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South Korea tells tourists on holiday island Jeju to behave

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Tourists on holiday at Jeju Island

Police in Jeju have for the first time released guidelines reminding foreign visitors to behave or face fines, as the South Korean holiday island sees an increasing number of tourists.

Jeju police issued the guide following complaints from locals over foreigners’ misbehaviour, including littering and letting children defecate on the street.

The guide – printed in Chinese, English and Korean – is the first of its kind in the country, local police say, and comes during the peak summer season.

Jeju, a volcanic island south of the Korean peninsula, is popular for its beaches, walking trails and windswept mountain views. Foreign visitors also come to Jeju for shopping and gambling.

The guide aims to “prevent misunderstandings due to language and cultural differences and improve foreigners’ understanding of Korean culture and laws”, said Jeju Police Agency chief Kim Su-young.

An initial eight thousand copies of the guide will be printed and distributed immediately, Kim said.

The guide lists down “minor offences” that are punishable by fines. These include smoking in prohibited areas, littering, jaywalking, drunk and disorderly behaviour, running away from restaurants without paying for meals, urinating or defecating in public, using a fake ID, and trespassing and breaking into empty houses.

First time violators are let off with with a warning, but repeat offenders could be fined by as much as 200,000 won ($143; £106), according to a copy of the guide released by police.

South Korea has seen a strong post-pandemic rebound in tourism. Jeju alone has welcomed seven million visitors so far this year, according to local media.

Credit: bbc.com

Israel calls up 60,000 reservists ahead of planned Gaza City offensive

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Israeli attacks on residential buildings in Gaza City

The Israeli military says it is calling up about 60,000 reservists ahead of a planned ground offensive to capture and occupy all of Gaza City.

A military official said the reservists would report for duty in September and that most of the troops mobilised for the offensive would be active-duty personnel.

They added that troops were already operating in the Zeitoun and Jabalia areas as part of the preparations for the plan, which Defence Minister Israel Katz approved on Tuesday and will be put to the security cabinet later this week.

Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians in Gaza City are expected to be ordered to evacuate and head to shelters in southern Gaza.

Many of Israel’s allies have condemned the plan, with French President Emmanuel Macron warning on Wednesday that it “can only lead to disaster for both peoples and risks plunging the entire region into a cycle of permanent war”.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) meanwhile said further displacement and an intensification of hostilities “risk worsening an already catastrophic situation” for Gaza’s 2.1 million population.

Israel’s government announced its intention to conquer the entire Gaza Strip after indirect talks with Hamas on a ceasefire and hostage release deal broke down last month.

Mediators Qatar and Egypt are trying to secure an agreement before the offensive begins and have presented a new proposal for a 60-day truce and the release of around half of the 50 hostages held in Gaza, which Hamas said it had accepted on Monday.

Credit: bbc.com

Russia says talks on Ukraine security guarantees must include Moscow

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Russia Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov

Russia has warned that attempting to resolve security issues relating to Ukraine without the participation of Moscow is a “road to nowhere”, days after European leaders met United States President Donald Trump to discuss security guarantees for Kyiv.

“We cannot agree with the fact that now it is proposed to resolve questions of security, collective security, without the Russian Federation. This will not work,” Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Wednesday.

“I am sure that in the West and above all in the United States they understand perfectly well that seriously discussing security issues without the Russian Federation is a utopia; it’s a road to nowhere.”

The minister’s comments come two days after Trump hosted Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy alongside prominent European leaders at the White House, and days after Trump met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska.

Trump is trying to steer Putin and Zelenskyy towards a settlement more than three years after Russia invaded its neighbour, but major obstacles remain.

The Russian official said any summit between Putin and Zelenskyy “must be prepared in the most meticulous way” so the meeting does not lead to a “deterioration” of the situation around the conflict.

Lavrov also accused European leaders of making “clumsy attempts” to change the US president’s position on Ukraine.

“We have only seen aggressive escalation of the situation and rather clumsy attempts to change the position of the US president,” he said, referring to Monday’s meeting.

Credit: aljazeera.com

Safe Water Network commissions $800k Asikuma Home Water Station

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Mr. Charles Nimako, Country Director, SWN

The Safe Water Network (SWN) has commissioned over $800,000 Asikuma Home Water Station to serve community members with clean and safe water.

The water station would provide over 3,000 residents with reliable safe water, including more than 400 households with direct piped connections fitted with Mobile-Money enabled prepaid meters.

Speaking at the event, Mr. Charles Nimako, Country Director, SWN, said all households were equipped with electronic prepaid meters and that by dialing a designated shortcode, residents could purchase water directly from their mobile money wallets.

He said all revenues retained within the community would cover operational costs such as staff wages, electricity, chlorination, and maintenance, and that reserves were also set aside for repairs, a model that had sustained operations for over 15 years.

Mr. Nimako said quarterly financial reports would be prepared and shared with the community through a newly formed water board to ensure transparency, detailing revenues, expenditures, and surpluses.

He said for this project, water was sourced from the Volta Lake, requiring the installation of a 5km underground HDP pipeline across farms and roads, adding that the project reflected the power of persistence, collaboration, and community partnership.

He said SWN had launched and now operated 112 water stations across more than 150 communities, reaching over 500,000 people.

“Of these, nearly 15,000 customers benefit from direct piped connections with mobile-money enabled prepaid meters, including schools, healthcare facilities, and small businesses,” he added.

Mr.Nimako said the vision was for healthy, thriving communities, each with its own safe water source, managed sustainably, owned proudly and operated by the people it served.

He added that this required partnership from government, traditional leaders, development partners, and most importantly, from community members.

Mr. Godwin Bobolee, the District Chief Executive, Asuogyaman District Assembly, urged the community members to use the water responsibly since significant resources were invested in treating and delivering safe and clean water to their homes through the benevolence of SWN.

He said the Government alone could not meet this need, therefore, with SWN supporting government to deliver such an essential service to their homes, it was important not to take it for granted.

Mr. Bobolee said they would continue to partner with SWN to address emerging issues and to ensure the expansion of the facility to other parts of the district.

He said this year alone, the Assembly would be constructing a minimum of 15 mechanised boreholes and water projects in selected second cycle institutions, Akwamufie and some selected communities.

Mr. Kurt Soderlund, the Founding CEO, SWN, called for a lasting partnership with SWN and the members of Asikuma.

“I wish for the community to care for the source of the water, which is Lake Volta, I wish for water to be available every day and affordable to the community and I wish for enough funds from the water sales to ensure its continued maintenance and operations.”

“I wish for everyone in Asikuma to drink safe water and have no disease, and most of all, I wish for the children to grow up healthy and happy with safe water,” he stressed.

From Edward Dankwah, Asikuma

GNA

Sleep Deprivation Harms Immune System, Memory-Neuroscientist

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RICHARD OWUSU-AKYAW
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Dr. Thomas Amatey Tagoe, Neuroscientist - University of Ghana

Dr. Thomas Amatey Tagoe, a Neuroscientist at the University of Ghana, a Science Communicator and Co-Founder of G.H. Scientific, has stressed that sleep plays a critical role in maintaining brain health and improving learning outcomes.

Speaking on GHOne TV’s Science of Learning programme, Dr. Tagoe explained that the brain becomes highly active during sleep processing experiences from the day.

“When you sleep, that is when you are out of the picture and the brain gets to work. It reviews what you did throughout the day – what was important and what was not.

“The important things are double-checked, underlined and stored away, while the unimportant ones are discarded,” he said.

The Neuroscientist noted that this process, known as memory reconciliation, ensures that useful information is retained while irrelevant details are erased.

“It is the time the brain does what we call ‘house-cleaning duties; clearing waste material and fixing itself for the next day. Without sleep, your attention drops and even things you thought you had learned are easily lost,” he added.

He cautioned that chronic lack of sleep could damage the immune system, impair memory and contribute to long-term health problems.

Natural Sleep Cycles and Classroom Sleepiness

Addressing why some students struggle to stay awake in class, Dr. Tagoe explained that the human brain naturally goes through two sleep cycles each day: late night to early morning, and midday.

“Between midnight and 4 a.m. most people naturally give in to sleep. But the way we have structured the world doesn’t always allow us to follow that rhythm.

“If students are constantly dozing in class, it could be because of poor stimulation, natural brain cycles, or simply lack of adequate sleep,” he observed.

Dr. Tagoe recommended 12 hours of sleep for toddlers and about 10 hours for teenagers. He warned that many Ghanaian youth fail to meet this medical standard due to household responsibilities, social media use, or lifestyle choices.

The Science of Learning

At the University of Ghana Medical School where he researches learning efficiency,Dr.Tagoe explained that retention is improved by sleep, repetition, and short study breaks rather than long cramming sessions.

“Counter-intuitively, making mistakes is important to learning. The brain strengthens connections when you pay attention, repeat information, and even correct errors. That is how memory becomes more durable,” he explained.

He advised students to study in short sessions with breaks in between, rather than forcing long hours of concentration, which he said, is less effective.

According to Dr. Tagoe, attention is the gateway to memory. “If you’re not paying attention, you are telling your brain it is not important. That is why sometimes you hear someone, but cannot recall what they said moments later. Social media takes advantage of this by constantly shifting your focus, preventing deep attention and, therefore, strong memory,” he noted.

Dr. Tagoe concluded that understanding how the brain learns – the science of learning – helps individuals optimise memory and performance in academics, sports or skill development.

Why Cucumbers Are Good for You

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Cucumber

Why Cucumbers Are Good for You

Cucumber is a nutritious fruit with a high-water content. Eating cucumber may help lower blood sugar, prevent constipation, and support weight loss. To maximize cucumber’s health benefits, eat the peel, too. Though commonly thought to be a vegetable, cucumber is a fruit.

It’s high in beneficial nutrients, as well as certain plant compounds and antioxidants that may help treat and even prevent some conditions.

Cucumbers are also low in calories and contain a good amount of water and soluble fiber, making them ideal for promoting hydration and aiding in weight loss.

Hydration

The average adult takes in about 3 quarts (12 cups) of water every day. Around a quarter of that typically comes from food. Cucumbers are an excellent source. Each one is about 95% water. That’s important because your cells need enough water to work right. Without it, you can get dizzy and sick. In serious cases, you may need to go to the hospital for treatment.

Keeping a Healthy Weight

All that water in cucumbers doesn’t just hydrate your cells. It also fills your belly, and that may help you eat less. A cup of sliced cucumbers has just 16 calories. That means it has very low “energy density.” People who eat more foods with low energy density often find it easier to lose weight.

Nutrients

Cucumbers are packed with them. In just a single cup of cucumber slices, you’ll get 14% to 19% of the vitamin K you need for the day. You’ll also get vitamins B and C along with minerals like copper, phosphorus, potassium, and magnesium.

Blood Sugar Control

High blood sugar can help create too many cell-damaging substances known as ROS and ROC. Cucumbers have shown some promise, mostly in animal studies, in controlling this problem. Rats that ate more cucumbers made less ROS and ROC. More studies on people are needed to back up these results.

Antioxidants

These feisty little chemicals help protect your cells from damage due to substances that form in your body called “free radicals.” Cucumbers have a unique set of antioxidants, including flavonoids, lignans, and triterpenes. They not only protect cells but also lessen inflammation that’s linked to arthritis and other long-term conditions.

Heart Health

Cucumbers are good for your ticker when you include them with a well-balanced diet. Their antioxidant activity helps slow or stop heart-related disease. And some research seems to show that the unique mix of nutrients in cucumber seeds could help improve your cholesterol numbers, which could have a direct impact on heart health. So skip those “seedless” cucumbers and go for the real thing!

Keeps You Regular

Eat lots of healthy foods like cucumber, and you leave less room for high-salt and high-fat foods that can slow your digestion. Plus, the hydration boost you get from all that water in cucumbers can prevent you from getting stopped up (constipation). They also have a fair amount of fiber, which aids in keeping things moving along.

Fermented Pickles

To ferment cucumbers, you leave them in a salt solution until bacteria start to feed on them. This makes a complex flavor and a distinctive sour bite. It also creates “good bacteria” (probiotics) that seem to help your body fight germs, absorb nutrients, digest food, and even control anxiety. But buyer beware: Many supermarket “pickles” are simply cucumbers in a vinegar solution, which is not the same.

Credit: webmd

Feature: NPP NC, Begging In Pride

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NPP

In a letter dated, August 16, 2025, and on the Subject: Amnesty and Adherence to Party Disciplinary Protocols, and signed by the Ag. National Chairman, Mr. Danquah Smith Buttey, the National Council of the New Patriotic Party, indicated that in the interest of unity and reconciliation, it had resolved to grant general amnesty to all Party members who have been suspended or whose disciplinary cases are currently pending before the appropriate adjudicatory bodies.Thislifts all such suspensions and waives any ongoing proceedings against affected members.

It however came with conditions attached, especially to those who have forfeited their membership. They are to submit a formal application to the National Secretariat for reinstatement and when reinstated, they will serve a mandatory two-year period during which they will remain ineligible to contest any party election.

Then big names of our members in exile popped up. Paul Afoko, Sammy Crabbe, Nyaho-Nyaho Tamaklo, Alan Kyerematen, Ohene Ntow, Boniface Siddique, Yaw Buabeng Asamoah and Hopeson Adorye.

Let us begin to look at it this way. Some, if not all of those suspended might not be fairly treated. I am looking at cases where some parliamentary primaries aspirants get suspended, for going independent, when in actual fact, the problem was created by the party. Someone up there would pick who must be parliamentary candidate and all foul means would be used to kick an aspirant out.

He then goes independent and gets suspended only when he loses the election.  If he wins, the party will go and lure him back home. Hon Asiamah of Fomena Constituency, was given special treatment. He got dismissed before the elections and the party went down on its knees and begged him to come back home.

In such cases, the one at fault is the party, who goes against party rules and forces people out. It should rather go down on its knees and beg for pardon.

Did I hear well that Paul Afoko and Sammy Crabbe were also pardoned? In 2015, Paul Afoko, Sammy Crabbe and Kwabena Agyepong were wrongfully suspended from office. That suspension went against the party’s constitution which demanded that only the electoral body which elected a member into office can remove that member (Art. 10). Yet, in the case of the three, instead of the National Delegates Conference, suspending them, the National Council did. So, here I expect the National Council, to rather beg these gentlemen for pardon.

And again, the three were suspended from office and not the party, so if their suspensions are lifted are they going back to occupy their offices?

Were Paul Afoko and Sammy Crabbe suspended because they took the party to court in 2016? If that is case then why were the following not suspended?

In 2016, the party was taken to court over elections of parliamentary candidates in their constituencies. One Ntim of Tema West, over the election of Carlos Ahenkora as parliamentary candidate; Lawyer Addison of Korle Klottey, over the election of Nii Noi as parliamentary candidate and Hon. Joseph Mensah of the Kwesimintsim, over the election of Hon. Joe Baidoo Ansah as parliamentary candidate. Nothing was done to them, so why should Afoko and Crabbe be punished?

Dr. Nyaho-Nyaho Tamaklo was suspended just because this NPP administration did not like to hear the truth. Dr. Tamaklo speaks the truth without adding “with all due respect,” because it is the truth and nothing else, and this matters to him most.

This failed administration just thrives on sycophancy and would not tell the emperor, he has no clothes on when indeed he is walking around naked. But not Dr. Tamaklo, he will say it without apology. A kind of person society needs.

Alan Kyerematen was a founding member of the party and he sacrificed a lot more than any of those leading the party today, yet the Establishment made sure he was treated unfairly and even label a traitor. I do not have his permission to list the little I know that was done to him that forced him out of NPP.

When he left the party, these members followed him, Ohene Ntow, Boniface Siddique, Yaw Buaben Asamoah and Hopeson Adorye. The party first came out to say, their status in the NPP had not changed, then one day, it published that all four plus Alan were no longer to be considered NPP members.

During that time, complacency rode high and the NPP believed it could easily win the 2024 General Elections and Alan and co. could never dent its chances.

As Boakye Agyako said, Alan physically walked away but many more walked away in their hearts and it showed when 2.1 million party faithful, decided not to vote. This created a huge blow to the NPP which sunk almost to the level of a non-entity.

Instead going to beg for forgiveness, the party organised a “Thank You Tour,” to thank the very people it had offended. Was this not an insult?

Now, those the party rudely offended and then had them suspended or dismissed are being told they can now return but on one condition. They will be second class citizens for a two-year probation before given full status. Is the NPP serious about reconciliation? This is what arrogance is doing to this great party which sadly lost its cherished foundational values, ideals and principles, when the Establishment took over in 2006.

When it is becoming very clear that without unity and this should include bringing back all party members who were on suspension or were dismissed, one would have thought that the NPP would have shed off pride and in humility, would go and beg those who were suspended or dismissed, to come back home and be restored full membership status, without any conditions attached.

This current leadership of the NPP are actually sinking the party further with any decision they make. In the first place, the very poor performance during the General Elections, should have warranted a voluntarily stepping down of all executives from regional to national. But no! That could not happen.

With the zeal to continue ruling the party, the national executives have coined and forced on the party, this Top-Bottom Approach, where the flagbearer would be elected. This would make them maintain their positions and further push the NPP into extinction. Such new development should have been endorsed by the National Delegates Conference.But it was not, because the Establishment wanted things this way.

As the reconciliation process goes on, Ghanaians need to be told, why Paul Afoko was suspended from office. It is very important that the truth is told, for he never was undermining Nana Addo’s chances. He was rather helping the party, which the Establishment was against. Paul Afoko needs to be given the honour and respect he truly deserves.

This failed administration must wake up, for instead of begging in humility, it is begging in pride and arrogance.

Hon. Daniel Dugan

Bailey joins Roma on season-long loan from Villa

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Leon Bailey (R)

Leon Bailey has completed a loan move from Aston Villa to Italian club Roma.

The Jamaica winger has joined the Italian side for the 2025-26 season and the deal includes an option to buy.

The 28-year-old made a £25m move to Villa from German club Bayer Leverkusen in 2021 and went on to score 22 goals in 144 appearances.

Bailey claimed a career-high 14 goals in 52 games in all competitions in the 2023-24 season, but he scored just twice in 38 games last term.

He signed a new contract with Villa in February 2024 that runs until 2027.

Credit: bbc.com

 

Brentford reject new £40m Newcastle bid for Wissa

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Yoane Wissa

Brentford have turned down Newcastle’s improved bid of £40m for striker Yoane Wissa.

The Magpies were proposing a £35m initial fee plus a further £5m in add-ons.

Newcastle reopened talks with Brentford on Wednesday but sources told BBC Sport that the latest bid fell below the Bees’ valuation of Wissa.

It is understood Wissa held talks with Brentford’s owner Matthew Benham on Tuesday, a development that prompted the discussions.

The Magpies’ previous bid for the 28-year-old was worth up to £30m.

Earlier this week, Wissa removed all association with Brentford from his Instagram account, external as his future took a fresh twist.

The DR Congo forward wants to join Newcastle but so far Brentford have refused to sanction his exit. He scored 19 goals in the Premier League last season.

BBC Sport were first to reveal that Wissa had flown home early from their pre-season camp in Portugal in July after which he threatened not to play or train for the club again if they did not sanction his protracted move to St James’ Park.

Since then there had been a slight thawing of relations resulting in Wissa returning to first-team training while continuing to make absolutely clear he wanted to join Newcastle.

Wissa believed that Brentford would sanction his transfer north once they signed his replacement.

Indeed, Wissa has been expecting Brentford to agree his move to Tyneside this week after the west London side completed the signing of Dango Ouattara from Bournemouth.

Brentford have already lost fellow forward Bryan Mbeumo this summer to Manchester United.

Credit: bbc.com

Arsenal make move for Spurs target Eze

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Eberechi Eze

Arsenal have launched a move for Crystal Palace attacker Eberechi Eze.

Sources have told BBC Sport Arsenal will offer around £60m for the England forward, who is also wanted by Tottenham.

Talks between Tottenham and Crystal Palace have accelerated over the past few days, with multiple sources telling BBC Sport they were progressing positively.

The Gunners have concerns over a knee injury sustained by forward Kai Havertz and Eze, 27, would offer Mikel Arteta an option in that area of the field.

Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner said on Wednesday that Eze will start in Thursday’s Uefa Conference League play-off tie against Fredrikstad, along with Liverpool-linked Marc Guehi, as they remain “committed to the team”.

Sources have told BBC Sport Eze wants to join Arsenal before the transfer window closes on 1 September.

Eze had a goal ruled out when Palace began their Premier League campaign with a draw at Chelsea on Sunday.

The England international has an expired release clause in his contract which was worth an initial £60m, plus a further £8m in add-ons.

Palace benefited hugely from Eze’s 14 goals across all competitions last season, having scored in their 1-0 FA Cup final win against Manchester City.

Eze joined the Eagles from Queens Park Rangers for £19.5m in 2020 and his current deal runs until the summer of 2027.

Credit: bbc.com

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