricity in Texas as of Friday evening, according to the Poweroutage.us website.
Some 152,000 more were in the dark in Louisiana, 107,000 in Mississippi and 25,000 in Florida.
The mayor of Eufaula, Alabama, told local media on Thursday that a tornado carved a nearly four-mile path through town, tearing down at least one building and toppling 40 trees.
This was the fourth time a twister hit the small town in as many years, the mayor said.
In neighbouring Georgia, two people narrowly escaped a house that collapsed during storms in the south-west of the state, the town’s sheriff was quoted as saying by local media.
Madam Doris Duodu, the Deputy Director for Renewable Energy at the Ministry of Energy, Ghana stands as a strong contender to spearhead the transition towards an electric mobility era in Africa.
She said the nation’s wealth of electrical energy would play to its advantage in the promotion and success of an electric vehicle.
Speaking at the first Regional Consultative meeting on the draft Electric Vehicle Policy in Ho, Ms. Duodu said the coming EV regime would help provide demand for the huge chunk of excess electrical power generated and thus a Drive Electric Initiative by the Energy Commission and its stakeholders to promote patronage.
“Our current installed capacity of over 5,400 megawatts is significantly more than our current peak demand of about 3,700 megawatts. At this current rate, Ghana will need to create demand within the system to take the excess supply of electricity.
“Ghana will be one of the first to set an example that West Africa and for that matter Africa can be part of the success story of electric mobility,” she said while touting the benefits of the “Drive Electric Initiative” campaign.
The Deputy Director said the campaign, which stood upon the nation’s renewable energy resources including solar, would help save the country from the inundation of internal combustion engines, which are being phased out, and would secure an of green and sustainable technology for the future.
“With our ambitious target of achieving our renewable energy commitment under the Paris agreement, Ghana will not only be spearheading the drive for electric vehicles but leading Africa into a clean and sustainable energy production and utilisation.”
Ms. Duodu said the world faced a timeline of less than a decade to avert “catastrophic climate change” according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, and that, “it is not so much a lifestyle choice but a necessity for survival for everyone to switch to electric vehicles in the next few years to contribute to the reduction of global warming”.
She said the adoption of EVs had increased as major auto manufacturers and markets moved to address carbon emissions, with some countries such as China, France, and the UK considering a radical ban on the production and sale of internal combustion engines (ICEs).
“It is time for Ghana and Africa to follow suit and make plans towards embracing electric vehicles ourselves in order to harness our enormous solar energy potential productively to meet our climate emission targets while simultaneously providing clean and affordable means of transport,” the Deputy Director added.
She said the “enormous savings” on using an EV owing to its low energy cost, had become a pull factor, and that a baseline study by the Energy Commission made bare the prospects and the outlooks for the country.
The study said Ghana currently had four level 2 charging stations all concentrated in Accra, and that the skills base for the emerging technology were in “short supply” with only three adequately resourced EV dealerships and maintenance outlets available.
The study also reported a “huge gap” in public awareness on the prospects of EVs, and which was evident in the reactions of Ghanaians to the possibility of owning the vehicles built on the platform.
The report said about 17,000 plug-in EVs were imported into the country from 2017 to 2021, while the Ghana Revenue Authority observed a 91 per cent representation of hybrid electric vehicles among the EV category 2021.
Mr. Frederick Obeng Adom, Deputy Minister for Transport, who opened the meeting, said the nation’s transport sector continued to own a significant share of greenhouse gas emissions, with 99 per cent of the about 3.2 million registered vehicles being powered by petrol and diesel burning ICEs.
He said it was crucial that Ghana took advantage of opportunities in new energy regimes towards a net-zero emission future, which was being made possible through the development of the National Electric Vehicle Policy which evolved from an Electric Mobility Framework developed in 2022.
The Deputy Minister said extensive stakeholder consultation was needed in producing the best national policy, and which would cater for the interests of all including the various Ministries, Agencies and Departments, and also focal groups such as vehicle manufacturers, transport operators, repair and maintenance outlets and civil society organisations.
He gave the assurance that the Government would not hasten the transition, and that the cost buildup at the ports over vehicle importations was one of strategies to limit the influx of older vehicles for environmental safety.
“It is actually going to be very gradual as we build into the system of electric vehicles,” Mr. Adom stated, and assured also that stranded human resources within the transition would be taken care of.
There were presentations on the draft National Electric Vehicle Policy, which offered the wide representation at the meeting the opportunity to seek clarifications and provide input and suggestions to its improvement.
The policy document, built upon international best practices, is expected to transform transport in the country, and would be forwarded to Cabinet for approval after completing nationwide consultations.
The UN should “without delay” remove its peacekeeping mission from Mali, according to the country’s foreign minister.
The force, Minusma, was charged by Abdoulaye Diop of “becoming a part of the problem in fostering intercommunal tensions.” Speaking before the UN Security Council.
There are more than 13,000 soldiers in Minusma. Its ten-year objective to halt the rise of extremist violence has fallen short.
The UN should “without delay” remove its peacekeeping mission from Mali, according to the country’s foreign minister.
The force, Minusma, was charged by Abdoulaye Diop of “becoming a part of the problem in fostering intercommunal tensions.” Speaking before the UN Security Council.
There are more than 13,000 soldiers in Minusma. Its ten-year objective to halt the rise of extremist violence has fallen short.
Now assisting Mali’s military authorities are Russian Wagner mercenaries.
Chef Dammy, the viral Ekiti chef also known as Damilola Adeparusi, has clarified that her recently concluded cooking marathon was not intended as an endeavor to break the Guinness World Record, contrary to popular belief.
The young chef made this revelation in a chat with BBC Yoruba after successfully reaching her target of 120 hours.
Chef Dammy, an undergraduate from Ekiti State, gained viral attention on social media when she embarked on an extraordinary feat of cooking continuously for 120 hours.
Many people assumed that her endeavor was an attempt to surpass Nigerian chef Hilda Baci’s record for the longest cooking time by an individual.
However, during her interview with the BBC, Chef Dammy clarified that her remarkable endeavor was simply a personal challenge driven by her love for cooking.
“I did it because I enjoy cooking. I didn’t do it to be recognized by the Guinness World Record or to break Hilda Baci’s record,” she said in Yoruba.
German scientists are ecstatic to have discovered an incredibly well-preserved Bronze Age sword that is more than 3,000 years old.
The octagonal-hilted bronze sword was discovered in a burial in the southern town of Nördlingen. It’s believed to date back to the late 14th century BC.
According to the State Office for Monument Protection (BLfD) of Bavaria, its condition is so good that “it almost still shines.”
The cemetery also has other bronze objects and the remains of a man, wife, and boy.
The archaeologists are not sure whether the three were related, and the rarity of the find raises questions about the sword’s origin.
The BLfD says manufacturing such a sword was complicated, as the hilt was cast on to the blade. The Nördlingen sword does not appear to have been used in anger, but it is believed to have been a real weapon, not just ornamental.
Vladimir Putin claims that Russia has already placed a first wave of tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus.
They would only be used if Russia’s state or territory was in danger, the president of Russia stated at a seminar.
There is no indication, according to the US government, that the Kremlin will attack Ukraine with nuclear weapons.
After Mr. Putin’s remarks, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated, “We don’t see any indications that Russia is preparing to use a nuclear weapon.”
Belarus is a key Russian ally and served as a launchpad for Mr Putin’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February last year.
Mr Putin said transferring the tactical nuclear warheads would be completed by the end of the summer.
Answering questions after a speech at the St Petersburg International Economic Forum, Russia’s president said the move was about “containment” and to remind anyone “thinking of inflicting a strategic defeat on us”.
When asked by the forum’s moderator about the possibility of using those weapons, he replied: “Why should we threaten the whole world? I have already said that the use of extreme measures is possible in case there is a danger to Russian statehood.”
Tactical nuclear weapons are small nuclear warheads and delivery systems intended for use on the battlefield, or for a limited strike. They are designed to destroy enemy targets in a specific area without causing widespread radioactive fallout.
The smallest tactical nuclear weapons can be one kiloton or less (producing the equivalent to a thousand tonnes of the explosive TNT). The largest ones can be as big as 100 kilotons. By comparison, the atomic bomb the US dropped on Hiroshima in 1945 was 15 kilotons.
The Russian leader is due to meet African leaders in St Petersburg after they visited Kyiv on Friday as part of a peace initiative they are presenting to both countries.
However while they were in the city it came under Russian missile attack.
Image caption, The African leaders are due to meet Mr Putin on Saturday
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa called for de-escalation on both sides and negotiations for peace.
“We came here to listen and recognise what the people of Ukraine have gone through,” he said.
But Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky said instead of making diplomatic overtures to Russia it should be frozen out diplomatically to send a message that the international community condemned its invasion.
Kyiv would not enter negotiations with Moscow while it still occupied Ukrainian territory, Mr Zelensky said.Media caption,
‘The road to peace is not an easy one,’ said President Cyril Ramaphosa in Ukraine
Mr Putin also repeated his claim that Ukraine stood no chance of succeeding in its ongoing counter-offensive.
The Ukrainian military was also running out of its own military equipment and would soon only be using Western-donated equipment, he said.
“You can’t fight for long like that,” he said, warning that any F16 US fighter jets given to Ukraine “will burn, no doubt about it”.
Ukraine has previously dismissed similar remarks, asserting they are making progress in recapturing territory in both eastern and southern Ukraine.
On Friday, Ukraine’s Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Malyar said in the south of the country units had advanced 2km in all directions.
The BBC cannot independently verify battlefield claims.
The Russian leader also addressed economic themes, claiming that Western sanctions on Russia had failed to isolate it and instead led to an expansion in its trade with “the markets of the future”.
He praised new deals with countries in Asia, the Middle East and Latin America – calling them “reliable, responsible partners”.
Evelyn Branford, a talented Gospel musician hailing from both Britain and Ghana, has been honored with three nominations at the highly anticipated INGOMA Awards ceremony.
Her single “Ameni,” featuring South African Pastor Naomi Wesi, is up for Best Gospel Single, Best Music Video and Best Gospel Collaboration for the 10th edition of INGOMA Awards 2023.
“I am so honored to be nominated for three INGOMA Awards,” Evelyn Branford told this reporter.
“This is a huge blessing for me, Pastor Naomi Wesi and my team. I want to thank everyone who has supported my music over the years. I am so grateful for the opportunity to share my love of Jesus through music,” she said.
“Ameni” ft Pastor Naomi is a powerful and uplifting song that has resonated with listeners around the world.
The song’s message of hope and joy has inspired many people, and it has become a popular choice for worship services and other gatherings.
The Independent National Gospel Music Awards (INGOMA) honor the best in gospel music, including artists, albums, songs, and videos.
The 10th Edition of INGOMA Awards 2023 will be held on August 26, 2023 in Red Conference Centre, Edenvale, Johannesburg.
Evelyn Branford is a passionate advocate for using music to spread the message of true worship and God’s love.
She is a role model for young people, and an inspiration to her fans around the world.
Evelyn Branford has many songs to her credit including, “No One Like You”, “Come Magnify the Lord”, “Who is Like You” and most recently “Ameni” ft. Pastor Naomi Wesi.
The INGOMA Awards are a prestigious honor, and Evelyn Branford is well-deserving of her nominations.
She is a talented musician with a powerful message, and an asset to the gospel music community.
One benefit of Queen Elizabeth‘s that stood out over her 70-year reign was the fact that she celebrated two birthdays, which was something the rest of us could only hope for.
Her Majesty was born on April 21st, 1926, but her ‘formal birthday celebration’ was the annual Trooping of the Colour parade, which takes place in the summer, typically in June.
Today, June 17, is Trooping of the Colour, and King Charles will carry on the tradition for the first time as monarch while also marking his “official birthday.”
But why does the King have two birthdays, and how did the tradition begin?
Why does King Charles III have two birthdays?
King Charles will carry on the tradition of Trooping the Colour, which dates all the way back to 1748.
So, as a result, it’s implied he will indeed continue having two birthdays.
The first royal ruler to have two birthday celebrations was the Queen’s distant relative, King George II – who wished to throw a public celebration, with a parade and plenty of pomp and circumstance to mark the occasion of his birthday.
However, having been born in November, the odds on the weather holding out for a huge outdoor bash in the UK were pretty slim.
Instead, the monarch decided to use the UK’s annual military parade held in the summer as his official birthday celebration, meaning that he would mark his birthday twice – once for the public in the summer and once in private in November.
Rather conveniently, our now King’s birthday is also in November – so Charles’ decision to host Trooping the Colour 2023 on June 17 feels more connected to history than ever before.
When it’s eventually time for the nation to have a King William, the tradition of two birthdays might come to an end.
This is because William’s birthday is already in June.
Individual Bondholders Forum (IBF) and Individual Bondholders Association of Ghana (IBHAG) are likely to receive their coupons on Friday, June 30.
This is due to the government’s new promise of completing the payment of coupons which have been in arrears for some time now.
The promise was borne out of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), between the Ministry of Finance, the Individual Bondholders Forum (IBF) and the Individual Bondholders Association of Ghana (IBHAG) signed on May 16.
“Accordingly, to address this issue, the parties pursuant to the outcome of the engagements referred to in recital (A) above record, the understanding reached by them as follows:
1. The Government will complete payment of coupons in arrears, as of 31 May 2023, by 30 June 2023.
2. The Government undertakes to pay promptly all coupons that fall due from 1st June 2023,
3. Reprofile maturing bonds as and when they fall due into T-Bills at prevailing interest rates
4. Distribute the outstanding maturing bonds in the proportion of 35% for 91-Day, 35% for 182-day, and 30% for 364-Day treasury bills.
5. The migration of the outstanding maturing bonds into Treasury Bills will be issued using the current mode of issuance mechanics of the Government securities. For the avoidance of doubt, there will be no distinction between the reprofiled Treasury Bills, and the regular Treasury Bills issued by the Government.
6. That Government and the CIBG work together in the spirit of mutual understanding to resolve all outstanding issues to meet the immediate cash needs of individuals who did not partake in the DDE programme; give certainty of payments, and efforts toward the restoration of macroeconomic stability and economic recovery.
7. The Ministry of Finance will issue an offer memorandum with these terms to all individual bondholders who opted out of the DDEP”.
Read below the details of the Memorandum of Understanding
Russian assault waves were repulsed by Ukrainian irregular warfare strategies like “jagdkampf,” claim foreign researchers.
After Vladimir Putin launched the all-out invasion, the word, which roughly refers to small, extremely mobile units of fighters, was used to deadly effect by the defenders.
The extremely broken military command structure in the Kremlin stands in stark contrast to the ambushes and lightning attacks carried out by Ukrainian battalions with the ability to “shoot and scoot.”
The GlobSec think-tank has identified jagdkampf as one of the key reasons why Russia is ‘defeatable’ within a blueprint for repelling and ultimately vanquishing the invaders.
Dating back to the Second World War, the revived tactic is part of a defence effort involving the ‘entire Ukrainian society’, the global organisation says.
The role of Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces has previously been covered by Metro.co.uk, with their ability to operate in hotspots such as the eastern city of Bakhmut as well as deep behind enemy lines.
But women in their 80s have also played a part in repelling a force with superior numbers and firepower, according to GlobSec.
Iuliia Osmolovska, director of the think-tank’s Kyiv office, said: ‘The phenomenon of jagdkampf has been covered in a report headed How to Beat Russia by a team of international experts led by our senior advisor Nico Lange, the former chief of staff at the Federal Ministry of Defence in Germany. Jagdkampf has been in the genes of Ukraine, Belarussia and Russia since the Second World War.
‘The phenomenon was particularly evident in the early phase of the full-scale attack by Russia when highly mobile units of Ukrainian partisans were able to launch surprise attacks on Russian convoys and do a lot of harm to the invading troops.
‘Belarussian and Russian partisans not aligned with their governments are carrying out their own operations in the countries out of protest against the war Russia is waging in Ukraine.’
Ms Osmolovska spoke this week as Ukrainian forces engaged in at least three offensives reported by the country’s military and government officials to have liberated multiple settlements from Russian occupation.
While the armed forces have been the tip of the spear, GlobSec has observed how the wider population has been engaged in ‘total defence’.
High-profile examples of the approach in the first days of the war include the battle of Hostomel Airport, when units considered to be Moscow’s elite airborne troops were destroyed and repelled by the defenders.
A stalled, 40-mile long Russian military convoy also encountered stiff resistance before the invaders retreated from the approaches to Kyiv, which Putin had intended to rapidly seize.
Small units of Ukrainian troops, including civilian volunteers defending their neighbourhoods in settlements to the north of the capital, played a critical role in both engagements.
Before the war began, US General Mark Milley reportedly warned a closed session of Congress that the Russians could seize Kyiv within 72 hours.
Instead, heaps of charred Russian vehicles on roadsides were testimony to the abject failure of Moscow’s troops.
The GlobSec report reads: ‘The Russian invasion of Ukraine failed because of Ukraine’s total defense efforts within the first decisive 72 hours of battle.
‘The major Ukrainian cities directly on the borders withstood attack after attack. Chernihiv, Sumy, and Kharkiv, importantly, prevented the rapid advance of Russian forces on Kyiv, stopped the attacks, and thwarted Moscow’s attempts to turn them into logistical hubs to bolster further military advances. The populations of these cities quickly flipped a switch from leading their normal lives to putting up a stiff resistance.’
While the UK’s armed forces have been training Ukrainian troops, it is now NATO that needs to learn from the defenders, the report concludes.
‘Jagdkampf is only one of many layers outside of regular military conventions that have been contributing to Ukraine’s ability to beat Russia,’ Ms Osmolovska said.
‘As detailed in my colleagues’ report, it is aligned with the total defence of Ukraine and data fusion, both of which involve civil society.
‘A couple of weeks after the war began, the Ukrainian law enforcement and security services launched a special Telegram channel where they encouraged citizens to report the movements of Russian troop and vehicle movements. There were Ukrainian ladies aged in their 80s who filmed Russian technical vehicles and trucks passing by and sent the footage to the Ukrainian authorities.’
Civilian information, including cell phone footage and commercial drone imagery, is rapidly fed through apps into Ukraine’s military intelligence channels. The data-driven combat approach, also utilizing artificial intelligence, is said by the authors to have developed in a matter of weeks and months where it would have taken 10 years in most NATO countries.
‘This phenomenon of data fusion has contributed a great deal to the ability of Ukrainians to defend our country outside the official ranks of the armed forces,’ Ms Osmolovska said.
‘Another example is Russians who were demanding food from locals in occupied areas being given items laced with poisonous materials, which made them ill. This has all contributed to a degradation of Russian morale and ability to fight on Ukrainian land, where they thought they would be welcomed with open arms.’
The offensives are underway in the east and south-east of the country, with the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) identifying three ‘likely’ advances towards Bakhmut, Vuhledar and Orikhiv.
The US Institute for the Study of War assessed that the operations are probably setting conditions for a wider Ukrainian counter-offensive.
Ms Osmolovska said earlier this week that the prospects of Ukraine driving Russian forces out of land it has occupied after the full-scale invasion and, in a less likely scenario, reclaiming Crimea and the entirety of the Donbas, have increased due to the operations.
However, she framed the chances of Ukraine inflicting a decisive victory on the invaders as being heavily dependent on the supply of Western arms, with the most critical at present being modern fighter jets such as F-16s and long-range missile systems.
‘In our analysis, we show that Ukraine’s armed forces intelligence services are quite confident that we can win this war even this year if Ukraine receives what it requests from the West,’ Ms Osmolovska said.
‘Right now, the crucial weapons Ukraine needs are modern fighter jets and long-range missiles. It is in both Ukraine’s and our Western partners’ interest that this happens this year.’
In the long term, it may be NATO that learns how to better defend its territory and borders as a result of the Ukrainian example.
The authors conclude: ‘Russia is still continuing to wage its war of aggression against Ukraine. And yet, Russian forces are already defeated.
‘Against the resistance of Ukrainians who are supported by partners, Russia has achieved nearly none of its military goals. Ukraine will prevail.
‘The armed forces in NATO countries, the EU, and beyond should learn important lessons from the course of the war.’
Fedir Serdiuk, co-founder of Ukrainian charity the Pre-Hospital Ukrainian Life-Saving Effort (PULSE), has been part of the ‘total defence’ by providing tactical medical training for frontline personnel.
Last December, he travelled from his current base in Odessa to a NATO medical conference in Estonia, where he found that Western allies are keen to learn from his nation’s battlefield experience.
Serdiuk, who is scaling up the provision of training to Ukrainian personnel, told Metro.co.uk: ‘I went to the conference with a surgeon who was treating more patients on some days in Ukraine than individual US field hospitals were treating in a month when the West was in Iraq and Afghanistan.
‘After the conference I was invited by the European Command of the US Army to visit their location in Germany to talk and discuss about how we are saving lives on the ground in Ukraine. They were listening very carefully.
‘So it’s not just the case that NATO countries can learn from Ukraine in the future, it is already happening.’
The MoD has given a mixed picture of Russia’s battlefield response to the offensives, which some Western analysts have speculated may be a series of probing or ‘fighting reconnaissance’ attacks before a larger assault.
Some units were said to be ‘likely conducting credible manoeuvre defence’ while others pulled back in ‘disorder’ and even suffered casualties as they retreated through their own minefields.
In Kent, a police officer was stabbed, leading to the attempted murder accusation against a 48-year-old man.
A police officer in his 50s was stabbed, allegedly with a pair of scissors, at an address in Albion Place, Maidstone, at around 8 p.m. on Thursday. The victim was taken to a hospital in London with critical injuries.
The police officer is recuperating at home after being released from the hospital.
Police said this morning that Robert Jenner, 48, is scheduled to appear at Medway Magistrates’ Court today.
The officer was attacked while attending a property in Maidstone, Kent yesterday evening.
He was rushed to hospital in an air ambulance following the assault at an address in Albion Place.
Emergency services descended on the area outside a block of flats at around 8pm.
One onlooker told Kent Online: ‘It started off with one police car, then they all just swarmed around and ran into the building. It looked very intense.’
A Kent Police spokesman said: ‘The officer was airlifted to a London hospital with injuries consistent with stab wounds.
‘He remains there in a serious but stable condition.’
The suspect has been remanded in custody after being accused of killing two children and a school caretaker in a string of attacks in Nottingham.
The 31-year-old Valdo Calocane is accused of killing Barnaby Weller and Grace O’Malley-Kumar, all 19 years old, with a knife before killing Ian Coates, 65, early on Tuesday morning.
He is also accused of hitting three other people with Mr. Coates’s stolen van, resulting in their attempted homicide.
Calocane will next appear at the city’s crown court on Tuesday, June 20.
The former University of Nottingham student spoke only to confirm his name as ‘Adam Mendes’, his date of birth and that he was of no fixed abode, and was not required to enter any pleas.
Medical student Ms O’Malley-Kumar, from Woodford in London, and history student Mr Webber, from Taunton in Somerset, were found fatally knifed on Ilkeston Road at around 4am.
Mr Coates, 65, was then found stabbed to death in Magdala Road after his van was allegedly stolen.
Calocane is alleged to have used the van to drive at a pedestrian in Milton Street and a further two people in South Sherwood Street.
Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust said two patients are stable and one has been discharged following the van incidents.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said the driver of a marked police car had sight of the vehicle for ‘less than a minute’ before it collided with the pedestrians in South Sherwood Street.
The family of Mr Webber described their ‘complete devastation’ at the ‘senseless murder of our son’, saying he was a ‘beautiful, brilliant, bright young man, with everything in life to look forward to’.
Ms O’Malley-Kumar’s family described her as a ‘truly wonderful and beautiful young lady’ and that she would be ‘so dearly missed’.
Two of Mr Coates’ sons said his death had ‘rocked everyone’s world’, adding: ‘Nobody deserves this but he definitely didn’t.’
Police revealed the suspect is a former University of Nottingham student, but said ‘this is not believed to be connected with the attack’.
‘Intoxication by an unidentified substance,’ according to an autopsy report, was the cause of death for the two Americans who were discovered dead in a posh hotel room earlier this week.
The deaths of two American vacationers were found Tuesday morning in their room at the Hotel Rancho Pescadero in Baja California Sur.
They were identified as Abby Lutz, 28, and John Heathco, 40, both from Newport Beach, California. They were had been dead for about 11-12 hours before they were found by hotel staff, the attorney general’s office estimated.
Local police said their bodies showed no obvious signs of trauma, and it appeared the couple died from gas inhalation. A recently completed autopsy revealed the couple suffered from ‘intoxication by an undetermined substance.’
It is unclear what substance the couple ingested.
Paramedics who responded to Heath and Lutz’s room said told ABC News that they also experienced ‘intoxication symptoms’ at the scene. These included ‘hypoxia and racing heartbeat,’ and they checked themselves in to the hospital after leaving.
On Wednesday, Lutz’s family members began a GoFundMe campaign to raise money to bring her body back to the US.
In a post on the fundraiser, family members revealed Lutz and Heathco checked themselves into the hospital only days before, believing they had food poisoning.
They also said investigators told them ‘improper venting’ and ‘carbon monoxide poisoning’ could be the cause of their deaths.
The Hotel Rancho Pescadero is a high end resort in Mexico’s Baja California peninsula. The hotel said safety and security of guests was their ‘top priority.’
‘We are truly heartbroken by this terrible tragedy,’ said Henar Gil, the general manager of the hotel. ‘Our hearts are with the impacted families and loved ones during this unimaginable loss.’
The Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN) has made an official declaration stating that they have commenced a preliminary investigation aimed at delving into the details and circumstances surrounding the untimely demise of the esteemed veteran actor, Don Brymo Uchegbu.
Don Brymo Uchegbu passed away on Thursday, June 15, and there have been conflicting reports about the cause of his death.
While some claimed that he died in his sleep, others allege that he collapsed while shooting a film in Ahoada, Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
However, in a statement signed by Ejezie Emeka Rollas, MON, the National President of the AGN, the guild clarified that preliminary investigations indicate that he did not die on any movie set.
The statement read,
“The Actors Guild of Nigeria was thrown into another state of grief following the sudden demise of Don Brymo who was reported to have slumped on a film set in Rivers State and later passed on. This tragic death came as a rude shock and has thrown the entire Guild into another grieving moment as we mourn his death. I have taken reports from all the actors on the set with him and found out that he didn’t collapse on set as widely speculated.
While I commiserate with his immediate family, we have commenced preliminary investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death, especially from the hospital where he was rushed to.
This has also proven further credence to our incessant clarion calls on members to sign up for the AGN health management (HMO) plans to help put their health in check constantly.
I and the entire members of the Guild are saddened by this tragic development of a death that could have been possibly avoided if urgent intervention was provided. May Don Brymo’s soul rest in peace and may God comfort all of us left behind to mourn him. We shall keep members abreast with the latest information and updates from the family.”
A beach resort in Accra, the capital city of Ghana, has recently faced criticism from a frustrated tourist who took to social media to express her disappointment at the deplorable state of the city’s beach.
The tourist, an African American woman, highlighted the stark contrast between the city’s reputation as to what she described as an expensive place to live and the shocking conditions she encountered during her visit to a beach in the city.
In a video shared on Twitter by Sikaofficial on June 16, 2023, the unidentified visitor, can be seen walking along a beach in Accra while capturing the surroundings to expose the overwhelming amount of trash scattered across the coastline. The sight of littered shores and murky water left her astounded, prompting her to express her frustration and concern about the city’s waste management and plastic pollution issues.
Expressing her dismay, she questions how a city known for its high cost of living could allow its beaches to deteriorate to such an appalling state full of filth.
“The worst thing about Accra,” she stated in the video. “How is this city one of the most expensive cities to live on this continent, and the beach looks like this? It’s disgusting. I have never ever in my life seen a beach with so much trash on it. Look at the trash in the water, look how brown the water is. It’s a disgrace, it’s a disgrace. We have a plastic problem, we have a waste management problem, and we have a responsibility… I don’t get it.”
A social media user who also commented on the said post, wrote “As a tourist, visiting new places is always an exciting experience. However, it can be disappointing when your expectations are not met. This was the case for a lady who recently visited the beaches of Ghana, which is known to be the most expensive beach destination in Africa.
“The lady, who had heard so much about the beautiful beaches of Ghana, was excited to finally visit and experience the beauty of the coastline. She arrived at her hotel, which was located near the beach, and was immediately struck by the high cost of everything.
“She found that some of the facilities were not well-maintained and the service was not up to par with what she had experienced in other beach destinations.
Overall, the lady left Ghana feeling disappointed and frustrated. While she appreciated the natural beauty of the beaches.”
Four individuals, including an 11-year-old girl and a 3-year-old boy, have been discovered dead in a west London flat.
On Friday, June 16, just after 3 p.m., officers were summoned to the Staines Road, Bedfont, Hounslow house due to allegations of worries for the residents’ wellbeing.
They broke through the door and discovered the four victims had already passed away.
Scotland Yard said they are thought to be a man and woman, both in their 30s, an 11-year-old girl, and a boy aged three.
All four are thought to be related, but enquiries are under way in respect of formal identification and informing next of kin.
Chief Superintendent Sean Wilson, local policing commander in west London, said: ‘Our investigation is at a very early stage, and based on our initial enquiries, we are not currently seeking anybody else in connection with the incident.
Police have said they are not looking for anyone else in connection with the incident (Picture: Ben Cawthra/LNP)
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‘I know the shock and distress that this terrible incident will cause among the community in Hounslow and beyond. I can assure local people that specialist officers are working to establish exactly what happened and I will provide further information as soon as I can.
‘I am also aware that this incident will be particularly upsetting for children, and I ask people to please be responsible about what they post on social media, including not naming or speculating as to the names of those who’ve died.
‘There will be additional police officers in the area across the weekend, I urge anyone with information or concerns to speak with those officers.’
The Ghana Federation of Labour clarified that they have not yet received any formal proposal from the government regarding a potential reduction in their pension funds, commonly referred to as a ‘haircut’ by the government.
After a period of over five months during which pension funds were exempted, the government is likely to reverse its decision on a debt restruction program.
Reports state that the Akufo-Addo government has decided to include pension funds in the treatment of domestic debt. It is reported that the government aims to restructure approximately $2.7 billion owed to pension funds in upcoming negotiations.
But Abraham Koomson, the General Secretary of the Ghana Federation of Labour told Joy News that his outfit has not been alerted in that regard.
“We have a committee which is responsible for such meetings so as of now we have not been formally or officially invited to any such meeting,” he said.
However, Koomson disclosed that the association is expecting the government to approach them with a proposal for a ‘haircut’ and that government wanted such a negotiation in April 2023.
Ken Ofori-Atta, Ghana’s Finance Minister said
“We are expecting them to call…they wanted such a meeting in April but unfortunately the technical team had left for Bolgatanga for the May Day celebration so that meeting didn’t come on, but we are expecting that government will come back with a new date” he stressed.
Background
Upon the government’s announcement of its intentions to implement a Domestic Debt Exchange Programme (DDEP), the group to first request exemption was Organised Labour.
They made it clear to the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, that pension funds should remain untouched.
Following weeks of protests and the looming threat of strikes, the government ultimately caught Labour by surprise by granting them a “Christmas present” which meant the government would proceed with the DDEP while ensuring that pension funds would not be affected.
More than five months after this assurance, Labour has been asked to come back to the negotiation table for fresh talks on the matter as the government struggles to balance the economy of the debt-ridden West African country.
Mr. Koomson explained that the Finance Ministry agreed to exclude pensions from the program on the condition that labor groups could establish an alternative plan in collaboration with the central bank. He revealed that labor unions had already initiated discussions with the central bank.
Based on data from the Central Securities Depository Pension, pension funds held approximately 6% of Ghanaian domestic public debt, amounting to 181 billion cedis ($20.1 billion) as of September 2022.
In the upcoming debt treatment talks with labor, the Finance Ministry aims to reduce approximately 30 billion cedis ($2.7 billion) from pension funds.
In February 2023, the government successfully reduced about 83 billion cedis of its domestic debt through the program. The participation rate was 85%, excluding T-bills and bonds held by pension funds. The average maturity of the reduced debt was 8.2 years.
Real Warri Pikin, a Nigerian comedian, bravely opened up about her past struggle with financial crisis, sharing that she went through a dark period in 2018 where she contemplated ending her own life.
Real Warri Pikin and her husband Ikechukwu recently made headlines after their 10th wedding anniversary celebration and they reaffirmed their commitment and love for one another.
During an interview with media personality, Chude, Real Warri Pikin shared the details of her suicide attempt.
The comedian said that between 2017 and 2018, she and her husband, Ikechukwu were deeply in debt and unable to make payments and that the experience led to an unsuccessful attempt at suicide.
She described how, following the incident, she was taken to three different hospitals in a hurry.
She said;
“In 2017/2018 my husband and I had financial issues. We were in debt and everything, so when I attempted suicide I’m June 6, 2018, I didn’t die.
They took me to about three different hospitals but in the last hospital when I woke up, I wondered why I didn’t die. I said God, you see this my story, I will use it to help others.
It means if God didn’t allow me to die then, he wanted me to use the story to help others around me and not keep it to myself. The fastest way I could do that was online and I had an Itel small phone that wasn’t clear enough.
If you see my face ehnn, I be like Goat wey burn.”
To uphold and prioritize industrial safety measures, the Association of Oil Marketing Companies (AOMC) has initiated a comprehensive inspection known as the Filling Station Operation Audit, aimed at ensuring strict adherence to safety protocols by its members.
The AOMC Safety Operational Audit inspection forms part of the Association’s 2023 Annual Safety Week (ASWEC), which is on the theme: “Your first mistake could be your last”.
Mr Tizard Ansah, the Head of Compliance at AOMC, told the Ghana News Agency during the tour of some facilities in Accra and Tema that the Association was ensuring that its members always adhered to employee safety, quality, and security protocols, in accordance with international best practices.
He explained that the Association would continue to encourage Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) to persistently pursue excellence in Health, Safety, Security, and Environmental (HSSE) issues.
Mr Ansah said to achieve this, all OMCs were expected to conduct themselves responsibly, respecting established HSSE rules, regulations, and procedures in the efficient and effective execution of their jobs.
The Association also seeks to encourage members to abide by statutory, regulatory, and other requirements while continually improving HSSE performance.
Ms Susana Aba Eyiah, the Membership Development Officer, who was also part of the AOMC’s Safety Operational Audit inspection team, said the Association had upscaled the issue of safety and was pursuing a policy framework of no harm to life and property.
She said the framework enjoined all OMCs to establish and maintain a healthy and safe workplace for their employees and other relevant interested parties, and protect personnel, property, information as well as reputation against security threats.
Ms Eyiah noted that the 6th AOMC Safety Week Celebrations would educate and remind downstream petroleum industry players and OMCs of the paramount need to maintain and upscale safety precautions at their operational stations.
Mr Kwaku Agyemang-Duah, the AOMC Industry Coordinator, said through the celebrations, the Association intended to send a signal to the public and all operators in the downstream petroleum sector, to inculcate the habit of safety as a way of life.
Mr Agyeman-Duah said ensuring safety in the petroleum downstream had been a challenge, “but we are committed to ensuring standards in the industry and helping to train pump attendants with the appropriate skills”.
He emphasised that achieving incident-free operations within the industry, offices, and retail outlets was a shared responsibility that requires all hands on deck.
Nollywood actor, Yul Edochie is reportedly no longer associated with the brand ambassadorship of Life Continental Lager Beer according to Nigerian journalist Kemi Olunloyo.
Olunloyo revealed via Facebook that Edochie’s replacement was colleague actor, Frederick Leonard because of what she thought to be marital issues.
She wrote: “Life Larger Beer removes Yul Edochie as their brand ambassador, crowns a new well-mannered Fedrick Leonard as the new ambassador.
“Congratulations to Fredrick Leonard. In PR brands factor in what can sell them positively not drama and hatred with their ambassadors.”
Joeboy, a Nigerian Afrobeats and R&B artist, popularly known as Joseph Akinwale Akinfenwa, has expressed his admiration for Wizkid, emphasizing how the renowned singer has empowered aspiring artists to aspire for stardom at a young age.
The ‘Baby crooner’ stated this on the latest episode of the Body & Soul podcast, while talking about how Machala changed his life.
According to Joeboy, who is signed to Mr. Eazi’s Empawa Africa, before Wizkid changed the game, it was difficult for young artistes to make it in the music industry early.
Joeboy noted that when he first met the famous hitmaker he immediately realized he was going to be a successful artist.
He said;
“One thing I really appreciate about Wizkid is that he made young artistes believe that they could pop [hit stardom] at a young age.
Before Wiz, if any artiste pop, it was probably at a very later stage in life. But after Wiz young people started coming through.”
Managing Director of State Transport Company (STC) has reacted to the famous slogan ‘Aduru Wo So’ meaning ‘it’s his turn’ in Twi adopted by flagbearer aspirant, Alan Kyerematen.
Nana Akomea said is it factually incorrect for the former Minister for Trade and Industry to use the phrase because the position is no one’s entitlement.
Rather, what he expected from supporters of the presidential hopeful is for them to focus on his competences and vision should he emerge flagbearer of NPP.
Mr Kyerematen’s campaign team is relying heavily on the ‘Aduru Wo So’ mantra to win the NPP presidential primary.
They argue that when he had the chance to win the internal elections, he stepped down for President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, therefore, after his tenure in office, Alan should be the obvious choice.
Reacting to this on Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sen programme Friday, Mr Akomea said claims by Alan’s campaign team are far away from facts.
He alleged that, in 2012 when Mr Kyerematen was asked to stepdown for then aspirant, Nana Akufo-Addo “he said delegates were going to vote for a President not a chief.”
This position taken by him [Alan], Mr Akomea said, now defeats the ‘Aduru Wo So’ mantra.
He added that if the Alan’s campaign team’s ‘Aduru Wo So’ argument is anything to do by, then the one entitled is Dr Kofi Konadu Apraku who has been contesting the flagbearership elections since 1998.
The Klauea volcano in Hawaii is currently erupting. One of the many craters along its range, Halemaumau, is currently filled with red-hot lava.
Although inhabitants are not likely to be in the path of the lava, they have been advised to watch out for another danger that volcanoes can produce: Pele’s hair.
No, it’s named after the Hawaiian goddess of fire and volcanoes, Pele, not the football player. It’s also not really hair.
The curious phenomena occurs when molten lava is spat out of a volcano at high speeds and stretches apart as it cools, forming golden, hair-like strands of volcanic glass.
When the lava is not travelling as fast it can form Pele’s tears, small droplets of the same volcanic glass.
‘Pele’s hair are very thin strands of volcanic glass, usually formed in lava fountains by bursting gas bubbles,’ said Dr Brendan Mccormick Kilbride, volcanologist at the University of Manchester.
‘Tiny liquid blobs of lava get stretched out into very thin filaments of glass. These are potentially hazardous because they are very sharp – they can cause harm if you try to pick them up.
The lowdown: what is Pele’s hair?
Thin strands of golden hair-like volcanic glass formed when lava hits the air at speed, stretching out up to two feet long as it cools
‘There are cases from eruptions in Hawai’i where glass shards contaminate drinking water supplies. Since they are so light they can also be transported long distances by the wind, which increases the area of potential impact and introduces new dangers like contact of glass with people’s eyes or the glass being inhaled.’
The United States Geological Service has warned residents to minimise their exposure to Pele’s hair.
It also raised the prospect of vog for those downwind of the volcano – also known as volcanic smog – as well as crater wall instability, ground cracking and rockfalls.
The entire area has been closed to the public since 2007.
Parliament has been forced to abandon proceedings for today, Friday, June 16, 2023, following the decision by New Patriotic Party(NPP) Members of Parliament to accompany Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia to file his nomination forms to contest for the flagbearer slot of the party.
The house could not constitute the 93 members needed to form a quorum to transact business.
The development was brought to the attention of the 1st deputy speaker Joseph Osei-Owusu who was presiding over some Minority MPs led by Tema East MP Isaac Odamten.
After leadership of both sides failed to overlook the matter, the Speaker was compelled to adjourn proceedings to next week Tuesday even though Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta was in the house to answer questions from MPs including an urgent one from Tamale South MP Haruna Iddrisu on government’s indebtedness to SSNIT.
The Vice President and flagbearer aspirant of the New Patriotic Party, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia is expected to submit his nomination forms today, June 16, 2023.
His nomination forms were picked on his behalf last month by some bigwigs of the party including former Vice Chairman of the NPP, Fred Oware and former National Organiser, Sammy Awuku.
He will be the second aspiring candidate to file his nomination forms after one of his contenders, Alan Kyerematen, submitted his forms on Monday.
On his Facebook page, Dr. Bawumia wrote: “Dear Friends, God willing… Friday, 16 June, I shall file my nomination forms and contest the New Patriotic Party (NPP: Development in Freedom) Presidential Primary. It is possible.”
The NPP on May 26, 2023, opened nominations for its Presidential Primaries and will close it on June 24, 2023.
So far, 10 presidential hopefuls have picked up nomination forms to contest the NPP’s flagbearer slot.
They include Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto, the immediate past Minister of Food and Agriculture, Kennedy Agyapong, the Member of Parliament for Assin Central, Mr. Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen, the immediate past Minister of Trade and Industry, Kwabena Adjei Agyapong, a former General-Secretary of the Party and Joe Ghartey, the Member of Parliament for Essikadu-Ketan and former Minister of Railway Development.
A Special Delegates Congress will be held on August 26, 2023, to select five of the presidential aspirants.
The top five aspirants will then contest for the flagbearer slot on December 4, 2023, to elect one to lead the party in the 2024 general elections.
A 28-year-old private security man has been sentenced to serve a 22-year prison term, after having been found guilty of stabbing a resident of an apartment he was guarding with a meat fork.
A report by the Chronicles Newspaper dated Friday, June 16, 2023, indicated that the suspect, now a convict whose name is given as Alhassan Abdul Rahuf, admitted to the offence in his cautioned statement to the police.
According to the report, Rahuf broke into the victim’s (name withheld) house through the children’s window, changed into the victim’s husband’s clothes and barged into the room of the victim as she was getting dressed.
On seeing the accused, the victim was compelled by the incident to run out naked in search of help but was stabbed by the convict twice in the abdomen.
The court which was presided over by His Honor Isaac Addo on June 15, 2023, slapped the defendant with a 15 and 7-year sentence for unlawful entry and causing harm respectively.
The convict would serve 15 years imprisonment because the counts will run concurrently.
Presenting the facts of the case in court, the prosecuting officer Chief Inspector Jonas Lawer named Rita Owusu who is the facility manager of Arabella Residence located at Cantonments, as the complainant.
The brief indicated that the victim, a businesswoman is a resident of Arabeila residence whiles the convict was a security guard with Protea Coin Security Company, which provides security services for the residence.
On April 28, 2023, at about 7:10 am, the convict who was on guard duty at the above-mentioned residence sought permission from his supervisor to use the washroom but failed to return to the post.
C/Insp Lawer continued that the convict after using the washroom went to the apartment of the victim, entered it through the children’s playroom window and changed himself into the victim’s husband’s clothes. He left his uniform and boots in a polythene bag in the children’s playroom and hid himself.
The next day, April 29, 2023, at about 1:30 pm, the victim was dressing up when suddenly, the convict barged into her while she was naked in the bedroom.
The victim shouted for help, but the convict rushed into the kitchen, picked up a knife and a meat fork, and stabbed her twice in the abdomen with the meat fork. Bleeding profusely, she was rushed out to the hospital by a neighbour who heard the scream from the victim.
The convict on the other hand, also rushed out and cut one of the electric fence wires and scaled over the wall to escape.
Intelligence investigation by the Police led to the arrest of the convict at a nearby construction site.
He admitted the offence in his cautioned statement and led police to retrieve his security uniform kept in the victim’s room.
C/Ins Lawer told the court that after the investigation the convict was charged with the offences.
If you’ve ever served customers, you are aware of how quickly a tray may fall off balance when drinks are moved about.
As it turns out, Earth also faces this issue.
The earth has tilted due to the amount of water that humans have removed from the ground and distributed elsewhere on the surface.
Previous estimates have suggested more than 2,150 gigatons of groundwater was extracted between 1993 and 2010, equivalent to more than 6 millimetres of sea level rise.
However, scientists had difficulty confirming those figures – until now.
The Earth’s rotational pole – the point around which it spins, as opposed to its magnetic pole – migrates regularly, but a recent shift of almost 80 centimetres couldn’t be explained by the movement of ice sheets and glaciers alone. The calculations were off by 78.5cm.
But by adding the groundwater estimates, the modelling matched the movement – proving that extracting subterranean water not only shifted the Earth’s axis, but is a major source of sea level rise.
‘Earth’s rotational pole actually changes a lot,’ said lead author Dr Ki-Weon Seo, a geophysicist at Seoul National University.
‘Our study shows that among climate-related causes, the redistribution of groundwater actually has the largest impact on the drift of the rotational pole.’
The study showed Earth’s axis is tilting by 4.3cm a year.
‘I’m very glad to find the unexplained cause of the rotation pole drift,’ said Dr Seo.
‘On the other hand, as a resident of Earth and a father, I’m concerned and surprised to see that pumping groundwater is another source of sea level rise.’
Between the years studied, the largest volume of water was redistributed in North America and northwestern India. Both are found at midlatitudes, which have a greater impact on the rotational pole.
‘Observing changes in Earth’s rotational pole is useful for understanding continent-scale water storage variations,’ said Dr Seo.
‘Polar motion data are available from as early as the 19th century, so we can potentially use those data to understand continental water storage variations during the last 100 years.’
Managing Director of the State Transport Company, Nana Akomea has provided compelling justifications for the election of Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia as the flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
Mr Akomea asserts that the Vice President’s election as the next flagbearer of the NPP will greatly benefit the party and also dispel the perception that the NPP is an Akan dominated party.
In his view, a party battling a tag as an ‘Akan party’ needs a candidate who can appeal to none Akans ahead of the 2024 general election.
The NPP‘s presidential election is almost a two-horse race between Dr Bawumia and former Minister for Trade and Industry, Alan Kyerematen.
Having contested in previous flagbearer election with President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, people argue that he should be the obvious successor.
STC boss
But Mr Akomea on Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sen programme Friday said it will be unwise for the NPP to choose an Akan flagbearer again.
He said choosing Dr Bawumia would be a fine opportunity to remove the Akan tag used against the NPP by the opposition National Democratic Congress.
“Dr Bawumia gives us the best chance of getting none Akan votes in the 2024 general election,” he added.
The STC boss underscored the need for the NPP to extinguish any ethnic biases by its opponents as it seeks to retain power and break the eight.
In federal court, an American heiress who was found guilty of killing her mother in Bali and packing her body inside a suitcase entered a guilty plea to conspiracy.
After being accused of plotting the murder in the United States by federal authorities, Heather Mack, the so-called “Suitcase Killer,” who had previously been found guilty in Indonesia of being an accessory to the death of her mother, changed her plea to guilty.
She answered ‘yes, your honor,’ when Kennelly asked her if she understood her charges of conspiracy to kill a US national.
Mack, the heiress daughter of jazz composer James Mack, became notorious in 2014 after the murder of her mother, Sheila von Wiese-Mack, while on vacation in Bali.
Mack, then 19, had a reportedly troubled relationship with her 62-year-old mother. Between 2004 and 2013, police in Chicago responded to their home a total of 86 times for calls of domestic violence and theft between mother and daughter.
Mack and her mother arrived at the St Regis Hotel in Bali in August 2014. Once there, Mack used her mother’s credit card to purchase a business class plane ticket for her then-boyfriend, Tommy Schaefer.
Mack claimed she flew Schaefer out to Indonesia so they could explain to her mother that she was pregnant. But investigators later determined this was a lie.
Before the flight, Schaefer had texted Mack about different ways to kill her mother, and spoke about getting rich after inheriting Mack’s $1.5million trust fund. The duo referred to themselves as ‘Bonnie and Clyde.’
After getting into an argument with von Weise-Mack in the lobby of the St Regis that was caught on hotel security footage, Mack and Schaefer went back to their room and killed her.
Prosecutors in Indonesia alleged that Mack held her mother down and covered her mouth, while Schaefer beat her to death with a metal fruit stand.
The couple then stuffed her body inside a small suitcase, which they left in the trunk of a taxi cab at the hotel.
Mack was convicted of accessory in 2014. She served seven years of her 10-year sentence in Indonesia. She was deported in 2021, and arrested by American federal agents after landing in Chicago.
Her now six-year-old daughter was alongside her at the airport, and is now in another family member’s custody.
Schaefer is still in prison in Indonesia, where he is serving an 18-year sentence for murder. He also faces conspiracy charges in the United States.
Before the change in plea, Mack’s trial was scheduled to begin on August 1. Her sentencing hearing has now been scheduled for December 18. She faces a maximum sentence of 28 years in prison.
