The Asokwa Circuit Court in Kumasi has ordered the detention of a 22-year-old house help on charges of allegedly murdering an 83-year-old woman in Ayigya, situated in the Oforikrom Municipality. The accused now remains in police custody as investigations into the shocking incident unfold.
Maku Kuame is accused of committing the atrocious act in collaboration with her boyfriend during the early hours of Tuesday, January 2, 2024, while the elderly woman was asleep.
The elderly woman reportedly accused the suspect of pilfering funds sent to her by her children residing abroad.
The plea of Kuame, who was put before the court on Wednesday, January 3, 2024, was not taken and she would reappear before the court presided by Mr Kwaku Baah Frimpong, on January 17, this year.
The prosecution, led by Chief Inspector O.N Tetteh, prayed the court to remand the suspect to enable the police to continue with the investigations.
As Ghana prepares for the upcoming Election 2024, the air is charged with anticipation and optimism as citizens eagerly express their expectations for the democratic process.
Ghanaians from diverse backgrounds have shared their aspirations for a transparent, peaceful, and impactful election that will shape the nation’s future.
In their collective stance, they emphasize the necessity of safeguarding the existing peace and stability within the nation to prevent putting the lives of citizens at risk due to political differences. This sentiment underscores the importance placed on maintaining a harmonious environment that transcends political divergences for the overall well-being of the populace.
In sharing their expectations for 2024, some citizens emphasized the need for one to serve God diligently for their wishes and New Year resolutions to come to pass.
Speaking in an interview, some Ghanaians shared their anticipations for 2024 and called for the need for the nation to prioritize a peaceful election.
“In the year 2024, we should all allow God to take dominion of everything that we are going to do and he will open more doors unto us and he’s going to give us great testimonies for his 2024. We are hoping that we’ll have a peaceful election, and peaceful transitions and that as we have come together over the years, we’ll continue to come together and we see the election to a successful end. Also, I’m hoping for personal grow and more money which is very important.”
Another person commented: “I have a purpose that I will help encourage others to know that whatever little thing we have when we manage it well, things will be better. Another thing is that the youth I have purposed that I will encourage them so they don’t lose hope in 2024, I believe, is going to be a good year. I can see prospects ahead and so my prayer for the nation and all the youth especially is that let’s rise and work harder.”
One individual admonished Ghanaians to strengthen their relationship with God and be part of those who will be saved.
“Going through the year as individuals and as a church, God has revealed himself to us in so many ways and we appreciate him for all that he’s done for us. We have some projects we are doing. We know he will lead us as individuals who would like to tighten or build a good relationship with him so that he [God] will also be with us.”
Flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Dramani Mahama, has vowed to introduce a fresh budget in April 2025 should he secure the presidency.
In his New Year message to Ghanaians on Wednesday, January 3, 2024, John Dramani Mahama revealed his plan to introduce a fresh budget, emphasizing its focus on bolstering and nurturing small businesses across the country.
Additionally, he announced plans to adjust taxes by providing incentives aimed at fostering a conducive environment for businesses to thrive. This adjustment reflects Mahama’s proactive approach towards creating a tax structure that encourages growth and prosperity within the business community.
The move, John Dramani Mahama opined, would help curb the unemployment canker that keeps rearing its head up in the country.
“In April 2025, the new NDC government shall introduce a new budget to support and build small businesses and adjust taxes as incentive for job creation,” Mahama said in his speech to Ghanaians, and monitored by GhanaWeb Business.
The NDC flagbearer reiterated his vision to roll out a 24-hour economy.
“At the heart of my vision for economic revitalization is the implementation of a 24-hour economy. This innovation policy seeks to maximize productivity and efficiency by extending business hours and operations around the clock,” John Dramani Mahama stated.
The 24-hour economy, he said, would create a more vibrant economy that would benefit both workers and businesses.
As the nation steps into the promising year of 2024, Ghanaians can anticipate a series of statutory public holidays that will commemorate significant events and cultural celebrations.
The official list of public holidays for the year has been revealed by the Interior Minister, Ambrose Dery, providing citizens with dates to observe and reflect on the nation’s heritage.
The holidays are not only a time for rest and relaxation but also serve as opportunities for communities and families to come together.
They play a crucial role in honoring historical milestones, religious observations, and cultural traditions that shape the fabric of Ghanaian society.
Among the anticipated holidays are those that mark important historical events, allowing citizens to reflect on the journey of the nation and the sacrifices made by those who came before. Additionally, religious holidays provide moments for spiritual reflection and observance, contributing to the diverse tapestry of Ghana’s cultural landscape.
Below is a list of public holidays as outlined by the Interior Ministry:
With New Year’s Day, January 1 already gone by, the next public holiday will be January 7, 2024. This falls on Sunday so it will be observed on Monday.
The next holiday is on March 6 which is Independence Day.
The Easter holidays will follow with Good Friday and Easter Monday falling on March 29 and April 1 respectively. May Day, otherwise known as Workers’ Day, is on May 1.
Founders’ Day which is to celebrate the founding fathers of the nation will be on August 4, while Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Day which is to celebrate the birthday of Ghana’s first president will be on September 21.
December 2024 will have three public holidays made up of Farmer’s Day, Christmas Day, and Boxing Day falling on December 6, December 25, and December 26 respectively.
Two other statutory holidays that commemorate the Islamic festive seasons do not have their dates fixed yet by the Ministry of the Interior.
“There are no fixed dates for Eid-Ul-Fitr and Eid-Ul-Adha because they are movable feasts. The dates for the observation are provided by the Office of the Chief Imam in the year,” the ministry noted.
Tamale Central MP, Ibrahim has lashed out at President Akufo-Addo for his failure to dismiss Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta from office, despite mounting calls for his removal from office.
The outspoken MP, in an interview on Tuesday January 3, 2024, voiced his discontent over the President’s decision, highlighting concerns and grievances surrounding the Finance Minister’s tenure.
He emphasized that, despite Mr Ofori-Atta having no success story since assuming the role of Finance Minister, he still remains in office. This, according to him, is an indication that the Finance Minister wields more power than the President.
He further asserted that considering the unfolding events amid calls for his dismissal and the fact that he continues to hold office, it merely suggests that the President is afraid of him.
“I told you that Ken Ofori-Atta was not moving an inch [from office]. He is more powerful than President Akufo Addo. He has no success story yet he remains in office. In fact, tell me one success story this man can tell as far as managing the Finances of the country is concerned; inflation disaster, debt to GDP disaster, prices of items, everything is in a mess!”
He further alleged that Mr Ofori-Atta was only appointed into office to help the current administration loot the country’s resources.
“The man was appointed to aid the looting of this government Particularly the Ofori Attas. And that’s why I say he’s only the Minister of Finance and remains that because he uses [the name] Ofori-Atta and nothing else. The only thing that will move him out is when this man decides he’s going away . Nothing else can push him away,” he added.
Gen Dagalo, also known as Hemedti, said on social media that he shared his plan to end the war and start talking with the Sudanese army.
Gen Dagalo has been trying to make regional leaders like him by visiting them. He wants to get more power than his rival, Gen Abdel Fattah al-Burhan. He even visited Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.
He has talked to Sudan’s old Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok and promised to release many prisoners. He also said he would open up ways for humanitarian aid to reach areas hurt by the fighting.
Gen Dagalo and Gen Burhan took control of the government in a coup in 2021, stopping Sudan’s progress towards democracy under Mr Hamdok.
Last year, two men got into a fight and it caused a civil war in the country. Many people have died and millions have had to leave their homes because of it.
The RSF is in charge of a lot of land in Khartoum, Wad Madani, and western Darfur.
A person who used to work in an office and wouldn’t give a marriage paper to a same-sex couple has been told by a judge to give money to the lawyers of one couple.
Kim Davis was told by a jury last year that she broke the law by not letting a Kentucky couple get married.
On Tuesday, she was told to pay $260,000 in fees and an additional $100,000 for damages she already owed.
Ms Davis went to jail for a short time in 2015 because she didn’t follow the US Supreme Court‘s decision to make same-sex marriage legal.
She said she didn’t give the couple a marriage license because she thinks marriage should only be between a man and a woman. She mentioned her religious beliefs as an evangelical Christian.
Her lawyers said the legal costs were too high, but the judge disagreed and said Ms Davis has to pay because they won the case.
Judge David Bunning said the couple wanted to prove their right to get married and they did it.
Judge Bunning is the same judge who sent her to jail in 2015 because she refused to give out marriage licenses. This was seen as disrespecting the court.
She got out of jail because her staff helped with getting the licenses she needed.
Ms Davis asked the highest court in the US to hear her case in 2020, but they said no.
MrErmhold is running for the position of county clerk, according to the Lexington Herald-Leader.
Ms Davis did not win the election to be the clerk of Rowan County in 2018.
At least 103 people died in two bomb blasts near the tomb of Iranian general Qasem Soleimani on the fourth anniversary of his killing by the US, according to Iran’s state media.
The state broadcaster Irib reported that many people were hurt when bombs exploded during a procession near the Saheb al-Zaman mosque in the southern city of Kerman.
Videos showed dead people on a road and ambulances going quickly to the place.
It was not known who caused the explosions and no groups claimed responsibility right away.
Arab groups and Sunni terrorist organizations like Islamic State have claimed responsibility for attacks on security forces and Shia religious sites in the country.
Soleimani was a very important person in Iran, second only to the Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. He was killed by a US drone in Iraq in 2020.
On Wednesday, something happened that made tensions in the area higher. The deputy leader of a group called Hamas, which is supported by Iran, was killed by what seems to be a drone from Israel in Lebanon.
Video shown on state TV showed many people gathered on the edge of the general’s hometown of Kerman when two explosions happened.
The Iranian media said that the first explosion happened at 2:50 pm local time (11:20 GMT), about 700 meters (2,300 feet) from the Garden of Martyrs cemetery near the Saheb al-Zaman mosque.
The second incident happened about 15 minutes later, about 1 kilometer away from the cemetery, according to them.
The Tasnim news agency, which is connected to the Revolutionary Guards, reported that sources said two bags carrying bombs were exploded by remote control.
“We were walking to the cemetery when a car suddenly stopped behind us and a trash can with a bomb inside exploded,” a person who saw it happen told Isna news agency.
“We heard a boom and saw people dropping to the ground. ”
The local emergency services department said that 103 people died and 141 were hurt in the explosions, as reported by the state media. Some of the injured people were very badly hurt, they said.
The Iranian Red Crescent reported that among the people who died, there was at least one paramedic who went to help with the first explosion and got hurt by the second one.
It looked like Soleimani’s tomb was not harmed.
He was in charge of the Revolutionary Guards’ overseas operations and had a big role in making decisions for Iran in other countries.
He was in charge of secret missions for the Quds Force and gave help and support to governments and armed groups like Hamas and Hezbollah.
Former US President Donald Trump ordered the killing of Soleimani in 2020 and called him the top terrorist in the world.
A total of 656, 591 prank calls were recorded by the Ghana National Fire Service in 2023, authorities have revealed.
The incidents, which overstretched the operations of the Service happened between January and November 2023.
Chief Fire Officer (CFO), Mr Julius Kuunuor, while acknowledging that the prank calls had put the rescuers’ lives in danger and created room for wastage of fuel, he admonished Ghanaians.
“When we engage in prank calls, we put incident responders at risk and waste fuel also,” he said.
Mr Kuunuor urged the public to desist from such practices because the Service would not entertain such deviant behaviours in 2024 and beyond.
Fire outbreaks also reduced by 4.92 per cent for the first eleven months of 2023 with 5256 incidents recorded as compared to 5,530 incidents recorded in the same period in 2022.
The Chief Fire Officer attributed the reduction to the extensive Public Fire Safety Education carried out nationwide.
“Through the timely intervention of the Service, property worth millions of cedis was salvaged,” he said.
The Service intended to build clinics in all the regions and would start the construction of a Fire Trauma Hospital to provide adequate healthcare for personnel and the public this year.
It is in the process of signing a Memorandum of Understanding with some universities to train Fire personnel in the relevant fields from undergraduate to postgraduate programmes.
The University of Cape Coast, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) and University of Energy and Natural Resources are being engaged for the training.
“The Service in collaboration with the Government is in the process of procuring Fire Appliances and Equipment, including Dual Purpose Tenders, Water Tankers, Rapid Intervention Vehicles and Utility Vehicles and Command Vehicles in 2024,” Mr Kuunuor said.
The new appliances would replace the obsolete fire appliances at the Fire Stations and also ensure the opening of more Fire Stations to improve response time.
The situation in the Middle East has gotten worse since the Israel-Gaza war started. This got even worse when Saleh al-Arouri, a leader of Hamas, was killed in Lebanon.
Arouri, a top leader of Hamas, was killed by a drone in southern Beirut. He was an important person in the Izzedine al-Qassam Brigades, which is the armed part of Hamas. He was also a good friend of Ismail Haniyeh, who is the leader of Hamas. He was in Lebanon to help his group communicate with Hezbollah.
Even before the war started, the leader of Lebanese Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah, said that if there was an attack on Lebanon, they would fight back strongly.
However, Hezbollah and its Iranian friends know that how they respond to the current conflict could greatly impact the outcome of the war and the success of Hezbollah.
It was not a surprise that Hamas leaders outside Gaza were going to be targeted.
Israel will hunt down and attack Hamas leaders no matter where they are. In November, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave a warning.
A few months ago, he clearly talked about Arouri. The second leader of Hamas was also on the US list of terrorists and there was a reward of $5 million on his head since 2018.
Israel usually does not say if they killed someone on purpose, but in this ongoing conflict, there have been many planned killings. It’s also a story of payback and getting back at someone.
Israel will now be prepared for counterattacks. Hamas leaders and their friends are asking for support from the West Bank and other places.
Hezbollah and Hamas need to take action and show it to others.
Hezbollah’s first message asked people to be patient.
Up until now, this strong military and political group has been using words and small attacks at the border to avoid getting Lebanon involved in a big fight.
The Hamas official who had ties to Hezbollah and Iran was killed in a neighbourhood in Beirut. This has affected their plans. However, it needs to consider quick, impressive actions now, compared to its overall strategy for the future.
It has a lot of support along the dangerous southern border of Lebanon. However, in Beirut and other places, people still have strong memories of the destructive 2006 war between Israel and Lebanon. This country is currently facing many of its own problems.
Many Israeli leaders have wanted to use this chance to get rid of Hezbollah and its threats to the northern towns for a long time.
There has been fighting on this front, but it has been limited. Israeli forces are spread thin in Gaza and the West Bank.
The US, Israel’s biggest supporter, has also warned many times against starting a war with Hezbollah, because it could have serious consequences.
The recent crisis started with the killing of Arouri and six others, including two Hamas military leaders. This happened during a time of growing tension in other areas, such as the Red Sea shipping lanes. The Iran-backed Houthis have been attacking ships they believe are connected to Israel.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said that Israel is under attack from seven different areas, such as Yemen, Lebanon, Syria, and Iraq.
Many people are asking for everyone to calm down and not make the situation worse, including leaders from the West, politicians in Lebanon, and UN peacekeepers. They are all very worried that the fighting could spread and become a bigger war. But Israel has been very clear from the beginning.
Its goal is to “eliminate Hamas”. This means attacking its buildings, military and government leaders, and money.
After almost three months, it says there is still a lot more to do.
Many people in Israel and around the world are wondering if Hamas can be defeated by using military force and causing a lot of civilian deaths. This has led to a humanitarian crisis and a lot of suffering and anger.
The people who planned the attacks in southern Israel in October are thought to be hiding in Gaza, even though Israel is searching very hard for them.
Arouri’s death in Lebanon will make Turkey and Qatar, where Hamas leaders are also located, think hard about their safety.
This is also making Israeli families very worried about their loved ones who are still being held captive in Gaza.
The assassination has stopped the talks in Cairo about swapping hostages for Palestinians in Israeli jails.
Prime Minister Netanyahu keeps saying that only pressure will be effective.
The Electoral Commission(EC) is under mounting pressure to uphold fairness and firmness, safeguarding its integrity and preserving the credibility of the upcoming Election 2024. The call comes as stakeholders emphasize the pivotal role the EC plays in maintaining the prevailing peace of the nation.
Prominent Reverend Ministers in the Sunyani Municipality underscore the pivotal role of the nation’s electoral management body in ensuring the integrity of general elections. According to them, upholding principles of freedom, fairness, and transparency remains critical for consolidating the gains of the country’s burgeoning democracy.
Conveying their counsel during separate interviews with the Ghana News Agency (GNA), religious leaders led their congregations in Sunyani in night vigils to welcome the New Year. The men of God stressed the importance of electoral integrity as part of their guidance for the upcoming year.
They, however, commended the EC for its honesty and efficiency for successfully organising successive general elections which had helped to sustain the prevailing national peace, social and political stability.
“The destiny and future of the nation lay partly in the hands of the EC, and we expect the Commission to remain resolute and steadfast ahead of the Election 2024”, the Very Reverend Dr. Solomon Bruce, the Superintendent Minister and the Synod Secretary of the Sunyani Methodist Diocese stated.
He said the electorate also had an integral role to play if the 2024 general election would be incident-free and thus urged supporters of the political parties to be decorous in the electioneering and endeavour to make informed choices when they go to the ballot.
Very Rev. Dr. Bruce said Ghana required selfless and God-fearing leaders to transform and turn around the nation’s economic fortunes to facilitate accelerated national development.
He cautioned the youth not to allow themselves to be influenced by politicians who might approach and use them as tools to foment trouble in the campaigning period.
Apostle Ofori Baffour, the Founder of the Sunyani-based Unique Holy Fire of God Ministry commended Ghanaians for their respective contributions towards protecting the national peace in 2023, saying, “we have to do more to make the peace of the nation absolute in 2024”.
He called on the leadership of the political parties to ensure that their members and supporters eschewed all forms of lawlessness and violence as well as acts that could trigger political violence and social instability.
Apostle Baffour emphasised peaceful co-existence would facilitate the nation’s economic progress in 2024, and thereby make life better for all.
He said mostly children, people with disabilities and women bore the brunt of political violence and advised everybody to contribute to building and strengthening national peace and social cohesion.
Apostle Baffour described 2024 as a year of Ghana’s economic emancipation, but added, “we can’t achieve this in an atmosphere of violence and political turmoil”.
“Politicians must also learn to be faithful and godly,” Apostle Emmanuel Sakyi, the Founder and Leader of the Sunyani-based Word of Favour Ministry International advised.
They must also desist from using their political positions and portfolios to deceive the unsuspecting and innocent Ghanaians just to win their votes, instead of building a better Ghana for all.
The trial for the earthquake in Turkey has started. It is looking at the collapse of a hotel where 72 people died.
The hotel in the southeast city of Adiyaman had a school volleyball team from Turkish-controlled northern Cyprus and some tourist guides when the earthquake happened last year.
Eleven people have been accused of not following the construction rules.
Over 50,000 people died in the earthquake that happened on February 6 in Turkey and Syria.
About 160,000 buildings fell down or were very broken, making 1. 5 million people have no home anymore.
The Turkish government said a few weeks later that they were checking many people and had arrested nearly 200 people, including builders and property owners.
39 people from Famagusta Turkish Education College, including boys, girls, teachers, and parents, were in Adiyaman for a volleyball tournament when the earthquake happened.
They chose the seven-story Isias Grand hotel and had 40 tourist guides there for training.
The Isias was a famous hotel in Adiyaman, but it fell down suddenly.
Four parents were the only people left from the volleyball team. They were able to get out of the broken buildings, but 35 people, including all the kids, died.
Rescue teams from Famagusta came to get the bodies, and people who survived said Turkish officials didn’t do anything to help.
Family members of the people who died went to Adiyaman for the beginning of the trial on Wednesday. They want the 11 people on trial to receive strict punishments, and they also want Turkish officials who approved the hotel to be charged.
The hotel has been open since 2001. Experts found that the columns holding up the hotel were made from a mix of gravel, sand, and other materials from the nearby river.
In 2016, the hotel added more floors without the proper permission, according to the charge.
“They didn’t make a hotel, they made a place to bury a lot of people. ” Pervin Aksoy Ipekcioglu, a mother, said she cannot accept what happened to her 14-year-old daughter Serin.
Parents of the high school sports team are outside the court in Adiyaman, Turkey on 3 January 2023.
The government checked the hotel many times and said it’s really good with four stars. Then it fell down and 72 people died. She said to BBC Turkish that the person who did this should be punished.
The big number of buildings that fell down in the earthquake on 6 February made a lot of people angry at the Turkish government. They were blamed for letting too many buildings be built and not making sure they followed the rules for construction. The rules had been made stricter after other disasters, but they were still not being followed.
“Safiye Cevik blames the person in charge of Isias Hotel for her daughter Nehir’s death. ”
“She said you should be punished for intentionally killing someone, and you will get what you deserve. ”
If found guilty, the 11 people could be sentenced to spend between two years and eight months to more than 22 years in prison.
A well-known activist for LGBTQ rights in Uganda, Steven Kabuye, was stabbed almost to death by unknown attackers while he was going to work this morning, according to his organization.
“He is very sick, and we hope you can pray for him,” said Coloured Voice -Truth to LGBTQ on social platform X.
A video on Mr. Kabuye’s account showed him in a lot of pain, with a knife in his stomach and an obvious cut on his arm.
Frank Mugisha, who fights for people’s rights, said that Uganda should not have hate crimes.
He said on X that we want the police to do a complete investigation.
The police have not said anything yet.
Uganda made one of the strictest laws against being gay last year.
The law made a lot of people around the world very angry. The World Bank stopped giving money to Uganda and the US stopped letting certain officials from Uganda into the country.
Anyone found guilty of being part of homosexual acts could go to jail for their whole life under the law.
Rights organizations want the highest court to cancel the law because they think it goes against the rights of fairness and respect.
The government is saying that the law protects the values of traditional families and is arguing in the case.
Rights groups reported that over 300 LGBTQ people in Uganda were abused in the first eight months of last year. The abuses included beatings, torture, arrests, and being forced out of their homes.
In a significant leap towards infrastructural enhancement, the reconstruction and expansion of the Accra-Tema Motorway officially commenced on Tuesday, January 2, 2024. The ambitious project marks a crucial step in the region’s transportation evolution, promising improved connectivity and modernization along the vital corridor.
Unveiling a bold vision for urban development, the Accra-Tema Motorway embarks on an ambitious 19.5-kilometer, 10-lane expansion project, spanning from the iconic Tetteh Quarshie roundabout to the bustling Tema roundabout. This infrastructural endeavor promises to redefine regional connectivity and contribute to the evolution of transportation networks.
Overseeing the monumental task of the Accra-Tema Motorway expansion is Maripoma Enterprise Limited, a proudly Ghanaian-owned construction company. This local enterprise assumes a pivotal role in ensuring the successful execution of the transformative project, contributing to both national development and the evolution of Ghana’s infrastructure landscape.
In a comprehensive tour of ongoing road projects in Accra, Minister of Roads and Highways, Kwasi Amoako-Attah, unveiled key details about the Accra-Tema Motorway expansion project. The announcement signifies a commitment to transparency and public awareness regarding crucial infrastructural developments in the region.
Undertaking a thorough inspection, Minister of Roads and Highways, Kwasi Amoako-Attah, accompanied by his team, conducted a site visit to assess the progress of ongoing drainage initiatives in Tema Community 11 and 12. Additionally, the team explored the developments in the expansive Tema Motorway expansion project, underscoring the commitment to comprehensive infrastructure assessment and oversight.
Mr Amoako-Atta said the Accra-Tema Motorway project was the first phase of the expansion project.
The second project is from Tetteh Quarshie to Apenkwa while the third phase spans from Apenkwa to Neoplan.
He assured that work on the project would be executed with speed and urged institutions which had erected billboards on the road to remove them as soon as possible.
The Minister said the country would witness road evolution in 2024, characterised by the commissioning of completed projects.
Mr Amoako-Atta was impressed with the ongoing drainage work at communities 11 and 12 and commended the contractor for the good work done.
He urged contractors to engage the community before the start of any project to ensure effective cooperation since most of the projects normally inconvenience the residents.
“You need to put a human face to the work you do by briefing them about the project to enable them to plan adequately on how and where to park their vehicles,” he said.
He commended the contractors for repairing most of the slabs in the area to pave the way for the residents to have access to their houses.
The Minister advised contractors and engineers to do quality work, stressing that any construction company that did shoddy work will face the law.
He expressed concern about the attitudes of some contractors” who think they are doing the residents a favour when undertaking government projects.”
“We are interested in value for money, and I will urge contractors to put the nation’s interests at heart and do excellent work,” he said.
He said work on the Tema bridge had been completed and stated that so far, 50 of such bridges have been completed across the country.
Mr Kingsley Attafuah, Technical Director, Raceg Construction Limited, said work on the Tema drainage system started in July 2023 and that 80 percent of the work had been done.
He assured Ghanaians of completing the work on schedule to pave the way for road work starting in March 2024.
Mexican police are looking for many migrants who were kidnapped at gunpoint from a bus that was taking them to the border between the US and Mexico.
On Saturday, some people with guns got on the bus and took 31 passengers. Most of the passengers are believed to be from South America.
Some Mexican passengers and the driver noticed something wrong and called for help.
Immigrants are sometimes attacked by gangs, who keep them until their families pay money.
The people who were taken on Saturday were on a bus run by the company Senda. They were going from Monterrey to Matamoros, which is close to the US border.
The Mexican travelers said that the bus was stopped by five cars with men carrying weapons.
The people who moved to Mexico, most likely from Venezuela, had to leave the bus while the Mexican passengers got to stay.
The news in the area said that the Venezuelans were going to the border for a planned asylum meeting with US officials when they were taken by force.
Security forces stopped a strange vehicle on Monday on the highway and found five Venezuelan migrants, including two children, inside.
Officials said that the five Venezuelans were taken from another Senda bus in a separate incident. This shows how often migrants are kidnapped in this border area.
We don’t know which gang has the 31 missing people. But people who help migrants had said that there have been more kidnappings for ransom lately.
Father Francisco Gallardo, a Catholic priest who helps people who have come from other countries, said that many people are being taken away from their families very often.
Father Francisco said that when the migrants came to his shelter, they told him that gangs were taking whole families and threatening to hurt or kill them unless they paid a lot of money as ransom.
Tamaulipas is known for being dangerous for migrants, and Matamoros is in this state.
In 2010, a very bad thing happened. 72 South and Central American people were kidnapped and killed by a gang called Los Zetas because they didn’t want to work for the gang.
Due to the dangerous risks for migrants in Mexico, some decide to stay safe by joining large groups called migrant caravans, which travel to the border, mostly on foot.
About 7,000 people started a journey from the southern city of Tapachula on Christmas Eve.
A woman with her son talks to a government official before getting on a bus. They were part of a group of people traveling to the United States and had just finished their journey in Mapastepec, Chiapas, Mexico. This happened on January 2, 2024.
On Tuesday, Mexican officials said that the group of migrants had split up after traveling more than 100km (62 miles). Most of them accepted an offer to get on buses to a migrant processing center in the southern city of Mapastepec, operated by Mexico.
The US has asked Mexico to stop letting so many people cross through its land to get to the US.
President López Obrador said he made “important deals” in a meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Mexico City last week, but he didn’t say what they were.
Attempts by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) to delve deeper into a purported case of a businessman attempting to bribe Majority Members of Parliament (MPs) have been foiled.
This, according to the OSP, is due to non-compliance of the accuser, Asante Akim MP Andy Appiah-Kubi.
He further noted that responses by Mr Appiah-Kubi, the accuser and a vital key to resolving the case, and the unnamed businessman “appear to be rehearsed and well-choreographed to produce a joint and similar denial of the events so vividly captured by Mr. Appiah-Kubi in his interview with Joy FM.”
The OSP contended that, “The circumstances of the case are such that the cooperation and testimony of the accuser of the well-known wealthy businessman are essential to a successful prosecution.
“That is to say, in the context of this case, the gathered intelligence of the OSP and its investigation of the activities of its identified suspect, [unnamed], are not sufficient to sustain criminal charges.
“The institution of criminal proceedings would of necessity require the input and testimony of the accuser.
“This is because the meeting occurred between the accuser and his undisclosed colleagues and the suspect and whatever transpired therein is known only to the accuser and his undisclosed colleagues and the suspect.
“The events must be recounted by the attendees of the meeting if criminal charges are to be sustained. This is even more so as, naturally, it appears there is no record of the meeting.”
The OSP determines that considering the lack of cooperation by MPs “the institution of criminal proceedings, at this time, against the OSP’s identified suspect would serve no useful purpose.”
Kissi Agyebeng added, “The investigation may be re-opened should the circumstances and further facts so dictate.”
Authorities in the United States have initiated legal proceedings against Olusegun Samson Adejorin, a Nigerian national. He faces federal charges related to an alleged $7.5 million business email compromise scheme targeting two charitable organizations.
According to a report from graphic.com.gh, the suspect linked to the $7.5 million charity scam was apprehended in Ghana on December 29, 2023.
Olusegun Samson Adejorin is yet to make his initial court appearance in Ghana, as indicated by an eight-count indictment unsealed in Maryland. The charges outline his alleged operations between June and August 2020, involving the infiltration of accounts belonging to two organizations in the United States.
According to the report, the said Nigerian national operated by gaining unauthorized access to employee email accounts at two charities, one in Maryland and the other in New York. Posing as authorized personnel, he allegedly deceived the institutions into transferring funds.
In total, he got the organisations to transfer over US$7.5 million from the New York charity’s investment funds held by the Maryland organisation, the report added.
“The indictment details a sophisticated scheme. Adejorin allegedly used a credential harvesting tool to steal login information, created fake domain names to mask his tracks, and even manipulated email accounts to hide his activity.
“If convicted, Adejorin faces a maximum sentence of 20 years per count of wire fraud, an additional five years for unauthorised computer access, and mandatory two-year sentences for aggravated identity theft,” the report stated.
It added that since Adejorin misused a domain name, the potential penalty he is facing could rise further.
The report also indicated that the FBI, along with international partners in Ghana, played a crucial role in apprehending Adejorin and bringing him to justice.
A 22-year-old house-help is purportedly involved in the murder of her employer in Ayigya, situated in the Oforikrom Municipality of the Ashanti Region. The grim incident unfolded after the house-help allegedly stole over $5,600 from her madam.
In a harrowing development, the identified suspect, Maame Akua, aged 22, stands accused of fatally assaulting her 83-year-old employer, Magaret Oppong. The alleged violence occurred when the deceased questioned Akua about the disappearance of over $5,600, marking a tragic turn of events in Ayigya, Oforikrom Municipality, Ashanti.
Information from sources intimately connected to the family discloses that the accused, Maame Akua, reportedly carried out the murder of the 83-year-old woman at dawn while she was in her sleep.
In a candid conversation with OTEC News reporters Jacob Agyenim Boateng and Kofi Dwaah Appiah on Tuesday, January 2, 2024, the son of the deceased, Mr. Kwame Boateng, unveiled shocking details. He disclosed that the suspect, under police interrogation, admitted to the crime of killing his mother.
“She told police that she plotted with her boyfriend to get rid of our mother after she (My mother) kept questioning her about the constant missing dollars in the house.
“My mother has children outside the country and so we send her money from time to time; she lost $3,200, then $1,800 and later $200 and $400, respectively.
“Upon suspicion that the housekeeper was behind the missing money, my mother threatened to arrest her if she failed to return the amount. Before she could do anything, the suspect allegedly allowed her boyfriend into the house, accosted my mother in her room, and killed her,” he narrated to the media house.
Mr Boateng added that the suspect has been arrested and would appear before the Asokwa District Court on Wednesday January 3, 2024.
Ghana’s Minister for Education, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, has underscored the significance of retaining the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in power.
He argues that the most effective way to acknowledge the substantial transformation witnessed in Ghana over the past seven years is to continue supporting the NPP, attributing the progress to the party’s initiatives.
He emphasized that any decision deviating from the retention of the ruling party by Ghanaians would disrupt the ongoing transformation agenda, which has been demonstrating positive outcomes across all sectors of the economy.
Speaking at a ceremony to distribute Christmas gifts to over 500 widows in Jachie, Dr Adutwum emphasized that there is no legal restriction preventing Ghanaians from granting their mandate to a party that has demonstrated performance, enabling it to continue leading even after eight years in office.
“One good term deserves another, and I believe you are all witnesses to the massive infrastructural development that this government has undertaken here in Bosomtwe,” he told the widows.
Over the past seven years, Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum, the Education Minister and Member of Parliament for Bosomtwe, has consistently expressed kindness towards selected widows in the constituency. On New Year’s Day, he continued this heartwarming tradition by presenting Christmas gifts to these deserving individuals.
Each recipient, representing various electoral areas within the constituency, was given a piece of cloth and a token, ensuring they could partake in the festive season with some joy and comfort.
Dr Adutwum argued that the level of impact that the free senior high school policy had had on every Ghanaian home was unprecedented.
To him, no government could manage and sustain the policy better than the NPP and stressed the need to maintain the party to protect its legacy under the leadership of Dr Mahamudu Bawumia.
The NPP, according to him, remained the best option to drive Ghana’s development agenda to the desired destination anchored on digitalisation.
He told his constituents to continue to keep faith with the NPP to benefit from more development projects and the completion of ongoing ones across the constituency.
He assured them of the completion of the main road from Kumasi to Kuntanase which is currently at Abidjan Nkwanta to boost the local economy.
The Minister encouraged the women to take keen interest in the education of their children and grandchildren, reminding them of how their education could turn around the fortunes of their families.
A young refugee has been boxing since coming to the UK two years ago, and now he is a national champion and hopes to have a career in the sport.
Ahsan Karimi, who is 18 years old and lives in Bristol, is learning at Sweatbox Gym in South Bristol with coach John Conway.
The teenage boy and his family left Kabul, Afghanistan in 2021 and were given a place to stay near the gym in Redcliffe, Bristol.
Mr Conway said it’s very uncommon to train for only two years and then win the championships.
Mr Conway met Ahsan’s dad through a friend and invited the family to join his gym, Sweatbox Gym, which he owns with someone else.
When Ahsan started boxing at 16, Mr. Conway said the teenager was really good at it right away.
Over the next two years, Ahsan worked hard and won eight out of nine fights. Then he went to the National Development Championships in Cannock, Staffordshire, in October.
He said he was “very happy” to win the National Youth Champion at 67kg.
“I worked really hard, trained a lot, and went through tough times to become the champion today. ”
“My family was really happy, especially my parents who supported me a lot, and I want to make my family even happier. ”
Mr Conway said: “The final was really exciting. ” The person in the group who had the most knowledge and skill and was likely to win. Ahsan won against them.
“He got better every time he fought and ended up winning against people who had more experience than him. ”
“He goes to the gym three times a week to work out, and he has made many friends there. The atmosphere at the gym is really positive. ”
Mr Conway said that everyone is very proud of Ahsan because they watched his progress in a short time and were impressed.
“I’m very glad that we could help him and give him an opportunity, and he made the most of it,” said Mr.
Ahsan said, “Sweatbox feels like my other home. ” I am thankful to them for giving me this chance and will always be grateful for it. I want to thank my coach John for helping me a lot with my training.
He said he is excited to keep practicing with his friends and wants to do even better in the future.
“I want to be the best in the world one day and be a hero to my country. I also hope to teach others to be champions,” he said.
The leaders of the city of St. are meeting to make decisions. Nadia Mohamed, who is 27 years old, has been sworn in as the mayor of Louis Park in Minnesota. She made history by being the first Somali-American elected mayor in the US.
Ms Mohamed won the mayoral election last November with 58% of the vote.
She is the youngest and the first Muslim and black mayor in the city. She wants to be known for more than just her identity.
“So, my identity is a part of my story, right. I’m proud of who I am, but I don’t want that to be the only thing people focus on. ” “I don’t want people to end their conversation there,” Ms Mohamed told KARE TV station in Minneapolis after she was elected.
She wants to work on keeping people safe and making sure everyone has a home they can afford as mayor.
Ms Mohamed was chosen to be on the city’s council in 2019 when she was 23 years old.
Her family came to live in Minnesota from Kenya’s Kakuma refugee camp when she was 10 years old. They had escaped from the war in Somalia.
In 2021, Deqa Dhalac became the first Somali-American mayor of South Portland, Maine.
Ms Mohamed is the very first mayor of Somali-American descent to be chosen by the people.
Three individuals have tragically lost their lives in a deadly communal clash between the youth of Bronkong and Afrancho in the Afigya Kwabre South District of the Ashanti Region. The conflict, marked by brutality, has raised concerns about the escalation of tensions and the need for swift intervention to restore peace in the affected area.
In a somber incident that transpired on Saturday, December 30, 2023,
Witnesses recount that the devastating clash which occurred on Saturday, December 30, 2023, at Bronkong was triggered by a confrontation between the youth from the twin communities of Bronkong and Afrancho, which eventually escalated into a deadly and regrettable fight.
Assembly Member for Kyerease Electoral Area, Hon Joyce Osei Assibey, revealed in an interview that the grim incident resulted in the reported deaths of three individuals. The fatal casualties occurred as a consequence of severe machete wounds sustained during the intense clash.
She noted that they are yet to find the identities of the deceased and deduce which community the victims might come from.
The Assembly Member revealed that some seven suspects have been arrested by police in the area.
She, however, called for calm, as security agencies in the district have taken over the matter to serve justice all affected victims
Honorary Vice President of IMANI-Africa, Bright Simons, has called on KPMG, a global professional services firm, to reconsider and reject President Akufo-Addo’s directive to audit the SML/GRA contract.
The directive, issued by the President, seeks an extensive examination of the contract between the Strategic Mobilization Limited (SML) and the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA).
Simmons, known for his unwavering commitment to good governance and ethical business practices, contends that the audit may compromise the independence and integrity of KPMG, given the political sensitivity surrounding the contract.
In a Tweet made on January 2, 2023, Mr Simons said: “KPMG’s practice oversight bosses should prudently preserve the firm’s reputation & drop this assignment. This issue is a hot political potato right now. The nature of the allegations requires an IN-DEPTH look by state bodies with the RIGHT POWERS & INDEPENDENCE. KPMG has neither.”
His comments follow President Akufo-Addo’s directive to the KPMG to carry out a full blown audit into the contract.
The President’s directive also follows an investigative piece by the Fourth Estate on what it terms as a shady deal between the SML Ghana and the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA).
The President’s action comes after an investigation by The Fourth Estate revealed that SML had been awarded contracts that entitles the company to more than $100 million every year.
The company admitted it was not performing the advertised services that claimed to tackle under-reporting, diversion and dilution when the investigative journalists confronted it with evidence. It has since deleted those claims from its website.
The Managing Director of SML, Christian Tetteh Sottie, also admitted that the company’s claim that its services had saved Ghana GHS3 billion was false.
The directive reflects a commitment to ensuring transparency and accountability in the execution of the GRA’s contractual agreement with SML.
“The President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has appointed KPMG, the reputable Audit, Tax and Advisory Services firm, to conduct an immediate audit into the transaction between the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) and Strategic Mobilisation Ghana Ltd (SML), a contract which was entered into to enhance revenue assurance in the downstream petroleum sector, the upstream petroleum production and minerals and metals resources value chain,” an excerpt of the release said.
President Akufo-Addo further instructed the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) and the Ministry of Finance to adhere to his directive and furnish KPMG with all necessary documentation for the upcoming audit.
Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, has urged opposing factions in the Bawku conflict to reconsider their stances and prioritize peace. His plea is aimed at restoring the free movement of people and fostering development in the area.
He emphasized that the prolonged conflict could result in widespread poverty, setbacks in infrastructure and human development, as well as increased instances of diseases and hunger among the population.
Therefore, it is crucial for all parties involved in the conflict to engage in introspection, seeking peaceful and amicable resolutions to their internal issues. This approach is essential to instill hope in the younger generations.
Otumfuo Osei Tutu made the call in an address read for him by Oguahyia Oduro Panin Birikorang, Chief of Edubiase in the Ashanti Region, during the annual Quran recitation and Islamic prayers for the nation in Kumasi.
The Asantehene reminded Ghanaians about the impending political campaigns and called for tolerance of divergent views.
He said it was important for politicians to refrain from engaging in tribal or religious politics and rather, focus on disseminating messages that would help transform the country and give hope to the people.
The Asantehene pointed out that political intolerance had been the cause of conflicts, poverty, destruction and loss of lives in many African countries, saying, Ghana was not ready to veer into that direction.
He appealed to the youth in Zongo communities not to yield to political orchestrations that would force them to commit violence during the electioneering campaigns, adding that, having two people from the north to lead the two biggest political parties in the 2024 general elections, was a testimony of how young people from the northern part of the country could rise to lead and transform Ghana.
Otumfuo Osei Tutu appealed to the people in Zongo communities to take advantage of the Otumfuo Educational Trust Fund to climb higher in their educational pursuits.
He also urged the chiefs and elders in Zongo communities to work to protect children and the youth from the activities of politicians who only use and dumb them after elections.
Mr Mohammed Kabir Abubakar of Al – Azariya Islamic Institute was adjudged the best memorizer of the three-week Tahfiz contest, and was awarded with a brand new Picato Rio saloon car donated by Mr Ali Suraj, a presidential staffer.
In attendance were Sheikh Nuhu Sharubutu, National Chief Imam, Alhaji Dr Abubakar Shehu Abubakar III, Amir of Gombe state in Nigeria, Alhaji Musah Akambonga, President of the Council of Zongo Chiefs, and Alhaji Ibrahim Abdul Rahman Adam Sanfo lll, the Mosque Chief, amongst others.
Two people who used to be on a TV show called All American Girl are taking legal action against Nigel Lythgoe, a British television executive, for supposedly assaulting them. This is according to reports from US media.
The lawsuit says Lythgoe touched them inappropriately and made them feel uncomfortable during the TV show in 2003, and also made unwanted moves after the show was over.
It comes days after US singer Paula Abdul also sued him, saying he hurt her many times.
The media reached out to Lythgoe’s representatives to get their reply.
He said he didn’t abuse Abdul and was surprised by the allegations.
Lythgoe, who is 74 years old, was a producer for a talent show called All American Girl. The show only aired for one season in 2003.
His name is not in the court papers, but American media say they have confirmed it is him.
Based on the papers, the two women say he would often come into their changing rooms and “openly hit and touched” their bottoms while they were wearing dance outfits.
The women say that Lythgoe brought them to his home in Los Angeles after a party, and then he tried to have sex with them without their consent.
A woman said he pulled her close and tried to kiss her while wearing his sweater, but she said no.
He says he pushed her against a big piano and tried to kiss her forcefully.
Two women are suing him for hurting them, harassing them, and making them feel upset. They want to keep their names secret.
The TV mogul is being sued by Abdul. Abdul says the assaults happened while they worked together on American Idol and So You Think You Can Dance.
Lythgoe helped produce the singing show and also helped judge the dancing show.
Abdul says the first time she was attacked was when American Idol first started in the early 2000s. This information is in court papers BBC looked at.
The lawsuit says that Lythgoe hurt her in an elevator while they were traveling for auditions for a popular talent show.
She got away from her boss when the doors opened, then she told her representatives from her hotel room, according to the lawsuit.
More than ten years later, Abdul says the following incident happened. She thought she was going to a work meeting at his house.
She said he tried to have sex with her and said they would be a great couple, but she pushed him away and told him she wasn’t interested.
That year, Abdul says she saw Lythgoe attack one of her helpers while they were filming So You Think You Can Dance in Las Vegas.
The lawsuit also says that Lythgoe teased her by calling her and saying they should celebrate because it had been seven years and the time limit for taking legal action had passed.
Last week, Lythgoe told the US media that they have always been close friends and colleagues, but their relationship is only platonic and not romantic.
He said, “I read about these claims in the news and I want to be clear: not only are they not true, but they also hurt me deeply and go against everything I believe in. ” “I promise to fight this terrible lie with all my strength. “
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) is scheduled to initiate the vetting process for aspiring parliamentary candidates within constituencies featuring incumbent Members of Parliament (MPs), commencing today, Wednesday, January 3.
The vetting sessions will be held in all regional capitals nationwide.
The party has formed multiple committees to supervise and streamline the vetting procedures.
Prominent figures appointed as national representatives on these committees include NPP National Organizer Henry Nana Boakye, NPP National Women Organizer Kate Gyamfua, Prof Addai Mensah, Gary Nimako, and other distinguished individuals.
In a directive conveyed through an official statement signed by the General Secretary of the party, Justin Kodua Frimpong, all regional executive committees have been mandated to communicate this decision to their respective constituencies.
Founder and president of the Worldwide Miracle Outreach, Rev Dr Lawrence Tetteh, has conveyed his dismay at Ghanaians opposing the current parliamentary consideration of the anti-gay bill.
During an interview, he asserted that Ghana’s cultural and moral values are incompatible with homosexuality, emphasizing that it is deemed an abomination for men to marry men.
Commending those in favor of the bill, Rev Tetteh urged politicians not to waver in their stance on the issue.
He said that the bill has united Christians, Muslims, traditional rulers, and chiefs on the matter.
“I feel very disappointed when Ghanaians like you and I will complain about the anti-gay bill. We have values in this country. We have cultural and moral values in this country. Men marry women. And so whether you are Muslim, a traditional ruler, or the church, homosexualism is an abomination.
“I applaud the people who stood with this bill, the politicians should be very careful with the way they dilly-dally, with this issue. For once, the Christians, the Muslims, the traditional rulers, and the chiefs are all together on this issue. We have moral values in this country that say that a man should not marry a man,” he explained.
He also dismissed the argument that the bill violates human rights, saying that Ghanaians have the right to reject what they do not want.
He added that he lives in the UK, where polygamy is not allowed, and that Ghanaians should also uphold their values and responsibilities.
He said that it is shameful and inhuman for some people to suggest that Ghana would lose IMF help if it passes the bill, and that he agrees with former presidents John Agyekum Kufuor and John Dramani Mahama that Ghana should not compromise its sovereignty for aid.
“Sometimes we come back to it and we say that it’s human rights. If it’s human rights, then we also have the human right to say that what we don’t want should not be imposed on us.
“In the UK, where I live in, you are not allowed to marry two wives. We should also be able to maintain that thing, that what is not right is not right. And we have a moral responsibility, we have a religious responsibility to that.
“I’ve had some people come to me and say that if we do, we would not be getting IMF help. That is very shameful. That is very inhuman.,” he said.
Citing the plight of some vulnerable people who have been abused or exploited because of poverty, Reverend Dr Lawrence Tetteh said that prostitution and homosexuality are not right or healthy and that he would not want his children to be involved in such activities.
He said that Ghanaians should be careful not to destroy the future generation by allowing LGBTQ+ activities and that everyone has a responsibility to speak the truth and to protect the family values of Ghana.
Rev Lawrence Tetteh, however, advised Ghanaians not to be violent against LGBTQ+ people, but to pray for them and show them love.
“The truth is that as much as a lot of people are trying to hide away from the dangers of LGBT, we should be very careful that we don’t destroy the generation behind us. We have a responsibility.
“When it comes to LGBTQ, there’s only one thing I keep telling people. Don’t be violent against them,” he stated.
About the bill
The anti-LGBTQ+ bill faces possible changes by a parliamentary committee before it becomes a law. Rights groups warn that the bill, if passed as it is, could lead to persecution and harassment of sexual minorities, their supporters, and their allies. They would also be forced to report their activities to the authorities.
The law would make it illegal, with up to five years in jail, to be a LGBTQ+ person, to have a same-sex relationship or sex.
It would also outlaw marrying or planning to marry someone who has changed their sex through surgery, with up to five years in jail.
The bill also deals with “gross indecency in public”. Any public display of love between people of the same sex, or people who identify as a different gender from their sex, or who have changed their sex through surgery, would also be illegal.
It would also forbid “cross-dressing”, allowing anyone who dresses in a way that does not match their biological sex to be prosecuted.
Local authorities in the Savannah Region have confirmed the tragic demise of a woman, reported to be in her late 20s, in the Kujose River of the White Volta Lake at Daboya.
In the aftermath of the incident, three female survivors narrowly escaped tragedy along with the deceased. They promptly reported the unfortunate occurrence to local authorities in Daboya.
The late individual, identified as Nafisa, was reportedly accompanied by her three surviving friends when they visited the river.
“They went there to wash and were playing with each other and all of them wanted to know who could go to the deeper end until she fell into the deep side and that was all,” an eye-witness narrated.
Those around who tried to find the deceased’s body were unsuccessful. The body was later discovered three days after the incident.
She has since been buried according to Islamic customs.
Some locals say there is nothing new about this case as such a phenomenon has been happening.
According to them, there is a need for traditional authorities to find a solution to it.
The Kujose River is a direct source of the White Volta Lake which links the Bagre Dam from neighbouring Burkina Faso and the Akosombo dam.
But this year, authorities said there was not much water flow from Bagre dam and, therefore, the water level was at its normal until the lady died.
A very cold weather has hit some parts of northern India, with temperatures dropping below -5C (23F) in Indian-administered Kashmir. Many areas, including the capital of India, Delhi, get covered in heavy fog in the early morning and at night. Bad visibility has made it hard for people to travel and has resulted in problems with flights and trains. India’s weather experts say that the cold weather will continue for the next few days.
The famous Dal Lake and other lakes in Kashmir have partly frozen, making it difficult for boatmen to transport passengers and tourists. The cold weather has frozen water pipes and made it hard for people to get around. This has made it tough for them to get what they need every day.
The cold weather and thick fog have also caused train delays in many parts of northern India. The Indian Railways carries about 23 million people every day and is very important for the country’s transportation. A lot of trains have been very late, making it hard for people to travel as planned.
Delhi is very cold right now. In some places, the temperature has dropped to 7 degrees Celsius. The recent cold weather has been very difficult for homeless people in Delhi who usually sleep on the streets.
The cold weather is making people sick, especially in Delhi where the pollution is really bad in the winter.
Because of fog, the weather department in India wants people to be careful when driving. They are telling people to use fog lights to see better on the roads. It has also told people to stay inside unless there is an emergency and to wear a face covering when outside.
A family is telling people to be careful with their insurance. They made a mistake on a form and their policy was not valid when their daughter got sick on vacation. They had to pay a £100,000 medical bill.
Katya Katalinic, who is 18 years old, from Midhurst, West Sussex, had a bleeding in her brain in South Africa in February.
She remained in Africa after a family trip to Kenya during Christmas.
Axa, their insurance company, said the policy was not valid because the family gave the wrong information.
Miss Katalinic said she woke up in the hospital with strangers around her.
“I couldn’t talk or read anymore, so I felt like a baby when it happened,” she said. “I didn’t know anything. ”
Marsha Katalinic, her mom, made sure the whole family had insurance for their trip to Kenya in 2022.
When her parents went back to the UK in the new year, Miss Katalinic chose to continue with a course to learn how to work on a yacht in South Africa.
Her dad, Roberto Katalinic, got more insurance for her. They tried to use it when she got sick and they rushed to Cape Town.
Mr Katalinic said he told the hospital manager about the policy.
“MrKatalinic looked at the screen and told me, ‘You’re not going to like this email,’”
“Axa told him that they would not pay, so the parents will have to pay for the cost. ”
Axa said the insurance was not valid because Miss Katalinic’s trip to South Africa began in Kenya, not the UK.
Mr Katalinic said that he thought the journey had to start in the UK, and that’s where it did start.
“The journey began here, in Midhurst in the UK. ”
Miss Katalinic is telling people to be prepared for bad things that could happen to them. She says that even though you may hear about bad things happening to others, you might not think it will happen to you. She wants everyone to make sure they have everything they need to be okay in case something bad happens.
Axa said in a statement that when you buy the insurance, you need to confirm that everyone on the policy is going to and coming back from the United Kingdom and that your trip has not started yet.
“On this occasion, the answers given didn’t match Miss Katalinic’s situation and this was only discovered after she made her claim. ” We stopped the policy because we found out it wasn’t valid. We gave Miss Katalinic all her money back.
According to deputy editor Sam Richardson, consumers are given the information they need, but it’s hard to find and requires a lot of effort to discover.
It’s worrisome that 25% of claims aren’t paid. It shows that these products could be improved so people understand them better.
The Association of Ghana Industries (AGI) has characterized the business environment in Ghana as persistently expensive, citing a notable disparity when compared to other countries in the West African sub-region.
Consequently, the AGI is urging the government to collaborate with the Bank of Ghana in an effort to mitigate inflation and lower interest rates.
Addressing the Joy Business Year Review 2023, Mr Twum-Akwaboah emphasized the necessity of creating a favorable business environment to deter further migration of companies to neighboring countries.
“Business people are not Father Christmas. So we base everything on the cost of doing business”.
“The increase in prices is not as a result of firms wanting an increase in profit. The increase in prices is a result of an increase in the cost of doing business, from duty payments to taxes that we pay through to the VAT [Value Added Tax] that is also cascading in the market. That’s what caused the high rise in prices”, he added.
He continued that businesses are very mindful of the election year, saying they are strategising to ensure fiscal prudence.
“Also going into the election year, we have to manage our expenditure, and fiscal discipline is very important”.
The People’s National Convention (PNC) is gearing up to hold internal elections across the nation in the coming months.
With regional elections slated to unfold between January 15 and 31, 2024, the People’s National Convention (PNC) is poised for a series of internal contests. The momentum continues with national elections on March 2, 2024, and culminates in the highly anticipated presidential elections scheduled for March 24, 2024. The PNC gears up for a comprehensive electoral process, marking significant milestones in the months ahead.
Prospective candidates, meeting the eligibility criteria, are advised to procure their nomination forms from both regional and national offices, commencing January 4, 2024, to officially enter the upcoming elections.
As per a statement issued on January 2, the PNC delineated the filing fees applicable to different positions.
Flagbearer hopefuls are required to pay GHS100,000, while the positions of vice-chairperson and general secretary have filing fees set at GHS25,000.
Aspirants for the national organiser position are to pay GHS15,000.
“The fee for the presidential candidature is GHS100,000. For the national chairperson, the fee is GHS35,000.
“The vice chairperson and general secretary will each pay GHS25,000, while the national organizer aspirants will pay GHS15,000.”
“The national women’s organizer, national treasurer, and national youth organizer aspirants will each pay GHS10,000.
“Deputy positions’ aspirants in the national elections will need to pay GHS5,000 each,” an excerpt of the statement said.
Twelve people in Sierra Leone are accused of being involved in a coup attempt that happened in November. They are now facing charges.
This group includes some former police and prison officers, and also the ex-bodyguard of former President Ernest Bai Koroma.
Mr Koroma is being suspected of trying to overthrow the government. He has been told to stay at his house by the police since they questioned him last month.
The people accused of a crime have been charged with several serious crimes, including betrayal of their country, hiding that betrayal, and helping the enemy. This was announced by the Information Minister, Chernor Bah.
More people are expected to be arrested soon, the police chief said.
On 26 November, some people with guns broke into a military weapons storage place and some jails in the main city Freetown, letting almost 2,000 prisoners go free.
At least 19 people, including 13 soldiers, died in the fighting, when the army tried to take over the government but didn’t succeed.
In December, the government said that they arrested 80 people who were suspected of trying to take over the government. Some of them were regular people and others were police or military.
Mr Koroma’s daughter, Dankay Koroma, was one of 54 people who were wanted by the police.
Furious supporters of Alhaji Nuhu Zaruk, a contender in the New Patriotic Party (NPP) parliamentary primaries for the Bimbilla constituency, have unleashed havoc by vandalizing the party’s office.
Chaos erupted at the constituency office on the evening of Tuesday, January 2, 2024, as fervent supporters demanded explanations regarding the removal of Alhaji Zaruk’s name from the vetting list in the New Patriotic Party (NPP) parliamentary primaries for the Bimbilla constituency.
Seeking justification for the omission, the disgruntled supporters congregated at the constituency office, vocalizing their dissatisfaction and issuing threats to set the party office on fire unless Alhaji Zaruk’s name is promptly reinstated.
The situation escalated as they burned tires and threw stones at the office, prompting the intervention of the military to disperse the agitated supporters.
Meanwhile, the vetting of the aspirants starts today.
On December 31, the electoral commission announced that Mr Tshisekedi won the election with 73% of the votes. Businessman Moïse Katumbi came in second with 18%.
Mr Katumbi, Martin Fayulu who came in third place, and Nobel Prize winner Denis Mukwege are some of the candidates whose teams have said they will not challenge the results in the Constitutional Court.
The last day to submit a request to the court to become a presidential candidate is on Wednesday.
The Court has a week to think about an appeal and make a decision. If nobody asks for it, Mr. Tshisekedi will take the oath on January 20th.
The election had a lot of problems with organizing and using technology.
People quickly went to the emergency doors of a plane that was on fire without bringing their bags, because the flight crew told them to.
According to aviation experts, one big reason why all 379 people on board were able to evacuate quickly before the plane caught fire at Haneda Airport in Tokyo last Tuesday was because they left their valuable things behind.
Japan Airlines Flight 516 caught on fire when it hit a coastguard plane while landing. Five out of the six people on the small plane died.
The perfect rescue on the Japan Airlines plane has amazed everyone and received compliments from many. Flight experts and crew members told the media that the successful flight was due to the crew following their intense training and passengers who followed safety rules.
“I watched some videos, but I didn’t see anyone carrying their bags while getting off the plane. Taking your bags during an emergency can be dangerous and slow down the escape,” explained Prof Ed Galea, who works at the University of Greenwich.
Professor Galea said that the condition of the Airbus A350 made it hard to evacuate.
“This accident was not good. ” The plane was tilted downwards, making it hard for people to walk around, he said.
Only three bouncy slides could be used to help people get out of the plane, but they weren’t put out correctly because of the way the plane landed. The slide was really steep, which could have been risky.
The plane’s announcement system broke and the flight crew had to use a megaphone and shout to give instructions during the evacuation, Japan Airlines reported.
One person has bruises and 13 others asked for medical help because they felt unwell, the airline said.
The Japan Airlines plane flew from Sapporo’s New Chitose airport at 4:00 pm local time (7:00 am GMT) and arrived at Haneda just before 6:00 pm. The small coastguard plane was supposed to bring help to people hurt by a big earthquake on New Year’s Day. An investigation is happening to find out what caused the crash.
Safety training started working.
An ex-Japan Airlines flight attendant told the media that the passengers on the plane were very lucky.
I was happy to learn that everyone on the plane was OK. “I got scared and anxious when I thought about the emergency evacuation plan,” she said. “If the two planes crashed and the fire spread in a different way, it could have been much more dangerous. ”
The former flight attendant said it can be hard to keep passengers from panicking in real-life situations. She didn’t want her name to be shared.
“But what they accomplished is really difficult to understand. ” She said that everyone was able to escape because the crew and passengers worked well together and followed instructions.
She said new crew members have to undergo tough training on how to evacuate and rescue people for up to three weeks before they can work on commercial flights. The training happens again every year.
“We take a test, talk about real-life situations, and practice using examples like landing a plane on water and dealing with a fire on board. ” The people who fix things are also part of the training,” said the person who used to work on the plane and left 10 years ago.
A pilot from an airline in South East Asia, who didn’t want to be named, said that the thorough training of the flight crew helped them to evacuate quickly.
It was really great. I believe that what happened in this situation was that the person’s training took over. He said in a situation like this, you don’t have time to think, so you just do what you were trained to do.
Airlines have to prove that all passengers can get off the plane in 90 seconds to be certified for international flights. Drills to evacuate may have real passengers participating, he said.
The pilot said that the rules for keeping planes safe had been made much stronger after some accidents in the past.
For example, when two Boeing 747 planes crashed at Los Rodeos Airport in Spain in 1977, it caused 583 people to die. This was the worst accident ever in aviation. After this happened, they looked at how pilots do things in the cockpit and how they talk on the radio. The plane crash happened because the pilots and the people who control the planes in the air didn’t understand each other.
In August 1985, a Japan Airlines plane crashed into a mountain soon after it took off from Tokyo Haneda, while on its way to Osaka. It was later said that Boeing, the company that made the airplane, didn’t repair it properly. Out of 524 people in the crash, only four survived at first, but one of them later died from their injuries.
In 2006, Japan Airlines built a museum-like place near Haneda. It has pieces from the accident. It’s meant to teach their workers about being safe.
“On our website, Japan Airlines promised that after the 1985 crash we would work to prevent another tragic accident, and we feel very sorry for the families and people who were affected. ”
We need to remember that people’s lives and property are important and we are responsible for taking care of them in our job.
The Hohoe Constituency of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Volta Region has enforced disciplinary measures, ousting Ibrahim Abass, a branch member.
Abass faced expulsion over allegations of supporting Mr. John Peter Amewu, a Member of Parliament affiliated with the rival New Patriotic Party (NPP), during the nomination filing process. The expulsion underscores the party’s commitment to maintaining internal allegiance and discipline within its ranks.
The dismissal of Ibrahim Abass from the Hohoe Constituency of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) was officially communicated through a letter signed by Mr. Newton Darkey, the Constituency Chairman. Dated 26/12/2023, the letter formalized the decision and copies were distributed to key figures, including the Volta Regional Chairman, Ward Coordinators, and Branch Executives. This administrative move highlights the structured and formalized nature of the disciplinary action taken against Abass.
The expulsion of Mr. Ibrahim Abass from the National Democratic Congress (NDC) was rationalized on the grounds of upholding party discipline. The NDC, citing anti-party behavior, referenced Article 48, Clause (B) of the party’s constitution to justify its decision. This clause specifically addresses actions or conduct deemed likely to embarrass the party or subject it to hatred, ridicule, or contempt, emphasizing the party’s commitment to adhering to its constitutional principles.
Mr Newton Darkey emphasized the seriousness of the alleged misconduct, stating, “We see this as anti-party behaviour and stand against the Constitution of the party.”
The decision to expel Mr Abass was made in light of his perceived support for the NPP’s John Peter Amewu during the filing of nomination forms in the Hoehoe Constituency. The party pointed to photographic and video evidence circulating widely as proof of his presence at the event.
The expulsion serves as a clear message from the NDC regarding the importance of party loyalty and discipline. The party encourages its members to adhere to the principles and values outlined in its constitution and discourages any conduct that may compromise the party’s unity or public image.
Minority Leader, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, has declared that President Akufo-Addo’s directive for the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) and Strategic Mobilisation Limited (SML) to suspend their contract comes belatedly.
Dr Forson’s remarks add a sharp perspective to the unfolding developments, suggesting a sense of urgency that has long been overdue in addressing the contentious contract between GRA and SML.
This development follows President Akufo-Addo’s recent decision to appoint KPMG for an urgent audit of the transaction between the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) and Strategic Mobilisation Limited (SML). The move underscores a heightened commitment to scrutinizing the intricacies of the GRA-SML transaction, adding a layer of urgency to the unfolding situation.
A contractual agreement aimed at bolstering revenue assurance within the downstream petroleum sector, upstream petroleum production, and the value chain of minerals and metals resources.
President Akufo-Addo has set a tight two-week deadline for KPMG to fulfill the assigned task, directing the audit firm to submit pertinent recommendations upon completion. This decisive move signals a swift and time-sensitive approach to address the ongoing situation.
In a concise statement, the Minority leader characterized the President’s action as an endeavor to whitewash the contract under the guise of an audit.
“This whitewashing attempt by the President in the name of an audit will not dissuade Parliament from looking into this matter to stop the siphoning of state resources into the private pockets of government officials and their crony business partners,” Dr. Ato Forson stated.
Below is the statement by the Minority Leader Dr Ato Forson
President Akufo-Addo’s appointment of KPMG to audit the so-called revenue assurance agreement between Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) and Strategic Mobilisation Limited (SML) has come too late in the day.
Parliament has already directed the Finance Committee to audit the infamous agreement and the Committee is actively seized of the matter.
The President, who should have led this fight in the wake of this scandal, is playing catch up since Parliament has also directed GRA to suspend all payments to SML.
This whitewashing attempt by the President in the name of an audit will not dissuade Parliament from looking into this matter to stop the siphoning of state resources into the private pockets of government officials and their crony business partners.
Rescuers are still working to help people in Japan after a strong earthquake on New Year’s Day killed at least 62 people.
Houses fell down, buildings started burning, and roads were badly broken, making it hard for rescue teams to help.
The middle of the big earthquake was in the Noto peninsula in central Japan.
The Prime Minister, Fumio Kishida, said that emergency teams are working quickly to save people who are still alive.
He also said that 3,000 people are trying to reach parts of the Noto peninsula to try to help. “Helicopter surveys revealed lots of fires and damage to buildings and infrastructure. ” Wajima, a city at the top of Noto, can’t be reached by road.
In Suzu, a city by the coast in Ishikawa prefecture, almost all of the homes were “completely or nearly completely destroyed”, according to the mayor, Masushiro Izumiya, who told the news outlet Kyodo.
The Japanese army is giving things like food, water, and blankets to people who had to leave their homes. The government said 57,360 people had to leave their homes.
Tens of thousands of meals are being brought to the area where people need them.
Aftershocks kept happening on Tuesday. Yoshimasa Hayashi, the top government official, told people to watch out for more strong earthquakes in the next week.
Ishikawa, which is 155 kilometers (96. 3 miles) south of the Noto peninsula, had a 4. 9 earthquake on Tuesday afternoon.
The big tsunami warnings from Japan’s government on Monday were changed to be less serious later. By Tuesday, all warnings about a tsunami along the Sea of Japan were taken away, so there was no more danger of a tsunami happening.
People living in the area of Japan that was affected by the earthquake have been talking about what happened during the quake, which went on for a few minutes.
An 82-year-old man from Nanao named Toshio Iwahama said to the BBC that his old wooden house partially fell down. He said that even though he had been through many earthquakes, he had never felt one as strong as this.
41-year-old Emma Ward from Britain was on a skiing holiday in a place called Hakuba. She said that the earthquake hit suddenly and they had to take cover under a table in a cafe. She said to the BBC that the shaking was so strong that people ran out of the building. “The scariest part of the earthquake was not knowing how bad it was going to get. ” “It’s really scary,” said Ms.
Many people also said that the earthquake made them think of the terrible earthquake and tsunami in 2011. That one killed 18,000 people and caused a nuclear accident in Fukushima.
A Japan Airlines plane caught fire on Tuesday because it crashed into a coastguard aircraft at Tokyo’s Haneda airport. This happened as the plane was heading to help with the earthquake relief.
Five people on the coastguard plane died, but all 379 passengers and crew from the Japan Airlines plane were able to get away safely.
Japan has a lot of earthquakes because it’s on the Pacific Ring of Fire where tectonic plates meet.
Japan has made a really good warning system for tsunamis because they are always worried about earthquakes.
President Akufo-Addo has taken swift action by ordering the abrupt suspension of a crucial contract between the Ministry of Finance and Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) and Strategic Mobilisation Ghana Limited (SML).
The suspended contract pertains to the vital task of revenue assurance services in both the downstream and upstream petroleum sectors, as well as the mining sector. The unexpected development marks a significant shift in the administration’s approach, raising questions and sparking intrigue about the motivations behind this abrupt decision.
Additionally, the President, in a bold step towards transparency and accountability, has mandated the renowned audit firm, KPMG, to conduct a thorough investigation into the services provided by Strategic Mobilisation Ghana Limited (SML) to the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA).
The president’s directive includes a stringent timeline, with KPMG expected to submit its comprehensive report within a tight two-week period. This unexpected move signals a commitment to scrutinize and evaluate the intricacies of the contracted services, adding a layer of urgency to the unfolding narrative surrounding the suspension of the GRA-SML contract.
According to a statement signed by the communication’s director at the presidency, Eugene Arhin, President Akufo-Addo “also directed the Ministry of Finance and the Ghana Revenue Authority to suspend the performance contract pending the submission of the audit report, including any payments presently envisaged under its terms.”
KPMG has also been directed to “assess the appropriateness of the contract methodology, verifying compliance with legal standards and industry practices in the procurement process for the selection of SML.”
The president also tasked KPMG to, among others “evaluate the value benefit that SML has so far offered to the GRA through this engagement.”
Israel said that the killing of a Hamas leader in Beirut was not meant to harm Lebanon, despite warnings from its enemies that there would be consequences for his death.
Israel has not said if they killed Saleh al-Arouri or not, but a spokesperson said it was a precise attack on the leaders of the Hamas group.
Hamas called it a “terrorist act” and Hezbollah said it was an attack on Lebanon’s independence.
Lebanon’s Prime Minister said Israel is trying to make them join a big fight with other countries in the area.
Lebanese news says that Arouri, a top leader of Hamas, was killed by a drone in southern Beirut on Tuesday along with six other people – two military leaders and four other members of Hamas.
He played a big role in the Izzedine al-Qassam Brigades, the group that fights for Hamas, and was a good friend of Ismail Haniyeh, the leader of Hamas. He was in Lebanon to help his group communicate with Hezbollah.
Hezbollah and Israeli forces have been shooting at each other almost every day since the war started between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. But, the fighting has mostly stayed around the border of Israel and Lebanon.
Hezbollah is a big and strong group in Lebanon, and also has some people in the government. Some countries, like Israel and the UK, think Hezbollah is a terrorist group.
The Israel Army didn’t say anything about killing Saleh al-Arouri, but they said they are ready for anything.
“The IDF is fully prepared to defend and attack in all areas,” said spokesperson Rear Adm Daniel Hagari at a meeting.
“The main thing to say tonight is that we are focused on fighting Hamas, and we will continue to do so,” he said.
Israeli government adviser Mark Regev didn’t confirm that Israel did the attack, but he said on MSNBC that whoever did it, it wasn’t an attack on Lebanon.
“It wasn’t an attack on Hezbollah, the terrorist group. ”
“Someone made a precise and targeted attack on the leaders of Hamas. ” The person who did this is angry with Hamas. “That is very easy to understand. ”
Arouri, who is 57 years old, is the highest-ranking member of Hamas to be killed since Israel started fighting with the group following its attack on 7 October.
That day, a lot of Hamas fighters went into Israel and attacked towns near the border. They killed about 1,200 people, most of them were regular people, and they took about 240 as hostages to Gaza.
Israel started a military attack to destroy Hamas.
Since then, over 22,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have been killed by Israel in attacks on Gaza, according to Gaza’s health ministry run by Hamas.
Lebanon’s official news agency said that Arouri was killed by an Israeli drone at a Hamas office in a southern suburb of Beirut called Dahiyeh.
A person from Reuters news agency saw firefighters and paramedics at a tall building with a big hole on the third floor.
Videos on social media showed a car on fire and a lot of damage to buildings in a crowded neighborhood.
Dahiyeh is a place where Hezbollah is very strong.
Mr Haniyeh, the head of Hamas’s political section, said the attack was cowardly. Violent attack, breaking Lebanon’s rules, and making the problem worse.
Hezbollah said that they see Arouri’s death as a big attack on Lebanon, its people, its safety, freedom, and strength, and it sends important messages about politics and safety.
The attack was a very bad thing in the war. “We, in Hezbollah, promise that we will not let this crime go without a punishment.
“Its hand is on the trigger, and its resistors are ready and prepared at the highest levels,” it said.
Iran, which strongly supports both groups, said that Arouri’s killing would definitely make the resistance stronger.
The meeting to talk about what to do after the war in Gaza was cancelled.
Lebanon’s Foreign Minister, Abdallah Bou Habib, said on BBC Radio 4 that his government is talking to Hezbollah to tell them not to take action. He also said that they are having a conversation with them about this.
In the next day, we will find out if they will answer or not. We are worried that the people of Lebanon, including Hezbollah, do not want to get involved in a war with other countries.
He asked the West to push Israel to stop all its violent actions in Lebanon, Beirut, and Gaza.
The leader of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, promised to get rid of the leaders of Hamas no matter where they are.
Israeli media reports said that Arouri was seen as the unofficial leader of Hamas’s military group in the West Bank and was responsible for supervising attacks in that area.
People think he helped take and kill three Israeli teenagers in the West Bank in 2014. They also say he was in prison in Israel for other violent acts.
The Times of Israel reported that he was one of the top Hamas officials with strong ties to Iran and Hezbollah.
Well-known Ugandan religious leader and businessman Aloysius Bugingo was attacked by some people with guns in Kampala, but he was not hurt. Unfortunately, his bodyguard was killed in the attack.
The attackers shot at Pastor Bugingo’s car while he was driving home on Tuesday night in the Namungoona area. The attackers ran away on a motorcycle.
MrBugingo got hurt in the attack but he still drove the car to a hospital close by, according to the police.
The pastor’s bodyguard, Richard Muhumuza, died from being shot, the police said.
“We are carefully watching the security camera videos to find the attackers,” the police said. They also found that the place where the incident happened had been messed with.
The police said someone tried to murder someone else.
Russian officials said they stopped a Ukrainian attack on a border city as the air war between the two countries gets worse.
The authorities said that twelve missiles were destroyed before they reached Belgorod. Twenty-five people were killed in Belgorod on Saturday. Ukraine hasn’t said anything.
The attacks happened after Russia did its biggest bombing from the air.
Ukraine’s leader, Volodymyr Zelensky, said that Russia has fired around 300 missiles and used 200 drones in the last five days.
Russia started bombing Ukraine again last week. Ukrainian soldiers fought back against the attack on Belgorod on Saturday, and more than 100 people got hurt.
In his speech at night, he said Russia shot “almost 100 different types of missiles” on Tuesday. He said that the enemy planned to cause a lot of damage with these weapons.
MrZelensky said that 10 very fast ballistic missiles were destroyed on Tuesday.
Ukrainian leaders said on Wednesday that the attacks on Tuesday, including in the cities of Kharkiv and Kyiv, had hurt or killed over 130 people in the country.
On Tuesday, one person died and five were hurt in Belgorod, according to the region’s governor. However, the 12 missiles that were launched at the area last night were stopped by Russia’s air defense system, according to the defense ministry.
Explosions happened in Sevastopol, the biggest city in Russia-controlled Crimea. A missile was also shot down over the port. The governor, Mikhail Razvozhayev, said this on Telegram. No one was hurt and nothing was broken.
A Japan Airlines plane caught fire after an apparent collision with a smaller coast guard plane on the runway at Tokyo’s Haneda airport.
Police said all 379 passengers and crew on board were evacuated, but five of the Coast Guard plane’s six crew members were killed.
The captain was injured. Flames engulfed the plane after landing, sliding on the burning runway. Firefighters spent many hours putting out the fire. The plane took off from Sapporo, on the northern island of Hokkaido.
Aviation safety experts praised the crew for safely evacuating all passengers. Four Haneda runways were closed following the incident, disrupting the travel plans of thousands of passengers.
Japan Airlines Flight 516 took off from Sapporo’s New Chitose Airport at 4pm local time (07:00 GMT) and landed in Haneda just before 6pm.
Video shows him bursting into flames as he taxied down the runway after landing. One passenger told Kyodo news agency: “I felt a loud bang as if we hit something and I bounced as soon as the plane landed. ”
“I saw sparks outside the window and the cabin was filled with gasoline and smoke. ” Passengers escaped via emergency slides and ran onto the runway to safety, videos and photos showed.
Officials said the flight crew did not report any problems before landing. Communication with the flight controller is being investigated.
The cause of the collision is still unclear. The Coast Guard said an investigation is underway to determine how and when the two planes came into contact.
Five people die on coast guard plane after crash in Tokyo – watch live Dramatic video shows plane destroyed by fire at Haneda airport Japan Airlines’ statement said flight JL516 “was involved in a collision with a Japan Coast Guard aircraft while landing at Haneda Airport, causing a fire on the runway”.
“We want to assure you that all passengers and crew on board our flight were evacuated safely. Our thoughts are with the fallen members of the Japan Coast Guard Copy. ” The Coast Guard aircraft – a De Havilland Dash 8 turboprop – is heading rescue and relief efforts after Monday’s earthquake in Ishikawa. It was one of four planes on a mission to the site of the earthquake.
Television footage showed several fire engines at the scene as smoke and flames rose from the Airbus. Images from inside the plane showed passengers surrounded by thick smoke.
The passenger plane’s body was burned to the ground. One woman posted a photo of a huge crowd watching the scene. “I was on the train.
I’m safeThank God,” she wrote on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. But hours after the fire, Tokyo police confirmed reports that all five members of the coast guard were killed and said the pilot was seriously injured.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said authorities were trying to ensure the accident did not hinder the transport of earthquake relief materials. He said: “It is unfortunate because the crew members performed their duties with a high sense of mission and responsibility towards the victims of the disaster area. ”
NHK television quoted firefighters as saying at least 14 passengers and crew members evacuated from the Japan Airlines flight suffered minor injuries.
Flights at Haneda one of two international airports serving the Japanese capital were grounded and many flights had to be diverted to other airports in Japan while emergency rescue workers dealt with the “fire” situation.
All but one of the tracks where the crash occurred were open to traffic Tuesday night, the Department of Transportation said.
This is the first major accident involving the A350, a new generation aircraft made mainly from advanced materials such as carbon fiber reinforced plastic. Airbus is sending a team of experts to Japan to participate in the investigation.
The efforts of Japan Airlines cabin crew and pilots were also praised. Professor Graham Braithwaite, director of transport systems, told the media at Cranfield University in the US: “They were focused on safety.
They were the last to evacuate the plane and at first glance it looked like they were did an amazing job. ” Kingdom
One of the world’s largest shipping companies, Germany’s Hapag-Lloyd, told the media it would avoid the Red Sea for at least another week and then reassess the situation following recent attacks by Houthi rebels in Yemen.
Iran-backed rebels, who have declared their support for Hamas, are targeting ships using the popular Suez Canal shipping route.
The group has previously claimed its attacks target ships linked to Israel, in response to the war in Gaza. Shipping companies are worried about the safety of their employees as some ships have been attacked by drones and missiles.
The US Navy destroyed three Houthi “small boats” over the weekend as their crew tried to board a container ship in the Red Sea.
Hapag-Lloyd sends 50 ships through the Suez Canal each month and will have to reroute around the Cape of Good Hope, which will add a week or two to journey time depending on the destination.
Another individual has lost their life due to a shooting incident in Nkwanta, situated in the Oti Region. The region has experienced heightened tensions in recent weeks, leading to the imposition of a curfew in the area.
A total of 12 individuals have lost their lives in the ongoing disturbances, presumed to be linked to land and chieftaincy issues.
In a renewed wave of hostilities, the latest clashes occurred mere days after the Chairman of the Municipal Security Council, Bright Lenwah, disclosed intentions to enhance security measures in response to what he described as a fresh twist in the conflict.
The dispute, according to reports, is spreading to neighbouring communities.
“About two months ago, there were some clashes between some ethnic groups in and around Nkwanta since then these issues keep reoccuring.
“Originally it was happening in the town but due to the heavy deployment of security, the situation has taken a new dimension. Now it is happening in nearby villages and communities,” he said.
The Palestinian Red Crescent said five people were killed and three injured in an Israeli bomb attack on the organization’s headquarters in Khan Younis, southern Gaza.
Fierce fighting continues in the territory, although Israel has announced plans to withdraw some combat troops.
Resident Khan Younis said Israeli warplanes and tanks had increased shelling and artillery in the city Meanwhile, Israel’s military said its troops killed dozens of Palestinian fighters in Jabalia in the north and targeted others in Gaza City and coastal areas.
Hamas officials said more than 200 Palestinians were killed in Gaza in the past 24 hours In the West Bank, the IDF claimed to have killed four Palestinian militants in an anti-terrorism operation.
On Monday, the Israeli military announced that it planned to withdraw some reservists from Gaza in anticipation of “protracted fighting” that it said would continue throughout the year.
At least 1,200 people were killed when Hamas militants attacked Israel on October 7 and about 240 others were taken hostage.
The Hamas Health Ministry in Gaza said more than 22,000 people have been killed in the territory since Israel began its retaliation campaign.
Asserting his perspective, Professor Bokpin insisted that Ghana has not overcome its economic challenges, maintaining that the country has yet to see a positive shift in its economic situation.
Highlighting the necessity for additional efforts, Professor Godfred Alufar Bokpin asserted that Ghana must undertake further measures to completely surmount the persistent crisis currently afflicting the nation.
While recognizing modest improvements in certain sectors of the economy, Professor Godfred Alufar Bokpin advises Ghanaians to prepare for challenging economic conditions ahead.
During an interview on Joy FM on Tuesday, January 2, he emphasized the necessity for citizens to prepare economically for the year 2024.
“Let me tell you Ghanaians frankly that we are not out of it (economic crisis) yet. So that every Ghanaian will be moderate in their expectations in terms of how growth is going to turn out and how it is going to benefit Ghanaians. We can have growth at different levels.”
“The economy can recover at different levels, but before it will benefit the ordinary Ghanaian we need to maintain microeconomic stability for not less than 15 years,” he told host, Kojo Yankson.
Azzun residents said the four people who died were between the ages of 18 and 29 and their bodies were taken away by Israeli forces.
A witness told the BBC that the raid took place from before midnight until early morning.
Tensions have been high in the West Bank since Hamas attacks on October 7 sparked war in the Gaza Strip.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas recently warned that the territory could “explode. ”
The Israeli army said in a statement on X, formerly known as Twitter, that in Azzun, “terrorists shot and threw explosives at our forces.
Fighters identified the court house where the team was hiding the terrorist and at the end of the gunfight, they killed four terrorists.
Palestinian news agency Wafa said on Tuesday morning four men “were shot dead in clashes that broke out when Israeli occupation forces stormed the town.
” Citing Palestinian security sources, he said soldiers “fired live bullets, stun grenades and tear gas at local residents. ”
“There have been attacks every day since October 7 even though there are no activists in the area,” one Azzun resident told the BBC.
A total of seven people were killed and there were many arrests.
Authorities in Turkey have detained 33 individuals on suspicion of “carrying out espionage for Israel’s Mossad intelligence service,” according to the state-run Anadolu news agency.
According to the agency, 13 more people are still wanted by the police.
It claimed, without providing any references, that the suspects’ purported goal in carrying out intelligence activities was to locate and abduct foreign nationals residing in Turkey.
