Small-scale miners take fight to galamseyers

The former Speaker of Parliament, Prof. Aaron Mike Oquaye, has waded into the debate about declaring some four parliamentary seats vacant.

In his view, the minority, which is pushing for that action to be taken, took the wrong step, as they, as parliamentarians, have no locus in that regard.

Speaking to JoyNews’ Elton Brobbey, Prof. Oquaye expressed concern over the petition submitted by former Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu, stating that such a move would be illegal without a formal complaint from the affected political parties and a fair hearing for the MPs involved.

Reacting to the petition from Haruna Iddrisu, he said “He’s wrong because the benefit is not his. The law does not stand to his inurement. He has no locus because he doesn’t belong to the party involved. So, it is the NPP that can trigger the removal of the MPs.”

DUE PROCESS

When asked about MPs leaving or being expelled from their political parties or running as independent, Prof. Oquaye stressed that political parties must follow due process.

Former Speaker Mike Oquaye further clarified that the former Minority Leader cannot compel the Speaker to declare the NPP and NDC seats vacant, as the political parties will have to trigger the process and the MPs involved must be given a hearing.

He explained that, “If he leaves his party, if he has been sacked by his party, if the party starts any disciplinary action against him, it is the party who knows. You cannot pronounce anybody guilty, you cannot kick out a Member of Parliament for Parliament unless there’s a process of hearing him.

“And that’s why I’ve given you the background of that legal provision. It is to correct a certain mischief that can be operated against political parties,” he added.

RULING

Touching on his ruling in the Andrew Amoako Asiamah matter, on which the minority has cemented their case, the former Speaker said due process was followed.

“In fact, it was some parts of the executive that initially were protesting. I told them they have no locus in that matter. If they wanted to do what they purported to do, they should let their party do it.

“So the NPP as a party wrote to the Speaker stating why they were withdrawing their support because according to the constitution, this person had betrayed his allegiance to the party,” Prof. Oquaye stated.

WISE

Today, the current Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, is expected to state a position on the matter.

When asked about that, Speaker Oquaye was hopeful his successor is one of the pillars of Parliament and will navigate the issue wisely.

Prof Oquaye said “The current Speaker is a very experienced man. He’s one of the fundamentals of Parliament. I believe that he will go by the way that I’m talking about.”

Hoax bomb threats spark panic for Indian airlines

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October 17, 2024

At least 10 Indian flights have received hoax bomb threats over the past 48 hours, leading to long delays and diversions.

On Tuesday, Singapore’s Air Force sent two fighter jets to escort an Air India Express plane away from populated areas following a bomb threat.

Hours before that, an Air India plane from Delhi to Chicago had to land at a Canadian airport as a precuationary measure.

Hoax bomb threats to airlines are not unusual in India but it’s not clear what triggered the sudden surge since Monday.

Officials from the government’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation and Bureau of Civil Aviation Security did not respond to the BBC’s emails for comment.

Apart from Air India, IndiGo, SpiceJet and Akasa Air flights also received threats.

On Monday, three international flights that took off from Mumbai were diverted or delayed after an X (formerly Twitter) handle posted threats. Police have detained a teenager in connection with this.

On Tuesday, seven flights, including the two Air India planes, were affected by the threats issued by another X handle which has now been suspended. Screenshots of some of the posts show the user had tagged the airline and local police and mentioned the flight number.

Air India said in a statement that it was co-operating with authorities to identify the people behind the threats and would consider legal action to recover damaged incurred.

Every Indian airport has a Bomb Threat Assessment Committee which assesses the gravity of the threat and takes action accordingly. A threat can lead to the involvement of the bomb disposal squad, sniffer dogs, ambulances, police and doctors.

Credit: bbc.com

Italy sends first asylum seekers to Albania under controversial deal

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October 17, 2024

A navy boat carrying refugees and migrants intercepted in Italian waters

An Italian navy ship has docked in Albania to deliver refugees and migrants, the first such mission under a controversial deal between the two countries that sends asylum seekers outside the European Union while their claims are processed.

The ship, carrying 16 men who were picked up in Italian waters, arrived at Shengjin port on Wednesday. The arrangement has been heralded by Italy’s right-wing government as unprecedented and eyed by other EU states seeking to tighten immigration policies, but rights groups have slammed it as undermining human rights.

Ten men from Bangladesh and six from Egypt disembarked from the ship. They are the first arrivals under the deal, which was agreed by Italy and Albania in November.

The naval ship Libra left the port of Lampedusa on Monday. The refugees were rescued at sea after departing from Libya last week, according to officials.

On arrival in Albania, they were escorted towards the gates of a processing centre a few metres from the vessel. Their cases will be heard at a nearby airbase in Gjader, which can hold 3,000 people.

Italy has opened two centres in Albania, where it plans to process up to 36,000 asylum seekers per year. The centres will be operated under Italian law with Italian security and staff and judges hearing cases by video from Rome.

According to the deal, agreed for an initial five years by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and her Albanian counterpart, people will be screened initially on board the ships that rescue them before being sent to Albania for further screening.

Credit: aljazeera.com

US judge blocks Georgia order to count votes by hand

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October 17, 2024

US Judge Robert McBurney Miguel Martinez /miguel.martinezjimenez@ajc.com

A judge in the US state of Georgia has blocked an order for ballots in November’s presidential election to be counted by hand.

Judge Robert McBurney ruled poll workers would not have received adequate training to handle millions of ballots, adding that the last-minute change would have led to “administrative chaos”.

The hand count mandate was passed by the pro-Trump majority on the Georgia election board last month, and Tuesday’s ruling was welcomed by Democratic candidate Kamala Harris.

Early voting began in Georgia on Tuesday, with record numbers casting their votes in the key swing state ahead of Election Day on 5 November.

More than 328,000 people voted in person or by post on the first day of voting, officials said – more than double the previous record of 136,000 in 2020.

Around five million votes for president were cast in Georgia that year, with Democrat Joe Biden winning the state by just under 12,000.

Trump refused to accept the result and he has now been charged on eight counts with unlawfully trying to change the outcome, which he denies.

A phone call recording has him telling Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to “find 11,780 votes”.

The hand-count rule would have required three poll workers in the state’s more than 6,500 precincts to break open sealed boxed of ballots already scanned by machine to count them and check there was a match.

Critics said the rule would have allowed election board members to delay or deny the state’s certification of the election results.

In his ruling, Judge McBurney said the “11th-and-one-half-hour implementation of the hand count rule” would diminish public confidence in the outcome.

Credit: bbc.com

Zelensky presents ‘victory plan’ to Ukrainian parliament

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October 17, 2024

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has presented MPs with a long-awaited “victory plan” that aims to strengthen his country’s position enough to end the war with Russia.

Zelensky told parliament in Kyiv that the plan could finish the war – which began with Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 – no later than next year.

Key elements include a formal invitation to join Nato, the lifting by allies of restrictions on long-range strikes on Russia, a refusal to trade Ukraine’s territories and sovereignty, and the continuation of the incursion into the Kursk region of Russia.

The Kremlin dismissed the plan with a spokesman saying Kyiv needed to “sober up”.

Addressing MPs, Zelensky also criticised China, Iran and North Korea for their backing of Russia, and described them as a “coalition of criminals”.

He said he would present the victory plan at an EU summit on Thursday.

“We are at war with Russia on the battlefield, in international relations, in the economy, in the information sphere, and in people’s hearts,” Zelensky told parliament.

The plan was presented to US President Joe Biden, as well as presidential candidates Kamala Harris and Donald Trump, back in September.

Key allies such as Britain, France, Italy and Germany have also reportedly been shown the plan.

However, there was no hint of a compromise to bring the end of the war closer. Instead, Zelensky doubled down on wanting to force Russia to negotiate and to not cede Ukraine’s territory, through the strengthening of his own military.

He also claimed his extensive plan could be implemented with the agreement of his allies, and not Russia.

Credit: bbc.com

AfroGee and Kofi Kinaata team up in ‘Adom Bi’ to encourage youth

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October 17, 2024

In a bid to uplift disheartened youth, Singer cum Rapper AfroGee has partnered with award-winning musician Kofi Kinaata on a new inspirational single, ‘Adom Bi.’

Drawing from his personal struggles, AfroGee shares in the song how God’s grace transformed his life when all other efforts failed. “I’ve tried everything—education, hustling on the streets, and other means—but God’s grace came through in ways I never imagined,” he reflects in the lyrics, attributing his success entirely to divine intervention.

Kofi Kinaata adds his own testimony to complete the song: “I used to be overlooked and faced countless setbacks. Now, what God has done is beyond words—I need help expressing my gratitude. Today, bank alerts are flowing, and Jah never fails.”

AfroGee explained that the song was born from a deep desire to encourage the youth who may feel stuck or hopeless. “Having experienced that sense of despair myself, I knew I had to use my story to inspire others,” he shared.

He also emphasized the importance of collaborating with Kofi Kinaata, saying, “Who better to join me than Kinaata? We’re childhood friends from Effiakuma, and I know his story and talent would make this song truly impactful.”

Produced by WillisBeatz, ‘Adom Bi’ is available for streaming on all major platforms and can be accessed via linktr.ee/mighty afrogee.

Sunshine Selina dazzles at 2024 Western Music Awards

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October 17, 2024

Ghanaian gospel singer domiciled abroad; Sunshine Selina has dazzled at the 8^th edition of the Western Music Awards scooping two awards at this year’s Western Music Awards recently held at the GHPA Auditorium in Takoradi.

Out of the four nominations, the affable songstress ended up winning two, facing strong competition in all categories. She came top to emerge the ‘Diaspora Artiste of the year’ at the awards night.

Sunshine Selina also had her song ‘Confirm’ off her ‘Jesus Confirm for Me’ EP winning the ‘Video of the year’ category at the expense of some heavyweights in the industry.

Speaking after the awards, Sunshine Selina who is currently topping charts in the United Kingdom with songs from her EP, was grateful for winning the two awards, indicating that the awards will go a long way to impact her career as a gospel artiste.

“I am very excited for winning two awards out of the four, I least expected but all glory belongs to God. I thank the organizers and everyone who voted for me, may God bless them all.

“Winning the awards is a sign of positivity and I believe it will have a strong impact in my career. This is huge and I will still encourage everyone to keep streaming my songs on all platforms.”

Sunshine Selina’s ‘Jesus Confirm for Me’ EP featuring heavyweights like Joyce Blessing, Uncle Ato, Kofi Feelings and Ranata Rabbles enjoyed a mind-boggling airplay and massive online attention

She is currently working on a new album after a successful maiden EP.

Nadia Buari makes comeback with ‘Forever in a Night’

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October 17, 2024

After a hiatus from acting, Ghanaian screen goddess Nadia Buari, has returned to the screens with a new movie titled ‘Forever in a Night’.

Nadia is ready to captivate audiences with a compelling storyline and a star-studded cast which includes Ghanaian dancehall artiste Stonebwoy.

His inclusion adds another layer of excitement and intrigue to the project. Stonebwoy’s powerful vocals and charismatic presence are sure to enhance the overall storytelling and create a memorable viewing experience.

The film explores the life of a woman who seems to have it all, only to have her world shattered in a single night.

With its intense plot and top-notch production, ‘Forever In A Night’ is set to be a major cinematic event.

Apart from Nadia Buari, the movie also stars Godwin Namboh, Samera Buari, Queenstar Anaafi, and Fred Sarpong.

‘Forever in a Night’, produced by John N. Okwugo and directed by Jameel Buari, will premiere on November 9, 2024, at the Accra Mall and West Hills Mall in Accra.

Credit: myjoyonline.com

Information Ministry holds training for arts and culture journalists

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October 17, 2024