The Member of Parliament for Asante-Akim North, Andy Appiah Kubi will be appearing before the Special Prosecutor, Kissi Agyebeng, over allegations that a wealthy businessman tried to influence some MPs who were pushing for the removal of the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta.
The MP is expected to give details to the OSP for investigation after he alleged in an interview with the media that an influential businessman tried to influence the MPs with money to reconsider their call for the dismissal of the finance minister.
On October 2, 2020, a group of NPP members of parliament petitioned the president to sack the Minister of Finance to restore public confidence in the economy.
This was announced at a press briefing by their spokesperson, Andy Kwame Appiah-Kubi, who is a Member of Parliament for Asante-Akim North.
However, the MPs later softened their stance after meeting President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on the matter, as they detailed that they were told to allow the minister to stay in office to ensure the minister concludes Ghana’s bailout deal with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
Later, Majority Leader Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu and Andy Appiah-Kubi alleged that a supposed businessman tried to influence the group with money brought to parliament in a bid to get the MPs to abort their decision.
Based on this allegation, the Special Prosecutor, Kissi Agyebeng, said in a statement that his outfit has initiated steps to investigate circumstances leading to an unnamed businessman, described as wealthy, attempting to bribe some New Patriotic Party Members of Parliament to soften their demand for the dismissal of Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta.
It is on this note that the Member of Parliament for Asante-Akim North, Andy Appiah Kubi, will appear before the OSP.
Abena Korkor has returned to social media after a long break of going offline.
Over the past few months, the Ghanaian mental health advocate Abena Korkor unusually disappeared on social media.
Some concerned fans have been asking about the whereabouts of the former TV3 presenter and finally, there is an answer.
In a new social media post, it appears that Abena Korkor took the break to work on herself as a new video she has posted shows that she has healthily lost weight. The outspoken yet controversial mental health advocate is yet to speak about her break.
Captioning her post, she said, “Still I Rise Watch this space for the BEST IS YET TO COME“.
Before the post above, Abena Korkor first returned to social media on 2nd May when she posted an old photo of herself and captioned it with ‘praying, shining and love’ emojis without adding words.
Teasing her followers with her new look, she posted a short video of her face sitting in a car and jamming to Sarkodie and Black Sherif’s ‘Country Side’ song.
Before, her return, Abena Korkor had mental breakdowns last year that have seen her talking about battling suicide and more. Her return and happiness have accordingly been warming the hearts of her fans.
“It’s clear Ghana missed you dearly… Happy to see you are looking much greater in your new photo.. welcome sistren!!!,” Sammy Flex wrote with Moesha Boduong adding that “Welcome back officially“.
As per to the country’s interior ministry and the Tunisian national news agency TAP, at least five persons were killed in a gunshot attack close to a synagogue on Wednesday.
Three security officials were murdered in the incident in Djerba, one of them passed away in the hospital after suffering a major injury, the ministry stated, according to TAP.
According to a statement released by the Tunisian foreign ministry on Wednesday, the shooting also claimed the lives of two tourists, a 30-year-old Tunisian and a 42-year-old French national.
The Israeli foreign ministry said the Tunisian citizen who was killed in the attack was a dual Israeli national. The ministry said it is “in contact with the family members of the deceased and is prepared to assist.”
France’s foreign ministry condemned the “heinous attack,” expressing its “concern and deep sadness”.
The identity of the shooter – who was killed by security forces – has not been made known so far.
The attack came amid an annual pilgrimage to the island of Djerba that draws hundreds of Jews from Europe and Israel, Reuters reported.
La Ghriba is Africa’s oldest synagogue, a revered and iconic location at the heart of the island, according to Reuters. It was built on the site of a Jewish temple that is believed to date back almost 1,900 years.
Authorities did not identify a motive for the attack but Islamist militants have previously targeted the pilgrimage in Djerba and have staged other attacks in the country, according to Reuters.
One of the most well-known attacks is the 2002 truck bombing by al Qaeda militants, which killed 21 Western tourists – prompting high security at the synagogue in the following years.
Female Muslim students from five schools in The Gambia have taken legal action against their schools at the high court in Banjul, after accusing them of “forcefully” removing their veils.
Some of the schools in the lawsuit are Christian but most of their students are Muslims.
The pupils said the alleged actions of their schools caused them emotional distress and embarrassment and are demanding compensation of more than $300,000 (£238,000).
The students added that the alleged incidents violated their fundamental human rights and subjected them to harassment.
They are also demanding authorities pass a law to allow them to wear veils in schools.
The BBC contacted the principal of one of the schools, but they refused to comment.
The Gambia is a majority Muslim country but also has a minority Christian population.
Numerous aspects of our lives, including our sexual lives, change as we mature.
The need for sexual intimacy and arousal in a marriage fades over time.
However, some couples enjoy having sex and want to maintain their passion for one another.
Here are some much-needed tips for older couples who want sex to be pleasurable and satisfying:
Take it slow
As people age, their bodies may not be as flexible or agile as they used to be. So it is very important to take enough time to enjoy the process of intimacy without feeling rushed or pressured. Taking it slow can make it more relaxing and give the couple time to feel the pleasure build up.
Use lubricants
Lubrication wins! With age, bodies may produce less natural lubrication, which can make sex pretty uncomfortable and painful. Using a lubricant can help reduce discomfort and make the experience more enjoyable. Soon, you and your partner might just make lubrication your go-to tactic for sex.
Try different sex positions
If a couple is struggling to have sex by engaging in the same sex positions they once used to do, it can be quite the challenge. In such a situation, opt for sex positions that are more comfortable like missionary, spooning, etc. Sitting on top of your partner and slowly grinding your hips can also be a great way to let all the pleasure in.
Focus on pleasure
Older couples should remember that they may not be able to orgasm like they used to when they were younger. So, if you and your partner focus on achieving orgasm when you have sex, it can get tiring. Instead, focus on pleasuring each other. Explore each other’s bodies, kiss, touch, and enjoy the moment.
Have time for intimacy
With busy schedules and responsibilities, it can be easy to put intimacy on the back burner. However, making time for intimacy is important for maintaining a healthy marriage, especially when you both are inching towards your older age. Set aside time for each other and make intimacy a priority. That’s how you will be able to keep the spontaneity and excitement alive in the marriage.
Pakistan’s political unrest worsened on Wednesday as Imran Khan‘s followers vented their rage following his dramatic arrest by paramilitary forces, a major escalation of a year-long political deadlock that has alarmed the South Asian nation.
The country’s powerful military and Khan’s followers clashed in the streets on Tuesday, sparking extraordinary scenes as enraged mobs broke into and vandalised the homes of army soldiers. Khan’s arrest on several corruption accusations ratcheted up an already tense standoff.
According to a CNN reporter on the scene, fighting continued on Wednesday as hundreds of Khan’s supporters stormed the Radio Pakistan headquarters in Peshawar.
Photos from Peshawar’s streets showed security forces firing teargas at crowds, some of whom used slingshots.
Police said nearly 1,000 Khan supporters had been arrested in Punjab province after 25 police vehicles and more than 14 government buildings were set on fire, Reuters reported.
Authorities in three of Pakistan’s four provinces have also imposed an emergency order banning all gatherings, Reuters added. Ahsan Iqbal, Pakistan’s minister for planning and development, told reporters on Wednesday that Khan had “chosen a path of spreading anarchy, chaos and destruction” to “protect himself from accountability.”
“I want to assure there is no political vendetta,” he added.
Khan’s supporters and riot police also gathered outside police headquarters in Islamabad on Wednesday, where an impromptu court hearing was set to be held before judges, surrounded by a ring of security forces.
The hearing took place in the police station rather than a court to “keep him away from the public”, police said. Khan’s lawyer Faisal Chaudhry told CNN Wednesday he has had “no contact” with his client.
A lawyer for National Accountability Bureau (NAB) – Pakistan’s anti-corruption watchdog – told CNN they were requesting a fourteen-day remand for Khan.
Video before Khan’s arrest on Tuesday showed paramilitary forces breaking a window to get to the politician as he watched impassively at the unfolding chaos. Khan was then led into a vehicle surrounded by dozens of security officers and escorted away.
In a pre-recorded statement released on YouTube by Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) political party after his arrest, the former prime minister said he was “detained on incorrect charges” and told his supporters “the time has come for all of you to come and struggle for your rights.”
“I have always followed the law. I am being apprehended so that I can’t follow my political path for this country’s fundamental rights and for me to obey this corrupt government of crooks which has been hoisted on us,” he said in the video.
Violent protests broke out in several cities that afternoon.
Khan supporters armed with sticks broke into the military’s headquarters in the city of Rawalpindi, just outside the capital, chanting in support of the former leader.
Protesters also blocked one of the main thoroughfares into Islamabad, throwing stones and pulling down street signs. A police vehicle was set ablaze, resulting in police retaliating with tear gas.
Meanwhile, in the southwestern city of Quetta, a Khan supporter was shot and killed by police at a protest, according to a CNN journalist at the scene.
Authorities blocked mobile internet services shortly after in a bid to quell the chaos, disrupting access to Twitter, Facebook and YouTube in the nation of 270 million. Private schools across the country were ordered shut on Wednesday, according to the Private Schools Association.
At least 43 protesters were arrested in Islamabad Tuesday, the city’s police said on Twitter.
Syed Baqir Sajjad, a Pakistan Fellow at the Wilson Center in Washington, said that although previous Pakistani leaders had faced arrest, and politicians had in the past challenged the military’s dominance, Khan’s significant public support made this situation “unique.”
“The risks faced by Pakistan in this situation are numerous,” he said. “The military’s image as a unifying force and the guardian of the state has been seriously challenged, which has led to a loss of public trust in the institution. This, in turn, could lead to instability and social unrest.”
Khan was ousted in a parliamentary no-confidence vote last year and has since led a popular campaign against the current government led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, accusing it of colluding with the military to remove him from office.
The former star cricketer turned populist politician denies the charges leveled against him, instead accusing Sharif and the military of playing a political game. The military and Sharif – who was recently in the United Kingdom after attending the coronation of the British monarch – deny Khan’s accusations.
The tensions have brought Pakistan, a nuclear-armed country of some 220 million people that has for decades grappled with political instability, into unknown territory and have often boiled over into violence.
Last November, Khan survived a shooting at a political rally, in what his party called an assassination attempt.
And in March, chaos erupted outside Khan’s Lahore home after hundreds of his supporters challenged police and paramilitary troops who had arrived to escort him away. Officers were forced to suspend the operation after protests turned violent – one of multiple unsuccessful attempts by police to arrest Khan.
Khan’s claims have struck a chord with a young population in a country where anti-establishment feelings are common, and are being fueled by a rising cost of living crisis as soaring inflation makes ordinary goods increasingly unaffordable.
“This has put increased pressure on the military establishment, which is feeling the heat more this time,” said Sajjad, the analyst. “The intensity and consistency of Imran Khan’s attacks on the military, especially after being ousted from office last year, are unprecedented.”
Amid the crisis, the government has so far failed to reach an agreement with the International Monetary Fund to restart a $6.5 billion loan program that has stalled since November, in an effort to keep the economy afloat.
The political upheaval appears to have bolstered Khan’s popularity. Last year, his PTI party won local elections in the country’s most populous Punjab province, seen as a litmus test for national elections.
The political polarization and economic crisis had placed Pakistan at “a critical juncture,” and the situation had the “potential to become a permanent crisis,” Sajjad said.
Pakistan’s future trajectory “will largely depend on how its leaders navigate the ongoing crises and whether they can find a way to address the people’s grievances and restore stability,” he added.
Ashanti Regional Chairman of the Liberal Party Ghana, Kwaku Marfo has stated that his party will likely win the 2024 presidential election if the National Democratic Congress presents former President John Dramani Mahama as its candidate.
His view is contrary to the recent report by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) which has predicted a win for Mr Mahama in a recent report.
“With how we are resolved to win the 2024 elections, if the NDC presents former President Mahama as their candidate the election will be a cool chop for the Liberal Party. So I don’t believe in the survey. Because, now Ghanaians have been enlightened about the fact that both NPP and NDC have turned Ghana into a business avenue.”
The United Kingdom-based organisation has projected a win for the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) after the 2024 General Election.
The projection was contained in their April 2023 Country Report on Ghana which was published on Friday, April 28, 2023.
It explained that the loss of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) will be underlined by anti-incumbency sentiment and economic issues allied with cost of living.
But according to Kwaku Marfo, the LPG led by Percival Kofi Akpaloo rather stands a better chance of winning the election if former President Mahama contests on the NDC’s ticket.
The frontlines of Ukraine are about to receive an armoured medical station with makeshift vehicles that can protect casualties from hostile fire.
The mobile field hospital being finished up in Kyiv is protected by bulletproof armour, and it has been compared to dystopian movies like Mad Max and Terminator.
The fleet consists of a bus that has been converted into a SWAT vehicle and an extraction vehicle known as “The Beast.”
The steel-clad complex is due to head to Ukraine’s eastern frontline through a private initiative crowdfunded by Radu Hossu, a prolific Romanian supporter of the country who has joined forces with two Ukrainians, a soldier and a paramedic.
Radu named the ingenious project in honour of Oleg Gubal, a respected soldier he made friends with on the frontline who died resisting Vladimir Putin’s full-scale invasion.
The Romanian, originally from Brasov, Transylvania, wants others in the line of Russian fire to receive a faster life-saving response than the man he regards as a ‘true hero’.
Radu Hossu at the workshop where the angular vehicles are being readied for deployment on Ukraine’s frontline (Picture: Radu Hossu)
Cloaked in NATO-standard armour, the three main vehicles can withstand mine blasts and are accompanied by a high speed boat to bring casualties across water if necessary.
Radu told Metro.co.uk: ‘It is important to save the lives of Ukrainian soldiers and civilians because we, the collective West, believe that every life counts.
‘Ukrainians did not ask for this war, Oleg’s family did not ask for this war.
‘They are from Uzhhorod in the extreme west of Ukraine, five minutes away from Slovakia, and Oleg died two kilometres away from the Russian border in the extreme east of Ukraine.
A bus from Poland was sourced and repurposed into a battlefield emergency department (Picture: Sergei Supinsky, AFP via Getty Images)
‘It’s important to save as many lives as we can so people can be whole again. Behind each death, there are real-life stories with real-life people.
‘Most of them are normal people, with regular jobs before the war.
‘It is important to save their lives.’
Radu was working as a political consultant in Romania when he began writing nightly summaries of the war on Facebook after the full-scale Russian invasion began on February 24 last year.
In July, a Ukrainian-Romanian soldier with the callsign ‘Rum’ told him how much he respected the updates and the two became friends.
Radu, 36, began crowdfunding for Ukrainian causes from his growing number of Facebook followers and he visited the country for the first time last September as an accredited war correspondent.
The country’s biggest private Romanian donor has since provided around 130,000 euros (£113,000) for the mobile hospital fund and expects to raise another 150,000 euros before it closes this week or next.
Overall, he has raised 573,000 euros for Ukraine since August 2022.
Radu witnessed the vital need for such support first-hand when Rum took him to the frontline in the northern Kharkiv region and introduced him to Oleg, a father of two respected for his sound judgement.
‘We lived together under daily shelling, eating from the same plate, living in the same trench, in the same room when in the safe house,’ he said.
‘He was like a guardian angel to me. I was always oversleeping when the Russians started to bomb us, and Oleg always woke me up and told me to take shelter and to go and eat, saying I was too skinny.
‘He was a special guy, with a great sense of humour.
‘He had worked in the judicial system before volunteering to fight in the war and he has a nice family who mourns him.
‘Since he was older and wise, everybody listened to him.
‘At the same time, he respected the chain of command.’
Oleg died in eastern Ukraine after a pick-up truck he was travelling in crossed an anti-personnel mine installed on top of an anti-tank mine, which is illegal under the Geneva Convention.
The nearest hospital not damaged by Russian forces was 1.5 miles away and he did not make it in time.
As far as Radu is aware, his friend would only have had a slim chance of surviving even if there had been a fully functioning hospital nearby at the time of the blast last November.
Oleg’s son, then aged 8, sent letters to Father Christmas after the family found out about his death, asking him to bring his dad home.
He wrote almost every day up until Christmas Day as his teenage sister and mum were overcome with grief.
While it is too late for Oleg, Radu now wants to make sure other Ukrainian soldiers receive help from medics in blast-proof vehicles in the crucial minutes after they are wounded.
‘I wanted to make this kid realize that his father, who meant so much to me in those hard times under constant shelling, was a true hero,’ he said.
‘I wanted to transform a tragedy into something that would save lives.
‘That’s when I told Rum to call Angel, the callsign of a paramedic who had the concept in his head for a mobile medical bus, and told him I would fund his project with Romanian money donated to my personal account on one condition — it had to be named Oleg Gubal.’
The mobile stabilisation point has three main vehicles armoured to NATO standards, including a bus sourced from Poland which will be used as a life-saving emergency medical room by surgeons.
The idea is that the steel and Kevlar-clad vehicle will be sited between 15 and 20km from the frontline, with volunteer medics from Ukraine and Poland who specialise in combat trauma working shifts around the clock.
Another component has been adapted from an American Peterbilt unit, similar to the type of truck used in Terminator 2, to house four beds for doctors to rest and two more in the driver’s cabin.
The logistics machine also houses a kitchen, shower and storage space for generators, a spare fuel tank, a refrigerated blood bank and a room for sanitising medical equipment.
An extraction vehicle nicknamed ‘The Beast’ has been fashioned from an eight-cylinder Ford-150 mounted on the chassis of a Soviet GAZ truck with modified suspension and giant wheels for hard terrain.
The triple-armoured ‘Frankenstein’ machine is designed to evacuate casualties from the contact area and transport them to the stabilisation point. Three ambulances in the complex will then drive the wounded to the nearest hospital for further care.
The emergency department on wheels is nearing completion at a custom car company in Kyiv, which has only charged for labour costs.
‘The extraction vehicle will go exactly to the spot,’ Radu said.
‘That means 50 metres away from the combat area.
‘Zero meters away if needed.’
Radu joked that Angel is Q in the story while Rum is James Bond, as he manages the project through his Autorota charity.
‘So in this story, that would make me the UK government which funds Q’s ideas while Bond gets to work,’ he said.
‘I would like to thank the Romanians whose donations have made this unique project possible and to Rum for managing the project.
‘He has sacrificed his family time away from the frontline to make sure the hospital is finished as soon as possible to save Ukrainian lives.’
The Oleg Gubal Mobile Hospital is 95% complete and due to leave Kyiv this week or next with the most likely destination being eastern Ukraine.
Ghana’s Amapiano “King” Mark Kwesi Arthur, popularly known as DJ Azonto, has reacted to critics over his VGMA outfit in a new song with Kwadwo Nkansah Lilwin titled “One Prayer.”
In the upcoming song, DJ Azonto reiterates his claim that he is not gay and expresses his irritation at the criticism he has received for attending this year’s awards ceremony in a female dress.
The new joint, produced by Abochi, is another groundbreaking single from the camp of DJ Azonto, who dazzles together with Lil Win, who is known for uniqueness.
The comical song would excite music lovers, with the “Father Benard” trend also included in the rhythm, which generates an exciting sound.
DJ Azonto, who was nominated as the Best New Artiste at this year’s VGMA, looks to have another great new sound that would make waves like his “Fa No Fom” hit single.
Snippers of the song have already gone viral, as the original song is expected to be released in the coming days.
A flagbearer aspirant of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto, has indicated that the farmers who are from the northern regions will not hesitate to vote for him as the flagbearer of the party.
According to him, he met with these farmers, and they shared testimonies on the impact he has made in their lives as Minister for Food and Agriculture, hence why they will vote for him to become the party’s flagbearer in November 2023.
“Most of these farmers I met in the Upper East, Upper West, and Savannah regions are also delegates and party constituency executives. The one million farmers are the ones who will bear witness to me. Just go to any farmer and ask about the impact I have had on their lives when I was Minister for Food and Agriculture. And they will confess to you; they will tell you. They will vote for me to win,” citinewroom.com quoted Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto as saying.
The former Food and Agriculture Minister is contending with Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, Assin Central MP Kennedy Agyapong, Francis Addai Nimo, and Alan Kyerematen to contest the NPP’s flagbearership race.
The popular blogger was cited as one of the worst-dressed celebrities who appeared on the red carpet at the just-ended awards night.
Charlie Dior took to social media with a tall list of celebrities who showed up with ‘fashion fails’ on the red carpet.
Zionfelix, who had already been trolled on Twitter for his appearance, featured again in Charlie Dior’s latest video.
Zion wore a peach double-breasted two-piece suit with a buttoned-up white shirt.
He matched the look with a pair of white sneakers.
But the blogger obviously suffered a wardrobe malfunction, particularly with his ill-fitted pair of suits.
However, reacting to the looks, a disappointed Charlie Dior cited Zionfelix as part of individuals who do not look good in clothes, no matter what they wear.
According to the US-based Ghanaian fashion critique, there are some people who exude poverty so much so that, it is evident in every part of their lifestyle and Zionfelix falls within this category.
“Let me say this, there are certain people that poverty is embedded in their system, into their blood that whatever they wear doesn’t suit them. Does that make sense? Poverty is drawn all over their bodies, like a Ghana flag. Whatever they wear, they can wear the expensive fit and still look cheap and bad in them. Maybe, just maybe, Zion might be suffering from that. He tried this time, he tried but it just didn’t work. The sneaker was a wrong choice too,” Dior stressed.
Zionfelix was one of the three bloggers who posed on the red carpet at the VGMAs.
The likes of Eugene Osafo-Nkansah (Nkonkonsa) and Ameyaw Debrah also showed up on the red carpet and even presented some awards.
KiDi, the Vodafone Ghana Music Awards (VGMA) ‘Artiste of the Year’ 2022, has been in the news lately for all the wrong reasons.
The GoldenBoy singer has faced a lot of speculation and concern about his health after he postponed his North American tour and released a song that subtly suggested concern for his liver, thus making fans and critics alike speculate that he could be dealing with ill health related to his liver.
But fear not, KiDi fans. The Lynx Entertainment star has come out to clear the air and assure everyone that he is absolutely fine and healthy.
It all started when KiDi announced on social media that he was postponing his GoldenBoy North American tour, which was scheduled to kick off on March 1 and end on March 19, 2023.
It is with a very heavy heart that I announce the postponement of my Golden Boy North American Tour…’ ‘I’ve had to make this decision to postpone the tour due to health issues and I want you to know that this decision was not made lightly. A tour of this magnitude and level of commitment it will take may put me at risk of further damage to my health.’ ‘I want to ensure that whenever we meet on tour, it will be an experience worth everything you’ve given me as an artist and I can only do that if I am in much better health than I am now. Apologies to all of my fans and Duke Concept…’” he wrote on Instagram.
He cited “ill health” as the reason for the postponement, but for some unknown reason, rumours spread like wildfire, suggesting that the ill health KiDi referred to was him suffering a stroke.
KiDi and his team quickly debunked these rumours and said that he was in good shape and that the tour would resume soon.
However, just as the dust was settling, KiDi dropped his first single for 2023, titled ‘I Lied’. The song, which is a catchy afrobeat tune, has some lyrics that raised eyebrows among listeners.
In the chorus, KiDi sings: “I lied when I said I’m okay / I lied when I said I’m not in pain / I lied when I said I don’t need you / I lied when I said my liver’s fine…If I show you my liver / You go take me to prayer / Don’t wait till I’m under / 6 feet I’m gone…”
Many people interpreted these words as a confession from KiDi that he was suffering from liver disease and that he was hiding his true feelings from his lover.
The song sparked a lot of sympathy and prayers for KiDi online, especially after his stellar performance at the 2023 VGMAs.
But in a recent interview with Sika Osei on her show ‘Unstripped’, KiDi set the record straight once and for all.
He said that he did not have any liver disease or any other health issue and that he was feeling great.
He also explained that the song ‘I Lied’ was not about him, but about anyone who was going through a tough time and pretending to be okay.
He said that he wrote the song to inspire people to be honest with themselves and their loved ones, and to seek help when they need it.
So there you have it, folks. KiDi is alive and well, and ready to rock your world with his music. Don’t believe everything you hear, unless it comes from the GoldenBoy himself.
The father of a British teenager who was killed in Thailand confronted the person who is accused of killing his son there.
To assist with the inquiry into the passing of Woramet Ben Taota, 16, who was known to friends as Ben, 60-year-old Steven Graham flew out from his home in Eastbourne, East Sussex.
Inflicted with severe head wounds and facial cuts, Ben was found on May 7 in a grove in his hometown of Lampang in the country’s north.
Chaiwat Boonkarin, 44, was charged with his murder after reportedly confessing to the killing, telling police he bludgeoned him with a piece of wood during a drugs dispute.
Handcuffed and wearing a bulletproof vest, he was taken to the secluded spot in dense woodland where Ben was found on Sunday.
Mr Graham, wearing a blue t-shirt and glasses, approached the police car saying: ‘Scum, look at me. Look me in the eye. Look me in the eye you b*****d.’
Shaking with rage, he then yells: ‘Take his mask off, I want to see his face. You’re a coward. You’re a coward. F*****g look at me you b*****d.
‘No, you can’t look at me, you’re a coward. Look, look at me. You b*****d.’
He was comforted by Ben’s mother Ooy Taota, who also yelled at the suspected killer, along with several relatives.
Speaking at the scene, Mr Graham said: ‘I just want to throttle him. He’s evil. He’s pure evil, scum.’
Ooy added: ‘I cannot understand what happened. My son was a good boy, now he will never grow up. I hope the murderer dies in prison.’
Chaiwat, who police said was recently released from prison for sex crimes, reportedly told police he lured Ben to the forest and attacked him in revenge for a bungled drug deal.
He was said to have claimed Ben and his girlfriend Suraphltchaya Khamsa, 16, who is still missing, were methamphetamine runners for him but stole a consignment.
Police Major General Mongkol Sampawapol, commander of Lampang Provincial Police, said: ‘The (suspected) killer was angry because he believed that Ben kept drugs for himself and his girlfriends, so he hit the victim with a stick several times until he died.
‘He is a criminal. He has been in prison before. He will be charged with murder.’
Police officers from the Mae Tha district said they received a report on Sunday morning that the teenager had been found dead in a grove in the Ban Than district.
Officers found in his black shoulder bag a smartphone charger and a red wallet containing his ID card and bank card.
His smartphone and cash were missing, with police suggesting he could have been robbed for the gadgets and money.
Officers believe Ben was killed elsewhere and dumped in the woods, as there were no signs of struggle where his remains were found.
They said he had head injuries consistent with severe trauma.
The aspiring flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress, John Dramani Mahama, has dismissed claims he is not on good terms with members of the party in the Northern Region.
According to him, all the parliamentary members of parliament are his brothers, and he believes Haruna Iddrisu and his colleagues will be the next generation to lead the party.
Speaking in the Northern region as part of his campaign tour ahead of the May 13 elections, he cautioned party members against making conspicuous voice recordings within party meetings and leaking, as it brings division in the party.
“…I know some people like conspiracy theories. This one doesn’t like this one; this and this one are quarrelling; count me out. I have no enemies in the Northern region; all of them are my younger brothers. Hudu Yahaya and Co. started it, and then we are the next generation after Hudu and Co., and I know that Haruna and all of them are the next generation after us. We will finish and hand over power to them, and they will lead us.
“…So let us be together. Those who have been putting us in conspiracy theories, hiding and recording tapes, and insulting everybody—if you are a true NDC member, what you are doing is rather dividing the party, not uniting it.
“And so we are united, and there is no problem between us, and we are going to work together, win the election 2024, and we are going to put Ghana back on its feet,” he said during his tour.
Former President John Dramani Mahama is on a national campaign tour to seek votes to lead the NDC into the 2024 general elections.
The former President, who has gone through vetting and the balloting process of the NDC, is number one on the ballot paper for the party’s presidential primary slated for May 13.
John Mahama would be contesting the party’s flagbearership with a former Chief Executive Officer of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly, Kojo Bonsu, and a former Minister of Finance and Governor of the Bank of Ghana, Dr. Kwabena Duffuor, who occupy the second and third positions, respectively, on the ballot paper.
16 members of a London gang were convicted of participating in a £42 million money laundering conspiracy.
Between 2017 and 2019, members of the crew made hundreds of trips to the UAE to transport money out of the UK.
Investigators think that these were the proceeds of people trafficking and smuggling class A narcotics.
Around £1.5 million was seized, but flight analysis and cash declarations in Dubai suggested the group successfully transported far more, police said.
Just some of the cash seized (Picture: SWNS)
Back in 2019, the same gang tried to smuggle 17 migrants – including a pregnant woman and five children – into the UK hidden in the back of a van carrying tyres.
Dutch police intercepted the vehicle before it could reach a ferry at the Hook of Holland, the National Crime Agency said.
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After weeks of surveillance, communications and flight data analysis, NCA officers moved in to make arrests.
Charan Singh, from Hounslow, was among those detained in the raids across west London in November 2019.
Investigators were able to prove that the 44-year-old, who was formerly resident in the UAE, paid for flights to Dubai for other gang members.
The ringleader kept a ledger showing how much had been transported and when.
It showed that at least 58 trips to Dubai were made by Singh and couriers during 2017 alone.
Further arrests followed and those charged as part of the probe were prosecuted in two trials at Croydon Crown Court, starting this January.
Chris Hill, NCA senior investigating officer, said today: ‘This has been a long and complex investigation into an OCG involved in money laundering on a commercial scale and organised immigration crime.
‘Over a two-year period, working together with partners in the UK and abroad, NCA investigators were able to uncover the evidence to secure these convictions.
‘This case demonstrates the continued commitment by the NCA to protect the public and target the criminal networks involved in both people smuggling and money laundering.
‘We will continue to use the full range of tactics at our disposal to disrupt and dismantle them.’
Along with seven other defendants, Singh was found guilty of conspiring to remove criminal property – known as money laundering.
Valjeet Singh, 34, from Hounslow, was found guilty of conspiring to remove criminal property, four counts of removing criminal property, but not guilty of two separate counts of removing criminal property.
Swander Singh Dhal, 37, Hounslow, was found guilty of conspiring to remove criminal property, and conspiring to facilitate a breach of immigration law, but he was cleared of a separate count of conspiring to remove criminal property.
Jasbir Singh Kapoor, 35, Hayes, west London, was found guilty of two counts conspiring to remove criminal property, but not guilty of conspiring to facilitate a breach of immigration law.
Jasbir Singh Dhal, 32, from Southall, west London, was found guilty of conspiring to remove criminal property.
Diljan Singh Malhotra, 47, from Uxbridge, west London, was cleared of two counts of conspiring to remove criminal property, but found guilty of conspiring to facilitate a breach of immigration law.
Mircea Denes, 45, previously of Northolt was found guilty of conspiring to facilitate a breach of immigration law in his absence having absconded.
Sundar Vengadassalm, 48, from Southall, was found guilty of removing criminal property, but cleared of five separate counts of removing criminal property.
All 16 defendants are due to be sentenced at the same court from September this year.
The former president and flagbearer hopeful of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Dramani Mahama, has described President Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo-Addo as a leader who doesn’t listen to advice.
According to him, he [John Mahama] has offered good advice to the president on projects and policies, but he refuses to take it.
“I always advise the current president to forge a consensus behind whatever you are doing. When he introduced the free SHS, I said, hold a stakeholder consultation so that you can implement it properly because there are challenges, and since then, they’ve refused. Today, free SHS is not working properly. When NDC was in office, our children all used to go to school at the same time. Today, when they come back after four weeks, you have to get a teacher and pay the teacher to continue to teach them so they don’t forget what they learned in school. And this has all become a challenge,” he said.
Mahama added that he told the president to hold a consensus forum to find answers to the country’s current economic challenges, but that too, hasn’t been heeded.
“Look at the current economic crises we are going through, life has become so hard, and when things were not going well, I advised this president to hold a consensus forum as we did at the Senchi Conference and bring everybody together to have them contribute their little quota so that you will have a fair idea on which way forward you have to go and also to carry the nation along with you. They have since refused to do it,” he added.
To him, the NDC is a party that governs by consensus.
“We will govern by consensus to bring all Ghanaians on board with whatever we do. At any one time, we will tell Ghanaians the truth. If Ghanaians know what the truth is, they will understand the challenges the government faces, and they are willing to cooperate. But if you continue to deceive them, things are not going well; instead of telling Ghanaians the truth, they keep blaming Mahama,” he reiterated.
The former president has been on a nationwide campaign, meeting with the party’s officials and delegates ahead of the upcoming NDC primaries slated for May 13, 2023.
Daniel Morgan was a private investigator who was killed with an axe in a parking lot. The murder was committed decades ago, but it has never been solved.
The Metropolitan Police Service of London reported today that it discovered documents that had been sitting in a locked cabinet for a while.
An independent investigation of how the Met handled the case in 2021 discovered systemic corruption in the way the force hid or ignored its mistakes.
Police said the paperwork, which it did not provide details about, should have been given to the Daniel Morgan Independent Panel (DMIP) before its report.
The dozens of documents sprawling more than 160 pages were found in January this year and a ‘careful’ assessment began the following month.
Assistant Commissioner Barbara Gray said: ‘We fully acknowledge how unacceptable and deeply regrettable this situation is.
‘We are working to understand what has taken place and any impact. We apologise to the family of Daniel Morgan and to the Panel.’
Politicians will be thinking about the next general election as they reflect on the municipal elections that took place last week. Parties will be aiming to bolster their war chests for the campaign.
But in their haste to do so, are they sufficiently investigating the source of the funding?
Big party donors receive special access to leading lawmakers and occasionally even special insights into party strategy and government affairs.
Therefore, it concerns who is giving these funds and what, if anything, they hope to receive in return from politicians.
Making sure that MPs and parties are taking funds from reputable sources, not those trying to undermine our democracy, is crucial to public trust in our electoral system.
That’s why we need political parties to step up and do proper checks on donations.
This is not just about fairness, but security – we need to be wary of donors who are close to foreign governments that may wish us harm.
In 2020 the UK’s Intelligence and Security Committee found in its Russia Report that oligarchs linked to Putin had donated to UK political parties as part of likely Russian influence operations.
From attempting to encourage politicians to turn a blind eye to Russian aggression in eastern Europe and to the rampant corruption of its ruling elite, these operations were ultimately about weakening the West and bolstering Russia as a superpower.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has been a wake up call to us to ensure we do not allow their influence in our politics and wider society to go unchecked any more.
But it’s not just Russian influence we need to be watchful of.
Just last month the Telegraph revealed that a Chinese businessman, RuiYou Lin, allegedly linked to a state intelligence agency and to secret Chinese state police stations in the UK, had organised fundraising dinners for the Conservative Party and been pictured alongside Boris Johnson, Theresa May and Sajid Javid.
The Chinese Communist Party will clearly do anything possible to neutralise opposition to their growing global power and the Chinese government’s human rights abuses, and leverage their influence on the British economy.
It has very different ideas and values to ours and is highly unlikely to be looking out for what’s best for the people of Britain.
It’s not the first time China has tried to influence our politicians.
Last year, MI5 warned political parties about an alleged Chinese spy, Christine Lee, who had donated to Labour and attended a Conservative Party fundraising dinner.
MI5 issued a warning about an alleged Chinese spy, Christine Lee (Picture: Nigel Howard)
Right now, the UK’s political parties have to do few checks on individuals they’re getting money from beyond whether they are on the electoral register, when they should be doing thorough due diligence on whether those individuals are reputable, and whether their money comes from legitimate, UK-based business.
Until we make those changes, Britain’s political system is seriously vulnerable to foreign influence and dirty money.
And that’s not just my belief – it’s the view of Parliament’s Intelligence and Security Committee. Its Chair Sir Julian Lewis told the House of Commons last week that ‘political parties do not have to examine the source of the funds they receive.’
It’s also the view of the Electoral Commission, which wrote to the security minister, Tom Tugendhat, last November to say that political parties ‘should be required to take additional steps to ensure that they know where the money has come from’ when they receive donations to address concerns over foreign interference in the UK.
When a political party in government makes tough decisions about our economy or the UK’s place in the world, we need to know they have *only* our country’s best interests at heart and haven’t been unduly influenced by big donors.
The top ethics body in the land, the Committee on Standards in Public Life, meanwhile warned back in 2021 that there were too many loopholes in the current regime for regulating party political donations to prevent foreign donations influencing UK politics.
After recent scandals, that feels like a missed opportunity.
Intelligence and Security Committee chair Sir Julian Lewis has raised concerns (Picture: UK Parliament)
I believe checks on donations that might have ultimately originated from foreign powers trying to influence our political system have become even more crucial following changes the government made last year to the electoral rules.
Alongside the controversial Voter ID requirements, the government also changed the rules to allow any UK citizen who has ever lived in the UK to vote.
By some estimates, that means a potential 3million additional voters based overseas at the next election, each one of whom can now also donate to a political party.
Without a requirement on political parties to do proper checks, this risks exposing the UK to potential donations from those who moved abroad and could now be working for the government of another country, or a political party there.
The government had a golden opportunity to tackle this last week, when MPs voted on a change to the National Security Bill currently going through Parliament.
The amendment – introduced in the Lords – would have ensured political parties have systems in place to identify whether there were risks that donations had come from a foreign power.
It offered a chance to take a small step towards better transparency, but instead of taking the opportunity, the government rejected the amendment, stating that despite all the expert advice they have received from independent bodies, in their view the law is just fine as it is.
UK businesses and banks, art galleries and estate agents are all required by UK law to check the source of wealth of their clients.
The government is even bringing forward new rules to make sure these kinds of checks are done before someone can become the owner of a football club.
Do you think parties should have to proper checks on donations?
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Clearly the stakes in the Premier League are high, but nothing is more important than protecting our democracy.
It’s time for more action, tighter rules, and a concerted effort to remove big money from those who may not have the best interest of Britain at heart influencing our politics.
Parties, Parliament, and indeed the country cannot and should not be for sale to bidders from foreign governments.
Vladimir Putin oversaw a very understated Victory Day ceremony in Moscow, which featured just one tank and no aircraft soaring in the sky.
The tyrant typically deploys tanks, missiles, and other ominous weaponry systems to flaunt the vast array of military force at his disposal.
It was a noticeably diminished performance today in front of the Kremlin due to the considerable soldier and armor casualties suffered by Russian forces in Ukraine.
A total of 77 aircraft and helicopters participated in the airshow from 131 different units the previous year.
More than 125 units of different weapons and equipment were expected to be on show at this year’s parade, according to defence minister Sergei Shoigu.
Yet when the parade began, only one ancient T-34 tank from World War II led the mechanised column.
Armoured vehicles were also on display but the numbers were visibly lower than previous years and the usual flypast over the city was nowhere to be seen.
Addressing the rows of soldiers in dress uniform, Putin claimed a ‘war has been unleashed’ against Russia in a fiery 10-minute speech.
The president lashed out against ‘Western global elites’ and said the world is at ‘a decisive turning point’.
He also once again falsely likened his invasion of Ukraine to the struggle against Nazism, claiming that Russia is defending its sovereignty.
Putin made the claims despite the fact he ordered what the West calls an unprovoked invasion, destroying cities and killing thousands of civilians.
Russia even continued to fire missiles at Kyiv as troops paraded across Red Square for its annual celebration of victory in World War II.
Ukraine said its air defences had shot down 23 of 25 Russian cruise missiles fired mainly at the capital city overnight, and there were no reported casualties.
It was the second night in a row of major Russian air strikes and fifth so far this month.
On a visit to Kyiv today, EU commission president Ursula von der Leyen underlined how the war has isolated Russia from most of Europe and pushed Ukraine closer to the West.
She told a press conference: ‘Kyiv, as the capital of Ukraine, is the beating heart of today’s European values.
‘Courageously, Ukraine is fighting for the ideals of Europe that we celebrate today.’
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said: ‘Our efforts for a united Europe, for security and peace, need to be as strong as Russia’s desire to destroy our security, our freedom, our Europe.’
After spending two months assembling a legal defense, a government source claimed the action was “imminent” and would likely be implemented within weeks, according to The Times.
With proscription, it would be illegal to support Wagner, urge others to do so, display its logo in public, or go to its meetings.
Among other organisations on the Government’s proscribed list are the Islamic State, al-Qaida and neo-Nazi group National Action.
It comes as Labour demanded ministers formally label the Wagner Group a terror outfit after accusing it of committing ‘appalling atrocities’.
The Wagner Group, led by warlord Yevgeny Prigozhin and made up of contractors and recruited convicts, has been fighting alongside Russian armed forces in areas of eastern Ukraine.
It has been heavily involved in the city of Bakhmut, where the longest – and likely bloodiest – battle of the war has taken place.
Earlier on Tuesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin used Moscow’s Victory Day parade to accuse the West of unleashing a ‘real war’ on the country with its ‘untamed ambitions’.
Meanwhile, Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said that international allies must continue supporting Ukraine in order to uphold the principle that ‘powerful nations cannot invade their neighbours with impunity’.
Speaking on a visit to the US, Mr Cleverly said: ‘Things are complicated, things are messy, things are difficult, things will get scary.
‘We will expect to hear escalatory words coming out of Vladimir Putin’s lips – we need to be ready for that, we need to have the resolve to continue to do the right thing, notwithstanding those comments.’
Labour said in February it wanted ministers to follow the US’s lead after Washington designated Wagner a ‘significant transnational criminal organisation’.
In a joint statement, shadow foreign secretary David Lammy and shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper said: ‘The Wagner Group is responsible for the appalling atrocities in Ukraine and across the world.
‘No-one in the UK should be allowed to belong to the Wagner Group, support it or promote it.’
The push for Wagner to be proscribed came after a Government department reportedly helped its millionaire owner Mr Prigozhin to circumvent UK sanctions to take a British journalist to court in 2021.
The Treasury commissioned an internal review of its processes after it was reported that licences had been issued to allow lawyers to help Mr Prigozhin launch legal action against a Bellingcat reporter in the UK while the Russian oligarch was subject to sanctions.
As a result of the review, the department said the Government was committed to ‘further targeted changes to the process for issuing legal fees licences that safeguard the sanctions regime against the risk of manipulation and ensure ministers are accountable for OFSI Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation) decision-making’.
In August of last year, Andrew Hague killed Simon Wilkinson in front of his apartment using a bag of Pokémon cards.
According to testimony given at Sheffield Crown Court, the now-31-year-old repeatedly punched and stamped on the father of one.
He then walked away only to return to attack Mr Wilkinson again using a piece of wood to beat him around the head, leading to his tragic death at the scene.
Neighbours who witnessed the attack heard a loud crash and then heard Hague shouting: ‘You called me a f*****g nonce. Come out here and fight like a man.’
Friends and family had described the victim as a ‘friendly and funny’ man who had a daughter who has just turned 18.
After his arrest, Hague told police that, after the initial attack, he had ‘felt bad’ for Mr Wilkinson and had returned to the scene in order to try to end his life.
Judge Sarah Wright said that in his ‘deluded state’, he believed this to be an ‘act of mercy’.
She described the attack with the makeshift weapon as ‘ferocious and brutal’, and said the violence had been high and prolonged.
Hague had a history of mental health issues and had past convictions for violence, the court heard.
But his illness was not severe enough for a defence of diminished responsibility or insanity.
The court was told the murderer had not been taking his medication, but instead had been ‘self-medicating’ with cannabis and alcohol.
Judge Wright stressed this case was a ‘stark reminder’ of the dangers of cannabis use in such circumstances.
Hague pleaded guilty earlier this year to murdering Mr Wilkinson. Today the judge sentenced him to a life sentence with a minimum term of 17 years.
She recommended that he be readmitted to Rampton secure hospital where he has been undergoing treatment since his arrest.
In a journey that would have taken just over an hour and a half on a train, Rishi Sunak took a helicopter from London to Southampton and returned.
Before visiting his family in the city where he grew up, the prime minister utilized the quick trip today to visit a pharmacy and promote one of his health measures.
Downing Street acknowledged that the taxpayer paid for the trip and argued that it was justified since it made the most of the busy man’s schedule.
An off-peak return between Waterloo and Southampton Central costs around £53.
The PM’s official spokesman said: ‘As you know, his transport will vary depending on his time, where he’s going to make best use of both his time and an interest of the taxpayer.
‘Obviously there’s a lot of pressure on his time and he wants to make the most effective use of that time, so sometimes being able to get to and from places quickly is the best use of his time.’
Two Range Rovers picked up the prime minister after he got his blood pressure checked at the pharmacy, where he promoted his policy of allowing chemists to prescribe medications for seven common ailments in a bid to free up GP appointments.
He has previously been criticised for taking a private jet to travel between Blackpool and Doncaster – a trip of less than half an hour.
Critics said the journeys made a mockery of his government’s ‘Jet Zero strategy’ pledge to cut pollution from flights and help achieve net zero emissions in the UK by 2050.
Labour has accused the PM of ‘jetting around the country on taxpayers’ money like an A-list celeb’.
Liberal Democrat climate change and transport spokeswoman Wera Hobhouse said: ‘Being the prime minister is not an excuse to use a private helicopter whenever you want.
‘No politician should be above using public transport to get around the country – especially for a journey that would take little more than an hour.
‘Rishi Sunak has seemingly abandoned the Government’s environmental responsibilities while throwing taxpayer money away so he can travel in luxury. This is just another example of him being wildly out of touch with the British people.’
The man also suffered a firearms injury, and remains in a critical condition in hospital.
Kent Police said he was being treated as the suspect.
Investigators from the Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate are now treating the firearms incident as murder following the woman’s death.
The police said in a statement: ‘Anyone with information which may assist the investigation should call Kent Police on 01474 366149, quoting reference 46/80922/23.
‘You can also contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 5551111 or by using the online form on their website.’
Witnesses on Saturday afternoon described how police cordoned off the road and ordered people to stay inside their homes, before officers broke through the front door.
One woman, who did not wish to be named, said: ‘I was in the house and my husband and two girls were out – they couldn’t get back home.
‘I went out and was told “get back – you must stay indoors”.
‘I went to the garden where I could see more.’
About an hour after police entered the property, she said she heard gunshots before a person was carried out on a stretcher.
She said: ‘It was pandemonium, I heard five gunshots – a pause and then another five.’
A cruise ship passenger was detained after a camera recording footage of hundreds of people was discovered in a restroom.
On April 29, Jeremy Froias boarded the Harmony of the Seas from Royal Caribbean in Miami for a seven-day voyage.
Prior to sailing back to Miami on Saturday, the ship was scheduled to stop in Sint Maarten, Puerto Rico, and the Bahamas.
Froias is accused of concealing a Wi-Fi camera in a public restroom on the ship’s upper deck on April 30.
The camera was spotted the day after by another passenger and reported to ship security, according to court documents.
Ship security seized the camera and found several hours of video files.
The footage allegedly included a clip of Froias hiding the camera and aiming it towards the toilet.
More than 150 people, including at least 40 children, were filmed by the hidden camera in various states of undress.
The toilet is located on the top deck of the ship (Picture: Rosario, Jose L/FBI)The Harmony of the Seas cruise ship (Picture: Daniel SLIM/AFP)The camera which Froias hid in this bathroom was secreted in a section of the wallabove the door which had been removed for repairs (Picture: Rosario, Jose L/FBI)The camera was spotted by another passenger (Picture: Rosario, Jose L/FBI)
Froias was arrested last Wednesday in Puerto Rico and was charged with video voyeurism and attempted possession of child exploitation material.
A criminal complaint has been filed in San Juan federal court after Frois and the camera were turned over to the FBI.
A Royal Caribbean spokesman said: ‘The matter was immediately reported to local and federal law enforcement, and the guest involved was removed from the ship by authorities for further investigation.’
A lawyer for Froias did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment.
Donald Trump, a former president, was found guilty of harassing, but not raping, his accuser in a department shop dressing room.
A federal jury of nine people unanimously determined on Tuesday in the afternoon that Trump had slandered his accuser, columnist E Jean Carroll. In the mid-1990s, Carroll said that Trump sexually assaulted her in a Bergdorf Goodman dressing room. She alleged that he defamed her by calling her case “a hoax and a lie” and “a complete con job” on his Truth Social platform.
The jury of six men and three women awarded Carroll nearly $3million in damages for proving her defamation claim. In addition, the jury said Trump should pay roughly $2million in damages for Carroll’s civil battery allegations, bringing the total to roughly $5million.
Jurors deliberated on Tuesday for more than two-and-a-half hours in Manhattan Federal Court.
Magazine columnist E Jean Carroll departs Manhattan Federal Court after a jury ruled Tuesday that Donald Trump was liable for sexually abusing her (Picture: Getty Images)
As the verdict was read, Carroll ‘had a sense of relief’ and smiled, reported CNN. Carroll hugged her lawyer Roberta Kaplan and Trump’s attorney Joe Tacopina shook hands with Carroll and Kaplan.
Since the findings are civil instead of criminal, Trump will not face jail time.
Shortly after the verdict was read, Trump lashed out on Truth Social.
‘I HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA WHO THIS WOMAN IS,’ he wrote at 3.29pm. ‘THIS VERDICT IS A DISGRACE – A CONTINUATION OF THE GREATEST WITCH HUNT OF ALL TIME!’
Trump did not appear in the trial, even though he was given until Sunday evening to decide to testify.
More than a dozen women have accused Trump of sexual misconduct, but Carroll’s case is the first to have success in court.
Carroll smiled as she was escorted to her car after the verdict.
A woman yelled at Carroll, ‘You’re so brave and beautiful!’
‘Thank you, thank you so much,’ said Carroll.
She did not answer questions on her way out.
Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign stated that ‘this case will be appealed, and we will ultimately win’.
‘In jurisdictions wholly controlled by the Democratic Party our nation’s justice system is now compromised by extremist left-wing politics,’ stated the Trump campaign.
‘We have allowed false and totally made-up claims from troubled individuals to interfere with our elections, doing great damage.’
Carroll filed her lawsuit under the Adult Survivor’s Act, which was signed into law in New York last year. It allowed abuse victims a one-time opportunity to sue their alleged perpetrators.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul stated of the verdict: ‘I was proud to sign the Adult Survivors Act so brave survivors like E Jean Carroll could have their day in court.’
US District Judge Lewis Kaplan before dismissing the jurors told them they could identify themselves to the public but advised them against doing so.
‘Not now and not for a long time,’ said the judge.
‘If you’re one who elects to speak to others and to identify yourselves to others, I direct you not to identify anyone else who sat on this jury. Each of you owes that to the other whatever you decided for yourself.’
Ghanaian pastor Bishop Daniel Obinim’s family house in Heman, Kumasi, has been collapsed by a tipper truck and injured some persons in the house.
In a report on UTV, it was reported that the tipper truck with registration number GR 7137-23 which was being towed from the northern region to the Ashanti region to be repaired, lost control and fell off the towing car.
According to reports, the tipper car was able to collapse two rooms in the family house of Bishop Daniel Obinim as it made a tough impact through a side of the building, bringing down the bricks and ceiling of the house in Heman.
Watch video
It was reported that Obinim’s mother, Ama Konadu, sixty-three years old, and a young man, Daniel Owusu, twenty-six years and a young girl of 11 years, were injured in the horrifying accident.
Daniel was stuck in the building since the tipper truck allegedly left him immobile as it settled on his leg. The injured family members of the pastor were later sent to the Gyamasi Hospital, where they are receiving treatment.
After a few interrogations, the driver also stated that they were only returning from the northern region, as stated earlier but had no idea about how the truck fell off the towing car. The Ghana police have begun investigating the cause of the accident and are expected to make an official statement afterwards.
Ras Nene, a comedian, and actor, recently revealed his plans to retire from acting.
Interview with Poleeno Media, the veteran actor said he wants to pave the way for fresh faces in Ghana’s entertainment.
Ras Nene, who has been acting for over two decades, shared his belief that there are many young and talented actors and actresses who need to be given the chance to showcase their skills. He called on Ghanaians to support and encourage these young stars in order for them to reach their full potential.
The actor also revealed that he is a big brand which keeps him very busy. He, therefore, desires to take some time off and relax in the near future.
Ras Nene has been entertaining Ghanaians for many years with his unique sense of humour and acting skills. Many have described his potential retirement as a great loss to the Ghanaian entertainment industry.
Some members of organized labour have gathered at Kpone in the Greater Accra Region to protest the dismissal of three workers at Sunon Asogli Power.
This follows the expiry of an ultimatum given by the unions for the company to reinstate the workers whose contracts were allegedly terminated on the basis that they joined the Ghana Mine Workers’ Union.
The aggrieved members of the Trades Union Congress (TUC) were clad in red and black attires.
The union members further hoisted placards and banners including chanting of songs geared towards pressuring the management into overturning its decision.
During the 2023 National May Day Parade, Secretary General of the TUC, Dr Yaw Baah indicated that his outfit has already notified the Police in Tema about its intention to embark on the first solidarity action against the Chinese company.
This morning, hundreds of the members are at the company’s premises demanding that their colleagues are brought back.
On May 4, the Ghana Mine Workers Union (GMWU) described as factual inaccuracies, misrepresentations and fabrication, a statement put out by the company captioned, “Sunon Asogli’s position on Matters Relating to Unionization.”
The Ghana Mine Workers’ Union said, together with the workers of Sunon Asogli Power (Ghana) Limited, it went through the necessary legal processes to acquire a Collective Bargaining Certificate that empowers the union to represent and negotiate with the company on behalf of the workers.
“At every material time during the unionization process, the Ghana Mineworkers’ Union did not only adopt the procedure and approach required by the law, but it also worked collaboratively with regulatory institutions of the state including the Labour Department of Ghana”, the statement added.
The Ghana Mineworkers’ Union and the TUC say they will not tolerate employers who are out there to suppress and oppress the rights and liberties of workers.
Samuel Koku Anyidoho, a former deputy general secretary of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), believes Dr. Kwabena Duffour is the best candidate for the NDC in the general election of 2024.
He asserts that Dr. Duffour possesses all the characteristics required of the party’s flagbearer.
He emphasized that the economy is currently in a terrible situation that will require someone like Kwabena Duffour, who has previously overseen the nation’s finances to fix it.
“Given the current state of the economy, which needs to be fixed, it is now appropriate for someone with financial experience to assume charge of the affairs of the country, ” Samuel Koku Anyidoho told Kwaku Owusu Adjei(Patoo) on Adwenekasa on Accra-based Original FM 91.9.
According to him, Duffour’s track record and calm demeanor serves as a selling point for him to win the next election.
“Dr. Duffour’s experiences cannot, in any way, be compared to Mahama. Duffour may be “trying” to rule Ghana, but he is a superior choice. He has a particular history. He arrived with Mills and provided superior economic data; he is a businessman who later accepted a position as a lecturer at Legon; and he was one of the top governors of the Bank of Ghana,” he added.
The Food and Drug Authority (FDA) is warning the public about Kangen Water, an unregistered product whose manufacturers assert that it is the only 100% alkaline product on the market.
According to a statement from the FDA, the manufacturer previously obtained an FDA registration number for the production of drinking water. However, the producer has opted to misrepresent the FDA number by using it for its 100% alkaline water that is being promoted and advertised with claims of medical and healing capabilities.
FDA said the medicinal and healing properties of the product, as being advertised have not been subjected to any scientific analysis and, therefore, the Authority cannot guarantee its efficacy and safety for these claims.
“Section 100 (1) of the Public Health Act 2012 (Act 851) makes it an offence to advertise food as a preventive or cure for a disease, disorder or an abnormal physical state. Additionally, Act 851 prohibits advertisement for the treatment of diseases such as hypertension, cancer and diabetes,” it emphasized.
FDA advised the public to check the registration status of regulated products from the FDA website, http://fdaghana.gov.gh, before purchase.
Some aggrieved delegates of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Manhyia South Constituency of the Ashanti Region, have threatened to injunct this Saturday’s presidential and parliamentary primaries in the region.
This follows the exemption of the constituency from the election over claims that their delegates’ register is flawed.
Krofrom CPC Coordinator, Daniel Appiah, says they will seek legal redress if the issues are not addressed immediately.
“We would like to seek an injunction to halt the election, especially in the Ashanti Region if our concerns are not addressed within 48 hours”, he said.
NDC executives from some of the 107 branches of the party in the Manhyia South Constituency have gone through the necessary processes to participate as delegates.
This, they say, grants them the opportunity to vote in the election.
“The constituency has a total of 107 branches, but 452 executives that culminate to form the delegates in the entire constituency. These delegates bought their forms, paid their approved dues of three months and met the condition of being members for 4 years and counting before registration,”
“Members were adequately vetted by Dr Mrs Mary Awusi, then Deputy Women’s Organizer and Mr. Solomon Anane as Regional representative.
“These branch elected executives were subsequently sworn in as branch leaders and delegates of the party”, their statement read.
Three out of the 47 constituencies in the Ashanti Region will not participate in the upcoming Presidential and Parliamentary primaries of the NDC.
Fomena, Adansi Asokwa and Manhyia South constituencies have issues that need to be addressed before delegates can exercise their franchise.
Pensioner Bondholders have mounted fresh pressure on the government to release their coupons to them.
The aggrieved pensioners in making their demand said they will not resort to taking the government to court due to the cumbersome nature of the process.
They, therefore, want the government to release their coupons to them with immediate effect since they need them to take care of critical needs.
The disclosure was made on the second day of the Forum’s picketing at the Finance Ministry to put pressure on the government to pay their outstanding coupons and principal on bonds.
Convenor of the Forum, Dr Adu Anane Antwi said the group refuses to go to court because their situation is too dire to wait for the court processes to be exhausted.
“We will not go to court because you can’t wait for your coupons when you are in court, and you are dying. We must put pressure on the government to pay us.”
Members of the Forum picketed at the Finance Ministry for the second consecutive day demanding that the government pay all outstanding coupons and principal on their bonds.
This is the second time the group of pensioners is implementing the tactic after they successfully secured an issuer exemption from the Domestic Debt Exchange Programme (DDEP) in February.
The group members on Monday, May 8, converged at the Ministry of Finance to picket.
Although the government has recently made some payments, the pensioners tell Citi News the lack of clarity and communication from the Ministry makes planning difficult.
“It is just fair at a certain level you maintain your integrity and word, because you have told the whole world, including us and your creditors that you will pay, now what happens? Nothing happens, we are now in May. Early March bonds have not been paid, you are paying it in pieces, and there is outstanding, and we have to figure out what is happening.
“If you have a problem, in all fairness, tell us, tell us the specific payment dates, so that the person can also plan, people need money for their medications. So if the payment date is communicated to us, we will know how to plan. It’s all a matter of communication, if you communicate, we will understand.
“But we are sitting here and we don’t know whether it will be paid or not. You get an alert and the old one has been paid, leaving the new ones. We don’t know what is happening,” one of the aggrieved pensioners said.
The Pensioner Bondholders Forum has indicated that it will not relent until the outstanding matured coupons of its members are paid.
Speaking on Eyewitness News on Citi FM, Dr. Anane Antwi said all attempts to get the attention of the government to pay their bonds have gone unresponsive which has left them with no other option than to resume picketing at the Ministry of Finance.
“We have tried to get the government to pay the outstanding coupons, and we are not getting the needed payment that must be made, therefore we had to embark on the protest after we had served notice to the government that if we didn’t get paid by 21st [of April], we were going to resume our picketing to back our demand, and we didn’t get any feedback, so we have to resume picketing.”
In a civil trial that has begun its jury deliberations, former president Donald Trump is accused of raping a columnist in a restroom and defaming her.
Tuesday at 11:50 a.m., the nine-person jury in federal court in Manhattan started deliberating on E Jean Carroll’s complaint against Trump.
Carroll alleges that in a Bergdorf Goodman dressing room in the middle of the 1990s, Trump sexually abused her. Trump will either be held accountable or not by a jury of six men and three women.
If jurors find Trump liable, they will determine how much money the ex-president owes Carroll for the damages. Trump will not face jail time because it is not a criminal case.
‘I emphasize to you that this is a civil case for damages,’ US District Judge Lewis Kaplan told jurors. ‘It is not a criminal case.’
A California tech CEO who inexplicably vanished two years ago was discovered dead, according to investigators.
In a deserted Santa Monica courtyard, the bones were found on April 25. The 39-year-old Beau Mann, the creator of the addiction and mental health app Sober Grid, was one of them, according to the Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office.
Mann’s Michigan-based fiancé Jason Abate was the final person to get in touch with him. The following year, they intended to get married.
Abate spoke to Mann the night before his disappearance. ‘He told me he loved me, and he wanted to adopt children with me,’ Abate told NBC News in 2022. ‘That was the last message I ever got from him.’
Beau Mann (left) is seen with his fiancé Jason Abate (right) (Picture: Facebook)
Mann was last seen on November 30, 2021 around 2.00pm. He was spotted at a 7/11 convenience store on Ventura Boulevard, the Los Angeles Police Department said, over 15 miles away from where his remains were eventually discovered.
The store was only a short walk away from Sober Grid’s offices in Los Angeles. He got into an Uber after leaving the 7/11, where he texted a message to 911.
Mann’s fiancé began to worry about him when he stopped returning text messages. The LAPD performed a wellness check at the CEO’s apartment, but he was nowhere to be found.
Abate eventually filed a missing persons report on December 4.
The coroner’s office is still working to determine a cause of death for the CEO.
Mann founded Sober Grid, which bills itself as the ‘world’s largest recovery app,’ in 2015. ‘Simply put – Beau was our light,’ the company said in a post on Instagram. ‘After an experience in his early years with drugs and addiction, he turned his focus and passion towards helping others.’
They continued: ‘While he is no longer with us, we know Beau’s spirit will live on in Sober Grid’s mission to help those in need.’
13 Palestinians were murdered, including three Islamic Jihad commanders and numerous family members, after Israeli jets and helicopters attacked numerous targets in Gaza overnight as part of what Israel claimed as an operation against “kingpin terrorists.”
Three of its commanders, together with their wives and kids, were acknowledged by the Palestinian terrorist group to have died in the operation.
According to the group, the al Quds Brigades commanders who were killed included Tariq Muhammad Ezzedine, one of the leaders of the military wing of the al Quds Brigades in the West Bank, Khalil Salah al Bahtini, commander of the northern region, and Jihad Shaker Al-Ghannam, secretary of the military council.
It later vowed a “response” to Israeli airstrikes, calling the attacks an “aggressive, heinous massacre.”
Hamas, the Palestinian militant movement that runs Gaza, issued a similar statement, promising a “firm response from the unified resistance forces, whose unity is manifested in its greatest form in the field.”
The Al Shifa hospital in Gaza said those killed were members of four families plus one other individual.
The dead included five women and four children, a list of the dead released by the Al-Shifa Medical Complex showed.
One of the Palestinian men killed in Israeli airstrikes was a prominent dentist, Jamal Khaswan, who died along with his wife and son, the Ministry of Health added. Khaswan was Chairman of the Board of Directors of Al-Wafa Hospital, the ministry said, praising him as a scientific and practical man of great determination.
He held Russian citizenship, according to the Russian Representative Office in Ramallah. The Russian Mission said Khaswan and his wife left behind two orphaned children who are also Russian citizens.
The Ministry of Health added that 20 people had been injured, including three children and seven women.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed it launched pre-dawn airstrikes on Gaza, saying it was a “response to incessant aggression on the part of the Islamic Jihad terrorist organization.”
IDF spokesman Lt. Col. Richard Hecht called the targets “kingpin terrorists” and insisted that the military “did as much as we could to focus on them.”
But he also conceded the IDF was “aware of some collateral,” an apparent reference to the wives and children who were also killed alongside those being targeted.
“If there were some tragic deaths, we’ll look into it and get back to you,” he said in response to reporters’ questions.
Islamic Jihad said Ghannam, 62, was also commander-in-chief of the al Quds Brigades and has been wanted for over 20 years, having survived five previous assassination attempts.
He had worked in Yasser Arafat’s Fatah and the Popular Resistance Committees, secular Palestinian militant groups that predate the emergence of Palestinian Islamic Jihad, the group said.
The IDF accused Ghannam of coordinating weapons and money transfers between Islamic Jihad and Hamas, the militant group which runs Gaza. It called him one of the most senior members of Islamic Jihad.
Calling the strikes “Operation Shield and Arrow,” the IDF said its fighter jets and helicopters hit 10 Islamic Jihad targets, including what it said were “rocket production workshops in Khan Yunis,” weapon manufacturing sites, military compounds, a concrete manufacturing site and a military post in southern Gaza.
Video from Gaza showed explosions lighting up the night sky and the rubble from buildings hit by the strikes.
The latest violence came almost a week after Israel and Palestinian militants in Gaza exchanged fire following the death of a prominent Palestinian hunger striker in an Israeli prison.
Israel conducted strikes on what it said were targets belonging to Hamas as dozens of rockets were fired from Gaza toward Israel on May 2.
It followed the death of Palestinian detainee Khader Adnan, an Islamic Jihad former spokesman who became a symbol of Palestinian resistance to Israeli detention policies, in Israeli custody after 87 days of hunger strike.
IDF spokesman Hecht said planning for Tuesday’s operation began after the rocket fire from Gaza last week.
The strikes took place overnight Monday because of a convergence of intelligence information, weather and permissions, he said, adding some 40 IDF aircraft were involved in the operation. Hecht tweeted Tuesday morning just before 8 a.m. local time (1 a.m. ET) that the IDF had “stopped our strikes for now.”
Israel’s Foreign Minister Eli Cohen cut short a three-day official visit to India in the wake of the Israeli airstrikes on Gaza.
He said he had received a security update immediately on landing in New Delhi on Tuesday, when he was due to travel to the city of Agra and then to the financial capital Mumbai on Wednesday, according to an itinerary published by India’s Ministry of External affairs.
Gaza is one of the most densely packed places in the world, an isolated coastal enclave of almost two million people crammed into 140 square miles.
Governed by the Palestinian militant group Hamas, the territory is largely cut off from the rest of the world by an Israeli blockade of Gaza’s land, air and sea dating back to 2007. Egypt controls Gaza’s southern border crossing, Rafah.
Israel has placed heavy restrictions on the freedom of civilian movement and controls the importation of basic goods into the narrow coastal strip. Hecht said he did not know if there would be more follow up strikes.
“We don’t know yet where we go. It’s still early,” he said. “We’re ready for as long as it takes. The big question is Hamas. What will they decide to do?”
The Victory Day parade in Red Square this year provided an opportunity for Russian President Vladimir Putin to carry on his fight against history. He merely succeeded in emphasizing his alienation from geopolitics.
Putin made a clear connection between the sacrifices made during World War II and his invasion of Ukraine in an address to the gathered troops. The Russian president presented himself as the savior and defender of an impoverished Russia that the West’s “globalist elites” had targeted. He was flanked by living veterans of the conflict that Russia still refers to as the Great Patriotic War.
According to Putin, “civilization is once more on the verge of collapse.” “Once more, a real war has broken out against our motherland,”
While Russia sees “no unfriendly nations in the West or in the East,” Putin suggested darker forces are conspiring against Moscow.
“Western globalist elites still talk about their exceptionalism, pitting people against each other and splitting society, provoking bloody conflicts and coups, sowing hatred, Russophobia, [and] aggressive nationalism,” he said. “The Ukrainian nation has become hostage to a coup which led to a criminal regime led by its Western masters. It has become a pawn to their cruel and selfish plans.”
It’s worth unpacking this for a moment. It’s Putin’s longstanding view that Ukraine is not a legitimate nation — Ukrainians and Russians, in his view, are “one people” and the Ukrainian state is an artificial construct. In his conspiratorial view of the world, states like Ukraine are merely vassals, and Washington calls the shots. And if a shadowy global cabal is pulling the strings in Kyiv, that belief justifies what Russia calls its “special military operation” in Ukraine.
Let’s remember that it was a genuine popular revolt — not, say, the CIA or George Soros — that brought people onto Kyiv’s Maidan Square to support Ukraine’s aspirations for joining the European Union, leading to the ouster of Ukraine’s pro-Russian president in 2014. And that Russian-speaking Ukrainians — and even some Russian nationals — are also fighting and dying on the side of Ukraine.
But Putin is immune from fact-checking exercises here. Collective remembrance of World War II is the closest thing Russia has to a state religion, and May 9 — when Russians commemorate the victory over Nazi Germany in 1945 — marks the holiest of days. For a domestic audience, the Victory Day parade provides a visual parallel between the veterans of the war that ended 78 years ago and the participants of Russia’s war on Ukraine today.
According to state media, over 500 participants of Russia’s so-called “special military operation” in Ukraine took part in the parade on Red Square Tuesday. And in his speech, Putin cast them as the heirs of victory in the Great Patriotic War. Not surprisingly, Ukrainians are pushing back against such historical gaslighting.
In video remarks, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he had submitted a bill to the Verkhovna Rada — Ukraine’s parliament to change official victory day celebrations from May 9 to May 8, and compared Russia’s aggression to that of Hitler’s Germany.
“It is on May 8 that most nations of the world remember the greatness of the victory over the Nazis,” Zelensky said. “We will not allow the joint victory of the nations of the anti-Hitler coalition to be appropriated and we will not allow lies as if the victory could have taken place without the participation of any country or nation.”
Zelensky also played host to an important visitor in Kyiv on the same day as Putin’s Victory Day parade: European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who arrived bearing promises of continued support from Europe for Ukraine.
“Ukraine is on the front line of the defense of everything we Europeans cherish: our liberty, our democracy, our freedom of thought and speech,” von der Leyen said. “Courageously Ukraine is fighting for the ideals of Europe that we celebrate today. In Russia, Putin and his regime have destroyed these values. And now they are attempting to destroy them here in Ukraine because they are afraid of the success you represent and the example you show, and they are afraid of your path to the European Union.”
And in his joint press conference with von der Leyen, Zelensky was able to rain a little on Putin’s Victory Day parade, noting Russia’s costly and incremental progress on the battlefield.
“They [the Russians] were not able to capture Bakhmut,” he said, referring to the embattled and extensively damaged eastern Ukrainian city. “This was the last important military operation that they wanted to complete by the ninth of May. And unfortunately, the city does not exist anymore. Everything is fully destroyed. … So, they need some information to present it as a victory they need to conquer something — some city — [but] they have not managed to do that.”
The annual Victory Day celebrations in Russia are supposed to be grand public spectacle married with an advertisement for state power. This year’s parade showcased some of Russia’s military might — featuring its S-400 air defense system and Yars intercontinental ballistic missile launchers, part of Moscow’s nuclear arsenal — but a massive procession of modern tanks, the pride of Russia’s army, was conspicuously absent.
And von der Leyen’s visit to Kyiv highlighted Putin’s isolation from Europe and the West. Among the most high-profile visitors featured at Putin’s Victory Day celebrations were an EU-sanctioned president (Alexander Lukashenko of Belarus), a Central Asian strongman (Emomali Rahmon of Tajikistan) and the dynastic leader of a petro-state (Serdar Berdymukhamedov of Turkmenistan).
On the battlefields of Ukraine, the setbacks being dealt to Russian forces in the meat grinder of Bakhmut could not be a sharper contrast to the pomp and circumstance on Red Square.
That fact was brought home by Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of the Russian mercenary outfit Wagner, who railed on social media against Russia’s military leadership.
“Today they [Ukrainians] are tearing up the flanks in the Artemovsk [the Russian name for Bakhmut] direction, regrouping at Zaporizhzhia. And a counteroffensive is about to begin,” he said on social media Tuesday. “They absolutely clearly say that the counteroffensive will be on the ground, not on TV.”
Victory Day, Prigozhin added, belonged to a past generation.
“Victory Day is the victory of our grandfathers,” he said. “We haven’t earned that victory one millimeter.”
Despite the Kremlin’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin conducted a scaled-back Victory Day celebration in Moscow on Tuesday. He reaffirmed his bogus claim that the West had started a “true war” against Russia.
A patriotic display commemorating the Soviet Union’s role in defeating Nazi Germany in World War II saw thousands of people throng the streets surrounding Moscow’s Red Square.
The most important day in Putin’s calendar is Victory Day because he has long used it to mobilize the populace, show off the nation’s military superiority, and denounce the historical injustices he believes Western countries have inflicted on his country.
The Russian leader has historically led the annual military parade on Red Square with displays of military hardware including tanks, missiles, and other weapons systems, before a wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier near the Kremlin wall, to honor the memory of those who perished in the battles.
More than 10,000 people and 125 units of various types of weapons and equipment were expected to be displayed at this year’s parade, according to Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu. Last year the ministry announced 11,000 people and 131 types of weapons were involved in the military parade, with an airshow of 77 aircraft and helicopters.
But there was just one ancient World War II-era T-34 tank leading the mechanized column on Tuesday, as Moscow seemingly toned down its annual parade.
Tigr-M and VPK-Ural armored vehicles were also on display, but the main focus was the country’s S-400 air defense system and its intercontinental ballistic system – the Yaris.
The usual fly-past above the Red Square was canceled, state media reported, without providing an explanation.
Putin used the annual Victory Day parade to launch yet another scathing attack on the West, accusing it of holding Ukraine hostage to its anti-Russian plans.
“A true war has been unleashed against our motherland,” Putin said on Tuesday, claiming falsely that the West had provoked the war in Ukraine. “We have repelled international terrorism and to fit we will defend the residents of Donbas and secure our own safety. Russia has no unfriendly nations in the West or in the East.”
He also again drew comparisons between the conflict in Ukraine and the fight against Nazi forces in the World War II, saying that civilization is once again at a turning point.
Throughout his short address, Putin praised Russian troops fighting in what the Kremlin calls its “special military operation” in Ukraine, saying the country is “proud” of everyone who fights on the frontlines.
“There is no more important thing now than your combat work,” Putin said.
However, no mention was made of the high casualties suffered by Russian troops, which are estimated to be in the tens of thousands.
World leaders such as former German Chancellor Angela Merkel and former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan had attended the military parade in previous years. But such displays of solidarity have faded in recent years, after Putin’s invasion of Crimea in 2014 and the war in Ukraine fractured diplomatic ties.
Moscow had been under pressure to strengthen its show of defenses and unity on Tuesday, after last week’s alleged drone strike on the Kremlin shattered the most powerful symbol of the Russian presidency.
Kyiv and its Western allies exchanged thorny memos with Moscow after it accused Ukraine of carrying out orders from the US in an attempted assassination against Putin. Ukraine and Washington vehemently denied the allegations.
The cause of the explosions is unknown, but the optics of a symbolic attack against the Kremlin gave it an opportunity to rally support for Putin from Russians as critics continue to speak out against Moscow’s full-scale invasion.
Similarly, Russia’s wrath appeared neutered when a wave of drone and missile attacks was thwarted by Ukraine’s air defenses on Tuesday.
Over the past week, lives have been lost and civilians injured by debris from destroyed drones, or missiles that have punctured Ukrainian resistance. But above all, Kyiv’s air-defenses have proved potent, and Moscow’s less so.
On Monday, Russian oligarch Andrey Kovalev called Moscow’s military campaign “a terrible war.”
“The whole world is against us,” he said in a video speech later shared on Telegram.
At the same time, strained relations between senior Russian officials exploded into a public display of disunity as Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin launched a fiery tirade criticizing the Russian military’s focus on the Victory Day parade – ahead of an expected spring offensive from Kyiv in the south.
“Today they [Ukrainians] are tearing up the flanks in the Artemovsk (Russian name for Bakhmut) direction, regrouping at Zaporizhzhia. And a counteroffensive is about to begin,” he said on his social media accounts on Tuesday.
“They absolutely clearly say that the counteroffensive will be on the ground, not on TV. In our country everybody thinks that we should do everything on TV and celebrate the Victory Day.”
He also chose the moment of the parade to release a statement saying in fact Russian defense ministry troops had abandoned positions around the city of Bakhmut – a key battleground in eastern Ukraine – and said he had been threatened with treason charges if he left.
“Victory Day is the victory of our grandfathers,” he added. “We haven’t earned that victory one millimeter.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky compared Russia to Nazi Germany as he proposed moving Victory Day celebrations a day earlier in a bill presented to lawmakers, in an effort to distance Kyiv from the Kremlin’s celebrations.
Like Russia, Ukraine traditionally commemorates victory over the Nazis on May 9, but that date has become increasingly associated with a parade in Moscow.
“It is on May 8 that most nations of the world remember the greatness of the victory over the Nazis,” Zelensky said Monday.
Zelensky said on Tuesday that Russia had failed to capture Bakhmut before the May 9 deadline of the Victory Day parade.
“They were not able to capture Bakhmut, this was the last important military operation that they wanted to complete by the nineth of May,” Zelensky said in a joint press conference with European President Ursula von der Leyen.
“Unfortunately, the city does not exist anymore everything is fully destroyed.”
As Ukraine prepares to launch a counteroffensive against Russian soldiers, the US on Tuesday unveiled a $1.2 billion security support package for Ukraine.
Along with 155 mm artillery rounds, more air defense systems, munitions, and drone ammo, the package also includes tools to “integrate Western air defense launchers, missiles, and radars” with Ukraine’s current systems.
On Monday, CNN reported that the announcement was anticipated.
The package, which was first reported by the Associated Press, will be covered under the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, which means it won’t be taken directly from Defense Department supplies during a drawdown but rather would be contracted and bought from manufacturers. The purpose of USAI packages is not to provide Ukraine with the weaponry it urgently requires, but to establish a medium- and long-term supply for Ukraine.
With the new package announcement, the US marks $37.6 billion in military aid to Ukraine since the beginning of the Biden administration, including $36.9 billion since the beginning of the war in February 2022.
Even after the Ukrainian counteroffensive begins, the US will continue to send military aid to Ukraine, according to a US military official, both to sustain Ukraine’s military force against dug-in Russian troops and to provide new equipment.
During a speech at the European Parliament in Strasbourg on Tuesday, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz urged Europe to resist Vladimir Putin’s “show of force” and to remain unafraid.
“Putin is currently stationing his troops, tanks, and missiles in Moscow, 2,200 kilometers (more than 1300 miles) northeast of here. Let us resist being deterred by such a display of force, Scholz remarked in reference to Russia’s Victory Day parade.
Scholz reiterated his support for Ukraine by saying that the “delusion of their powerful neighboring state” was something that Ukrainians were “paying with their lives” for.
“Let us be steadfast in our support of Ukraine for as long as it is necessary,“ Scholz said.
Scholz also warned in a news conference with the President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, Europe’s next round of sanctions on Russia will “not be the last” and that the bloc will be on track to discuss further improvements.
As claimed by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Russia failed to seize the eastern city of Bakhmut by the deadline of May 9 — the day on which Russia celebrates the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany in World War II.
“They failed to succeed in capturing Bakhmut. At a joint press conference with European President Ursula von der Leyen, Zelensky stated that this was the final significant military operation they planned to wrap up by May 9th.
“Unfortunately, the city is no longer in existence. Everything is completely gone,” he continued.
Zelensky calls for additional ammunition: The Ukrainian president also stated that more quickly arriving ammunition from the European Union, which it has promised to send to Ukraine, is already required on the battlefield.
“Ukraine daily demonstrates efficiency of our defense against Russian aggression. Every intercepted terrorists’ missile, every success of our warriors in defeating Russian attacks, these are the proofs that we can win over this aggressor,” Zelensky said.
“The main thing is the proportionality of our abilities to the abilities that the aggressor has. And in this context, I have thanked Ursula for the readiness of the European Union to provide Ukraine this badly needed ammunition, one billion artillery shells, and we have also discussed the key issues, the speed of the procurement and delivery of this ammunition, because they are needed on the battlefield already now,” he said.
Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin marked May 9 with the annual Victory Day parade and launched yet another scathing attack on the West, accusing it of holding Ukraine hostage to its anti-Russian plans. He also claimed that “real war” has been unleashed against Russia.
Officers of the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) at the Nyive border in the Volta Region have intercepted 896 slabs of suspected Indian hemp at Have.
The enclave is an unapproved route along the Shia-Nyive border in the Volta Region. The parcels, in rectangular shapes, were in sacks with the inscription “70”.
Courage Amegbe, Commander of the Operation Calm Life Patrol Team, Nyive Sector told the Ghana News Agency that around 10.30 pm on Friday, May 5, the team intercepted the contrabands while on night duty along an unapproved route.
Mr Amegbe said the officers came across the sacks in the bush when they reached Have. They transported the 12 sacks to the main border post at Nyive.
The consignment was handed over to a team from the Narcotics Control Commission in Ho.
Amegbe cautioned the public to desist from the use of and trade in illicit goods and called on the citizenry to provide information leading to the arrest of such recalcitrant members of the society.
Former Deputy General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Koku Anyidoho has declared his intention to cast his ballot in the upcoming NDC primaries scheduled for May 13, 2023.
He said the party’s National Chairman, Johnson Asiedu Nketiah cannot stop him from voting in the upcoming presidential and parliamentary primaries of the party.
According to the founder of Atta Mills Institute, “Today is the 6th of May technically we were supposed to be voting a week from today to elect Flagbearer and our parliamentarians. I will vote in my capacity as a former national officer and a former appointee. I have a new voter’s ID card and let Asiedu Nketiah come and remove my vote from the ballot box”.
Koku said this when he spoke to journalists at the sidelines of the 10th Eastern Presbytery Synod 2023 at Evangelical Presbyterian Church, Ghana Amenuveve Congregation held in Koforidua, the Eastern Regional capital.
The NDC former deputy General Secretary said the party Chairman has failed to produce any evidence that he has been sacked and that he is still a bonafide member of the party, hence he will take part in the upcoming primaries scheduled to take place on May 13, 2023.
He explained that “Secondary on that score I am supporting Dr. Kwabena Duffuor in the Presidential primaries. I am not supporting John Mahama and that is one of the reasons why they said they have sacked me from the party because I have said I won’t support John Mahama, I am not a slave to John Mahama and I refuse to be a slave to him.”
Koku Anyidoho emphasised that Dr. Duffuor’s competency in managing the economy far outweighs that of former President John Dramani Mahama.
“Dr. Duffuor was the Finance Minister under John Evans Atta Mills so he worked with President Mills. I worked with him and I know what Dr. Duffuor stands for in terms of building the economy that President Mills built.
“32, 34 months single digit inflation, the introduction of the single spine, clearing of the arrears, Infrastructure expansion, three public Universities in three and half years, health facilities all over, I believe that Dr. Duffuor has the potential by training, by competence, by experience both in public and private life,” Mr Anyidoho stressed.
The Founder of Atta Mills Institute further urged the Electoral Commission (EC) to take a keen interest in the letter which was written by Dr. Duffuor’s campaign team concerning a fraudulent register for the upcoming primaries.
According to him, if the concerns raised by the Dr. Duffuor campaign team are not immediately addressed before Saturday, May 13, it will have dire consequences and discredit the EC Chairperson as a bad person or a fraudster.
He said even though it is the NDC party Chairman, Johnson Asiedu Nketiah who is perpetrating the fraudulent register, he will turn around to blame the EC when the issue comes up and it is exposed.
Mr Anyidoho threatened that if the concerns raised are not ironed out before next week, he will proceed to the court and put an injunction on the election.
A 42-year-old woman has lost her life in a rather bizarre incident. The sad incident occurred after the woman‘s engagement with a pastor who allegedly administered ‘spiritual oil’ on her.
According to reports, the victim, Ama Nkansah Appiah, suffered from burns caused by the ‘spiritual oil’ during a deliverance session.
The incident happened on April 25, 2023, at Akyem Asawase, a suburb of Akyem Awisa in the Birim South District of the Eastern Region.
According to Adwoa Gloria, the junior sister of the deceased, her sister went to the pastor for spiritual consultation and returned home with burns.
She was admitted to the Oda Government Hospital but later transferred to the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra, where she eventually died on May 2.
When the family contacted the pastor, he denied any wrongdoing. However, it was later discovered that the pastor’s left hand and feet were also burnt.
Further investigations revealed that Pastor Owusu allegedly used a spiritual oil during his usual incantations, which resulted in the fire that caused the woman’s injuries.
Mrs. Priscilla Asmah, another sister of the deceased, clarified that rumours circulating in Akyem Oda suggesting that her sister had been attacked by a jealous spouse were false.
The pastor has since been detained by the Akyem Oda Police, as the family of the deceased seeks justice for their departed sister.
The incident has raised concerns about irresponsible spiritual practices and the need for regulation in the industry.
British actress Adjoa Andoh and star of the movie “Bridgerton,” has gotten into trouble after referring to the Buckingham Palace balcony as being “terribly White” during King Charles III’s coronation ceremony on Saturday.
“We have gone from the rich diversity of the Abbey to a terribly White balcony,” she said to British journalists Tom Bradby and Julie Etchingham during TV’s live coverage of the historic ceremony that crowned King Charles III the United Kingdom’s 62nd monarch.
“I am very struck by that,” she continued of the balcony. “I am also looking at those younger generations and thinking: ‘What are the nuances that they will inhabit when they grow?”
Twitter users accused the 60-year-old actress of spreading “racist woke garbage” and “race-baiting” while others rushed to her defense.
One critic wrote, “I am appalled at the comment made by Adjoa Andoh. It is race-baiting and racist towards white people. Racism in any form is not acceptable. I hope @itv and @Ofcom will investigate this.”
Another chimed in on the issue, writing, “I will not be watching Bridgerton again due to #AdjoaAndoh remarks,” and a third said, “This isn’t a Disney movie #AdjoaAndoh It’s a family. Can’t add people in for #representation. Can’t put everything in the race bracket and get away with it.”
Others criticizing her choice of words demanded she apologize or called on Ofcom (a U.K. broadcasting authority that regulates television, radio and more) to look into the incident.
Dr. Shola Mos-Shogbamimu, an activist who commonly appears on ITV, was among those rushing to Andoh’s defense, writing, “#AdjoaAndoh told no lies in factual observation of ‘terribly White’ (literal & symbolic) Buckingham palace balcony at #Coronation in contrast to tokenism of race diversity at Westminster Abbey & got branded ‘racist’ White people false equivalence of racism is laughable.”
Responding to the slew of social media outrage, Andoh insisted she “didn’t mean to upset anyone” with the remark.
“I think I upset a few people yesterday,” she said Sunday on BBC Radio.
“I was talking about the day and how marvellous it was and then looking at the balcony at the end and suddenly going: ‘Oh it’s so White!’ because the day had been so mixed and I didn’t mean to upset anybody,” she added.
The word “Galamsey” was derived from the phrase “gather them and sell”, which means to illegal small-scale gold mining in Ghana. It is a local Ghanaian parlance used to describe individuals who engage in mining activities outside the framework of mining companies. Galamseyers dig small working pits, tunnels, and sluices by hand, often to limited depths that are far shallower and smaller than those of commercial mining companies.
Galamsey is also referred to as illegal Artisanal Small Scale mining (ASM) and is predominantly carried out in the southern part of Ghana where there are substantial reserves of gold deposits, usually within the environs of larger mining companies. The number of galamseyers in Ghana is unknown but is believed to be from 20,000 to 50,000, including thousands from China. However, according to recent estimates, there are nearly 3 million people who rely on it for their livelihoods. Galamsey settlements are usually poorer than neighboring agricultural villages, and as a group, they are economically disadvantaged.
Under current Ghanaian law, it is illegal for galamseyers to dig on land granted to mining companies as concessions or licenses. Despite this, many galamseyers operate on land owned by mining companies, which is a major cause for concern. Moreover, the environmental impact of galamsey is also a significant issue. The use of mercury and other chemicals in the processing of gold ore leads to water pollution and degradation of soil quality, with long-term effects on ecosystems and human health. Deforestation and land degradation are also associated with galamsey, as miners clear vegetation and disturb the land in their quest for gold.
Galamsey poses a threat to public health, especially the health of workers who are often exposed to mercury poisoning from their crude processing methods. Many women are among the workers, acting mostly as porters for the miners. Galamsey settlements are also known to have high rates of accidents due to the use of crude tools and lack of safety measures.
In some cases, galamseyers are the first to discover and work extensive gold deposits before mining companies find out and take over. Galamsey workings are an indicator of the presence of gold. However, such discoveries often lead to conflicts between galamseyers and mining companies, as well as with traditional landowners.
Efforts to curb galamsey have been ongoing in Ghana for decades, with successive governments introducing policies and laws aimed at regulating the sector. The government of Ghana has recently embarked on a renewed effort to clamp down on the practice, with the formation of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM) in 2017. The IMCIM’s mandate includes implementing a ban on small-scale mining, with the aim of ensuring that mining is carried out in a sustainable and environmentally responsible manner.
The government has also initiated a number of programs aimed at providing alternative livelihoods for galamseyers. These programs include the Youth in Afforestation program, which provides training and employment opportunities for young people in afforestation, and the Community Mining program, which aims to formalize small-scale mining and ensure that it is carried out in a sustainable manner.
The fight against galamsey is a long-term battle that requires a multi-faceted approach. This includes addressing poverty and unemployment, enforcing laws and regulations, promoting sustainable mining practices, and providing alternative livelihoods for those who rely on galamsey for their livelihoods. Only through sustained effort and cooperation between all stakeholders can Ghana effectively combat galamsey and ensure a sustainable future for its people and environment.
Founder of 3Music Awards, Baba Sadiq Abdulai Abu, has stated that management of the award scheme will soon release a statement on the 2023 edition of the award.
These concerns stem from the fact that the 3Music Awards is usually held in March every year.
Sadiq told Kwame Dadzie on Joy FM’s Showbiz A-Z that management of 3Media Network, organisers of the award scheme, will issue a statement on its current state in a few weeks.
“It will be unfair to preempt the answer. Our new CEO Rashidatu Abdulai is fully on top and in charge and I know a few of the things that they are planning and some of the things that they are doing. And so I really would like them to take it off from there,” he said.
Asked if the awards will be held this year, Sadiq requested that the public waits for the team to officially make an announcement.
“There will be a communication. What I can say is that obviously between now and the next few weeks, there will be a communication in that regard. I know the team has been working around the clock to ensure that it happens but let’s all wait for the communication that will come for the team,” he added.
Sadiq who is contesting for the parliamentary primaries of the National Democratic Congress disputed claims that the 3Music Awards cannot be held this year because it is financially handicapped.
3Music Awards was founded by Baba Sadiq started in 2018. Through their innovative ideas they have won the heart of many who think they have become an alternative to the Vodafone Ghana Music Awards.
For some people, the establishment of 3Music Awards has made the music awards space in Ghana competitive.
The 5th edition of the scheme was held on 26 March 2022 at the Grand Arena of the Accra International Conference Centre, in Accra.
A Nigerian woman has sued her dad for forcing her to marry a stranger, local media report.
20-year-old Fatima Aliyu’s lawyer told a Sharia (Islamic) court in Kaduna state that she already had someone she loves.
He said that the woman was not suing the father out of disrespect for him.
The father told the court that her late parents had chosen the groom for his daughter when they were alive and he wanted to respect their wishes.
Judge Malam Aiyeku Abdulrahman ruled that while the father has the right to choose a husband for his daughter, forced marriage was not encouraged.
He advised the man to be patient with his daughter.
“Allow her to present the person she wants to marry and if you are pleased with his religion and character, you allow her to get married,” the Punch quoted the judge as saying.
Nii Ayite Hammond acknowledged the brilliance of “The Villian I Never Was” album by Black Sherif but emphasized that “5 Star” from King Promise passed the litmus test in an interview with Kwame Dadzie on Joy FM’s Twitter Space.
“It is true that ‘The Villain I Never Was’ ticks all the boxes, the same way King Promise’s album also ticks all the boxes. You realise that when you read the category definition, it doesn’t say hit song and quality of recording. It says ‘and/or’. So when you are assessing them, you assess both and you make a choice out of that assessment,” he said.
The VGMA board member added that the dynamics for winning the Album of the Year category have shifted from having the highest number of hit songs to one possessing technical qualities.
He explained, “At a point in time in the music life of the country, we were doing more singles so the albums were kind of suffering. And so people who were coming out with albums and we realized that the definition that we had in the past which was three or more hit songs was becoming a challenge. So, in the wisdom of the Board, we needed to change that definition.”
The Album of the Year of Vodafone Ghana Music is adjudged by the Academy and Board as the most outstanding compilation of an Album that was released during the year under review. It must have generated excitement during the year, the category definition reads.
Former world dancing champion Adjetey Sowah has urged award organizers, especially those of the Vodafone Ghana Music Awards (VGMAs), to recognize and honor dancers and choreographers.
He reflected on the good old days when dancers and musicians received awards together.
He cited figures from the Dance With A Purpose (DWP) Academy among the contemporary dancer stars who deserved recognition.
Acknowledged as a former world dance champion by host Berla Mundi, Adjetey Sowah took to the Accra International Conference Centre (AICC) Grand Arena stage to present the Best Reggae/Dancehall Artiste of the Year award.
He took the liberty to address the issue of unrecognised dance artistes.
“Good morning Ghana,” the 1986 Malibu World Dance Championship winner greeted. “You all know I’m a dancer, right?
“Back in the 80s when there was music, there was dance.
“And I know back in the days, when they were doing music awards, they awarded the dancers as well.
“I remember I’ve received [awards like] best choreographer, best dancer, best group – and [presently] we have guys like Dancegod Lloyd, Incredible Zigi, Afronitaa, Militants – I mean, we need to help them too. Give them something, please.
“So next time, let’s make room for them too.”
The Teshie-born international star drew applause from the audience.
Breaking the seal of the card bearing the name of the awardee, he proclaimed Stonebwoy as the Best Reggae/Dancehall Artiste of the Year, having beaten Samini, Ras Kuuku, Rocky Dawuni, and Epixode.
Meanwhile, dance culture has recently had a resurgence on the Ghana music scene playing an integral role in the promotion of local and international artistes and music, especially Afrobeats.
International hits such as Akwaaba by GuiltyBeatz, Already by Beyonce, Patek by Mr Eazi, Down Flat by Kelvynboy, E Choke by S3fa, My Touch by Eugy, among others, have reaped commercial success from the power of dance and choreography.
