The United States Car safety officials are looking into problems with the brakes in some Honda cars. The investigation is being carried out by officials following reports of crashes and fires.
The issue affects certain Honda cars made from 2019 to 2022. This includes the Honda Insight, which is a hybrid car, and the Honda Passport SUV. About 250,712 vehicles are involved, according to the NHTSA, which is a US safety organization for cars.
The NHTSA report says that the Office of Defects Investigation got 46 complaints. Some of these complaints were about crashes, fires, and injuries.
Per reports, the auto brake system might turn on by mistake and cause a crash, which could hurt people and damage property, says the NHTSA.
Honda has been talking to the agency about this and will work with them to investigate. They will also look into it themselves.
The first step of an NHTSA investigation looks at complaints from consumers or notices from the manufacturer to see if there might be a safety problem.
Tag: US
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US begins investigation into emergency braking system in some Honda cars
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Trump expresses worry over US government’s decision to ban TikTok
Donald Trump, who wants to be president, is worried about stopping TikTok before the US votes next week. The House of Representatives wants TikTok’s owner, ByteDance, to sell the app within six months.
The former leader of the Republican party stated, “If TikTok is removed, so should Facebook. ” He said he wants to make their business twice as big and doesn’t want Facebook to do better.
Trump wants to be president again and he said this on a new social media app called Truth Social on Thursday night.
The Trump campaign has not said anything yet about what they think about the new law. Meta Platforms, the company that owns Facebook, refused to give any comment.
The Energy and Commerce Committee agreed to make new rules for TikTok with a unanimous vote. TikTok is used by about 170 million people in the US.
Mike Pence, who was the vice president when Trump was president, supported the new TikTok law in the House. “China is trying to negatively influence American kids. ” “He said on site X, which used to be called Twitter, that he had reached the limit. ”
The new law says ByteDance has to sell TikTok within 165 days. If they don’t, app stores like Apple and Google can’t have TikTok for download and ByteDance can’t use their web hosting services.
In 2020, Trump tried to stop TikTok and WeChat from operating in the US because they are owned by Chinese companies, but the courts said he couldn’t.
Republican Senator Rand Paul, who had stopped a quick effort to ban TikTok, replied to Trump’s statement saying that the former president helped deal with worries about the U.S People who use TikTok will benefit from a $1. 5 billion project by the company.
“Why are House GOP supporting President Biden and still trying to stop Tik Tok. ” Paul wrote on X, using an acronym for Republicans. “If Congress stops TikTok, they will be doing the same thing as the Chinese communists who have also stopped TikTok. ” Why not just protect freedom of speech.
In August 2020, Trump made a rule that says TikTok is collecting data that could give the Chinese government access to Americans’ personal information. This could let China find out where federal workers are, gather personal information for blackmail, and spy on businesses.
TikTok says that it hasn’t shared and won’t share U.S because the House bill says that sharing user information with the Chinese government is not allowed. It is not known if China will agree to any sale or if TikTok will be sold off within six months.
The company said a new law will definitely make TikTok completely illegal in the United States, after the Energy and Commerce Committee voted on it. “The government wants to take away the freedom of speech from 170 million Americans. ”
The app is liked by many people, but it might be hard to get it approved by the House and Senate in an election year. Last month, Biden’s campaign for president started using TikTok.
Trump’s team is not using TikTok for their campaign. -
Honduran former president imprisoned in US over drug trafficking
The ex-president of Honduras, Juan Orlando Hernández, was found guilty in New York for working with drug dealers and using his military and police to let a lot of cocaine into the United States.
The jury made a decision in a federal court after a two-week trial. Many people in his home country were very interested in this trial. Hernandez was found guilty of planning to bring cocaine into the United States and having two illegal weapons. If found guilty, people have to go to prison for at least 40 years and could be there for the rest of their lives. The date for the sentencing is June 26th.
Hernandez, who is 55 years old and was the leader of a country in Central America with about 10 million people, patted his defense lawyer, Renato Stabile, on the back as they stood in the courtroom with everyone else while the jurors left after the verdict was read.
When almost 100 people who didn’t like Hernández heard the news, they clapped and started jumping in the air to celebrate.
In the courtroom, everyone was calm and Hernández looked relaxed as the jury foreperson announced the verdict on three counts. Sometimes, Hernández had his hands together in front of him or one leg over the other while each juror was asked to confirm the verdict. All of them did.
Judge P. Kevin Castel complimented the jurors for all agreeing on a decision, which was important for a guilty verdict.
“We live in a country where 12 people can’t agree on a pizza topping,” the judge said. He said his message would have been the same no matter what their decision was. “I’m in awe of you, that’s why. ”
Hernandez’s lawyer Sabrina Shroff said he will try to overturn the guilty decision.
In a statement issued by an American Lawyer Damian Williams, he wants the conviction to show corrupt politicians that they should make better choices.
He said that Hernández could have done a lot of good things for his home country Honduras. Instead, he decided to use his position and country for his own benefit and worked with big drug organizations to bring lots of cocaine to the United States.
Hernández was taken by the police from his home in Tegucigalpa, the capital of Honduras, three months after he stopped being the leader in 2022 and was sent to the U.S in April that year.
The United States. Prosecutors said Hernández worked with drug traffickers since 2004. They said he took millions of dollars in bribes as he advanced from a rural congressman to president of the National Congress and then to the country’s highest office.
Hernández admitted in court that drug money was given to almost all political parties in Honduras, but he said he didn’t take any bribes.
He said he went to the White House and met the President of the United States. The president portrayed himself as a leader in the fight against drugs and said he collaborated with the U.S to stop drugs from coming into the U.S
One time, he was told by the FBI that a drug gang wanted to kill him.
He said the people accusing him made up their stories to get lighter punishment for their own crimes.
“They all want to lie, and they are really good at it,” Hernández said.
However, the prosecution made fun of Hernández for appearing to say that he was the only truthful politician in Honduras.
prosecutors gave their final speech to the jury. Lawyer Jacob Gutwillig said to the group of people deciding the case that a dishonest Hernández made a way for cocaine to come into the United States very quickly and easily.
Stabile said his client has been wrongly accused and asked for a not guilty verdict.
Witnesses in the trial confessed to committing many murders and said Hernández helped powerful cocaine dealers, like El Chapo, who is now in prison for life.
Hernandez wore a suit during the trial and seemed calm as he answered questions through a translator. He kept saying “no sir” when asked if he ever gave bribes or promised to protect traffickers from being sent to the U.S
His brother, named Juan Antonio Hernández, who used to be a congressman in Honduras, was given a life sentence in 2021 in a court in Manhattan for being found guilty of drug charges. -
Trump maintains control over US Republican Party as daughter-in-law assumes prominent role
Donald Trump’s grip on the Republican National Committee was further solidified on Friday as his daughter-in-law and another friend got top positions. Some members are arguing over whether the organization should help pay Trump’s legal bills.
Members of the RNC met in Houston and decided to make Michael Whatley and Lara Trump the leaders of the organization. They will be responsible for getting voters and money for the November election. 5 big election.
The move happened after Trump won most of the Super Tuesday primary contests. This made Nikki Haley quit the Republican race. It almost guarantees that Trump will be the next U.S president to be chosen and will compete against President Joe Biden, who is a Democrat.
“On November 5th, our aim is to win big, as my father-in-law says. Every dollar we raise will be used to help Republicans win the White House, the House of Representatives and the Senate. ” Lara Trump stated.
Ronna McDaniel is no longer the leader of the organization. McDaniel was criticized for not raising enough money and for doing poorly in the elections. While Trump was in charge, he lost the 2020 election, and the party didn’t do as well as expected in the 2022 midterm elections.
Some RNC members want the committee to help pay for Trump’s legal bills, which have grown to hundreds of millions of dollars with penalties. Neither Whatley nor Lara Trump talked about the issue on Friday. Trump wants his son Eric’s wife to be the second most important person in a political organization that helps Republicans get elected at all levels. This shows that Trump is taking control of the organization. No one in a president’s family has had as much power in the Republican Party since Reagan’s daughter in the 1980s.
One of the main things the new leader needs to focus on will be getting the money. In 2023, the RNC made less money than usual and had less than $9 million in the bank by the end of January. The Democratic National Committee had $24 million in comparison.
“We need to collect a large amount of money,” Lara Trump said, holding up a check for $100,000 that was donated on Friday.
Similar to how her father-in-law often speaks, she described the upcoming election using moral values.
“This is not just about political sides, like the Republicans or Democrats,” she said. “It’s about the battle between good and bad. ”
Trump’s expenses for lawyers.
Lara Trump caused a commotion last month when she said she thinks Republicans should pay for the former president’s legal bills and didn’t say no to using RNC money.
Trump will have to pay a lot of money for lawyers this year because he has 91 criminal charges in four cases and owes more than $500 million for three civil court cases in New York.
Henry Barbour, a member of the RNC from Mississippi, wrote a proposal before the meeting this week. He wanted to stop the committee from paying for Trump’s legal fees. He said all the money should be used to win the election.
Barbour said that donors were scared of Trump using RNC money to pay for his legal bills. “Wealthy people don’t want to cover expenses for other wealthy people,” he said.
Barbour’s plan did not get enough support, and Trump’s campaign co-manager Chris LaCivita, who is expected to join the RNC as chief operating officer, has said that money from the committee will not be used to pay for legal expenses.
Solomon Yue, a member of the Republican National Committee from Oregon, said that he has talked to about 20 other members who also think that the organization should pay for Trump’s legal problems.
Yue said he thinks the Biden administration is using the Justice Department to sabotage Trump’s campaign. Biden says he didn’t do anything wrong in the criminal cases and there’s no proof to support Yue’s claim.
Two Republican donors who talked to Reuters without giving their names said they wanted to wait and see how the new leaders would affect things before giving money. Both were worried about their money being used to pay for lawyers.
“They asked me to donate again.” “I won’t write a check until I know what’s going to happen,” said one of the donors. -
US to increase aid to Gaza as Vice President Harris of US hosts member of Israeli War Cabinet
The United States of America Vice President Kamala Harris met with a member of Israel’s wartime Cabinet on Monday. The member came to Washington against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu‘s wishes. The Biden administration is working harder to send more humanitarian aid to war-torn Gaza.
White House officials said Benny Gantz, who is a rival of Netanyahu, asked for the meeting. The Democratic administration thought it was important for Harris to talk with Gantz, even though Netanyahu didn’t want it.
The United States President Joe Biden, Vice President Harris, and other top government officials are openly expressing their unhappiness about the growing number of deaths in Gaza and the suffering of innocent Palestinians as the war continues for almost five months.
“The president and I have been on the same page since the beginning,” Harris told reporters before meeting with Gantz. Israel can protect itself. Many innocent Palestinian people have been killed. We need to bring in more help and rescue the hostages. “That is still what we believe. ”
The White House said that Harris and Gantz talked about how important it is to free over 100 hostages in Gaza held by Hamas. Seven attacks on Israel. She also said the administration supports a short-term cease-fire to free hostages and give more help to people in Gaza.
Gantz thinks like Netanyahu on most things, but he is more willing to make deals on important issues, such as giving more help to people in need.
The meeting is happening after the United States. On Saturday, they dropped off food and supplies to help the people in Gaza. It was the first of many planned drops.
The situation shows that the relationship between the U.S and Israel is becoming more uncomfortable. Had to fly much-needed help over its close friend’s area to increase support for people in Gaza who really need it. The first airdrop happened shortly after more than 100 Palestinians were killed while trying to get food from an Israel-organized convoy.
The White House said yes to meeting with Gantz, even though someone from Netanyahu’s party said Gantz didn’t have the prime minister’s approval for the meeting in Washington. Netanyahu spoke sternly to Gantz about the visit, showing that there is a growing division within Israel’s wartime leaders.
“We have been talking to all the important people in charge of making decisions about the war, like Mr. Smith” “Gantz,” said John Kirby, a spokesman for the White House’s national security team. “We think this is a normal result of those talks. ” We won’t miss that chance.
Besides meeting with Harris, Gantz also met with White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan and National Security Council Middle East coordinator Brett McGurk. Gantz had a meeting with the Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, and he will also meet with Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday.
Before his White House meetings, Gantz told a reporter from Israel’s public broadcaster that there will be a frank discussion between two friendly and important countries.
Biden is staying at Camp David, a place near Washington, until Tuesday. He is getting ready to give the State of the Union speech later this week.
During the weekend, Harris strongly asked for a short break in fighting in Gaza. It would stop the fighting for at least six weeks, according to administration officials. She also told Israel to not stop aid from getting into the region. The White House has been pushing for that agreement for weeks.
A senior official from the Biden administration said that Israel has basically agreed to the deal. The White House has said that it’s up to Hamas to also agree to the deal.
Biden is under a lot of political pressure because many people are unhappy with how he’s dealing with the fighting between Israel and Hamas. It all started when militants from Hamas attacked, and a lot of people were killed or taken hostage.
In the Michigan presidential primary last week, over 100,000 Democratic voters chose “uncommitted” on their ballots. Biden still won the primary, but the “uncommitted” votes showed that many left-leaning voters are not happy with the president’s strong support for Israel, especially after their military actions in Gaza resulted in over 30,000 Palestinian deaths. The number of votes is worrying for Democrats in a state that Biden won by a small margin in 2020.
Gantz is considered a strong candidate for prime minister. He is seen as a moderate in politics. But he has not clearly said whether he supports the idea of Palestinians having their own country. Biden thinks it’s important for a peaceful resolution, but Netanyahu strongly disagrees.
It is also believed that when the intense fighting calms down, Gantz will quit the government, which could make early elections more likely.
Gantz joined Netanyahu’s war Cabinet with two other ministers in October. Authorities have found that he is easier to work with than Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.
So far, there haven’t been many calls for elections because of the war. But experts believe that when Gantz leaves the government, it will show the Israeli people that the time for working together is over and the push to remove Netanyahu’s government can start.
Gantz wanted to make connections with the U. S, get more help for Israel and try to bring back Israeli hostages. The officials talked without giving their names because. -
US destroyer destroys drones and missiles fired by Houthi rebels in Yemen
The United States military ship destroyed drones and a missile launched by rebels from Yemen in the Red Sea. The Indian navy also released pictures of the ship fighting a fire on a container ship that was targeted by the rebels.
The attack on Tuesday was aimed at the USS Carney, a type of warship called an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer. This ship has been helping the United States in their fight against rebels who are fighting against Israel in the Gaza Strip.
The Houthi attack used drones with bombs and one missile against a ship, according to the U. SThe military’s Central Command stated.
The United States of America Later, they used an airstrike to destroy three missiles meant for attacking ships and three drone boats carrying bombs, according to Central Command.
Brig – person with a high rank in the military. Decode this text. Yahya Saree, a Houthi military spokesperson, admitted the attack, but said their forces aimed at two American warships without giving more details.
The Houthis say they will keep fighting until the attack stops and the blockade on the Palestinian people in Gaza ends.
Saree did not recognize the U. SAirplanes dropping bombs on targets. The Houthis have not said how much damage the American-led strikes have caused them since January, but they have mentioned that at least 22 of their fighters have died.
Since November, the rebels have been attacking ships in the Red Sea and nearby waters because of the Israel-Hamas war. Some ships have carried things to Iran and the Houthis, and one ship carried aid to an area controlled by the Houthis.
Even though the United States and its allies have been bombing for over a month and a half, the Houthi rebels are still able to carry out big attacks. Last month, a cargo ship called the Rubymar sank after being attacked and a drone worth a lot of money was also shot down.
At the same time, the Indian navy shared a video of its sailors from the INS Kolkata battling a fire on the MSC Sky II ship. The ship was attacked by the Houthis in the Gulf of Aden on Monday. Smoke came out of a container on the ship, and there were burn marks from a missile hit by the Houthi.
The Mediterranean Shipping Co. , a company from Switzerland, said a missile hit the ship while it was going from Singapore to Djibouti.
The missile started a small fire, but it has been put out and no one was hurt, the company explained. -
Thousands of meals airdropped into Gaza by US military aircraft
On Saturday, military planes dropped food from the sky over Gaza. The food was in big boxes. Authorities reported that two days after over 100 Palestinians were killed in a chaotic clash with Israeli soldiers while trying to take goods from an aid convoy.
Three airplanes from the Air Forces Central dropped 66 packages with around 38,000 meals into Gaza at 8:30 in the morning. According to two officials who didn’t want to be named, the announcement will be made soon.
The airdrop is the first of many that the U. Splans to announce. President Joe Biden spoke on Friday. Jordan will work together with others to give food to Gaza by dropping it from airplanes.
At least 115 Palestinians died and many more were hurt in the attack on Thursday. They were trying to get help when it happened. The Health Ministry in Gaza, which is ruled by Hamas, said this. Israel says a lot of people were killed in a big rush for food aid, and their soldiers fired warning shots when the crowd started to move towards them in a dangerous way.
John Kirby, who speaks for the White House about national security, said on Friday that they are planning to drop supplies from the air to help people in a safe way.
The C-130 cargo plane is a popular military plane used to deliver aid to hard-to-reach areas because it can land in rough environments and carry a lot of cargo.
A C-130 can carry up to 42,000 pounds of cargo. The crew knows how to secure the cargo, which can even include vehicles, onto large pallets that can be safely dropped out of the back of the aircraft.
The Air Force loadmasters put packages on pallets and tie them down with nets in the back of a C-130 airplane. When the plane gets to the right place, the packages are released with a parachute.
The Air Force’s C-130 plane has been used in the past to drop supplies to places like Afghanistan, Iraq, Haiti, and other places. Every year, it is also used in an event called “Operation Christmas Drop” where it drops toys, supplies, food, and fishing equipment to remote areas in Micronesia and Palau.
The war started on October first. Israel has stopped food, water, medicine, and other things from coming in, but a little bit of aid is allowed to come in from Egypt and Israel.
The United Nations says that 25% of the 2. 3 million people in Gaza might not have enough food to eat. Aid officials say that dropping aid from airplanes is not a good way to give people help, and it should only be done if there are no other options. -
US Supreme Court maintains Trump’s candidature in Colorado
The United States Supreme Court has said on Monday that Donald Trump can be on the ballot in Colorado. This comes after a long argument about whether he broke a rule in the 14th Amendment.
The court said on Sunday that at least one case will be decided on Monday, but they didn’t say which one. However, the court did not follow its normal way of doing things, which makes it seem likely that the decision on the Trump ballot case will be announced soon.
The judges decided last week that they will listen to arguments about whether Trump can be charged with a crime for interfering in the election, including his actions in January. Attack on the United States on January 6, 2021. Capitol building. The court has decided to get involved in a controversial case that doesn’t have much of a past to show what to do. This makes people wonder if Trump will go to trial before the November election.
The ex-president was accused of breaking the law 91 times in four legal cases. Out of all the cases, the only one that is likely to go to trial is his state case in New York. He was charged with lying about his business records when he paid hush money to a porn actor. The trial for that case is scheduled for March 25, and the judge has shown that he is determined to continue with it.This is a breaking news story. More details to come.
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US Supreme Court to render decision in a case involving removal of Trump from ballot in 2024
The Supreme Court is expected to announce its decision on Monday regarding the case of the former U.S President Donald Trump may be removed from the list of candidates because he is trying to overturn the results of the 2020 election.
Trump is trying to change a very important decision made by the Colorado Supreme Court. They said he can’t run for president again and can’t be on the ballot for the state’s primary election on Tuesday.
The case will be decided on Monday, the day before Super Tuesday in 16 states. This will clear up any doubts about whether votes for Trump, the top Republican candidate for president, will be counted. Both sides asked the court to work quickly. The court heard arguments less than a month ago, on Feb. The last sentence is up to you to rewrite as you desire because it was not provided.
The Colorado court was the first to use a law from after the Civil War that stops people who were part of the rebellion from holding government positions. Trump can’t be on the primary ballot in Illinois and Maine. But the decisions for both states, as well as Colorado, are waiting for the Supreme Court’s decision.
The Supreme Court has never made a decision about Section 3 of the 14th amendment before.
The court said on Sunday that at least one case will be decided on Monday, but they didn’t say which one. However, the court did not follow its normal way of doing things, which makes it seem likely that the decision on the Trump ballot case will be announced soon.
Usually, the court makes decisions on the days when the judges are supposed to work, except for when it’s almost the end of June. But the next time we have to go to court is on March 15th. Except for when the court was closed due to the coronavirus, the judges usually read summaries of their opinions in the courtroom. They will not be there on Monday.
All opinions will be posted on the court’s website after 10 a.m Monday at Eastern Standard Time.
The judges decided last week that they will listen to arguments about whether Trump can be charged with a crime for interfering in the election, including his actions in January. Attack on the United States on January 6, 2021. Capitol building. The court has decided to get involved in a controversial case that doesn’t have much of a past to show what to do. This makes people wonder if Trump will go to trial before the November election.
The ex-president is accused of breaking the law 91 times in four legal cases. Out of all the cases, the only one that is likely to go to trial is his state case in New York. He is charged with lying about his business records when he paid hush money to a porn actor. The trial for that case is scheduled for March 25, and the judge has shown that he is determined to continue with it. -
US conducts first air drop of aid for Gaza
The United States conducts its inaugural air drop of aid for Gaza, delivering over 30,000 meals via three military planes.
A spokesperson for the US Central Command informed AFP news agency that the drop was carried out by three C-130 transport planes.
According to sources from the US, as reported by CBS, this air drop marks the beginning of a series of such deliveries.
President Joe Biden has pledged increased aid to the region following the tragic incident on Thursday, where over 100 individuals lost their lives while seeking assistance from a convoy.
This developing news story is continuously updated, and additional details will be provided shortly. Please refresh the page for the latest information.
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US to investigate whether Chinese cars are risk to national data security
The United States is checking to see if cars from China could be a threat to national security. They might put limits on the cars because of worries about their technology.
The United States Commerce Department needs to investigate because cars gather a lot of personal information about the people inside them and use cameras and sensors to record detailed information in the United States. “The White House said they are working on fixing the infrastructure. ”
The study will also look at cars that can be controlled or stopped from far away.
President Joe Biden said that China’s rules could bring a lot of their cars to our market, which could be dangerous for our national security. “I won’t allow that to happen while I’m in charge. ”
White House officials told reporters that it’s too soon to say what they might do and said they haven’t decided yet if they will ban or limit Chinese cars.Officials told news people the U. SThe government has a lot of power and can make big decisions that affect a lot of people.
Biden said it is a big plan to make sure cars in the U. Sare better for the environment. The roads from countries we are worried about, like China, do not harm our security as a nation.
The Alliance for Automotive Innovation, a group that represents big car companies like General Motors, Toyota, and Volkswagen, wants the Commerce Department to talk to them before making any decisions that could affect their industry.
The group asked Commerce to focus on deals that might be dangerous for the U. SProtecting the economy and the safety of the country, but not stopping small transactions that could affect vehicle safety.
Not many Chinese-made small trucks and cars are being brought into the US. Gina Raimondo, who is in charge of trade, said the government is doing something to stop problems from getting big and causing danger to our privacy and safety.
Chinese companies that make electric cars have been relying on Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and Europe as their biggest markets for selling their cars to other countries. BYD, the biggest seller of electric cars in the world, has said many times that it doesn’t have any plans to sell its cars in the U. SThe company is searching for a place in Mexico to build a factory to make cars for the local market.
BYD announced on Wednesday that it will start selling its Dolphin Mini EV in Mexico for 358,800 Mexican pesos (US$21,019. 33), which is less than half the price of the cheapest Tesla.
The Chinese foreign ministry did not respond right away to a request for comment on Thursday.
Cui Dongshu, who is the secretary general of China Passenger Car Association, said it is unfair to single out cars from a certain country that have smart sensors and put restrictions on them.
The Biden administration is thinking about adding extra taxes on cars made in China. They are also feeling pressure to limit the number of electric cars from China that are brought into the US through Mexico.
The United States The U. Shas made rules to help people use less. The electric vehicle battery supply chain is being moved away from China. Companies and consumers will not get tax benefits if they use materials from China in their supply chains.
In December last year, China was accused of breaking trade rules and causing problems for global supply chains. China is in control of making the batteries for electric cars, and now others are trying to make a new supply chain that doesn’t rely on China.
In November, a group of both Democratic and Republican people in the United States worked together. Politicians are worried because Chinese companies are collecting and managing important information while testing self-driving cars in the US.
The Commerce Department wants to hear opinions for 60 days and then think about making rules to solve problems. The probe will also look for information about US-made cars, such as where the software is from.
The United States didn’t allow Chinese telecom companies to do business there because they were worried about data security. They said Huawei and ZTE were a danger and couldn’t operate in the U. SCarriers must take their equipment out of the United States. Networks are connected systems of computers or other devices that can communicate and share information with each other. The White House said China is putting a lot of limitations on the United States. Foreign cars and other foreign vehicles driving in China. “Biden said that we should not let Chinese connected vehicles operate in our country without protections. ”
In the past few years, China has made its rules for managing data in the country stricter. Most industries have to ask for approval before they can send data to other countries.
In May, the government made stricter rules about how car companies can use data. They also suggested that smart cars in China should not send data to other countries, but should use Chinese cloud services instead. -
I have lost the opportunity to visit my family – Ghanaian gay journalist in US
Ignatius Annor, a Ghanaian journalist based in the US who identifies as gay, has reacted to the passing of Ghana’s anti-LGBTQ+ bill by parliament.
Mr Annor, who publicly revealed his sexual orientation years ago, described feeling disoriented upon hearing the news. He also mentioned the challenge of reporting on the topic for his media outlet.
“My heart started to beat super fast, and my body began to tremble,” he narrated as he sought and was granted the day off to deal with the overflow of emotions.
In addition to the general concern it raised for him and the entire same-sex community back home, Annor also expressed personal frustration with a specific aspect of the bill.
He revealed his apprehension about being unable to visit his family in Ghana due to the law.
“And, most personal to me is the lost opportunity to visit my family. Here’s what I know: living in truth is the most powerful tool one has. Leah, Deirdre, Marine, and Todd, I thank you for the outpouring of love and support. They meant so much to me,” his February 29, 2024 post on X read.
Parliament has passed the Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill also known as the anti-LGBTQ bill after three years following its introduction.
During Wednesday’s Parliamentary session Majority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin sought to make amendments to the bill during the second consideration stage citing human right infringement.
Parliament has passed the Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill also known as the anti-LGBTQ bill after three years following its introduction.
During Wednesday’s Parliamentary session Majority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin sought to make amendments to the bill during the second consideration stage citing human right infringement.
However, the Minority rejected his request, prompting the Speaker to push for the third consideration stage,.
Speaker Alban Bagbin put the bill to a voice vote and the ayes had it.
As it stands now, Parliament has tabled the bill to the President’s desk for President Akufo-Addo to assent to the bill to become law.
The Anti-LGBTQ+ bill aims to criminalize LGBTQ+ activities in Ghana. It proposes strict penalties, including imprisonment, for individuals engaged in activities related to homosexuality and LGBTQ+ advocacy.
Additionally, the bill seeks to prohibit the promotion of LGBTQ+ rights, organizations, and events in Ghana.
Prior to its passage, there had been several amendments to the bill. After deliberation, Parliament decided that the minimum custodial sentence has been set at three years, with a maximum of five years for promoters and sympathisers.
Additionally, individuals caught directly engaging in these activities will face a minimum sentence of six months, extendable to a maximum of three years.
Ghana is among many African countries that are working to rid LGBTQ activities in the society. Uganda enacted one of the world’s harshest anti-gay laws in May, which calls for the death penalty for certain same-sex acts.
However, the Minority rejected his request, prompting the Speaker to push for the third consideration stage,.
Speaker Alban Bagbin put the bill to a voice vote and the ayes had it.
As it stands now, Parliament has tabled the bill to the President’s desk for President Akufo-Addo to assent to the bill to become law.
The Anti-LGBTQ+ bill aims to criminalize LGBTQ+ activities in Ghana. It proposes strict penalties, including imprisonment, for individuals engaged in activities related to homosexuality and LGBTQ+ advocacy.
Additionally, the bill seeks to prohibit the promotion of LGBTQ+ rights, organizations, and events in Ghana.
Prior to its passage, there had been several amendments to the bill. After deliberation, Parliament decided that the minimum custodial sentence has been set at three years, with a maximum of five years for promoters and sympathisers.
Additionally, individuals caught directly engaging in these activities will face a minimum sentence of six months, extendable to a maximum of three years.
Ghana is among many African countries that are working to rid LGBTQ activities in the society. Uganda enacted one of the world’s harshest anti-gay laws in May, which calls for the death penalty for certain same-sex acts.
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We will stop sending you money if anti-LGBTQ bill is passed into law – US warns Ghana
US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller has indicated that the US government will restrict foreign aid to Ghana if the country approves the Proper Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, also known as the anti-LGBT Bill.
Engaging the press, Mr Miller said, “If this bill becomes law, it will only have a chilling effect on investment. For instance, in Ghana, you’ve seen that same chilling effect bear fruit in Uganda, which passed a very similar law in the past. I can say that should the bill pass, it would potentially have ramifications for US assistance in the country.”
He noted that both governments have had intensive conversations on the matter, which were done behind closed doors.
The US provided over $211 million in assistance to Ghana in fiscal year 2022, supporting various sectors including agriculture, malaria prevention, and AIDS combat efforts.
The United States has expressed deep concern over the passage of stringent anti-LGBTQ+ legislation in Ghana, stating that it threatens constitutional freedoms.
The new bill, passed on Wednesday, imposes a prison sentence of up to three years for anyone convicted of identifying as LGBTQ+. It also imposes a maximum five-year jail term for forming or funding LGBTQ+ groups.
The bill will be presented to President Nana Akufo-Addo, after which he’ll have seven days to sign it into law or refuse to assent to it, according to Ghana’s constitution.
The passage of the bill has been criticized by rights organizations and other groups.
“The bill would also undermine Ghana’s valuable public health, media and civic spaces, and economy,” the US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said in a statement.
Also, UNAids executive director Winnie Byanyima said the bill, if it becomes law, could incite violence by Ghanaians against their fellow citizens.
She said that it will “obstruct access to life-saving services, undercut social protection, and jeopardise Ghana’s development success.”
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Anti-LGBTQ bill passage will be detrimental to valuable public health, media, economy – US warns Ghanaians
The United States has expressed deep concern over the passage of stringent anti-LGBTQ+ legislation in Ghana, stating that it threatens constitutional freedoms.
The new bill, passed on Wednesday, imposes a prison sentence of up to three years for anyone convicted of identifying as LGBTQ+. It also imposes a maximum five-year jail term for forming or funding LGBTQ+ groups.
The passage of the bill has been criticized by rights organizations and other groups.
“The bill would also undermine Ghana’s valuable public health, media and civic spaces, and economy,” the US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said in a statement.
It has called for the “review of the constitutionality of the bill”.
Meanwhile, Rightify Ghana has strongly condemned “this regressive legislation, which poses a grave threat to the rights and freedoms of LGBTQ+ individuals in the country”.
UNAids executive director Winnie Byanyima said the bill, if it becomes law, could incite violence by Ghanaians against their fellow citizens.
She said that it will “obstruct access to life-saving services, undercut social protection, and jeopardise Ghana’s development success.”
The bill will be presented to President Nana Akufo-Addo after which he’ll have seven days to sign it into law or refuse to assent to it, according to Ghana’s constitution.
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US-led ‘justified accord’ exercise launches in Kenya with over 20 nations participating
Embarking on Monday, a multinational military drill dubbed “Justified Accord” commences in Kenya, heralded as the largest of its kind in East Africa, with over 20 nations participating.
Running for 11 days until next Thursday, the exercise aims to bolster the readiness of participating countries for peacekeeping missions, crisis response, and humanitarian assistance, as reported by state-owned Somali broadcaster SNTV and Kenyan media outlets.
Notably, the event will feature the involvement of numerous US-trained Somali commandos, alongside personnel and units from 23 nations, as highlighted by private news website Kenyans.co.ke.
Described by the US military as its “largest exercise in East Africa,” Justified Accord underscores the commitment of the US and partner nations to enhance regional security and crisis response through increased readiness and interoperability.
This initiative comes amid ongoing security challenges in East Africa, including the persistent threat posed by the al-Shabab insurgency, prompting the US to lead similar exercises in the region in recent years.
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US and UK launch new attacks on Houthi in Yemeni
The Pentagon says that fighter planes from the US and UK attacked 18 Houthi sites in Yemen. This is the fourth time that the two countries have worked together on such an operation.
The US targeted storage places, drones, defense systems, radars, and a helicopter of the militant group in Saturday’s strikes.
The UK says that the allies worked to make the Houthi group weaker.
The Iran-supported Houthis are continuously attacking ships in the Red Sea, which is a major trade route.
The Houthis, who are in charge of a lot of Yemen, including the capital Sanaa, have been attacking ships that they believe are connected to Israel and the Western countries in reaction to the ongoing war between Israel and Gaza.
The way products are shipped around the world is being affected because some big shipping companies are changing their routes to avoid the Red Sea. This is causing problems and making it more expensive to ship things.
The Pentagon said it attacked 18 Houthi targets in Yemen on Saturday. The targets were where the Houthi group stored weapons and missiles, as well as air defense systems.
“These targeted attacks are meant to stop the Houthis from being able to threaten global trade, ships, and the lives of innocent people in a very important waterway. ”
The Houthis have attacked more than 45 ships since mid-November. This is a threat to the world economy, as well as the safety and stability of the region. It needs a response from the international community.
The strikes were done with help from Australia, Bahrain, Canada, Denmark, the Netherlands, and New Zealand, according to the statement.
Soon after, US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin said that America will not wait to act if necessary to protect lives and keep trade moving freely in one of the world’s most important waterways.
UK Defence Secretary Grant Shapps said that it is our job to keep people safe at sea and ensure that ships can move freely.
“That’s why the Royal Air Force attacked Houthi military targets in Yemen for a fourth time. ”
Earlier today, the US military said they destroyed seven Houthi missiles that were going to be used to attack ships.
A few days ago, the crew of a cargo ship from Belize and registered in the UK left their ship in Yemen because it was hit by missiles from the Houthis. -
US imposes more than 500 additional sanctions on Russia
The US has added over 500 new punishments against Russia for going into Ukraine and for the death of Alexei Navalny.
President Joe Biden said that the sanctions are aimed at people involved in Navalny’s imprisonment and Russia’s military operations.
Almost 100 companies or people will not be allowed to send goods to other countries.
The EU made rules to punish Russia, so Russia stopped EU officials from coming into the country.
It’s not known how the sanctions will affect Russia’s economy.
President Biden said that the sanctions will make sure that Putin pays a higher price for his actions outside of Russia and for how he treats people in his own country.
The penalties come a week after Navalny died in a jail in the Arctic Circle. Mr Biden said he is sure that the Russian president is responsible.
The penalties are happening right before the second anniversary of Russia’s complete invasion of Ukraine.
“Two years ago, he attempted to completely destroy Ukraine. ” Mr Biden said that if Putin is not held accountable for his actions, he will continue causing harm.
On Friday, the EU said it will punish almost 200 companies and individuals for helping Russia get weapons or for being involved in kidnapping Ukrainian children. Russia denies these accusations.
10 Russian companies and people were involved in helping North Korea ship weapons to Russia. This included North Korea’s defense minister.
The EU has put the names of over 2,000 people on a list since the war began.
Russia’s foreign ministry said they have added more EU officials and politicians to a list of people who are not allowed to come into Russia.
“The European Union keeps trying to pressure Russia with restrictions, but it’s not working,” a statement said. -
AT&T outage: Thousands report problems with US mobile carriers
There were problems with US mobile phone service all over the country on Thursday morning.
Downdetectorcom keeps track of when internet and phone service isn’t working. It found that many people reported problems with their service after 04:00 EST (09:00 GMT).
Tens of thousands of people have reported issues with AT&T hotspots in the south and east, according to Downdetector.
People are saying that their phones are showing an SOS message, which means they can’t make calls or use any services.
We don’t know why it happened. The BBC has asked several people for their opinion.
AT&T is replying to customer complaints online, but they have not admitted that there are widespread network problems yet.
Verizon, a network company, told the media that its network is working fine despite reports on Downdetector.
It seemed like customers were having problems reaching people from another company and were complaining about it.
T-Mobile said its network is working fine and some customers might have trouble making calls to other networks.
Some customers of Cricket Wireless, UScellular and Consumer Cellular are having problems too.
People are having trouble making calls, sending texts, and using the internet. Many people are saying they have no service or no signal at all.
Downdetector’s map shows that big cities like Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, and Atlanta are having the most problems with their service.
Some areas don’t have 911 emergency service. Use a landline, social media, or a cell phone from a different company for help in an emergency. -
Japanese mafia boss plotted trafficking of nuclear materials – US
American legal authorities have accused a suspected member of the Japanese mafia of planning to transport nuclear materials illegally.
It is said that 60-year-old Takeshi Ebisawa tried to sell uranium and plutonium to Iran so they could make a nuclear bomb.
In April 2022, Mr Ebisawa and another person from Thailand were accused of having weapons and drugs.
He could go to jail for the rest of his life if he is found guilty of the new charges.
US officials say Mr. Ebisawa is a big part of a criminal group from Japan called the Yakuza. They do illegal things in Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand, and the US. Ebisawa is in a jail in Brooklyn.
The US Department of Justice said that Mr. Ebisawa and his friends showed samples of nuclear materials in Thailand to an undercover agent from the US Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA).
The person was pretending to be a person who sells drugs and weapons and had connections to an Iranian general.
The nuclear samples from Myanmar were taken by Thai authorities and given to US investigators. A US lab found uranium and plutonium that can be used to make weapons.
Prosecutors claim that Mr. Ebisawa tried to get a lot of powerful weapons for a rebel group in Myanmar.
The weapons included missiles that can shoot from the ground to the sky, rifles for close combat and shooting from a distance, guns that shoot a lot of bullets at once, rockets of different sizes, and different types of gear for military purposes.
Assistant attorney general Matthew G Olden said on Wednesday that it’s scary to think about what would have happened if these efforts had worked. The justice department will punish anyone who tries to sell these materials and put US national security and international stability in danger.
In February 2020, it is said that Mr. Ebisawa talked to a DEA agent about selling stuff for nuclear bombs. According to US lawyers, he said in secret messages that uranium is not healthy for you.
In September of that year, Mr. Ebisawa supposedly sent an email to a secret DEA agent with a letter from a mining company. He said he would sell 50 tonnes of uranium and thorium for $6. 85 million (or £5. 4 million)
The lawyers also say that he sent pictures of a dark, rocky substance with a device that measures radiation levels.
Mr Ebisawa is accused of working with others to illegally trade nuclear materials, bring drugs into the country, try to get and own anti-aircraft missiles, and wash money.
The other person involved in the case is a 61-year-old man from Thailand named Somphop Singhasiri. He is being accused of having drugs and weapons.
The two people will appear in a New York court on Thursday. -
US govt investigates Ahmed Suale’s death; accesses his Whatsapp, photos, video etc
The locked iPhone and Huawei phone of investigative journalist, Ahmed Hussein-Suale have been successfully unlocked by the United States (US) government.
Thousands of images, texts, audios, videos, and WhatsApp messages are under analysis by police investigators.
Ahmed Hussein-Suale was assassinated near his family home in Accra on January 16, 2019, believed to be linked to his investigative work.
Justice Minister Godfred Yeboah Dame revealed the collaboration, stating that no docket for prosecution has been submitted regarding the murder.
US collaboration involved unlocking Suale’s phones, revealing “millions of documents” analyzed by Homicide and Cybercrime Units.
Minister Dame emphasizes ongoing efforts to bring the perpetrators to justice and explores alternative motives for the murder.
Investigations include satellite imagery, sketches from witness descriptions, and telecommunications analysis.
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US Embassy in Ghana to list surplus properties for sale
The US Embassy in Ghana has announced plans to auction surplus properties, including vehicles, to the public.
In a post shared on X on Wednesday, February 21, 2024, the embassy revealed that the online auction is scheduled to run from Monday, February 26, 2024, to Wednesday, February 28, 2024.
According to the announcement, interested individuals can participate in the auction by submitting bids online at https://online-auction.state.gov.
Bidding will commence at 8:00 am on February 26, 2024, and conclude at 8:00 pm on February 28, 2024.“The US Embassy will conduct an online auction of surplus properties and vehicles. Bidding opens at 8:00 am on Feb 26, 2024, and closes at 8:00 pm on Feb 28, 2024.
“All bids must be submitted online at https://online-auction.state.gov. Instructions for bidding and the lots available for purchase can also be viewed on this site,” part of the post reads.
The embassy also mentioned that physical viewing of the auction items, including vehicles, will be possible at its Accra premises on Thursday, February 22, and Friday, February 23, 2024, from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm each day.
It emphasized that there is no warranty for all auction items and encouraged inquiries to be directed to accraonlineauction@state.gov.The U.S. Embassy will conduct an online auction of surplus properties and vehicles. Bidding open at 8:00am on Feb 26, 2024 and closes at 8:00pm on Feb 28, 2024. All bids must be submitted online at https://t.co/rGWQBTpa2c. Instructions for bidding and the lots available for… pic.twitter.com/cOXedxPE5P
— U.S. Embassy Ghana (@USEmbassyGhana) February 21, 2024 -
Ukraine war: Russia arrests US-Russian woman on suspicion of treason
A woman with citizenship in both the US and Russia has been arrested in Russia for allegedly betraying her country and giving money to Ukraine’s army.
The woman from Los Angeles was collecting money for a Ukrainian group that supports the armed forces in Kyiv, according to the Russian security agency FSB.
She was also accused of going to rallies in the US that support Ukraine.
The 33-year-old was held by the police in Yekaterinburg.
The FSB stated that the woman has been gathering money for the Ukrainian organization since February 2022, when Russia began its big military operation in the country.
It said that the money was later used to buy things like medical supplies, equipment, and weapons and bullets for the Ukrainian army.
The video from RIA Novosti, a Russian news agency, showed a woman with her face covered and blurred, walking with a police officer.
She was put in handcuffs and taken to a police car. Then she was taken to a small room in the court and later taken out.
The FSB stated that the woman was working against the safety of our country and was supporting the Ukrainian army while in the US.
Last year in April, the Russian President, Vladimir Putin, made a new law that gives a longer jail sentence for treason. This is part of his plan to stop people from speaking against the government.
The FSB arrested a woman in Yekaterinburg, which is 1,600km east of Moscow. This is the same city where US journalist Evan Gershkovich was arrested for spying last year.
Mr Gershkovich, who knows a lot about Russia, was working for the Wall Street Journal at the time.
In January, Russia decided to keep him in jail until the end of March for trial. He could go to prison for up to 20 years if he is proven guilty.
The US government says that the reporter was kept in custody unfairly.
Last week, Mr Putin told US host Tucker Carlson in an interview that he thinks they might be able to make a deal to release Mr Gershkovich.
A few more Americans are currently in jail in Russia. One of them is Paul Whelan, a former marine who has been in prison there since 2018. He was found guilty of spying and has to spend 16 years in prison. -
Alejandro Mayorkas: House of Representatives votes to remove secretary of homeland security
The House of Representatives has decided to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas by a very small margin. This makes him the first cabinet member to face impeachment in almost 150 years.
Many Republicans think Mr Mayorkas is responsible for a lot of migrants coming to the US from Mexico.
The Republicans voted 214 to 213 in favor of the measure, after it didn’t pass last week.
The problem will now go to the Senate, where the Democrats are in charge, and it will probably not pass.
President Joe Biden said that the vote was a clear and unfair decision made by one political party and a move meant to gain attention.
Critics said Mr. Mayorkas did not keep his promise to do his job well and faithfully because he did not work enough to make the border safer.
Most Democrats and a few Republicans voted against impeachment.
The three people who left their group also voted no on the first try to remove Mr. Mayorkas from his job. They said that taking him out of his job for something not very serious would make the punishment in the constitution weaker and wouldn’t help with the border problem.
Over 63 million people came to the US without permission since 2021. This has made immigration a big problem for politicians before the election in November.
Donald Trump is really focusing on this problem in his campaign to remove Mr. Biden from his job.
After the vote, Mr. Biden said Mr. Mayorkas is a good public servant.
The president said he has followed the law and showed a strong dedication to our country’s important values.
Mia Ehrenberg, who speaks for the Department of Homeland Security, said that Republicans are not focused on solving the big problems at our border. Instead, she said they are focused on going against the constitution.
Republican leader Mike Johnson said that he thinks Mr. Mayorkas should be removed from his job.
In January, Republicans accused Mr Mayorkas of not doing his job in enforcing immigration rules and lying about the safety of the border.
Democrat Al Green from Texas came to vote against impeachment while wearing hospital clothes, surprising everyone. He was in the hospital getting surgery.
House leader Steve Scalise voted after missing last vote due to cancer treatment. His coming back helped the Republicans get enough votes to win.
Impeachment is the first step in removing a government official for doing something really bad. It’s in the US Constitution.
It needs more than half of the House to agree, then the Senate has a trial.
We need at least two out of three people to agree for it to work.
The impeachment probably won’t happen because the Democrats only have a small majority in the Senate.
The House will give the Senate the impeachment articles on 26 February.
The last cabinet secretary to be impeached was Secretary of War William Belknap in 1876. He resigned just before the vote.
In a poll done in January by CBS, nearly half of Americans said they think the situation at the border is a crisis. 63% of people said they want stricter border policies.
The US agency in charge of protecting the border said that fewer people crossed the border in January. They think this happened because of the usual patterns at that time of year and because they have been working harder to enforce the rules. -
US Senate approves a $95 billion aid package for US, Israel, and Ukraine
The US Senate has finally agreed to give $95 billion in aid to Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan after arguing about it for a long time.
The Democrats wanted to pass the bill, but the Republicans couldn’t agree and had voted against it before.
The package has $60 billion for Kyiv, $14 billion for Israel’s fight against Hamas, and $10 billion for help in places where there is war, like Gaza.
The bill will now go to the House, where we don’t know what will happen to it.
The package passed the Senate even though some Republicans, like House Speaker Mike Johnson and former President Donald Trump, criticized it. It also includes over $4bn for Indo-Pacific allies.
Lawmakers said yes to the package with a vote of 70 to 29. In the end, 22 Republicans and most of the Democrats voted for the law, including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.
“MrMcConnell said that history will make things clear,” in a statement after the vote. “Today, history will remember that the Senate did not waver in its belief in the importance of American leadership and strength. ”
The president of Ukraine thanked the senators for passing it.
“In Ukraine, the help we get from the US keeps people safe from Russian attacks and saves lives. ” This means that life will keep going in our cities and will win over war. This was written by Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky on X, also known as Twitter.
The vote happened after the Senate stayed up all night and some Republicans made speeches against the measure.
The group of right-wing Republicans led by Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky promised to delay the process, so it took a long time to think about the bill.
“Shouldn’t we focus on fixing our own country before anything else. ” he said in a long speech to delay the bill from being passed.
Some lawmakers who want positive change, like Jeff Merkley from Oregon and Bernie Sanders from Vermont, voted against the bill because they are worried about supporting Israel’s bombing of Gaza.
The aid package is a smaller version of a $118 billion package that Senate Republicans rejected last week.
Republicans first wanted to make sure that any help given to other countries was connected to making the southern border more secure. However, after Mr. Trump opposed the plan, Republicans could not agree on whether to support it.
Some lawmakers want to put border security back into the current version of the law.
MrJ ohnson said on Monday night that the Republican-controlled House wouldn’t approve the new bill without those rules.
“The Republicans in the House said right away that any national security law must focus on our border security,” he said.
Mr Johnson said that the lawmakers need to start over and work on the law to make sure the border is secure.
Democratic Senator Chuck Schumer, who leads the majority in the Senate, praised the approval of the bill on Tuesday. He said the Senate was warning Putin that he will be sorry for doubting America’s determination.
The US gives a lot of help to Ukraine. The White House requested Congress to pass a bill with foreign aid a few months ago.
This might be the last chance for Congress to give Ukraine help. Ukraine says it might not be able to fight off Russia without support from the United States. -
US Defence Secretary Austin calls off NATO summits after his hospitalisation
US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin has had to cancel a trip to Nato headquarters because he had to go to the hospital for the third time in three months.
Mr Austin, who is 70 years old, is in the intensive care unit at a hospital in the Washington DC area. The Pentagon said he has a serious problem with his bladder that needs urgent attention.
In a recent announcement, the Pentagon said they expect Mr Austin to be back at work by Tuesday.
His deputy is doing his job for now.
According to a statement from Walter Reed Military Medical Center officials, they don’t expect the person to stay in the hospital for a long time. This statement was released by the Pentagon on Monday. “We think the Secretary will be able to go back to his usual work tomorrow. ”
Mr Austin is in the hospital for a treatment that doesn’t involve surgery. He will be given medicine to make him unconscious while doctors work on his bladder problem. The Pentagon said he will be in the intensive care unit at Walter Reed for his whole stay but didn’t say how long that will be.
People are looking closely at Mr. Austin because his past trips to the hospital have been kept a secret.
He didn’t tell anyone in the US chain of command that he had prostate cancer in December or went back to the hospital in January.
Mr Austin’s bladder problem shouldn’t affect his recovery. He should still be able to fully recover as expected. Maj Gen Pat Ryder, the Pentagon spokesperson, said that the outlook for his cancer is still very good.
The defense secretary was supposed to lead a meeting about Ukraine’s defense in Brussels, Belgium, on Wednesday. It would have been his first trip to another country since he first went to the hospital.
He was supposed to go to a Nato meeting led by Nato’s leader Jens Stoltenberg on Thursday.
Mr Austin joined the latest UCDG meeting online from his house on 23 January.
His office told the media that Mr Austin plans to have these upcoming meetings online.
On Sunday afternoon, the Pentagon said that Mr Austin was taken to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Maryland for treatment. The White House and senior defense officials were also told about this.
Later in the afternoon, the Pentagon said that Mr. Austin gave his job to Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks.
On Sunday, the hospital said that the secretary had been moved to the critical care unit for extra support and careful watching.
Authorities have not said how long the first black US defense secretary will be in the hospital or when he might start working again.
Mr Austin’s doctors said that his bladder problem was not going to stop him from getting better from cancer.
Last year, Mr. Austin had an operation as part of his treatment for cancer.
He had to go back to the hospital on New Year’s Day because he had a lot of pain in his leg, hip, and stomach from complications after the procedure. The doctors found a bladder infection, and he stayed in the hospital for more than two weeks.
Top military leaders and the Biden administration were not aware of Mr. Austin’s serious illness until three days after he was readmitted to the hospital in January.
The defense secretary is the second in charge of the US military after the president, and is considered a very important member of the cabinet.
The situation made people worry about how open and safe things were, and caused three different investigations into how Mr. Austin dealt with his sickness and time in the hospital. Some important Republicans said he should be fired from his job.
At a meeting with reporters earlier this month, Mr. Austin said he was really sorry for not giving enough notice and that he had said sorry to President Joe Biden in person.
The defence secretary will speak at the end of the month about why he did not tell government leaders about something. -
Herbert Wigwe’s aide, Olushola, escaped death after opting to travel by road – Reports
Faleye Olushola, the special assistant to Herbert Wigwe, co-founder and group chief executive officer of Access Holdings Plc, narrowly escaped tragedy on February 9.
Mr Wigwe, along with his wife and son, lost their lives in a helicopter crash.
The unfortunate incident involved Flight N130CZ, operated by Orbic Air LLC, crashing in the USA on February 10, with Wigwe, his wife Chizoba, and his son among the six passengers on board.
Remarkably, Olushola, listed on the manifest, avoided the disaster by choosing to travel by road instead of taking the helicopter from Palm Springs to Boulder City in Nevada.
Olushola, who had flown with Wigwe and others from London to Palm Springs, decided against the helicopter due to concerns about night-time weather conditions.
This decision spared him from the tragic air disaster that claimed the lives of four individuals, including Wigwe and his family.
Access Holdings responded to the incident, expressing a lack of “adequate information” about the crash and assuring collaboration with US authorities for updates.
Herbert Wigwe, known for inspiring messages, regularly shared positive content on his social media accounts, emphasizing living a life of purpose, kindness, and gratitude.
In another development, Adams Oshiomhole, the senator representing Edo North Senatorial District, urged Nigerians not to solely blame President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the current state of the nation.
Oshiomhole attributed some of the challenges to the policies of the previous administration led by ex-President Muhammadu Buhari.
He emphasized that national interest should take precedence over partisan considerations and acknowledged his criticism of Buhari’s policies during an interview on Channels TV.
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US chopper accident kills Nigerian bank chief
The person who helped start Access Bank in Nigeria has died in a helicopter crash in California along with five other people.
Herbert Wigwe, his wife, son, and a former president of the Nigerian stock exchange all died in the accident.
President Bola Tinubu said that Mr. Wigwe’s death is a very sad and shocking event.
Investigators are searching the site in the desert in southern California to figure out what caused the crash.
The helicopter that had been rented crashed about 96km from Las Vegas on its way from Palm Springs to Boulder City in Nevada.
Nigerian media reported that a 57-year-old banker was traveling to Las Vegas for the Super Bowl on Sunday.
The San Bernardino county sheriff’s department said the accident happened close to Nipton, on the edge of the Mojave Desert Preserve. The weather was bad, with reports of rain and snow showers in the area.
Mr Wigwe started Access Bank in 1989. It became the biggest bank in Nigeria in 2018 when it bought Diamond Bank, its main rival.
In the last few years, Mr. Wigwe has been busy expanding his business to other countries in Africa. He bought banks in Kenya, South Africa, and Botswana.
He was going to start a new bank in Asia in early 2024.
People are sending their respects after hearing about his death. President Tinubu was very surprised and couldn’t understand it. The president’s office said that his death is really bad news for Nigeria and the banking industry in Africa.
In a newspaper article earlier this year, Mr. Wigwe said that putting money into college and universities is very important. It can help to stop lots of people from moving to other countries, which is causing problems in many places.
Thinking about that, he was working on creating his own school called Wigwe University. It was supposed to start in September in the oil-rich Niger Delta region of Nigeria, where he came from.
We must look at the big picture and consider all aspects of global migration, starting with how we usually help other countries develop. The best place to control migration is not in the middle of the Mediterranean, the English Channel, or the Rio Grande. Many migrants are very eager to leave their home countries. He said he wanted to give back to society through his university. -
US Senator Chris Coons discovers German Chancellor Olaf Scholz as his look alike
What do a US Senator from Delaware and the Chancellor of Germany have in common. It turns out, they have a lot in common.
Chris Coons and Olaf Scholz met in Washington DC on Thursday. Chris Coons and Olaf Scholz saw each other in Washington DC on Thursday. Then they took a picture together and posted it online with the same question.
“Who is who? ” Sen Coons made a joke, which is in German for “Wer ist wer. ”
At first look, it was tough to tell them apart because they had similar grey hair, were starting to go bald, and had big smiles.
Mr Scholz is the leader of Germany’s three-party government that started in 2021. He is not known for being funny. The experienced left-wing politician quickly joined in the fun.
“Chancellor Scholz said he was happy to see someone who looks just like him again. He posted a picture on X, which used to be called Twitter. ”
They are both around the same age, 60 and 65, and are both about 5ft 7in tall. They both like politics and want to send more military help to Ukraine as soon as possible.
Mr Scholz came to Washington DC for a planned meeting with President Joe Biden. He wanted to ask for help for Ukraine and talk about the consequences if more aid is not given.
He talked to Sen Coons and other lawmakers on Thursday to tell them the same thing.
MrScholz is visiting while Congress is trying to find a way to give more help to Ukraine and Israel. It’s difficult because Republicans are against it.
The German leader wrote in an article on the Wall Street Journal that people in other countries are watching to see if our disagreements can be used against us.
We need to show that they are wrong by telling people on both sides of the ocean that if Russia wins, the world will be much more dangerous. -
Nations we provide arms to shoud follow laws of war – US warns
US President Joe Biden said that countries getting American weapons must follow the rules of international law in a memo on Thursday night.
The new rule says that countries getting military help must promise in writing that they are following the rules of war.
The president admits that Israel went too far in its response in Gaza. This led to the decision to move.
Israel gets the most money for the military from the United States.
President Biden wrote in a memo saying that if foreign governments want to get weapons from the US, they must promise in writing to use them the right way, following international laws.
Foreign governments also need to promise that they will make sure US aid gets to civilians in war zones.
The memo says that Congress and the president should be given this information regularly.
All 100 countries that get weapons from the US have to promise within the next 180 days. But the countries in conflict, like Israel, only have 45 days to respond to the order.
The memo says that if a problem comes up, we need to make a plan to fix it.
It means that they might stop giving weapons or other support, until the problem is fixed.
Every year, Washington gives Israel about $3. 8 billion in military aid, which makes Israel the biggest recipient of this kind of funding in the world.
Government officials said on Thursday that the order does not focus on any specific country. This comes after Democratic lawmakers expressed worries about Israel’s military actions in Gaza and if they followed international laws.
Senator Chris Van Hollen is happy that Congress is trying to make sure that countries who receive military aid have to obey international rules.
Sen Van Hollen said he thinks this will help Biden make sure that all countries getting US military help, like Israel, follow the rules of international humanitarian law and work together to give out humanitarian aid.
The military campaign started because Hamas attacked Israel on October 7th and killed 1,300 people, according to Israeli officials. 250 more people were kidnapped.
Since Israel’s counterattack, over 27,800 Palestinians have been killed and at least 67,000 have been injured, according to the health ministry run by Hamas.
Video from the air above Gaza shows that many buildings in the area have been damaged or destroyed. Approximately 17 million people, which is more than 80% of Gaza’s population, have to leave their homes and stay in other places.
Since the war in October, there hasn’t been as much aid going to the people in Gaza. The UN has said that many people there are in danger of not having enough food to eat.
Earlier this week, the leader of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, said that the military has been told to get ready to go to Rafah, a city next to Egypt where 1. 5 million Palestinians are living.
Mr Netanyahu said Israel will soon have a complete victory over Hamas.
The US said on Thursday that attacking the city without a good plan would be a bad idea.
The White House said it wouldn’t support big operations without thinking about the refugees there first. -
US museum returns pilfered artefacts to Ghana
The king of the Asante kingdom in Ghana, also known as the Asantehene, has been given back seven royal objects that were stolen from the kingdom almost 150 years ago.
The things were brought back from the Fowler Museum at the University of California in the US and given to King Otumfuo Osei Tutu II in a ceremony on Thursday.
They have a gold necklace, a fancy chair, two gold decorations for stools, and two bracelets.
An important person’s elephant tail whisk, a special ceremonial item, was given back, according to Erica P Jones, who works with African art at Fowler Museum.
The items have been at Fowler Museum since 1965, but were taken by British forces from the Asantehene’s Manhyia Palace in the city of Kumasi, southern Ghana, in 1874.
The items were returned to the kingdom less than two weeks after the British Museum and Victoria and Albert Museum loaned back 32 items that had been stolen from there in the 19th Century. -
Man accused of killing girlfriend in US escapes Kenyan police custody
Kelvin Kangethe, aged 41, who fled the United States after allegedly murdering his girlfriend, has managed to escape from a police station in Kenya.
Kangethe was apprehended last week as he left a club in Nairobi, Kenya’s capital, following an extensive manhunt by both Kenyan and US authorities.
Despite a court order allowing his detention for 30 days pending possible extradition, Kangethe has vanished.
Authorities claim that Kangethe killed his girlfriend last October and left her body in a car at Boston Logan International Airport before boarding a flight to Kenya, his country of origin.
As of now, Kangethe has not provided any statement regarding the allegations against him.
In a shocking turn of events, Kenyan police revealed that Kangethe escaped from the Nairobi police station where he was being held on Wednesday evening and boarded public transportation.
Following this security breach, four police officers and a lawyer who met with Kangethe before his escape have been arrested, according to Nairobi police commander Adamson Bungei.
The incident has been deemed “embarrassing” for Kenyan police, prompting a renewed effort to locate Kangethe.
The family of Kangethe’s girlfriend, Margaret Mbitu, informed US media that she had intended to end their relationship before her alleged murder. Mbitu, a 30-year-old Kenyan-American nurse working in Massachusetts, was last seen leaving her workplace on October 30th last year.
Her disappearance was reported on the same day, and her body was discovered two days later. Authorities suspect Kangethe fled the US during the period between Mbitu’s disappearance and the discovery of her body.
Security footage captured Kangethe leaving the airport parking lot where Mbitu’s body was found, further linking him to the crime. He departed on a flight the morning after Mbitu went missing.
A Kenyan court was scheduled to decide on Friday whether Kangethe would be prosecuted in Kenya or extradited to the US to face first-degree murder charges. Kangethe claimed to have renounced his US citizenship last year.
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US Supreme Court to decide whether or not Trump can run for presidency
The US Supreme Court will decide on Thursday if Donald Trump can still run for president. It’s a new legal issue for them to explore.
The judges will decide if Colorado is allowed to remove Mr. Trump from its ballot because he took part in the attack on the US Capitol.
Their choice will also decide if other attempts to prevent Mr. Trump from participating in elections in other states are allowed.
He is the top choice to be the Republican party’s candidate.
Unless the judges decide in favor of Mr. Trump, he will probably compete against Democratic President Joe Biden in November.
This is a very important case that has come to the court. The last time something this big happened was in 2000, when the court stopped the recount of votes in Florida. This decision made George W Bush, a Republican, the president instead of Al Gore, a Democrat.
The US Supreme Court has made the challenge faster, and there is pressure to make a decision before 5 March, when voters in 15 states – including Colorado – vote in Republican primaries.
Mr Trump’s name is still on the Colorado ballot, but the court will make the final decision. Maine has also decided to not include Mr. Trump on its ballot. This decision is on hold while the judges think about it.
The legal issue depends on a law from the time of the Civil War that stops people who have been part of a rebellion from having a certain position or job.
government office
This rule has never been used to stop someone from becoming president.
In December, the Colorado Supreme Court said it knew its decision was really important.
“We know we must follow the law fairly and without any bias, even if people might not agree with our decisions,” the justices wrote.
Mr Trump’s lawyers said that the Colorado decision unfairly stopped millions of voters from taking part and could also stop many more in other places.
The legal officers of 27 states agree with his argument and they say that the decision in Colorado will cause a lot of trouble.
“Clearly, it creates confusion during an upcoming election. ” – the lawyers wrote. “Furthermore, it disrupts the roles of Congress, the States, and the courts. ”
Courts in Minnesota and Michigan have rejected attempts to take Mr. Trump off their voting lists, but other cases in states like Oregon are still waiting for a decision.
The US Supreme Court will decide this case based on how most of the judges understand the 14th Amendment, including the insurrection clause.
The ex-president’s lawyers have given the court many reasons why he should not be taken off the ballot.
In one, they say that the 14th Amendment doesn’t apply to people running for president.
In another argument, they say that Mr. Trump’s behavior during the US Capitol riot on January 6, 2021, was not an insurrection.
The situation is brought before the Supreme Court, which already has very low support from the public.
Regardless of what the nine judges decide, it will probably cause a lot of disagreement. Three of the judges were chosen by Mr.
The highest court has a habit of avoiding politically charged legal issues by focusing on the smallest legal details. This might happen in this case too.
Mr Trump will not be going to the hearing on Thursday.
He is dealing with a lot of legal problems. Last month, he was told to give $83. 3 million or $65 million for saying bad things about columnist E Jean Carroll, who he was found to have sexually attacked in a different case.
The Supreme Court, which has mostly conservative judges, may have to decide on another case involving Mr.
Earlier this week, a court in Washington DC said that the president can be charged for trying to overturn the 2020 election.
MrTrump needs to ask the Supreme Court by Monday to stop this ruling. -
US drone strike in Baghdad kills militia leader backed by Iran
A top leader of a group supported by Iran was killed by a US drone attack in Baghdad.
A high-ranking member of Kataib Hezbollah and two of his bodyguards were attacked while driving in the eastern part of Baghdad, Iraq. All of them passed away.
The Pentagon said the leader was in charge of planning attacks on US forces in the area.
The US believes that the militia was involved in a drone attack in Jordan that killed three US troops last month.
After the attack, Kataib Hezbollah said it was stopping attacks on American troops to avoid causing trouble for the Iraqi government.
On Wednesday night, there was a drone attack in the Mashtal neighborhood of Baghdad. It caused many loud explosions.
A car was hit directly on a busy street and it caught on fire.
One of the people hurt has been named as Abu Baqir al-Saadi, a leader in Kataib Hezbollah.
The US Central Command (Centcom) said that at 9:30 pm local time (6:30 pm GMT), they killed the person who planned and took part in attacking US forces in the region.
“At this time, the Centcom statement says there is no evidence of harm to people or damage to buildings. ”
When the media team arrived, they saw a lot of people protesting and shouting, “America is the worst. ”
There were a lot of police and Swat teams from Iraq’s interior ministry.
The BBC team wanted to get close to the burned car, but the people watching told them to go away because they didn’t want journalists there.
“You are not from here,” a man yelled, adding “and people like you are causing this problem”.
The attack happened a few days after the US did 85 strikes in Iraq-Syria border area. This was in response to a drone attack on American soldiers in Jordan on 28th January which resulted in deaths.
President Joe Biden said the attacks last Friday are just the start of how the US will react.
The attack by the drone in the capital of Iraq will be seen as a big increase in violence.
But it was bound to happen that the American plan would focus on attacking not just the buildings and facilities used by the groups, but also their top bosses.
Soon after the attack on Wednesday, groups in the country wanted to get back at the US.
Harakat al Nujaba, a group accused of attacking American soldiers, said they will fight back. They also warned that they will punish those responsible for the attacks.
On January 4th, the US attacked in Baghdad and killed an important leader of Harakat al Nujaba.
American soldiers have been attacked more than 165 times with rockets and drones since the war between Israel and Gaza started on October 7th.
According to the Pentagon, there are about 2,500 soldiers in Iraq and 900 in Syria from the US. They are there to fight against the Islamic State terror group.
The US military has started to attack the Houthi group in Yemen because they attacked commercial ships in the Red Sea. -
Man who died in KNUST bus accident was a Ph.D. student in US – Report
Hilary Dodoo, identified as the driver of an SUV involved in a fatal collision with a shuttle bus transporting students from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), has been revealed to be pursuing a Ph.D. in the United States.
Per reports, he was a senior Biomedical Laboratory Scientist at KNUST Hospital.
Hilary, a former student of Opoku Ware Senior High School, had returned to Ghana with his wife and children for the holidays.
The tragic accident occurred as Mr. Dodoo was en route to a funeral in Kumasi.
Reports indicate that his SUV collided head-on with a shuttle carrying approximately 50 fourth-year students from the Civil Engineering department of the Obuasi Campus. The students did not sustain injuries.
But Hilary Dodoo tragically lost his life in the accident. He is survived by his wife and two children.
Many have expressed their condolences with the bereaved family on social media.
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Republicans fail to fire US Homeland Security Secretary
The House of Representatives, which is mostly led by Republicans, did not vote to remove Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas from his job. This was a very close vote, but it did not pass. The reason for the vote was because of the problems with migrants at the US-Mexico border.
Four Republicans went against their own party and voted with all Democrats in the room. They voted 216-214 to reject the measure.
Critics of President Joe Biden say Mr. Mayorkas is responsible for more people entering the US illegally at the border.
Protecting the border is becoming a major issue in the 2024 election.
Three Republicans, Ken Buck, Tom McClintjson, and Mike Gallagher, didn’t vote yes on Tuesday night.
Blake Moore from Utah changed his vote from yes to no as a procedural move.
Democratic Congressman Al Green from Texas was brought to the floor in hospital clothes to vote no, which got a lot of attention. He went to the emergency room to have an operation.
Even if the House voted in favor, Mr Mayorkas probably wouldn’t be found guilty by the Democratic-controlled Senate.
Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Republican from Georgia, started the process to impeach someone. After the vote, she said she will try again.
“My coworkers who said no, I believe they will get feedback from the people they represent,” she said to the media outside the Capitol building.
House Speaker Mike Johnson’s spokesperson, Raj Shah, wrote on social media that the Republicans will try to impeach Mr. Mayorkas again when they have enough votes.
Some Republican members of Congress said the problem won’t affect their own investigation into President Biden’s impeachment.
Signs that some party members were against voting for Mayorkas had appeared earlier in the day.
Mr McClintock said Tuesday morning that he will vote against impeachment because he thinks the articles don’t show any crime that Mayorkas did, and they also misinterpret the Constitution.
Impeachment is a way to remove a government official for doing something really bad. It is in the US Constitution.
It needs more than half of the House and more than two-thirds of the Senate to pass. The Democrats are in charge of the Senate right now.
In 1876, the Secretary of War William Belknap was the last cabinet secretary to be impeached, but he quit his job just before the vote.
A spokesperson from the Department of Homeland Security said that the impeachment is baseless and should not have progressed. Both Democrats and Republicans oppose it, and legal experts say it goes against the constitution.
She said that if House Republicans really care about protecting the border, they should stop playing political games.
House Republicans had two meetings in January and accused Mr. Mayorkas of not enforcing immigration rules and lying to lawmakers about the safety of the southern border.
The secretary did not speak at the hearings.
Before the vote on Tuesday, Democrat Jim McGovern from Massachusetts said that Republicans wanted to make things chaotic, confusing, and create a problem for Donald Trump in the next election.
Republican Chip Roy of Texas said that Mr. Mayorkas did not enforce immigration laws properly, which led to the deaths of American citizens and migrants.
In January, a survey by CBS and the media US partner found that 63% of Americans think the country should have stricter border policies.
Over 63 million people came into the US without permission since Mr. Biden became president in 2021.
Around 24 million people came to the US and most of them are waiting for a court date to ask for asylum. The system is very busy and this could take many years.
This week, a group of US senators from both parties proposed a new law to make borders stronger and help Ukraine and Israel more.
House Republicans said no to the bill.
Right after the impeachment vote on Tuesday, the House looked at a different bill from the Republicans. This bill would have given $17. 6 billion to Israel, but it also did not pass. -
Six killed in drone attack at US base in Syria
Right now there is a lot of tension in the Middle East. We are trying to give you updates from different places, and the latest one is from Syria.
A drone attack at a big US military base killed at least six fighters from a group of Kurdish soldiers who are allies.
The information is from a group called the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) that worked with the US and other countries to defeat the Islamic State group in eastern Syria. It was mentioned
A military school at an oil field in the eastern part of the country was attacked by a drone sent from an area controlled by the Syrian government.
The SDF said they have started looking into it and found that the militias supported by Iran were responsible for the terrorist act.
A group in the UK said that seven SDF soldiers were killed and 18 were hurt in the 108th attack on US bases in the country since mid-October.
The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, which is a group of Iraqi militias supported by Iran, said they were responsible for a drone attack on a US base in the al-Omar oil field. This was reported by the Iraqi media.
It also said it attacked a US base in Jordan near Syria on January 28 using a drone. Three US soldiers were killed. In response, the US carried out air strikes on Iranian military sites in Syria and Iraq. -
Deputy foreign minister of Houthi charges US of “lying”
The deputy foreign minister of the Houthi-led government in north-western Yemen said that the US is not telling the truth about what is happening in the Red Sea and the war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
“Hussein al-Ezzi says it’s safe to travel across the Red Sea. ” This was reported by Houthi-run Al-Masirah TV.
At a press conference in Sanaa, he said that the Iran-backed group is attacking merchant and naval ships to stop Israeli ships from going to Palestinian ports until the aggression stops.
He also says the US and UK making the Red Sea more like a military zone is a danger to ships and boats.
The US and UK say the Houthis have done more than 30 dangerous and disruptive attacks in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden since mid-November. They think the recent attacks were meant to weaken the Houthis’ military power. -
15 raids undertaken by US in Yemen – Report
The Houthi-controlled Al-Masirah TV said US planes attacked western Yemen with 15 night-time raids. It is not certain if the strikes are the ones the US military announced happening on Sunday morning.
A military source said there were 11 attacks in the Red Sea area of Hudaydah. Eight were at a port called Ras Isa, and three were further inland in al-Zaidiya.
Four more attacks happened in the eastern Saada province, which is an important area for the Houthis in the north.
Al-Masirah said that there was no harm or injuries reported.
The US military in a recent statement said it attacked a Houthi land attack cruise missile and four anti-ship cruise missiles, but did not give any details about where the missiles were.
Saturday night, the Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sarea said that the US and UK had done 48 attacks in the areas of Sanaa, Hudaydah, Bayda, Taiz and Lahij. -
US launches further attacks in Yemen against Houthis
The US military attacked the Iran-backed Houthi group in Yemen on Sunday, according to US Central Command (Centcom).
Centcom stated that the US attacked a missile on land and four anti-ship missiles that were about to be launched at ships in the Red Sea.
The most recent move happened after the US and UK attacked Houthi targets together.
The US has said it will do more to stop groups supported by Iran in Iraq and Syria.
On Friday, the US attacked targets connected to a group in Iran in Iraq and Syria. This was in response to three US soldiers being killed in a drone attack on a military base in Jordan on January 28th.
Jake Sullivan, who advises the government on keeping the country safe, said there will be more actions taken to stop the groups causing harm.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is going to the Middle East. He will visit Israel, Egypt, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the West Bank.
Mr Sullivan said the most important thing for Mr Blinken would be to make a deal between Israel and Hamas. This deal would involve releasing hostages in exchange for stopping the fighting in Gaza.
“We will keep pushing for it without stopping,” Mr. But now it’s up to Hamas to make a decision.
Israel’s attack on Hamas has caused the deaths of over 26,000 Palestinians, according to the health ministry controlled by Hamas in the area. Hamas attacked southern Israel and about 1,300 people were killed.
The Houthis started attacking ships in the Red Sea to support Hamas. This made big shipping companies avoid the area and hurt global trade.
Egypt made almost half the money it usually does from the Suez Canal in January. The amount of ships using the canal also dropped by more than a third.
On Saturday, the US and UK launched attacks in the southern part of Yemen’s capital city, Sana’a. A human rights activist and local resident said houses were shaking because of the strikes.
Houthi officials talked back and said they will fight back against the US-led strikes.
In response to the attacks on Saturday, the group’s military spokesperson, Yahya Sarea, wrote on X: “These attacks will not stop us from supporting the strong Palestinian people in Gaza. We will not ignore or let the attacks go without consequences. ”
Before, the White House said that it’s air strikes on Iran-supported targets in Iraq and Syria are just the start of its response to Iran, not the end.
Iran says it did not attack the US base in Jordan with a drone. A group called the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, which is connected to Iran, says it is responsible.
But the US says that Tehran was involved in the attack and claims that the drone was made in Iran.
President Biden wrote to the US Congress and said that the strikes on Friday were aimed at buildings used by Iran’s military and their associated groups.
Iran’s IRGC has supported and trained the Islamic Resistance in Iraq.
Mr Biden said that the places they attacked were used for commanding, storing weapons, training, getting supplies, and other things.
He said that the strikes were meant to stop these groups from attacking again, and were done carefully to avoid making the situation worse or hurting innocent people.
He also said he would take more action against the IRGC and people and places connected to them if needed.
Other countries in the region, like Iraq and Syria, are getting more and more upset about the American attack.
“No one told us there would be a strike, not during the strike or that night,” Farhad Alaaldin, who helps the leader of Iraq, said on the BBC’s Newshour show about the strikes that happened on Friday.
He said that whether a warning is given or not, it doesn’t change the fact that Iraq is a independent country.
A large group of people came together in Baghdad on Sunday to show their sadness for 17 militia members who were killed in the US air strikes.
The group shouted that America is very bad and evil, and they held up pictures of the people who had been hurt as they walked behind the ambulances carrying their bodies.
The foreign minister of Oman said that he is very worried about the ongoing increase in tension in the area. This information was shared with the Oman News Agency.
Badr Albusaidi is asking if the US attacks are really helping. He thinks they might make the region less safe and stable, and might make it harder to deal with problems like violence and extremism.Washington thinks that the attacks have “weakened the militia’s abilities” and have been effective, according to Mr. Sullivan’s statement on Sunday.
He said the US doesn’t want to keep fighting in the Middle East for a long time, but is ready to handle any threats from any group.
He refused to say if the US had decided not to do attacks in Iran.
After the attacks in Iraq and Syria on Friday, American forces were also attacked, a US defense official told the media.
The attack targeted American forces stationed at Euphrates in Syria by shooting rockets at them. The person in charge said that nobody got hurt and nothing got broken. -
US, UK launch strikes on 36 Houthi targets in Yemen
In the second day of significant U.S. operations against Iran-linked groups following an attack on American troops, the United States and Britain conducted strikes on 36 Houthi targets in Yemen.
The strikes targeted buried weapons storage facilities, missile systems, launchers, and other capabilities used by the Houthis to attack Red Sea shipping.
The Pentagon stated that 13 locations across Yemen were targeted in the strikes, which aimed to address the Houthis’ threat to maritime security.
This action is part of the broader U.S. campaign against Iran-linked groups in response to recent attacks on American soldiers.
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Missing son of Ghanaian Pastor in U.S. found dead by river
22-year-old son of a U.S-based Ghanaian pastor, Darius Joshua Appiah, who had been missing for ten days, was tragically discovered dead at Frederiksberg Creek in Virginia.
A search party located the deceased on Saturday, February 3, 2024, leaving the family in deep sorrow. Ambassador Adonteng Boateng, who documented the unfolding events on a live Facebook feed, captured the inconsolable grief of the parents as they awaited the involvement of the police from Stafford County Sheriff’s Office.
The young man went missing on Wednesday, January 23, 2024, shortly after leaving work at 2:22 pm.
Despite efforts to locate him, his phone was turned off an hour later, and he remained unseen until the tragic discovery.
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STIs “out of control” in US following 937 percent increase in infants syphilis cases
Sexually transmitted infections are spreading very quickly in the US, a government agency has alerted.
In the last ten years, the number of babies born with syphilis has increased by 937%, putting their lives at risk.
The CDC announced the update with frustration, showing that they were very disappointed, like a parent.
It was reported that over 2. 5 million cases of chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis were found in the United States.
Chlamydia was the most common STI in 2022, with about 1. 6 million cases in the country. This is the most recent data available.
Gonorrhea had the second highest number of cases, with nearly 650,000.
Public health officials are worried about the big increase in syphilis cases. They have gone up 80% in the last five years, and now there are a total of 203,500 cases of syphilis in all stages.
If syphilis is not treated in adults and reaches its last stage (which is very rare), it can be deadly. But if caught early, it can be treated with antibiotics.
The sickness can be passed through having sex, either through the vagina, anus, or mouth. In the beginning, there may be sores around the mouth or genitals, and later there may be rashes all over the body and flu-like symptoms.
Many people can have the disease but not feel sick.
The first two stages are the most contagious, the report shows a 10% rise in 2022 and a 68% rise since 2018.
However, the most worrying discovery was that there were 3,755 recorded cases of babies being born with syphilis.
Congenital syphilis is when a baby gets sick because their mom has syphilis and passed it to them during pregnancy. -
Putin continues to insist US missiles brought down Russian jet
Vladimir Putin seems to be strongly sticking to his claims that Western weapons caused the Russian IL-76 military plane to crash.
The leader of Russia said that Ukraine used a US missile system to shoot down a plane near Belgorod.
The expert study has proven that already. We want people from different countries to investigate this. He said no global groups want to do this.
Putin said Ukraine shot two missiles at the plane, causing it to explode in the sky.
Video shown on Russian TV shows people investigating the disaster that happened last week.
A few burnt pieces with English writing on them, believed to be from the US missile, were shown on the screen.
However, Putin went even further and said that Ukraine used a weapon from the US to attack the plane.
The Kremlin said that the crash killed all 74 people on the plane, including 65 Ukrainian prisoners of war who were going to be exchanged.
The Russian Defence Ministry said that Ukraine is to blame for the plane being shot down.
Ukraine hasn’t said if it shot down the plane or not. It wants proof of who was on the plane.
However, a Ukrainian military intelligence officer stated on Tuesday that Russia has not been willing to return the bodies.
Andriy Yusov, a spokesperson, said on the Suspilne broadcaster that Russia is saying our prisoners were there, but we can only trust what they say for now.
‘They are not ready to move the bodies from the other place right now. ’ -
Former CIA hacker receives 40-year prison sentence
A former CIA employee received a 40-year prison sentence for passing on confidential hacking tools to Wikileaks.
Joshua Schulte was also declared guilty of having pictures of children being hurt.
The prosecutors said he gave out secret spy tools that let agents hack into smartphones and listen in on people.
They said the leak is one of the most “bold” in US history.
Schulte, who is 35 years old, gave Wikileaks about 8,761 documents in 2017. This was the biggest data breach in the history of the CIA, according to the US justice department.
He said he didn’t do it, but he was found guilty at three different trials in New York in 2020, 2022, and 2023.
On Thursday, he was punished for spying, hacking into computers, disobeying the court, lying to the FBI and having inappropriate pictures of children.
US Attorney Damian Williams said that Joshua Schulte betrayed the country by doing very bad spying crimes.
During the trial, it was shown that Schulte worked as a computer programmer for the Center for Cyber Intelligence. This center spies on terrorist groups and other countries using the internet.
In 2016, prosecutors said he gave the stolen information to Wikileaks and then lied to FBI agents about it.
They said he was angry because of a problem at work.
Schulte was having a hard time finishing his work on time. Assistant US Attorney Michael Lockard said one of his projects was behind schedule and people were calling him “Drifting Deadline”.
The lawyers said he wanted to harm those who he believed did something bad to him and in doing that, he caused a lot of harm to the country’s safety.
Wikileaks started sharing secret information from the files in 2017.
The information that was leaked caused a lot of harm to the CIA. It made it harder for them to spy on other countries and put their people and important work in danger. It also cost the CIA a lot of money.
The FBI talked to Schulte many times after WikiLeaks released the information, and he said he didn’t do it.
Prosecutors said they found a lot of inappropriate pictures of children in his apartment.
They also said that after he was arrested, Schulte tried to send more information. He brought a phone into jail and tried to send a reporter secret information about CIA cyber groups. He also wrote tweets about CIA cyber tools under the name Jason Bourne, a made-up spy character.
He has been in jail since 2018. -
US approves plan to hit Iranian sites in Iraq and Syria – officials
The US has given the okay for a bunch of attacks on Iranian targets in Syria and Iraq, according to officials who talked to the media.
Officials say that the strikes will happen over a few days, and the weather will decide when they will happen.
A drone attack killed three US soldiers near the Syrian border in Jordan on Sunday.
The US said that a group backed by Iran was responsible for the attack.
The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, made up of several armed groups supported by Iran, has claimed responsibility for the attack.
Iran said they did not hurt 41 US soldiers at the military base.
US officials have promised to do something about the drone attack, but President Joe Biden and other officials said the country does not want to start a big war with Iran.
Several groups supported by Iran have been launching more attacks on American and Israeli-related targets since the start of the Israel-Hamas war on 7 October.
The Iran-supported Houthis in Yemen have attacked ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. This has led the US and its allies to launch strikes in response.
According to a US defense official speaking to CBS, a drone was shot down in the Gulf of Aden and an unmanned sea drone was hit and destroyed in the Red Sea overnight.
The three soldiers who died in the attack will be brought back to the United States and taken to a Air Force base in Delaware on Friday. The White House said that President Biden will go. -
US bans Sudanese businesses for supplying arms to violence
The United States government stopped three companies in Sudan from getting money because they are supporting the harmful war in the country.
The Alkhaleej Bank and Al-Fakher Advanced Works, which are controlled by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), have been sanctioned.
Zadna International, the third company, is connected to the Sudanese army, said the US Treasury Department on Wednesday.
The statement said that all three groups have made Sudan less peaceful and safe by either moving money around illegally or making money from selling gold.
The sanctions are being used to try to stop the war that has been going on for nine months.
More than 12,000 people have died and almost eight million people have left their homes because of the fighting, says the UN.
On Tuesday, the leader of the Sudanese army called for a big attack against the RSF.
He said he didn’t want to talk because it was a waste of time.
The US government and other civil rights groups say both the army and RSF did bad things in the war, but they say they didn’t. -
US flags scarce on the market amid rising interest in traveling abroad
On December 31, 2023, The Mirror conducted an investigation into several churches in the Ashanti Region and discovered a prophecy trend called “Flag akwankyerɛ,” prominently displayed on signboards of some churches.
This trend involved the use of miniature flags representing countries that held prospects for Ghanaians aspiring for better opportunities abroad.
The investigation revealed that certain prophets, likely fearing consequences from the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Dr George Akuffo Dampare, had resorted to using symbols to convey messages about the future of public figures or congregants.
With attentive listening, it was observed that it was quite easy to decode which public figure was being referred to in these prophecies.
The American flag, in particular, became scarce, with merchants at Kwame Nkrumah Circle in Accra informing The Mirror that they had run out of stock.
While flags of other countries were abundant, customers seeking the American flag were told it was sold out. It was discovered that many people purchased the American flag and traveled to Kumasi, where certain churches were believed to provide “guidance” (flag akwankyerɛ) for the night.
A flag seller at Circle, Akwasi Osei, revealed to The Mirror that congregants were advised to purchase flags representing their dream countries on the night of December 31. It was believed that doing so could enable them to acquire visas to these countries in 2024.
Osei mentioned some of the churches and disclosed that he had reserved an American flag for himself, intending not to sell it to anyone.
“By 3 p.m., I’ll also be on a bus to Kumasi to attend one of these churches and wave my flag. Next year, I aim to be in America. We’ll leave Ghana for those who wish to stay here”.
The smaller-sized flags were sold for GH¢5, while the larger ones were priced at GH¢50.
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Entering Ghana’s Parliament 10 times more expensive than securing a seat in the US Congress – Bright Simons
Ghanaian entrepreneur and social advocate, Bright Simons, has drawn attention to the significant disparities in the costs associated with running for political office in Ghana compared to the United States.
According to Simons, the relative expenses involved in securing a seat in the Ghanaian Parliament could be at least ten times higher than those associated with entering the US Congress.
He noted that while the average cost of running for a US congressional seat (House of Representatives) stands at about $445,000, the equivalent average cost for a Ghanaian parliamentary seat is estimated at approximately $120,000, up from around $101,000 in 2016.
These figures bring to light the financial challenges candidates face in the Ghanaian political landscape.
Bright Simons also highlighted the economic context, pointing out that the per capita income in purchasing power parity (PPP) terms in the United States exceeds $70,000, whereas Ghana’s per capita income in PPP terms is just above $5,800.
The nominal income disparity further underscores the financial hurdles faced by political aspirants in Ghana.
The population comparison between an average US congressional district, with over 760,000 people, and an average Ghanaian constituency, with just above 120,000 people, raises questions about the systemic factors contributing to the higher political costs in Ghana.
Simons emphasised the potential relevance of audience size as a factor in outreach cost, a theory fundamental to the $740 billion global digital advertising industry.
Simmons’ analysis suggests that, in relative terms, and considering various factors in aggregate, entering the Ghanaian Parliament could be at least ten times more expensive than securing a seat in the US Congress.
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Houthi Red Sea attacks: Group says it struck US container ship
The Houthi group in Yemen claims they have hit a US merchant ship called KOI in the Red Sea in a new attack on commercial ships.
But two sources who work at sea told the media to Verify that the Houthi claim was not true. US and UK authorities have not said if an attack happened.
Security company Ambrey said a ship near Yemen’s southern coast had an explosion on its right side, but they did not say which ship it was.
At the same time, the US started more air attacks in Yemen.
Ten flying machines called drones were going to be sent into the air, but somebody tried to attack them before they could take off.
Reuters news agency says that the KOI is a container ship from Liberia. It is operated by a company in the UK called Oceonix Services. The company owns a ship called Marlin Luanda, which was hit by a missile and got damaged on Saturday.
The Houthis think it’s okay to attack Israeli, US and British ships because of things these countries have done in the past. The US and Britain say they are attacking Houthi missile positions to protect their trade.
Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Sarea said on Wednesday that their armed forces attacked an American ship named KOI with some naval missiles.
He said the ship was going to the ports of a place called “occupied Palestine”, which is another name for Israel.
The industry publication Trade Winds said that the claim was not true. Instead, a crew member who was sick was taken off the ship for medical help.
Two people who work in maritime security agreed with this opinion. UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) has not sent any alerts about the attacks.
But Mr Sarea said again that the Houthis would not hesitate to fight back against any increased actions from Britain and America.
“The Yemeni Armed Forces consider all American and British ships in the Red and Arabian Seas as targets as long as the American-British aggression against our country continues,” said the Houthi spokesman.
The US Central Command said that 10 drones in Yemen were getting ready to be launched and they were a danger to ships and US warships in that area.
It said that all 10 were destroyed, including a Houthi drone control station on the ground.
The US said one of its boats destroyed three Iranian drones and a missile from the Houthi group in the Gulf of Aden.
Houthi attacks on ships in the Red Sea are making it harder to trade internationally. People are worried this will cause problems with getting supplies where they need to go.
On 7 October, many gunmen from Gaza went into southern Israel and killed about 1,300 people, mostly civilians, and took 250 others as hostages.
Israel started a war in Gaza and more than 26,900 people, mostly women and children, have died. This information comes from the health ministry in Gaza, which is controlled by the Hamas group. -
Zuckerberg issues apology to families during heated US Senate session
Meta’s CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, said sorry to families who say their kids were hurt by social media, in a heated meeting at the US Senate.
Mark Zuckerberg, who is in charge of Instagram and Facebook, told them that no one should experience what they went through.
He and the leaders of TikTok, Snap, X and Discord were asked questions by senators from both political parties for nearly four hours.
Legislators wanted to find out how they are keeping kids safe on the internet.
New rules are being made by Congress to make social media companies responsible for what people post on their websites.
On Wednesday, US senators got a chance to ask tech bosses some questions, which does not happen often.
Mr Zuckerberg and TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew said yes to testifying, but the leaders of Snap, X (formerly Twitter), and messaging platform Discord said no at first. So, they were forced to with government subpoenas.
Five tech bosses were sitting with families who said their children had hurt themselves or died because of things they saw on social media.
They showed how they felt by booing when the CEOs came in and clapping when the lawmakers asked hard questions.
The meeting mainly talked about keeping kids safe from being hurt on the internet. The senators asked a lot of different questions to the executives who were there.
TikTok, a company owned by a Chinese company called ByteDance, was asked if it shares American users’ data with the Chinese government. The CEO, Mr. Chew, said they do not.
US Senator Tom Cotton asked a person from Singapore if they were ever a member of the Chinese Communist Party.
“Senator, I am from Singapore. ” “No,” Mr Chew said.
Mr Cotton then asked, “Have you ever been connected or involved with the Chinese Communist Party. ”
Mr Chew said: “No, senator. ” Once again, I am from Singapore.
He said that as a father of three young kids, he knew the problems being talked about were “awful and every parent’s worst fear”.
He said his kids don’t use TikTok because in Singapore kids under 13 are not allowed to have accounts.
Mr Zuckerberg, who runs Meta, had to answer a lot of questions when he appeared before Congress for the eighth time.
Republican Senator Ted Cruz asked Mr. Zuckerberg “What were you thinking. ” when he showed him an Instagram prompt that warns users they may see child sexual abuse material, but asks if they still want to see it.
Mr Zuckerberg said the “basic idea is that instead of just blocking the bad stuff, it can be more useful to guide people towards something helpful. ” He said he will check it himself.
During a conversation with Senator Josh Hawley, Mr. Zuckerberg was asked to say sorry to the families who were sitting near him.
He got up, faced the people and told them: “I apologize for all the bad things you have experienced, it’s really awful. ”
“No one should have to experience the same pain and hardships that your families have gone through.
Senators annoyed over things not moving forward as they hoped.
The main topic of the hearing was the companies’ opinions on the new online safety laws Congress is working on.
This was seen during a heated argument between Jason Citron of Discord and Republican lawmaker Lindsey Graham.
Mr Graham talked about some bills in Congress that are about keeping people safe online. He asked Mr Citron if he agreed with those bills or not.
“Mr Graham didn’t let Mr. Citron talk much, and the Discord boss seemed to have doubts about most of Mr. Citron’s ideas”
Mr Graham said: “If we are waiting for these guys to solve the problem, we are not going to make it. ”
Before the meeting, Meta said they will now make it so kids on Instagram and Messenger can’t get messages from people they don’t know.Social media expert Matt Navarra told the media that he believed the hearing looked like many other confrontations, with a lot of US political showmanship and a great chance for Mr. Zuckerberg to apologize and have his photo taken.
He said that even though senators agreed on the need for both political parties to work together to make rules for websites, it’s still not clear what will happen next.
He said we’ve had these hearings many times before, but they haven’t really resulted in any important rules or regulations.
It’s 2024 and the US barely has any rules for social media companies, as was mentioned during the hearings.
The bosses also said how many people they hired to check content on their websites.
Meta and TikTok have the most users, and they each have 40,000 moderators. Snap has 2,300 moderators, X has 2,000, and Discord, which is smaller, has “hundreds” of moderators.
Discord is a messaging app and people have asked how it keeps kids safe from harm on its platform.
After the meeting, some parents went outside and held a gathering, asking lawmakers to make laws that make companies responsible.
Joann Bogard said that many parents still don’t think that the bad things we’re talking about today will hurt their families, just like she did before her son Mason died in May 2019. She said he had joined a TikTok trend where people pretended to choke themselves.
“She said that our normal kids are getting hurt during the night. ” “We have the evidence from people who witnessed it. ” It’s time for our lawmakers to approve the Kids Online Safety Act.
Arturo Béjar, who used to work for Meta and spoke to Congress in November 2023, said to the BBC that the company is not taking responsibility for keeping teenagers safe. He said they won’t even add a button for teens to report unwanted advances.
“How can they keep teens safe without it. ”
Today, Meta said they have brought in “more than 30 tools” to help keep teenagers safe on the internet.