TIG Post

Author: Chris Kodo

  • Ghana Health Service unveils National Adolescent Health Advocacy Week for 2023 

    Ghana Health Service unveils National Adolescent Health Advocacy Week for 2023 

    Ghana Health Service (GHS) has inaugurated the 2023 National Adolescent Health Advocacy Week in Cape Coast. Stakeholders are urged to escalate their investments in promoting adolescent health, aligning with Ghana’s pursuit of Universal Health Coverage by 2030.

    Dedicated to shedding light on challenges impacting adolescent health, the Adolescent Health Advocacy Week serves as a platform for collaborative efforts in identifying and implementing solutions to address these issues.

    This year’s celebration is on the theme: “Every Adolescent Counts: Accessible Health Care for All”.  

    Over the course of the week, various stakeholder interactions are planned, involving communities, educators, parents, and the media. The objective is to pinpoint and tackle challenges impacting adolescent health on both individual and societal fronts.

    Mrs Justina Marigold Assan, the Central Regional Minister, in a speech read on her behalf, said stakeholders must channel more resources and energy into addressing the health needs of adolescents holistically to ensure no one was left behind in order to secure the future of the country.  

    She maintained that every young person, irrespective of their background, deserved the right to access comprehensive health care without any impediment, indicating that many adolescents faced numerous challenges in accessing essential healthcare services.  

    “Adolescents’ health care goes beyond mere medical care; it is a holistic approach,  which includes mental health, sexual and reproductive health and the provision of accurate information that empowers adolescents to make informed choices,” she said.  

    The Minister observed a gradual but significant shift towards prioritising adolescent health care, including increased awareness, access and engagement but insisted that more needed to be done.   

    “Together, let us make a lasting impact on the lives of adolescents, for they are not just the future; they are an integral part of our present, deserving health, happiness and the opportunity to thrive,” she said.  

    Dr Mrs Marion Okoh-Owusu, the Central Regional Director of Health Services, noted that the region had achieved significant success in awareness creation and service delivery for adolescent health in schools, communities, and health facilities.  

    She was, however, quick to add that measures such as providing young people with age-appropriate information and teaching them about the dangers of having sex must be intensified to consolidate the gains.  

    “Wherever we are, let us make time for our adolescents. They need to hear from us. 

    “They see us and they want to be like us but most of them are ill-informed because of peer pressure and other myths they hear from the communities and the media,” she noted.  

    Dr Mrs Okoh-Owusu said the GHS had prioritised and intensified adolescent health care in schools by ensuring that the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) card was a requirement for admission.  

    “The school clinics are now functional, and the health service has assigned nurses to support in the provision of services for the schools.  

    “The schools have also been linked up to some of the hospitals so that when faced with severe emergencies, they can refer them to the bigger hospitals,” she said.  

    She stressed the need for all stakeholders to get involved in enhancing access to health care for young people in the country as it was not the duty of health professionals alone.  

    Madam Adjoa Yenyi, the Programmes Specialist, Adolescent and Youth Development at the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), observed that even though Ghana was making significant progress in adolescent health care, the country was not likely to achieve UHC by 2030.  

    She, therefore, reiterated the urgent need to increase investment in that area to meet the health needs of young people and propel Ghana towards the mark.   

    She noted that because adolescents were part of the general population, they were normally integrated into the mainstream population.  

    “But there is a need to make a conscious effort to invest in young people’s health because when we invest in their health now, we will begin to see the benefits in years to come.  

    “When we invest in young people now, all the health issues we are addressing; teenage pregnancy, gender-based violence, Sexually Transmitted Infections, diabetes, and the others, there will be no need for the government to put so much money into curing these ailments,” she added. 

  • Anesthesiologists under undue stress as over 30% depart Ghana in pursuit of better opportunities – GACRA

    Anesthesiologists under undue stress as over 30% depart Ghana in pursuit of better opportunities – GACRA

    The Ghana Association of Certified Registered Anaesthetists (GACRA) has reported that more than 30% of its members have departed the country in pursuit of better opportunities in 2023.

    It highlighted that beyond the concerning percentage, diligent, skilled, and experienced Certified Registered Anaesthetists (CRAs) have also left their positions.

    “This has brought about undue stress on the few left,” he explained. 

    Mr. Nwisangra made this statement during the fifth Annual General Meeting (AGM) and Scientific Conference of the GACRA in Bolgatanga, which centered on the theme: “Sustaining the practice of anaesthesia in Ghana amidst the brain drain; policy direction and regulation.”

    Mr. James Nwisangra, President of the GACRA, said the situation might be worse and affect the practice of anaesthesia.  

     “I am told many, including some present in the conference have intentions of leaving.” 

    He identified the lack of career progression, poor conditions of service, wrongful placement on the Single Spine Salary Scale, lack of scheme of service and regulatory challenges as factors which contributed to the exodus of the skilled workforce. 

    Mr Nwisangra said CRAs in Ghana numbered about 1200 serving over 32 million people. 

     “This gives us a ratio of 1:26, 650.43. This is an unfortunate situation which clearly shows the magnitude of work on the CRA.” 

    On the significance of their job in healthcare delivery, he said their specialty included resuscitation of the sick, injured, critically ill, the newborn and those in intensive care units.  

    “This can only be done by the trained anaesthesia provider that is the CRA or the Anesthesiologist and not any other person. All emergency situations in our health institutions are centred on the Anaesthetist,” he emphasized. 

    Mr Nwisangra, who was re-elected as the Association’s President for another four-year term at the conference, expressed concern about the poor conditions of service, including the lack of accommodation, and inadequate equipment at the workplaces among others. 

    He said the GACRA had submitted a comprehensive conditions of service document to the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC) awaiting negotiations.  

    He said even though the rules of engagement had been signed by both parties, there was undue delay in the process of negotiations.  

    “FWSC, the employer and stakeholders should speed up the process to enable us to have improved conditions of service for the CRA.” 

    Mr Nwisangra further indicated that the Association had observed an upsurge of diseases, such as cancer, kidney and liver cases in Ghana which used not to be common among the populace.  

    He said research attributed the diseases to pollution and contamination of river and water bodies due to illegal mining activities and the use of uncontrolled chemicals on farms, abuse of substances and high consumption of alcohol and drugs by the youth. 

    The Association urged the government to make pragmatic efforts to control illegal mining and the use of toxic chemicals on farmlands to save the lives of citizens. 

    Dr Samuel Kwabena Boagye-Boateng, the Upper East Regional Director of the Ghana Health Service, in a speech read on his behalf, said the theme of the conference was most appropriate and timely, considering the exodus of health professionals abroad in search for greener pasture.  

    He said the trend, if not checked, would have dire consequences on the health status of the citizenry.  

    He appreciated the importance and invaluable roles of anaesthetists in quality healthcare delivery.

    “The migration of anaesthetists and other health professionals to other countries in search of better conditions of service should be a cause of worry for all people living in Ghana and if this is not checked or minimized, will affect access to quality health care which will impact negatively on our health status,” he said.

  • Homosexuality is a threat to human survival – Catholic Bishops

    Homosexuality is a threat to human survival – Catholic Bishops

    In response to recent criticisms and controversy surrounding the Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill, the Ghana Catholic Bishops Conference has issued a comprehensive statement clarifying its stance on LGBTQ+ issues. The statement, signed by Most Rev Matthew Gyamfi, the president of the conference, sought to address concerns raised by Ghanaians, including Member of Parliament Sam Nartey George, over the church’s position on homosexuality.

    The conference’s president reiterated the church’s condemnation of homosexual acts, asserting that such behavior goes against God’s design and poses a threat to the continuation of the human race. The bishops emphasized that choosing a same-sex partner for sexual activity or marriage contradicts the rich symbolism and meaning of God’s sexual design, stating that homosexual activity is not a complementary union capable of transmitting life.

    Despite their disapproval of homosexual acts, the bishops made a clear distinction, asserting that the church does not condemn individuals for being homosexuals or for having homosexual tendencies. The statement emphasized that homosexuals should be treated with love, respect, compassion, and sensitivity. Quoting Pope Francis, it highlighted the need to avoid any form of unjust discrimination, aggression, or violence against individuals based on their sexual orientation.

    Turning their attention to the controversial anti-LGBTQ+ bill in Ghana, the bishops expressed strong objection to the use of the term ‘crime’ in the proposed legislation. They argued that unless homosexual acts are deemed socially harmful or dangerous and punishable by law, they should not be classified as crimes. However, the bishops acknowledged the state’s authority to criminalize homosexual actions if they are perceived as a threat to the size of Ghana’s population.

    In conclusion, the Ghana Catholic Bishops Conference expressed support for the draft Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values 2021 bill, asserting that it is a step in the right direction as it seeks to enact laws against criminal homosexual acts. The bishops’ statement aimed to provide clarity on the church’s position while advocating for the respectful treatment of individuals, irrespective of their sexual orientation.

    Read full statement below

    ISSUED BY THE GHANA CATHOLIC BISHOPS’ CONFERENCE
    ON “THE CATHOLIC CHURCH AND THE STATE ON HOMOSEXUALITY”
    “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself
    for our sins to set us free from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and
    Father, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen” (Galatians 1:3-5 NRSV)
    We, the members of the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference, in the light of recent
    discussions among many Ghanaians on homosexuality and on whether or not it
    should be criminalized, have seen the need to address the theme “The Catholic
    Church and the State on Homosexuality”. Homosexuality may be defined as sexual
    interest in and attraction to members of one’s own sex. We will begin by stating
    what the position of the Catholic Church is on homosexuality.
    Biblical Teaching on Homosexuality
    The Catholic Church’s teaching on homosexuality is based primarily on what the
    Bible says on this matter. The Bible, which is foundational to Christian beliefs and
    practices, condemns the practice of homosexuality. In the Old Testament, this
    practice was seen as a perversion and a pagan abomination. In Lev 18:22 we read,
    “You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination”. Similarly, in
    Lev 20:13 we read, “If a man lies with a male as with a woman, both of them have
    committed an abomination; they shall be put to death, their blood is upon them”.
    Another passage relevant in this discussion is Gen 19:1-28. While admittedly the
    text of Gen 19:1-28 does not deal with homosexual people, it does not deny the fact
    that what the men of Sodom intended to do with the two male guests of Lot
    constituted homosexual acts (cf. Gen 19:5: the Hebrew verb “yada’” is a biblical
    euphemism for sexual relations). Lot’s offer to give his two virgin daughters in place
    of the two male guests shows that he perceived the desire of the men of Sodom as
    perverted lust. While the idea of intolerance and hostility towards the stranger is
    present in the text, it is certainly sexual perversion, i.e., their desire to engage in
    homosexual acts, which is at the root of the crimes of the men of Sodom.

    2 | P a g e
    Most of the references to homosexuality in the New Testament occur in the letters
    of Paul. The clearest is Romans 1:26-27. In the context, Paul is portraying the moral
    disorder that accompanies the rejection of the knowledge of God in the pagan world.
    He says, “For this reason God gave them up to dishonourable passions. Their women
    exchanged natural relations for unnatural, and the men likewise gave up natural
    relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men
    committing shameless acts with men and receiving in their own persons the due
    penalty for their error” (Rom. 1:26-27). Rom 1:26 thus addresses the particular
    issue of homosexual behaviour between consenting females. Rom. 1:27 is the
    clearest statement in the New Testament regarding the issue of homosexual
    behaviour between consenting adult males. Some interpreters suggest that Paul has
    in mind here sexual relations between men and boys in particular; however, Paul’s
    indictment seems to include all kinds of homosexual practice, female as well as male,
    and was not directed against one kind of homosexual practice in distinction from
    another.
    In 1 Cor. 6:9; 1 Tim. 1:10 Paul speaks of homosexuality. These two verses may be
    discussed together. In 1 Cor. 6:9 Paul says, “Do you not know that the unrighteous
    will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither the immoral, nor
    idolaters, nor adulterers, nor sexual perverts”. In 1 Tim. 1:10 he speaks of “immoral
    persons, sodomites, kidnappers, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to
    sound doctrine”. The terms “sexual perverts” and “sodomites” in the two passages
    translate the same Greek word (arsenokoitai) which denotes practitioners of

    homosexuality. However, it needs to be added that Paul does not single out same-
    sex intercourse as specially perverted or monstrous. He lists it alongside theft,

    drunkenness and perjury, as well as adultery and murder. It is nevertheless a safe
    conclusion that, whatever might be said about individual orientations or dispositions,
    Paul could only have regarded all homosexual erotic and genital behaviour as
    contrary to the creator’s plan for human life, to be abandoned on conversion (cf. 1
    Cor 6:11).
    Homosexuality is also incompatible with the creation stories about man and woman
    in Genesis. In the opening chapters of Genesis, the creation of the sexes by God is
    presented as having a twofold purpose: men and women are meant to come together
    in a one-flesh unity of life (Gen 2:24) and to beget children (Gen 1:28). Since sexual
    activity was seen to be ordered to procreation and the continuance of the human race,
    any form of sexual activity other than heterosexual intercourse is against nature and
    is a clear violation of right reason. For the Church, to choose someone of the same
    sex for one’s sexual activity or for marriage is to annul the rich symbolism and
    meaning, not to mention the goals, of God’s sexual design.

    3 | P a g e
    Homosexual activity is not a complementary union, able to transmit life, and so it
    thwarts the call to a life of that form of self-giving which the Gospel says is the
    essence of Christian living.
    The Teaching of the Catholic Church on Homosexuality
    In addition to the biblical material cited above that condemns homosexuality, the
    Catholic Church makes a distinction between “the homosexual condition or
    tendency” and “individual homosexual actions”.1 The Church thus makes a
    distinction between the homosexual as a person and the acts that he may carry out
    as a homosexual person. With regard to the former, the Church does not condemn
    people for being homosexuals or for having the homosexual tendency. Homosexuals
    must be accepted with respect, compassion and sensitivity. The Church teaches that
    the intrinsic dignity of each person must always be respected in word, in action and
    in law. According to Pope Francis, the homosexual person needs to be “respected
    in his or her dignity and treated with consideration, and ‘every sign of unjust
    discrimination’ is to be carefully avoided, particularly any form of aggression or
    violence” (Amoris Laetitia 250). For this reason, it is not right to inflict physical or
    other types of violence on homosexuals just because they are homosexuals. Their
    being homosexuals does not mean that they should be treated like criminals.
    The Church insists that homosexuals, also created in the image of God, must enjoy
    the fundamental human rights that all human beings enjoy. By fundamental human
    rights, we mean the universal, inviolable and inalienable rights that are due to the
    human person as a rational being possessing a free will. Human rights protect, or are
    intended to protect, the dignity of the human person against State and Society.
    Specific human rights include the right to life, personal liberty and due process of
    law; to freedom of thought, expression, religion, organization, and movement; to
    freedom from discrimination on the basis of race, religion, age, language, and sex;
    to basic education; to employment; and to property. Nevertheless, according to the
    Church’s understanding of human rights, the rights of homosexuals as persons do
    not include the right of a man to marry a man or of a woman to marry a woman. For
    the Church, this is morally wrong and goes against God’s purpose for marriage.

    1 Declaration on Certain Questions Concerning Sexual Ethics, Persona Humana, December 29, 1975, Sacred Congregation for
    the Doctrine of the Faith, par. 8.

    4 | P a g e
    With regard to “individual homosexual actions”, however, the Church says that they
    are “intrinsically disordered” and are “in no case to be approved of”.2 Thus, while
    the church does not condemn homosexuals for being homosexuals, it condemns the
    homosexual acts that they perform. For the Church also, although the particular
    inclination of the homosexual person is not a sin, it is a more or less strong tendency
    ordered towards an intrinsic moral evil, and thus the inclination itself must be seen
    as an objective disorder.
    The long-held teaching of the Roman Catholic Church has been that while
    homosexual people are to be loved and respected and not be discriminated against,
    homosexual acts are intrinsically immoral and must be condemned. It is for this
    reason that the Church does not approve of “unions between people of the same sex”.
    However, following the example of Jesus himself who came not to call the righteous
    but sinners to repentance (cf. Luke 5:32 [NRSV]), the Church in its pastoral care is
    solicitous about the salvation of all God’s children and endeavours to show them
    God’s love and mercy. Thus, homosexuals should not be criminalized just for being
    homosexuals. Neither should they be maltreated nor attacked for being homosexuals.
    It is neither a sin nor a crime to be a homosexual. It is the acts that they perform that
    are sinful and should be condemned.
    The State on Homosexuality
    The Church recognizes that the State has a duty to carry out in this matter of
    homosexuality. With regard to homosexual acts, while the Church speaks of them
    as sins, the State does not use such language. For the State, whose duty it is to enact
    laws to govern the citizenry, the language used is that of crime. What then is a
    crime? “Crime” may be defined as an action or omission, which constitutes an
    offence and is usually deemed socially harmful or dangerous and is punishable by
    law. In the light of this definition, homosexual acts from the point of view of the
    State may be criminal in nature. For example, if a homosexual man rapes a teenage
    boy, that would be deemed a criminal offence, just as the same act carried out by a
    heterosexual man on a teenage girl would be deemed a criminal offence. In other
    words, these acts are not in the interest of the nation and, indeed, harm the nation.
    For this reason, there must be punitive measures to deal with such situations.

    2 Declaration on Certain Questions Concerning Sexual Ethics, Persona Humana, December 29, 1975, Sacred Congregation for
    the Doctrine of the Faith, par. 8.

    5 | P a g e
    Again, the law makers may decide that a man marrying a man or a woman marrying
    a woman is not in the interest of the nation since, in the long term, it will have an
    effect on the size of the population of our country if many people do this. In such a
    case, the law makers will be within their rights to enact laws against that. In such
    cases, it will be right for the law makers to criminalize such homosexual actions by
    punitive measures. Thus, we can say that while it is not right to criminalize
    homosexuals just for being homosexuals, the State is within its right to criminalize
    the acts of homosexuals in the interest of the nation.
    In this connection, we can state that the draft bill on “Promotion of Proper Human
    Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values 2021” currently in Parliament is in the
    right direction, as it seeks to enact laws against criminal homosexual acts. The bill
    aims to provide for proper human sexual rights and Ghanaian family values,
    proscribe LGBTQ+ and related activities, and provide for the protection of children,
    persons who are victims or accused of LGBTTQQIAAP+ and related activities, and
    other persons. We commend our law makers for the effort and time spent on this
    bill. It is our hope that, when passed into law, it will indeed promote proper human
    sexual rights and authentic Ghanaian family values which are under threat from
    homosexual acts. It is also the hope of the Church that the bill will impose punitive
    measures that are commensurate with the crimes committed.
    “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy
    Spirit be with all of you” (2 Corinthians 13:13 NRSV)

    MOST REV. MATTHEW KWASI GYAMFI
    CATHOLIC BISHOP OF SUNYANI & PRESIDENT,
    GHANA CATHOLIC BISHOPS’ CONFERENCE

  • Startlingly as Zimbabwe’s finance minister rated as best in Africa

    Startlingly as Zimbabwe’s finance minister rated as best in Africa

    A lot of people in Zimbabwe are surprised that Mthuli Ncube was chosen as the “Best African Finance Minister of the Year” because the country’s economy is struggling.

    One person on X, which used to be called Twitter, said the award was like praising a captain for steering a ship into an iceberg.

    Another person said it was the funniest joke of the past ten years.

    Zimbabwe has a very high unemployment rate, as high as 85%, according to experts.

    According to Reuters, most transactions are done in US dollars because people don’t trust their local currency.

    Reputation Poll International is a company that gives awards for good reputation. They gave Mr Ncube an award on Sunday.

    The minister, chosen by President Emmerson Mnangagwa in 2018, told the Herald newspaper that he was happy to get the honor.

    He said that the recognition was for the work he and the Treasury team did to lead the transformation of the economy.

    But, activist Hopewell Chin’ono said that the award was a “disrespect” to Zimbabweans.

    He was very surprised, especially after Mr. Ncube’s new budget, when Mr. Chin’ono called it “the worst budget for the people that Zimbabwe has ever had”.

    Taxes will go up and the cost of a passport will increase to $200 (£160) from $120, which will make it the most expensive in the region.

    Mr Chin’ono said that Mr Ncube is running the worst economy in the world because of his bad and dishonest decisions.

    Zimbabwe’s economy has been having a difficult time for many years. The Zimbabwe dollar was stopped being used in 2009 because prices were going up really fast – even by the hour – due to very high inflation.

    Critics say the ruling Zanu-PF party, led first by Robert Mugabe and then by Mr Mnangagwa, did not manage things well. They say that the Western countries’ sanctions are the reason for their problems.

    Zimbabwe had by-elections on the weekend because some MPs from the main opposition party were removed.

    Zanu-PF candidates won 7 out of 9 by-elections, but they still need 3 more seats to have enough power to change the constitution.

  • Niger Junta opposes agreement to release overthrown president

    Niger Junta opposes agreement to release overthrown president

    The person in charge of Niger’s military has said no to letting the former president go free in return for lifting the sanctions on the country.

    Ecowas, a group of countries in West Africa, offered to help after a meeting on Sunday.

    It has asked many times for Mohamed Bazoum to be let go since he was put on house arrest in late July.

    His family says they haven’t heard from him since he tried to escape from detention on 19 October.

    On Sunday, leaders from Ecowas met to talk about the problems in the region. There have been military takeovers in Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Guinea in the past year, and there have been two attempted coups in other places recently.

    Ecowas keeps asking Niger’s military leaders to bring back civilian government as soon as they can. The group said they would send soldiers and stop trading with the country, but it didn’t work.

    On Sunday, the alliance joined with local and international partners to ask the junta to let Mr. Bazoum go

    It also asked the military leaders to make the change to civilian rule happen faster. Right now, they plan for it to take three years.

    Ecowas did not say how long a transition period should be.

    Later today, the military leader of Niger, Gen Abdourahamane Tchiani, told the state broadcaster RTN that Mr Bazoum will not be set free.

    Gen Tchiani agreed to make the change happen faster, but didn’t say how much faster.

    Ecowas said it will keep its penalties in place for Niger after the general spoke.

    However, it said it would make a group to work with Niger’s military leaders on figuring out a plan for change. Depending on how those discussions go, the restrictions would slowly be lifted.

    On October 19, Mr. Bazoum and his family, along with some other people, tried to use a helicopter to escape from being confined, but they were not successful.

    Relatives said they last spoke to him the day before he planned to escape.

    Since the takeover, the family members have talked about the “cruel” way they have been treated by the new military government.

  • France join forces to veto immigration bill

    France join forces to veto immigration bill

    A very important immigration reform bill that French President Emmanuel Macron‘s government wanted to pass did not pass.

    Politicians from different sides voted on Monday to say no to the bill.

    The government says the bill is meant to manage immigration and help migrants blend in better.

    The people on the left think the rules are too strict, and the people on the right think the rules are not strict enough.

    The new law would allow the government to send away migrants who have been in prison for five years or more. It would also make it harder for migrants to bring their family to France.

    The new law is not as strict as the one suggested by the Senate, which is mostly controlled by the right. That law would have made it much harder for illegal immigrants to get healthcare and benefits.

    Mr Macron’s tough Interior Minister, Gérald Darmanin, strongly backed the proposed law. He said on X (formerly Twitter) before the vote that if the bill passed, the government could send “very dangerous” foreign nationals, like drug dealers, out of the country.

    However, he was not able to persuade opposing members of Parliament to support him. Instead, different groups within the opposition voted for a motion to say no to the bill. Members of the National Rally team up with members of France Unbowed, the Republicans, and smaller parties to defeat the government.

    Before the vote, Arthur Delaporte, a member of Parliament for the centre-left Socialist party, said his party would vote against the bill because he thought it was unfair, shocking, and a danger to freedom.

    Mr Macron’s party did not win the most seats in parliament in the June 2022 elections. From that time on, the government has often struggled to get enough votes in parliament.

    The Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne is not allowed to use a special power to pass laws without a vote in order to approve this draft.

  • Mother and her toddler perishes in tornadoes in Tennessee

    Mother and her toddler perishes in tornadoes in Tennessee

    A mom and her two-year-old boy were both killed when tornadoes and strong storms hit Tennessee on Saturday.

    Neighbors say Floriderma Perez, 31, was found holding her son Anthony after the storm hit their trailer home near Nashville.

    At least six people died because strong winds destroyed buildings and caused many power outages.

    Tennessee had to declare a state of emergency because of the very bad weather.

    Ms Perez and her son, along with their neighbor Joseph Dalton, 37, were all killed, according to the police. All three lived in a northern area near Nashville, which is the capital of the state.

    Neighbor Wanda McClemor told Channel 5 news that she and other people went outside to search for the child and his mother. This happened after a tornado lifted one mobile home and put it on top of another one.

    You could hear them asking for someone to help them. “When we arrived, there were already people trying to reach them,” Ms.

    She said they found Ms Perez and her son’s bodies, with the mother hugging the toddler tightly.

    “They said they couldn’t find her because she was holding him and trying to protect the baby,” Ms McClemor explained.

    Ms Perez’s 7-year-old son and Mr Dalton’s 10-year-old son got hurt, but they are not in danger, the police said.

    Two additional grown-ups and a kid were also murdered in the city of Clarksville, which is about 50 miles (80km) northwest of Nashville.

    A website was created to raise money for Arlan’s family, who is a 10-year-old kid. A friend of the family said that the boy’s relatives were really upset about his death and also losing their home.

    “They wrote that it will take a long time and it will be hard to recover, both emotionally and financially. ”

    From above, we can see a mobile home park where a tornado hit on December 10, 2023 in Madison, Tennessee and three people died.

    The government of Montgomery County said that 62 more people in the area were in the hospital with injuries.

    Jimmy Edwards, the boss of Montgomery County Emergency Services, said their situations are very serious and not steady.

    The mayor of our county, Wes Golding, said: “Today is a sad day for our community. We are thinking of those who are hurt, lost family members, and lost their houses, and we are hoping for their recovery.

    Police are still looking for and trying to save people in the area.

    In Nashville, there is a lot of damage in some places and authorities are warning people to watch out for power lines that have fallen down.

    A church near Nashville collapsed in the storm, and 13 people were sent to the hospital.

    Videos on social media showed cars flipped over and trees pulled out of the ground. The buildings along the streets were damaged and in bad shape.

    Recordings showed big tornadoes touching the ground and bright lightning in the sky.

    On Monday, the people who fix things in emergencies were working hard to clear away and fix power lines that had fallen down. Almost 18,000 people still don’t have electricity this morning.

  • Ukraine’s hopes for counter-offensive ‘didn’t come true’

    Ukraine’s hopes for counter-offensive ‘didn’t come true’

    Ukraine tried to fight back, but it didn’t work out as planned, a top security official admitted.

    But Oleksiy Danilov, who leads the country’s war team, said: “That doesn’t mean we won’t win. ”

    Kyiv is working to get more help from Western countries, especially the US.

    Mr Danilov thinks that some money for the military will definitely be approved.

    In May, before the counter-attack, he said that the next few months would be a very important chance for us.

    Thinking back on those words, he said: “In May, everyone in our country wanted the war to finish fast. ”

    “There were expectations, but they were not met. ”

    “We have been protecting our country for two years, which is a great accomplishment. ”

    The Ukrainian forces wanted to regain the land that Russia took in February 2022 and stop Russia from getting supplies to Crimea.

    However, they don’t have control of the air and are dealing with strong Russian defenses, so their progress has stopped as winter arrives.

    Mr Danilov admitted that they had been too optimistic.

    “Sometimes people make mistakes. ” “You can’t always be the best in class,” he said.

    He said that the situation on the frontline is really hard and thinks that old war textbooks, even Nato ones, should be put away.

    People are arguing about who is to blame for what happened in Ukraine recently. They are pointing fingers at outside allies and advisors or Ukraine’s own armed forces.

    Mr Danilov didn’t want to say when a new attempt to take back territory could happen.

    “I’m confident that we will keep going,” he said. “We will keep fighting for our freedom and independence. ”

    Ukraine is focusing on making its defense stronger for the coming winter.

    Russia is trying to surround the town of Avdiivka and gain full control of the nearby town of Marinka in the Donetsk region.

    Delay in US aid is not a tragedy.

    Mr Danilov was very sure that the US would agree to help with Ukraine’s defense, even though he didn’t say exactly how much money Ukraine might receive.

    A $60 billion plan is caught up in politics within our country, and there’s not much time left before Congress takes a break for Christmas.

    Some US Republican lawmakers are unsure about sending more money.

    “If we get a present before Christmas, we will be happy. ”

    He said, “If it happens later, it shouldn’t be made into a big problem. ”

    When he was asked if Ukraine would lose the war if the US stopped giving them help, he said he didn’t want to think about that possibility. He believes that they have the truth on their side.

    Will Putin hurt us in front of everyone. Will he harm our children, women, and elderly men. And will the whole world just ignore it.

    So, the question is, what kind of world do we live in.

    MrDanilov said there is no tension between President Zelensky and Ukraine’s Commander-in-Chief, Valeriy Zaluzhny.

    “I don’t believe the things the media is saying are true. “

  • Poles to begin operations at US anti-missile facility in Poland – Polish PM

    Poles to begin operations at US anti-missile facility in Poland – Polish PM

    Poland’s US anti-missile facility will start operations on Friday, the country’s government announced.

    The Redzikowo Air Base in the northern part of the country will be the second US base like this in Europe. The first one is in southern Romania.

    Nato says the Aegis system, built by Americans and used at both sites, is meant to defend against ballistic missiles from Iran.

    Russia does not like the bases and thinks they are dangerous for security.

    Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said in parliament that the US government told his government that the military base would start working on 15th December.

    The bases in Romania and Poland are part of a system to protect against missiles, which also includes a radar facility in Turkey, a command center in Germany, and US Navy ships.

    The Redzikowo base was supposed to start working in 2018, but it has been delayed many times.

    The Aegis system can find when missiles are launched using satellites. Once we find the enemy missile, we shoot rockets at it from the sea or land to destroy it in space.

    The alliance says the system will keep its members safe from missiles launched from Iran. The system cannot stop cruise missiles.

    Russia says Aegis is a danger to its nuclear weapons, but Nato disagrees.

    The Redzikowo base is about 150km (93 miles) away from Kaliningrad, which is a part of Russia and is surrounded by Poland and Lithuania.

    The Aegis system is used on ships in east Asia from America, Japan, and South Korea.

    It is meant to protect US allies in Asia from Chinese and North Korean missiles.

  • Rihanna heartbroken, fears A$AP Rocky’s trial could lead her to single parenthood

    Rihanna heartbroken, fears A$AP Rocky’s trial could lead her to single parenthood

    News of A$AP Rocky potentially facing jail time has left superstar Rihanna heartbroken, as sources reveal concerns about the possibility of her becoming a single mother to their two children. 

    The rapper is set to go to trial, and the unfolding legal situation has added a layer of uncertainty to the couple’s future. The looming trial has raised questions about the challenges Rihanna may face as she grapples with the potential impact on her role as a mother and the dynamics of their relationship.

    The 35-year-old rapper, known as A$AP Rocky, is scheduled to go to trial in early January on charges of allegedly firing a semi automatic handgun at his former friend, A$AP Relli. Prosecutors claim that Rocky, whose real name is Rakim Mayers, pointed the handgun at Terell Ephron, also known as A$AP Relli, during a confrontation two years ago. 

    Despite entering a plea of not guilty in April 2022, the rapper has consistently asserted his innocence. However, with sufficient evidence to proceed to trial, a conviction could result in Rocky facing a potential prison sentence of up to nine years.

    And now, our source says the trial has turned 35-year-old Ri-Ri’s life upside down, as she’s potentially faced with life alone.rihanna asap rocky

    Opening up about the thought of raising the couple’s sons RZA, one, and Riot Rose, four months, alone, our source shares, “Rihanna’s trying to stay calm and listen to the lawyers, who have promised they’ll keep him out of jail. But it’s pretty hard when everyone had assured her this wouldn’t even go to trial. He’s facing nine years, and she’s terrified right now.”

    “If the worst happens and they want to make an example of him, she’ll be raising her two kids alone,” the source shares, adding, “It’s a total nightmare and not something Rihanna ever thought she’d face. She’s so stressed out and losing sleep over this.”asap rocky

    The pair were first linked back in 2012 after performing together at the VMAS, but it wasn’t until 2020 that the Diamonds singer said Rocky was able to make it out of “the friend zone”. 

    By May 2022, the loved-up pair had welcomed their first son RZA, before Rihanna revealed they were expecting baby number two, proudly displaying her bump during the Super Bowl 2023 halftime show.

    But a spanner was thrown in the works last year, after police took the rapper into custody over the alleged shooting. It was reported the cops arrested Rocky at a LAX Airport, where he was returning from a Barbados trip with heavily pregnant Rihanna.

  • Countdown to AFCON 2023: EFL Players Set to Shine

    Countdown to AFCON 2023: EFL Players Set to Shine

    As the anticipation builds for the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2023, football enthusiasts are eagerly eyeing the standout players who could steal the spotlight. With Betway online sports betting as your companion for the competition, why not place some bets on which players are going to shine. We’re about to show you our player picks for the tournament!

    There are six EFL players in particular that we think are going to shine on the AFCON stage. The English Football League has long been a breeding ground for talent, and AFCON 2023 will be no exception. 

    One name that immediately comes to mind is Odion Ighalo, the veteran striker who continues to impress in the EFL Championship. Having previously showcased his goal-scoring prowess in top-flight football, Ighalo brings a wealth of experience to the Nigerian national team at 34 years old. He’ll score some goals, for sure!

    Another EFL gem to watch out for is the Ghanaian midfielder, Thomas Partey. With a formidable presence in the English Premier League, Partey’s skills in the midfield have been instrumental for both club and country. As he takes the field in AFCON 2023, fans can expect to see his attention to detail in defensive plays as well as his distribution during attacking moves.

    Keep a keen eye on Kelechi Iheanacho at AFCON too, where the Nigerian forward is set to dazzle with his goal-scoring prowess. Known for his clinical finishing and flair, Iheanacho promises to be a standout player in the tournament, adding excitement and anticipation to the football spectacle.

    Semi Ajayi is another to look out for at AFCON, as the Nigerian defender brings his skill and resilience to the tournament. With a strong presence on the field, Ajayi promises to be a key player, showcasing his defensive prowess and contributing to Nigeria’s campaign with determination and class.

    Keep an eye on Joe Aribo at AFCON. The Nigerian midfielder is set to dazzle with his versatile skills. Known for his creativity and composure, Aribo promises to be a standout player, adding flair and strategic play to Nigeria’s midfield in the tournament.

    Our sixth and final pick is Kamaldeen Sulemana, a rising star to watch at AFCON. The Ghanaian forward, known for his electrifying pace and technical prowess, is set to make a significant impact. With the ability to navigate defenses effortlessly, Sulemana adds dynamism to Ghana’s attacking force. Keep an eye on this young talent as he aims to shine on the grand stage of African football.

    In conclusion, as the countdown to AFCON 2023 continues, the EFL players are poised to deliver memorable moments on the grand stage of African football. These players carry the potential to take it to the next level on the international stage. Their skills, finely honed in the EFL, promise to inject dynamism into the competition. As fans eagerly await kick-off, the spotlight on these players adds an extra layer of excitement, hinting at a captivating blend of skill, determination, and the thrill of international football.

  • Video: Xavier Sosu, NIB official in hot exchange over Shalimar’s detention after court hearing

    Video: Xavier Sosu, NIB official in hot exchange over Shalimar’s detention after court hearing

    Drama nearly unfolded at the Kaneshie District Court on Monday, December 11, 2023, following the granting of bail to spokesperson for the New Force, Shalimar Abbiusi.

    Her legal representative, Lawyer Francis Xavier Sosu, clashed with a representative from the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB), over the terms of her release.

    Shalimar, who had been in custody for about a week, was granted bail during today’s hearing.

    However, a disagreement ensued between Lawyer Francis Xavier Sosu and the NIB official (Name unknown) over her release. Despite the court’s decision to grant bail, the NIB official insisted on taking Shalimar back into custody right after the hearing.

    However, Lawyer Xavier Sosu vehemently opposed this stance, asserting that once the court had granted bail, she was free to go home once the sorties for her bail are guaranteed. According to him, that process had already started and would be done immediately to facilitate her going home today.

    In a video posted on X by @metrotvgh, Mr. Sosu is seen have a brief verbal exchange with the NIB representative, who seemed visibly unhappy about Xavier’s opposition, as they both decided a flight off stairs.

    “…if you say that, we can follow you,” Mr Sosu is heard saying. The NIB rep in response said: “I brought her here.” “But the court has released her,” Mr Sosu replied. 

     Sosu closely engaged in a verbal argument with the NIB representative, who eventually conceded and left the scene.

    This comes on the back of claims by the Lawyer that the NIB wanted to detain Shalimar despite the Kaneshie District Court’s ruling on her release. 

    Mr Sosu argued that keeping her in custody in spite of the court’s decision is not only an infringement on her human rights, but also a violation of the universal declaration of human rights.

  • Alexei Navalny: leader of Russian opposition’removed from penitentiary colony’

    Alexei Navalny: leader of Russian opposition’removed from penitentiary colony’

    The Russian government took Alexei Navalny out of the prison where he was and now no one knows where he is. His spokesperson shared this information.

    Kira Yarmysh wrote on social media that the officials from the Melekhovo prison said he was no longer listed there.

    The White House expressed serious worry about the reports.

    Mr Navalny’s helpers thought he would be sent to a more strict prison after his sentence was made longer.

    They say his vanishing is connected to the new information about the elections.

    On Friday, Russian President Vladimir Putin said he wants to run for president again next March.

    In August, Mr. Navalny was accused of starting and financing a group that the government thinks is dangerous. He says he didn’t do it, but he was given 19 more years in prison.

    He was already given a nine-year sentence for breaking the rules of his release from prison, committing fraud, and disrespecting the court. Many people think that the accusations against him are driven by politics.

    He was told he would have to stay in a special kind of prison called a “special regime colony. ” These prisons are usually for very serious criminals, repeat offenders, and those who have been sentenced to life in prison.

    Mr Navalny’s friends said earlier today that they hadn’t heard from him in six days.

    He missed some recent court appearances that he usually attended through video. The prison authorities said that the missing people were because of problems with the colony’s technology.

    Ms Yarmysh said that the lawyers who were waiting for news outside Melekhovo and a nearby colony were told that he was not registered in either place.

    His assistant, Leonid Volkov, said that it is not a coincidence at all and that the Kremlin is directly controlling everything.

    Putin knows who his main opponent is in these ‘elections’, it’s not a secret.

    He wants to stop Navalny from speaking. Each of us needs to speak up for Navalny.

    For over ten years, Mr. Navalny tried to uncover corruption within the Russian government. His videos have been seen by tens of millions of people online.

    He was a very likeable leader who could get a lot of people in Russia to join protests against the government.

    But in 2020, he was poisoned in Siberia by a nerve agent confirmed by Western labs.

    A new report by Bellingcat and The Insider said that some FSB agents were involved in the attack.

    After Navalny got better from the attack, he went back to Russia in 2021 even though he was warned that he might get arrested. He got arrested as soon as he got to an airport in Moscow.

  • Donald Tusk to take over as prime minister of Poland

    Donald Tusk to take over as prime minister of Poland

    Donald Tusk is going to be the new leader of Poland because the current leader, Mateusz Morawiecki, lost an important vote in parliament on Monday.

    Mr Morawiecki’s Law and Justice party did not get enough votes to win the election in October.

    President Andrzej Duda, who is from the PiS party, chose Mr Morawiecki to be in charge of the government.

    His inability to win support opens the door for Mr Tusk to become the Prime Minister.

    In total, 190 members of parliament supported Mr. Morawiecki’s government, while 266 were against it.

    In October’s elections, Mr. Tusk’s group won the most seats in the Sejm, which is the country’s parliament. More than 70% of people voted, which was a record turnout.

    The grouping includes three parties: Mr. Tusk’s Civic Coalition (KO), the Third Way, and the Left.

    Mr Morawiecki’s party, PiS, won the most seats in the election but other parties didn’t want to work with them, so they couldn’t get enough support to have control in parliament.

    Mr Duda chose Mr. Morawiecki to be the leader of the country, which caused the new government to be put on hold for a few weeks.

    Mr Tusk used to be the leader of Poland from 2007 to 2014, and then he became the president of the European Council.

    The new leader of the country will show his team on Tuesday. Some people think Radoslaw Sikorski will be chosen. He used to be the country’s foreign minister when Mr Tusk was in charge.

    People have high hopes for the new coalition. Tusk promised to take steps to fix the problems caused by eight years of PiS rule.

    The new government promised to make sure that the courts can make decisions on their own again. They said that the previous governments had made it hard for the courts to do that.

    “We are trying to come up with a bunch of rules that will bring back the law as much as we can,” said Mr.

    He promised to release €36bn (£30bn) of EU money for Poland, which Brussels has refused to give because of worries about the way the country is being ruled.

    A decision from 2020 that stopped almost all abortions will be changed, and the rights of LGBT people will be made stronger.

    But Mr Tusk might have trouble doing what he wants to do. Duda chose Mr. Morawiecki to lead the government even though he knows they probably won’t win a vote of confidence. This shows that the president, who will be in office until 2025, wants to stop Mr. Tusk’s plans

    In order to become a law, bills that are approved by parliament need to be signed by Mr. Duda He also has the power to reject them. Tusk’s group of politicians doesn’t have enough people to say no to a decision by the president.

  • Two shot dead as suspect apprehended by Swiss police

    Two shot dead as suspect apprehended by Swiss police

    A man in Switzerland got arrested for shooting and killing two people and injuring another person in the town of Sion.

    Police in Valais area said that there were gunshots in two different places on Monday.

    A 34-year-old woman was murdered in a parking lot just after 7:00 am, and a 41-year-old man was also killed shortly after.

    The man who was thought to have shot a gun was found north of Sion at 3:43pm after looking for him for eight hours.

    Valais police got a call at 07:15 about someone getting hurt in a car park on Rue Oscar-Bider.

    Gunshots were heard at the Sarosa painting company and another location in the Ronquoz and Potence areas, according to a local newspaper, Le Nouvelliste.

    The police said a woman was shot and died.

    “A little while later, a man was killed by a gunshot, and a woman was hurt by a gunshot too. ”

    Both of them lived in the Valais area. A 49-year-old woman from Valais also got hurt.

    The police caught and arrested the suspect in St-Léonard on Monday afternoon.

    The police put up barriers on the roads around Valais to stop the suspected shooter from fleeing the country.

    Sion is a town near the borders of Italy and France.

    There are a lot of police in the town, and some are armed and standing at the places where the crimes happened.

    The police are looking into a murder case.

    Switzerland, a place with about nine million people, has a lot of people owning guns.

    A group called Small Arms Survey keeps track of how many guns people have around the world. They say there are about 2. 3 million firearms owned by regular people.

  • Manhunt for gunman in Switzerland after two fatal shootings in Sion

    Manhunt for gunman in Switzerland after two fatal shootings in Sion

    Police in Switzerland are looking for a person who shot and killed two people and injured another in the town of Sion.

    Police in Valais region said that on Monday, there were gunshots fired at two different places.

    A woman was murdered in a parking lot around 7:00 am, and a man was also killed a few minutes later.

    The person suspected of a crime, Sébastien Robin, is considered to be a threat and the police advise not to go near him.

    “Police in Valais said they found out that the person who did it knew the people he hurt. They don’t know why it happened yet. ”

    The service got a call at 07:15 about someone getting hurt in a parking lot on Rue Oscar-Bider.

    The woman was shot and died, the statement said.

    “A little while later, a man was killed by a bullet, and a woman was hurt by a gunshot. ”

    Gunshots were heard at the Sarosa painting company in the Ronquoz and Potences areas, according to the local newspaper Le Nouvelliste.

    The person who is 36 years old and is suspected of something was last spotted driving a grey Peugeot 206 convertible car.

    The police have put barriers on the roads around Valais to stop the person believed to be the shooter from leaving the country.

    Sion is a town near the borders of Italy and France. There are a lot of police in the town, and they have officers with guns at the places where the crimes happened.

    Local lawyers are looking into a murder. Switzerland is a country with about nine million people and a lot of people own guns.

    Small Arms Survey is a group in Switzerland that keeps track of how many guns civilians have. They say there are about 2. 3 million guns owned by civilians around the world.

  • IMF urges swift agreement for release of $600m tranche in Ghana, stresses positive economic signs

    IMF urges swift agreement for release of $600m tranche in Ghana, stresses positive economic signs

    The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has disclosed that discussions are currently underway between Ghanaian authorities and the Official Creditor Committee.

    The focal point of these discussions is the release of the second $600 million tranche as part of the three-year $3-billion Extended Credit Facility program. This development holds significance for Ghana‘s economic trajectory and underscores the collaborative efforts required to navigate the challenges and opportunities outlined in the program.

    “We certainly hope that an agreement can be reached soon so that we can rapidly bring the programme to the Board”, Director of the IMF’s Communications Department, Julie Kozack, said at a recent press conference.

    She pointed out that the Ghanaian authorities’ “strong policy and reform commitments under the three-year, $3-billion programme with the IMF is starting to bear fruit”.

    “There are signs of economic stabilisation”, she observed, adding: “Growth in 2023 has proven more resilient than initially envisaged” while “inflation has come down, and the fiscal and external positions have improved”.

    “Moreover, exchange rate volatility has declined”, Ms Kozack added.

    She said on October 6, 2023, “our IMF team reached a staff-level agreement on the first review under the programme, and once this review was completed by the Board, Ghana would have access to $600 million in financing.

    “To ensure timely completion of the review, official creditors and the Ghanaian authorities will need to reach agreement on a debt treatment, consistent with the objectives of the programme, and in line with the financing assurances that creditors provided in May of 2023”, she mentioned.

  • 3 Chinese nationals, 7 Ghanaians busted for over illegal mining 

    Authorities have arrested ten individuals, including seven Ghanaians and three Chinese nationals, at the Oda River Forest Reserve in the Ashanti Region.

    According to reports, the illicit mining operations were uncovered within the Oda River Forest Reserve, leading to the apprehension of the illegal miners by the Bekwai Forest District of the Forestry Commission.

    The three-day operation conducted by the Forestry Commission played a crucial role in the government’s initiatives to tackle the issue of illegal mining in the country.

    The Executive Director of the Forest Service Division, Hugh Brown, informed the newspaper that the illegal miners were active in seven distinct compartments of the Oda River Forest Reserve. This area has been classified as a ‘red zone’ due to the alarming prevalence of illegal mining activities.

    “In addition, 10 excavators, 19 fuel tanks, 9 power plants, 2 ‘chanfang’ machines, 4 motorbikes, 5 water pumping machines and 7 wooden structures were demolished,” he said.

    According to the Executive Director, seven of the suspects- Michael Korsah, Basit Shizu, Amadu Musah, Prince Boakye, Amedodzi Kofi, Akwasi Adu and Shi Tiachao appeared before the court on December 7 after they were arrested on Wednesday, December 6, 2023.

    The remaining seven, Bernard Sarkodie, Li Tauhai and Rao Shifa appeared before the court on December 8 after their arrest on Thursday, December 7, 2023.

    “All ten suspects have been remanded into police custody for one week,” he stated.

    The arrest of the illegal miners in the Oda River Forest Reserve comes just one week after the arrest of Aisha Huang, a Chinese national accused of engaging in illegal mining activities.

  • Zelensky travels to US in an attempt to save $60 billion deal

    Zelensky travels to US in an attempt to save $60 billion deal

    Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, is going to Washington DC to try to save a threatened US military aid package to Kyiv that is worth billions of dollars.

    The help has got mixed up in American domestic politics that are divided by different groups.

    Mr Zelensky will visit the US for the third time since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022.

    This is an important week for Ukraine because the European Union will decide if it can start talking about joining the EU.

    Hungarian leader Viktor Orban says he doesn’t agree with the plan and can stop it.

    Mr Orban and Mr Zelensky talked a lot when they met on Sunday at the ceremony for Argentina’s new president. They have not told anyone what they talked about.

    The president of Ukraine will come to Washington on Monday. He will meet with President Biden and Speaker Johnson, and then speak to the Senate on Tuesday morning.

    The White House said in a statement on Sunday that Mr Zelensky’s visit was to show the United States’ strong support for Ukraine as they defend themselves against Russia’s invasion.

    The $60 billion military aid plan for the US is on hold in Congress because some Republicans think more money should be spent on keeping the US-Mexico border safe.

    Last week, the Senate voted to stop a package that included money for something.

    Mr Biden is asking lawmakers to agree to the money. Last Wednesday, he spoke passionately on TV and said the package needed to be done right away. He also warned that Russia won’t stop at winning against Ukraine.

    Although Ukraine was able to defend itself against Russia’s first attack, its powerful counter-attack this year has slowed down and some of the Western countries that were helping Ukraine have shown signs of getting tired.

    After the Senate vote, the wife of the Ukrainian president, Olena Zelenska, told the BBC that Ukrainians would be in serious danger if Western countries stopped helping them.

    We really need help. In other words, we can’t afford to get tired of this situation, because if we do, we’ll die,” she said.

    “If the world gets tired, they will just let us die. “

  • Countries prepare for battle over fossil fuels at COP28 climate conference

    Countries prepare for battle over fossil fuels at COP28 climate conference

    Nearly 200 countries may soon agree to reduce the world’s use of coal, oil, and gas, as the final talks at the COP28 climate summit come to an end.

    Old promise to reduce the use of fossil fuels has been changed, which has made some countries upset because they are at risk from climate change.

    A bunch of little islands said the new plan was not good enough and didn’t have strong enough words about fossil fuels.

    Nations are coming together at COP28 to figure out what to do about climate change – everyone needs to agree otherwise the plan falls apart.

    Previously, the leader of the UN asked countries to stop using fossil fuels.
    People burning fossil fuels is making the earth get too hot, which could hurt a lot of people. But all the governments haven’t decided to stop using them together.

  • Break at Salt mine in Brazil raises fears of collapse

    Break at Salt mine in Brazil raises fears of collapse

    A break at a rock salt mine in north-eastern Brazil has made people more worried that the whole mine might collapse soon.

    A video taken by the civil defence authority showed dirty water bubbling up in the Mundaú lagoon near the city of Maceió, where the mine is located.

    The mine was closed and it belonged to a big company from Brazil called Braskem.

    In the last 40 years, many people have been forced to leave their homes because the rock salt mining has caused a lot of damage.

    The break in the mine happened at 13:15 local time (16:15 GMT) on Sunday, which let water from the lagoon get inside.

    The mayor said the area impacted was 60 meters wide.

    Braskem said that cameras watching the area around Mine 18 saw something strange happening with the water in the lagoon’s ground.

    The mayor of Maceió, João Henrique Caldas, flew in a helicopter to look at the damage in the lagoon.

    He said there was a break in the ground about 60 meters (200 feet) wide, but it didn’t put anyone in danger because the people who lived nearby had already left.

    He said that the mine was supposed to become stable.

    However, people who live in the city are worried about how quickly the ground above the mine is sinking.

    The ground sank 2. 35 meters between November 30th and December 10th, according to official measurements.

    Maceió’s civil defence office said on November 29th that Mine 18 might collapse soon, but the city has had issues with rock salt mining for a long time.

    In 2018, cracks started to appear in the buildings and roads of five neighborhoods. In the past five years, more than 14,000 buildings had to be emptied, and about 60,000 people were affected.

    The damage was first thought to be caused by strong rain and shaking of the ground. In 2020, a government study found that Braskem’s rock salt mining caused cracks and the ground to sink.

    For many years, the Brazilian petrochemical company has run many mines in the area.

    Rock salt is taken from deep underground and used to make PVC. When it’s removed, it can leave holes that make the soil sink.

    Braskem disagreed with the results of the study done by experts from the Brazilian Geological Service, saying they were not accurate.

    However, the company shut down its mines in Maceió in 2019 and recently agreed to pay the city 1. 7 billion reias ($343 million; £273 million) for damages caused by land sinking and relocation.

    The town leaders want to talk to the company about paying for more things if the mine collapses.

  • Nikki Haley makes her case for challenging President Trump

    Nikki Haley makes her case for challenging President Trump

    While making campaign appearances in Iowa, Nikki Haley shares her personal music with tiny but gathering crowds.

    Fans are treated to songs by Queen, Abba, and Pat Benatar while they wait for her to make an appearance.

    The music is in the middle, it’s easy to listen to, and it creates a certain mood. Ms Haley is trying to appeal to a large group of people by presenting herself as a moderate and traditional conservative candidate.

    The Iowa caucuses will happen in five weeks and will be the first test of how popular the Republican candidates are.

    The Iowa caucuses are a way for each state to choose who they want to be their party nominee in the election. The main winner is officially declared at the Republican National Convention (RNC) – a major political event in July 2024.

    The results in Iowa can either make or break political campaigns. Haley, along with other Republicans running for office, is traveling across the state to talk to as many voters as she can.

    She wants to give tax breaks to small businesses and people who are middle class. She says she will make the government smaller and reduce the amount of money it owes. And she is saying that it would put America’s safety at risk to lessen help for either Israel or Ukraine.

    It’s clear to see how this campaign could have helped her win the nomination in the past.

    Can it win in a Republican Party changed by Donald Trump. The people Trump has attracted to the party hate the type of politics Haley is promoting.

    At a “Faith and Family” event at Dordt University, she was joined on stage by her 23-year-old daughter Rena. Other candidates had their husbands or wives with them, but Ms. Haley’s husband is away in Africa with the National Guard for a whole year.

    The local Republican congressman, Randy Feenstra, interviewed Ms. Haley on stage. Haley said that we can’t beat Democratic disorder with Republican disorder, and that’s what Donald Trump brings.

    The university auditorium was crowded on a very cold Saturday morning. Iowa voters are the first to vote and take it very seriously. Many want to see each candidate in person before deciding who to vote for.

    Many people I talked to later were impressed with Ms. Haley’s past job as governor of South Carolina and her calm, professional behavior.

    Braeden Nydim said he couldn’t decide between Ms. Haley and Ron DeSantis. He said he thinks Ms. Haley is very calm and confident. His wife, Emma Nydim, believes that Ms Haley is good at being fair and not taking sides with any political party.

    Stacey Harmelink voted for Mr Trump in 2016 and 2020, but after meeting Ms Haley at a local event, she decided to become a volunteer for her campaign. “I notice that she brings people together, and I think our country doesn’t need more division with Donald Trump. ”

    But those are the opinions of people who are searching for a different option instead of Mr. Only a small number of his followers showed up, and they still have the same opinions as before.

    Doyle Turner said he thinks Ms Haley is too much like the people already in power. I don’t think the same as her about Ukraine or the environment. Please simplify the following text: “The car’s intricate system of gears and pistons ensures that the engine operates smoothly and efficiently. ”

    Ms Haley’s campaign got a big boost from important donors who want to move on from Mr. The group called Americans for Prosperity Action, which was started by Charles and David Koch, is giving her a lot of money to try to make her the only candidate against Trump.

    Emily Seidel, a top adviser to Americans for Prosperity Action, said that Ms. Haley would get votes from independent and moderate people that Trump can’t get. She also said that the country is being torn apart by extreme views on both sides.

    She said that we need a leader with experience and good judgment to save our country from a crisis. Nikki Haley is the leader.

    A new survey in the Wall Street Journal said that in a one-on-one competition, Ms. Haley would win over Joe Biden by 17 points.

    Other surveys say that people might be more likely to vote for her than Mr Trump in the upcoming election in November. However, when Republican voters decide who they want as their presidential candidate, the polls indicate that the former president is far ahead of Ms. Haley and all other contenders.

    As Haley takes pictures with happy fans after a small meeting in Clear Lake, Iowa, it seems like she is doing really well in the competition for second place.

    The little girls who are getting their pictures taken with her really want to believe that she will become the first female president of America. The song “Don’t You Think it’s Time We Put a Woman in the White House” by Sheryl Crow is playing loudly as encouragement. But it seems like a very unlikely possibility.

    But Trump has to go to court for many criminal cases, so we don’t know if people will still support him. If he decides to leave the race, Ms. Haley is in a good position to take his place and be chosen by her party.

  • Volunteers on humanitarian mission to assist refugees from Ukraine

    Volunteers on humanitarian mission to assist refugees from Ukraine

    A group of five vehicles from Peterborough, including two old ambulances, brought supplies to families in Ukraine where there is a war.

    People from Peterborough and nearby towns gave medical supplies, warm clothes, blankets, food that doesn’t go bad, and toys to Kyiv.

    Maxine Drake from Peterborough City Hospital took time off to join the team on a 3,000-mile trip.

    She said it was a “hard few days”.

    During their six-day trip, the team also gave presents to Ukrainian refugees in Poland. Most of the refugees are women and children whose husbands and fathers either died in Ukraine or are still there.

    Ms Drake works at the hospital and also helps out at Peterborough Soup Kitchen in her free time.

    “It was a hard few days, but the group worked well together – most of us hadn’t met before but we tried to help those affected by the war,” Ms Drake said.

    “I’ve never done this before, but I’m excited to do something similar next year. “

  • Treat Shalimar how you want Ghanaians to be treated in other countries – Counsel tells law enforcement agencies

    Treat Shalimar how you want Ghanaians to be treated in other countries – Counsel tells law enforcement agencies

    Legal counsel for Shalimar Abbiussi, the embattled spokesperson for the New Force, Francis Xavier Sosu’s, has cautioned the state, particularly authorities handling his client’s case, to exercise caution. 

    This is due to the potential implications it could have on how Ghanaians are treated in other countries.

    He made the remark after revealing that the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB) intends to keep Shalimar in its custody despite the Kaneshie District Court granting her bail. 

    Interacting with the media after the Kaneshie District Court granted her client bail on Monday, December 11, 2023, he noted that this would be an affront to her fundamental human rights, as well as a violation to the universal declaration of human rights .

    “It’s quite unfair to this young person to be holding her for the past seven days. This is really unacceptable and we are not going to allow it.

    “How do you treat a foreigner like that on your land? We are also foreigners and so how we would want to be treated elsewhere is the same way we should treat others here,” he insisted.

    Shalimar, a 30-year-old Belgian, was arrested over claims that she breached Ghana’s Immigration Laws. 

    She is alleged to have violated section 52 (1) (i) of the Immigration Act 2000 (Act 573), specifically for “Obtaining a Student Permit by False Declaration.”

    The legal action against her was initiated by the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) on December 6, 2023.

    GIS accused her of falsely declaring herself as a student of the Ghana Christian University College on or before September 23, 2023, in the Greater Accra Region, with the intention to evade legal requirements.

    The accusation further contends that Abbiussi knowingly made a false declaration, leading to the successful acquisition of a student permit with the number 0088754.

    Her arrest took place after she was invited by the Head of the National Enforcement Section at the Immigration Headquarters to address concerns about her immigration status in Ghana.

    In the latest development Shalimar has been charged with obtaining a student permit by false declaration and granted bail with two sureties to be justified, during court proceedings on Monday, December 11, 2023.

  • New Force Spokesperson granted GHc20k bail

    New Force Spokesperson granted GHc20k bail

    New Force spokesperson, Shalimar Abbiussi, has been granted bail in the tune of GHc20,000 by the Kaneshie District Court.

    This follows her detention by the police over claims that she breached Ghana’s immigration laws.

    According to reports, she obtained a student permit by false declaration.

    Shalimar, a 30-year-old Belgian has appeared in a series of videos of the New Force, advocating on their behalf.

    In one of the videos, she underscored the hardships experienced by Ghanaians under the current administration led by President Akufo-Addo, stressing on recent demonstrations to buttress her point.

    In another video sighted  by The Independent Ghana, Shalimar was also voicing concerns over billboards belonging to the New Force that have been vandalised. 

    Fast forward, reports came in that she has been arrested. 

    In the latest development Shalimar has been charged with obtaining a student permit by false declaration and granted bail with two sureties to be justified, during court proceedings on Monday, December 11, 2023.

    Background

    Shalimar Abbiusi, is alleged to have violated section 52 (1) (i) of the Immigration Act 2000 (Act 573), specifically for “Obtaining a Student Permit by False Declaration.”

    The legal action against her was initiated by the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) on December 6, 2023.

    GIS accused her of falsely declaring herself as a student of the Ghana Christian University College on or before September 23, 2023, in the Greater Accra Region, with the intention to evade legal requirements.

    The accusation further contends that Abbiusi knowingly made a false declaration, leading to the successful acquisition of a student permit with the number 0088754.

    Her arrest took place after she was invited by the Head of the National Enforcement Section at the Immigration Headquarters to address concerns about her immigration status in Ghana.

  • Wealthiest families globally saw their fortunes increase by $1.5 trillion in 2023

    Wealthiest families globally saw their fortunes increase by $1.5 trillion in 2023

    Bloomberg has reported that the world’s 25 wealthiest families experienced unparalleled success in 2023, marking a period of exceptional financial growth and prosperity.

    Abu Dhabi’s Al Nahyan rulers and the proprietors of the esteemed French luxury fashion house Hermès have witnessed a significant surge in their wealth during 2023, as reported by Bloomberg.

    Surpassing the Walton clan of the United States, the Al Nahyans, leaders of the oil-rich Middle-Eastern emirate and owners of the UK soccer club Manchester City, have claimed the title of the world’s wealthiest family, marking the first instance in five years that a family other than the heirs of Walmart has held this distinction, as reported by the publication.

    Meanwhile, the family that controls Herms – including the brand’s artistic director Pierre-Alexis Dumas and executive chairman Axel Dumas – added $56 billion worth of wealth in 2023 to place third on Bloomberg’s list.

    The Waltons, chocolate tycoons the Mars family, and oil billionaires the Kochs are the US’s three representatives in the outlet’s top 10.

    The ultra-rich getting richer has been a consistent theme in 2023, with stock prices rebounding and the world economy tending to hold up better than gloomy forecasters had expected at the start of the year.

    The world’s two richest men – Tesla CEO Elon Musk and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos – have added over $150 billion worth of wealth alone, according to Bloomberg’s Billionaires Index.

    Indian tycoon Gautam Adani and American socialite and philanthropist Julia Koch are the only two of the world’s 20 richest people who’ve gotten poorer this year, per the outlet.

  • Mar-a-Lago: trial of Trump over fraud revolves around billion-dollar question

    Mar-a-Lago: trial of Trump over fraud revolves around billion-dollar question

    Donald Trump says Mar-a-Lago is very valuable, like the famous painting Mona Lisa. But people are trying to figure out exactly how much it’s worth in a trial that could harm his family’s business.

    It’s a number that everyone disagrees on – from $18 million to over $1 billion.

    During the 10-week trial in New York, the lawyers arguing for and against Mr. Trump have debated how much his private club in Florida is worth, and whether the way it was valued is honest or fraud.

    Mr Trump, his two grown-up sons, and the Trump Organization are being accused of making their assets, like Trump Tower and golf resorts, seem more valuable than they really are. They did this so they could borrow money at lower interest rates, to the sum of $2 billion.

    Mr Trump’s businesses saved over $150 million over 10 years because of the low rates, said New York Attorney General Letitia James. She wants to stop him from doing business in the state.

    The trial is almost finished, but Judge Arthur Engoron, who is a Democrat, said before it started that the financial documents in the case clearly have fake values that the defendants used in their business.

    “He said it’s not real, it’s all made up,” he decided, and held them responsible for lying.

    Mr Trump has asked for another judge to look at the decision before the trial starts. The judge (no jury in this trial) has to decide on six more fraud charges. They all need proof that the person meant to commit the fraud.

    The former president was supposed to go back to court on Monday but said on social media on Sunday night that he didn’t have anything else to say about the case because he thinks it’s just for politics.

    Again, he was most upset about the accusation that he made Mar-a-Lago seem more valuable than it actually is. He said they valued it at $18,000,000, when it is really worth 50 to 100 times that amount.

    The white elephant that no one could buy.

    The actual worth of Mar-a-Lago is not easy to understand. The old Palm Beach property has rules that say it can only be used as a club for members only.

    The land cannot be split up and it costs a lot to keep the estate that was built in 1927 for Marjorie Merriweather Post, a rich and famous businesswoman.

    This happened in the 1990s when Mr. Trump said that Mar-a-Lago was too expensive to keep as a private home. He called it a “white elephant” and said it was very hard to sell.

    He wanted to make it a private club so that he could use the expensive fees that members have to pay to help take care of the place and keep it in good condition.

    Rosalind Clarke, a real estate agent from Palm Beach who has been working since the 1980s and was once president of the Palm Beach Board of Realtors, told BBC News that the issue with pricing Mar-a-Lago was due to certain limitations.

    Ms Clarke said that the price is determined by how much money the club makes, not by how much the land is worth. She said that if there were no rules about what can be done with the property, it would be worth a lot more money.

    From 2011 to 2021, people say Trump acted like Mar-a-Lago didn’t have any rules about how it could be used.

    What value did Trump put on financial papers?

    Before the trial, Judge Engoron said that the Palm Beach County Assessor valued Mar-a-Lago at between $18 million and $27. 6 million for taxes.

    On the other hand, Mr Trump said Mar-a-Lago was worth $426. 5 million to $612 million, which is way more than what the assessor thought.

    Real estate experts say that the tax assessor’s value is usually less than what a property could actually sell for, so it’s not a direct comparison.

    The New York attorney general says that the Trump business made the numbers look higher by comparing them to the prices of similar properties, but those properties did not have the same restrictions on them.

    The attorney general says that the Trump Organization committed fraud by ignoring deed restrictions at Mar-a-Lago and pretending it was just a private home.

    A house suitable for a very important person.

    The most important part of the lawsuit is within all of these numbers. Trump spends time with wealthy and powerful people at Mar-a-Lago, even though he owns many other properties.

    That’s where he lives. This is where the old president would hang out when he wasn’t at the White House.

    In one of the fancy bathrooms made of marble, federal special counsel Jack Smith says Mr. Trump hid important papers.

    He is upset about people saying Mar-a-Lago is worth less money, and he talks about it a lot in the news and on social media.

    Trump’s lawyers asked a fancy real estate broker named Lawrence Moens to be a witness. He said in court that Mar-a-Lago is worth more than $1 billion.

    Mr Moens said very rich and important people like Elon Musk, Bill Gates, and even rulers would want to buy the property.

    And if there were no rules about what you can do, he might be right.

    Ms Clarke, the real estate agent in Palm Beach, said that Mar-a-Lago is a 17. 5 acre property with an old building, a piece of land by the ocean, and the potential to build seven lots in a very desirable area.

    She said that without the rules on the property, it could sell for around $500 million. But it might sell for even more if a lot of people are interested in it because of where it is and where it came from.

    What’s on the line?

    During the trial, Mr. Trump said in court that he doesn’t have to follow the rules in the Mar-a-Lago deed. He also said the prices would have been higher if they had considered the Trump brand.

    His lawyers said that the values of assets don’t really matter because banks do their research and don’t just rely on financial statements to make loan decisions.

    The last expert witness for the defence, Eli Bartov, who is an accounting expert and professor at New York University, said in court that there were mistakes in the financial documents, but they were not meant to hide fraud or show any wrongful intention.

    He said that these “statements of financial condition” are just a beginning for banks and lenders to figure out how much something is worth, and that value can be different depending on who you ask.

    Mr Trump often says that banks don’t care because they made money. No bank had any problems. “Nobody hurt any banks,” he said when the trial began.

    The prosecutors don’t have to show that people were harmed, they just have to show that someone committed fraud on purpose. When the lawsuit started, the New York lawyer said “even former presidents must follow the same rules as everyone else. ”

    After hearing the last testimony this week, Judge Engoron will take a long break and then decide on the remaining fraud charges and any penalties in January.

    Mr Trump has a problem because the judge found that the most important documents in the case were all false, according to attorney Mitchell Epner.

    Mr Trump and his friends could be banned from doing business in New York and have to pay fines of at least $250 million in the worst situation.

    The Trump Organization might have to give up control to someone chosen by a court, or they might have to sell some of their most famous buildings, like Mar-a-Lago.

  • TikTok Shop set to reopen after $1.5 billion agreement in Indonesia

    TikTok Shop set to reopen after $1.5 billion agreement in Indonesia

    TikTok and Indonesian company GoTo have agreed to work together to bring back TikTok’s online shopping in Indonesia.

    The company, which is owned by a Chinese company called Bytedance, wants to invest more than $1. 5 billion in the long run in Indonesia’s largest online shopping website, Tokopedia.

    In October, the TikTok Shop closed in Indonesia because of new rules in the country’s biggest economy in Southeast Asia.

    TikTok is used by about 125 million people in Indonesia.

    TikTok is going to buy a little more than 75% of Tokopedia and combine its business in Indonesia with TikTok Shop.

    “The partnership will start with a test period done with input and oversight from the regulators,” the two companies said in a statement they released together.

    GoTo and TikTok will help Indonesian businesses sell more products and improve how they make and sell things.

    The Indonesian government banned online shopping on social media to protect smaller sellers and people’s personal information.

    Many of the 270 million people in Indonesia use social media a lot. They were TikTok’s largest online shoppers until the ban started in October.

    The ban was announced after Indonesia’s President Joko Widodo warned about being cautious with e-commerce in September. Rules can be helpful, but things can go wrong without them.

    Internet shopping in Indonesia has grown a lot in the last few years. E-commerce sales in Indonesia will increase a lot, from 2018 to next year it will be 689 trillion Indonesian rupiah which is equal to $44 billion and £35 billion. This information is from the central bank of Indonesia.

    TikTok Shop has been getting more customers since it started two years ago in Indonesia’s online shopping market. This market is mostly controlled by platforms like Tokopedia, Shopee, and Lazada.

    The rules in Indonesia were another problem for TikTok. The app is also being looked at in the US, European Union, and the UK. The UK Parliament has banned the app from its network because of security concerns.

  • Viral flier of Siddique Boniface’s Madina MP bid causes stir in Alan’s camp

    Viral flier of Siddique Boniface’s Madina MP bid causes stir in Alan’s camp

    Posters making rounds on social media, suggesting that former Minister for Inner Cities and Zongo Development, Abu-Bakar Siddique Boniface, is seeking to contest the Madina Constituency seat on the ticket of Alan Kyeremanten’s Movement for Change, has sparked controversy. 

    The poster, which was first seen on the Facebook page of a dedicated member of the movement, Hopeson Adorye, rapidly spread across social media within a short period.

    However, assignees of the former Minister have denounced the flier, claiming it is fake and could be a figment of someone’s imagination.

    Subsequently, a FAKE badge was affixed to the poster, suggesting its inauthenticity but it remains on the page of Mr. Hopeson Adorye.

    Mr Abu-Bakar Siddique Boniface is yet to officially respond to the viral flier .

    In the wake of the controversy, some observers speculate that the Madina MP, who lost the seat in 2020, might be merely testing the waters to assess the response and determine if the conditions are favorable for him to emerge as an Independent Candidate.

    This follows the removal of four members from the New Patriotic Party due to their association with the former Trades Minister, who departed from the party to establish his own movement.

    In a statement issued by the Party’s General Secretary, Justin Frimpong Kodua, attention has been drawn to Hopeson Adorye, Yaw Buaben Asamoa, Nana Ohene Ntow, and Boniface Abubakar Saddique, who unequivocally endorse Alan Kyeremateng for the presidency.

    This is despite the fact that the NPP already has a chosen flag bearer in the person of Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia.

    Quoting relevant constitutional provisions, the General Secretary said Hopeson Adorye, Nana Ohene Ntow, Boniface Abubakar Saddique and Yaw Buaben Asamoa have “AUTOMATICALLY FORFEITED” their membership of the Party and are, therefore, “no longer members of the Party.”

    Hopeson Adorye a month ago said although he supports Alan Kyerematen for President, he is still a member of the party.

  • Court in India maintains removal of Kashmir’s special status

    Court in India maintains removal of Kashmir’s special status

    India’s highest court has agreed that the former state of Jammu and Kashmir should no longer have its special status.

    In 2019, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government removed Article 370 from the Indian constitution, which had given the region a lot of freedom to make its own decisions.

    The land where over 12 million people live was divided into two parts run by the government.

    The court said that the government needs to have elections in the area by September 2024.

    The five judges decided that the region should become a state again as soon as possible.

    “The state of Jammu and Kashmir is not independent from other states,” Judge DY Chandrachud said while giving the decision.

    Justice SK Kaul suggested that a fair truth and reconciliation commission be created in Kashmir to look into human rights abuses by both government and non-government groups over the last few decades.

    Mr Modi promised to revoke something in 2019, and the court’s decision comes before he tries to get elected for a third time. Local leaders in the area are not happy about the decision.

    Omar Abdullah, who used to be the leader of a state, wrote on X that he felt sad but not discouraged.

    The pretty area of Jammu and Kashmir used to be ruled by a prince, but it became part of India in 1947 after Britain left and India was divided.

    India and Pakistan, who have nuclear weapons, have fought two wars and a small fight over Kashmir. Each group has taken control of various parts of the land, and they have agreed on a line to stop fighting.

    More guards have been placed in Kashmir since Monday morning to keep it safe.

    “We must make sure that there is peace in the Kashmir valley at all times,” VK Birdi, the inspector general of Kashmir zone, told PTI news agency.

    Security was increased and the region had no communication when the revocation happened.

    On 5 August 2019, the Indian government took away most of the special rights given to the people of Jammu and Kashmir state through Article 370 of the Indian constitution.

    The group that managed the state’s money, jobs, schools, and economy was disbanded. A new leader was chosen to take care of the area until people could vote for their own leader. Many people who speak out against the government were taken by the police.

    Article 370 gave the state the power to have its own set of laws, its own flag, and freedom to make its own rules. The federal government was in charge of foreign relations, protecting the country, and communication.

    As a result, Jammu and Kashmir could create its own rules about who can live there, who can own property, and what rights people have. It might also stop people from India who don’t live in the state from buying land or living there.

    The constitutional rule has supported India’s difficult relationship with Kashmir, the only region with mostly Muslim people that became a part of India when it was divided.

    MrModi and his political party, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), have been against Article 370 for a long time. They promised to remove it in the 2019 election.

    They said it should be removed to unite Kashmir with the rest of India. After winning by a lot in the election, the government quickly started working on its promises.

    Critics say the BJP wants to change the population of the Muslim-majority area by letting non-Kashmiris to purchase land there.

    In August, the Supreme Court started listening to about 23 petitions that questioned the government’s decision.

    The people who signed the petition had emphasized how special Kashmir’s connection is to India. They said that Article 370 helped connect the laws of India and Jammu and Kashmir.

    The state included the Muslim-majority Kashmir valley, the Hindu-dominated Jammu region, and the high altitude Buddhist area of Ladakh.

    The people who signed the petition said that the government’s plan to change Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh into federally controlled territories goes against India’s constitution because it needs the state’s legislative assembly to agree before making this kind of change.

    The people who signed the petition said that when Article 370 was removed, it also took away the region’s ability to make its own decisions without asking the people who live there. However, the government said that they gave up their power to India in 1947.

    After the special status was removed, a lot of the rules in Kashmir were made less strict. As a result, more than 16 million tourists visited the beautiful Kashmir valley in 2022. The government is prepared to have state elections and give back the status of statehood.

    However, the government often limits people’s ability to communicate in the area for safety reasons. Rights groups say this is to stop people from speaking out against the government.

  • 95-year-old Chinese Aids whistleblower passes away in exile

    95-year-old Chinese Aids whistleblower passes away in exile

    Gao Yaojie, a famous doctor who spoke out about the Aids outbreak in rural China, has passed away at the age of 95.

    Dr Gao died in New York from natural causes. She had been living in exile there since 2009, according to a friend who spoke with the BBC.

    She found out that businesses selling blood caused HIV to spread in rural areas.

    She was a leader in fighting against Aids in China and traveled around the country to help sick people, sometimes using her own money.

    She was born in Shandong province in 1927. Her family had to run away to the central Henan province during World War II.

    She was a doctor for women’s health and met her first Aids patient in Henan province in 1996.

    A Chinese activist who was sent away from his country feels sad about his old life.

    In the 1980s and 1990s, many people in rural areas like Henan would sell their blood. Farming communities didn’t have many job choices, so they often sold their blood to make money. The government sometimes supported this. However, because only a small number of people in rural China were found to have HIV, and most people didn’t know much about Aids, blood from HIV+ patients was also collected, which caused the disease to spread.

    At the time, Chinese officials believed that HIV was spread through sex or from a mother to her baby during pregnancy. Gao had a sudden realization when she found out that one of her patients had a history of receiving a blood transfusion and didn’t fit into either category.

    She is called “Grandma Gao” and she went to Henan villages to look at how many people have Aids. It is said that she visited over 100 villages affected by AIDS and met with over 1,000 families. She would often give food, clothes, and printed resources about AIDS to people, usually using her own money.

    In the beginning, Henan officials hid the fact that people were selling their blood, but later on they closed down the businesses in the mid-1990s. However,Gao continued to talk about how HIV is spreading in the country.

    “It is larger. ” It’s all across the country, in all places. I have personally seen everything. Selling blood is against the law. In the old days, it was open for everyone to see. “In 2010, she talked to the BBC and said it’s now underground. ”

    DrGao said that 10 million people in China have HIV, which is a lot more than the 740,000 people the government says have it. But official disagreed about this.

    Although she wasn’t the first Chinese doctor to talk about the AIDS epidemic, she was the one who made people in the country and around the world aware of the situation.

    would clarify it with. Gao could not get the Henan government to notice AIDS spreading from blood stations. Instead, she told a New York Times reporter. Professor Nathan at Columbia University assisted her in moving to New York. The Henan blood-sales Aids epidemic was in the news and it became a big problem. This made the Chinese government take action.

    This made more news outlets talk about Dr. Gao’s discoveries in the early 2000s. She got many awards from her own country and from other countries too.

    At first, the Chinese government was easy on her. CCTV, China’s main TV station, praised her in 2003 for being a person who influenced China. They said she had a lot of knowledge and good thinking that helped people feel less afraid and prejudiced. They also said she had a motherly love and gave a lot of herself to help people who were vulnerable.

    Former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said that Dr. Gao is one of the bravest people she knows.

    But the Henan authorities started to feel uneasy with her complaints about government officials. She moved away from China in 2009 because the government was watching her and putting more and more pressure on her.

    She went to live in New York and stayed there until she passed away. Her husband Guo Mingjiu passed away in 2006. She has two daughters and a son who are still alive.

    Even though people admire Dr. Gao for being a doctor, she has no relationship with her children.

    Shiyu Lin wrote that Gao Yaojie’s oldest daughter said their mom helped others but made their family fall apart.

    “MsLin remembered when Grandma Gao told her that she was a good doctor, but not a good mother. ”

    Even though she was away from China for a long time, some Chinese people on the internet are sad about her death.

    She was an important person. “But nowadays, young people may not know about that history,” said someone on Weibo.

    “Our generation of people who work in news or read news know about her and remember her. ” Chinese journalist Li Weiao said on Weibo that the news reminded him of other Chinese doctors like Jiang Yanyong and Li Wenliang, who spoke out about the Sars outbreak and Covid pandemic.

  • Outrage over Kenya’s nationwide shutdown of electricity

    Outrage over Kenya’s nationwide shutdown of electricity

    Kenyans want to know why the whole country had no electricity late on Sunday, leaving them in the dark.

    It happened around 8:00 PM local time (5:00 PM GMT) – Kenya’s third complete power outage in the last four months.

    The power cut caused problems for many services, including at the main airport in the capital city, Nairobi. Two terminals were without electricity for a few hours.

    A lot of Kenyans are unhappy with the government because they keep having power outages.

    By Monday morning, electricity was back on in most of the country. Some areas in Nairobi and the Coast region are still waiting for the power to come back.

    “We are working nonstop to make the remaining areas normal again as soon as we can,” said Kenya Power, the government-owned power company, in its latest update.

    Kenya’s Power and Transport Minister Kipchumba Murkomen has been strongly criticized.

    Kenya Power should pay people when they lose electricity and it causes them to lose money, food, or time. “Kenya Power needs to take responsibility for the power outages,” a Kenyan said on X.

    People are mad at Mr. Murkomen because there was another power outage at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, even though he said it wouldn’t happen again after a big power outage in August.

    The power cut affected two of the busiest JKIA terminals. The airport authority said that the back-up generators for those terminals did not start right away.

    Mr Murkomen believes that the power cut might have been done on purpose.

    “He posted on X that because of how often the power goes out and how important JKIA is, we want the National Police Service to look into the possibility that someone is deliberately causing the power outages and hiding it. ”

    Recently, Kenya has had a lot of times when the electricity stopped working all over the country. It happened on 11th November, 25th August, 4th March, and also in November and December of last year.

  • Church attack results in death of Catholic priest in US

    Church attack results in death of Catholic priest in US

    A priest from the Catholic church in Nebraska was killed in an attack at the church rectory.

    The police found Reverend Stephen Gutgsell and the person who attacked him in the church after they received a 911 call on Sunday morning in the small Fort Calhoun community.

    The 65-year-old priest died in a hospital in Omaha after being attacked.

    The police caught the suspect at the church and took them to jail.

    They decided to call him Kierre Williams, who is 43 years old and lives in Sioux City, Iowa.

    He was taken into custody because they think he may have killed someone and used a weapon to do it.

    In 2007, Rev Gutgsell became famous for admitting he stole $127,000 from a different church.

    He was told to be good for a while, given money to repay, and moved to another church.

    Church leaders said that Rev Gutgsell had understood and corrected his actions. Washington County Sheriff Mike Robinson, who is looking into the attack, said that police don’t think his death is connected to the case.

    The priest’s brother, another priest named Michael Gutgsell, also broke the law and admitted to stealing a large amount of money last year.

  • Tanzania launches social media purge in response to VP rumours

    Tanzania launches social media purge in response to VP rumours

    Tanzanian officials are looking into people on social media who are spreading lies about Vice President Philip Mpango‘s health.

    Mr Mpango appeared in public on Sunday after being away for more than a month. People were relieved and the rumors about his death were finally put to an end.

    The Information Minister, Nape Nnauye, has told officials to investigate people who spread rumors.

    Mr Mpango says that he was upset by untrue stories being spread on social media.

    The vice-president was last seen in public on 31 October, when she was representing President Samia Suluhu Hassan during a virtual meeting of leaders from the Southern African Development Community.

    His not being here made a lot of people worried. Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa had told people not to guess about it.

    The vice-president unexpectedly showed up at a church service in Dodoma, the capital, on Sunday. He said he was feeling good and had not lost any weight.

    Some people have been sharing photos of me with a candle, and saying that I have died. “It’s too soon – I haven’t finished the job God asked me to do,” Mr.

    I will only go back to the person who made me when it’s my time to go. I appreciate your prayers.

    He said he was in another country for work, but didn’t say what it was for.

    The information minister told government agencies to punish people who spread rumors about the VP’s location, following Mr Mpango’s request for social media users to be more careful.

    “Mr Nnauye said if our freedom hurts other people’s freedom, it breaks the law. We can’t accept that in our society. ”

    He said that his order was not a threat but a way to “keep people’s freedom safe”.

    He didn’t say which rules might have been broken.

    This is not the first time people have talked about Mr.

  • Missing €750k ring discovered in Paris Ritz vacuum bag

    Missing €750k ring discovered in Paris Ritz vacuum bag

    A ring that costs a lot of money, around €750,000 (or £643,000), was lost at the Ritz hotel in Paris. But it has been found in a vacuum cleaner.

    The boss of a Malaysian businesswoman who was staying at the hotel went to the police on Friday. She thought that one of the hotel workers stole something from her.

    The security guards at the Ritz hotel found a ring in a dust-filled vacuum bag on Sunday, according to Le Parisien.

    The newspaper said that the visitor went to London on Friday, but now she will go back to Paris to get her ring.

    The Ritz said they gave the guest three extra nights to apologize for the trouble, but she doesn’t want to use them.

    The hotel told Le Parisien that the security guards found the ring this morning because they worked carefully.

    “We want to thank the workers at the Ritz Paris who helped with the search and who do their job well every day. ”

    The woman who does business told the police that she left the ring on the table in her hotel room on Friday. She went shopping in the city for a few hours, and when she came back, the ring was missing.

    The police are taking care of the ring until the woman can get it back.

    Jewellery has gone missing from the hotel before.

    In 2018, five men with weapons stole more than €4m (£3. 5m) worth of jewelry from a famous store.

    Later in the same year, someone from the Saudi royal family said that a lot of expensive jewelry was stolen from their hotel room.

  • Poverty in Ghana reduced by 50% over the past 20 years – NDPC boss says 

    Poverty in Ghana reduced by 50% over the past 20 years – NDPC boss says 

    Director-General of the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC), Dr Esseim Mensah-Abrampa, has disclosed that poverty in Ghana has been cut in half over the last two decades. 

    This remarkable development signals a positive transformation in the nation’s efforts towards sustainable development and improved living standards.

    During an interview on Accra-based TV3, he emphasized that Ghana, as a lower middle-income economy, should not be considered a poor country.

    Speaking to Kemmini Amanor, host of the Hot Issues program, he conveyed, “Ghana is not impoverished; we are classified as a lower-middle-income country. By employing various global indicators for development assessment, we can distinguish between the least developed countries, developing countries, lower-middle-income, upper-middle-income, and fully developed nations.”

    “So it tells you that if you are going by these five graduations, we are right in the middle.”

    He elucidated why the lower-middle-income status didn’t manifest in the lives of the majority of Ghanaians, stating that: “It does reflect in the lives of the people because per capita income, how much you earn, and the sophistication in our lives and our well-being are far higher than the average in the world.”

    He added “Definitely, we cannot live on the same income bracket which means that definitely there are some people who are poor but there is a process which has gone on for a very long time within twenty years.

    “We have been able to half that, it means we have been able to move half of the people who are poor right into a higher range of well being and satisfaction. So it is a process,” he stressed.

    The World Bank defines lower-middle-income economies as those with a Gross National Income (GNI) per capita between $1,036 and $4,045; and upper-middle-income economies – as those with a GNI per capita between $4,046 and $12,535 (2021).

    Middle-income countries are home to 75% of the world’s population and 62% of the world’s poor.

  • OSP urges Ghanaians to back the fight against corruption; says ‘it’s a shared responsibility’

    OSP urges Ghanaians to back the fight against corruption; says ‘it’s a shared responsibility’

    The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has issued a clarion call to all Ghanaians to support the fight against corruption.

    In a statement to commemorate International Anti-Corruption Day, the OSP commended its whistleblowers and entreated all Ghanaians to emulate their actions. 

    “We commend our confidential sources and whistleblowers for their valuable contribution to the work of the OSP. We encourage citizens and residents to join us in the fight against corruption.

    “We are reminded of the essence and utility of eradicating the menace of corruption in aid of building our country on fairness, justice, and transparency. Let us envision a future where every citizen and resident lives with the legitimate expectation that integrity will triumph over deceit and the rule of law will prevail. The fight against corruption is a shared responsibility, and together we can build a prosperous Ghana,” the OSP shared.

    Annually observed on December 9th, International Anti-Corruption Day commemorates the passage of the United Nations Convention Against Corruption on October 31, 2003. The day serves to enhance public awareness and commitment to anti-corruption initiatives.

    In its statement, the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) reaffirmed its dedication to combating corruption in the country.

    “As we commemorate International Anti-Corruption Day and the anniversary of the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC), the Office of the Special Prosecutor reaffirms its commitment to the fight against corruption in all its forms.

    “Our vision is clear – to render corruption costly and unattractive, and we remain resolute in fulfilling this mandate. We will strengthen our collaboration with other law enforcement agencies and international partners to robustly build skill and expertise to suppress and repress corruption notwithstanding the formidable odds and barriers in this quest,” the OSP stated.

  • 400 jobs to be created in Limerick by US telecom major

    400 jobs to be created in Limerick by US telecom major

    Verizon, a company that works with communications and technology, plans to make 400 new jobs in Limerick in the next two years.

    The company is opening a new office in the city to do really good work.

    Verizon is a large company that offers communication services like phone calls, internet and video to people all over the world.

    It started in Ireland in 2006 and has 1,000 people working in Dublin.

    The center will be located in the 1BQ building that is being constructed on the city’s waterfront.

    Verizon will occupy 10,000 square meters of the new building on Bishops Quay next spring.

    Simon Coveney, the minister in charge of business and jobs, said we shouldn’t assume that the announcement will definitely happen.

    “He said this is a big promise and approval of Ireland, especially the talented workers in Limerick. ”

    IDA Ireland supports the investment made by Verizon, and thinks that it will help Ireland attract more investments in the future.

  • CAGD slams NDC MP over ‘NPP delegates on payroll’ allegation

    CAGD slams NDC MP over ‘NPP delegates on payroll’ allegation

    The Controller and Accountant-General’s Department (CGD) has levied an accusation against an opposition Member of Parliament, alleging a display of ignorance in the understanding of how government payroll operations are managed.

    The MP in question, Edward Bawa, representing the Bongo Constituency, made allegations on TV3’s Big Issues program in September 2023. He claimed that Kwasi Kwaning-Bosompem, the government‘s accountant, in pursuit of his parliamentary ambitions, included New Patriotic Party (NPP) delegates on the government payroll.

    Bawa stated that some of the delegates openly acknowledged this during the broadcast.

    The government’s chief accountant is vying for the parliamentary seat in the Akim Swedru constituency, with primaries scheduled for early next year.

    In a rejoinder addressed to TV3’s Head of Programmes, the CAGD said the MP had exhibited ignorance in how payroll works spelling out the processes involved and how it was impossible to include and proceed to pay persons unjustifiably.

    “The said panelist made a spurious allegation to the effect that the Controller and Accountant-General has put the names of delegates on Payroll and they have been receiving salary for two years.

    “I would like to categorically state that this accusation is false, unsubstantiated, and exhibits his level of ignorance of the business process in the management of Government payroll,” the statement dated DEcember 9, 2023 read in part.

  • OSP reaffirms commitment to fighting corruption 

    OSP reaffirms commitment to fighting corruption 

    The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has reaffirmed its dedication to combating corruption in the country.

    In a statement issued to mark International Anti-Corruption Day, the OSP expressed its commitment to collaborating with pertinent bodies in the ongoing battle against corruption in Ghana.

    “As we commemorate International Anti-Corruption Day and the anniversary of the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC), the Office of the Special Prosecutor reaffirms its commitment to the fight against corruption in all its forms.

    “Our vision is clear – to render corruption costly and unattractive, and we remain resolute in fulfilling this mandate. We will strengthen our collaboration with other law enforcement agencies and international partners to robustly build skill and expertise to suppress and repress corruption notwithstanding the formidable odds and barriers in this quest,” the OSP stated.

    The Special Prosecutor, Kissi Agyebeng has recently been lamenting over what he describes as hindrances to his work. 

    At a press brief held on Wednesday, November 29, 2023 he complained bitterly over how the Judicial arm of government was impeding his work

    there appears to be a developing trend of rather regressive and dismissive judicial decisions in respect of cases involving the OSP, with troubling consequences. And it seems to us that a careful examination of these outcomes portends a disturbing spectre that the fight against corruption is being hampered to the disbenefit of us all. Four instances will suffice.

    In one case, the OSP applied to the High Court for a confirmation of a freezing order in respect of a deceased person’s estate. The judge refused to confirm the order by, in effect, holding that the OSP had come too late since the person of interest had died and that his death had extinguished the inquiry commenced after the occurrence of death.

    The danger of this outcome is obvious. It is to effect that a person may, in his lifetime, acquire property through corruption and then upon his demise happily pass on the corruptly acquired property to his estate and by so doing, extinguish all scrutiny as to the propriety or otherwise of the acquisition of the property because his corrupt activities were not discovered during his lifetime,” he said.

    Regardless of these constraints, the OSP remains resolute in its quest to combat the canker. 

    “Corruption knows no borders. It is not tied to specific persons, race, colour or continent. However, what universally proves effective is the prevention of the corrupt from operating with impunity. What works is ensuring that individuals understand the inevitability of arrest, investigation, and prosecution if they engage in corruption. When the corrupt are no longer assured the anchor of impunity, then may we confidently assert that Ghana is firmly on the path of combating corruption.

    “We commend our confidential sources and whistleblowers for their valuable contribution to the work of the OSP. We encourage citizens and residents to join us in the fight against corruption.

    “We are reminded of the essence and utility of eradicating the menace of corruption in aid of building our country on fairness, justice, and transparency. Let us envision a future where every citizen and resident lives with the legitimate expectation that integrity will triumph over deceit and the rule of law will prevail. The fight against corruption is a shared responsibility, and together we can build a prosperous Ghana,” the OSP said.

  • $150m World Bank loan for coastal resilience investments gets Parliamentary approval

    $150m World Bank loan for coastal resilience investments gets Parliamentary approval

    A $150 million loan from the World Bank’s International Development Association, allocated for the West Africa Coastal Areas Resilience Investment Project 2, has received approval by Parliament. 

    The objective of the initiative is to enhance the socio-economic resilience of coastal communities through the implementation of effective coastal management practices.

    It is in accordance with the government’s dedication to reducing the vulnerability of coastal regions and enhancing the well-being of local communities along the coastlines of Ghana.

    Chairman of the Finance Committee of Parliament, Kwaku Kwarteng, underscored the vital role of the loan in tackling challenges like tidal waves, particularly in coastal regions such as Keta in the Volta Region. Furthermore, the house approved a distinct $200 million loan from the World Bank Group for the financing of the Ghana Tree Crop Diversification Project.

    A few weeks ago, the World Bank expressed sympathy for the victims of the recent flood disaster in regions along the Volta River, resulting from the release of excess water from the Akosombo and Kpong dams.

    Approximately 30,000 residents were forced to evacuate, and the floodwaters devastated their farmlands.

    At the 3rd Conference on Fisheries and Coastal Environment in Accra, the Operations Manager of the World Bank in Ghana, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, Ms Michelle Keane, said: “We can’t speak about flooding today without conveying the World Bank’s sincere empathy and concern for the ten thousand of people who have been impacted by the recent floods along the Volta River”.

    “The World Bank would want to express its readiness to support the government in its response to this crisis”, she said.

    She added: “In the longer term, developing a sustainability and risk management strategy for the Volta River and Volta Delta among other areas will be crucial to determine where it is safe for people to live and how their livelihoods can be sustained and grow along the Volta River supported by a healthy ecosystem”.

    “We hope that the government and its partners will take full advantage of the $150 million approved by the World Bank for Ghana under the West Africa Coastal Areas Management Programme (WACA)”, she noted.

    She said the financing is expected to become available “very soon after parliamentary approval”.

  • Israel refutes UN accusation of attempting to drive Gazans into Egypt

    Israel refutes UN accusation of attempting to drive Gazans into Egypt

    Israel said it is not true that they are trying to make a lot of people from Gaza go to Egypt, as the head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees has claimed.

    An article in the Los Angeles Times written by someone expressing their thoughts.

    UNRWA boss Philippe Lazzarini said the Israeli military told people in north Gaza to move south, and then fighting forced them even closer to the border with Egypt.

    Lazzarini said that if things kept going this way, Palestinians might not be able to live in Gaza anymore.

    Israel denies the accusation and says it is not true. A person from the defence ministry told the AFP news agency that Israel does not have a plan to move the people from Gaza to Egypt.

    Israel said that Jordan’s claim is not true. The Reuters news agency says that an official denied the claim that they had a plan to force Palestinians out of the Gaza Strip.

  • Sunak under pressure from Tory splits and spats

    Sunak under pressure from Tory splits and spats

    I know Christmas is coming soon, and you probably don’t want to think about politics right now. You might have to.

    The ruling party has to. The Downing Street operation is in big trouble.

    And even though it may have sounded a little crazy when we discussed it last week, it’s not unreasonable to think that the Conservatives are in such a bad situation that some of them are considering if they need a new leader.

    Take a moment to think – most people don’t think it’s a good idea to randomly choose the sixth prime minister since the EU referendum by rolling a dice. But now, more people are starting to believe it for some very good reasons.

    Rishi Sunak is really stressed. He has to go to the Covid investigation on Monday, and on Tuesday there is a vote on a plan he supported that didn’t work out well.

    Issue one: The Conservative party can’t decide on how to fulfill the Prime Minister’s promise to ‘stop the boats’.

    That saying is now commonly used in politics, but Rishi Sunak’s catchphrase has become a burden for his administration.

    The plan was to stop people from coming to the UK by telling them they would be sent to Africa instead. The problem had some problems at first, but now Parliament has approved it.

    However, it faced real-life and legal problems. Over the past few days, some people in Mr. Sunak’s own party have been against his new plans to make his long-time wish happen.

    He didn’t go as far as some of his MPs wanted to make sure planes can fly without legal problems, but his new laws are still more than some of his colleagues are happy with.

    Similar to Theresa May’s Brexit deals, it doesn’t make everyone on the right of his party happy, and it makes people on the more moderate side feel uncomfortable.

    The outcome He’s stuck in the awkward middle of an issue that he decided to adopt as his own.

    This weekend, all types of MPs in his party are thinking about whether to support the plan or not. Be careful about the headlines saying there will be a disaster, because many less important members of parliament are likely to let the proposals pass in the first debate, but then try to change them, break them apart, or even get rid of them after Christmas.

    Issue number two: it’s not only the people you can predict who are upset. The prime minister’s friend and the minister in charge of handling the problem have left. Robert Jenrick will be in the studio with us on Sunday. He says the plan won’t work and he has big doubts about the government’s approach to managing migration from abroad.

    Issue three: Number 10 has to deal with a mix of different groups who all have their own beliefs and ideas, causing tension.

    It’s hard to make everyone happy and it’s unlikely that they will all agree with Number 10. One member of parliament making fun of the different groups describes them like this: “The ‘One Nation’ would be the smart kids in school. ” The person who always does everything right. The European Research Group (ERG) are like old-fashioned, traditional people, while the New Conservatives are like unruly kids in parks. The Truss lots are very scary.

    Putting aside the playful jokes, how can a leader make sure that everyone follows the rules, even on topics that aren’t controversial. It’s important to remember that political parties are made up of different groups working together. It’s silly to think that they always agree and get along perfectly. One former minister in the Tory party said in 2023 that there is no unity among the members of parliament – they don’t like each other and don’t get along.

    Issue four: The Conservative Party is not happy and in disarray, and now they are dealing with a new opponent.

    The Tories were always arguing when Theresa May was in charge and also when Boris Johnson took over. The seats across from them were filled with unhappy groups that supported Jeremy Corbyn.

    The work situation has changed, and the Conservative party is aware of it.

    I heard some secret recordings of Greg Hands, who used to be a Conservative leader, talking to student activists in Oxford at the end of October.

    He said that people who vote are not happy with all the problems in the government at Number 10. “We have upset them, especially because last year we had three different prime ministers. ”

    He said that even though people may not be super excited about Keir Starmer, they don’t see Labour as a threat to their votes anymore.

    In the recordings, he says that many Conservatives who like liberal ideas were scared to vote for anyone other than the Conservatives because they didn’t want Corbyn to become prime minister.

    When he talks about keeping voters, he says that Starmer is not like Corbyn because he doesn’t scare people. Our challenge now is to keep those voters on our side. Mr Hands said that there are Conservative voters who still might come back to the party.

    In reply to that recording, he says: “Like I said in Oxford, Sir Keir Starmer hasn’t won over the British people – and the Conservative Party can still be victorious in the next general election. ”

    Similar to Neil Kinnock in the 1980s, Sir Keir Starmer is not as left-wing as the person before him, but still too left-wing for the British people. When people pay attention to him, they will see that he is not a good fit. He changes his opinion on all the important topics just to make his audience happy, like the monarchy, the EU, tuition fees, and taxes.

    Rishi Sunak’s friends might say that the prime minister made things peaceful after a period of disorder.

    However, considering what has happened recently, it’s obvious that was not strong enough to win. And maybe he’s starting to undo all the progress he made with his many resets. The splits now feel very painful.

    Perhaps, that’s because some Conservative Members of Parliament have been behind in the polls for a long time. They might prefer to prioritize their own beliefs over the party’s success.

    Maybe it’s because Rishi Sunak hasn’t been able to convince them that working together is important.

    Perhaps it’s because the party has been in power for a very long time and has constantly changed itself that it is not certain about its purpose anymore.

    It could be a combination of all of those things, and maybe even more.

    Actually, Rishi Sunak is still in charge of a party that has a lot more members in the House of Commons than any other party. The next election is not for another year. People who vote are unstable these days, and the public feelings can change very quickly.

    The prime minister’s special skill of ending the chaos from Truss and Johnson’s time has been greatly damaged. Breaking up and fighting are happening again. The people don’t like it when political parties are split.

    Currently, this is one of the few things that Conservative MPs can agree on politically.

  • Haaland to miss match against Luton Town in Premier League for Manchester City

    Haaland to miss match against Luton Town in Premier League for Manchester City

    Erling Haaland is not playing for Manchester City against Luton Town because he is injured.

    The 23-year-old has played in all 15 of Manchester City’s Premier League games this season and scored 14 goals. But he won’t be playing in the game against the Hatters, according to The Athletic.

    Pep Guardiola told Sky Sports that the issue is a problem with bone stress in his feet. After the last game against Aston Villa, he felt this way and he can’t play.

    He said he doesn’t know how bad the injury is. “We will wait and see what happens each week and each day. ”

    Manchester City have most of their players available, but Kevin De Bruyne is still out with an injury.

    Jeremy Doku has a small muscle injury and might be able to play on Sunday at Kenilworth Road, but he might not be allowed to play to avoid making the injury worse.

    Manchester City are expected to win against Luton, even though their top goal scorer is not playing. If they win, they will be only four points behind Liverpool in the league.

    A win would bring City closer to the teams at the top of the league, narrowing the gap to just four points between them and the other top teams like Arsenal and Aston Villa. Currently, City is in fourth place in the league.

    After playing at Luton on Wednesday, Manchester City will play against Red Star in the Champions League next.

    Haaland may not play in the game because his team has already secured first place and they don’t want to take any chances with his health.

  • Erik ten Hag has to be fired by Manchester United – Danny Murphy

    Erik ten Hag has to be fired by Manchester United – Danny Murphy

    Danny Murphy thinks it’s time for Manchester United to fire manager Erik ten Hag.

    The Red Devils lost 3-0 to AFC Bournemouth at Old Trafford on Saturday. Bournemouth could have scored even more, but one goal was ruled out and Dominic Solanke hit the post.

    United have lost seven out of 16 games in the Premier League. They are currently in sixth place in the table, but they could drop lower after Sunday’s games.

    Ten Hag’s team will probably be knocked out of the Champions League unless they can beat Bayern Munich in their next game. They also need Copenhagen and Galatasaray to draw in order for them to move on to the next round.

    Murphy wants things to be different at United. He said to the Daily Mail, “The win against Chelsea during the week didn’t really solve the problems. ” Chelsea ran past them many times.

    Bournemouth got three goals and they almost got a fourth one. This result shows that United are in trouble.

    United don’t want to go to Anfield and lose by five goals. They were beaten by seven points in March. The same thing happening again could lead to a change.

    Post-game interview with Erik ten Hag after Bournemouth defeated Manchester United 3-0.

    “I always thought United would give Ten Hag more time, but to reach their goals, they might need a new manager now to figure out what needs to be done. ”

    I feel bad because Ten Hag is a nice guy, but it seems like the United job was too soon for him.

    At Ajax, he didn’t have to lead famous players. He never had to deal with always being watched closely at one of the largest clubs in the world.

    He’s trying to learn while working, but it’s not going well. If the manager does not change, then the style will stay the same.

    It’s time to make a change, but only if they have a plan ready. Firing Ten Hag now doesn’t make sense unless United know what they want to do next. But it’s obvious that this manager is not the best person for United.

    “If Bournemouth beat City 3-0, you would be really surprised. ” You would feel the same if they went to Arsenal and won by three goals. When they go to United and do it, you just don’t care. “That explains everything. “

  • Gabriel Jesus minimises Arsenal’s penalty claim during their loss to Aston Villa

    Gabriel Jesus minimises Arsenal’s penalty claim during their loss to Aston Villa

    Arsenal player Gabriel Jesus has reluctantly agreed with the decision not to give him a penalty in the Gunners’ 1-0 loss to Aston Villa on Saturday, even though he said he was touched.

    The team from North London lost their second game of the Premier League season at Villa Park. John McGinn scored a goal after only seven minutes, which made the difference.

    Arsenal was mostly in control of the game, especially before and after halftime. They had chances to score a goal to tie the game, but they didn’t take advantage of them.

    The Gunners thought that the referees made some unfair decisions. They wanted a penalty for Jesus but the referees didn’t listen. Kai Havertz also had a goal ruled out because of handball.

    Douglas Luiz touched his friend Jesus on the back of his leg while he was controlling the ball in the area, but the referee and video assistant referee didn’t think it was enough to give a penalty.

    Manager Mikel Arteta disagreed with the decisions made against his team, saying they were very clear, but Jesus was a bit more polite about it.

    Afterwards, he talked to Premier League Productions and said: “I felt someone touch me, but I’m not sure about the rules, so maybe for them, it’s not a penalty. ”

    I can’t do anything about it. I felt someone touch me, but it’s their choice.

    I’m not sure if the goal was a handball or not. We don’t know, but we have to accept it and focus on doing better in the next game. Then maybe we can make some better decisions.

    He said that he thinks his team played better than in the last game at Villa Park.

    “I believe we were in control of the game. ” I believe we gave up a goal early and that changed the direction of the game.

    We did well in the game. They have a great team with great players and they play really well. You can see it when they play. I believe we can win the game, but we need to concentrate on the next game now.

    Arsenal is now in second place in the Premier League. Liverpool moved up to first place after beating Crystal Palace. The two teams will play against each other at Anfield in two weeks.

  • Jonathan Tah receives offer from Chelsea and Manchester United

    Jonathan Tah receives offer from Chelsea and Manchester United

    Manchester United and Chelsea probably won’t be able to sign Jonathan Tah from Bayer Leverkusen in January. The player and the club don’t want to make a move at this time, according to reports.

    The 27-year-old almost left Leverkusen in the summer. He had a release clause in his contract for just £15million, but no clubs ended up using it.

    His potential future teammates may be sorry now because the defender has played 12 games in the Bundesliga this season and has helped his team reach the top of the table without losing any games.

    Tah has caught the attention of United, Newcastle, and West Ham with his performances. He only has 18 months left on his contract as a Germany international player.

    Sky Sport Germany says that Chelsea are interested in the experienced defender and have inquired about him.

    However, Leverkusen won’t sell Tah in the middle of the season and the player won’t ask to leave.

    Leverkusen is doing really well, and Tah wants to stay and win trophies with the team because he has been there for eight years.

    He also doesn’t like the idea of changing teams during the middle of the season, especially because the European Championship is going to be held in Germany next summer, and he wants to play in it.

    However, he wants to try playing in the Premier League in the future and will consider his options when his contract has only one year left.

    Even though Leverkusen usually keeps their players, they are okay with letting Tah go. This is different from when they fought off a big offer for Tapsoba from Spurs last summer.

    This will be their final opportunity to make money from the defender, and they hope to get about £21. 5 million for him.

    United are looking for a new defender because they are not sure if Raphael Varane will stay for a long time. Varane, who is a veteran player from France, may leave in January because he is not playing much for the team.

    Chelsea is thinking that Thiago Silva might leave at the end of this season. They have already bought some young defenders, but they might still sign another one in January, especially if they sell Trevoh Chalobah.

  • Mikel Arteta lists Arsenal players his team still lacking

    Mikel Arteta lists Arsenal players his team still lacking

    Mikel Arteta is happy with how quickly Kai Havertz has been improving lately, but he admits that his team still needs the experience of Granit Xhaka.

    The Arsenal manager didn’t want to, but he let the Swiss player leave in the summer. The player had his best season at the club.

    Arteta took a big risk by deciding to swap Xhaka for Kai Havertz, agreeing to a £65million deal in hopes of turning the 24-year-old into a midfielder.

    Havertz had a tough time at first, but now he seems to be understanding his new job better. He has scored three goals in his last four games, showing that he is improving.

    Arteta says that even though the team is doing better, they still miss Xhaka who left. The team was doing well in the Premier League.

    He said to Sky Sports: “He was a very important player for our team. ” We miss Granit, yes. We are sad because we don’t have Granit with us. I also miss him because I care about him.

    Havertz is playing really well now because he feels more confident. Arteta also said that he thinks everyone can sense what’s happening around them.

    “When things aren’t good, it can affect you. ” When it’s very good, it can affect you as well.

    ‘I believe he felt the encouragement from all his fellow players and his club supporting him. ‘ And now, he feels the help from our community, which is really important and can make him even better. That’s why I think we’re seeing a really good version now.

    We need to have more than one idea for what we want. Ultimately, we need to make sure that the player’s qualities fit the position and its requirements in order to make them stronger.

    If something isn’t working, we need to make small changes so that it can have a positive impact on the team.

    ‘I think he needs to feel at ease so he can do a good job. ’

  • Police on manhunt for Somali president’s son after motorcycle crash

    Police on manhunt for Somali president’s son after motorcycle crash

    Turkey is looking for the son of Somalia’s president because he is accused of causing a motorcycle courier’s death by running him over.

    A police report said that Mohammed Hassan Cheikh Mohamud crashed into the delivery person during the day in Istanbul.

    The police said he was driving a car that they think belonged to the Somali consulate.

    Turkey stopped Mr. Mohamud from traveling, but they think he has already left the country.

    On X, which used to be called Twitter, Istanbul’s mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu posted a video from a security camera that shows what happened on 30 November.

    A car looks like it hit the back of a motorcycle at a busy intersection on a road with many lanes.

    38-year-old father-of-two named Yunus Emre Göçer was in a motorcycle accident and taken to the hospital. Sadly, he died from his injuries six days later on Wednesday.

    The police report originally said that Mr Göçer was responsible for what happened, so Mr Mohamud was let go, as reported by Mr Göçer’s lawyer in Turkish media.

    However, after looking at the security camera footage, it seems like there could be another reason for what happened.

    Mr Mohamud, the son of Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, has not said anything.

    The Turkish prosecutor issued a warrant for Mr. Mohamud’s arrest on Friday that applies internationally.

    The police went to his house and found out that he had not been there for almost a week, according to the AFP news agency.

    In the last ten years, Turkey and Somalia have become better friends. Turkey has helped Somalia by building things like roads and bridges, training the military, and giving aid to people in need.

  • President of Rwanda compared to Adolf Hitler by leader of Democratic Republic of Congo

    President of Rwanda compared to Adolf Hitler by leader of Democratic Republic of Congo

    The leader of Congo has strongly criticized the leader of Rwanda by comparing him to Adolf Hitler.

    Félix Tshisekedi said that Paul Kagame was acting like Hitler and he also said that he believes Kagame will meet the same fate as Hitler.

    Mr Tshisekedi, who is running for election again, was speaking at a gathering in Bukavu, near the border with Rwanda.

    He often says that Rwanda supports rebels in the eastern part of his country, but Rwanda always denies it.

    The person speaking for Rwanda’s government said the president of Congo‘s comments were a clear threat.

    With the election coming up in less than two weeks, Mr. Tshisekedi is working to get support for another term in office. Efforts to stop the fighting in the eastern part of the country have not worked. The area is still not safe, even though troops from the region and the UN have been there. Now, those troops are going away.

    Many different armed groups have caused chaos, including the M23 rebels led by the Tutsi people. Tshisekedi says they are supported by Rwanda.

    A group of experts from the UN noticed the same thing in a report they released. The US supported their findings.

    The M23 group has been taking over land in Congo and making hundreds of thousands of people leave their homes.

    On Friday night, Mr Tshisekedi told his supporters that he would tell Mr Kagame that if he wants to act like Adolf Hitler by trying to take over more land, he will suffer the same fate as Adolf Hitler.

    “But now he has found someone who is just as strong and is trying to stop him and keep his country safe. ”

    Hitler caused the deaths of millions of people, including six million Jewish people in the Holocaust. He killed himself in a bunker in the German capital, Berlin, in 1945.

    His attempt to make Germany bigger caused World War Two.

    Mr Tshisekedi has said before that the leader of Rwanda is against the Democratic Republic of Congo. Last year, he said in a BBC interview that their relationship was not very close. “It was him who made the bad choice to attack Congo. ”

    Mr Kagame always ignored that talk before and said Mr Tshisekedi is a “war monger”. Instead, he is focused on another rebel group, the Hutu-led FDLR, in the eastern DR Congo, which Rwanda sees as a danger.

    Yolande Makolo, a spokesperson for the Rwandan government, said on a social media platform that the president of the Democratic Republic of the Congo made a strong threat, when talking about Hitler. She was worried because a rebel group called FDLR has a lot of weapons.

    Mr Kagame has been the main leader in Rwanda since the terrible event in 1994 when many people were killed by some people who didn’t like them because of their ethnicity.